The Meg Chronicles

by Jonas Xerxes

This is a fanfiction series that takes place in a two year timeskip, after Meg and her best friends Roberta Tubbs-Brown and Courtney Quagmire graduated from Adam West High, they headed to LA and attend University life with four other girls as they take on the world, change it and explore new realities in their adventures in the West.

4. The Fight Clubs of Superhumans

The Meg Chronicles Season 1 Episode 4 – The Fight Clubs of Superhumans

[UCLA, Los Angeles, California] [August 24 to 26 2021]

(Bright sunlight pours down on the UCLA campus. Students mill about, backpacks on, coffee in hand, hustling to and from classes. Among them: Meg Griffin, hoodie-clad, head down but eyes alert behind her thick-rimmed glasses. Hayley Smith, eco-conscious and stylish in thrifted boho gear.Roberta Tubbs-Brown, confident and phone-in-hand, checking her reflection in the window glass. Courtney Quagmire, in a Team USA tracksuit, earbuds in, jogging between classes. Erika Fujibayashi, hair in a tidy braid, reserved and precise. Potala Sonora, notebook clutched to her chest, expression bright and thoughtful. Helen, the talking golden retriever in a custom-made service vest with a UCLA patch. Cut between classes — psych lectures, culinary theory, forensic science, sociology. The girls are immersed in college life, doing their best to carve a place in the world. Scenes of them huddled in campus cafés, doodling in notebooks, or browsing the bookstore play out over soft indie music. Late the Guidance Office, a counselor is conducting interviews of the Background Girls. It is a well-decorated, cozy office. Each girl is interviewed separately by the kind-hearted Guidance Counselor, mid-40s, warm smile.)

Hayley Smith: (grinning passionately) I wanna be an activist. Environmental justice, human rights, gender equity. All of it.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (sitting cross-legged, flipping her hair) Actress and model. Preferably in a starring role and a Vogue cover before 25.

Courtney Quagmire: (without hesitation) Olympic athlete. Track and field. But I also want to train to be a pilot for emergency rescue missions—y'know, help people when it counts.

Potala Sonora: (dreamy but confident) I want to open my own restaurant. Be a chef, make people happy through food. Something fusion—like Quechua-Korean maybe.

Erika Fujibayashi: (hesitant, quiet) I… want to be a police officer. I know it sounds weird coming from me, but someone's gotta do it right. And as a way to honor my father.

Helen: (tail wagging, beaming) Veterinarian, obviously. I've been saying that since I was a puppy.

Meg Griffin: (shrinking into her hoodie) I'm… not sure yet. (soft pause) I think I want to help people. Somehow. But I'm not sure what that looks like.

Guidance Counselor: (kindly) That's okay, Meg. You don't need an answer today.

[Shadow House, UCLA, Los Angeles, California] [August 27, 2021]

Friday Afternoon. The girls are gathered around the low table, books and snacks scattered everywhere in the common room. It's that blend of focus and fatigue every student knows well. Courtney is scribbling equations while stretching her legs. Potala is highlighting a culinary science textbook. Hayley is half-focused, flipping through a history article. Roberta is visibly annoyed, tapping her pen against her cheek. Erika is typing steadily.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (sighs dramatically) I'm gonna snap. Someone take me out of this house before I lose it.

Jeff Fischer: (appearing from the kitchen in a frilly apron) Dinner's almost ready, ladies. I followed Remy's instructions exactly this time—

(Just then Remy(yes, from Ratatouille), scampers in from the kitchen, looking panicked.)

Remy: (tiny French squeak) Jeff! The sauce! The kitchen—she is smoking!

Jeff Fischer: (yelps) Oh no! Hayley, help me save the soufflé!

(Jeff and Hayley dash into the kitchen, smoke starting to curl from the doorway.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (getting up) Yeah, that's it. I'm out. Anyone want to come find some actual excitement with me?

Erika Fujibayashi: (quietly closing her laptop) I'll come.

(The two head out, Roberta grabbing her jacket and Erika nodding to the others. The room settles again… until there's a knock at the door. Meg opens the door. Standing there are two unexpected yet familiar figures: Hiyoshi Mashimoto, the Earth-raised Zengokan superhero, animation major, awkwardly holding a sketchpad. Rokuro Mashimoto, his loyal, talking Akita Inu, wearing a necktie and a small backpack.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (nervous but determined) Hey, Meg. Hi, Helen. Um… can we talk? Somewhere private?

Rokuro Mashimoto: (looking directly at Helen, tail wagging) Please. It's important. Just… a heart-to-heart.

(Meg and Helen exchange a surprised look—then nod.)

Meg Griffin: Sure. Upstairs?

(The four head up quietly. From the living room, Courtney and Potala peek out.)

Potala Sonora: (whispers, wide-eyed) Did that just happen? Did Meg just get asked to talk privately by the hot anime guy?

Courtney Quagmire: And Helen by the dog. The talking Akita Inu.

Potala Sonora: Oh my god. This might be a confession.

(They both squeal softly, then go back to their algebra homework with renewed energy, now sharing notes and fangirling between calculations.)

[The Meg Chronicles Opening 1 – Road to Somewhere]

(The camera zooms in on sunset-lit Los Angeles skyline with towering skyscrapers and palm trees swaying in the breeze. The pink Corvette speeds down the Pacific Coast Highway, with Meg, Roberta, and Courtney in the car. Meg, behind the wheel, looks ready for the new adventure. Roberta is snapping a selfie while Courtney tunes her radio. The upbeat music kicks in as they drive off.)

"I was stuck in a world that never saw me,But now I'm free, yeah, now I'm flying!"

(The screen flashes with bold, energetic title cards: The Meg Chronicles!)
(Meg Griffin: A slow-motion shot of Meg in her new look—hourglass figure, wavy brown hair, and small oval glasses, flipping her hair back as she speeds into UCLA dorms with confidence. Cut to her in an action pose, super-powered punches knocking enemies down. Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Roberta stands strong and proud, crossing her arms in front of a DJ turntable with neon lights flashing behind her. She's seen battling villains with quick, smooth moves at a nightclub in LA. Courtney Quagmire: Courtney kicks off a skateboard ramp, flipping mid-air and landing perfectly as explosions go off behind her. She grins at the camera before dodging enemies with precision. Each of the new friends gets their moment to shine as heroes in this opening montage. Helen: Helen leaps into battle, kicking down a door as she leads the charge with her loyalty. She stands tall, ready to protect her friends with grace. Erika Fujibayashi: A shot of Erika battling frat boy terrorists and ninjas with swift swordsmanship. She's a fearless warrior, always stepping up when needed, standing her ground against those who threaten her new life. Potala Sonora: Potala, wielding a bow and arrow, stands tall in front of a sacred tree. She releases a perfect shot that hits an impossible target, showcasing her exceptional skills as a Miwok Native American hero. Haley Smith & Jeff Fischer: Haley, accompanied by Jeff Fischer, is seen charging into battle—Haley unleashing fire magic and Jeff using advanced technology to take down enemies. The mood shifts as the villains come into focus. Lady Porcina, a giant pig, towers over the city. She's dressed in a high-class outfit, wearing a diamond necklace, and is incredibly menacing. Meg and Porcina lock eyes in slow-motion—the rivalry between them clearly building. Popping are actual supervillains with superpowers, evil ninja clans, corrupted law enforcements. The camera zooms in on a concealed frat leader, and his frat boy terrorist army. He is a sinister figure, orchestrating destruction with smug precision. His cynical laugh fills the scene. The girls are joined by their love interests, each with their unique abilities, adding a deep layer of excitement to the action-packed final battle.)

"No more waiting, no more hiding—The road is open, and I'm driving!"

(Fast-paced shots show the girls battling together—Meg, Roberta, Courtney, Hayley, Erika, Potala and Helen charged forth. Bravery written on their faces.)

"I won't turn back now—this is my story,We're not alone—we've come this far!"

(The screen slows down as Meg, Roberta, Courtney, Hayley, Erika, Potala and Helen with their love interests stand triumphantly on the UCLA campus. The city skyline glows behind them. They share a moment of victory, looking out at the horizon, ready for the challenges to come.)

(End of Opening Theme)

(Meg and Helen's Room: The room is cozy with warm-toned lights and posters of vintage anime, women's rights icons, and veterinary medicine pinned up on one side. Helen curls up on Meg's bed while Meg sits at her desk chair, both listening intently as Hiyoshi and Rokuro sit across from them.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (softly) I guess... it's time we tell you who we really are. And where we come from.

Rokuro Mashimoto: (grinning) Buckle in, ladies.

[Flashback — The Tale of Hiyoshi Mashimoto] [21 Years Ago]

(Bright streaks of laser fire cut through the night sky of a war-torn alien world. Explosions burst behind a domed fortress. A hooded couple rushes toward a glowing pod with an infant wrapped in a glowing cloth.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (voice-over) I was born on a distant planet called Zengo… right in the middle of a brutal civil war. My birth parents knew I wouldn't survive there. So they sent me away… to Earth… to live.

(The spaceship flew thousands of light year across until it crash lands on the third planet of the Solar System in the Sol Galaxy, aka the Milky Way Galaxy. One morning on Mt. Issaikyo in Japan. A couple, Yukiyoshi and KanaMashimoto, both in their mid-30s, hike through a forest trail, cameras and food journals in hand. They stumble upon a space pod nestled near a shrine.)

Yukiyoshi Mashimoto: (astonished) Is that… a baby?

Kana Mashimoto: Look at him… his little tail… he's glowing!

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (voice-over) They took me in, no questions asked. Yukiyoshi and Kana Mashimoto. Food travel writers by day… hardcore anime otakus by night.

(A heartwarming montage shows a young Hiyoshi growing up with his older brother Masayoshi, training in martial arts in the backyard, and learning Japanese customs. His powers gradually emerge—he lifts a boulder, flies across the rice fields, and saves a child from being hit by a car. Even defeating bullies on school yards, with the saved victims defending Hiyoshi and a happy and forgiving Hiyoshi befriending and helping the former bullies.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (voice-over) They raised me like their own. I wasn't blood… but I was family. Masayoshi was like a real big brother, always looking out for me… and when my powers started showing, they trained me to use them… only to protect.

[Flashback — The Tale of Rokuro Mashimoto] [9 Years Ago]

(A 12-year-old Hiyoshi peers into a kennel. A tiny, scruffy Akita Pup stares back up… and speaks. Hiyoshi came with his parents to reward him his first pet.)

Akita Pup: Yo. You look like trouble.

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (stunned) He… talks?!

Animal Shelter Lady: (chuckling) Poor guy's been here for weeks. No one wants a talking dog. Spooks 'em.

Hiyoshi Mashimoto:(kneels, smiling wide) I'll take him.

Rokuro Mashimoto: (voice-over) That's when we met. Hiyoshi was the first one who didn't see me as a freak. He saw a brother.

(A young Rokuro grows up beside Hiyoshi. They sleep side-by-side, spar together in training, enjoy anime marathons with Kana and Yukiyoshi, and even participate in cosplay events as Goku and Krillin. Even spending time with their big brother Masayoshi lifting weights and looking cool and explore the forest in and outside of Sendai.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (voice-over) We became a team. Best friends, brothers. He wasn't just a dog—he's family.

[Flashback — Sarugami & Inumaru: Year 1] [6 Years Ago]

(As teenagers, the two now-older heroes don stylized costumes and leap across rooftops. Hiyoshi, now the powerful and agile Sarugami, swings down from buildings with acrobatic grace and flight, while Rokuro, in his tactical armor, fights beside him as the fierce and loyal Inumaru.)

Rokuro Mashimoto: (voice-over) And when bad guys started showing up… we fought back. We didn't do it for fame. Or glory. Just… to help people. Like our family taught us.

[Flashback Ends]

(The flashback fades as Hiyoshi and Rokuro look sheepishly at Meg and Helen. There's a long pause.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: …So, yeah. That's us. Not really your average animation student and his talking dog.

Rokuro Mashimoto: You can run screaming now. Or faint. Or both. And we wouldn't blame you.

(Instead, Meg is misty-eyed. Helen looks awe-struck.)

Meg Griffin: Are you kidding me? That's… beautiful. You didn't have to be born to them to be loved by them.

Helen: Your whole family sounds awesome. And you two? You're amazing. You fight for people. With heart.

Rokuro Mashimoto: (smirking) I mean, I am an alpha male. But go on…

(Everyone laughs. Then, things grow quieter. Hiyoshi glances down, rubbing his palms on his jeans nervously.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: Meg… there's something else. Something I've been meaning to say since… well, since I met you.

Meg Griffin: (tilts her head gently, smiling) Sure, Hiyoshi. What's on your mind?

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: I think… no. I know I'm in love with you.

(Meg's eyes widen.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: Not because of how you look. Though… yeah, you're beautiful. But because of your heart. Your strength. The way you care about people even when they don't deserve it. You're the kind of person… I've always hoped I'd find.

Meg Griffin:(lips tremble. Her eyes start to glisten) Hiyoshi… I've always wondered if anyone would see me that way. But you… you see me. All of me. And I love you too.

(They slowly lean in, sharing a heartfelt, tender kiss. Helen glances at Rokuro, grinning shyly.)

Helen: You know… I've always liked confident guys who protect the people they love.

Rokuro Mashimoto: (smiling) Then you're in the right room, fluffbutt.

(They bump noses gently; a soft doggy nuzzle. Courtney and Potala are peeking around the corner, having secretly eavesdropped the whole time, barely containing their squeals.)

Potala Sonora: Meg just got her first kiss! And Helen too!

Courtney Quagmire: Oh my god, this is like a real-life anime love confession!

(They squeal and return to the table, giggling as they resume their algebra assignments, hearts lifted.)

[Los Angeles, California]

(The glowing city skyline pulses behind Roberta and Erika as they step out of a black rideshare at a shady dockyard by the coast. The salty ocean air mixes with the thudding echo of underground music and the sharp scent of burnt rubber and engine oil. A busted neon sign buzzes above a rusted warehouse door: THE PIT — Entry at your own risk.)

Erika Fujibayashi: (raising an eyebrow) This feels like the start of every "don't go in there" horror movie ever made.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (grinning wide) Which is exactly why we have to go in.

(They exchange a mischievous glance and shoulder the heavy door open—)

[Shadow House, UCLA, Los Angeles, California] [August 28, 2021]

(The sunlight gently pours through the large bay windows of the Shadow House's cozy but slightly chaotic living room. Couch cushions are half-toppled, cereal bowls are still on the coffee table, and anime is paused on the TV. Sitting on the floor, couch, and beanbags are Meg, Hayley, Roberta, Courtney, Erika, Potala and Helen—the infamous Background Girls. Suddenly, the front door opens. Hiyoshi Mashimoto and Kito Motosimba walk in with cool, calm confidence. Hiyoshi, Zengokan college student and secretly the superhero Sarugami, is holding a few digital scrolls. Kito, noble alien from Kuganda and secretly Lionheart, has his arm slung around Erika's shoulder.)

Meg Griffin: (grinning) Hey, look who's back! My monkey god and Erika's lion king.

Hayley Smith: (crossing arms playfully) You guys missed a hell of a night. Street fights, ninja eyes, and Roberta going full Mortal Kombat.

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (smiling) That's exactly why we're here. There's a lot more going on beneath the surface of your world… and yourselves.

Helen: (sits up, ears twitching) Where's Rokuro?

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: He's working a story for The Daily Universe. Something big. He said he's investigating a wrongful conviction.

[Cutaway — Prisoner's Innocence Case]

(Rokuro, in a slick hoodie and with a press badge, sits opposite a muscular black inmate in an orange jumpsuit.)

Rokuro Mashimoto: (dead serious) I believe you. I'm going to find the truth and clear your name.

Inmate: (choked up) No one's ever said that to me before…

Rokuro Mashimoto: (counts on fingers) That's… depressingly common.

[Cutaway Ends]

(The girls lean in as Hiyoshi activates a holographic chart while Kito opens a portable Ki map. They are flanked by three new arrivals: Hiroyoshi Kunimata – muscular, confident, dojo leader of World Martial Arts Coalition. Gwen Calligan – goth leader of the Goth Circle, black lipstick, fishnets, and Wiccan vibes. Orion Baras – leader of the Young Naturists of America, long-haired, peace-loving, naturist political student leader, Greek sandals and smiling.)

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: There are seven hidden races of superhumans on Earth. Each based on how their Ki developed over time: Power-gene – Super strength, durability, and energy. Think Quirks, Metahumans, X-Men. Force-gene – Psychic, telekinetic, empathic. Think Star Wars Force users, espers. Speed-gene – Super speed through the Speed Force or turbo Ki. Sage-gene – Nature-bound powers. Like Senjutsu, Sage Mode, transformation via nature energy. Magi-gene – Magical users. Wizards, witches, Homo Magi, and spellcasters. Soul-gene – Spiritual warriors. Soul Reapers, Hollows, spiritual avatars. Yoso-gene – Elemental and cosmic benders. Benders from Avatar, cosmic warriors.

Kito Motosimba: We call these evolved humans: Powerhumans. Forcehumans. Speedhumans. Sagehumans. Magihumans. Soulhumans. Yosohumans.

Orion Baras: (grinning) They've existed since ancient times. Way before the modern world. From the time of Emperor Jimmu of Japan and Qin Shi Huang of China.

Courtney Quagmire: Okay… that's ancient-ancient.

Gwen Calligan: (casually flipping her spellbook) Some stayed hidden. Some led revolts. Some… just wanted to be left alone. But now? Some have turned bitter.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (muttering darkly) And bitter people with power are always a problem.

Hayley Smith: So what are we, then? Like, gene-wise?

Hiyoshi Mashimoto:(nods) So far? Here's what we know: Meg's a Powerhuman. Stronger than she realizes. Hayley, a Magihuman. Your powers awakened when Gwen's spellbook resonated with your soul. Erika, you're a Soulhuman. Your Morigan eyes are a spiritual inheritance. Helen has a speed type ki, maybe a beast-bound subtype. Still figuring it out.

Helen: (smiling with teeth) If I grow wings or laser eyes, I call dibs on superhero dog merchandise.

Meg Griffin: (grinning) Dibs on the movie rights.

Hiroyoshi Kunimata: Some of your friends—like Rokuro—are already awakened too. Speedhuman. Or Speed-Dog The guy is faster than sound.

Gwen Calligan: Others are hiding. Living in fear. Some… want to rise and rule. Make humans obsolete. Turn the world into a new hierarchy.

Jeff Fischer: (sipping juice) Sounds like Magneto with better branding.

[Cutaway — Rising Moment of the Homo Superiors]

(Magneto stands atop a pile of burning steel, cape fluttering. He raises his arms dramatically.)

Magneto: I will build a world where mutants rise—!

Human Crowd: (shouting) Okay but like... you're kinda cool already? We're good with mutants.

Magneto: (confused) Wait... you're not scared?

Human Teen: Nah bro, you're dope. You got metal powers and everything.

Magneto: (stammering) I… wait. This ruins my whole arc.

[Cutaway Ends]

(The girls laugh.)

Erika Fujibayashi: Still… it's kind of scary. If people like us can rise… others can fall.

Kito Motosimba: Which is why we're here. To help you master yourselves. And maybe… protect this fragile world before it cracks wide open.

Orion Arabas: (peacefully) Balance is everything. Even chaos can be gentle… if tempered.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (smiles, fierce) Yeah, well if any psycho villain comes knocking, I call first punch.

Meg Griffin: (grinning wide) Let's save the world after brunch.

Hayley Smith: I'm down. As long as we get waffles.

Gwen Calligan: With dark syrup. Obviously.

Hiyoshi Mashimoto: (stern but smiling) Then let's train. Learn. Prepare.

Kito Motosimba: Because something big is coming.

Potala Sonora: (mutters) ...It always is.

Jeff Fischer: (winks) Let's just hope it's not another "shirtless frats with ki-blasts" situation.

Everyone: (laughs)

(Afternoon. The Background Girls have finished their assignments and the vibe in the house is mellow. On the couch, Courtney, Potala, and Helen are cozied up watching a movie with Link Hargrove, who's casually dressed, his green gem necklace glinting faintly. Nearby, Sun Zuan, Matthew Mason, and Rokuro sit at the dining table. Rokuro's flipping through notes and security cam stills, headphones around his neck.)

Rokuro Mashimoto: (murmuring) Stripes footage... same timestamp... the guy's at a gas station—no way he made it back in time.

Sun Zuan: Then someone framed him.

Matthew Mason: Real Death Note energy without the murder notebook.

(The door slams open. Enter Meg and Hayley, both clearly pissed.)

Meg Griffin: (sternly) Roberta!

(Roberta sits casually on the armrest of a nearby chair, polishing her nails like she just finished brunch.)

Heyley Smith: (furious) You snapped a guy's leg in training, Roberta! That's not sparring, that's assault!

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (nonchalant) He was creeping. Said he "felt our energies connecting." I told him I have a man. He didn't listen. I handled it.

Meg Griffin: (firm, rubbing her temple) He's not even pressing charges because Hayley healed him. That doesn't make it okay. You're a Background Girl now. You need to act like one.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (rolling her eyes) Cool, beautiful, movie star material—got it.

(Roberta shrugs and walks away toward her room without another word.)

Erika Fujibayashi: (arms crossed) He shouldn't have been that close in the first place. She warned him. Don't test someone's boundaries in a dojo.

(Erika follows Roberta silently into her own room, leaving the tension in the air thick.)

Hayley Smith: (smirking a little too much) We're finally getting through to her. One crack in the armor at a time.

Meg Griffin: (sighing deeply) Yeah… or we're just wearing each other down.

(The Couch group witnessed the drama unfold like a live episode.)

Courtney Quagmire: This is like watching a telenovela... with capes.

Link Hargrove: Except no one's crying in slow motion—yet.

Helen: Give it time. And background music.

Potala Sonora: It's like if Mean Girls and X-Men had a dorm war.

Matthew Mason: (grinning) You know who else can turn a heated argument into an epic battle?

(Everyone leans in knowingly.)

Matthew Mason: My mom.

Everyone: (in perfect sitcom timing) MY MOM?!

(They all burst into laughter and file out of the living room. Except for Rokuro.)

Rokuro Mashimoto: (staring at his notes, under his breath) I need a new house. Preferably one without sass and high-kick fatalities.

(Roberta sitting silently in her room, looking at an old photo of her and Federline, her expression unreadable… but maybe just a little shaken. Night at the Shadow House. The moonlight casts a silver glow over the quiet house. Inside, Courtney Quagmire lies on her bed scrolling through her phone—when she hears footsteps just outside her door. She pauses. Hears a creak. Peeks through her window—her eyes narrow. Down below, Roberta and Erika are dressed in stealthy street clothes, walking with someone familiar.)

Courtney Quagmire: (squinting) Wait... is that Pouya?

(Courtney's eyes widen. A beat. Then she dives off the bed, scrambling to change into street clothes with wild determination.)

Courtney Quagmire: (to herself) I haven't been this curious since that time I rescued my dad from that gang of crazy hot women…

[Cutaway — Courtney to the Yoga Rescue]

(A dozen insanely attractive yet unhinged women—bruised, mascara running, scattered across the floor like a scene out of Kill Bill. Courtney stands in the center of the chaos, panting, gripping a huge wooden mallet with lipstick smudges across her cheek. Tied to a pole shirtless and dazed is her dad, Glenn Quagmire, covered in lipstick kisses and silk scarves.)

Glenn Quamire: (grinning sheepishly) Thanks for the save, kiddo.

Crazy Chick #1: (holding a chipped acrylic nail) That's the last time I date a single dad...

Courtney Quagmire: (shouldering the mallet, deadpan) Next time, maybe go for someone who doesn't have unresolved cheerleader trauma.

[Cutaway Ends]

[UFC Shipyard, Los Angeles, California]

(Courtney zips up her jacket and quietly trails behind Roberta, Erika, and Pouya, keeping to the shadows. Her eyes are focused, her mind racing with questions.)

Courtney Quagmire: (muttering) What could they be doing with my future boyfriend at an old shipyard?

(As Courtney rounds the corner and sees the flickering lights of the abandoned LA shipyard, the mystery deepens… The rusty steel doors part just enough for Courtney Quagmire to slip through. Inside, her eyes go wide as she takes in the stunning sight—An underground fight club tucked beneath a derelict shipping complex. Neon lights buzz. A roaring crowd of diverse fighters and shadowy figures cheer from steel scaffolding and stacked crates. The ring is a circular arena of worn-down mats surrounded by yellow industrial lights. At the far side, on a raised platform, stands a fish in a bowl, piloting a toy size exosuit, arms spread as he announces into a vintage mic, dressed sharp as always. His name is Klaus Heisler from American Dad. Background audience cheers wildly.)

Klaus Heisler: Ladies and gentlemen, children of chaos—our next match brings back the graceful tempest of precision, the ninja prodigy, the silent shadow herself—Erika Fujibayashi!

(The crowd pops, whistling and chanting "Fu-ji-ba-ya-shi!" as Erika calmly enters, her hair tied back, eyes focused. Across from her emerges a towering, scaled opponent with a long, eel-like tail and silver eyes—clearly a Nurarihyon, a myth-blooded yokai-hybrid. He grins slyly, disappearing briefly in a mist of smoke—But Erika doesn't flinch. Her eyes flash a deep emerald, green—MORIGAN: Forest Eye activates. Her vision slices through the mist as she gracefully evades a flurry of sharp tail whips and clawed jabs.)

Erika Fujibayashi: "Blade Art… Rain Petal Slash."

(In a blur of movement, Erika slashes a hidden kunai across the Nurarihyon's side, drawing gasps from the audience.)

Erika Fujibayashi: "Blade Art… Echo Drop."

(Erika flips over her opponent, lands behind, and strikes at the pressure points of his legs. He stumbles.)

Erika Fujibayashi: "Blade Art… Moonlight Pulse!"

(Erika's palm glows briefly as she channels focused soul energy, striking at the opponent's chest. The Nurarihyon collapses—knocked out cold. The crowd goes wild. Even Courtney gasps from the shadows, visibly impressed.)

Courtney Quagmire: (low whistle) Okay... I get it now.

Klaus Heisler: And now, the rumble queen returns! The one-girl demolition derby! She's rough, she's real, she's—Roberta Tubbs-Brown!

(Roberta steps into the ring, cracking her neck. She's calm, but the fire in her eyes burns bright. Her opponent? A sleek Speedhuman woman with white-blue hair, dressed in a techno-runner suit, vibrating with anticipation. The bell rings. The Speedhuman blinks from one end of the ring to the other in milliseconds, circling Roberta like lightning.)

Speedhuman Opponent: (grinning) Can't hit what you can't see, sweetheart.

(But Roberta simply closes her eyes for a second. Listens. Tracks the rhythm. And then—CRACK! She lashes out with a powerful counterpunch mid-dash, hitting the Speedhuman square in the ribs, sending her tumbling across the ring. Rounds of OOHs and AAHs from the crowd.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (grinning, brushing her long straight hair) Don't need to see when you got rhythm and reflex.

(The Speedhuman dashes again, now furious—but Roberta anticipates it with almost dancer-like grace. She ducks, sidesteps, and hits her with a perfect spinning elbow—K.O.)

Kalus Heisler: Another clean win! Roberta "Brickhouse" Tubbs-Brown!

(Courtney, watching, leans back behind some stacked crates, heart pounding—not just from the adrenaline in the air, but the realization that her girls are actually thriving in this world. Fighting with confidence. Holding their own. And Pouya? He stands near the ring, arms crossed, clearly coaching and cheering them both on—his smile warm, admiring.)

Courtney Quagmire: (softly, to herself) I'm not just curious anymore… I'm in.

(The place is still buzzing after Roberta's and Erika's wins. Courtney, flushed with adrenaline and curiosity, finds her way through the crowd toward the benches where Roberta and Erika sit, now counting a solid stack of cash.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (surprised) Courtney? What the hell are you doing here?

Courtney Quagmire: (grinning) What, a girl can't sneak out and watch her friends throw hands? You two were incredible! Erika—those blade arts? And Roberta, that reflex shot? Chef's kiss.

Erika Fujibayashi: (slightly smiling) I appreciate that. My Morigan... it's like a real-life kekkei genkai. But we call it kekkei shinka. It runs in the Fujibayashi bloodline—an enhanced perception system that allows us to read movements, energy, and intent.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Basically ninja Spidey-sense but cooler.

(The three laugh as they settle in on the benches, sipping on cold drinks from the shady concession guy in the corner.)

Courtney Quagmire: (grinning, looking around) So... where's Pouya?

Klaus Heisler: (off-screen, grand, dramatic) Coming up next in this thunderous night of blows and glory... a fight to rumble your ancestors awake! In this corner, the horned hurricane of havoc—CYPRESS THE MINOTAUR! And his opponent… silent but deadly, the reigning champion… give it up for WINDCUTTER!

Courtney Quagmire: (eyes going wide) No freaking way... Pouya's Windcutter?!

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (chewing gum) Mmhmm.

Erika Fujibayashi: He's been competing for a while. Doesn't like talking about it.

(In the ring, Cypress, a hulking, eight-foot-tall actual minotaur, slams his hooves, snorting steam. His body is like living granite, with war tattoos across his hide. Across from him, Windcutter—hooded, lean, dressed in sleek black-and-silver armor—stands calm. The crowd roars! The air whips faintly around him. They move in circles. Suddenly—BOOM! Cypress charges with a punch that cracks the wall. Windcutter narrowly evades, flipping over with a wind-propelled twirl. Back and forth, dodge and parry—the tension builds as both try to land the first solid hit.)

Cypress the Minotaur: (roaring) STAND STILL, ELF!

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (smirking faintly) Make me.

Cypress the Minotaur: (leaps and smashes both fists into the ring) TITAN SLAM!

(BOOOOM! The shockwave knocks Windcutter off his feet, slamming him to the ground—his hood falls off. Courtney gasps from the crowd—)

Courtney Quagmire: Oh my god... He's a dark elf?!

[Cutaway – "ELF" Style Revelation]

(Buddy from Elf is hiding behind a candy cane pillar, overhearing two elves gossiping.)

Elf #1: —he's not really one of us, you know.

Elf #2: He's human.

Buddy: (screaming, clutching his face) I'M HUMAN?! NOOOOOO!

[Cutaway Ends]

(Cypress grabs Windcutter and starts pummeling him—each hit shakes the arena. The crowd flinches. Courtney, watching Pouya scream in pain, clenches her fists. Then—BOOM. Inside her chest, something awakens. Her ki pulses through her bloodstream. Courtney's eyes flicker with violet light. Her hair rises ever so slightly. Time seems to slow.)

Courtney Quagmire: (to herself) No. Not like this.

FWOOOOM! In a flash of super-sonic speed, she vanishes from the stands and reappears in the ring—catching Pouya mid-air, right before Minos's axe-like punch hits. The crowd collectively gasps. Klaus leans forward, intrigued.)

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (stunned) Courtney...? You're here… and you're a…

Courtney Quagmire: (soft smile) Speedhuman. Guess I got it from my dad's side. Surprise.

Cypress the Minotaur: (roaring) You DARE steal my victory?! I'll BREAK YOU IN TWO, girl!

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (angrily shouting) OVER MY DEAD BODY!

(Pouya staggers to his feet, blood dripping from his lip. He looks to Courtney, humbled but amazed.)

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (softly) I'll tell you everything after this. The history, the magic, the reasons.

Courtney Quagmire: You better. (smirking) But right now? I get to do something with you—even if it's in a sketchy underground ring with a pissed-off minotaur.

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (chuckles, wiping blood from his mouth) You ready?

Courtney Quagmire: (grinning, eyes sparking) Giggity.

Klaus Heisler: (excited) OH-HO-HO, we have ourselves a twist, ladies and gentlemen! A preview of next week's Tag Team Tournament Championship! A surprise double-up! Give it up for… Windcutter and… (pause, finger fin snap) The Skyglow!

(CROWD GOES NUTS.)

Cypress the Minotaur: GRRRRAAAAARGH!

(The bell rings again—Skyglow and Windcutter step forward in sync, battle-ready. The crowd is roaring, stomping the rusted floors of the shipyard as lights flicker and the tension is like static in the air. Cypress the Minotaur slams his fists together with a thunderous CLANG, snorting steam. Across from him—Windcutter and Skyglow, back-to-back.)

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (summoning energy in his hands) Let's show them what happens when the wind and light cut loose.

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (rolling her neck, grinning) Let's make this bastard glow.

(ROUND TWO – FIGHT! Cypress charges again, shaking the ring with each step. Skyglow vanishes in a streak of violet light and wind. A faint BOOM follows her departure.)

Courtney Quagmire: "Skyblitz Drive!"

(Skyglow launchesstraight into the air,thenrockets downwardlike a meteor. Her glowing body blitzes across Minos' face inten rapid strikes, a blur of violet afterimages. POW–POW–POW–POW–POW–! Cypress stumbles, his nose bleeding, his eye twitching. He swings upward, roaring, but misses her completely.)

Cypress the Minotaur: RAAAGGHH!

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (grinning mid-air) Oops. Too slow.

(Windcutter, kneeling on one knee, chants under his breath. Symbols glow around him in a tight whirlwind.)

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): "Tempest Memory: Heaven's Pulse!"

(A circle ofancient runessurrounds him as he channels stored elemental magic into acondensed blast—a bolt of wind energy mixed with dark lightning, shootingdirectly into Cypress's chest, launching him backward. BOOOOM! The Minotaur slams into the far wall but snarls, still standing.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): Damn, he's tough.

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): Yeah. But not this tough.

(They glance at each other. Their aura flares together—hers a glowing violet, his, a raging crimson wind.)

Windcutter & Skyglow: (in unison) "Crimson Vortex: Skycut Finale!"

(Windcutter hurls a spinning crescent of wind and red lightning forward—Courtney runs along the arc like a rail of light, moving so fast she becomes a comet of violet energy riding the storm. They slam into Minos together—Courtney with a final knee to the jaw, Pouya with a follow-up wind scythe punch to the gut. BOOOOOOOM!)

Cypress the Minotaur: (grunting in shock) Wha—ugh...!

(The Minotaur's eyes roll back. THUD! CYPRESS THE MINOTAUR FALLS ON HIS BACK—OUT COLD.)

Klaus Heisler: (on mic, SCREAMING) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—WHAT A FINISH!By knock-out in spectacular tag-team fashion, your winners are…WINDCUTTER AND THE SKYGLOW!

(CROWD ERUPTS. Cheers, stomps, whistles, and some guy throws a chair in celebration. Windcutter staggers a little, catching his breath. Skyglow helps him up, still glowing slightly.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (panting, smiling) We did it.

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): Yeah. And you were... incredible.

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): Guess I got a speed boost from fighting for someone I care about.

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (freezes for a second, blushes, but smirks) Then remind me to be in danger more often.

(They bump fists, basking in the cheers. The sound of crashing waves and distant city life murmurs below. The stars are peeking through the smog, and the underground fight club crowd has dwindled, the adrenaline now replaced by post-battle calm. Pouya and Courtney sit on a ledge, legs dangling, a few feet away from Roberta and Erika, who quietly give them space, but clearly eavesdrop with curiosity and care. Courtney's violet aura has calmed, her glow now just in her eyes—reflecting the moonlight.)

Courtney Quagmire: (softly, nudging him) You said you'd tell me your story after the match. I'm all ears, Windcutter... or should I say... Zaos?

Pouya Zangane: (small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck) Yeah... Zaos Olokas. That's my birth name.

(Courtney's smile softens, letting him speak freely. Roberta leans back against the wall, while Erika leans in slightly with curiosity.)

Pouya Zangane: I'm from another world. A realm called Mystica. It's... not like Earth. It's older, deeper. Built on magic, kingdoms, clans... monsters. I was born a Dark Elf. Our kind are marked by our skin, our eyes—red or gold—and hair silver as stars or dark as the void. (brushes back some of his black bangs) When I was five... my village was attacked by a dragon. Not just any dragon. An Evil Dragon. They feed on fear and magic. My mom... she fought to protect me. She didn't make it.

(Erika bows her head slightly. Roberta's eyes narrow—not with judgment, but sympathy.)

Pouya Zangane: I was lost, alone. I barely escaped through an ancient portal—crossed over into Earth. Landed in Los Angeles with nothing but the shirt on my back and a dagger I couldn't even hold right.

Courtney Quagmire: (pained whisper) You were five...

Pouya Zangane: Yeah... I hid who I was. I looked different, felt different. But then... this Persian-American family found me—the Zanganes. They gave me a name. Pouya. It means "dynamic," or "searching." And... they treated me like I was theirs from the start. (smiles, warm and nostalgic) They made me feel... human. Like I belonged. Even if part of me still feared dragons. Still dreamt of going back and ending the ones who ruined my family. (exhales, nervous now) I didn't know if I should ever tell anyone. Thought people would think I was crazy, a monster, or worse... a liar. But then tonight... you saw me. All of me. And you didn't run.

(There's a beat of silence.)

Courtney Quagmire: (voice soft, but strong) Why would I run from someone who fights like hell and loves like a human? Plus you're still Pouya to us.

Erika Fujibayashi: (teary smile) Zaos, that's... it's beautiful. Your mom would be proud.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Deadass. You're one of us. You bleed. You fight. You protect. That's family.

Pouya Zangane: (surprised, blinking back tears) You guys are... handling this better than the Plantars did when Anne moved into their house.

[Cutaway – Plantar House Welcoming Song]

(Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly parade around the house in a full-on musical number, tossing Anne a mop, a hay bucket, and a weird bug horn.)

Hop Pop Plantar : (singing) Welcome to the Plantar pad, we're swampy and glad!

Sprig Plantar: Make your bed, fix the shed, just don't wake the... dead?

Polly Plantar: Don't drink the well water or you'll grow a third head!

Anne Boonchuy: (deadpan, soaked, holding a pitchfork)Why is this my life.

[Cutaway Ends]

Pouya Zangane: (grinning now) At least you three didn't throw me into a musical cleaning montage.

Courtney Quagmire: (teasing) I could. I do have a playlist.

Pouya Zangane: Please don't.

(They all laugh. The night feels lighter now. The four of them—warriors, survivors, a found family—sit under the stars, the glow of the LA skyline shining just enough to feel hopeful.)

[Burger King, Los Angeles, California]

(Neon lights buzz. The sizzling sound of the kitchen plays softly in the background. The four tired warriors sit in a corner booth—clothes a bit scuffed, moods somewhere between victorious and exhausted. Trays stacked with fries, drinks, wrappers, and seven—yes, seven—empty burger boxes in front of Courtney, who's currently devouring the last bite of her final Whopper.)

Erika Fujibayashi: (in awe) I'm still trying to figure out how someone this tiny can eat like the Hulk. Or almost like Hiyoshi.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: She moved like Sonic. She earned it.

Courtney Quagmire: (mouth full) Ki burns fuel. Science, baby.

(As the group chuckles, the TV above the soda machine catches their attention. A special news segment rolls on LA Channel 1 News, hosted by the ever-serious Juan Cortez and the charismatic Vivian Moreno.)

Juan Cortez: (TV) Tonight on LA Channel 1, another violent PMC robbery was stopped thanks to the elusive vigilante known as—

Vivian Moreno: (TV) —the Arrowranger. This cellphone footage shows the hero single-handedly dismantling the rogue security team, which included the former decorated Marine Colonel, Grant "Ironhand" Rickards.

(Footage rolls. Arrowranger draws a glowing crimson arrow, leaps from a rooftop, and fires mid-air—striking Rickards dead-center in the chest, knocking him into a shattered armored van.)

Juan Cortez: (TV) One arrow. One kill.

Vivian Moreno: (TV) While some call him a necessary force, others say the hero's tactics raise moral and legal questions.

(Back in the booth, Pouya sighs, leans back in the seat, and takes a slow sip of his soda.)

Courtney Quagmire: (realizing) Wait... that move… that energy trail... the glide shot...

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: ...And you're always conveniently "out training" when Arrowranger news drops.

Erika Fujibayashi: (eyes narrowing) You're him.

Pouya Zangane: (gives a slow, sheepish nod) Yeah... I'm him. Surprise.

(The girls go quiet. Not in fear—but in stunned respect. Courtney finally puts her cup down.)

Courtney Quagmire: You've been superhero-ing on weeknights and underground brawling on weekends?

Pouya Zangane: (leans forward) Look, I don't do the fight club for fame. It's how I vent... decompress. Because being Arrowranger? That ain't sunshine and moral victories. (folds his hands, lowering his voice) I live with the Shining Warriors. Hiyoshi, Malachi, Jinwoo, Rokuro, Sun Zuan, Kito, Matthew... and freaking Link. And every time I end one of those scumbags... even the worst ones... I get hit with lectures. "We agreed—no killing!" We're supposed to be better than them!" "You're violating the Hero Code!" (sighs) Ever get talked down to like you're in trouble with your school principal?

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: I got chewed out by my mom when I left a sword in the living room. She sat on it. (frowns) Nowadays I'm getting chew off by Meg and Hayley.

Erika Fujibayashi: Try explaining why your family's katana collection is alphabetized by aura affinity and not era.

Courtney Quagmire: You all had it easy. I've been nagged by Meg and Roberta for years.

Pouya Zangane: (to Roberta) Meg and Hayley?

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Sisters. Bossy. They once lectured me for not putting away my gym stuff and for not explaining the science behind time travel in a movie we were watching. (beat) Even I zoned out.

(They all share a laugh, tension melting into genuine camaraderie.)

Courtney Quagmire: So... Pouya... can I still be your tag-team partner this Saturday?

Pouya Zangane: (smiles, touched) You serious?

Courtney Quagmire: Dead serious. I had fun tonight. I'm in.

Erika Fujibayashi: (raising her drink) Well then, guess Roberta and I are teaming up too. The Windwaker and the Iga Woman.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: We're gonna slaughter.

Pouya Zangane: (grinning) Alright then. One rule, though...

Pouya Zangane: (looks at all three of them intensely) You can't tell anyone in the Shine House or Shadow House what we do on our weekend nights. No leaks. Not a whisper. Deal?

(The three girls nod firmly.)

Courtney Quagmire: Sworn to secrecy.

Erika Fujibayashi: Cross my heart, hope to slice.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: I'm already pretending to be a normal grad student. What's one more secret?

Pouya Zangane: Good. Because if they found out about the tag team tournament... or the fight club... or you three being part of it... they'd lose their damn minds.

(They all clink soda cups like they're in a high-stakes poker game.)

Courtney Quagmire: (softly, with a smirk) Let's make Saturday a show no one forgets.

(The soft buzz of the city night surrounds them as Roberta, Erika, and Courtney step out into the parking lot. Fries in one hand, milkshake in the other, Courtney stops walking. She slowly turns, glancing over her shoulder. There, through the window, Pouya is still sitting at the booth, arms folded on the table, staring right back at her. Their eyes meet in silence. The air between them shifts, tender and warm. Both their pulses quicken—neither speaking, yet something clicks. A silent connection. A spark. Courtney smiles faintly; her face flushed. Then she turns back and walks off with the others, the glow of young love blooming in her chest. Inside, Pouya nods to himself, the realization sinking in.)

Pouya Zangane: (softly to himself) Well... I'm in love.

[Shadow House, UCLA, Los Angeles, California]

(The Shadow House is quiet. Dim lights cast shadows down the hallway as the trio slowly, quietly sneak in through the front door, tiptoeing like cartoon burglars. They creep up the steps toward the second floor, trying not to creak a single board when—CLICK! The overhead lights flash on like a police interrogation scene. There on the living room couch, arms folded, expressions locked in judgment, are the Twin Titans of Authority: Meg and Hayley.)

Meg Griffin: (serious) Going somewhere?

Hayley Smith: (serious) Or should we say—coming from somewhere?

(All three girls freeze. Roberta looks like she just got flash-frozen. Erika panics internally. Courtney, heart still buzzing from the Burger King moment, stays oddly calm.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Uh... we were just... um...

Erika Fujibayashi: (talking fast) Yeah, there was this... uh... group project on, like, nocturnal... gym... theory?

(Meg and Hayley raise a skeptical brow.)

Meg Griffin: Nocturnal gym theory?

Hayley Smith: You wanna try that again?

(Just before Roberta crumbles under pressure, Courtney steps forward with confidence.)

Courtney Quagmire: I awoke the Speed-gene. (beat) I'm a Speedhuman now.

(Courtney suddenly vanishes in a blur of violet light, zipping across the room, circling the couch, and ending with a dramatic windblown pose beside the TV.)

Courtney Quagmire: Boom. New era, baby.

(Meg and Hayley's jaws drop. Meg immediately flips into excited big sister mode.)

Meg Griffin: Oh my god—YES! I knew you'd get powers eventually!

Hayley Smith: You unlocked the Speed-gene?! That makes five of us!

(Meg runs over to her whiteboard on the wall labeled: "The Background Girls – Status Board." It's split down the middle: SUPERPOWERED – Meg, Hayley, Helen, Erika NORMAL – Roberta, Potala, Courtney Meg excitedly grabs a marker and erasesCourtney's namefrom the Normal side and adds her to the Superpowered list with a celebratory smiley face.)

Meg Griffin: Only two left now!

(Roberta watches all this, half-smiling, but her eyes drift to the "Normal" column. Just her and Potala now. Her chest sinks a little.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (quietly, to herself) Still just me and Potala... This is slightly worse than that senior prom.

[Cutaway— Senior Prom Dead Last]

(Colorful lights. Happy teens dancing. Slow music playing. One by one, the seniors pick partners on the dance floor. Meg gets picked. Courtney too, grinning and locking arms with a cute guy. The camera pans to Roberta, standing alone in her green prom dress, hopeful eyes darting around. No one comes. The DJ awkwardly plays "Forever Young.")

DJ: Uh... anyone else need a partner?

(Crickets. Roberta stares into the middle distance like a soldier in a war film.)

[Cutaway Ends]

[Los Angeles, California] [August 30 – September 2, 2021

(MONTAGE – "Day & Night" LIFE OF THE BACKGROUND GIRLS (SONG PLAYS: "Working for It" by ZHU x Skrillex x THEY. Wide shot of students bustling around the beautiful UCLA campus under the bright LA sun. Roberta, in a lecture hall, slumps in her seat, her notebook untouched as she spins a pen with glazed eyes. Her expression screams "why am I here?" Courtney, sitting outside under a shady tree, textbooks open but gaze elsewhere. She's rubbing her shoulder under her hoodie—still sore from last night's match. She pulls out a notebook and draws Pouya's masked face absentmindedly. Erika, in the computer lab, is a blur. She paces back and forth while speed-scanning multiple screens, absorbing everything at ten times the normal pace. Everyone around her looks half-asleep in comparison. Dark, lit by rusted industrial lights and the glow of nearby dock fires. Fighters scream, metal clangs, and the crowd roars. Roberta, masked as Windwaker, sweat running down her face, lands a wicked elbow strike, then hides her limping leg behind a cocky pose. Erika, masked as Iga Woman, blitzes across the arena, dodging like a ghost and knocking out her opponent with precise speed strikes. She subtly clutches her side. Courtney, masked as Skyglow, knocks a man through a stack of crates. She smirks triumphantly—then winces and rolls her shoulder again. Pouya, masked as Windcutter, delivers a brutal kick combo, then gives a nod to Courtney as she tags in. Secret Mission Montage –Arrowranger: Dark alley. Rooftop chases. Rain-soaked streets. Glowing red eyes from under the hood. Pouya corners a dirty LAPD cop, tying him up to a lamppost with magical arrows that tighten with truth-telling magic. He stops a corrupt city councilman mid-deal in an abandoned parking garage, tossing a "Judgement Arrow" that makes the man scream as illusions of his victims surround him. A street gang leader begs for mercy. Arrowranger ties him up, then nods—not killing him. Elsewhere at the Shine House, theShining Warriorslook relieved watching a news report about Arrowranger apprehending suspects alive.Hiyoshi,Malachi, and Kitoexchange approving nods.

[Saffron Palace, Los Angeles, California] [September 3, 2021]

(A cozy, golden-lit restaurant filled with soft Persian music, clinking dishes, and the warm scent of saffron rice, lamb kebabs, and rosewater desserts. The sign out front reads:Saffron Palace – Taste of Persia. Pouya and Courtney sit across from each other at a booth near the window. She's in a cropped denim jacket, still hiding a shoulder bruise, and he's cleaned up with just a faint cut on his jaw.)

Courtney Quagmire: (chuckling, sipping doogh) So let me get this straight. You aced Magical Ethics but failed Intro to Earth History?

Pouya Zangane: (defensive but playful) Okay first of all, Earth history is weird. You guys just... invent wars like sequels. (beat) Also I was... distracted that semester.

Courtney Quagmire: (disbelieving) By what? Netflix?

Pouya Zangane: (laughs softly) ...By you.

(Courtney pauses, staring into his eyes, a pink tinge creeping into her cheeks.)

Courtney Quagmire: (softly) Pouya...

Pouya Zangane: (sincere, nervous) I know I joke a lot. I fight, I kill, I wear a mask. But... when I'm around you, I feel like I'm not running. I feel like I'm just... me.

(Courtney puts down her fork. Silence between them—but it's full of electricity.)

Pouya Zangane: I love you, Courtney.

Courtney Quagmire: (surprised, smiling) I love you too, Pouya.

(Pouya's eyes widen a little at the sound of his true name from her lips. It melts him. She reaches across the table. He takes her hand. The moment builds. They lean forward, slowly, no rush. Then—They kiss. A quiet, perfect moment. All around them, the restaurant erupts in joy.)

Waiter #1: YESSSS! Finally!

Waiter #2: About time!

Persian Grandma Cook: (clapping) Ey val!

(Patrons cheer; some raise their drinks. One guy whistles. A couple throws rose petals from a dessert tray. Pouya and Courtney break apart, laughing and flushed. Pouya leans back, arm around her now.)

Courtney Quagmire: So... boyfriend now?

Pouya Zangane: Boyfriend. Partner in crime. Co-champion of the tag team tournament.

Courtney Quagmire: ..And boyfriend.

Pouya Zangane: (smiling wide) And boyfriend.

[UFC Shipyard, Los Angeles, California] [September 4, 2021]

(The shipyard is buzzing—more packed than usual on a Friday night. Neon banners hang from rusted beams. Lights flare over the ring, fog machines blast over the walkways. The energy is electric. From sizzling taco stands to artisan vegan bowls and hot merch booths, the place feels more like a chaotic street fair than an illegal fight club. Meg, Hayley, Potala, and Helen walk in with Jeff, weaving past wild fans. Each girl holds some variety of food.)

Meg Griffin: (eyeing everything skeptically) Okay, we're just here to watch. No betting. No blood. Just... snacks.

Potala Sonora: (already eyeing a "Three Beauties of Might" shirt booth) And maybe a hoodie. Ooh! They've got glitter font.

Helen: (biting into a vegan gyro) This place smells like chaos... and fried tofu. I'm weirdly into it.

Klaus Heisler:(off-screen, announcing) Welcome once again to the Old Shipyard! Prepare yourselves... for the Three Beauties of Might!

Jeff Fischer: (raising an eyebrow) Does that announcer sound familiar to anyone else?

Hayley Smith: (squinting at the loudspeaker) ...That sounds like a tiny pest with one eye and a passion for chum slop.

(Plankton, sitting right next to her with a hot dog and Karen the monitor on his lap, turns, offended.)

Plankton: (standing on the seat) HOW DARE YOU, NATURE BITCH?! I AM A LEGEND—

Karen: Plankton. Sit. Down.

(Plankton puffs out his chest but slumps. Hayley smirks. Karen mutters an apology. MATCH 1 – Skyglow vs. Fangwolf: The ring darkens. Spotlights flare. Courtney walks out in her glowing gear, her hands crackling with soft ambient energy like the aurora borealis. Opponent: Fangwolf, a tall, lean fighter with clawed gloves and wolf-like speed. The bell rings. Courtney dodges early swipes, flipping over the ropes, firing short bursts of kinetic light. Fangwolf lands a hit—but she absorbs the impact and launches him with a pulse wave.)

Klaus Heisler: (commentating) And she goes full-on Northern Lights on his ass!

Skyglow finishes with a glowing superman punch that knocks Fangwolf into the turnbuckle—K.O. Crowd ROARS. MATCH 2 – Windwaker vs. The Brick: Roberta walks out, no powers, no gimmicks—just tape-wrapped fists and a fighter's grit. Her opponent, The Brick, a towering mass of muscle and dull brain cells, cracks his knuckles. The crowd murmurs. No powers? No chance? Or so they think. Roberta keeps her distance, uses Brick's size against him. She dodges, taunts, lands clean hits. The Brick tries to flatten her—misses. Roberta grabs a chain rope, swings it around Brick's legs, tripping him. Then she climbs the turnbuckle—And dives with an ELBOW DROP to the neck. K.O.

Plankton: ...How the HELL did she do that?!

MATCH 3 – Iga Woman vs. Velocivixen: Erika enters, sleek in her dark ninja-themed gear. Her opponent: Velocivixen, a speedster with wild energy and a volatile attitude. What follows is a speedster chess match. Blurs, feints, and slow-motion camera cuts showing incredible movement. Erika wins by faking an injury, baiting Velocivixen into a corner, then disappearing behind her and launching a triple-speed combo that ends with a stunning roundhouse. K.O. POST-MATCH – CROWD goes WILD! The Three Beauties of Might" chant echoes. People throw merch into the ring. In the bleachers... realization hits.)

Meg Griffin: (pointing at the ring) ...ROOOOBERTA?!

Potala Sonora: ...That's ERIKA!

Helen: And COURTNEY?! What the hell?!

(In the ring, all three girls freeze. Slowly, they turn to the bleachers—eyes wide.)

Courtney Quagmire: Helen?!

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Potala?!

Erika Fujibayashi: ...Meg?!

(Both groups stare in shock and disbelief across the shipyard. Klaus enters the ring, suit sharp, mic in hand.)

Klaus Heisler: (booming) And that concludes tonight's showcase from the glorious—THE THREE BEAUTIES OF MI— (sees Hayley and Jeff mid-sentence, freezes)

Hayley & Jeff: (in unison, shocked) KLAUS?!

Klaus Heisler: (tiny voice) Ahhh... shit.

(The once-roaring Fight Club is quiet now. Food carts roll away. Fans trickle out. Fighters bandage wounds or celebrate victories. Klaus, still dressed in his little blazer and bow tie, counts out cash to the final round of losers by the back ring.

Klaus Heisler: (grumbling) You lost, you bled, you cried—here's your cut. Now go ice your dignity.

(The fighters groan and limp away, leaving Klaus alone, finally able to exhale.)

Klaus Heisler: (sighing in relief) Nobody died. Only mild concussions and one ruptured ego. Good night.

(Klaus turns... and seesHayley and Jeff, arms crossed, surrounded by therest of the Background Girlswho are still shell-shocked.)

Klaus Heisler: (dry) Look who crawled out of Langley Falls and into La La Land.

Hayley Smith: (equally dry) We could say the same about a talking fish running an underground fight club.

Jeff Fischer: (bright as ever) Yo, Klaus! Lookin' good, man! Did you buff your scales?

Klaus Heisler: (smirks) Only the finest snail gel. Thank you, Jeff. At least someone appreciates quality.

(Behind them, the Background Girls regroup—Meg, Courtney, Roberta, Erika, Potala, and Helen. They're still processing everything.)

Potala Sonora: Okay, wait—you guys know that talking fish?

Meg Griffin: (eyebrows raised at Hayley) You've met him?

Hayley Smith: Oh yeah. Klaus has lived in our house for years.

Jeff Fischer: He's like our weird European uncle. You get used to it.

Klaus Heisler: For the record—I wasn't always a fish.

(Cue a dramatic whirl of bubbles as a FLASHBACK sequence launches with all the flair of a fishy documentary.)

[Flashback – Klaus Heisler' Origin Story]

Klaus Heisler: (voice-over) I was once a proud East German Olympic skier… until they took everything from me.

(Quick shots of a younger Klaus skiing with finesse, winning gold in mid-air flips—only to be tackled by CIA agents mid-jump, thrown into a lab where electrodes are placed on his head, and ZAP!—into a fishbowl.)

Hayley Smith:(voice-over): The CIA didn't want East Germany to win, so they swapped his brain into a goldfish. Totally normal, right?

Jeff Fischer:(voice-over) He ended up in the Smith household. He's mostly ignored, mocked, or accidentally microwaved.

(Klaus sighs dramatically in a cutaway of him watching TV alone, a single fish tear falling.)

Klaus Heisler: (voice-over) One day, covering for Stan at the CIA, I stumbled upon something… extraordinary.

(Quick flashes: superhumans in test tubes, mythical creatures in chains, rejected by society. Klaus stares at them through glass, eyes widening.)

Klaus Heisler: (voice-over) They were like me—gifted, cursed… unwanted.

(Cut to Klaus standing on a rusty dock, looking over the abandoned shipyard, wind blowing dramatically across his fishbowl.)

Klaus Heisler: (voice-over) So I built a place for us all. Where the strong could rise and the rejected could fight on their terms.

(Elves in doctor coats stitching wounds, oni standing at the door with earpieces, vampire announcers, werewolf ring girls.)

Klaus Heisler: (voice-over) I call it UFC: The Underground Fight Club. Where everyone gets paid… and no one gets forgotten.

[Flashback Ends]

Potala Sonora: ...Wait. You hired elves, oni, minotaurs, vampires and superhumans?!

Erika Fujibayashi: ...How did you get their number?

Klaus Heisler: (sips from a cocktail glass with a tiny straw) Craigslist.

Helen: This is insane.

Meg Griffin: You're telling me you run an underground Fight Club because you lost the Olympics and was turned into a fish?

Klaus Heisler: And because I believe in fairness. Unlike the International Olympic Committee.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Okay. I'm not even mad. That's metal.

Courtney Quagmire: (finally steps forward, looking a little sheepish) So... you're not mad?

Meg Griffin: That depends. Are you gonna tell us why you never mentioned this double life?

Hayley Smith: (smiling faintly) Because if you're in—we're in. No more secrets.

(They all look at each other, the weight of their truths shared. Then...)

Erika Fujibayashi: ...Okay, that was way more dramatic than I expected.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Still kinda badass though.

Courtney Quagmire: I mean, we are in this club. We're part of this legacy now.

Klaus Heisler: (posing with his fin under his chin) Danke. And good luck tomorrow. Fight with honor, and no biting unless it's sexy.

Helen: Night, Klaus!

Jeff Fischer: Later, fish bro!

Klaus Heisler: Call me, Jeff. We'll play Mario Kart and rage at life.

(The girls exit, spirits high as they walk the cracked sidewalk under the neon glow of LA's streetlamps.)

[Los Angeles, California]

Meg Griffin: I can't wait for tomorrow. Tag-teaming with Hayley. We're gonna destroy.

Hayley Smith: We've been training hard too. You know, real bonding time.

[Flashback — Battle of the Beverly Center Mall]

(The Beverly Center mall overrun with frat boys from Chi Eta Delta (XED)—all janitor-themed, wielding mop handles and "cleanliness is godliness" slogans on their tank tops.)

XED Frat Guy: This mall's a mess… TIME TO CLEANSE IT WITH BRO-ERGY.

Meg Griffin: Not today, bleach boy.

Hayley Smith: Let's mop the floor with 'em.

(Cue carnage. Hayley summons magical vines that wrap around a dozen bros, slamming them into the walls. Meg turns into a radiant, glowing powerhouse and punches through a tile fountain, collapsing it onto a mob. Blood. Bruises. Concrete.)

Mall Janitor: (watching in horror) This... this wasn't in the union contract...

(As Hayley and Meg walk out of the wreckage, silent and powerful, a "CLOSED DUE TO FRAT BOY VIOLENCE" sign is posted by a bloodied mall cop.)

[Flashback Ends]

Potala Sonora: Me and Helen are tag-teaming too. Got some new tricks to show off.

Helen: Let's just say we've been practicing… up close.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Already a team.

Erika Fujibayashi: And we're getting that prize. No question.

Courtney Quagmire: I'm with the champ. Windcutter. You know… tall, mysterious, quiet. Totally not Pouya.

(The other girls raise their brows except for Roberta and Erika.)

Meg Griffin: You mean the same Pouya who "disappears for bathroom breaks" every time Windcutter shows up?

Courtney Quagmire: Coincidence. Total coincidence.

(Duke Everhart watches from above through binoculars, scowling. His perfect teeth gritted. Behind him are two BRAT underlings wearing UCLA varsity jackets. Enraged but gritting his teeth as Duke has flashes of his and his fraternity's humiliating defeat at the Battle for the Shadow House.)

Duke Everhart: Them again… those girls. After everything… the humiliation… our deaths.

(Duke whips out a communicator.)

Duke Everhart: Sir. I've found them. The Background Girls. They're entering Klaus' tournament tomorrow.

(A brief pause. The communicator crackles to life.)

BRO Leader: (communicator) Interesting. A perfect opportunity to strike… and to make an example.

Duke Everhart: Then let me lead the charge! Me and the BRAT bros can—

BRO Leader: (communicator) No.

(Duke flinches.)

BRO Leader: (communicator) You've already failed once. Two more… and I'll stop speaking pleasantly.

Duke Everhart: (fearful, but complying) Y-Yes, sir. Apologies, sir. Who will you send?

BRO Leader: (communicator) The Delta Delta Chi… The Wall Bros.

Duke Everhart: ...The Wall Bros? Sir, aren't they just—?

BRO Leader: (communicator) Was that… a question, Duke?

Duke Everhart: NO! I meant, uh, YES. Totally understood. No questions at all. Ever.

Duke lowers his communicator, burning with rage. A gust of wind ruffles his popped collar.

Duke Everhart:(vengeful smile) Enjoy your little tournament, Background Girls… because soon… the Wall Bros will crash it down.

(Cue dramatic lightning behind him.)

[UFC Shipyard, Los Angeles, California] [September 5, 2021]

(A crowd roars beneath the neon lights of a massive underground arena pulsing with energy. The stage is set techno-mystical banners sway overhead, huge LED screens flash with upcoming matchups, and the air is thick with adrenaline, sweat, and fried carnival food. In the prep area… The Background Girls — Meg, Hayley, Roberta, Courtney, Erika, Potala, and Helen — are suited up in their combat-ready costumes, sleek and stylized versions of themselves, channeling both fashion and function. Jeff sits proudly on the bleachers, already munching on a pretzel, waving at Hayley, who rolls her eyes but smirks. Suddenly, a soft gust of wind whooshes down beside Courtney. She turns, and her expression immediately lights up. Windcutter, AKA Pouya Zangane and the Arrowranger, appears beside her, looking effortlessly cool.)

Courtney Quagmire: (blushing, whispering) You always know when to make an entrance...

(Windcutter nods stoically, placing a hand on her shoulder.)

Windcutter: (low, teasing) Wouldn't miss your debut for the world.

(Courtney practically melts, Roberta and Erika exchanging knowing glances behind her.)

Klaus Heisler: (with a megaphone, stepping into a neon spotlight) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FIGHT FANS OF EVERY DIMENSION — WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB'S LEGENDARY TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT!

CROWD: YEEEAAAAHHHH!

(As the screen above the arena flashes the names of the fighters, Klaus approaches Meg, Hayley, Potala, and Helen, clipboard in hand.)

Klaus Heisler: Before we kick this off, do my radiant champions have their aliases locked in?

(The girls exchange glances. Helen shrugs. Potala seems unsure. Hayley adjusts her gloves.

Meg Griffin: (stepping forward, firm and radiant) I'll go first. I am… Blossom Woman.

(The crowd ERUPTS — the lights flare pink for a moment as flower petals flash across the screen behind her.)

Random Guys in the Crowd: BLOSSOM WOMAN! BLOSSOM WOMAN!"

Blossom Woman (Meg Griffin): (blushing, to herself) Oh my god…

Hayley Smith: (grumbling) How the hell do I follow that?

Klaus Heisler: (grinning, gesturing) And next up — the blazing maiden of liberty — Freedom Woman!

Hayley Smith: Wait—what?

Klaus Heisler: Too late, it's on the screen.

("Freedom Woman" flashes in green lettering, with cannabis leaves turning into glowing hawks.)

Freedom Woman (Hayley Smith): (muttering) I'm gonna kill you.

Klaus Heisler: (ignoring Freedom Woman's threat) Moving on! The living symbol of Muwekma Ohlone strength — The Muwekma Woman!

Muwekma Woman (Potala Sonora): (bows, deeply honored as her name flashes in golden earth tones) This is… actually perfect. Thank you.

Klaus Heisler: Last but not least — the golden-hearted powerhouse herself — Golden Dog!

Helen (deadpan):
"...What the fuck. I'm the only one with dog in the name?"

Blossom Woman (Meg Griffin): Hey, that's classic superhero branding!

Golden Dog (Helen): It's basic is what it is.

(Klaus steps to the center as the screen flashes the tournament brackets. Gamblers scream, coins rain down, bets are already going haywire.)

KLAUS (voice booming): LET THE UFC TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT — BEGIN!

(TOURNAMENT CHART SCREEN. Pulses into view with match-ups appearing one by one:)

Windwaker & Iga Woman (Roberta & Erika) vs Team RumbleBucks

Freedomleaf & Blossom Woman vs Team Toxic GloBroz

Muwekma Woman & Golden Girl vs Team Wildstyle

Courtney & Windcutter vs ? (Mystery Team)

The lights pulse. Fireworks erupt. Fighters head to their respective tunnels, fists clenched, focused and ready. BUT THEN—CRASH! GLASS SHATTERS FROM ABOVE! A SHINING SYMBOL—a brilliant flash of multicolored energy—explodes over the arena ceiling! Eight silhouettes descend like divine warriors, dropping in via glowing light platforms or acrobatic flips. The Shining Warriors have arrived. Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto) — fun-loving, pure of heart, a tail-swinging goofball who lands with a peace sign and wink. Shadowknight (Malachi Duran) — cloaked, calm, lightsaber-like blade at his back, calculating gaze. Lionheart (Kito Motosimba) — strong, grounded, walking with grace and authority. Inumaru (Rokuro Mashimoto) — bubbly, clever, tail wagging, waving at fans. Earthfighter (Matthew Mason) — big, strong, bashful, adjusting his glasses awkwardly. Huwang (Sun Zuan) — silent, poised, arms crossed, monkey tail twitching slightly. Jeoseung (Go Jinwoo) — arms folded, stern, scanning everyone like a battlefield general. Swordmaster (Link Hargrove) — confident, standing tall with one hand on his katana's hilt. The arena erupts in gasps and cheers of awe.)

Klaus Heisler: (in utter disbelief) YO! YO! THIS AIN'T IN THE SCHEDULE! WHAT IN THE COSMIC CRASHDOWN IS HAPPENING?! IT'S—IT'S THE FREAKING SHINING WARRIORS!"

(Windcutter's expression drops.)

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (shocked) No... how—how did they find this place?!

(Earthfighter, clearly uncomfortable, holds up a colorful flyer reading: "UFC: Underground Fighter Clash — FREE ENTRY! Superpowered Beatdowns! BY COURTNEY " Everyone turns to Skyglow, who smiles sheepishly.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (shrugging) Heyyy, I thought it needed some... razzle-dazzle. Marketing, ya know.

(The Background Girls collectively facepalm. Sarugami steps forward, arms out like a disappointed older sibling.)

Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto): Guys... this is not okay. We came here to shut this down before anyone gets hurt!

Crowd: (chanting) FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (gesturing to the crowd) Why not let people fight?! This is freedom! It's art! It's community! UFC gives people a place to channel their energy, their pain—

Jeoseung (Go Jinwoo): (coldly) By risking their lives for sport? This isn't justice. It's spectacle.

(Shadowknight steps forward, locking eyes with Windcutter, already knows it's Pouya.)

Shadowknight (Malachi Duran): And you... Arrowranger. You've been using your powers on humans, mutants, and other races—without care. You know the rules. You know what kind of destruction that leads to.

(The moment the name Arrowranger drops, the crowd goes quiet. Pouya's fists clench. His breath shortens. A storm swirls briefly at his feet.)

Arrowranger (Pouya Zangane): (angrily) It's bad enough you and Sarugami are always on my case. Always calling me reckless, always looking down at me. And now you come here... and ruin this too?!

(Arrowranger's voice cracks with pent-up stress. He's not just mad—he's hurting.)

Arrowranger (Pouya Zangane): UFC was mine. My chance to prove something. To finally feel free... And of course... of course you couldn't let me have that.

Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto): (genuinely sad) Arrowranger, we didn't come here to hurt you. We came because we care. You're our brother.

Windcutter (Pouya Zangane): (gritting teeth) Then why do I always feel like the enemy around you?!

(Huwang and Jeoseung exchange quiet glances, both sensing how deep this goes. Their monkey tails twitch in concern.)

Huwang (Sun Zuan): (gently) There is anger in you, Arrowranger. But also pain. We do not wish to silence either… only to guide it.

(Earthfighter steps closer, looking at Arrowranger with soft eyes.)

Earthfighter (Matthew Mason): (bashfully) We didn't mean to crash it like this, bro. I just... I saw your face on the flyer and—I missed you.

(Arrowranger looks away. Courtney places a hand on his shoulder.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (quietly) They didn't come to fight... but you don't have to fight them. Not now.

Klaus Heisler: (stepping in, hesitant) Well, folks, looks like the ring's out of order for now. But we've got drama, we've got emotion, and we've got a whole superhero soap opera unfolding right here, right now!

CROWD: (begins to chant, repeatedly) LET THEM TALK! LET THEM TALK!

(Jeoseung, arms folded, tail twitching behind him, finally steps forward, cutting through the cheering and murmuring crowd like a blade. His voice, low and unwavering, slices the air.)

Jeoseung (Go Jinwoo) (stoic) Arrowranger.

(Arrowranger freezes. His eye twitches. The storm around his feet intensifies.)

Arrowranger (Pouya Zangane): (snapping) What?

(Jeoseung walks slowly, eyes locked on him like a hawk preparing to strike.)

Jeoseung (Go Jinwoo): Go home. All of you. This place is done. Take the Background Girls and get out of here.

(The camera cuts to Courtney, Meg, Hayley, Roberta, Erika, Potala, and Helen—all caught off guard, unsure what's happening. Courtney reaches out, whispering

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (reaches out, whispering) Arrowranger... don't.

(Too late. In one fluid motion, Arrowranger yanks his bow from his back, the magic crackling through his body as his Wind Ki ignites. His hand trembles—but not with fear. With rage. Frustration. Hurt.)

Arrowranger (Pouya Zangane): (voice cracking) I said don't ruin this for me!

(Arrowranger releases. FWOOOM! The Wind Arrow blasts through the air with unimaginable force, lightning-crack winds spiraling around it as it speeds toward Jeoseung. The crowd screams—The Background Girls recoil—The Shining Warriors prepare to react—BOOM. Dust explodes outward as the arrow hits Jeoseung directly in the chest—but when it clears… He's still standing. His shirt is ruffled. His hair flutters. He's… fine.)

Jeoseung (Go Jinwoo): (stone-faced) You don't want to make me do this.

(Then he charges. Before anyone can blink, Jeoseung closes the gap, his speed terrifying. Arrowranger draws his dagger, letting out a battle cry—only for Jeoseung to catch the slash with one hand, and respond with a brutal uppercut that sends Arrowranger flying upwards into the air. Sarugami and Shadowknight immediately take flight.)

Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto): (worried) Pouya, stop! This isn't you!

Shadowknight: You're letting your pain lead you—don't fall again!

(Arrowranger spins in midair, screaming as he channels a deadly Wind Slash, lashing it out at both of them. The gust cleaves the air like a cyclone's blade.)

Arrowranger: STAY OUT OF IT!

(WHUMM. Shadowknight throws up a psychic ki barrier just in time, shielding both himself and Sarugami from the brunt of the wind. The crowd is in stunned silence. Lionheart appears before Arrowranger next—not to fight, but to block. His arms are raised. His expression is calm.)

Lionheart (Kito Motosimba): (softly) I won't hit you. I won't hurt you.

(But Arrowranger strikes anyway. He fights with all he has, clashing with: Jeoseung again, who trades blows like a mountain refusing to fall. Sarugami, trying to dodge and redirect, refusing to strike with full force. Shadowknight, locking swords, giving ground but defending the others. Lionheart, unmoving, defending with pure defense and empathy. The scene is chaos—but not spectacle. It's heartbreak. A brother at war with his own family. Watching From Below… Earthfighter clenches his fists but won't move. He's clearly hurting. Huwang, tail still, watches with eyes full of quiet conflict. Inumaru is biting his sleeve, torn between running in and crying. Swordmaster has his hand on his hilt—but doesn't draw.)

Jeff Fischer: (standing with the Background Girls, mutters) This isn't a match. This is… a breakdown.

Golden Dog (Helen): (whispers) We were just having fun…

Iga Woman (Erika Fujibayashi): And now we're watching friends fall apart.

(The battle in the air continues, Arrowranger fighting harder, faster, more desperately with each blow. His eyes glow with Wind Magic, but there's something else there. Pain. Grief. Fear.)

Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto): (shouting mid-fight) You're not mad at us, Zaos! You're mad at yourself! Let us in!

(Arrowranger lets out a furious roar, charging one final blast—Wind whips through the shattered ring, the air heavy with tension and heartbreak. Arrowranger, eyes glowing with Wind Ki and desperation, prepares his final blast—until… A gentle shimmer of light appears before him. Skyglow steps forward, her hands glowing softly with radiant magic, her body in the center of chaos—but her voice is calm.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): Enough!

(Arrowranger flinches. The Shining Warriors hold their positions. The crowd goes silent. Courtney takes a breath and speaks—not with force, but with truth.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): (softly) I know you all see him as this reckless, stubborn, wind-slinging troublemaker. Someone who breaks rules. Someone who fights even when he doesn't have to. But do you know what I see? I see Zaos Olokas.

(The crowd murmurs. Arrowranger's eyes widen.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire):(continuing) He was born far from here, across stars and magic, in a world that feared him. A world that exiled him for being different—even for being powerful. He lost his home. He lost everyone he ever loved. And then… he fell here. On Earth, in LA, in this messy, strange, beautiful world, he found hope. He found us. He got into UCLA. He joined the same clubs, the same classes, the same missions. He fought beside the greatest people I know… people like you. (gestures to the Shining Warriors, voice cracking with passion) But inside, he always wondered… "Do I belong here? Am I enough?" You guys—you're the legends. The best of us. But he's always felt like the 'wild card,' the one who couldn't keep up. That's why he started UFC. He didn't do it for glory. Or ego. Or power. He did it for people like him. Like us. People like Windwaker. Iga Woman. Me.

(Courtney turns, catching Roberta and Erika's stunned faces.)

Skyglow (Courtney Quagmire): This was never just a fight club. This was a home. A sanctuary. A place where we can be who we truly are. Where our powers, our passions, our identities aren't threats—but strengths. Where we don't have to hide. Where we can belong. He didn't start UFC to run away from justice. He started it… because he wanted to finally live in a world that gave people like him—people like us—a real chance to breathe.

(THE CROWD BEGINS TO SOB & CLAP. Slowly at first. Then thunderously. Klaus removes his glasses to wipe his tears. The Background Girls hold each other, visibly moved. Arrowranger's hand lowers. The wind dies down. He turns slightly to Courtney, who smiles at him with nothing but love. His lips quiver—and for the first time, he smiles.)

Plankton: (sobbing in the crowd) BEAUTIFUL! That speech was beautiful! You hear that, Krabs!? This is why you and I fell apart! We lost what really mattered—friendship!

Mr. Krabs: (in the audience) You literally tried to nuke me, Plankton!

Plankton: We could've been SHINING WARRIORS!

(BACK IN THE RING… Sarugami floats down beside Arrowranger. His expression softens.)

Sarugami (Hiyoshi Mashimoto): (gentle) Zaos… why didn't you just tell us?

Arrowranger (Pouya Zangane): (quiet) Because… I didn't think I deserved to.

Shadowknight:(approaches, placing a hand on his shoulder) You always did. We just needed to listen.

Jeoseung: (steps forward, his tone isn't angry anymore) You should've said something. I wasn't trying to hurt you—I was trying to bring you home.

(Arrowranger looks down. Then at Courtney. Then at all of them.)

Arrowranger: (realizing) This is my home.

Lionheart:(steps forward, extending a hand.) Then let's fix it. Together.

(The crowd is still wiping tears. Shining Warriors and the Background Girls share soft, relieved smiles. The tension has lifted. That is—until the walls EXPLODE. KABOOOOOM! Smoke floods the ring. Chunks of concrete rain down. Spotlights crackle. Screams erupt. And emerging through the wreckage—THE DDX FRAT ARMY. Swarming like black-clad hornets, their uniforms are emblazoned with DDX: Delta, Delta Chi. Behind them come the equally unhinged OX fraternity, wielding baseball bats, energy weapons, and haunted keg-powered gauntlets.)

DDX Frat Boy #1: (grinning) UFC's over, dweebs.

OX Frat Boy #1: Time for the TRUE champions of campus to take back the night.

(And then—Another crash. An even BIGGER explosion. Two massive, glowing EXO-SUITS stomp into the arena, each roughly the size of a mini-bus. One gleams with golden horns and Norse aesthetics — VICTOR E. VIKING, piloted by the sneering Robman (Robert Boneton), eyes glowing red inside his cockpit.

The other is chrome and maroon with steam-piston fists — MUSTY THE MUSTANG, piloted by Manstang (Manfred Carlton), wearing sunglasses indoors.

Robman (Robert Boneton):(smug and theatrical) I knew the day would come when these glitter-glammed losers would gather under one roof for a group therapy session. How adorable. A perfect time for the REAL LEGENDS of campus to crush your spirits—and your bones. This is for our fallen bros… for the Shame of Spirit Week, the Midnight Bake Sale Massacre, and don't even get me started on the Valentine's Glitter Bomb Incident! Background Girls—tonight, your war crimes against frat kind will be answered.

Manstang (Manfred Carlton): (snorting through a protein shake) Yo, yo, yo—remember when you made us cry in front of the cheer squad? My girl left me for an environmental science major after that! SCIENCE! You embarrassed us. You clowned us. And worst of all—you made us look uncool on TikTok! Well guess what, Meg. Erika. Roberta. You'll be eating mustang-hoof tonight!

(The crowd backs away. The Shining Warriors step forward. Jeff, hoodie now glowing, cracks his knuckles. The Background Girls—Meg, Hayley, Roberta, Courtney, Erika, Potala, and Helen—assume fighting stances. Their aura ignites. Meg tightens her gloves as Blossom Woman. Hayley, glowing with wind and pollen, raises a brow.

Freedom Woman (Hayley Smith): Well… at least it can't get any worse.

(A long pause. Meg slowly gestures behind them, her face blank.)

Blossom Woman (Meg Griffin): (deadpan) Hayley.

Freedom Woman (Hayley Smith): (squinting) …What?

(Hayley turns and much to her shock. THE SURVIVING XED FRAT — the most feral, unhinged, suspended frat in school history — emerging from the shadows and from the grueling slaughter at the Beverly Center. Shirts torn. Eyes wild. Chanting a violent EDM war cry.)

XED Leader: (grinning) We heard there was a party.

Freedom Woman (Hayley Smith): …Ah shit.

(CAMERA ZOOMS OUT to show all three frats closing in. DDX, armed and uniformed. OX, bloodthirsty and caffeinated. XED, feral and foaming. The heroes gather close. Jeff. The Background Girls. The Shining Warriors. Blossom Woman's fists ignite. Jeoseung's eyes glow. Arrowranger spins his dagger.)

Jeff Fischer: (grinning) Looks like the afterparty just started.

(As chaos swirls, the sky roars with energy from exo-suits, battle auras, and firework-like shockwaves from clashing fists. The frats surge forward—Until a heroic bark slices through the noise.)

Inumaru (Rokuro Mashimoto): (perched atop a busted cargo container, scarf fluttering like a boss) LISTEN UP, WARRIORS OF UFC! You want the lowdown? I've got dossiers thicker than a protein shake!

(The fighters momentarily pause. Info Drop in Full Anime Style. Two profile pop up.)

Inumaru (Rokuro Mashimoto): (explaining) Robert Boneton AKA Robman. Fraternity: OX, Portland State University. Once a scrawny drama major mocked by his own house. Got juiced up on experimental AI-adaptive nanogel to become a performance-obsessed juggernaut with a god complex and the muscle mass of a refrigerator. Lives for winning spirit weeks and humiliating "weirdos." Manfred Carlton AKA Manstang. Fraternity: DDX, San Luis Obispo. Born inside a moving Dodge Charger. Wrestles actual horses. Failed biology twice. Became DDX's president after punching a dean and winning the annual "Keg of Destiny." Thinks feelings are illegal and has unresolved romantic trauma over being dumped by a girl who liked poetry. (grinning) They're powered by hate, beer, and sheer dumb rage. But you've got something they don't—each other.

(Back to the Fight, Hayley stands, hands flaring with green Magic Ki. She turns to Klaus, who's frozen mid-recording.)

Freedom Woman (Hayley Smith): (smiling) Klaus. It's time. Do what you do best.

(Klaus blinks. His hands tremble. Then—he does what he does best.)

Klaus Heisler: (grinning, pulling out a mic) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE ROYALE OF THE BATTLE FOR THE UFC!

(The crowd ROARS. THE TEAMS FORM UP – SHINING WARRIORS & BACKGROUND GIRLS. Each warrior crackles with energy. The mythical races—dryads, half-dragons, elves, ogres—break free of their restraints and rush in with war cries, weapons, and magics of old, ready to repay the heroes who gave them hope. BATTLE PAIRS, Round One Highlights Blossom Woman vs. Robman. Dodging high-speed punches, Meg redirects his power using her radiant burst petals to blind his sensors, calling out his performative masculinity. Windwaker and Skyglow vs. OX Frat Wave. Combining fists and speed to create a dazzling vortex storm that wipes out half the charging wave. Iga Woman vs. XED twins. Vanishing and reappearing like a ghost, Erika flips midair to triple-kick them through a shipping container. Arrowranger and Jeoseung vs. DDX elite. Arrows that fly through spirit zones, while Jinwoo phases in and out of existence like a poltergeist general. Shadowknight and Sarugami vs. beer-powered mutants. Acrobatics and shadow slicing, ape-style fury meets disciplined wrath. Frat bros are flung into the ocean. Freedom Woman riding a summoned wind dragon. Leading a charge of mythical races as cavalry, breaking through exosuit legions with pollen bombs and high-speed gusts. MEGA MOMENT – Manstang VS. Muwekma Woman & Earthfighter. Manstang charges. BOOM. Muwekma Woman is crushed under the exosuit fist.)

Earthfighter (Matthew Mason): POTALA!

(The battlefield stops for a split second. The camera zooms in on Earthfighter's shaking hands. His eyes burn with grief and fury.)

Manstang (Manfred Carlton): (sneering) Awww… you sad 'cause I wrecked your little crush? Here's a tip, bro—love's for weaklings.

(Manstang slams his suit's fist down on Earthfighter—But it stops. Earthfighter grabs the fist. Eyes glowing like magma.)

Earthfighter (Matthew Mason): You know who else gets enraged when they see the one they love crushed in front of them? (His fingers dig into the exo-metal) "MY MOM."

Suddenly—he tunnels into the suit's arm. His earth powers transmute into METAL MANIFESTATION. Armor grows over him like volcanic steel, glowing with primal power. With a titan's yell, he EXPLODES out of the other arm—

Klaus Heisler: (screaming into mic) EARTHFIGHTER HAS ENTERED HIS METAL ARC! MANSTANG'S ARM IS SCRAP METAL!

(Earthfighter leaps, slams Manstang with a flying sidekick—and sends him crashing into his DDX brothers like human bowling pins. THE COMEBACK – MUWEKMA WOMAN LIVES. From the shattered remains of the battlefield, a golden light pulses. Spirit Ki flares.

Muwekma Woman (Potala Sonora): (voice calls out, clear and firm) Actually…

(Muwekma Woman phases through the other exosuit arm, now glowing with celestial tattoos and a halo of ancestral power.)

Muwekma Woman (Potala Sonora): …I'm still standing.

(Earthfighter stares in shock. She floats toward him like a goddess of the Earth and Spirit.)

Lionheart (Kito Motosimba): (to Earthfighter, nudging him) Dude… you're in love.

Earthfighter (Matthew Mason): (dumbfounded, heart racing) Yeah. Yeah, I think I am.

(The camera pans out. The frats are falling. Robman's suit shorts. Manstang is crying in his crushed cockpit. The crowd is screaming in euphoria. The mythical races chant with rhythm and passion.

Klaus Heisler: (closing words) Ladies and gentlemen… never doubt the power of unity, love, justice—and wildly destructive combat! The heroes have won. THE UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB IS OURS AGAIN!

(It was over and the Background Girls and Shining Warriors won the Battle for UFC. Later, the battlefield lies silent now. Craters, shattered exosuits, and scorched metal paint the ground. Sirens wail in the distance. Flashing blue and red lights soon flood the once-bloody arena of the Underground Fight Club. The LAPD, aided by SFPD and federal agents, swarm the wreckage, arresting the remaining frat members from XED, OX, and DDX. Handcuffed and cursing, they're lined up against rusted ship hulls, heads bowed in shame. But Robman and Manstang? Gone. Like ghosts. A battered Inumaru watches silently beside Hayley, Meg, Matthew, and the rest of the Shining Warriors and Background Girls, now in their civilian clothes. He tightens his jaw.)

Inumaru (Rokuro Mashimoto): (softly growling) They'll be back... And next time, we'll finish it.

[Avian Aero Complex, Los Angeles, California] [September 6, 2021]

(A golden sun gleams off rows of vintage and modern aircraft. The air smells of jet fuel and salty sea breeze. A silver Lockheed Starliner is being prepped. It gleams like a spaceship among birds. Matthew, sipping from a can of cucumber soda, smirks and turns to the crew.)

Matthew Mason: Told you guys I knew a guy. Friend of my uncle's. Owns a whole aviation company. Klaus rides free once a month. First-class.

(Klaus, now in a pressed suit with his suitcase and shades, wipes a tear from his gill-less eye as he takes in the sight. Hayley steps forward, hands in her pockets, her expression sincere.)

Hayley Smith: Klaus… I'm sorry. For all the times I dismissed you, ignored your voice, your ideas… You've always been one of us.

(The fish-turned-man turns to her, touched. He pulls off his shades, eyes gleaming with emotion.)

Klaus Heisler: And look at you now, Hayley. Friends, purpose… Jeff, even! I am proud of you. (A beat, voice quivering) If Bailey could see you, he'd be proud too.

Hayley Smith: (blinking) Bailey…? Who's Bailey?

(The group grows quiet. Even Meg leans in.)

Meg Griffin: (to Hayley, surprised) Wait—you have another brother?! Besides Steve?!

Klaus Heisler: (glances around, voice lowered with gravity) Promise me none of you will tell Stan or Francine you heard this from me.

(They all nod, holding their breaths.)

Klaus Heisler: (began) Bailey… is your twin brother. You two were born together.

(Hayley's face turns pale. Her mind races.)

Klaus Heisler: He was sick. Really sick. Needed a vaccine that wasn't FDA approved. Stan took him to the CIA for treatment. The vaccine activated something in him—the Power-Gene. Super strength, energy control… potential beyond anything they'd seen. (pausing) Stan and Francine were forced to let the CIA raise him. He trained, went on missions… even did some with Stan.

Hayley Smith: (sways slightly, her breath catching ) So… where is he now?

Klaus Heisler: (somber) I don't know. Last I heard from Stan's murmuring… Bailey was deployed to Afghanistan.

(A silence sweeps over them like a cold wind.)

Hayley Smith: (whispering) I have a brother... a twin... and I never knew.

Meg Griffin: (hand on Hayley's shoulder) This is so anime.

Klaus Heisler: (smiles gently, placing a hand on Hayley's shoulder) You're strong, Hayley. Maybe one day, you'll find him.

(Klaus pilots his exosuit to walk toward the plane as the propellers begin to spin.)

Klaus: And when the world finally sees superhumans and mythical races are real… the UFC will rise again. Bigger. Wilder. Realer than ever.

(The group waves goodbye as Klaus boards. The plane lifts off against the setting sun. Standing on the Tarmac, Hayley looks out over the horizon, wind sweeping through her hair. In that moment, something awakens deep in her.)

Hayley Smith: (softly) Bailey… I'll find you. No matter what.

In the background, the Shining Warriors, Meg, Helen, Courtney, Roberta, Potala, Erika and Jeff exchange determined looks. Their journey wasn't over. It had only just begun. As theStarliner's engines fade into the sky, the friends linger on the sun‑drenched tarmac—tired, bruised, butsmiling. Roberta's grin wobbles.)

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: Welp…guess who's now the only Background Girl who still can't blast light, sprout vines, or summon glowing puppies.

(Everyone folds her arms, voice gentle but firm.)

Meg Griffin: Roberta, you'll get your moment. The author isn't rushing—or forgetting—you. Power reveals happen exactly when they're meant to.

Roberta Tubbs-Brown: (huffs, then laughs) Better be something flashy. I refuse to debut with, like, glitter burps."

The whole crew breaks into easy, relieved laughter—Hayley elbowing Jeff, Courtney leaning into Pouya's side, Erika quietly bumping fists with Potala and Helen.

[Lockheed Starliner, America]

(35,000 Feet above, Klaus reclines in a custom fish‑bowl seat, tailfin tapping a miniature tray table. He opens his leather planner.)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

• Thurs – 3P.M.: Therapy Zoom w/ Dr. Bhutani

• Fri – 9P.M.: Mario‑Kart night (Jeff, optional)

• Sat – 2P.M.: Stewie Griffin B‑Day Party

Location: "Par-Tee‑Ria" Pizzeria & Mini‑Golf, Quahog, RI

Note: Order extra pepperoni; bring waterproof candles

Klaus Heisler: (chuckles to himself) From underground fight clubs to mini‑golf with a homicidal toddler… life is never dull for a cultured fish."

(Klaus clicks his pen, scribbles "buy laser‑proof party hat." The plane banks east, toward new mischief on the horizon.)

[The Meg Chronicles Ending 1 – Blue Rebirth]

(A soft piano melody starts, accompanied by gentle strings. A breeze is heard as the screen fades in from black. Soft, melancholic tone The camera fades in to a young Erika, standing alone in the middle of a rainy town square. People pass by, whispering, casting glances of pity and scorn after her father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. The rain intensifies, blurring the figures around her as she grips her coat tightly. A young Potala sits alone in a classroom, surrounded by white children who sneer at her. They call her "savage," pointing and laughing. Potala lowers her gaze, gripping her notebook tightly as her vision blurs from tears. A young Courtney sits in a cluttered garage, surrounded by old junk and a group of ferrets curled up beside her. She hugs them tightly, her only source of warmth, as she stares at a cracked window where the moonlight barely reaches her.)

"The town whispered behind my back,
Shadows cast by the past won't fade.
I reached out, but the warmth was gone,
Left alone in the cold, unchanging days."

(More emotional, building up. A young Roberta is curled up on the stairway of her old home in Stoolbend. Her hands cover her ears as the muffled sound of her parents, Donna and Robert, shouting at each other echoes through the house. A shadow passes over her as her father walks out the door for the last time. A young Hayley stands frozen in shock, her wide eyes reflecting a violent scene. In a dark warehouse, her father Stan Smith and his CIA colleagues stand over a lifeless body— a former terrorist shot down mercilessly. The gunfire echoes in her mind as her small hands tremble. A newborn Helen, in her small puppy form, is being handed over by her normal dog parents to a human adoption center. She stretches out her tiny paws toward them, begging, but they turn away. The door slams shut as she is taken away, alone. A young Meg sits curled up in a fetal position on her bed, covering her ears as her family—Peter, Lois, Chris, and Stewie—laugh and mock her from downstairs uplifting. Tears roll down her cheeks as she clenches her hands into fists, trying to drown out their words. Young Meg slowly uncovers her eyes. As she blinks, her gray, suffocating bedroom ceiling shifts— transforming into a bright blue sky over Los Angeles.)

"I called your name, but no one turned around,
Trapped in a world too cruel to see me.
Yet even in the darkest nights,
A spark remained, waiting to be freed."

(Chorus – Powerful, yet emotional tone. One by one, the younger versions of the Background Girls—Erika, Potala, Courtney, Roberta, Hayley, Helen, and Meg—find themselves in a surreal dream-like space. Their past selves look up, lost in despair… until their present-day selves step forward. Erika offers her younger self a reassuring nod. Potala kneels and takes her younger self's hand, squeezing it gently. Courtney smiles warmly at her childhood self, motioning for her to stand. Roberta places a hand on her younger self's shoulder, as if telling her it's okay now. Hayley gently takes her younger self's trembling hands, calming her. Helen nuzzles her puppy form, smiling. Meg, hesitating at first, reaches out and embraces her younger self. As the past versions of themselves disappear into glowing light, their present-day selves turn toward the skyline of Los Angeles, where a new path awaits.)

"Let me reach that blue sky,
Even if the wind has torn me apart.
I'll stand again, I'll walk again,
Because now, I am not alone."

(Meg, now standing alone on the rooftop of the Shadow House, closes her eyes as the wind blows through her hair. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, no longer suffocated by her past. She opens her eyes and looks down. Below, standing on the sidewalk, are Erika, Potala, Courtney, Roberta, Hayley, and Helen—all smiling warmly at her. The sun shines down on them as they wave for Meg to come down.)

"The sky is wide, the wind is kind,
And now I see your hand in mine.
Let the past fade like morning rain,
A new adventure calls my name."

(Meg's lips curl into a small but genuine smile. She steps forward, running down the stairs to join them. The Background Girls walk together through the bright, bustling streets of Los Angeles, heading toward a new adventure. The camera pans upward, focusing on the clear blue sky as the last note of the song fades out.)

(End of Ending Theme)

Welp that was something else, especially with the guest appearance of Klaus Heisler as the boss, founder and owner of UFC, yeah basically Underground Fight Club. I mean he gets made the butt joke too many times on him and I wanted to do something good for him. Also if case you don't know/remember Bailey is a possible son of Stan and Francine and Hayley's twin brother will be fanon/fan canon in this series. Plus the fact that he's real and a Powerhuman, is gonna be the fact that Stan Smith is Hayley's father, not that poser during Francine's bachelorette party.

Also yeah, Bailey is deployed fighting in the War on Terror at Afghanistan. We don't know how he's doing, but rest assure you'll know in a future chapter.

Also with the backstories of Hiyoshi, Rokuro and Pouya, their confessions and shared kisses, Hiyoshi and Meg are a couple now, Rokuro and Helen and Pouya and Courtney. Easy now, there will be time for hanky pankies in future chapters.

In terms of references I suppose the biggest ones are Fight Club film, World Tournaments from Dragon Ball, and the underground wrestling matches in Beach City from Steven Universe. Plus I have established the superhuman races: Powerhumans, Forcehumans, Speedhumans, Magihumans, Sagehumans, Soulhumans and Yosohumans. And for their record, the Background Girls' stage names will eventually become their superhero names.

Anyways, see ya next time on The Meg Chronicles Season 1 Episode 5 — The Force Within. This whole revelation sneak peek of Roberta's powers has Star Wars involve only it is real life and a new but real man in her life.