Legends: A Story of Lies [Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Gravity Falls, Big Bad Beetleborgs]

[TricksterPriest]

*peers into thread* Holy sheit. A new story. Or rather, one not seen in these parts yet.

CC: Shall we?

Kallen: Sure, why the fuck not.

In white letters above the windows and over the wing, the words The Faithful Pony's Flying Circus ended with the image of a little blue pegasus dashing with a rainbow streak behind it.

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Nunnally: Oh! How cute!

Alice: Faithful Pony? Is she a mail pony?

Nunnally: Wait, you've never watched My Little Pony?

Alice: Should I have? I was too busy training with my uncle to watch cartoons.

Nunnally: We're sitting down after this so you can see what you missed.

"Guess who?" A girl's voice said before a finger wiped the fog, revealing the grinning face a girl about the same age as the teen twins. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, with a pair of heart-shaped marks on her fair-skinned cheeks, she wore a dark green dress with a red devil-horn headband and a spider-shaped necklace as accessories. "It's me, Star!"

Star moved the laptop around and repositioned herself to reveal she was sitting on a bathroom sink. "I have some exciting news for you. Well, first, Marco got kidnapped, and I blew up a bunch of stuff, including my wand."

Star moved the laptop to her left hand so she could reach into the sink's drawer. "And I was super bummed because I thought I was never gonna get to do magic again, but then I got… my new wa-!"

She stopped, realizing she;d whipped out a brush with a piece of gum stuck on it. "Oh." Rapidly she swapped it out for a pink and gold scepter with wings sprouted from its head. The face of the wand sported a single bright gold star that half of was completely black. "My new wand!"

Almost as an afterthought, Star added. "Oh and Marco's okay. Say hi Marco!"

The camera's view became a blur, moving until it stopped on a light brown-skinned, brown-eyed young man with a beauty mark under his right eye, wrapped in a floral-print bath towel, pulling another around his head. Seeing the camera pointed at him, he lunged towards it. "Hey-!"

The camera went dark and the stream came to a sudden end.

Dipper Pines held the tablet out when it didn't come back on. "Wait, that's it? A week and a half of nothing and then less than a minute of stream."

His sister Mabel was of a different opinion. "Seeing Marco fresh out the shower was well worth the wait."

Dipper gave his sister a flat look. "Could you focus?"

Mabel smirked, giving him a wry look. "Whatever, you liked it."

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Milly: A magical girl! ♥_♥

Kallen: Oh god, why? >_<

Rivalz: At least she's not looking our way? *sweatdrop*

Milly: Our next event is going to be magical girl cosplay day! Miniskirts for everyone!

Kallen: Milly, not every magical girl is Sailor moon. ¬_¬

Milly: I bet you 50 pounds sterling I could get her and him into a fuku easily! I'm sure Marco would look fabulous!

Kallen: I know better than to bet against you.

CC: Am I the only one who noticed the wand was half black? That seems important.

Alice: Like you know jack shit about real magic.

CC: Little girl, do not mock my hard earned wisdom. -_-

"Yeah, and maybe the world won't come to a horrifying end," Dipper added.

Years ago, the two spent a summer with their Great Uncle in a remote, heavily forested, and off-beat town called Gravity Falls, Oregon. What would've been a boring summer for two kids straight out of the rich part of the Bay Area turned into supernatural, disturbing, and outright apocalyptic adventures to determine the fate of everything from pet pigs to the entire universe. It left an impression on the two that brought them to Los Angeles to spend a school year in the sprawling metropolis locked in an eternal summer.

Princess Star Butterfly, a magical girl from another world, had come to live among humans in their world–and was actively blogging her exploits in the town of Echo Creek in northern Los Angeles. Whereas most people dismissed the bright colors and magical explosions as Hollywood high technology special effects for a way overproduced web series, Dipper–well-experienced with the weird and paranormal–knew a supernatural anomaly when he saw it.

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Milly: *high pitched squeeing* ALIEN MAGICAL GIRL! ^_^

Nunnally: Fate of the entire universe...?

"On that note," Dipper said, "Did you see her wand? There was something definitely wrong with it, why was half of it black?"

"Well, it is her new wand." Mabel took an instant to think. "Oh, maybe it's an edgy new upgrade, to reflect the dark turn of Marco getting kidnapped."

"That's another thing that bothered me," Dipper said as he leaned back into his seat and watched a taxiing jumbo jet pass by. "Someone kidnapped Marco, and forced Star to blow up her wand? That doesn't sound like something the monsters they've been fighting could push her to do."

"She didn't seem too concerned about it, she did kinda just mention that Marco was fine like it wasn't a big thing."

Dipper's resolve to find out why only hardened. "These are just more questions to answer."

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CC: See? I told you there was something odd.

Alice: Coincidence.

It was her last year of high school, and after grade school in Germany and both middle and high school in the south of France, she wanted to go out with a bang on her senior year: High School in the United States of America–specifically in beautiful Beverly Hills, where she would spend her days making friends, flirting shamelessly, and enjoying every summer-like day until graduation absorbing the American zeitgeist. It was going to be wonderful.

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Kallen: ........*looks up at the sky* Laying it on kinda thick, aren't you?

Milly: Aw come on. Surely this won't be anything baaaaa-I can't finish that with a straight face. >_<

Kallen: Yeah, I don't know who she is, but she's screwed.

Giggling to herself, she looked ahead and wondered who she'd run into on her way out to her new home in the hills. This was the home of big Hollywood movies, after all, she was likely to see at least one or two famous people just here at the airport terminal.

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Milly: Hollywood! eeeee! I've always wanted to go!

Rivalz: It's alright, not as glamorous as the media makes it out to be.

Milly: That's right, you're from California! Deets! Now!

Rivalz: Ack! Ok ok! Tinseltown is nice, just stay out of the bad parts. And hold onto your wallet. There's guys trying to scam people all the time there. LA is fun to visit, but I was glad I didn't live there.

Milly: *concerned look* Doesn't your dad work in LA?

Rivalz: Like I said, I wouldn't want to live there. ¬_¬

Hearing German-tipped English, Mabel looked down at the small and round girl walking beside them. She lit up. "Hello! What can I do for you?"

"Are you… Mabel?" Misao asked. "The girl from YouTube with the guide to life?"

"Huh…?" Dipper looked at Misao, noticing right away her exotic looks. He escaped staring, looking between her and Mabel. "Uh…"

Mabel gasped. "Oh my gosh, yes! I'm Mabel, and I do have a guide to life on YouTube!"

Misao clapped her hands together, she hadn't even left the airport! "I love your series, it's so cute and funny!"

Dipper raised an eyebrow. Cute and funny wasn't something he'd call his sister's YouTube channel. Mabel shot for cute when she worked the camera, but it came off as weird, surreal, disturbing enough get her channel threatened with deletion twice, and once got them a visit from a concerned Piedmont Police Department.

"You really like it?" Mabel asked.

"Ja, my friends and I love it so much!"

Now it made sense. "German sense of humor."

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Kallen: German humor?

CC: Overly serious, absurd, usually off putting to non-Germans. Basically, Germany's sense of humor is not shared by the rest of Europia.

Kallen: Different world, CC.

CC: I stand by what I said. I highly doubt that is different here.

Kallen: Should I be worried about what would happen if Mabel met Milly?

Rivalz: ..pray it never happens.

"Hm, my host family was sending a driver, yes," Misao confirmed. Looking ahead, she saw a swarthy, handsome, broad shouldered man holding a sign with her name on it. "Ohh… I hope that's him~"

"I don't think it is," Dipper said, "Don't make eye contact, because I'm pretty sure that's Señor Senior Junior."

Misao performed a discrete doubletake with disbelief. "Wait–the supervillain?"

Mabel looked ahead at the chauffeur's face, and a blush broke out across hers. "Oh man, I'd let him kidnap me anyday."

For the life of him, Dipper couldn't even imagine why the son of a world renowned thief and general menace was here trying to pick up a random German girl. He was, however, thankful that his preoccupation with the strange and unknown made it easy to spot him. "Just keep walking, pretend you don't see him."

"Mmhm, I know what to do in these situations," Misao assured Dipper, though she was a little impressed with his decisive manner.
The "chauffeur" smiled when he saw his mark, talking with two other pretty tall kids, and held his sign a little higher. He held it higher still as they walked closer to him without her noticing.

"Excuse me, Miss Darlian?" He called after her with an obvious Spanish accent and whiny inflection that implied a distinct passiveness. "I am your chauffeur? To be bringing you to your host family…?"

The three pointedly ignored him and kept walking.

"Miss Darlian?" He stopped. "Did she even notice me?"

The pale black-haired woman brushed past him, and he stepped back. "Take a powder, I'll get her."

Dipper glanced at his sister. "Mabel? Look behind us, are we being followed?"

Mabel gave a quick discreet look back, and sure enough saw the black-haired woman in green and black walking towards them–her eyes hidden behind a pair of visor sunglasses. She looked forward, a little pale. "… Dipper, I think that's Shego."

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Milly: *looks up Senor Senior Jr* Ouu, he's hot.

Euphemia: De hecho, es bastante guapo. (indeed, he's quite handsome)

Milly: Breaking out the spanish, Euphie?

Euphie: Soy cubano, ¿no? (I am cuban, am I not?)

Euphie: Ella también es bastante guapa. (She's rather handsome too)

Milly: Hmm, a bit like Cornelia, but less professional?

Euphie: Más o menos. (More or less)

"Grandpa Shermie!" Dipper hurried to the passenger side of the SUV and opened the back door. "We need to go!"

"Dipper, Mabel, what's the hurry?"

"No time! We gotta go, a hot scary lady's after us!" Mabel ushered Misao around the SUV and into the backseat, then climbed in herself. "I love your tie!"

Dipper scrambled into the SUV and ducked down, and Shermie looked down at him. "Oy gevalt, you're just getting into LA and you already got a shiksa tailing you?"

He looked back at the terminal doors, when Shego stormed out of the Terminal and sharply scanned the area. Shermie's expression hardened and he pulled himself back inside of the car. "On second thought… probably not your type."

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Alice: Ya think?

Nunnally: Be nice, Alice. He clearly knows what he's doing.

The woman did a double-take after the fleeing SUV and frowned. "Shoot, was that them?"

The chauffeur spilled out of the terminal and looked in the direction she went. Removing his fancy billet, Señor Senior Junior heaved a defeated sigh. "What just happened? Did they see through our disguises?"

The legendary henchwoman herself, Shego, pulled off her visor and scowled. "There's no way they didn't notice us. One of them must've recognized you… which I'm not even sure how."

Junior pulled at his collar and looked away, but Shego noticed it. "All right. Have you been posting selfies again?"

Junior was appalled by the insinuation. "No! I'll have you know, father had me banned from most social media."

Shego stopped, impressed by the prudence. "Oh… then why the nervous look?"

"I still have a Linkedin I use to post headshots…?" Junior admitted sheepishly.

Shego palmed her face and heaved an annoyed groan. "Of course."

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Kallen: *facepalm* You've got to be kidding me.

Milly: Even I make sure to vet the social media posts at Ashford. Hell, Lulu and Nunna aren't even on the campus social network.

Nunnally: What about all the photos you take?

Milly: I either edit them, or save them for blackmail.

Kallen: Why in the name of fuck would you post headshots on Linkedin if you're a god damn supervillain? Why??

Junior rubbed his sharp chin. "There's still a chance. After all, a good villain has a good contingency, right?"

Shego smiled and lightly punched his shoulder. "Just like I taught you. So, what's the plan?"

"We wait; maybe do a few small time burglaries of jewelry stores on Rodeo to keep us from getting bored, and keep an eye on the internet. A girl like her? She can't stay away from it for long."

Shego smiled, and let out a dark, silky laugh. "It is always a breath of fresh air working with you, SSJ."

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CC: When in doubt? Have a back up plan, or three.

CC: Because extraordinary people, can never stay out of the spotlight.

 

[TricksterPriest]

CC: Here we go again. :3 And this time with some additional commentators.

Trollouche: It is good to be back.

Kallen: Kick out the jams, motherfuckers.

"Nano, please, have you for a moment thought about your health and well-being? You're almost 70." Abbie said to her mother-in-law, who was cutting up a steak she was having with her eggs.

"I done told y'all enough. You are only as old as you feel and girl I am eternally 18."

"Have you had your cholesterol checked? Your blood pressure? You're at high risk…"

Nano huffed. "All of that's fine. You know I run for five miles before any of you even thinkin' of gettin' out of bed." She noticed Roland. "Mornin' baby, come on over and grab you somethin' to eat before you go out and do your karate."

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CC: I see nothing wrong here.

Trollouche: Yes, because your regular pizza diet is so healthy.

Kallen: It goes straight to her ass anyway.

CC: Hmph. Nano is only 70, there are people who are still active duty military at that age. And after running 5 miles? Anyone would be hungry enough to want a steak.

Abbie turned to her husband. "Aaron, talk to your mother."

Aaron wondered why he thought his tablet would protect him. It never worked before. "Mom, please go in for one checkup?"

"No," Nano replied.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "I tried."

Abbie's glare could burn through Jara's cloak. Roland scooped eggs onto his tortilla and began slicing up his steak to go with it. "I think Nano's doing fine."

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Milly: Smart guy.

Marianne: My father had similar arguments with my mother about her diet. He was just as effective as Aaron Williams here.

She'll appreciate that," Roland said before looking for any sign of Jo and Drew, he could already see their garage door opening. "Oh, by the way… when I went to the dojo, the Sensei said it was 'an honor' to meet me when he realized I was your grandson. Do you know him?"

"Hm?" Nano thought about it. "Huh, you're going to that dojo over at Trank Plaza?" When Roland nodded she laughed. "Brantley's Dojo? Lord have mercy."

"Brantley?" Roland repeated.

"I'm surprised that place is still open…" she murmured, before she smiled at Roland. "Well tell him ol' Nano sends her love, and go easy on 'im, kay baby?"

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CC: Interesting. Someone has a connection.

Marianne: It would hardly surprise me if she was an old master. You and her would probably get along, Algae head.

He stepped through the doorway, the others following him to find Sensei sitting with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. The school's master was in silent meditation, his eyes shut but relaxed, breathing deeply through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth.
a
Jo looked around the room as Marco went over to the matts and sat seiza in front of Sensei on the very edge of them. No other students had arrived yet. "So the little imp isn't here."

Drew looked at Roland. "So soon as Marco's done, we can start asking questions."

"Yeah, leave it to me," Roland assured them.

Out on the mats Marco sat in silence, watching his teacher's meditation with intense focus. Sensei continued his steady breathing for several moments, making no other movements, giving nothing away. After a few moments more, Marco wondered if he was meditating at all and not-

"Mr. Diaz."

Oh, he's awake. Marco thought.

"The time is eight-twenty seven and twenty-three seconds. Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six…" Marco checked his watch, while Drew, Jo, and Roland went to their phones. He was right on the dot. "You have come early to the dojo. What is it that you seek?"

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Trollouche: That's impressive. Somebody has a superb sense of timing. He's not all talk then.

CC: I could have told you that.

"I see." Sensei's eyes opened. "Well then, I hope you are ready for a grueling process. The Red Belt is the deep red of sunset, the last bit of light before you venture into the uncertain dark of true mastery. I will push you to your every limit to see that you are ready to reach this level."

Jo rolled her eyes. "How much anime does this guy watch?"

"Yes," Roland answered.

"I dunno, this is kinda cool," Drew admitted.

"Do you think you can handle it? This trial has broken many a student." Sensei asked Marco.

Marco nodded. "Yes, Sensei."

Sensei closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Very well, stand!" He shot to his feet, Marco springing to his in the same instant. "Bow to your sensei!" Marco placed his hands together and bowed to Sensei. "Now prepare yourself! Your training begins… NOOOOOOOW!"

With his bellowing kiai Sensei crossed the mat at speed that caught not only Marco, but the Beetleborg kids completely off guard. Turning he lifted his right leg to bring his heel down on Marco in an axe kick.

"Whoa!" Marco raised his hands to block but Sensei was faster, his heel actually stopping short of his face. "… Huh?"

Sensei pointed his foot at Marco's face. "Clip the toenail."

Marco lowered his hands. "Huh?"

Drew, Jo, and Roland stared at the scene, expressions blank. "Huh?"

"Clip the toenail." Sensei repeated, wiggling his toes for emphasis.

Marco looked at his toes, then back at his face. "… Seriously?"

"Clip the toenail, Mr. Diaz!" Sensei bellowed, and without fail Marco pulled out a pair of toenail clippers and snipped the edge off Sensei's big toenail.

"Ack! It got in my eye!"

Drew and Roland winced, while Jo's brow furrowed. "Okay, this is dumb."

Marco wildly brushed at his eyes, then looked up at his Sensei. "What the heck?!"

Sensei narrowed his eyes. "If you are not ready for grueling minutiae, then how can I be sure you are prepared to wear the burden of the red belt, nay, the burden of being an instructor? A master? The arts is not merely chopping wooden planks and kicking butts, it is patience, diligence, and focus! To better yourself not physically, but mentally, and metaphysically–straight down to the soul!"

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CC: Seems reasonable so far.

Kallen: This is reasonable?? ¬_¬

CC: Please. I put Mari through much worse than this. It is the sensei's privilege to abuse and crush the student under their heel to make sure they're ready.

Trollouche: Just asking, but how many people have you trained over the years?

CC: Enough to know what I'm talking about. You'd be surprised what can be made into training exercises.

Sensei was correct, this was only the beginning. After clipping his toenails, Marco mopped then waxed the floors, plunged the toilets, scrubbed the showers, itemized the school's budget and washed the windows. All while Drew, Jo, and Roland watched from the bleachers as students filtered in and out, finding no classes to be taught while Sensei ran Marco through his Belt Trial.

"This is so dumb…" Jo groaned. "We've been here literally all morning watching Marco do chores."

Drew was reading comics off his phone. "I'm with Jo on this one, we should've gone with Dipper and Janna, if this was what we're gonna be doing all morning."

Jo gave him the side-eye. "Oh, what happened to this being kinda cool?"

Drew checked his phone's time. "Three hours and ten minutes elapsed."

Sensei was standing at the base of a ladder, watching Marco scrub the rafters of the dojo. "Those cross-beams need to be shining, Diaz!"

"Yes sensei!" Marco shouted before some soapy, dirty water fell into his eye. "AHHH!"

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CC: Still not seeing a problem.

Trollouche: Yeah, the kids are whining too much. If this were the Shaolin temple for example, he'd be dealing with worse.

Kallen: *clocks both their heads together* This is a fucking McDojo, not the god damn Shaolin Temple! And it's not a battlefield in medieval Europe or the Sengoku Jidai!

Kallen: Both of you idiots have ridiculous standards!

Sensei lit up. "Your Grandmother, yes. Look around this dojo, Roland, without a chance encounter with Nano many years ago… none of this would exist."

"Really?"

Sensei nodded. "Honestly. Many years ago-" He stopped. "But not too many, when I was like your age, I was a young thug going down the wrong path. Gangs, violence, drugs, I grew up surrounded by it… and for much of my teen years, I thought that was all my life was going to be."

His dark eyes drew off to his right, narrowing as he recalled himself on the mean streets of East LA, a young man who wore a hoodie and a skull-cap in 95 degree heat, throwing up gang signs, spray-painting tags, robbing drug dealers, and running from the cops. "I was so young, and already on a downward spiral–it was only a matter of time before I was dead or in jail."

He swept his gaze back to Roland, and raised a clenched fist. "Then one day, I was at the end of my rope. I was cornered by a rival set right on the banks of the LA river, nothing but hot concrete between myself and a certain death at the hands of the eight biggest, baddest bangers East LA ever knew."

Roland hummed, imagining the young Sensei faced off against eight men armed with everything from baseball bats to handguns, surrounding him.

"Then, I heard the rev of an engine. And in a flash my life was saved." The young Sensei had only an instant to react, before a motorcycle straight from the fantasies of every Motorcycle aficionado roared through the air over his head and landed in a long sideways slide, bowling over the gangbangers as its rider threw her foot down and carved a trench in the concrete to stop it.

The young Sensei looked up, in shock of the carnage, and then in awe at Nano–one hand on the handlebars of her motorcycle, and the other extended out to him.

"'Come with me, if you want to live', she said, like straight out of Terminator 2 or something. It was so awesome," Sensei continued.

Roland thought about it. "Yeah, Nano loves that movie. She'd definitely do something like that."

"From that day forward, she took me under her wing, training me in the path of not just the honorable warrior, but the path of a man. From her I learned not to fight, but how to live, and I have been proud to show others that path since."

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Nunnally: This is so cool!

Milly: I can't help but wonder if this is actually what happened.

Nunnally: Why would he lie?

Milly: I dunno, maybe he's not lying. Guy feels kinda flakey.

"I owe her everything. She is my most revered Master." Sensei placed his fist in his palm. "That is why it is an honor to train her grandson. Don't think that this means you'll get any preferential treatment, though. I am a strict teacher, and I cut not slack for anyone."

Roland hummed. "Yeah, about that. Why did you let Jeremy get away with running his mouth-"

Sensei held up his hand. "Hold that thought, Mr. Williams." He turned and headed over towards Marco, who was climbing down from the ladder. "Excellent work Mr. Diaz! I can almost see my reflection in the rafters. Which is pretty impressive, since wood isn't like reflective, and junk."

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Milly: I smell a rat. Also you can use wood polish to make wood somewhat reflective.

Nunnally: I think he did it by hand scrubbing.

Roland nodded to the door. "I don't think we can do that, Marco. We were going to hang out with the others after class, remember?"

Marco winced. "I know, but…"

Sensei looked from Roland to Marco. "If you want to go hang out with your friends, you may. We can resume your trial in the morning tomorrow. You look like you need a break–and maybe get your eyes looked at."

Roland agreed, they were looking pretty red from all the stuff that kept getting into them.

Marco looked half-ready to agree, but stopped himself. "Hang on. If I complete your trial today, can I get certified for the Red Belt tomorrow?"

Sensei recoiled at the request. "Oh no, Mr. Diaz, there's no way that you can complete this trial in one day. There is much to be done far too much."

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CC: *facepalms* He's clearly doing something wrong if he's getting this many things in his eyes. >_<

Kallen: I'm beginning to think something's wrong here. He's not giving him any kind of real timeline. ¬_¬

Kind of reminds me of Drew, when he gets locked in on something. He thought. Something was bothering Marco, and the Red Belt sounded like the answer to his problems. Remembering what happened at the dojo yesterday, he hummed.

Gonna have to talk to him about that. He thought as he hopped on his bike and headed for the scrapyard.

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CC: Fine, fine. This might be a wild goose chase, happy?

Marianne: The obvious solution then is to defeat the master and overthrow his school!

Trollouche: Mother, no.

Marianne: Mother yes. Listen to Mommy, Lulu. Sometimes you simply need to hike up your skirts, break someone's legs, grind them under your heel, and let them know what their place in the world really is.

Nunnally: I apologize to everyone for having to put up with our mother's insanity. >_<

So far so good senpai.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Trollouche: Maestro, if you please?

Misao had been to plenty of discos and nightclubs back in Switzerland and Germany, but none had prepared her for a place like the Bounce Lounge: A nightclub in the literal clouds, where people of different species, from different worlds, and entirely different universes danced, drank, and mingled across the sprawling complex of clouds topped with a dance floor, bean bag seats, and various concessions ranging from an innocuous photobooth to a fully stocked bar.

"Wow… a nightclub in another dimension!" Mabel said as she and Misao followed Star through the portal from her bedroom and to the edge of the multicolored dance floor.

"Yep, this is The Bounce Lounge," Star said. "If I ever wanna chill, I come here. And since you're my new friends, I'm going to share my favorite chill spot with you!"

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Milly: *stars in her eyes*

Nina: Uh oh.

Nunnally: Oh dear.

Rivalz: Batten down the hatches, folks.

Milly: I HAVE FOUND MY PERSONAL HEAVEN, AND I AM NEVER LEAVING! *Scrooge McDuck dives into a cloud*

Misao looked out onto the dance floor, where robot DJs were dropping technological beats that the most fervent European EDM mixers could only dream of. "I am already liking it! If I could only bring my party supplies from Berlin…"

Star looked back over at her smaller new friend. "I don't know where Berlin is, but if you want to use my scissors to hop back over there and get them, you can."

Misao quickly waved her hands. "Oh, no, no, no… maybe another time. For now, we can have a good clean party, ja?"

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Trollouche: *grimaces* Ugh, EDM.

Milly: Don't be a stick in the mud, Lulu.

Trollouche: If I'm going to go clubbing, it will be a place with decent music, not this shit. ¬_¬

Rivalz: What did she mean by 'party supplies' ?

Trollouche: Probably drugs etc. Which honestly? You kinda need. Because nobody who likes Electronic music listens to it sober most of the time.

Milly: *is totally sober and getting down on the dance floor*

Star gave an enthusiastic nod. "Well, duh. What's a party without-" She walked into an outstretched hand and stopped. The hand, orange and clawed like an eagle's, belonged to a tall and heavily built man with the upper body and head of a bald eagle who made Arm Day every day. He wore the pelt of a fearsome-looking rat creature, purple shorts, matching sandals, and a pair of sweet Aviator shades.

"VIP section, members only!" The eagle-like creature commanded with a loud and aggressive voice.

"Oof, birdman bouncer," Misao said.

Mabel cupped her cheeks, painted with a blush. "I want him to be my spirit animal."

"I'm Talon Raventalon, and Talon Raventalon is NO ONE'S spirit animal!" The bouncer yelled at the girls. "Except for Talon Raventalon!"

"Okay, Talon Raventalon," Star said. "But can we get in? Our friends are waiting for us in the VIP."

"If you're not on the list, you don't get to RIDE!" Talon Raventalon yelled.

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Kallen: Looks like he skipped leg day.

Trollouche: I want to fight him.

CC: Rather exotic specimen.

Milly: No! Bad Lulu! No fighting the bouncer!

Mabel, still enthralled by Talon Raventalon despite his rudeness, swooned at the sight of Pony Head. "This place is like the time I overdosed on Smile Dip… but without the terrible crash."

Misao was knocked out of her enchantment and looked at Mabel in horror. "I'm sorry, you did what? On what?!"

"Well, this isn't any candy hallucination, this is my best friend in the entire multiverse, Princess Pony Head." Star introduced, before looking at Pony Head and gesturing to her companions. "These are my friends I told you about, Mabel and Misao."

"It is nice to meet you," Misao said, "And you are gorgeous."

"I'm gorgeous? Okay obviously I am, thank you so much." Pony Head said as she circled around Misao and checked out her glorious dyed hair. "But have you seen your hair? Oh my goodness! I need to steal your stylist, who are they and do they do manes? I need to kidnap them like yesterday."

"Are you kidding? I practiced on manes," Mabel said. "If you have a few hours and a hundred dollars, I'll turn you from a Princess to a Goddess."

Pony Head whipped around and floated up to Mabel's eye level. "I got all the time in the world and all the money, too. You're gonna mess me up!"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: What the fuck is Smile Dip?

Trollouche: Sounds like a bad trip waiting to happen.

Millly: Is that a magical pony head girl?! Eeeee!! n_n

Milly: And she's a fashionista! I have found a new friend!

Talon Raventalon followed the order without fuss, unhooking the velvet rope to allow the girls access. As they walked past, he lifted his sunglasses and eyed all three of the newcomers and brought a smartphone to his ear.

"Tango Delta Lima Actual, this is Tango RomeoTango." He declared with no consideration for the ears of whomever was on the other end. Indeed, he was loud enough that Misao looked back in his direction, agitated by his yelling. "Sierra Bravo has entered the AO, the HVT is nowhere to be seen and the LZ is clear. You can bring it on in."

There was a pause, before a distorted, whispering voice replied. "… What?"

In a mercifully quieter voice, Talon reiterated. "Uh, Star Butterfly? She's here at the Bounce Lounge?"

There was another pause. "Oh? Oh! Right, right… we'll be right there. Uh… Tango Delta Lima Actual, out?"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: *hitting his head against a wall* OP SEC MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT?!

Nunnally: Why is Big Brother getting angry?

CC: Because someone is yelling coded information out loud using military shorthand that is well known.

"Yeah, it's great and I love it? But the Bounce Lounge got something that St. O's don't," Pony said as she led them to the table.

"What?" Star, Mabel, and Misao asked together.

Pony Head whipped her mane around and pointed off the VIP cloud towards the dance floor, and the juice bar to its side where a group of boys from various worlds and dimensions stood–ranging from handsome humanoids and brooding beastmen to stylish slimes and magnificent masculine machines.

"Boys, duh! I don't know about you, B-Fly, but I can't live on anarchy and freedom alone. I need to find a hot guy to make bad decisions with."

Star stared at the hot guys. "Ooh, I like freedom and anarchy."

Mabel leaned in over Star's right shoulder to gaze with gleaming eyes and drooling mouth at the hunky young men by the dance floor. "And I like boys."

Misao squeezed her head under Star's left arm to ogle them as well with her own big grin. "And I like making bad decisions with them!"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Wait. So they went to this club just to pick up guys?

Milly: Kallen...do you not go to clubs?

Kallen: Not really. It never interested me. Why?

Milly: *whistles, causing Lulu, CC and Rivalz to jump on her and hogtie her*

Milly: Magnificent Milly Minions! Sally forth! We go to that most noblest of causes, teaching this girl how to club hop and boogie!

Kallen: What the fuck, Milly?! Untie me!

Milly: Not happening! TALLY HO!

Leloucia: I wonder how open minded the guys at this club are.

Milly: I'm sure some of them would hit on you regardless.

Mabel and Misao looked over at the table. Seated around the low, pillow-surrounded table were five Princesses–a humanoid with long curly blonde hair and four arm, a humanoid who looked like one of her parents was a cactus, a relatively human-looking humanoid with brown skin, short violet and a stylish beret, a large princess with two separate horned heads, and a very large cross between an ogre and an elephant.

"These are Princess Arms, Cactus Princess, Princess Gwendolyn, Two-Head Princess, and Princess Smooshy." Pony Head introduced. "Don't worry, they don't bite, but Smooshy might steal your face so watch out for that, mmhm?"

Mabel didn't hear that part. She was still stuck on "hanging out with the Princess Squad" and envisioning all the sweaters she would make for her new friends for life. Misao hopped up to wave a hand in front of Mabel's face, confirming she was in a trance.

"I will make sure our faces go unstolen," she said as she got behind Mabel and pushed her towards the Princess VIP table.

"Yeah, uh huh! Go mingle with the girls." Pony Head swept around behind Star and began to push her away. "I gotta have some bestie time with my bestie. It's been like a million years since I saw her so we're going to go over there and talk."

As Pony Head and Star left the group, Mabel stared at the Princesses at the table, who returned her gaze. Misao peered around Mabel and waved. "Hallo und guten nacht!"

They were met with a frosty silence, the Princesses–all representatives of their own kingdoms and royal lineages–unsure of what to make of the two shockingly mundane girls presented to them. After a moment Princess Arms raised an eyebrow and spoke. "… So you're friends of Star's, right?"

"Ja!" Misao said. "I'm Misao and-"

Mabel suddenly snapped out of her haze and stomped forward, her single step all but shaking the cloud. "I am Mabel, and I will make CUTE SWEATERS FOR ALL OF YOU!"

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: What the fuck am I looking at??

CC: Did she just say 'stealing faces' ? *raised eyebrow*

Milly: *points at Mabel* Her! I am declaring her my new awesome friend! Because I sense kindred spirit energy!

"Mmm… I didn't tell anyone," Pony Head assured her. "Well, at least nobody who cares. And I mean, who even knows who Marco is at St. O's?"

Star blanched. "Everyone knows who Marco is!"

"Uh no? They know Princess Turdina, they don't know Marco Turdino." At Star's fiery look, Pony Head recoiled. "Oh come on, I'm just joking! I didn't tell anyone, honest!"

Star's glare cooled, but she still gave her the side-eye as she turned away. Undaunted by it, Pony Head circled around her. "So come on, spill! What's up?"

"Nothing-" Star stopped and backtracked. "Well, not nothing? I don't know… Marco's just been really… dotey on me since the fight."

Pony Head raised an eyebrow. "… Dotey?"

"You know, he's been taking care of me and making sure I'm okay… but not like in that smothering, desperate way Tom was?" She wrung the shaft of her wand and looked aside, her face warm. "Like… in that really sweet way where he knows exactly what I want when I need it, even if I don't know what it is."

Pony Head tilted her long pointed horn to her right. "And it's not creepy?"

"No, I mean he's been sticking closer to me, but not like… too close." She sighed. "It's like…"

She hugged herself and smiled, thinking about the last few days. "He makes me feel… safe, like I can just let my guard down with him."

Pony Head stared at Star, the yellow stars in her eyes growing bigger as she gasped. "Oh my goodness, you got it so bad for him!"

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: So he's genderfluid?

Milly: I..don't think so?

CC: Ah, young love. :3

Alice: Yes! Gossip! *taking notes*

Nunnally: Alice! -_-

Alice: C'mon Nunna! This is great stuff!

Lowering her hands, Star let out a dramatic sigh. "I can't just go out with him! There's a girl that he likes! He's been crushing on her for like… since kindergarten and they just started talking to each other and he's got a shot at her and." Star stopped, and her left eye twitched. "And oh my gosh that's not even talking about all the other drama."

Because Star Butterfly may be many things, but unobservant wasn't one of them.

"What, you mean Tom? The guy you broke up with and won't stop blowing up your phone? Because if you've had other stuff going down you are going to tell me." Pony Head got up in Star's face. "You know you can't be leaving me in the cold!"

Pony Head's energy brought her to laugh. "I promise I will."

Pony Head was going to hold her to that. "Yeah, anyways. I normally wouldn't do this because you're my bestie and I think you can do better, but I'm going to be absolutely real with you because you're my bestie and I want you to be happy." Pony Head paused for dramatic effect. "Tell him that you like him, girl!"

Star pouted. "Pony…"

Pony Head pulled back. "I'm serious, B-Fly. Let him know you like him now, and not later. You don't want him to hook up with some other girl, get all jealous and junk, and blow up his whole spot by telling him you like him then, do you?"

Star thought about it and concluded that would suck. "All right, fine. I mean, the most that'll happen is that Marco will just say that even though I'm falling in love with him, he's still got strong feelings for Jackie and he's not just going to throw those away easily."

"Yeah, but he was ready to kill someone for you." Pony Head pointed out. "That doesn't come from nothing."

It didn't, and Pony Head's astute observation brought Star's blush back.

Click to shrink...

Milly: So...what's the problem again?

Rivalz: Beats me. *shrugs*

Milly: Just grab both of them, duh. It worked for Lulu when she grabbed Suzaku and Euphie. :3

Kaguya: There is something primal and enticing about someone declaring they'd kill for you, fu fu fu fu fu.

"Mmm… no, you're going to stop moping around and party with me." At Star's glare, Pony Head rolled her eyes. "And yeah, talk to the Earth Turd or whatever."

Star's glare evaporated with her laugh. "Thanks for inviting me out here, I needed this."

"No thank you! You being into somebody means I get to winggirl all the hot guys off you for myself!" Pony Head began twisting and rocking in place. "This Pony's goin' for a ride tonight~"

Star placed a hand on her cheek, giggling. "Wow, Pony to think you go to Miss Heinous' school."

Pony Head gasped. "Oh yeah! You just totally reminded me. We finally chased Miss Heinous out of the school. She ain't there no more."

"No way!"

"No Heinous, no rules, so we're in da club to let the whole multiverse know–and you know, bring some boys back to the school for some of the other girls."

Laughing again, Star almost felt a little bad for any guy that got taken home by a Princess tonight. "That's an after party I'm gonna have to miss."

Click to shrink...

CC: How does that even...? She's just a head, right?

Leloucia: Ask not for forbidden knowledge, lest ye be damned. -_-

Kallen: So, there's an orgy happening at the boarding school afterwards? Are we sure Milly isn't there?

Milly: No, because there would totally be fucking at the club if I was!

Leloucia: Any guy invited back to the after party should count himself lucky to experience the privilege.

Euphemia: This hardly feels proper...

Milly: That's why it's so awesome! C'mon Euphie, it's party time!

Euphie: Oh very well.

Pony Head snuggled into Star's embrace, then pulled back. "Yeah, what are you going to do if your Mom finds out you're fighting like an evil monster army?"

Star groaned. "Ugh… get dragged back home probably. I'm probably on super thin ice after what happened with Toffee–even after I blew him up."

"That's messed up. You're like, fighting them though, right? Like fighting fighting them? Your Mom fought like an entire war so she's one to talk."

"Yeah!" Star agreed, before she turned towards the VIP. "Wait, she did what?"

Click to shrink...

*record scratch*

Leloucia: Wait what?

Kallen: Her mom was a warrior??

Leloucia: I wasn't aware Star came from fighting stock. Interesting.

Star and Pony Head looked over at the dance floor, where Mabel stood at the center of the dance floor with her chin held up and her arms raised like some villainous pro wrestler. Two-Headed Princess stood behind her, bestowing one of their two crowns upon Mabel's head while the other princesses and Misao stood in a circle around her–clapping their hands and chanting her name.

Lowering her hands and rolling her shoulders, causing the crown to tilt back, Mabel addressed the. "My first decree as honorary Princess of the Dance Floor…"

She shot out her right hand, presenting Misao with her upturned palm. "Is to crown Misao as my honorary co-princess!"

"Long live Princess Misao!" The other princesses cheered as Misao bounced over to Mabel's side. Two-Headed Princess took their other crown off and bestowed it upon Misao's head as she laughed.

Mabel made a sweeping gesture across the dance floor. "And for my second decree! I hereby declare the mighty fine ladies of the St. Olga's School for Wild and Free Princesses of the Disco to seize this dance floor for the glory of Princess Turdina!"

Star grinned from ear to ear as the other girls cheered, and forgot all about whatever wars her Mom may have fought. "WOO-HOO! LONG LIVE PRINCESS MABEL AND PRINCESS MISAO!"

"GLORY TO THE PRINCESSES OF THE DISCO!" Misao called out.

"ALL HAIL THE PRINCESSES OF THE DISCO!" The Princesses cheered.

Click to shrink...

Milly: *maniacal cackling* I am one with the universe, and the universe is one with me! I! AM! IN! MY! ELEMENT!!

Euphemia: Is she alright?

Leloucia: She's just getting high off the club energy. Don't worry about it.

Milly: DISCO PRINCESS INFERNO!!!

Kallen: *struggling in her ropes* I'll get you for this Milly!

"DJ!" Mabel shouted. "I want that music to make me lose control!"

On the edge of the stage, the two robot DJs, snapped their fingers and pointed their fingers at Mabel and dropped a techno beat that had the spread out clouds of the Bounce Lounge shaking from the base and flashing with the flashing light tiles of the dance floor. As commanded, the Princesses and all the other guests within sight of the dance floor of the Bounce Lounge got down and dirty.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: Wait, is that Not!Daft Punk??

Milly: Could be.

Leloucia: It's not bad. This just isn't my scene though.

Kallen: Is anyone going to fucking untie me?!

Alice: Too loud, too blinding. Pass. -_-

Nunnally: *covering her ears* >_<

Mabel laughed and returned the hug. "Oh yeah, we're all Princess Friends Forever, now!"

"I will freakin' die for you, Mabel!" Princess Arms said as she walked like an Egyptian past her.

"And I'll kill for you, babe! Say the word~!" Mabel said as she took Star's hands and swung her out to face and dance with her properly.

Misao laughed as she popped and locked while Pony Head twisted and bobbed herself next to her. "I do not know how she does it, isn't she amazing~?"

"Everyone loves cute sweaters!" Mabel cheered.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *holds Milly in a full Nelson* No, Milly, no.

Milly: *hands outstretched, making grasping motions* But she's my spirit twin!

Milly: I want a cute sweater tooooo!

Leloucia: And to motorboat her and Misao? :3

Milly: Duh. Have you seen those tits?

Star grabbed Mabel's hand and jumped back, and Misao leaped into the arms of Arm Princess, as the fissure widened and a torrent of wailing souls came pouring from the chasm.

"Was ist das?!" Misao cried out.

Amidst the storm of souls, a winged demon wearing a loincloth ascended from the fissure, the yoke around his neck connected to chains hauling a wheeless carriage up through the fissure. Soon as the keel of the carriage was clear of the gap, it slowly closed to the mournful wailing of the departed trapped beneath it.

Seeing the carriage and the demon hoisting it, Star's face fell into a morose grimace.

Pony Head saw Star's expression. "Oh this is bad…"

Click to shrink...

Leloucia; Holy shit, this guy knows how to make an entrance!

Kallen: Kinda surprised there isn't death metal playing with it.

Euphemia: Star seems rather upset.

"Who is behind this evil energy?" Mabel asked. "Is it a demonic warlord? A necromancer that hates ponies? A goblin incel?!"

Star sighed. "It's…"

The demon holding the carriage up, despite panting from the labor, cleared his voice and spoke in a loud and commanding manner. "Presenting: Prince Thomas Draconius Lucitor, and his companion, Lady Amirana Butterfly, the Duchess of Septarsis."

Stepping from the carriage came a young man with lilac-colored skin, salmon-colored hair with two horns, and three eyes red as fresh blood–the third set in his forehead centered above the other two. He was dressed in a nice but casual black suit, along with a violet tie, and black leather shoes.

He was accompanied by an attractive young woman who stood just below him in height, with fair skin with long violet hair that cascaded in gentle curls down to her hips and was styled in sweeping bangs that stopped above her turquoise-colored eyes. She wore a simple black evening gown that stopped above her knees, and high heels that she appeared awkward just standing in.

As her name implied, and both Misao and Mabel noticed, she had purple magnet-shaped marks on her cheeks.

Star slapped her hand to her face as she focused on the young man. "… My ex."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Incels? Ewww. >_<

Leloucia: *hungry smile* Oh. Him I like.

Milly: *cackling* Get em, girl!

CC: His companion is rather fetching too. I do fear that Tom Lucitor would not be prepared for the shitstorm that is Leloucia.

Milly: Is she worse than Star? :3

CC: Hmm. Good point. I think they'd end up killing each other.

Euphemia: Oh dear, relationship drama is the last thing anyone wants while trying to relax.

Euphemia: Well, perhaps he's moved on to greener pastures.

Alice: I'm not taking that bet. ¬_¬

Alice: I don't like the look of this guy.

Nunnally: Alice Hargreaves, just because he has three eyes and salmon skin is no reason to discriminate.

Alice: No, not that! It's cause he feels like a creep. -_-

Nunnally: Let's wait and see before judging.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Like any other day, Jackie Lynn Thomas was boarding to school, the drone of hard polyurethane wheels against the pavement interrupted "ka-kunks" that followed her traversing the cracks in the street and in the sidewalk. As she approached the school looking for Janna, she did a double-take and coasted to a halt.

She stared, with mouth agape. The entire front of the school was decorated not in Echo Creek's oranges, but the purples, pinks, and blues that Brittney was commonly associated with. Everything from balloons to banners, to streamers, to lights and even what looked like holograms of cheerleaders and football players decorated the street-facing buildings of the campus. On the School's Sign, the words "Spirit Week By Wong" was written in place of the usual "Go Opossums!"

It was hard to look at, even for someone laid-back like her. "Dude…"

"I know, right? This is aggressively dumb."

Click to shrink...

Milly: *aghast*

Rivalz: *excalibur cringe face* Geeze...

Kallen: What the fuck....

Trollouche: I've seen Milly do some...frankly crazy shit at times. But this? Never anything like this.

Milly: *still frozen in shock*

Janna coiled her arm Jackie's, inviting her to lean into her shoulder. "Maliciously."

"Cool, I got something for you."

As she leaned against Janna, Jackie produced a pair of purple bracelets that were wider around one half than the other. On the wide half "Spirit Week by Wong" was etched into it. Staring at it uncomprehending for all of an instant, Janna recognized what they were and she rolled her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah, this is how Brittney's making sure the people she wants go to the dance." Jackie offered one of them to Janna. "Chantal and I are cool, though, so I grabbed extra from her."

Taking the wristband and pocketing it, Janna nodded in praise to Jackie. "Good looking out, I could've grabbed one though."

Jackie chuckled. "At least I saved you a lockpick."

Taking that into consideration, Janna agreed. She really didn't want to exert any more effort than she wanted in jamming someone's face in their own crap. Brittney wasn't even at the top of her list of people harshing on her vibe, anyway.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: A school dance has an invite list? Really?

Rivalz: Milly, have we ever done that?

Milly: Nope. The only times I've blocked people from going was when they made it clear they were going to cause problems or ruin it for everyone else.

Trollouche: Well, we did occasionally get asked to block people who caught some serious flak from the staff *cough* cheating *cough*.

Kallen: That happen alot?

Milly: Not really. If you're at Ashford, you should know better.

"Has anyone checked on Brittney lately? Is she doing okay?"

Both girls looked to see Dipper, Mabel, and Misao, who had just been dropped off by Shermie. They were looking at the redecorated School–Mabel was cringing at the poor decor choices, Misao was outright disgusted by the flagrant ego on display, and Dipper had asked aloud what everyone was thinking.

Janna responded. "On a scale of one to ten: Fifty-one-fifty."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Oh come on.

Kallen: I don't get it.

Rivalz: *sighs* 5150 is a California thing. It means temporary involuntary psychiatric confinement. Or as some people call it, temporary crazy restraint.

Milly: That's a thing?

Rivalz: Yeah, not a thing for us, but it's a thing over there. I think Author-kun has been to a few parties where it happened.

CC: Someone being put into that sort of confinement for a psychotic break or bad trip is a fast way to end a party. It's a last resort for a reason. Well, at good parties anyway. If the people running a party are resorting to this first? Walk the fuck away.

She looked back to the Twins, inwardly appreciating their height, and her attention drifted to Dipper. "And you're Dipper…"

Her smile grew a little. "… Hey"

Janna glanced out the corner of her eye at Jackie, looked at Dipper, danced her attention back and forth between the two, and all the malice she had had simmering since yesterday became a superheated geyser erupting taller than the Empire State Building.

Dipper, to his credit, didn't ogle the most popular girl at school even as he appreciated why she'd be revered as such. "Hey, yeah, that's me. Dipper, Mabel's brother…"

Mabel gently elbowed his side. "Yep, my handsome brainiac of a brother who can't stay out of trouble. He's single, too."

Dipper shot her a look. "Mabel, knock it off…"

Jackie let out a chuckle and brought her skateboard in front of her to rest it on her knees as she leaned over some. "But you are single?"

Dipper sensed that playfulness in her voice like a shark smelled blood. With a devil may care smile, he stepped up with a lot more confidence radiating from him. "You looking? Because if you're down…"

Jackie blurted out another laugh, but wasn't at all quick to walk back her shot. She held her board behind her back and looked aside as her face warmed up. "Yo stop… I might just say yeah…"

Misao nodded to Jackie. "I too have learned not to flirt carelessly with Dipper."

His smirk sharpened into something that even Janna now looked at with a bit of weakness. "You're all more than welcome to take a swing. But you ladies will knock it out of the park."

It had Jackie covering her mouth to stop her chuckling. "Dude, I said stop~!"

Mabel palmed Dipper's face. "Please, Casabrova, you promised to use your powers for good."

"Says the girl trying to hook me up." He gestured to Mabel. "Best wingman in the world, but does not know when to stop."

Jackie could tell she was going to have a great time. "I mean, if she works is that a bad thing?"

Click to shrink...

CC: Ara ara~

Milly: *purrs*

Rivalz: Damn, that was smooth. *thumbs up*

Trollouche: Well played, Mr. Pines.

Nunnally: I don't like the sound of that malice in Janna. ¬_¬

Kallen: How tall are these guys again?

Trollouche: Per inside information from the Ero Sennin? Dipper and Mable are both six foot, six inches.

Trollouche: Which makes them as tall as my father. ¬_¬

CC: You know what they say about tall men.

"I'm of the opinion," she said, "That if you're into someone and they're into you, just go for it."

Dipper's eyebrows rose, wondering what she was getting at. "If only it could be that simple."

"It totally could, people just complicate things on purpose like they're obligated to."

Misao caught that, and hummed as she too wondered what Janna was implying.

Jackie smiled, agreeing with Janna with little more than a nod. "Anyway, we gotta talk about the dance and how things are gonna go, girls."

Click to shrink...

CC: Ara ara, someone has an interesting idea. :3

Trollouche: Is she saying what I think she's saying? *thinking expression*

Milly: I guarantee she is. You'd think a kid from the Bay area would have come across it before.

Kaguya: Let's see if he can figure it out himself. :3

"If it doesn't work," Jackie dug into her pants pocket and pulled out a few more Admission Bracelets. "We're still on to crash the party."

Mabel was optimistic. "There won't be any need."

Dipper not so much, as he looked again at the school's decor. "Yeah, I'm sure she's being completely rational and not letting the power go to her head."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Oh yeah, she's definitely going mad with power...hahahaha, I can't finish that with a straight face.

Kallen: You of all people cannot fucking call anyone out on that.

Trollouche: Eh, I'm at least aware of it to have people call me out when I go too far.

Trollouche: Hell, even Milly isn't that bad when she's in party planning mode.

"The heck is wrong with your Dad?" He asked, all but seething.

"It's just how he is," Jo said with her hands in the pockets of her overalls and her head turned away.

"Don't make excuses for him, he's treating your brother like Trip messing with him is his fault."

He looked from her to Drew. "It's only a matter of time before he tries to keep you from hanging out with us."

"And he's not going to," Drew replied, "I'm sneaking out for the dance and any time the Magnavores show up. I don't care what he does."

He thumped his balled fist against the locker. "This is too important for me to be worrying about being grounded, or stupid stuff like that. It's my responsibility."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Eh, could be worse.

Kallen: By normal standards, his dad is kind of a dick. But he hasn't really done much other than normal dick parenting stuff. Hell, at least he's there. ¬_¬

Rivalz: Man, what would he think if he knew his son was a hero in the making?

Nunnally: I'm sure he'd be very proud of the man he's become.

Milly: Still better than some people's parents I know.

Drew lit up. "Heather, h-hey!"

The abrupt shift in Drew's mood made Roland recoil from him. Jo let out an exasperated breath so hard her lungs could've popped out of her mouth and dangled on the end of her tongue.

"What's up?" Drew asked, stepping up to Heather to deliberately avoid his sister and basically a brother. "How are you this morning?"

"Well, my family decided they're gonna drive to Tahoe, which means I'm leaving tomorrow," she explained. "So, my weekend just got worse."

Jo whispered to Roland out the corner of her mouth. "How's going to Tahoe sooner a bad thing?"

"Going cool places is all about who you go with," he replied. "I mean, would you like to drive up to Tahoe with the 'Teen Girl Squad?'"

Click to shrink...

Rivalz: A trip to Tahoe is still fun, even if you're stuck with family. Snow, fresh air, great views. Hell, if you have a nice rental place, maybe a hot tub and fireplace.

Rivalz: But man, did you see the 180 that girl did to his mood?

Nunnally: I think it's cute. They're a really nice couple. n_n

Nunnally: I bet she'll be even more impressed when she finds out he's a hero.

That got Drew's attention, and he smiled a bit. "How dare you tempt me with your collection of rares, contributing to the delinquency of a minor?"

Heather smirked and gestured to herself. "What can I say? I'm a bad guy."

Jo yanked Drew back by his shirt and stepped up. "I'll go!"

Heather wagged a finger at her. "Ah-ah-ah! Sorry, I want it to be me and Drew."

Jo stepped back and shoved Drew forward, he stopped himself barely from Heather. "If you don't take this offer right now, I'll lose all respect for you and punch you."

Drew and Heather were close enough to touch noses when she pulled away, her face coloring like his. They both shuffled back from one another and she reached up to toy with her bangs.

"So…" she said with a jumpy giggle. "You wanna go…?"

Drew sputtered. "Y-yes! Absolutely! We can swing by Zoom and pick up my number one so you can read it again."

Click to shrink...

Cornelia: *smirks* Well played, Josephine. That is what a good sister does. Pushing their brother or sister to do something for their own good.

Euphemia: *giggles*

"Right?" the former asked. "He completely forgot about Dad being a jerk and his superpowers not kicking in yet."

Roland looked down at her. "Huh, I figured that's what it was."

Jo turned to him. "I can't blame him for being frustrated. He should've exploded yesterday because of Dad's BS."

She looked back the way Drew went with Heather. "But at the same time… I'm glad he didn't."

"Why?"

She paused. "Real talk?"

Roland had an inkling of what she was going to say, but before she could say a word, a voice rang out.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Most likely the fear of being exposed as having said powers...or using them to lash out. ¬_¬

CC: If they're emotion based, then a moment's frustration could lead to unwanted consequences.

Brittney got right up in his face. "Don't even think about it."

"About what?" He asked with a sweet, innocent smile.

She poked his chest. "Pulling some stupid prank at my dance! The only reason I'm not flat out banning you is because of who your Grandma is, but if I see so much as a super soaker, a pillow, or a single mariachi, not only are you out of the dance, I will make sure you don't set foot in school for a week! Do I make myself clear?"

Roland took a step back from Brittney's prodding finger. "I promise I won't do any of that old stuff."

Let it be said, Brittney Wong was not a dullard. "There won't be any new stuff either! In fact, I know that you don't even have a date, so if you show up for the dance without one I'll know you're up to no good."

Chantal and Megan both nodded in agreement, and Roland bravely resisted rolling his eyes. "Okay you're right. I don't have a date yet."

Click to shrink...

Milly: *conflicted* I mean, pranks at parties are fine, but doing one to spite somebody at their own party? I dunno....

Rivalz: Nice trick on the word play. :3

He turned aside, letting out a sigh. "I was going to ask the person I wanted to go with today, but not like this."

Brittney recoiled from Roland, like he'd just gone radioactive. Chantal and Megan on the other hand, reacted with much more visible interest as Roland held out his open palms, and then rolled up the sleeves to the white long-sleeve shirt he wore under a green tee today. With a quick flip of his wrist and a prodigious amount of superspeed, he produced a bouquet of flowers–red and yellow roses with a white ribbon tying them together.

In a school well-desensitized to Star Butterfly's magic, the ol' razzle dazzle and sleight-of-hand still did the trick. Especially when all it resulted in a lovely bunch of flowers and not screaming monsters or burning rainbows.

Roland was on the other side of Brittney before she even realized it, stepping up to Megan, flashing her a debonair smile that gleamed in the fluorescent lights of the hallway. "If you would do the honor of joining me for the homecoming dance, I promise to make it a magical evening."

Megan looked between him and his flowers, to say she was impressed would be an insult. "Daaaaang."

She smiled and took the roses. "I'll see you at the dance, player."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: *blinks, then slow claps*

Rivalz: Ok, that? That was smooth as fuck.

Milly: If he was that smooth the rest of the night? I know I'd definitely be fucking him later.

Janna Banana said:
Don't worry I got this.

Marco said:
It better not b stolen.

Janna Banana said:
Now Mr. Diaz who do you take me for, a thief? :smiling_imp:

Click to shrink...

Kallen: I mean..she kinda is, but...

CC: A thief stealing for a good cause..is still a thief but a far more palatable one.

CC: The first tales of Robin Hood were a bit before my time, but there's a reason they're still so popular even today.

CC: Theft in a good cause and for the benefit of others is something the public never gets tired of, if it's done stylishly.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Walking down an alley between two businesses located nearby Echo Creek Cemetery, Jara stopped well short of emerging onto the sidewalk, then turned to face Saberizer, who stood in silence with his hand on the hilt of his sheathed falchion. In her hand she held yet another Beetleborgs comic, this one featuring the Red Striker A.V. cutting through the blue sky above a sea of clouds, with a swarm of Jet Fighters in pursuit, firing at it and the reader.

"It is a simple plan, but it will change things," she said.

Saberizer did not hesitate to respond. "I am ready to take responsibility for what comes next."

Jara gave Saberizer a short nod, and turned back towards the alleyway as she held up the comic.

"Then go, bring me back as many of those insect children as you can."

His grip on the hilt of his sword tightening, Saberizer began walking forward. As he reached Jara to pass her, he spoke.

"They will be laid out before your feet, on this I swear."

Click to shrink...

CC: Hmm? Didn't we just do this? *raised eyebrow*

Trollouche: Author-kun is doing a double reaction this time since he forgot to do one last time.

Trollouche: I'll be curious to see what Saberizer plans to do.

There was an undercurrent of anxiety that was worse than usual in the Cafeteria. It, like the rest of the school, was draped from almost floor to ceiling in Brittney's color palette and imagery of herself ranging from banners with her face on them to flattering posters of herself at nearly every corner and on every table. Even looking outside, one could see a blimp advertising "Spirit Week by Wong" as it circled overhead, reminding students that this was an event to be remembered, and to be part of.

Dipper wasn't having any of this. "This is stupid. I'm going to skip for the rest of the week if it's going to be like this every day."

He and Marco were sitting together at their table, watching as students lined up not for lunch, but to a table where Brittney and several of her cheerleaders sat, handing out bracelets. It was a mixmash of students from all walks of social life, and as they came up to the table one by one, it was pretty obvious where the anxiety in the air was coming from.

Brittney, sitting with a bowl full of bracelets, looked up to an overweight male student nervously gesturing towards one of the bracelets. "What?"

The student cleared his throat, dusted off his blue sweater, and smoothed out his short brown hair. "I was… I was hoping that I'd get a bracelet to, you know… go to the rally, and the game, and the dance…?"

Brittney looked him over and grimaced in disgust. "Uh, no. You can go to the gym to get in shape, and maybe to the courthouse to do something about your name, Moobs."

The boy sagged. "But Moobs is my nickname…"

"And you wonder why you're not invited." Brittney pointed to her right. "Move, loser."

Head hung low, the young man walked away and went to his seat. Dipper and Marco watched him walk past, then turned to each other.

Click to shrink...

Milly: *starting to actually get angry* What. The Hell?? ¬_¬

Kallen: Wow, that's some seriously cunty behavior. -_-

Rivalz: Damn that's shitty. Kinda surprised she's getting away with this.

Trollouche: *rubs fingers together* ching-ching.

Rivalz: Aw man, really?

Trollouche: Money talks.

As if on cue, Jackie Lynn Thomas reached the table, all bright eyes and cool smiles. "Hey Dipper, hey Marco."

Marco nearly jumped from his seat. "J-J-J-Jackie, hey!"

His reaction prompted a concerned look from Dipper that faded quickly with understanding.

"Mind if I join you?" Before either could answer, Jackie made herself right at home, squeezing her way onto the bench right between Dipper and Marco.

Both boys looked at her tray, and noticed that on her tray was definitely not school fare–lobster tail, ribeye steak, and elote–street corn on the cob slathered in mayo sauce, chili powder, and cheese.

Marco did a double-take. "Uhh.. where'd you get that?"

"You haven't gone up yet? Guys who get bracelets get to have this for lunch."

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm not a 'bracelet wearer' so."

Marco looked with some envy at Jackie's plate. "I don't think I'd get a bracelet if I tried."

Jackie then pushed her tray out to offer them. "Then help yourself, guys. I can just go grab more."

Click to shrink...

Milly: I like her.

CC: Someone has a crush that they're not willing to voice~

Kaguya: Fu fu fu. He should go for it.

Kallen: Damn, that is a nice spread.

Rivalz: Bet it costs a few pounds if it's restaurant quality.

In line for lunch, Jo slammed her hands on the countertop. "What do you mean I can't have the good stuff?!"

The chef behind the counter shook his head. "Restaurant food is only for students that have a Spirit Week by Wong Bracelet, continue down to the normal line."

Jo looked down the line and made a face. "We're having vegetarian meatloaf, come on!"

The chef was unmoved by her plea. "You can pay twenty-five dollars for a plate if you don't have a bracelet."

"Screw that and you!" She looked at Roland, who was standing just behind her in line. "And don't you dare get food from these bougie douches!"

Roland shrugged his shoulders. "I like vegetarian meatloaf."

Click to shrink...

Rivalz: Called it.

Rivalz: Though *does a quick currency conversion calculation* 18 pounds sterling? That's cheap for that kind of lunch. A good rib eye steak alone will cost that in a decent restaurant.

Milly: For a school lunch though? That's outrageously expensive. And very very mean to put it behind either a social barrier or a financial one. ¬_¬

Trollouche: Vegetarian meatloaf? I'm certain that is unappetizing. ¬_¬

Roland quirked an eyebrow. "Then why get mad?"

"Because it's still crap, and I reserve the right to be pissed off at all of it."

Roland pondered it. "There are worse things to be hostile about–at least you have a good reason this time."

Jo looked back as she was served her tray of vegetarian meatloaf, quinoa, and carrots. "Excuse you?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't-"

Jo stopped in her tracks, her tray slipping from her hands and to the floor with a splat. Roland almost walked into her back. "Whoa, Jo are you okay-"

Jo turned and stormed off out of the cafeteria, leaving him baffled until he saw Jackie sitting hip to hip with Dipper and Marco, the only three at a table that seated nine. Making matters better, she was rather obviously leaning into the former as they watched Brittney deal with a frizzy-haired girl with glasses approaching her for a bracelet.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: *facepalms* God damnit Jo. >_<

Nunnally: Oh dear. That wasn't very mature.

Milly: Yeah, acting like that is not going to win his heart. Jealously is almost never attractive. *sighs*

Brittney looked at the bracelet, then at the young man in front of her. Peter, from Marco's Karate class. Looking back and forth between the blonde boy and her bracelet, she handed it to him. "Here you go, bring your A-Game."

This prompted a protest from the dejected Ashlyn. "B-but Peter's got glasses, too!"

Brittney whirled on the girl. "HE LOOKS GOOD IN THEM!"

Peter, ever stoic, turned and walked away.

Marco frowned around his elote. "Now you got me wanting to throw her in the garbage."

Click to shrink...

Milly: *steadily getting angrier* I'm really starting to dislike her. ¬_¬

Rivalz: Woah, Milly never gets angry at people like this.

Trollouche: Batten down the hatches. ¬_¬

Mabel stopped her. "But I want to chat for a bit, too! We share so much in common! You're a girl, I'm a girl, you're cheerleaders, I was cheerleader for the Piedmont High Highlanders…"

Sabrina gasped like she'd seen a ghost. Chantal went wide-eyed like she was in the presence of a God, and even Brittney's ever-present glower vanished in lieu of gobsmacked disbelief.

"… No way, you're that Mabel Pines? National Champion Mabel Pines?!" Chantal demanded.

Mabel smirked and produced out of thin air a large sticker-covered scrapbook.

Over at her table, Jackie looked at Dipper. "I can totally get Mabel being a cheerleader."

Dipper relaxed a bit. "Not just a cheerleader, one of the best."

As Sabrina, Chantal, and some of the other students in lie began crowding around, Mabel flipped through the scrapbook, passing pages filled with of pictures and drawings of herself, Dipper, and things that amused her (such as embarrassing pictures of Dipper) until she came to a page "Cheer Squad!" written in glitter glue.

Click to shrink...

Milly: Ouu! This looks fun!

CC: Cheerleading is that important? *raised eyebrow*

Trollouche: For high school? It can be. And Brittney's crew are not just cheerleaders, it's how they maintain their social position.

"I'm that good," Mabel boasted as she began flipping through the scrapbook. "Here we are at halftime at a Football Game–we won 30 to nothing. Here we are Cheering for Basketball–won 80 to nothing. This is us cheering during exams–we got kicked out of the building for that. Then there's us cheering for the rowing team-"

Chantal's mouth fell agape. "An Awesome on a speedboat? You're crazy!"

Mabel placed a hand on her chest. "My proudest moment."

She scowled and looked to the side. "The Coast Guard didn't think so–the philistines."

Click to shrink...

CC: Ok, that is fairly impressive. *golf clap*

CC: I am wondering if the cheerleaders promised special service for those blowout scores. :3

Kallen: *dope slaps her* Get your mind out of the gutter.

Marco was back to nibbling on his corn. "Mabel is serious about being friends with Brittney, isn't she?"

"If she says she's going to befriend someone, she's either going to make a friend or a mortal enemy."

Jackie looked at Dipper. "So what's the record on that?"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: What is her record on that? Serious question.

Kallen: I'd say...fifty/fifty? Then again, if she beats someone up to befriend them, then she might have a good track record.

Trollouche: Ah yes, the Nanoha method of befriending.

Milly: I don't think that's her style. I think she's just charming.

Chantal nudged Brittney. "Hey, imagine what we could do with her in the squad?"

As Brittney turned her head to breath fire on Chantal's face, Mabel held up a hand. "Whoa, hold up buttercup, I have way too much going on so I can't really be cheerleading this year. All my after school hours are like super booked."

Brittney stopped. She had been about to make a sharp warning about the team being full–complete with the stark implication that she would not be eclipsed by a national champion while the squad under her had only one technical win under their belt. Mabel hurriedly killing the idea in the crib threw her off.

"… You don't want to be a cheerleader?" She asked her, suspicious.

"Nope!" Mabel happily chimed. "But~ if you like, I can give you tapes of my routines, help you make up new routines, and maybe swing by and drop some pointers if I'm free. After all, I'm a student here now, and i want my school and my cheerleaders to be the best. Go Opossums!"

Chantal cocked her head to one side, surprised all over again. "Dude… Brittney?"

"That's… that's so generous!" Sabrina said. "If we had that kind of help, we'd be…!"

Chantal flat out admitted it. "We wouldn't suck like we do now, that's for sure."

Brittney narrowed her eyes. It was really generous, too generous for her blood. "Okay then, what do you want?"

Mabel, sunshine and rainbows, replied. "I want to be friends."

"No," Brittney said, "You want something… and since I know what class you're in, I think I know what that is."

Click to shrink...

Milly: -_-

Leloucia: And the jealous cunt rears her ugly head again. ¬_¬

Kaguya: To be fair? She isn't wrong that Mabel isn't offering this for free. But I have the suspicion she would extend the offer regardless. *smirk*

She leaned to her left and looked down the line. Sure enough, there was a blue-eyed blonde boy wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt, a red baseball cap and a green sweater tied around his hips. A foolproof disguise, if it weren't for the dinosaur shoes with tiny horns, the devil's horns poking out of the cap, and lightning-shaped marks on his cheeks.

"He" was pretending to mind his own business, until "he" noticed Brittney looking straight at "him." Noticing she's looking "his" way, "he" looked back, then at her again, before pointing at "himself" in confusion. With a bright wave "he" pretended that nothing was wrong and went back to patiently waiting in line while not looking anywhere near Brittney's direction.

Brittney looked from "him" to Mabel. "I'm not stupid, and Champion Cheerleader or not, Star Butterbrains is not going anywhere near MY Spirit Week!"

Over at the table, Dipper, Marco, and Jackie followed where Brittney was looking, and saw "him." As Marco and Dipper both raised eyebrows, Jackie looked at Marco and pointed at him. "I was wondering who he was."

Marco slowly turned his head to stare at Jackie.

"Dude, I'm joking," she promised him.

"That's a good look for Star," Dipper said absently, before he stopped and reflected on that. "… Huh."

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *blinks* She can do that?

Kaguya: Apparently. Pity he couldn't remember to not wear the distinctive attire. Or use some makeup.

Kallen: Is it just me, or did Dipper just have a bisexual realization moment?

Leloucia: Probably.

Kaguya: Good eye on Brittney's party catching that Star had changed genders.

With a nod to Mabel, Star took off her horned baseball cap and brought it to her chest. "Brittney, I am really sorry for messing up spirit week and causing trouble for your birthday."

Expecting to hear anything else, like a heartfelt plea to let her go to the dance, a musical number, or even a spell to set her hair purple and on fire, Brittney was genuinely taken off guard to hear an actual apology. "… What?"

"You know, turning the football field into a battlefield? Crashing your party? I am really sorry for that…"

Brittney's resting scowl remained fixed on Star as she watched her lips move and heard the stuff she said, but it wasn't exactly registering. Next to her, Chantal raised an eyebrow.

Star turned to her. "Oh, and I'm sorry for saying your booty wasn't distracting. You actually got that dump truck that stops traffic."

Chantal smirked and nodded. "Girl, you know it."

"And Sabrina." Star turned to the mousy girl. "I am so, so sorry that me barging in interrupted your training and you hit the floor."

Sabrina meekly replied. "O-oh it's okay, Star… you didn't know and… well it's fine."

Brittney finally remembered she was part of the conversation. "So what, you think that because you're sorry, I'm going to let you go to the dance?!"

Star recoiled. "Well I-"

Brittney shot up to her feet. "Well guess what Moo-ron? I don't care if you magic me up a super hot boyfriend with your wand. You're still banned from Spirit Week and if you bother me one more time, I'll make sure you can't even come to school for the rest of the week!"

Mabel's expression slipped to a frown as Brittney folded her arms and gave a quick turn of her head to whip her hair.

"So either go away or give me an excuse, I'm fine with either!"

Star was almost knocked off her feet by the force of Brittney's rebuke. "I'm trying to say that I'm sorry-"

"And you're getting nothing for it." She gasped in mock surprise. "Oh! it's almost like I hate you, you dumb blonde bitch."

Now Star did recoil, her cheek marks turning from lightning bolts to black skulls. Before she could turn her hat back into her wand and go off, Mabel stood abruptly and imposed herself between the two. She loomed over Brittney, Sabrina, and Chantal as she held one arm to keep Star back and reached down to pick up her scrapbook.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *rubbing her nose in annoyance* While Brittney is a bitch? She isn't wrong that Star has a bad habit of assuming everyone is alright with her shenanigans. And unlike say, Milly's shenanigans? Star's put people in danger half the time.

Nunnally: She still could have accepted the apology in good grace. ¬_¬

Leloucia: That would require actual class.

Nunnally: How is she able to kick Star out of school for a week??

Leloucia: *rubs her fingers together* ching-ching.

Nunnally: ...I don't like her. -_-

Dipper got up. "Okay, I'm not going to the dance anyway. Let's do this."

Brittney watched Star and Mabel leave with no small satisfaction, but that smugness disappeared when Dipper advanced towards her. Going pale, she nearly tripped over her seat stepping over it to back away from the table and him when he reached her and pulled his lumberjack hat off his head.

"You know, I understand what makes you gotta be a bitch and three quarters. That, the whole reason you've turned a dumb school dance into a monument to yourself, and why you throw all this money on people like it matters to them."

Brittney turned her nose up to him, even as it looked like she was shaking. "Mind your own business, nerd!"

She looked right back at him when he stepped in way closer than she thought he would, getting right up in her face and looking down on her with a glower to match her own and then some. She could've been made of titanium and evaporated under the intensity of his gaze.

"Because you're terrified of people finding out about the person you know you are."

Brittney felt like she was standing at the base of a skyscraper, that was going to fall on her. She grit her teeth as Dipper waited for a reply, and lashed out at him with it before the truth he spoke exposed her weakness to everyone.

"Oh yeah? You had your math off. I'm two bitches and three quarters. You're out of here, fucking suspended until next Monday, loser!"

Dipper smiled. "Thanks, enjoy your weekend."

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: Hah!

CC: Right in the fragile ego, oh ho ho ho.

Milly: *boiling over in anger*

Seeing it do nothing, Brittney lashed out harder. "And your stupid sister's banned from Spirit Week, too!"

Chantal got up. "Brittney, NO!"

Brittney turned on her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Ban him all you want, but not her! She didn't even do anything!"

Even Sabrina protested. "Y-yeah, she was r-really nice."

Dipper didn't even look back to address Brittney's threat. "You won't. If you did ban my sister. She'd just throw her own dance. She'd be there, Star'd be there-"

"I'd be there," Jackie interjected, prompting murmurs among all the other students in the cafeteria.

Seeing people already speculating about a cool dance party hosted by Star, Dipper turned to face Brittney and drive it home. "And all you'd get is a bill for a school dance no one attended."

Then he gestured to her with an open palm upraised. "You and I both know that's what will happen."

Brittney bristled, and with only an instant's worth of seething she snapped back. "Well you're still banned and you can go home right now! As long as it's Spirit Week, this is MY school and MY authority won't be challenged!"

Dipper clapped his hands and flipped her off with both hands. "Fuck your authority, fuck your Spirit Week, and fuck you."

With that he waved and walked out as Brittney stood there with her mouth agape and face pale as the entire cafeteria erupted into howls as Dipper left through the door.

Marco abandoned his corn and got up. As he followed Dipper out, Jackie was right behind him, looking back at the deeply frazzled Brittney for a quick second.

"Dude… Dipper is amazing," she said.

Marco held the door out for her and nodded. "Yeah, he really is."

= - = 46 = - =​

Janna: "Ah, if only I was there to be right."

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: Why that arrogant sow! She's nothing but a petty small-minded bully! She doesn't have any actual self-worth or real character!

Kallen: Woah.

Milly: *has finally exploded in anger and behing held back* LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!

Leloucia: Little help here!

Kallen: I'm trying! She's struggling hard and she's slippery!

CC: I don't see a reason to do anything. :3

Milly: I'll beat that Chinese bimbo bitch's overstuffed head into the ground before I throw her in a trash compactor! She's an affront to the idea of parties and social events being fun!

CC: Dipper isn't wrong that Mabel could throw a party and absolutely undercut Brittney's event.

Kallen: Will you fucking help us over here already?! We're trying to stop Milly from doing percussive surgery on Brittney's face! ¬_¬

Leloucia: And as par for the course, Janna was right.

 

[TricksterPriest]

CC: Shall we?

Trollouche: We shall indeed.

Outside of the cafeteria, staying out of sight from the street, Misao sat with her back to the wall, enjoying the very warm afternoon. She was on her phone, reading the news for any sign of Shego and Señor Senior Junior, and give her eyes a much-needed break from Brittney's choice in decor. Though she wasn't so engrossed that she didn't notice Trip and Van approach her–the latter of the two looking like he wanted to punch someone more than she normally saw of him.

"Misao Darlian, FaithfulPony371, right?" Trip asked as they reached her.

Misao looked up at the two and stood up, lowering her phone to her side. "Ja? What do you want?"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Douchebag alert, 5 o'clock!

Milly: Yeah, I'm not fond of these two. ¬_¬

And Van turned to his brother with an aggression she didn't think he'd hold towards his sibling. "I saw him flirting with her this morning!"

Trip palmed his face. "Can you honestly imagine that loser flirting with any girl in this school, let alone one of the best?"

Misao rolled her eyes, choosing to hold her tongue when the perfect and most unpleasant retort (for them) threatened to spring off it. Giving them more of a reason to hate Dipper–or more specifically act on the hate they already had–wasn't something she was in the mood to do.

Wir brauchen unsere Schlachten nicht komplizierter, richtig? She thought unpleasantly.

"You weren't there," Van insisted, "He was making her laugh and everything."

Trip's exasperation grew. "She was probably humoring him. You know, pretending to be nice? She's so out of everybody's league that all she can do is pity them."

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: I don't like them. -_-

Alice: Yeah, these guys are dicks. *middle finger*

Trollouche: Pick and choose your battles, yes. That doesn't mean letting assholes walk all over you.

She pointed her phone at Trip's face, stopping it centimeters from his nose. "Watch who you are talking to, you walking pile of vomit. Jackie is a kind girl, as much as Dipper is a kind man. You will not insult them to me."

Trip's gaze darted from her phone to her face. With a disgusted grunt, he turned and stepped away from her. "You have really crappy taste in men."

"Were that the case, I would be dating you," she snapped back.

Trip sneered. "Please, I'd never go for a fat chick."

Misao's expression darkened. Trip's sneer turned into a very haughty smirk at her reaction, while Van shot him a very nasty look.

Click to shrink...

Milly: 0_o

Kallen: Wait, what?

Nunnally:

Alice: Did they seriously just-?

CC: My my, someone wants to get kicked in the balls, don't they? ¬_¬

Kallen: I make the occasional crack about having bad taste in men and women, but I've never talked shit about someone for their body!

Alice: At least the dumb younger brother thought that was a bad call.

Trip was more hesitant to shuffle off with his tail between his legs. "Paying people? Why would I spend money on anyone I don't like?"

Misao did not hesitate. "For the same reason I would."

Her reply had him pulling back from her slightly, as she raised her free hand, rubbing her thumb across her index and middle fingers to drive the implication home. "English is my fourth language, but I am more fluent in what talks in this country than you are."

The message was received. Glaring at her intensely, Trip turned and followed his brother–flipping her off as he left.

She watched them leave, and looked down at her phone, as she reflected on this enraging encounter. Komplikationen müssen dauerhaft beseitigt werden.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: It's called sub-contracting. Hiring guys to deal with 'problems' is an age old tradition of the rich and powerful.

Rivalz: Yep. One of the reasons I am happy to not be nobility.

Rivalz: And...huh. Is it just me or was that her doing that kinda hot?

CC: Methinks someone has good taste. :3

CC: What an interesting sentiment, Misao. Rather ruthless in fact.

"Jackie Lynn Thomas though," Roland said, and Misao perked up.

Sie hat es auch herausgefunden.

Jo shot him a look that would kill if he hadn't been on the receiving end of worse.

He dismissed her glare with a wave of his hand. "Ay, this is exactly what I was talking about."

As she looked away, he elaborated. "Do you honestly think that acting like a jackass to all the other girls Dipper knows is going to magically make him like you?"

Jo let out a short sound of disgust, then spoke. "Of course not, I'm not stupid."

Misao looked off to her left away from them, letting a snort of doubt out.

"Then what's your endgame, man? Because I do not see you starting beef with Jackie Lynn Thomas over Dipper going down any better than Star's with Brittney."

Jo hitched her shoulders. "Shut up."

"All this is doing is pissing everyone off, and it's going to make fighting the Magnavores harder."

"Like any of them except for Star are actually that important," Jo snapped back. "Heck, if it weren't for her magic, she'd be as useless as the rest of them.""

Misao slowly looked back at Jo, her gaze once again hard.

Roland groaned. "Dude, Misao is probably the only person who knows how to operate the Beetle Battle Base, and Mabel is his sister. Why do you have to start with all of them?!"

"Because they act like a bunch of dumb immature girls!" Jo hissed back.

Roland stared at her. "Like you are? Starting shit with three girls over a boy?"

Jo opened her mouth to shout him down but stopped.

Click to shrink...

Euphemia: Oh my. She's rather surly.

Milly: Yeah, this is what jealousy gets you. It makes you look bad, and causes stupid decisions.

Euphemia: I feel sorry for her. All her seething and gnashing of teeth is only going to make that nice boy spurn her.

Milly: *sighs* She's not gonna learn until she gets her heart broken, or a slap of reality to the face.

"She…" Star said without looking back at her. "Brittney really hates me."

Mabel's first instinct was to reassure her, but the venom that Brittney hocked at Star had been so strong that there really wasn't any other way to slice it. "… Yeah, she does."

As Dipper walked outside–followed by Marco and Jackie–Star looked at her wand, then up at the sky.

"… I really hurt her."

Jo and Roland both were given pause when they heard Star's admission. It stayed the others from calling out to her as well, particularly Dipper.

"Star…" Mabel began.

"I've been straight up horrible to her. I ruined her game… I ruined her birthday party…" Star looked down at the ground. "I never apologized for it, once. I just did whatever and ignored her when everyone else was laughing and cheering."

Jackie spoke up. "Yeah, well Brittney's a bitch."

Star finally turned to her and the others, revealing the tears running down her face. "That's no excuse for me!"

She stopped after her shout, then looked down. "I messed up. That's all there is to it…"

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: *wince*

Alice: Brittney is kind of a bitch but...yeah, you fucked up, Star.

Alice: No girl likes someone showing up and ruining their events.

Nunnally: Hopefully she'll learn from this and become friends with her.

Trollouche: Hope springs eternal. :3

Jackie's hands flew to her mouth as she watched the Blimp turn for an emergency landing, then the jet fighters coming back around. "What are those things?!"

Knowing what they were, Marco had a more urgent question. "Why are they coming here?"

He received his answer courtesy of Typhus' jazzy baritone. "Because where else are annoying kids gonna be, baby?"

Marco shot into a fighting stance, and Star turned around to join him as Typhus appeared in the street, and over a dozen Scabs joined him in bursts of flame. Brandishing his Bone Sword, he pointed it at Marco, Mabel, and Star as he broke into a smile that was hard to differentiate from his normal toothy grimace.

Star bristled and brought up her wand, a green glow coming from its half-star. "I really, really don't need this right now!"

Typhus saw Star's tears and chuckled. "Gonna cry about it?"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: It's fighting time!

Kallen: Punching faces in. The best kind of therapy for heartache.

Kallen: Punch his ugly face in, Star!

Watching the fight quickly unfold, Jo went to go for her Beetle Bonder. "Go time-"

Roland stopped her. "Hold it. We can't."

Jo looked at him. "What? Why-"

She stopped and realized it. "Ohhh… we're in public, and they'd know we're here. That's probably why they even attacked the school, to flush us out!"

By the time she finished, she was standing in front of Hillhurst. "… Huh."

Roland appeared beside her, holding Misao in his arms. "I'm really glad you're the genius of the group, Jo."

Jo scowled at him. "Then here's my next insight–Drew left the school with Heather, and he doesn't have a phone. How are we going to get a hold of him?"

"He'll figure it out," Roland argued back.

As he set her down, Misao huffed. "Prepare yourselves to deploy in your AVs. I will be down in the Beetle Battle Base being useless."

Click to shrink...

CC: *snickers*

Trollouche: You'd think she'd be more aware of her surroundings. :3

Kallen: They really need to deal with the bad blood before something happens. Like..I don't know, some evil doppelganger formed out of her resentment and jealousy?

Trollouche: That is totally a Toku plot.

As the monster struggled to get the mess off his face and the Scabs closed in on Star and Marco again, Jackie looked over to Dipper as she realized he was walking them back from the fight.

"Dude, I've seen Star and Marco fight monsters before, this is different," she said, her voice betraying anxiety.

Dipper didn't sugarcoat it. "Yeah, these guys are trying to kill us."

Jackie watched as the flame-shaped blade of one Scab came close to cutting Marco's throat as he used that overreach to slam the back of his fist into the side of its head twice, then weave his arm around the Scab to flicker jab his face until it came apart into a swarm of wasps.

"… Dude…" She just never imagined she'd see this kind of violence.

Mabel spoke up. "And we need all the muscle we can get to win."

Dipper turned to her and nodded. Tossing him her phone, Mabel turned towards the fight–and began stretching like she was in an 80s exercise video. "But first, it's time to limber up!"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Cue the 80s music!

CC: Oh?



Trollouche:

CC: Huh. Less bad than your usual choices. :3

"Hey, face-face!"

Mabel's outstretched arm caught Typhus at his neck, and the monster was dragged away by her running lariat and thrown to the curb opposite of the school.

Lowering her arm, she glared at him as he got up. "You wanna see what five years of Family Kickboxing Classes does to an already violent maniac?!"

With a growling laugh, Typhus started to get up, but Mabel and Star both were not having it.

"Stomp both of his ugly faces in!" Mabel yelled out before she jumped and heel-dropped Typhus's head, forcing it back down. Running up on him next, Star punted him in the stomach, lifting him up off his knees and leaving him open to Mabel's roundhouse kick straight across his nose, throwing him onto his back.

The remaining Scabs bore down on them, one trying to shank Mabel in the side. She leaned back, the blade passing just below her chest, and she shoved her elbow into the Scab's face.

"You got a bad aim to miss a target this big!" She side-kicked it, putting it on its back, then switched legs to hook the neck of another going for Star.

"Hey Scab, look at this cool bug I found!" With a twist of her hips and swing of her leg she drove the Scab's head into the pavement, shattering the monster mook's dome.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: WOO! Get him Mabel!

Trollouche: *headbangs*

Kaguya: Ara ara, this is quite a show. :3

Jackie watched with growing awe as Star, Mabel, but more importantly (to her at least) Marco laid a beating on Typhus. Even with his henchmen around, while two were dropping hit after hit, the third would lash out at attackers and keep them at bay until Typhus was thrown back to them.

They were all amazing, but Marco… she just couldn't tear her eyes away from him, sending a Scab flying with a vicious combo of palm thrusts before properly punching Typhus back into Star and a blast of gunk from her wand that coated his face and kept him struggling.

"… Dude… that is so cool…" Jackie breathed.

Dipper nodded. "Right?"

Then at the same time they said it.

"Marco is amazing."

Jackie's mouth fell open, and she looked up at Dipper, her mint green eyes widening in both surprise and understanding.

Mabel's phone buzzed, and Dipper looked at it.

Janna Banana said:
I'm with Dr00 and Heather, we're going after the blimp.

Misao said:
Roland brought Jo and I to Hillhurst, we are deploying the AVs!

As Jackie noticed the messages, he sent his reply.

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Milly: Oh ho!

Nunnally: ?

Milly: Someone realized they have a mutual attraction in common. And that Dipper goes both ways.

Kallen: Guy has good moves, not gonna lie.

CC: And that someone also may have just connected the dots on who Dipper is connected to.

And from the heart of this crowd, Brittney emerged in a rage that no one was listening to her demands. "Move aside you clods! You're blocking…! Get out of my…!"

She forced her way to the front, Sabrina and Chantal behind her–and her already red-faced rage turned a crimson when she saw Star beating on Typhus repeatedly with her wand, before Marco followed it up with a flying kick into his chest that pushed him into a haymaker punch from Mabel that sent him crashing into the arms of his remaining Scabs.

The three teens lined up, with Star at the point, Marco on her right, and Mabel on her left. The exertion of the extremely physical fight was apparent, makeup was running in the sweat, knuckles and knees were bruised and bloodied, and all three were panting for breath.

Slumped into the arms of his soldiers, Typhus hung his head low and chuckled. "Man… I haven't been jumped like this since before I met my friends."

The chuckle turned into a laugh. "I love fighting you brats… I could do it all day, baby!"

He pushed himself up to his feet, and whatever injuries the three were able to inflict on him were gone. "Even if you can't!"

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CC: I see someone is having fun, and apparently won't stay down.

CC: There is something exhilarating about a good fight.

Cornelia: I do wonder who he's fought previously that was so formidable.

"WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU'RE GOING TO STOP!"

The glow disappeared, and Star looked back with everyone else, Typhus included, as Brittney stormed across the front lawn of the school. With fire in her eyes and her fists clenched, she marched past Dipper and Jackie, past Mabel, Star, and Marco, and walked right up to Magnavore Commander.

Reaching Typhus, she raised a hand and jabbed him in the chest with her index finger.

"You need to take your ugly Beetleborgs cosplay, and your weirdo friends and march back to your mom's basement or whatever manchild cave you crawled out of, got it?!"

Behind her, his opponents shared his surprise at the sheer nerve of the girl.

"Uh… Brittney, that's not cosplay! That's an actual monster!" Marco called.

Brittney rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, even I've read those stupid comics!"

She turned around and slapped Typhus upside the head. "Are you paying attention, moron?! You need to go; you're disrupting my school!"

Typhus reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Man, the attitude you kids got, you'd all make great Magnavores."

He then raised his hand to swat Brittney aside. "But we ain't takin' applications, baby."

Click to shrink...

Kaguya: Sounds like someone is about to get a hard dose of reality.

Trollouche: You've mouthed off like that a few times. :3

Kaguya: Oh no, not like that. I was careful enough to do it out of harm's way because I'm not an idiot. I'm a diplomat, a corporate raider, and a finance woman.

Kaguya: If I'm going to mouth off, I'll do it behind the protection of a big strong woman like Kallen with an ass that begs to groped~

Kallen: I feel like I'm being complimented and perved on. ¬_¬

Star, Marco, and Mabel all lunged to save Brittney, when a shadow passed over them and the street directly next to Typhus shattered from the force of a massive object smashing into it. Brittney and everyone behind her threw their hands up as the wave of dust and debris washed over them, and when she lowered her hands, she was the first to make out the massive shape in the dust cloud.

Just beside ground zero, Typhus tried to move his hand, but found it in a fearsome grip, one stronger than anything that had him since he got here. "Wh-what the heck…? You're strong as a troll, baby!"

The dust cleared, and the first thing he saw was long, vibrant red hair, and then the gnarled, green-skinned face of a she-troll, her yellowed eyes glaring death at him, and her turquoise lips pulled back to bare her fanged underbite. It cleared further, revealing her entire body rippling with tensed muscle under a deceptive layer of fat, wearing a purple shirt, gray pants, and a pair of pumps.

Marco's guard dropped in relief when he saw her. "A capable and responsible adult!"

Star couldn't help herself. "After a fashion."

"If you really wanna flatter me, beefcake…?" Miss Skullnick, Star, Marco, Jackie, and Mabel's homeroom teacher, spoke with a surprisingly level tone that conveyed to Typhus the sheer depth of her anger.

"You're gonna leave my students alone and not come back here… or I'm gonna hurt you."

Typhus stared at Miss Skullnick's face, looked at Brittney, then Star, Marco, and Mabel, then back at her. His gaze fixed there for a few moments, before he relaxed his arm, freeing it from her grip, and slowly stepped back from her.

"For you, baby? Anything." He folded his arms, nodded, and vanished in a flash of flame–taking his remaining Scabs with him.

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Kaguya: ....Not at all what I expected. 0_o

CC: Didn't see that coming. :3

Trollouche: *googles* Huh. I suppose her tastes changed to a more monstrous flavor after her transformation.

It was a question that reminded everyone of the gravity of the current situation. The blimp that the Jet Fighters had hit, it was no longer in the sky. The only sign of it was a billowing pall of smoke rising from the LA River, and the ominous shapes of the Magnavore Jet Fighters circling it.

Brittney was staring at the smoke. Everyone could see her hands clenching and unclenching, and the slight tremors that ran through her body, but aside from that the girl was stock still.

And then she wasn't. She turned around in place so fast she could've just flipped around. She was staring directly at Star, her eyes growing bloodshot and her face twitching from the corner of her lip up to her eyebrow.

A chorus of blaring tones from Mabel's, Marco's, Miss Skullnick's, and Brittney's phones interrupted the tense moment. The same tone swept among the other students, and Jackie grabbed her phone to look at the message that came with the tone.

Dipper saw it on Mabel's phone and frowned.

"It was only a matter of time."

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: What's going on?

Kallen: I got a bad feeling about this. ¬_¬

Milly: I think social media just noticed there's a monster battle going on.

Rivalz: People in LA taking their heads out of their asses to notice the world around them? Never gonna happen.

Milly: Speaking from experience?

Rivalz; I'm from California originally, I know what I'm talking about.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Dun dun dun dun, charging my react. ♫

"… You like The Tick?"

"The Tick is awesome."

A few weeks ago, Drew would've been unable to function being so close with someone he crushed on so hard. But as he rationalized before and repeatedly since–hanging out with Heather was the easiest thing in his life now.

"Dude, The Tick? Seriously?" A baffled Heather asked with her head tilted slightly.

"Yes, The Tick. I think he had the best crossover out of all of them," Drew defended.

Heather gestured with the comic in her right hand. "And not Spider-Man? Really?"

Drew stood his ground. "I'll die on this hill, The Tick is hilarious, and Blue Beet trying to make sense of how his world even worked had me rolling on the floor."

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: The who?

Alice: I dunno. *shrugs*

Trollouche: The Tick...is different. Imagine a guy dressed in a blue suit with antenna on the top. He's super strong, super tough, and super deranged. He makes no sense and thinks he's in a theatrical production all the time.

Kallen: So kinda like you?

Nunnally: *laughing out loud*

Trollouche: I, am actually entertaining.

Alice: Suuuuure you are. *cough* Drama queen. *cough*

Heather laughed again, then looked out her driver-side window out in the direction of Echo Creek Academy a few blocks away. "Do you even wanna go back? I don't, with the place looking like that–Brittney's lost her mind."

He agreed with her, as he set aside the book he was reading. "Right? She's all 'Rargh, it's my school for the week so I'm gonna act like I'm an anime student council president!'"

That brought a giggle from Heather. "Yeah, it's so stupid."

"Between her and the Vanderhoffs, how did our school end up with the worst rich kids?" He asked.

Heather agreed with an eager nod. "I know! I saw Van freaking out in the parking lot this morning. He was kicking Skeeves' car door so hard he was leaving dents, and Skeeves was sitting in it!"

Drew gaped at her in stunned confusion. "Really?"

"No lie, he just sat there watching him while he ate a breakfast burrito. It actually took Miss Skullnick roaring at Van to go to class to make him stop."

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Milly: Hey! I am an anime student council president! And I have never pulled a rude and inconsiderate power trip like this!

Rivalz: It's true. When Milly has a power trip, it's more..zany and sexy?

Trollouche: It also usually costs far far more than anyone would like to admit. :3

Rivalz: Still fun though.

Milly: See? Now I'd like an apology for that rude remark. I accept handshakes, massages, kisses, and other forms of contrition.

Rivalz: Wait, really? This guy was denting the Principal's car and the guy was just ignoring it?

Milly: Grandpa would probably be shocked for a few minutes at someone just going up and doing that. And then he'd get out and bill the idiot's parents for repairs, or just expel the idiot. ¬_¬

Heather nodded. "Mmhm! Trip doesn't bother me, either. Hasn't tried to talk when we pass in the halls, he just turns his nose up at me like I'm missing out."

Drew let out a short laugh. "It's better than him trying to ask you out."

"Yep! I will take being his sour grapes any day."

The two share a gentle laugh, then Heather leaned forward on her steering wheel, still smiling at him.

Click to shrink...

Kaguya: Oh joy, entitled misogyny. What fun. ¬_¬

Milly: Yep, some guys just can't buy a clue.

Kallen: Pity she can't just punch his smug ass. -_-

Milly: This guy is like the noble heirs at Ashford with too much money, not enough sense, and very tiny penises. Hehehehehe.

Kaguya: They really have good chemistry together.

Milly: They do! It's adorable!

Drew let out a somewhat more bitter laugh. "I want to, but my dad's grounded me for the last two times I dipped out."

And as much as he wanted to go read comics all day with Heather… he really had to make the next time he cut class count. Nothing less than a Magnavore attack so he could make it to the weekend without trouble.

Heather did a double-take. "The last two times…? When you were out helping Nano and Mr. Pines?"

She sat up, with open concern all over her face. "Why would your dad ground you for being excused from school to do community service? That doesn't make any sense."

Drew hesitated for a moment, wondering if Heather found it too unbelievable or too strange, but more importantly he wondered if he'd said too much. In the same moment he chose to forge ahead, knowing that it'd do no good to try to walk it back.

Talking to her was so easy.

"Yeah, my dad's kind of an asshole," he began, before he amended it. "No, an asshole wouldn't want to be compared to my dad."

He'd never seen Heather go so pale before, or her voice tremble with worry as she spoke. "Please tell me you're joking."

Click to shrink...

Alice: Oh boy...

Nunnally: Education is important, but this is wrong.

Trollouche: At least his parents are trying to help with tough love-

Drew sat back in his seat and sighed. "I wish I could explain it easily, I don't know how to put this… but my Dad hates me."

At her uncomprehending expression, he elaborates. "When he talks to me, it's always down to me. He doesn't have any particular nice things to say about my reading comics or spending time at Zoom. He criticizes everything I do, even when I do something right. And when bad things happen to me, like when Trip and Van bully me… he blames me for it."

He felt really self-conscious all of sudden. "Look, I'm sorry I dropped that–that was way too heavy..."

"Does he hit you? My God, does he hit Jo?" Heather asked, not even flinching.

Drew shook his head. "I don't think Nano would let him live if he so much as thought about hitting any of us."

The bitterness came back. "And actually, he treats Jo very differently from me. She likes everything I do, you know that, but he doesn't treat her like she's an embarrassment. It's always standards and double standards… I'm never good enough at something, and if I am, then Jo's better."

Heather thought about that. "Whoa… is that why she's in the same grade as us?"

He sighed through his nose and nodded. "Yeah… he doesn't hesitate to remind me that, either. Heck, part of why I'm grounded is because Jo went with me to do Community Service."

Looking down at their pile of comics, the Beetleborgs #1 safely wrapped up on the top, he continued. "I'm actually not supposed to go to the dance Saturday after being grounded, but I'm going anyway. Because I want to go, to help Roland with his prank, but mainly because he doesn't want me to go–and doesn't think I would go."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: .....I stand corrected. -_-

Kallen: Did your father ever...?

Trollouche: No. Charles is many things, but physically abusive he was not. Granted, he tried to choke me towards the end, but we were both adults at that point.

Kallen: Your standards for behavior are so fucking skewed. ¬_¬

Rivalz: Dude, hit that party and enjoy yourself. Screw dickhead dads.

Heather twisted her tightened grip on her steering wheel, after hearing that. She looked away from Drew, out the front of her car and just sat there in quiet deliberation. He watched her seethe quietly for a moment, maybe a little more, before she closed her eyes and let out a breath that she started holding in that time.

"You should tell Nano or Mr. Pines about this, you know they'd never let him get away with this crap," she finally said.

Drew had thought about that plenty of times. "Man… I really should, but if there's one thing that still bothers me after everything else, it's Dad convincing them that I'm just lying and being a punk because he's just being strict."

He shook his head. "I mean, shoot. Even telling you this, I feel like I'm coming off as some entitled loser who's mad because his dad thinks he wastes his time on comic books and his little sister's in the same grade as him."

Heather whirled on him. "Don't ever think that! I believe what you're saying!"

Drew fell quiet, as Heather continued. "I think this is the first time we've talked about something other than comic books. But don't think I've never paid attention. You're always at Zoom, you don't talk about yourself at all unless it's to Roland or Jo, and when we talk there's always something going on in your head–like you're overthinking or doubting every word before you say it."

Click to shrink...

Rivalz: Given the way the guy acts, I kinda don't think people like Mr. Pines would buy it.

Euphemia: He should be ashamed of himself making his son feel this way.

Trollouche: Is she alright? Heather seems quite troubled by this.

CC: Can't you see it? She's in love with him and it's causing her agony. It's quite romantic. :3

CC: And besides, he sounds so much like your lost boytoy.

Trollouche: ....Oh god he does.

"… Am I that easy to read?" He asked, feeling almost sick that he was this visible.

He wondered further, if this was why Trip and Van went after him so hard. After a moment, he decided they were both too up their own butts to notice anything but their small intestines.

"It's more like," Heather began hesitantly, before just saying it, "I like you enough to notice these things… so I worry."

She smiled again and placed her hand over his. "And I'm actually really happy that you trust me enough with something this heavy."

The smile was gone just as quick, but only long enough for her to add: "Well, I'm also really angry at your dad and I wish I could make him disappear."

She patted his hand. "But that'd be too good for him. If you ever need backup standing up to him? Let me know, I'll be there with a baseball bat."

Drew was touched by her reassurance, and he smiled back. "Well, except for this weekend, at least."

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: D'awww.

Alice: Heh, that's cute.

Euphemia: It's like a soap opera drama come true!

Kallen: Even I gotta admit that was a nice gesture. *claps*

Heather was right, Drew had Roland, Jo, Nano, and his new friends, too. He nodded in agreement to her, and both shared warm smiles once more–her hand not leaving his–before she blinked once, looked past him, and jumped in surprise.

"Jeez!" She yelped.

Drew looked back and jumped himself. "What the-?!"

Janna was leaning against his window, her face almost right up against the glass, staring wide-eyed at both of them with one hand on the glass and the other holding a taco she was taking a bite out of with the corner of her mouth.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: Interrupting Janna says what?

Euphemia: Eep! Where did she come from?

Leloucia: She's being a voyeur. :3

"You can't ditch school on an empty stomach, Sad Kid," she replied. "Bold choice of a makeout spot, by the way. Didn't think you'd be into that kind of thing."

Heather leaned over to address her. "We weren't making out…"

She stopped and realized that all their conversation in a buttoned-up car with the AC going had fogged up her windows. "… Oh my God…"

Drew stared at Janna blankly. "Janna."

"Sad Kid," Janna responded, and Heather perked up at the nickname, arching an eyebrow.

Click to shrink...

Euphemia: Oh this is like that movie Titanic about the ship and... *blushes*

Leloucia: Yes, it's that scene.

CC: Not yet anyway, but it certainly looked that way on the outside.

"… Why are you giving this to me…?"

Janna looked him straight in the eye. "Would you believe that it's because I have a crush on you?"

"No," both he and Heather replied.

Janna Ordonia's reputation preceded her… and she liked that.

"Okay, full disclosure. Roland told me about your dad taking your phone for BS reasons and asked me to hook you up, so I used my myriad of ways to get you one. Don't worry about paying for it, he owes me a favor now and that's good enough for me."

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *sly smile* Is it a lie if you say something true knowing no one will believe you?

Kallen: You'd fucking know, wouldn't you?

Leloucia: Ouch, but touche.

Kallen: That being said, taking the guy's phone away when there are fucking monsters around? Dick move, and shows how little he gives a shit about his kid.

"What are you implying, that I used some magical means to sneak into the back of an Electronics store and make off with some unsold product?" She asked.

Drew did a double-take between Janna and his phone.

Janna leaned down onto the car door to stick her head into the car, her laid back smile holding a sinister undertone. "No, this phone's legit."

With her taco-less hand, she patted Drew atop his head while looking at Heather, gauging her reaction. "I'm not going to get your man here in trouble."

She looked at him, her hand still atop his head, then back at her. "He's too cute for juvie, right?"

Drew finally flinched away from her head-patting and gave her a wary look. Heather, on the other hand, burst into a gentle laugh. "He totally is!"

His face colored as he looked back and forth to their smiling faces, and he sank into his seat. Heaven forbid he complained, though, being teased by pretty girls was better than dealing with the usual bullies in his life.

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Zero: I don't see why he's squeamish about something "falling off the back of a truck." God knows I acquired various supplies that way.

Cornelia: Procurement is an acquired skill, some people simply aren't good at it or understand the need.

Cornelia: One does not ask questions of the man doing your procurement so long as trouble does not come knocking for you and the supplies are good.

Zero: He's just now learning an important fact. Namely, that being a decent guy DOES occasionally pay off because people find that attractive.

"Thank you," he said to Janna, for the phone and for brightening the mood.

Her smile became more of a smirk at his reaction. "Think everything of it."

She polished off her taco then brushed her hand off on her jacket. "Anyway, that's my deed of the day."

"So where are you headed from here?" Heather asked.

Janna responded with a slight shrug. "Dunno, but I know I'd rather be anywhere but at school right now."

A boom echoed through the air, and Janna looked up over the roof of the car. Her eyes widened in surprise. "… Man, don't make me take that back…"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Could be worse.

Nunnally: How so?

Trollouche: It could be Author-kun writing this.

Nunnally: Eep.

Milly: Janna's very obvious flirting going over his head aside, Drew was handling that pretty well. :3

Kallen: Not the time, Milly. It's monster fighting time.

 

[TricksterPriest]

At his home, Shermie stood in the backyard and watched the Magnavore Jet Fighters in silence. Even as his phone in his pocket buzzed, then rang angrily with calls that he hoped were from Nano and not his son and daughter-in-law, he waited and watched. It was a reassuring sight at least, when the Red Striker AV rushed out and easily destroyed the raiding fighters. Even more reassuring, he thought, was when the destroyed fighters just disintegrated and burned into nothing–instead of crashing into the town below as balls of flame.

But in the end, those were small comforts.

When the last fighter was gone and the Red Striker AV disappeared, he turned and went to the icebox on his patio. He pulled out several six-packs, some of soda, some of beer, and set them down on his picnic table. Then he turned and got the grill started and threw burgers and franks on the heat. They were almost done when he heard the familiar chime of Star's Scissors opening a portal in the backyard. He adjusted his bowtie and turned to watch them file in one by one.

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Kallen: Grilled food, beer, good company. sounds like a solid afterparty.

Tamaki: Hell yeah! Bring on the okonomiyaki and sake!

Star and Marco sat on the bench, and she reached for the nearest cold bottle she could find and effortlessly popped the cap off with her thumb. She took a gulp from it and made a face.

"Urk, beer."

After letting the taste settle on her tongue, she resumed chugging the bottle down.

Shermie smiled at her reaction, moreso at Marco's switch from surprise to concern at her intake. "I remember my first beer with my old man in Jersey. Compared to the swill we had back then, this stuff is milk and honey."

Star lowered the empty bottle from her lips, and reached for a soda next. "It tastes better than mashed corn juice."

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Milly: Wait, did she just-?

Kallen: Mashed corn juice??

Milly: It's called moonshine. Illegally produced homemade high proof alcohol. And that is very interesting that Star has had it. :3

Dipper meanwhile had opened another portal, and Misao emerged from it. She had greeted him with a smile that lasted all of a half-second before she noticed the Red Strikerborg standing off to the side with her fellow Beetleborgs.

Jo noticed Misao and rolled her eyes. "We should change."

Roland agreed. "Yeah, I'm starving, man. Didn't get to eat my meat loaf."

All three Beetleborgs held their hands out and said together. "Back Blast."

In a flash they transformed out of their armors, and Dipper, Misao, Marco, Star, and Shermie recoiled in surprise just as Mabel came out the door.

"Okay, so I used up all my bunny band-aids, but I have plenty of other shapes, like cats, pigs, birds, and…"

She saw Drew and yelled. "HOLY COW!"

It was… bad. Bruises covered his right arm and went down his neck and collarbone. Blood soaked the lower half of his face, neck, stained his blue t-shirt. His right eye was entirely bloodshot, his iris standing out stark against the crimson.

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Kaguya: They really need to deal with that tension. ¬_¬

Milly: Yeah, that's gonna be a problem going forward if they don't- HOLY FUCK!

Kallen: ....Better check him for concussion and internal injuries. *grimaces*

CC: Ideally, he'd get rest and observation. As it is, he'll get magic healing hopefully.

"You look like you did the Running of the Bulls–all over your face," Shermie added.

Drew shook his head. "He hit really hard… but the worst of this was from me using my power to keep up with him."

Dipper walked over to him, already understanding. "… You used your telekinesis to move yourself."

Shermie did a double-take, his bowtie nearly popping off from his sudden movement. "Telekinesis?!"

Drew looked over at the picnic table and nodded. One of the sodas lifted from its cardboard six-pack box and floated over to him. Catching it in his left hand, he stared at the bottlecap, and it popped off and flipped before it froze in the air. Everyone watched the bottle cap fold itself in half, then in half again as Drew chugged down the soda. As soon as the bottle was empty, he let the bottle go and it floated into the box. The bottle cap followed, unfolding back to its original shape and sealing the mouth of the bottle.

Star stood up. "Whoa…"

Dipper was mesmerized. "Do you realize how precise you are?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah, it's… really hard to describe. When the power's on, I can feel everything around me out to a certain point. Whatever I can feel, I can manipulate it."

Dipper was trying hard not to get too excited at the chance to study someone with telekinesis who didn't want to kill him. He caught himself almost drooling as he watched him return the empty bottle back to the six pack.

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CC: So the question is, is he drooling over the powers, the manliness, or how hot Drew looks? :3

Tohdoh: Impressive abilities.

Mabel brought Drew over to the picnic table and sat him down. "All right, sit tight so I can play doctor."

Misao blurted out. "In front of everyone?"

Dipper turned his head to stare at her. "Don't make it weird."

"Now take off your shirt," Mabel ordered Drew as she opened her first aid kit.

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Milly: Do it, do it, do it! Strip show for everyone!

"Dipper," Mabel said as she began bandaging up Drew.

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Talk to that girl and sort this out before she turns from you at twelve to Gideon at ten."

Removing his lumberjack hat, Dipper rubbed his scalp, ruffling up his hair in the process. "I'll have the perfect chance to do it Saturday. It'll be just her, Marco, and me up there at Hillhurst."

Star had finished her third bottle of soda by this point and set it down. "I'll be there, too."

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Kallen: Having Star there to referee is probably a good idea.

Milly: Yeah, this is one crush that needs to get nipped in the bud before it gets worse. >_<

Mabel brightened up, and accidentally tightened the bandage she was wrapping around Drew's arm, making him yelp. "CAN WE USE THE SCHWANZSTUCKER?!"

Drew recovered from the squeeze and stared at her. "The… what?"

Star looked at Marco for clarification, and he just shrugged his shoulders.

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Trollouche: *falls over laughing*

CC: The dick-piece? Oh ho ho ho ho ho!

Drew looked at Marco. "What's up with that, anyway?"

Marco cocked an eyebrow. "What's with what? The karate?"

"Yeah," Drew said. "I can get us having superpowers, and Star having magic… but where do you dig down for what you do?"

Marco stared at Drew for so long he blinked twice before he looked down at his hands. "I don't know, I just use my karate and it works."

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Trollouche: Hey, if it works for Suzaku...

Kaguya: You're not going to even try and reason it out?

Trollouche: I literally have a ninja and a cyborg on my payroll. Life stopped making sense for me awhile ago.

Shermie took off his glasses, took a cloth from his shirt pocket and began rubbing the lenses. "I've got some bad news for you kids. I was hoping we wouldn't have to talk about this, but after today… John Q. Public ain't gonna be able to keep their noses out of this stuff, and even worse? Uncle Sam's going to be looking this way and wondering what the heck is going on. Help or hassle is coming your way whether you want it or not."

Remembering all those phones pointed at the fights, Dipper grimly nodded. "Darn it, you're right."

Shermie put his glasses back on. "You're gonna need somebody to vamoose on over to the police station or city hall and let them know they're outta their league with these yahoos. Because if we don't, there's gonna be a lotta people getting in the way, getting hurt, getting taken hostage, or worse."

For dramatic effect, he made a cutting gesture across his neck, before he continued.

"As for ol' Uncle Sam? I can't tell you how to deal with that. I wouldn't even let the guys I might know inside The Company know what's going on here."

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CC: I was wondering when US intelligence services were going to start watching this.

Tohdoh: The public is likely to be a recurring problem. Having local authorities to handle riot control would be ideal.

Kaguya: Not if the team is held liable for public property destruction. Insurance would have nightmarish premiums.

Janna Banana said:
Sure you don't wanna just tell her?

Drew said:
I think she should stay out of this, so she doesn't get pulled into any fights. It's for the best.

Janna Banana said:
Cool, Ill get you all to myself.

His face flushed, and he rolled his eyes.

Drew said:
You're terrible.

Janna Banana said:
Im your God, Sad Kid :smug:

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Milly: Probably for the best.

Nunnally: Heather is a nice girl. She doesn't need to get mixed up in all of this craziness.

Milly: I'm thinking Janna is making eyes at hero boy here.

He wouldn't forget this fight for a while, or how much he gave to win it and overcome someone who was stronger than him in every possible way by himself.

Saberizer was wrong about him.

But Drew was right about Saberizer.

For the first time, I've beaten something I shouldn't have.

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CC: There's more than one perception of strength. And in the end, Saberizer did admit he was wrong and Drew was the better warrior.

Tohdoh: It was a worthy battle, one he should be proud of for winning. It would behoove him to learn swordsmanship, his opponent wasn't wrong that such skills would be useful.

"If you don't have anything to say, you can go," she snapped at him.

Roland rolled his eyes. "What would me saying anything more accomplish? You're the one who has things to say."

"What, like 'I'm sorry?' Did you not hear Misao mess around with my weapons in the middle of a battle and act all high and mighty about it?"

Roland argued back. "She told you not to shoot at the ground."

She stepped back up to him, hissing. "She went and messed with my weapons, and you're on me for endangering the team with over drama."

Roland threw up his hands. "Motherfuckin'..."

He stepped away from the stop sign, then pointed up at it. "You need to do this and work your shit out, Josephine, I'm more than done."

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Kallen: Are you fucking kidding me? You do not get to claim you're in the right here, you hotheaded bitch!

Kallen: You tried to pull a strafing run on civilians! That's the kind of shit Britannia does!

Cornelia: I'll grant you that such a thing is permissible occasionally. But not as a first option. And definitely not against our own people. I'd have court-martialed her for it. ¬_¬

Jo turned for the stairs and had just crossed the dining room to get to them, when her father spoke again.

"Your brother's on very thin ice."

She stopped barely halfway up the stairs and looked back at him. He was now looking at the television.

"If he keeps cutting class, and acting like he doesn't live under my rules, I'll feel inclined to make sure his stuff is moved out onto the street with him." he added. "The stuff he needs; all that comic book nonsense can go where it belongs."

Jo gave her father a look more withering than she would've felt comfortable if he was looking at her. "If he still had his phone, I'd let him know. That's the only reason you don't know where he is, isn't it?"

That won an immediate reaction, both her parents swiveling their heads sharply to look at her. Jo averted her eyes at the same time, her expression schooled.

"I'm just saying," she said. "It's not his fault he can't tell you where he is. He could be hurt, or dead for all you know."

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Kallen: Wow, what an asshole.

Kaguya: Sounds like my cousin Genbu Kururugi. That is not a compliment. ¬_¬

Milly: His own son could have died out there and this is what he has to say? Kick his ass, Jo!

"Good job, Jo," she said to herself, "You've played yourself so well, you're a solved game."

She lifted a hand to rest her chin on it and sighed. "It took only a couple weeks, but I did it. I can't be normal and just like a boy, huh? It's gotta be some weird mind-game and me trying to dominate everything."

She glanced towards her bedroom door, in the direction of her living room downstairs.

"I wonder where I get it from?"

Sarcasm dripped from her question, as she looked back down at her desk. The memory of Star's skull-marked cheeks when she threatened her in the alley, Misao's cold glare on the screen of her AV, Roland's disappointed glare, Marco striking her chest when she and Star came to blows, and once more Dipper's piercing glower.

Inhaling sharply, she let the breath out slowly.

They all hated her.

"Just do it like every group project and class assignment," she muttered, "Keep your mouth shut and focus on getting results. Carry the team and when it's over you can pretend you never spoke to them."

Jo dropped her hand back down onto the desk, then buried her face into her folded arms.

After a few moments she sniffled, and her shoulders shook.

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Kallen: *winces*

Milly: ....Oh wow. That is a terrible family dynamic. >_<

Kallen: Almost as bad as Lulu's. ¬_¬

Trollouche: I should be offended at that. But you're not wrong.

Roland nodded. "Everyone's okay, don't worry. It was just really chaotic and weird, but no one got hurt as far as I can tell, we all went to Mr. Pines' house after school let out."

Aaron tilted his head. "Nobody got hurt–Mabel, Marco, and Star were okay after that?"

Roland nodded. "Yeah, you know those guys are just built different."

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Kallen: Superhumans, huh.

CC: Indeed, there seems to be quite a few of them in this world. Curious, one would think someone would have noticed before now.

She gave them both an additional squeeze then let go. "My goodness, though, it's everywhere! Them kids fighting those creeps–you know it's going to be on the evening news and everyone's gonna be talkin' about it. I'd stay clear of them for a while, if you don't wanna go get swept up in the circus."

She had a point, and it brought it right back to Dipper's own way back. No one knew who the Beetleborgs were–for now–and constantly associating with the twins, Misao, Star, and Marco was only going to make associating them with the Beetleborgs easier.

It was such a prescient reminder that Roland regarded his grandmother with a raised eyebrow.

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Trollouche: My god. Someone who understands Op-Sec!

CC: Now what does Grandma Nano know, hmm?

Scowling at the juvenile snickering around him, even from his own mother, Aaron sought a name off the top of his head that wasn't a fictional comic book hero. "Minuano, the samurai from Brazil."

"I don't think he's even allowed in the country after the last time he was here," Nano said.

She placed her hands on her hips and let out a melodramatic hum. "I remember when there were as many heroes out there as there were in the comic books."

Aaron nodded in agreement. "The 80s were something else–the 90s, too."

Nano's tone lowered a bit, a hint of disappointment–maybe even sadness to it. "Kids didn't need to be out there fighting bad guys or their monsters in the street."

Her tone got a little more bitter. "Halcyon Days my big black behind."

Roland shrugged his shoulders once more. "Well, I think Star and Marco got this; them, the twins, and those guys going around kitted out like the freakin' Beetleborgs."

Nano's eyes narrowed just a little behind her spectacles. "You ain't wrong."

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CC: Oh. Seems this has been going awhile. Curiouser and curioser.

Rakshata: Biology isn't my specialty. But from what I do know, if they aren't just one off incidents, then mutations of this sort would be a fraction of the population. It could be a high fraction, or a tiny percentage. But there's no way it could have been unobserved.

Trollouche: Grandma seems to be on the ball. :3

Trollouche: Wait. Did he say Minuano?!

Roland let out a hum as Star's tearful self-recrimination flashed through his thoughts. Light glimmered in his eyes, a gleam as an idea formed and became a cruel spark. "Actually, I had a better idea for the dance."

Both Nano and Aaron looked at each other, then at Roland, as he smiled.

"It's super short notice, but it's the best prank I can think of," he said as he broke into a smile, "Especially with how important this is to Brittney."

There was a malice in Roland's smile that his father and grandmother had never seen before and worried it them. When he explained his plan, however, they were completely onboard with it.

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Milly: *cat smile* Ouu, this sounds fun.

Rivalz: Probably won't be as crazy as what you're thinking, Milly.

Milly: A girl can dream, can't she?

Angie agreed as they pulled away from the group embrace. "Yes, like what is going on and why were you fighting those monsters?"

Rafael sniffed the air just above Star's head. "And… have one of you been drinking beer?"

Angie narrowed her eyes at both of them. "… Beer?"

Before the subject could fully switch rails to that topic, Marco held up his hands. "Mom, Dad, hold on. Let's talk about what's going on with the monsters–it's really important."

Star quickly nodded. "Oh yeah, fate of the world stuff–maybe even the universe."

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Jeremiah: Ah the instinctive maneuver of all lower rank officers upon being caught. Ass covering.

Jeremiah: When caught breaking regulations or doing something that may result in corporal punishment or court-martial? The officer will lie, obfuscate, and deflect blame.

Cornelia: It's sad how often it happens. Though one can give credit that these two were actually doing heroic work.

Jeremiah: Your highness, I can safely say that things which happened at Colchester and West Point, stayed at Colchester and West Point.

Rafael all but leaped up from where he sat to his feet. "This calls for tequila."

"Four glasses," Angie quickly said after him.

Rafael was back from the kitchen, handing Star, his son, and his wife each a shot glass filled with the clear golden-brown liquid. The moment she had her glass, Angie raised her glass in a toast and all of them knocked back the strong liquor at once. Marco, being the entirely inexperienced drinker, nearly gagged from the intensity of the flavor, but stopped himself and swallowed it down like everyone else.

"Oh wow, that burns the whole way down," he gasped.

Star looked at her glass in surprise. "That hit a little harder than mashed corn juice."

Angie lowered her glass, setting it on the coffee table, then looked at Marco. "Your father and I are not angry at you, and we are not going to stop you from going out there and fighting."

Marco and Star brightened, before he asked. "You're not?"

"Of course not!" Angie said. "Young man, we've been reading Big Bad Beetleborgs since before you were born! If they're anything like in the books at all, then they need to be stopped!"

Rafael nodded in agreement. "I am so glad that we paid for those karate classes!"

He then patted both teens on their shoulders. "But please, do not be reckless and don't go seeking fights if you can avoid them. We want you to be as safe as you can."

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Cornelia: Salut!

Cornelia: Such intelligent and reasonable people.

Kallen: They just said they're ok with the two of them going to fight monsters and offered them a drink for doing it. That's reasonable??

Cornelia: Why wouldn't it be?

Kallen: *facepalms* I forgot I'm associating with crazy people now.

CC: Doesn't that include you by proxy?

Kallen: Urusai! (Shut up!)

"Do your parents know about this?" She asked.

Star grimaced. "I don't think they should. They might just make me come back home."

She took Marco's other hand and held it. "And I'm not going to just leave you guys fighting the Forces of Evil without me. I love you guys, you're the best!"

Marco's cheeks turned red as Star gripped his hand tightly. "We love you too, Star."

Rafael and Angie both repressed the urge to go "Aww" like a studio audience as Star and Marco shared affectionate looks with one another.

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Kallen: Ok, that, I can respect.

Nunnally: I think they're adorable.

Rivalz: It's nice to see one family that isn't a dysfunctional mess.

Angie clearing her throat doused plenty of cold water on their hormone-driven ardor, and both looked back to see her leaning around the corner from just below the top of the stairs giving them a friendly, awkward wave.

"We're trusting you to be careful, to be responsible, and to come back safe and sound when you go out into battle." That said, she gave them both a harder look. "We're still your parents, though, and this does not change the other boundaries we've set for you. Do I make myself clear?"

Marco nodded once, but fast. "Absolutely."

She met Star's gaze. "Is that clear to you too, Star?"

Star jumped and nodded quickly when she fell under scrutiny. "Yes mom–ma'am."

Marco then asked. "For clarification's sake, we can still make out, right?"

Angie's gaze shifted to stare at him again. "… Yes."

Rafael peeked in over Angie and wagged a finger to them. "But do not take a step past second base."

Star looked at Marco. "Ooh, what's second base?"

"It's a baseball thing," Marco replied.

"… Do they make out in baseball? Because if they do, I want to watch more baseball."

Angie burst into snickering, while Rafael pondered Star's question. Marco rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"We'll behave," he promised his parents. "Nothing under the clothes or below the belt."

Angie stopped laughing, the full force of a Mom Stare locked onto the two. "Good. And leave the door open if you're going to be in there alone with her, Marco."

Both he and Star looked at her door, and the former quickly opened and took the latter's hand to slip inside. Satisfied to see the door remain open, Angie huffed in victory and headed downstairs.

She placed a hand on her cheek as she let out a little squeal of joy. "She's already calling me 'Mom.'"

Rafael lingered just a few seconds more to make sure the door didn't just happen to swing shut, then followed her. "You know, she is right, baseball with makeouts would be fun."

Angie's giggle at that was on the dirtier side. "I would definitely watch it~"

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CC: Second base? Really? Just tell them to use condoms.

Milly: *shrugs* I don't get it either. Maybe they think it's being responsible.

Trollouche: Not everyone has our mindset about these things, or your medieval outlook on it, CC.


Milly: Oh hey, she did call Angie mom. That's so cute!

Milly: And woah, Marco's parents are way more open minded compare to the other ones here.

Euphemia: Baseball players making out...what a curious idea.

Euphemia: I might become interested in the game myself if that happened regularly.

As she began to peck him on the cheek, Marco smiled and tilted his head to the side to allow Star's kisses to trail down his jawline. Just as she reached Marco's neck, both heard another throat clear, but it wasn't Angie's.

Star jumped away from Marco's back and both looked at her Magic Instruction Book. which sat open on the end of her bed. Floating just above it in the lotus position was the tiny, blue, bearded guide of the book–Sir Glossaryck of Terms.

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm here," Glossaryck said before turning his back to them. "You can go back to whatever that is."

Star made a face. "Nah, you killed the mood."

Marco agreed as Star walked over to the bed and flopped onto it next to the book.

"Actually, since you're out and about. I wanted to ask you about protection spells."

Glossaryck stared at Star for several seconds, before blowing a kiss to the audience in his head. "Goodnight, everybody!"

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Milly: And the little blue man cockblocks like a champ!

Trollouche: Was that a parody of a viagra commercial?

Milly: Maaaaaybe. :3

Trollouche: If I got asked that question, I'd try to vamoose too.

Glossaryck maintained that flat stare. "… You're just like your mother."

Star drew back ever slightly, glowering. "In what way?"

"Less than you think, more than you know."

"Gosh Glossaryck, back at it again with that aggravating obtuseness," Marco said in exasperation.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," Glossaryck chimed back as he turned to face Star. "One thing that your mother did want very early on when I was teaching her, was ample protection for when she was in battle–and similar activities."

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CC: Oh this is familiar~

Trollouche: Being the wise older aggravating mentor that drives the younger generation up the wall?

CC: You have nooo idea how often I did that to your mother.

CC: Speaking of mothers, that was an ominous comment.

Star looked down at the Magic Instruction Book, and grimaced. Half as tall as she was and twice as heavy, since she'd gotten the book she'd skimmed through it once, barely reading more than a page or two of each section and hardly writing anything in it herself.

"But there's so much to go through…"

"Well you want to become more powerful, right?" When Star nodded, Glossaryck gestured down at the book. "This is a comprehensive manual on power itself. Eight generations of the most powerful Wielders of the Royal Magic Wand ever are written in these pages. The things you can learn from them could destroy this world and any other… and just as well protect it."

Marco looked over. "Whoa, is it that big of a deal?"

Glossaryck turned to face him. "Is it that big of a deal? Are you that big of a deal? Is the Evangelion doing shadow puppets with the Getter RoboboboboboboBOBO?!"

Marco rolled his eyes as Glossaryck's head began turning like he was possessed, and he made crude approximations of shadow puppets.

"Ask a stupid question…" He muttered.

Glossaryck stopped acting out and folded his arms and legs once more. He regarded Marco with a placid smile. "You're learning."

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CC: *facepalms* And this is familiar too.

CC: Read the damned book, Star. -_- It's a clear path to what you want, just knuckle down and study.

Trollouche: I count...three references there. None of which I hope show in this universe.

Trollouche: ......Maybe the Getter-

Kallen: Hell no! They don't need that kind of universe rending nonsense here!

CC: And Marco learns a simple truth. Ask stupid questions at your peril.

Star frowned. "Understand how?"

"You're fighting the forces of evil, and what evil forces they are. Why just this afternoon I felt tremendous power the likes of which I haven't sensed in… oh… 1000 years and some change."

Star awkwardly turned around without breaking eye contact with Glossaryck. "Please don't tell Mom."

"Why would I? She'd drag you back to Mewni and probably have this dimension sealed off if she knew what was going on." Glossaryck laid on his side, head propped up on one hand. "And that would be terrible for teaching you."

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Trollouche: *facepalm*

CC: You just got handed a big hint that there's something going on here you don't know about.

CC: And that is what you focus on? Merde. ¬_¬

CC: And yes, that is exactly how you teach unruly hotheads like Star. You throw the lion cubs off the cliff and let them pull themselves out of the fire while tossing down the occasional bit of help.

CC: She's like Kallen in that she progresses best under pressure.

She flipped the pages, which treated her and Marco to rather dramatic images of vine-snared towers, bodies sailing into space, terrible creatures rising from their graves, and a black box with an evil eye spewing out nightmares. Each page was covered in dense text that Marco didn't recognize at all and, judging by Star's furrowing brows, she couldn't make sense of either.

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Leloucia: Ok...all of that looks fucking ominous and a bad idea to mess around with.

Kallen: I'm kinda glad Star can't try those pages out. They look like the kinda shit that ends the world rather than saves it.

Glossaryck threw all five of his hands up. "Details! I can guide you through the process, but it will still take time. That isn't to say that it can't be made easier beyond my storied guidance. I'm sure if you knew some well-studied intellectual with a penchant for exploring the unknown and deciphering dead tongues written by dead hands, you'd be able to learn not only Skywynne's secrets, but the secrets of every author of this book."

Star and Marco looked at each other, both thinking of the same name.

"Dipper."

"Who?" Glossaryck asked.

"He's been helping us fight bad guys," Marco said, "He's a paranormal investigator and a monster hunter."

Glossaryck rolled his eyes and turned away. He was about to suggest it was very nice that they knew a crackpot, when Star added.

"Him and his sister even helped stop this crazy dream demon from invading reality and causing the end of the world once."

Marco agreed. "Yeah, Bill Cipher."

Glossaryck's eyes shot wide, then his head did a full 180 to look at the two like a cartoonish owl. "… Bill… Cipher…?"

Star nodded. "Yeah, little yellow triangle guy with a top hat and one eye, you've heard of him, right?"

Glossaryck's body twisted around to align with his head as he returned to his nonchalant self. Uncrossing his arms, the guide steepled his fingers pointed upward, then down. He closed his eyes, as if to meditate.

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Kaguya: THAT is the reaction of someone who just heard something that they thought impossible and is now trying to reorient themselves to the world.

"Star, when you've seen as much as I have, you'll find that your capacity for surprise is far behind you. Still, today you managed to remind me what that used to feel like."

Marco didn't like that. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It is a thing," Glossaryck replied. "But it's fortuitous you've met someone so clever. I strongly advise that you enlist him in your studies."

He rubbed his chin as he spoke, whatever thoughts hidden behind his inscrutable nonchalance.

Star brightened and turned to Marco. "I think Dipper will love to go through the Magic Instruction Book!"

Marco replied with a dry look back at her. "Yeah, I think he'll get tired of Glossaryck real quick."

"Poppycock," Glossaryck admonished. "I'm sure that Dipper will be thrilled to meet me. After all… there's much we can learn from each other…"

For once, Sir Glossaryck of Terms had questions he wanted to ask.

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Trollouche: DUN DUN DUN!!

CC: Oh yes, because that's not incredibly ominous and foreboding.

Letting go of her short sword with one hand, Jara swung down on his shoulder with all his might, but once again he was faster and with a quick twirl of the falchion, he thrust the weapon upward to meet hers and knock it flying straight up from her hand.

And lost miserably.

The falchion came back down, stopping right at the base of her neck as she stopped in unison with it. Her tumbling blade impaled a rock not too far behind her, the heat that rose from the blade splitting it clean in two.

Yet…

She looked up at Saberizer, her ever expressionless mask staring at his battle-gnarled face. With no expression of his own to convey his feelings on their duel thanks to his ancient wounds, he nodded.

There was no one else who could make me feel so humbled, and at the same time he made me feel like I could actually surpass him.

Her body relaxing, Jara nodded back, then bowed her head to Saberizer.

So then… how?

Then Jara was suddenly in another impossible place, but much, much more recent. She was unable to move, she wasn't even breathing as she watched the Stinger Blade pass through Saberizer's body like he should've done to the Blue Stingerborg by every right.

How does an abysmal whelp who can barely hold his own head up, let alone any kind of weapon, strike him down?

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Tohdoh: The bond of a master and student, a subordinate and commander, friends who held the battlefield as shared ground.

Tohdoh: Such a thing is not easily severed, even by death.

CC: By all rights Drew should have lost in a contest of pure swordsmanship. But?

CC: This was a duel with no holds barred. And Saberizer underestimated his foe.

His humiliation at the hands of a worthless, pathetic boy.

How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How?

Vexor stood in silence as he looked down at Jara inside the Magnavores' crypt hideout. She was sitting on her knees, her head bowed down to stare down at half of Saberizer's falchion. It was the only thing left of him that came with her when recalled her from the battle she lost.

She hadn't moved from that spot for several hours now, just sitting there in silence.

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Kallen: I dunno, maybe the fact that he won says he's not worthless?

Kallen: I get it, he was your buddy. But you guys picked the fight. You had to expect you were gonna encounter somebody who could beat you someday.

Kallen: Fuck, Saberizer himself took his defeat gracefully.

CC: Let her be. She'll figure it out sooner or later.

Their leader would blast him as he had before, but he needed him intact. "I will need several items, but foremostly I need an army. I leave it to you to construct it out of materials here, rather than summon them from the Nightmare Realm."

That had Noxic lighting up like a billboard at sundown. "No kiddin'?!"

"You've known me long enough to know what japery I tolerate."

Just enough, neither Typhus nor Noxic replied.

Noxic clapped his hands. "Well, you've sold me on it! I'm gonna get started right away!"

Vexor tilted towards him, gesturing with an open upraised palm. "I leave it to you then, construct me at the very least a hundred Scabs in a fortnight."

"A hundred? No problem! I can get two hundred done by then!" Noxic cheered, happy to be doing something that he enjoyed.

Typhus spoke up. "What about me, baby? Want me to poke at 'em? Keep 'em on their toes? Summon a monster to spy on 'em?"

Vexor surprised him with his reply. "Tend to Jara, and do not allow her to go near the children or wherever they may haunt."

The big green beast tilted his head some. "Did I hear that right?"

His tone turned grave. "Saberizer was not a piece easily used or expected to be lost. We can't recover from that lightly or quickly. So let us avoid further losses. Until I have the Scabs Noxic will build me, we are to stay well out of trouble with the Beetleborgs, the Butterfly, or their allies."

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Trollouche: Seems Vexor is a decent commander. Regroup, rebuild, restructure. All things a skilled army does in the face of ignominious defeat.

Trollouche: Since the Magnavores are going underground, who's next on the horizon?

Alone in his candlelit crypt, Vexor flowed over to his partially opened sarcophagus and picked up the copy of The Big Bad Beetleborgs used to summon the latest round of Scabs and fighters. He then looked in the sarcophagus, where the other books they'd used to summon Monsters and Scabs now lay and tossed the latest book onto it. They were useless now, but at the very least they were fantastic reads.

He personally thought the author caught him perfectly as a menacing threat to reality.

At some point, very soon, he would like to meet Arthur Fortunes, and thank him personally for such a flattering portrayal.

A sick, screeching laugh left Vexor's throat.

"XASYR TMLUC FBQJQ KFWWJ MGLAP YJGYO WTIPV IFMHS SGEWZ PBONG DPBCR KZBFH."

And that laughter echoed through the crypt.

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Kallen: ....that's fucking creepy. >_<

Trollouche: Credit where it's due, Vexor is a good villain.

Kaguya: One wonders how Mr. Fortunes came into contact with Bill Cipher or the idea for these characters. ¬_¬

 

[TricksterPriest]

*attempts to sneak in*

Nunnally: Author-kun?

*winces*

Nunnally: May I ask why you're so late on this?

Errr, took a break for the holidays, then muse went on strike. *sweatdrop*

CC: *waves, a discarded picket sign behind her* n_n

She's not on strike anymore, so..

CC: Chop chop.

In spite of being tossed around by Marco and punched a few times during his strike demonstrations, Drew still felt better than he had over the last couple of days spent recovering from his injuries. The pain was still there, but it was far more manageable and didn't even hurt to laugh, although he was already tired from just the dojo and was looking forward to sleeping the afternoon off before sneaking out to the dance.

He wasn't going to miss what Roland had planned for the world.

It wouldn't be hard to, either. As he'd said to Marco, his parents would be going out and wouldn't be home until midnight. He'd be at the dance and back before they even thought of coming back from wherever they were going.

Thank goodness for weekly date nights to keep a sinking marriage above water. He thought sharply as he ambled down the sidewalk away from Hill-Trank Plaza, and towards home along the long uninterrupted quarter mile that ended at Zoom Comics in the opposite direction.

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Milly: Gah. And I thought my parents were terrible. >_<

Trollouche: Ahem. ¬_¬

Kallen: Kind of a recurring theme, huh.

Kallen: At least he's got friends to get away from them.

Out the corner of his eye, he noticed a car heading in the same direction he was, and his eyebrows lifted. A luxury SUV, a Mercedes Benz G-Class, or G-Wagen as it was better known, passed him by. The boxy SUV was painted a familiar shade of purple both cleaned and waxed spotless, gleaming in the noontime sun. In Los Angeles, luxury vehicles were not a rare sight, but one painted such a striking color could not be missed if it tried.

"… Wait a minute," he said aloud, "Is that…?"

The G-Wagen abruptly screeching from thirty miles an hour to a dead stop derailed his train of thought. Then, to his surprise its tires squealed as the SUV backed up the road it had just come down before coming to another halt right beside him.

He stared at his reflection in the blacked-out rear-passenger windows of the purple G-Wagen, agape in confusion, before the window rolled down. His unfinished question was answered, and his afternoon's randomness intensified as he met the perennial scowl of Brittney Wong.

"… Brittney?" He asked. Why was she being this extra to go out of her way to speak to him?

Brittney looked him over; he could not tell if she was grimacing in disgust or just being her usual self. "… Are you seriously walking around in public like that?"

That answered his question. "I beg your pardon?"

Rolling up to hurl insults at his appearance was more of a Vanderhoff move; was she reducing herself to this because she embarrassed herself last night?

"Is that how you're planning to show up at my dance?" She snapped at him.

"Yes? I'm not missing the dance because I got beat up." Drew was suddenly even more tired than he'd ever been before, and he turned to leave.

Instead of lashing out at him with a mocking remark at his expense to shore up her own illusion of self-worth, Brittney opened the door to the SUV. "Get in."

Drew stopped and turned back towards her. "… Huh?"

"I said get in," she commanded, "Unless you don't want to get fixed up."

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Milly: ...Ok, did not see that coming.

Kaguya: Curious, she seems actually concerned for him.

Sabrina was timid and quick to do almost anything Brittney said, and some people called her "Brittney's Pet" with the nicknames getting worse from there… but she was a genuinely nice person from what he knew about her. Slightly more curious about what the socialite wanted than concerned about what she could potentially do to him, Drew complied and climbed into the G-Wagen–the door automatically swinging shut behind him.

"Okay, what do you mean by 'fixed up?'" He asked her as she buckled herself into the middle of the G-Wagen's bench seat.

"Do you have a few hours?" The rich girl asked.

"I'm free all afternoon, why?"

Brittney nodded and patted the female driver up front on the shoulder, gesturing for her to go on. "Good; I'm taking you to my family's doctor."

Drew gave a start as the G-Wagen started moving, and buckled himself in. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me," she said, before gesturing at his face. "All of this? Unacceptable. I don't know why you haven't gone to a doctor yet, but you are not setting foot in my dance as a giant bruise–even if the colors do match."

Red joined the shades of purples on his face, though the collar of his sweater hid it. "Uh… I'd rather not talk to a doctor–"

"If you're worried about anybody asking questions, don't be. Whatever reason you got, they won't care and won't pry," Brittney assured him.

Drew opened his mouth to ask why Brittney was taking him to a doctor when he realized she had just explained herself. She was concerned about the dance and keeping up appearances. Instead of banning him, though, she decided that she was going to take him in for medical treatment.

"… Okay? But I can't afford somebody who can fix bruises on eighty percent of my body in five hours."

Brittney's eyes widened a little, while Sabrina covered her mouth in more expressed horror. Whatever passed for surprise with the former disappeared quickly, as she shook her head and huffed. "Don't worry about paying anything–and don't tell anybody I'm doing this for you."

Well, he needed to see a doctor, and maybe he could get some rest at whatever place she was taking him. Still… it came at the price of more ambiguous interactions with attractive girls.

Seriously, is this just happening because now that I'm a Beetleborg, I'm a main character? He thought, exasperated.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *howling with laughter*

CC: Maybe boya, it's because girls like confidence and boys who can be nonchalant about serious things.

Kallen: 80%? Holy fuck.

Before Drew knew it, he was in Beverly Hills, walking with Brittney and a slightly limping Sabrina to the front of a very expensive looking private medical practice that looked like the sort of place that a rich girl like Brittney would go to get some work done. A stylish, white marble building ringed with palm trees and straddled by a parking lot with more expensive cars than he'd seen in his entire life to this point. The polished glass doors of the building read "Hyuuga Medical Works," with the names of a half-dozen doctors listed beneath.

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Kaguya: Hyuuga? A Japanese company operating in Beverly Hills? Interesting.

He looked around in amazement as they entered a lobby that was simultaneously sterile like any hospital, but comfortable and welcoming. To the left was a waiting area with its own cafe and seating for forty. Opulent patients sat at the tables, enjoying drinks served by cylinder-shaped automated waiters, while behind the counter a kindly older gentleman wearing a black apron over his white shirt and black slacks took orders from his clientele. On the other side of the lobby was a desk where nursing staff spoke with customers either checking in or leaving. Every so often, a foot-tall hologram projection of a doctor or nurse in the facility would appear on the desk, and speak directly to the incoming or outgoing patients.

"It's hard not to…" Drew said as Brittney hauled him to the front counter with Sabrina close behind.

A young, dark-haired male nurse who probably modeled as a side hustle, greeted them with a smile that could rival some of the cars outside in value. "Good afternoon, Miss Wong, bringing in Sabrina for her last treatment?"

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Rakshata: Impressive for a lobby.

Rivalz: Even the ritzy parts of the hills don't have hospitals this nice. *whistles*

She brought Drew up to the counter to present him to the nurse and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing the extent of the bruising on his face. "He got beaten up the other day during that monster nonsense, and he's basically one big bruise."

"Uh…" The nurse blinked twice. "… Hey, have you been to a hospital for… any of that?"

Drew shook his head. "Um, no… it's not exactly something I can–"

The nurse got up, alarmed. "Are you in any pain?"

"I have been sore non-stop, but I'm not dying, no…"

The nurse looked at the hologram computer monitor between himself and Drew, then nodded. "Okay, yeah, we can get you into a Nano Recovery Chamber in five minutes."

It was Drew's turn to take a moment to process that. "A nano-what now?" He recognized the name and grew interested. "Wait, like… one of those Bacta Tank things?"

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Cornelia: *flat look* Star Wars. They have bloody Star Wars technology?

Kallen: Looks like it.

Sabrina cast a concerned look at Brittney, who shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Reaching into her purse, Brittney pulled out a black credit card she slapped onto the desk. "Just put him in the tank and give him the works, and don't even think about billing him."

Looking at the card, the nurse nodded. "Of course, Miss Wong. Come on to the back and follow me to Nano Recovery Chamber Room Two… Dr. Korolev will see you there and run you through the process."

They passed through the waist-high door divider separating the lobby from the back, Drew curious at the name. "Dr. Korolev…"

Sabrina brightened and smiled at Drew. "She's nice and really smart. Sh-she'll take good care of you."

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CC: Korolev, that's a Russian surname. Or at least eastern europe, given the former Soviet Bloc's sphere of influence.

Milly: Gotta love the black card. :3

Trollouche: You still have one?

Milly: *sighs* Nah. Grandpa might, but he never lets me use it.

Trollouche: I'm not quite that wealthy anymore.

Kaguya: I am.

Milly: Can I borrow yours?

Kaguya: For the right favor, fu fu fu.

"It's literally brand-new technology that was just made available a year ago," Brittney said. "It's so new that it'll be a while before it's cheap enough for everyone."

"If it ever is," Drew mumbled back.

The doors slid open, and Drew stared at the person standing on the other side. It was a doctor, or at least he hoped they were–they had on the white lab coat, stethoscope, and ID badge… but they were also dressed head to toe in a white, body-fitting suit with likewise-colored plates that reminded him of a stripped down Beetleborg armor. They also wore a helmet not unlike that used by motorcyclists–except the visor was as reflective as a mirror, and Drew could only see himself in it.

At the very least, the cat-ear like fixtures on the helmet made it look kind of cute.

"H-Hello Dr. Korolev," Sabrina greeted like it wasn't a big deal.

"Hello again, Sabrina." Through the helmet came a woman's voice filtered as though it came through a walkie-talkie. She sounded young, maybe close to his age, and spoke with a noticeable Slavic accent.

Brittney let out a hum and averted her eyes away from the doctor like she didn't want to look directly at her.

She turned her head to Drew and spoke. "Andrew McCormick, correct?" When he nodded, she did not sugarcoat a thing. "You look like shit; let's get you fixed up, okay? I am your doctor for today, Nikita Korolev."

Click to shrink...

Rakshata: A nonsense physician who doesn't want to waste time. Excellent.

Trollouche: Terrible bedside manner.

Rakshata: Bah, heal the patient and don't waste time. Politeness is a pointless courtesy.

With that reassurance, he went with the story he'd been working on since he first got home. "Wednesday, I was having lunch out of school, when I saw a blimp crash into the LA river. I went over to see if I could help, and while I was there… a monster attacked me."

Dr. Korolev's head tilted. "A monster?"

"Yes," Drew said, maintaining a straight face. "It threw me around for a bit, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up it was gone."

Dr. Korolev nodded. "I see; there were a number of monsters running around that day. I am shocked you were not killed, with how strong they seemed."

Drew shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I was nobody to it."

"I see," Dr. Korolev replied, "And you said that you have not sought treatment?"

"Not from a hospital, I've had first aid administered and I've been resting and taking painkillers for it."

"Why have you not?"

"There're people I don't want finding out about what happened. And it's also hard to believe, I guess…"

Dr. Korolev nodded again, slowly this time. "Even if I didn't believe you, I would not tell anyone. I am a doctor, and you are my patient. You have come to see me, and I will be discussing with you all matters pertaining to your health."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Perils of a secret identity. *sweatdrop*

CC: He does seem to stand out more, doesn't he?

"Нет. You can leave your tighty-whiteys on. We even have swim trunks for you to wear," she said in an even drier tone than she already spoke. "No one here wants to see your shame unless they have to."

"I-I wear boxers!" Drew quickly corrected her at the mention of "shame."

Dr. Korolev let out a short chuckle that betrayed her own youth. "Good for you."

With that she pulled open the privacy shutter. "I will be back with technicians to get you fitted into the chamber and ready to go. Make yourself as comfortable as you like."

Pulling the shutter almost completely closed, Dr. Korolev left Drew to his own devices. He turned and faced the Nano Recovery Chamber and hummed as he walked up to the machine and its supporting equipment to examine it closely.

He had heard of these machines, and they really did sound like a Bacta tank straight out of Star Wars. Inside one of these a person's healing was accelerated without any ill-effects, and able to repair everything from burns to nerve damage with enough immersion through the power of nanomachines contained in the fluid Dr. Korolev mentioned. It was miraculous stuff, but the technology was so new and expensive that it would probably be a decade before there would be enough of it to benefit more than a few rich folks.

And the people they deign to be worth it. Drew looked in the direction Sabrina was, and another thought occurred to him. Why is she worth it, or me?

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Nunnally: Maybe she's more than meets the eye.

Alice: She seems endlessly bitchy even when she's being nice, what's her problem? *raised eyebrow*

Milly: She's not wrong, there's something up with Brittney.

It did not take long for the front counter nurse and a pair of technicians to arrive with Dr. Korolev to help get Drew situated. Inside the chamber he went, down to a pair of swimming trunks, leaning back into the comfortable bedding where he was fitted with a respirator that adjusted to his face to form a perfect seal and began to fill with breathable air.

The two technicians were respectful and gentle, going out of their way to make sure he was comfortable as they attached various electrodes to his chest, limbs, and forehead to read his vitals. As they finished hooking him up to the machine, one of the technicians injected him with the sedative that acted quickly, sending a wave of calm and relaxation over him while not taking away his alertness.

Then the door was closed, and he was in darkness for only a moment before the black window became transparent–showing the room outside–and the chamber began to fill after three beeps. The fluid was fizzy, a pale blue green like he expected such a liquid to be, and very warm as it rose up to completely fill the tank. Instead of panic, however, he felt a sense of peace and comfort as the warm liquid fully immersed him, and his body began to tingle in a pleasant, but not too intrusive way–like he had every itch in the world and they were being gently scratched.

"Wow… this is…" Drew closed his eyes. "… Actually really nice. This thing is amazing."

"You utter fool, Ukrainian medicine is the best in the world," Dr. Korolev said through the intercom.

Drew opened his eyes and stared out at the doctor, who was watching his tank with folded arms. "Huh, you're a JoJo fan."

Outside the tank, he saw Dr. Korolev turned right side on to Drew and raised her hand to point at him, like an overly muscled Japanese High School delinquent calling him out. "Your next words are: 'That's a Jotaro pose, but you're quoting Joseph.' Now to you."

He stared blankly at her. "That's a Jotaro pose, but you're quoting Joseph." He stopped immediately. "Wait, huh?"

He wasn't even going with the bit, that just happened.

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Trollouche: Hahahahahaha!

Rivalz: Man, I wish my docs were this cool.

Kallen: If you look at Joseph, he was pretty jacked too.

Dr. Korolev waved it off. "Eh, you're in High School. What do you know about the world outside of what he said-she said, and who is kissing on who?"

He didn't even know that. "P-Pardon, but you don't sound that much older than me."

"Because I am not… I am smarter than you, though," she cheekily replied.

That was obvious. He was inside the chamber, and she was operating it. "Is um… everything okay? In your country, I mean."

"Eh, it's all right. The KGB Grandfather's polite young men are being eaten alive by a mean old witch, so my Ukraine is not licking his boot."

Drew thought that maybe he should start paying more attention to the news. "That's good, at least. Though I'm a little confused about the witch thing."

Dr. Korolev paused for a moment, before replying. "Do not worry too much about it. The witch is just a story the Russians made up to explain why they have not just taken over Crimea. They just suck."

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CC: As someone with bitter memories of Russia? This fills me with sadistic glee.

Trollouche: A witch eh. Anyone I know? n_n

CC: Not me. I wasn't that active in Russia even in our world. I highly doubt this is a counterpart of mine. Though I do applaud her work, fuck the Russians.

Kallen: So does Russia suck, or did they run into something they couldn't handle?

CC: Why not both? Russia has always been vastly overrated as an empire. I doubt that's changed with the fall of communism.

Milly: Do I detect shipping possibilities between the doc and her patient?

Trollouche: Down, Milly.

Misao's rich, right? He thought. Maybe she could pay for us to get treated here. I should bring it up with her.

On the screen, a call window popped up. Startled, he looked at the information and found it was coming from Sabrina in the other chamber.

Dr. Korolev noticed the call as well. "Ah, yes, the chambers have the ability to allow the users to make calls to other chambers, and even to the outside world. It seems that your friend wants to check up on you."

There was a lightness in her voice as she added, "If you need some privacy, I can turn off the audio and black out your chamber."

Drew pouted a bit. "She goes to the same school as me, there's nothing else going on there."

"Are you sure? You look so easy to ship," Dr. Korolev joked.

Now he was getting Janna vibes from her, and it annoyed him just a tad that he liked it. "I'm sorry, but I've got to take this call."

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CC: Oh ho. Someone has a type.

Milly: The shipping force calls me!

"Yes, Brittney has been taking me twice a week to get patched up so I can cheer again."

"And she's been paying for it?" Drew asked.

"Yeah, she paid for everyone else who got hurt during and after the game, too. It's kinda why she's mad at the football team for sucking, after…"

Drew did a double take. "Hold up… she paid for everyone's medical treatments? Even the Silver Hill Warriors?"

"Yes, but don't tell anyone she did, okay?"

He was flummoxed by the revelation. "Why not? If people knew she's willing to shell out money for medical bills, people wouldn't think she was… you know…"

"I think the reason is she doesn't want people coming up to her for stuff, or trying to take advantage of her," Sabrina surmised. "She already does enough for everyone."

Drew huffed. "She does enough for some people."

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Milly: Hmmm, a aloof personality who hides their better qualities behind a rough exterior. Where have I heard that before?

Leloucia: I simply can't imagine. *sips tea*

"It's weird, right? I-I'm really clumsy, and scared of heights, and nervous around crowds, so I'm really hesitant to do things like cheerleading, because that's all of those fears rolled up into a lot of stress and expectations."

"Yeah," he knew what those fears were like.

"But I always wanted to be a cheerleader, because if I could do it, then I'd be able to overcome how anxious I am. And even though Brittney is… Brittney, she respects that I'm trying to be better."

Drew thought about Brittney's eruption during the game yesterday and sighed. "I don't understand her."

He looked down at himself, healing in a medical supertechnology miracle, all on Brittney's dime–but only because she wanted him to be perfect for her dance. He thought about Jackie's stinging accusation of Brittney picking and choosing who got to have good memories of high school, and who didn't.

Then the other accusation came to recollection, that Brittney was jealous of Star.

Drew sighed again. "It surprises me that she doesn't get why people just flock to Star even when she does stupid stuff with her magic. Until today, I thought Brittney was just another spoiled brat like Trip and Van–using her money to get her way and intimidate anyone in it."

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Kallen: Honestly, as a girl who's had to act a certain way? I'd probably be jealous of Star if I didn't have an outlet for my aggressive impulses. That, and not giving a shit about high school in general. I can admit we share that in common. *shrug*

Leloucia: So put her under duress and see what happens when you apply some pressure.

Kallen: *wacks Leloucia* Not everyone is a lunatic like you! Most people don't like being put in a crucible!

"For all that she respects in people bettering themselves… do you think she can learn to be better, or does she already think she's perfect?"

"Oh… uh…" Sabrina needed another few moments to think about that one. "… Yes, I think she can learn. If Brittney can believe a clumsy idiot like me can improve… then I have faith in her to learn from this and be a better person."

Drew shut his eyes and nodded. "Okay, then I'll have faith in her better side, too."

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Nunnally: That's a very good attitude.

Alice: He's a nicer person than I am for sure.

His thoughts lingered upon Saberizer.

The first monster he ever defeated.

The Scabs don't count. A stiff breeze could defeat a Scab.

Saberizer was an actual Monster. An actual Magnavore… right?

Was he a Magnavore, or just a mercenary under Jara?

Was he even a monster?

The comics were never clear on the Mercenary Army of Jara. She was a Magnavore, and proud of her affiliation… but none of her Mercenary Warriors ever declared themselves Magnavores.

Actually… none of her Mercenaries were proud to be employed by her, either. They were just mercenaries, hired guns or blades to do the Magnavores' dirty work. It was how Art Fortunes illustrated how evil Jara was–she had no one loyal to her, only to the money and power she promised.

They were disposable and replaceable. A hundred could die and they meant nothing to her. Their only real value was in absorbing the blame for her failure when she had to explain herself to Vexor.

Saberizer's apology for failing Jara, her blood-curdling scream of his name, the overwhelming wrath that she unleashed that made her an easy target when normally she could handle herself with ease…

She cared for him. He was someone important to her.

That was something he didn't like to think about.

The Magnavores.

Jara, and both Noxic and Typhus…

They were all so… human.

He really didn't like to think about that.

But maybe… them being so human could be… useful?

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Kallen: *winces*

Tohdoh: *solemn nod* Indeed, the realization that your enemy are as human as you are is something all warriors and soldiers come to grips with eventually. It is perhaps one of the hardest parts of our profession.

Tohdoh: One wonders how Andrew McCormick will process this revelation.

Trollouche: Saberizer died honorably on the field of battle. There is no shame in an end as glorious as his was.

Dr. Korolev's voice reached him, the first it felt like in ages. "Some patients report an effect similar to being inside of a sensory deprivation tank. Brain relaxation, streams of consciousness, and sometimes even visual and auditory hallucinations."

Drew looked up at the doctor, feeling her within his presence outside the chamber before laying eyes on her. He blinked as he stared at her faceless helmet.

"Basically, your mind tricks itself into thinking it's on LSD. Quite a trip, да?"

He blinked once. "Your voice is pretty."

Dr. Korolev went still, before she turned and walked away, laughing. "We'll be letting you out now, вродливий чоловік, you're all done."

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Trollouche: Author-kun has done LSD and he says this is noooowhere near what an acid trip is like.

CC: *laughing gayly* Oh you little charmer.

Nunnally: What did she say?

CC: She called him "handsome man." I think he made a better impression than he realized.

Dr. Korolev turned her head towards Brittney. Drew could almost feel her looking back and forth between him and her before she let out a "Ha."

Brittney shot the fully-suited doctor a look. "What?"

"Just admiring your taste," Dr. Korolev teased.

Brittney's scowl deepened, but once more Drew just couldn't tell how significant her expression was. She really needed to do something about that.

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CC: Tsssssundere.

Kallen: .....Oh god damnit. *facepalms*

Trollouche: He's got another tsundere attached to him and he doesn't even realize it! Hahahahaha!

He turned to ask the doctor. "… I'm almost afraid to ask, but how much does this whole procedure cost?"

Dr. Korolev regarded him. "Do you want the real answer?"

Drew nodded.

"Your procedure, for example. Your three hours in the pot cost Miss Wong here 300,000 dollars."

He looked back at Brittney in disbelief. She once more shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.

"Don't worry about it." She checked her time on her phone. "I still have two hours. Do you need a suit or anything for the dance?"

Drew shook his head. "No, I already have a suit I'm going to wear."

Brittney narrowed her eyes at him some. "It'd better look good."

"Well, if you can buy me one that does to be sure, I'm still free for the rest of the day."

He was bluffing, but Brittney looked him up and down and called it. "That works; let's go."

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Trollouche: If you're getting a suit, make sure it's bespoke. Good tailoring is worth paying for.

Kaguya: You would know? :3

Zero: Of course, I designed and made this suit myself. Why do you think it looks so good.

"I don't have to tell you to grow some pom-poms, I know you got a pair! Ask him!" Brittney snapped harshly at her.

With that rough encouragement, Sabrina pulled herself with a deep breath and spat it out. "Will you accompany me to the dance?!"

Drew stood there, dumbfounded even as he expected it–because no girl had ever asked him to dance. And honestly, Sabrina Backintosh was probably the last girl in the world he'd ever expect to be the first one ever to.

"Um… yeah? That sounds nice," he replied. After their conversation they just had and gaining a good insight of Sabrina in addition to Brittney… going to a dumb school dance wasn't so bad.

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Milly: You go girl!

Nunnally: Maybe Brittney is nicer than she seems after all.

CC: Until Roland crashes the dance with his idea.

Nunnally: Oh dear. *grimaces* I hope it's not too bad.

All the tension that built up in Sabrina in that instant poured out of her all at once. She looked ready to fall over in her relief, but Brittney caught her shoulder, and removed her drink from hand in the same motion. Recovered, she turned back to him. "Thank you, I promise it'll be fun!"

"Yeah, whatever, this just means I can get you something that goes with her dress," Brittney looked Drew over again. "Blue, something blue… maybe dark blue or navy. We'll see when we get there."

She let go and walked to the door, taking a sip of Sabrina's drink as she did. "Come on, you two! Daylight's burning!"

Drew started walking but did not expect Sabrina to abruptly grab his arm and nervously move closer to him. Looking at her in surprise, she looked up at him, already halfway between excitement and anxiety. He managed to smile back and walked out the door with her after Brittney.

Just roll with it, Drew, and hope Janna doesn't poke you for it later he thought.

Who was he kidding again? She was totally going to.

Click to shrink...

Milly: Oh interesting. That catch was practiced, she knew exactly how to catch her and what to do. Hehehehehe.

Kaguya: Fu fu fu fu. This promises to be entertaining. And he really should learn to poke back against the likes of Janna.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Rakshata: Slacking off, Author-kun?

Fuck off, had covid.

Back to the typewriter salt mines.

"All right you beasts, listen up and listen good!"

Mums the Mummy paced in front of Fangula, Frankenbeans, and Ghoulum. The latter two sat on the couch, while Gholum loomed behind them in the sitting room of Hillhurst Manor. As Frankenbeans watched Mums stalk back and forth excitedly, Fangula sipped an attractively red beverage from a wine goblet he held in his left hand. Ghoulum, being Ghoulum, just stood there with his fierce expression etched into his stone face.

"Today is the first day those brats will be pulling an all-nighter on our turf!" Mums barked, with a finger raised to the ceiling "This is the sum of all our fears! I mean–look at this dump! It hasn't been in better shape in years, and that's terrible!"

He slammed his hand on a light switch by the archway and flipped it repeatedly, turning the lights on and off. "The lights work!"

He held a hand towards the clean and spotless windows. "The windows have been fixed!"

Marching back over to the couch, he ran his cloth-wrapped fingers along the wooden arm, then held them aloft. "There's no dust or cobwebs!"

Turning again, he pointed at the home entertainment center sitting turned off in front of the monsters. "… Actually, the home entertainment center did nothing wrong."

Click to shrink...

CC: I have to concede that Mums is right, a haunted house does lose some ambiance with it not being in disrepair.

Kallen: I mean, do they not feel cold or discomfort?

CC: My assumption is no. Also, two of them are technically dead, one is a homunculus, and Ghoulum is a statue.

Kallen: Definitely don't want to smash the entertainment system.

Trollouche: Do they listen to "Monster Mash?" :3

Kallen: Stop provoking them.

Flabber's head popped out from one of the pipes of the massive instrument. "I beg your pardon, but clowns are college educated and adhere to a strict moral code to bring laughter, uphold justice, and slay monsters. I am, at the very least, a freelance jester with a General Entertainment Diploma."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: I call bullshit on this. Clown are vile deplorable creatures from the depths of hell that terrify dogs, small children, and creep out most people. ¬_¬

Milly: Stop being a hater. Clowns are fun.

Trollouche: Pennywise.

Milly: Oh screw you.

"No want kids, want pet!" Frankenbeans demanded.

"Now guys…" Flabber squeezed his way out of the pipe organ, emerging no wider than the breadth of the pipe save for his normal sized head. "Don't you think this 'big scary monster' act is already a little…" He looked at himself then at the other monsters. "… Thin?"

The mummy man threw a fit. "It's not an act! We're scary, evil monsters–!"

"Maneaters, even," Fangula added.

"And this is our house! We can't have those kids coming in here and treating it like a Youth Center, or a Karate Dojo, or a Coffee Shop!"

"EW! NO COFFEE!" Frankenbeans yelled.

Flabber hummed. "Hey now, we play our cards right, we could get a Starbucks Franchise going, here."

"Are you even listening to us, you Acid-dosing Elvis-impersonator?!" Mums yelled. "Those kids are gonna muscle us out of our own house at this rate, and you know we can't do a thing about them! We try to spook 'em even a tiny bit, and they'll just transform into their magical armors or fling narwhals at us!"

Click to shrink...

CC: Give the kids a few years to broaden their horizons, maybe they'll get into pet play. :3

Kaguya: Not what he was thinking, I'm sure. Fu fu fu fu.

Kaguya: And what's wrong with coffee? *raised eyebrow* I generally prefer tea, but a strong cup of coffee is a lifesaver when doing paperwork late at night.

Trollouche: Flabber is not nearly off the wall enough to be on Acid. Trust me, Acid would be waaaay trippier and weirder.

CC: Like that trip through your deranged psyche I took awhile ago?

Trollouche: Actually? Yes. That is closer to an acid trip.

Mums grabbed the sides of his head and groaned. "Ugh! Don't you realize how terrible this is, Flabber?! Having a bunch of teenagers here is gonna be awful! They're going to be all civic and community-minded! They might paint the house! Or host bake sales! Or teach and learn valuable lessons about teamwork and saying no to drugs!"

Fangula shook his head. "I can feel the property values rising. We're going to be… eugh… gentrified."

Flabber's eyes rolled out of his skull, sprouted wings and flew off to reenter their sockets on Mums' other side. "Mumsy, Bubsy, Boo… if you don't like it, just go to another part of the house. It's not like there isn't room."

"It's our house!" Mums roared back.

"YEAH! OUR HOUSE! OUR HOUSE!" Frankenbeans repeated.

"I should be able to go haunt wherever I like!" The mummy continued.

Fangula agreed. "Is it too much to want to live in peace and quiet with no annoying teenagers full of tasty blood constantly bothering us? We're getting nothing for the trouble, not even a nibble."

Being mediator was hard work, but Flabber was a phasm with a job to do. "How about this, guys. When the kids show up, we all gather 'round and hold a powwow to discuss how you can all get along?"

Mums stared at him.

Flabber felt oddly self-conscious. "What?"

"… You didn't do an Indian bit when you said powwow," Mums pointed out. "Just… thought that was weird."

Flabber shrugged his shoulders. "Culturally insensitive visual gags are apparently out; a lot's changed in over 40 years… which I'd have known sooner if you hadn't gotten Wolfy to lock me in the organ."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Say no to drugs?? When does he think this is, the 80s with DARE?

Kallen: When's the last time they got out of that house?

Rivalz: Man, I wonder if they'd fit right in with the rest of the hellscape that is Los Angeles.

Kallen: How come you don't like LA?

Rivalz: I'm from San Francisco originally, there's a loooooong rivalry between the two cities.

Trollouche: I think Indians prefer Native Americans nowadays.

Disappearing in a puff, the entertainment center's TV turned on with Flabber appearing on it as a news anchor for "Hillhurst News Network". "Now look, guys and ghouls. As long as this Beetleborg stuff is going to be a thing, this is their Command Center-"

In an insert window above them, the eponymous stock shot of the secret headquarters of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers appeared.

"Their Castle Grayskull…" The insert switched to an image of a He-Man Castle Grayskull playset from the 90s.

"Their… third pop culture reference that escapes me," Flabber gave up as the image changed to a heavily pixilated image of the T-shaped Titans Tower from Teen Titans appeared overlaid with many question marks. "I haven't watched enough new stuff yet–Janna hasn't given me her Hulu password."

Fangula spoke up. "You need to get that from her. I haven't finished True Blood."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Ou ou ou, I got one! Their SHIELD HQ!

Trollouche: Teen Titans cartoon sucks.

Trollouche: And so does True Blood. *shots fired*

CC: You just hate it because you have a prejudice against blood sucking freaks of nature.

Milly: Duh, what do you think most nobles are?

"Neither is Frankenbeans. Now do you wanna eat or do you wanna sit there and drink deer blood until you start sparkling?!" Mums asked.

Fangula looked at his goblet and tossed it over his shoulder for Flabber to zap out of existence with a bolt of magic. "Count me in!"

"That's the vengeful spirit! Now then, monsters, to your positions!" Muums shouted and both Fangula and Frankenbeans scrambled to hide. As they moved, he turned to Ghoulum. "You hide too! If they try to escape, we need you to block their way out!"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: He is not nearly pretty enough to get away with that joke.

CC: I wonder if vampires have different taste buds. Blood has never tasted good to me.

Kallen: .....what.

CC: I've lived a very long and dangerous life, Kallen. Don't ask unless you really want to know.

Marco wasn't so sure. "Hey, it's just a fixer upper–with a coat of oil and a match, it'll look great."

Dipper let out a small chuckle, while Jackie was amazed that Marco would make such a casual joke about arson. "Ha, amazing."

As they walked towards the steps to the porch, Dipper pulled out Mabel's phone and checked the group chat. Jo was supposed to meet them at Marco's house and join them on the trip out to the house, but she hadn't answered any texts from him or any calls from Roland when he volunteered to find out where she was.

He genuinely worried about her, but another no small part of him was just as annoyed by her attitude.

Mabel said:
Jo, this is Dipper. I want to talk to you today at Hillhurst, so make an effort to show up.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Nothing wrong with a large scale barbeque.

Trollouche: This is why I don't let you in the kitchen, Kallen. :3

Marco lifted his right eyebrow in concern. "Has anybody asked Janna how she's paying for this stuff?"

"Do we even want to know?" Dipper asked in turn.

Marco didn't want to be an accessory to anything. As they all went into the organ room, both he and Dipper noticed how quiet it was. When he looked back, Dipper saw that Ghoulum was absent from his usual haunt by the door–which struck him as odd.

"Huh… it's too quiet," he said aloud to Marco–who looked back at Ghoulum's empty spot.

Click to shrink...

Tamaki: Five fingered discount, yo. Shit fell off the back of a truck, honest.

Tamaki: Ain't nobody don't trust Honest Shin'ichiro's Dealership, man.

Tamaki: Also...wasn't there some fugly ass statue right there?

As the two looked from Ghoulum's spot to the balcony over the foyer, Jackie sat down on the couch and picked up a Playstation controller. Behind her, Fangula's head peeked up from behind the couch and his eyes darted around quickly before he spotted her and her neck. Taking advantage of her, Dipper, and Marco's distraction, the vampire slowly and quietly rose to full height from behind the couch and loomed over her with his fangs baring and his eyes turning red.

Out the corner of his eye, Marco noticed movement behind him and looked back enough to see Fangula in full view. Without a moment's hesitation, he kicked off his sneaker straight up, grabbed it, and threw it straight into the Count's mouth.

"Mrf?!" Fangula let out a muffled yelp in surprise.

"Now that I have your attention," Marco said as Dipper and Jackie turned to face the Vampire. "I'll give you a couple options. You can either enjoy nice helping of teeth soup prepped on the spot by yours truly, or you can turn around and walk away with your jaw intact."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Looks like he's-

Kallen: Hell Bent for Leather.

Still holding the even more startled Jackie princess style, Marco glowered at the two monsters. "I'm going to tell you only one more time: Hell has nine circles of punishment, but we have room for way more." His eyes darted between the two as Dipper joined his side, looking at Frankenbeans tucked into a corner with a lampshade over his head to look inconspicuous. "You guys done?"

Dipper stared blankly at Frankenbeans, who did not move towards them. Marco drilled his glare into Mums and Fangula, and after a moment of silence more he nodded. "Yeah, you're done."

Fangula, agitated that he'd gotten caught and indignant that had a shoe in his mouth, spat it out. "Aren't you kids these days supposed to be aware of nothing but your obnoxious little phones? Hmph!"

"Yeah, get out of here," Marco snapped back. "Don't you have to take that costume back to the gag shop before it closes?"

Taken aback by the shot across his bow, Fangula looked Marco over, and rated his fit. "Nevermind. I prefer my meat raw, not roasted."

Click to shrink...

CC: What does his outfit look like again?

*Trickster provides a picture to her*

CC: 5/10. He doesn't have the gravitas to pull off the classic outfit.

Milly: If you want to look like a classic vampire, you need to be hot enough for people to ignore the obvious outfit.

"Spotted and repulsed by its would be prey, Vampire and the Mummy slink off frustrated, and unsated," Flabber, speaking in a manner not unlike Sir David Attenborough in a nature documentary, narrated from beside the organ. The Pipettes, dressed like a camera crew, aimed expensive-looking cameras from three different eras of film, at the scene.

"Frankenbeans' creature, either too frightened to reveal his position, too dumb to realize he has been compromised, or comfortable because he likes pretending to be a lamp, remains motionless in his hiding spot," the Phasm continued. "A terrible day, indeed, for the survival of the pack. It is a good day, however, if you're a human looking to live another day, and successfully court a female."

It was at that moment that Marco realized that he'd been gently cradling Jackie in his arms for the better part of a minute like she was filled with air. Sputtering, a blush forming on his cheeks, he gently let her down. "Uh… Jackie, um… sorry…?"

Jackie, her own face almost as red as Marco's hoodie, looked away from him so he wouldn't see it. "Y-you're okay, dude… you're really okay… and strong… wow."

Marco awkwardly swayed where he stood. "Um… thanks…"

Jackie gave him the side eye, her blush fading, and she quietly psyched herself up. Get it together, Jackie… Janna's not even here to mess with this.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Being princess carried is quite lovely~

Milly: Ouu, somebody is having fun. Hehehehehe.

Euphemia: Do you suppose they'll kiss?

Milly: Do it! Do it! Do it!

Flabber turned around and framed Marco's face. "That you'd be the girl who did this to Marco," he said in reference to his still red cheeks.

Grabbing his hood, Marco pulled it over his head and pulled the strings to draw it closed over his entire face save for his nose and turned to pick his discarded shoe up and put it back on.

Jackie giggled. "Stop…!"

Dipper came to his rescue, changing the subject. "Hey, Flabber, did Jo happen to come by?"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Look, it's Kenny!

CC: Let's hope his luck is better than that. :3

"No kidding," Jackie said, "Janna said she has beef with like… everybody."

Dipper nodded. "Yeaah, she's got a crush on me… and she's really bad at expressing it."

"Can't say she has bad taste, but isn't the cliche is usually that they bully the one they like, not the ones around them?" Marco asked.

Dipper's heart did a little skip, but he stayed calm. "Like I said, really bad at expressing it."

Jackie had her own view on that. "Seeing how she punched Lars Vanderdud so hard his face took a week-long vacation to the back of his head, maybe that's not the only thing she's bad at expressing?"

Dipper agreed, knowing Jo's idea of fighting. "She's mad at something in her life. I'm really hoping to talk to her while we have the chance to, here. Until then… you guys can come down to the Beetle Battle Base or look around the house. I'm going to be making sense of Misao's notes for operating the Beetle Battle Base."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Bad home life can wear on you and make you take things out on other people who don't deserve it.

Milly: Ideally, she could talk to someone about what's really going on. But that would require her to open and trust her friends with her personal issues.

Milly: You know, being vulnerable, open and all that. And since she's about as stubborn as somebody else I know, might be awhile. :3

Trollouche: I learned eventually, didn't I?

Dipper really appreciated that Flabber didn't do something weird like hand him his ears. For as weird and zany as the phasm was, he was definitely not insane like Bill. "There's a lot I want to ask you; about Doc Hillhurst, this house, and the monsters in it. You think you can spare some time to explain… well… everything?"

Flabber lit up. "I sure can-a-roonie! But uh… you're gonna have to forgive a Phasm's phorgetfulness thanks to being…" He turned and called out. "SEALED AWAY FOR FORTY YEARS!"

"Oh, shut up!" Mums yelled back from somewhere in the house.

Returning his attention Dipper, Flabber continued. "So, I don't remember exactly everything… but!"

"But?" Dipper asked.

"But… I can tell you everything I can remember!" Flabber assured him.

Dipper gestured down the tunnel. "Can we walk and talk? I want to get started on my questions right away."

"Sure we can walk and talk!" Flabber reassured him as he began walking and the Phasm walked alongside, changing his pace as he spoke. "We can jog and dialog, sprint and gossip, run and tongue–"

Click to shrink...

CC: Trust me, being sealed up for an extended period of time is not fun. >_<

CC: At least he was unconscious during his. ¬_¬

Kaguya: *looks up run and tongue* Tongue run?

Kaguya: Fu fu fu fu. I like the sound of this one~.

CC: Ara ara, that's a new one. Have to try that sometime.

"May I suggest the works of Robin Williams for inspiration?" Dipper suggested.

"Who?"

"Comedian, actor, gamer, he voiced a genie in a really popular movie back in the 90s," Dipper explained. "He reminds me kind a bit of you."

Flabber stroked his chin. "Janna did say something about me having 'Genie energy' but here I was thinking she meant Barbara Eden. Now there's a wish come true, am I right?"

"That show was over before my Dad was born," Dipper pointed out.

"Right… forty years," Flabber remembered.

As the organ closed behind them, in the sitting room, Frankenbeans remained still.

"Being lamp is nice," he said to no one. "Wish me had Jeannie inside."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: What show?

Trollouche: Oh screw you Dipper. I dream of Jeanie was a classic.

CC: And Barbara Eden was quite delectable.

Kallen: Somebody needs to fix that lamp.

 

[TricksterPriest]

*cracks knuckles, starts writing*

Dipper's message to Jo went unread. Everyone's messages, and the group chat in general was completely ignored, as she sat at a table at Zoom Comics, reading a giant robot war manga that was in truth a trashy romance story for teenage girls. She'd been there since the shop opened, and was going through the entire series, and was near the end by after sundown–while ignoring the rest of the world around her.

"That's an unsettlin' sight," Nano Williams said as the matriarch of Roland's family and the comic shop's owner arrived late in the afternoon and joined her son behind the counter.

"She's been here all day," Aaron Williams said to his mother regarding the usually well-accompanied Jo by herself. "Roland's at home getting ready for the dance, and Drew's been grounded."

Nano craned her head away from her son with an eyebrow raised. "Lord have mercy, for what?"

"Cutting class," Aaron said.

"I will have some words with that man," Nano said of Jo's father before she headed towards her. "But first… Nano's got some granny-duty."

Jo flipped a page of her comic and let out a sigh. "… Why don't they just desert? They don't even like the sides they're on…"

"Narrative fiat aside, everyone has their reasons for being loyal to something they shouldn't belong to," Nano said as she sat down at the table with Jo. "But that's a lot of rabbit holes, and they all go deep."

Jo fought a grimace but gave up and hid it behind her manga. "Boy, don't I know it."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: I swear to Mara, that better not be a reference to us. *raised eyebrow*

CC: Our story has too much tragedy, angst and pain for teenage girls to stomach.

Milly: Some might like it, Byronic heroes are popular for a reason. Like Janna for example.

Kallen: You all fucking fail. It's probably 08th MS Team or Godannar.

Looking up from her book at Nano's bespectacled face, Jo sighed. "You should know the song and dance by now: I join a group, my dumb brain does that thing to make everyone hate me, and now I'm just waiting for the group to not need me anymore."

Nano shook her head, humming in disappointment. "Mm, mm, mm… do you really think they all hate you, child?"

"I'd hate me," Jo replied. "I blew it, and hard. All I was supposed to do, was enjoy a normal crush on the tall, cute guy–but no. I had to look at all the other girls who he hung out with and think 'Hey Jo, you need to establish dominance. These basic bitches are annoying, they're loud, and they're nowhere near as mature, smart, and tough as you are!'"

She rolled her eyes, seething. "If I bare my teeth enough, they'll show their bellies and get out of my way. Because that's the way it goes, that's how it works. It's all about being top dog."

The fire and venom quickly left Jo, weakening into bare embers and skin irritant. "I completely lost track of why I was even doing it so fast… I just wanted to hurt them, and that's when I realized I fucked up."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: *winces*

CC: Shades of familiarity?

Kallen: Yeah, this sounds so much like me it's fucking painful. >_<

Milly: Hey, that's not true. You aren't like that.

Kallen: The fuck I'm not. We all know I would act like that if I was allowed to be who I really am at Ashford instead of hiding under a cover. *facepalm*

Milly: Would you? Would you really? I think you're projecting. You didn't come from an abusive home in your formative years. Yeah, your stepmom is a bitch. But not anywhere as bad as Drew's dad.

Kallen: ...ok that's fair.

Turning back to her, Jo protested. "I'm saving them the trouble! I'll just be there, in the background with my head down and my mouth shut. Boom, easy, I do what needs to be done and they don't even have to look in my direction."

Nano gave Jo a firm look, tight-lipped, and completely unyielding. "That's not what's gonna happen, and you know it. They're gonna worry about you, talk to you, and more importantly… they're gonna forgive you."

She rubbed Jo's shoulder. "Even if you never want to forgive yourself. You're not a quitter, Josephine McCormick, and giving up on yourself is as good as any quitting."

While still resistant to making eye contact, Jo was cowed enough to look in Nano's direction, sulking all the while.

Nano smiled ever slightly, and she nodded as if to say, "You know I'm right."

"Nothing always goes our way," she spoke, "And everyone takes the wrong way once or twice or even all the time. But the people you know ain't gonna let you beat yourself up. I'm not, Roland won't, your brother sure as heck won't… and neither will any of those friends you're saying hate you. You got too much goin' for yourself for anyone to pass up on–flaws and all."

Click to shrink...

CC: You raise enough children, you tend to pick up how to handle their fey moods. :3

Milly: See? Nano's got this.

Nunnally: Star and everyone else are good people. I'm sure they'll welcome her back with open arms.

At the Pines residence, Mabel was mindful of the clock as she put the finishing touches on Misao's hair, brushing and styling it as she sat patiently in front of her swathed in a blanket. Across from the two in Shermie's living room, Star and Janna were sitting on a couch, the former rocking from side to side and absently kicking her feet in the air while the latter explained one of Echo Creek Academy's unofficial traditions.

"… Freshman year Spirit Week homecoming dance," she began. "The dance was okay. It was a dance, so like… everyone was just hanging out all awkwardly swaying to the music and trying to not be embarrassing on the dance floor. When all of a sudden, right there on the stage, a mariachi band just showed up, relieved the bored-as-heck DJ, and just hijacked the dance."

"No way," Mabel said as she worked her brush through Misao's hair. "And this was Roland?"

Misao hummed. "I know about Mariachi… they were able to make the party fun?"

"Yeah. Because it wasn't just any Mariachi band. It was a Heavy Metal Mariachi band. They melted face and it made me mad that I wasn't there to see it. The exchange kid living with Marco at the time, Akil, gave it 6 metals out of his 1 to 5 scale of how metal something is."

"That's so metal," Star said.

Click to shrink...

Milly: 0_0

Kallen: What?

Milly: Metal...mariachi? That sounds-

Trollouche: Absolutely awesome.

Trollouche: Mexican metal is great.



Trollouche: See?

Milly: Oh, this is...way less bad than I thought it would be.

Janna nodded. "At the Winter Formal that year, an ice cream bar was hired as part of the refreshments for the dance. But midway through the dance, all the trays of ice cream and frozen treats were replaced with snowballs."

Misao gasped. "Roland is a mad genius…"

Janna chuckled. "It was no Metal Mariachi band, but I got to smash a snowball in Brittney's face, so it was worth it."

Mabel was jealous. "Why didn't I think of that? My first winter formal was so lame compared to that!"

Click to shrink...

Milly: minions! We have a new objective. We, are getting Mabel and Roland enrolled at Ashford!

Rivalz: eep. *sweatdrop*

Kallen: Shiiiiiit.

The girls all shared a laugh, Shermie joining in, before Mabel asked. "So what other pranks has Roland done?"

"Yes, please!" Star and Misao said together.

Happy to oblige, Janna continued. "So, because he was a freshman, Roland couldn't attend prom, and the Juniors and Seniors then were on him like a hawk to make sure he didn't try to pull anything, since they were the ones most annoyed by the pranks the year before. So during Homecoming last year, he got Super Soakers, Water Balloons, and even connected a garden hose and handed them to all the Freshmen and Sophomores."

Mabel stopped. "Oh, the school must've hated him for that."

"Yeah, but Nano helped smooth it over and cure the hurt feelings, and even the Juniors from the year before who were Seniors that year loved it. So, Roland got to pull a prank on Prom last year."

"What did he do?" Misao asked.

Janna steepled her fingers together and smirked. "Prom Pillow Fight. With the Prom King and Queen getting the added honor of being covered in slime so the feathers stuck to them."

Star understood the reference. "Like tar and feathering without the near boiling pitch!"

Janna, Misao, and Mabel were reminded that Star was from a medieval magical kingdom… and she'd probably seen it done not for funsies. Or maybe for funsies…

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Remind me again if Britannia does that. ¬_¬

Cornelia: Of course not. What do you take us for, barbarians?

Trollouche: They do draw and quarter though. :3

Cornelia: Only for especially egregious offenses. And the offender is at least dead when they're dismembered. Unlike what you did to that JLF Lt. Col.

Trollouche: Oh don't you fucking start. He had it coming.

She stopped, and her eyes widened a little. "… Oh."

Mabel stopped brushing her hair as she and Star addressed her with a simultaneous "… Oh?"

Janna, Shermie, and Star watched the realization widen Misao's eyes and spread a wicked smile across her lips. The German exchange student closed her eyes and let a deep, darkly amused chuckle reverberate from her.

"Onto something, there?" Shermie asked.

Misao nodded and answered in a singsong voice. "I~ know~ what he's planning~"

Click to shrink...

Milly: What? What? Tell me, tell me, tell me!

Trollouche: I think I have an idea what he's up to. And let's see how this plays out.

Hillhurst Mansion's size boggled both Marco and Jackie as they walked down its long, straight halls. The house wasn't just bigger on the inside, it was massive, with long hallways and rooms that interconnected with one another in ways that defied logic and physics, like whoever built it was advised by a chaos demon from where nightmares reside.

"This place has honest to God Scooby Doo doors, dude," Jackie said as she opened one door and looked inside it.

On the other side of bedroom with sheet-covered furniture was Marco staring at her from the room's other door.

She pulled back and looked down the hall at Marco, who was standing at another door. He turned to look at her, and they both looked in their respective rooms at each other.

"So that's how it works," Marco said.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: ....what?

CC: But how-?

Milly: Eeeee!! That is so cool!

Trollouche: That's not how physics work. That's not how anything works! Is this house a fucking tesseract or a Esher painting?!

"That's what waivers are for," Jackie said. "There's like this haunted house in San Diego where you go in there and they legit torture you for like eight hours. You have to literally sign your life away to even enter."

Marco recoiled. "Wait, torture?"

"Yeah, they'll break your bones, rip out your teeth and fingernails, and even tattoo you."

Marco went a little pale. "How do you know about something like that–?" He stopped, and both he and Jackie said it together.

"Janna."

The next door down from the one they stood at, the very one Jackie went into, opened to reveal Mums standing outside it. "I call bull on that!"

Marco and Jackie looked inside the room Jackie had just come out of. The door was still closed, and no one was in it. They both looked back at Mums.

This house was so weird.

"On what, the haunted house thing?" Marco asked.

"Yeah!" Mums stomped over to them. "Ain't no way there's anything like that! Or that there are people willin' to put themselves through it!"

"They do," Jackie said. "They don't even have to pay for it, the owner takes food for his dogs as admission fee."

Mums recoiled. "THEY GO THERE FOR FREE?!"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: I'm with Mums, this is kinda redick.

Milly: Yeah, there's a limit to how much people are willing to put themselves through.

Kallen: I can buy Janna being into that if it was real. But-

Ahem. Your writer would like to direct your attention to this, courtesy of the Ero-Sennin who in fact informed me that this is in fact, real:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKamey_Manor

Milly: *reading* 0_o

Rivalz: Holy shit.

Milly: That's real?!

Mums threw his hands into the air so hard they almost actually came off. "You're making it up! Humans are dumb as bricks, but actually wantin' to be scared that bad?! That's EXTRA stupid!"

Now Marco had no idea where this conversation was going. "Scary movies are a thing? I mean, you've probably been in a few."

"Those are horse crap!" Mums said. "Most of 'em are more hilarious than 'scary.'"

Fangula, stepping into the doorway, spoke up. "I'm personally a fan of the Final Destination series."

"Comedic genius," Mums agreed.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: As bad movies go? They're kinda funny in how over the top and stupid they are. As horror films? Total garbage.

Trollouche: You want actually scary films? You need to watch something by one of the old masters. Like "The Haunting" by Robert Wise, or "Kaidan" by Masaki Kobayashi.

"Peace was never an option," Fangula hissed.

Jackie looked at Marco, then back to them before she finally gestured to her backpack. "Um… I got weed."

Both monsters stopped where they stood, then looked at one another. They turned back to her, and Mums scoffed. "No, you don't."

Marco gawked at Jackie, startled. "No, you don't!"

Jackie slung off her backpack and reached into it. "Yeah, I totally do." To Marco's disbelief, she pulled out a small jar full of green buds. "See? A whole ounce."

Marco went a little pale, because that was a lot of marijuana for Jackie to be carrying in her bag. Even more surprised were Mums and Fangula, the former getting up close and personal to look at it with his sole wide eye.

"Where'd a kid like you get this much?!" He demanded.

"My family runs a dispensary; my parents even let me smoke on the weekends," Jackie replied.

Mums eyed the label with even more scrutiny. "Wait… that's like a store? It's legal now?"

"Yeah," Jackie confirmed.

"Inconceivable," Fangula said, "The only people who smoke the devil's lettuce are deranged evil doers with ill-intent!"

"Like us!" Mums said.

"It got legalized years ago, like… before I was even born," Jackie explained.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: That goose is my spirit animal.

Tamaki: Hey hey! Lil' lady got the good shit! n_n

Tamaki: Light that shit, smoke that shit, pass that shit!

CC: Quit being a square and chill, Marco.

CC: It's a new age, gentlemen.

"Progress," Jackie replied. "The best green grown on the west coast, straight from the mountains of Oregon, dude."

"Love Oregon," Frankenbeans, lamp shade still on his head, declared.

Jackie sputtered and broke into snickers. "Hehe… love organ. That's gross–hahahahaha!"

As Fangula burst into wheezing laughter with her, Mums pulled his mouth from his overly elaborate water pipe. "Haaa… this takes me back to the shores of the Nile–watchin' that nerd Scarab get stomped by Prince Rapses' bodyguards. Good times."

Marco, who politely declined Jackie's offer to partake, stayed a bit out of the range of the smoke and tried to acclimate himself to more than just the strong smell wafting from the weed being consumed. His eyes were locked onto Jackie, watching her smoke and laugh with the monsters like they were her best friends.

The conflict that had raged quietly within since she abruptly visited his house had come roaring back.

I… never really knew Jackie at all, did I? He thought.

Seeing all these different sides to her all at once was still a shock, completely smashing the pedestal that he had built for her. In its place was something better, a profound feeling of happiness that he was hanging out with and learning about the real Jackie and not angsting over the idealized version he was afraid to approach.

Even with Star in his life, and this thing that's started between them… it hasn't made Jackie Lynn Thomas any less amazing in his eyes, only more.

He smiled as Jackie's laughter had both infected Mums and Frankie as well, with neither having any idea why they were laughing. Well, I'm glad she's better than I could ever imagine.

Click to shrink...

Milly: Hehehehe. Someone's heart is yearning~

Milly: I sense matchmaking potential!

Kaguya: They would be cute together, fu fu fu fu.

For the first time since they'd gotten here, Jackie turned a door's knob, and it didn't open. Blinking the surprise from her eyes, she turned it left and right and leaned against the door. "… Huh… it's locked."

She turned to Marco. "We should kick it down. Do a little BnE, Janna will be proud."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Ha!

Alice: Eh, it's not that big a deal. A lockpick, some grease, a bit of force, and you're in.

Nunnally: You're done this before?

Alice: *nervous smile* When you live with someone like my uncle, you pick up a few things.

The sound of Dipper's voice booming from the ceiling cut him off, and everyone looked at the ceiling. "Marco! Jackie! You guys need to come to the front, right now! We got a problem!"

"When did we install an intercom?" Mums grumbled.

"Dipper?" Marco asked. "What's going on…?"

"Just hurry! This is an emergency! I can't reach the others, I'm coming up from the Battle Base, now!" Dipper replied before the unseen speakers cut off.

The door would have to wait. Pulling it shut, Marco nodded to Jackie, and both took off down the hall, back towards the front of the house. As they watched them go, Mums scratched his head.

"Kid's right. It had to be a fluke or somethin'," Mums said. "Why would it open for him? Wolfy only likes Frankie."

Fangula looked at the door, and then at Frankenbeans, who was reaching out to the door. The vampire watched, first in curiosity, and then in wide-eyed interest as Frankenbeans gripped the doorknob in his massive hand and gave it a turn.

But the door refused to open.

Click to shrink...

CC: Oh that's not suspicious.

Trollouche: Looks like we have a fight coming.

"Full-body cyborg guards, QAH-50 Hammerhead Unmanned Helicopters, and I saw a truck I'm pretty sure is big enough to carry Unmanned Gears parked nearby," Ferguson O'Durguson said to Roland as he, himself and Alfonzo Doolittle hung out across the street from the school, taking cover behind a catering van parked on the curb.

The rotund teen turned to Roland. "Dude, are you sure you wanna go through with this? Brittney might actually kill you with the firepower she has here."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: *spit take* Fucking WORLD MARSHALL TECH?!

Tohdoh: And this...is all for...a school dance? *visibly concerned*

Milly: Dances are serious business.

Alfonzo laughed. "Nah. He's probably at home with Star, totally not smooching her like he wasn't on the bus."

Roland went still, then looked at Alfonzo. "Him and Star did what now?"

Ferguson turned to face Alfonzo, alarmed. "Dude!"

"What, I said totally not," Alfonzo defended.

Ferguson lifted his hands in a pleading gesture. "Alfonzo, that's not how that works!"

Roland looked at Ferguson. "Even so, you confirmed it anyway, my guy."

Ferguson slumped. "Ah, damn it! Don't tell Marco, he made us swear!"

Adjusting his hat, Roland smirked from under it and spoke in a much more serious tone and manner. "Your secret is safe with me."

Click to shrink...

Rivalz: You don't tell dudes something like that told in confidence. Just not cool, man.

Trollouche: It'll be fine. Hardly the most pressing matter of the evening.

As they made it across the street and joined the crowd of students, one of the guards turned and stared at him, an orange glow shining from behind his sunglasses. "Wristbands, please."

Roland held up his right arm, showing off his wristband. "My hype men aren't going in, they're just here to make me look good."

The guard looked between his stylish eminence, and the comparatively mundane Ferguson and Alfonzo–who weren't even meeting dress code–and nodded. "Yeah, you're onto something there."

"First rule of looking good, my man," Ferguson said. "Hang out with a fat boy and a weird boy."

Alfonzo folded his arms. "I am only a little overweight, and Ferguson isn't THAT weird, but we make it work."

The bodyguard reconsidered his assessment. "Y'know what? I'd let you two in just for that."

Click to shrink...

Rivalz: Kinda shitty that they're not letting people in. Might as well have a cover charge for this. ¬_¬

Tamaki: Dude....fucking cyborg security. Crazy, man.

Jeremiah: Mr. Tamaki, you are aware that I myself am one, yes?

Tamaki: Huh, that's right. Well, I guess I got used to you. Plus the boss man and you are kinda one offs right now. This guy? Looks like he came outta a factory or some shit.

Jeremiah: Hmm, that is a fair point. This world seems to have mass production cybernetics.

Roland and Alfonzo turned to look and joined Ferguson in slack-jawed staring as a hot pink stretch limousine nearly long as a school bus slowly pulled up to the front of the school. The other students waiting turned as well, staring in shock at the very long car and the startling fact that it had no wheels. Just over a foot off the ground, the car hovered in defiance of gravity, moving soundlessly except for the whistling whine of the engines that kept it aloft.

"You know what? I'm starting to think she needs therapy," Ferguson said.

Alfonzo hummed. "Yes, or two years hard labor in the crystal mines."

Ferguson looked at Alfonzo. "I'm also starting to think you need therapy."

Click to shrink...

Rakshata: Commercial Air Glide systems?

Kallen: Doubt it. FLOAT/Air Glide has a humming sound, not a whine. And it's smoother than whatever this is.

Kallen: Also, da fuck??

"He understands. Brittney wasn't about to let me go to the dance unless I had a date, so…" Roland said. "Besides, last couple days he's been shockingly popular with girls."

Ferguson and Alfonzo both slammed their thumbs down on the blue X button of the controller in their minds.

"… Not to rag on your bro, but this is Andrew McCormick, right? Like… he's barely ranked above me, man." Ferguson looked at Alfonzo. "Nah, you're completely off the market."

Alfonzo was a little worried. "Who has been talking to him, is it someone with nefarious intentions? Maybe they were paid by the Vanderhoffs?"

At that moment, Drew leaped without warning from the limo, positioned himself in midair, and came down in a three-point landing with his left foot leading and his right trailing. He was stylishly composed, wearing a blue tuxedo in the same color as the Stingerborg armor, the stylish attire offset by a pair of blue and white high-top sneakers. Rising from his kneel, he tilted his head to flick his styled hair, unexpectedly longer and pulled into a low ponytail, and gave Roland, Alfonzo, and Ferguson a surprisingly ominous look.

He then broke into a grin and waved to them. "Hey, guys."

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: KONO DREW DA!

Milly: Hubba hubba! ♥

Kaguya: Ara ara, someone cleaned up nice.

As they stepped away from the limo, the last occupant emerged. Wearing an elegant pink cheongsam bordered with blue and patterned with lavenders, Brittney emerged from the car. Her long hair hung down mostly, except for a pair of braids that were tied around at the back of her head to guide her hair straight down. In her free hand she held a fur-tipped fan, which she used to hide the bottom half of her face as she walked up.

Click to shrink...

Milly: She looks great too.

CC: Think she goes both ways?

Kaguya: I like her taste in fans.

Right as she made that boast, the air slashed vertically in front of her, and a shimmering portal swirled outward wide enough to block the path of Brittney, her entourage, and the other students. Seeing literal magic materialize in front of her, the rich girl's eyes went wide while the guards all visibly tensed after being so statue-like before.

Stepping out of the portal, the picture of grace in a glittering rose red shoulderless evening dress with a rainbow-trailing shooting star that wrapped around it was Mabel, her literally sparkling hair held in place by a matching red hairband instead of the vibrant pink. Touching down on the carpet in heels that matched her dress, Mabel brought her fingers up and blew a kiss to her classmates as she winked.

At her left, Misao stepped out, wearing a short dark blue dress with large straps that hung off her shoulders and connected to long sheer fingerless gloves that matched her stockings. Like Mabel's, her dress, matching shoes, and the blue carnation in her hair all sparkled. Her hair also shone, now dyed completely black with a blue hue on the other side and best visible when facing her front.

On Mabel's right a girl that no one recognized for a moment stepped through, in a yellow halter-top chiffon dress that likewise sparkled. It clicked that the girl with shoulder length, shiny black hair and no old hat to hide it was Janna when they noticed she was wearing a pair of jarring black knee high combat boots that were at least laced up tight.

"Stylish minds think alike," Mabel said to Brittney. "Because we both decided to be fashionably late to this par-tay~!"

"… Wow," Roland said as he openly gawked at Mabel.

Megan would be offended, if she was not in awe of Janna's glow up. "Yo…"

She wasn't the only one impressed, as Drew averted his eyes from Janna–and she caught it with a more vicious smirk.

Sabrina was looking back and forth between Mabel and Misao, her head almost spinning as she sputtered. "… Th-they're real…"

Click to shrink...

Euphie: Oh they look dazzling!

Leloucia: *taking notes*

Milly: Damn right those are real. Fake tits don't bounce like those melons, hehehehe!

She held up the Dimensional Scissors. "These right here mean she can't sneak in."

With that she tossed them to Brittney, who snatched her free hand out and caught them. Staring at the scissors, she opened them and closed them, gently cutting into the fabric of space time as she did. Pulling the scissors out of the hole she made, she closed and put them away.

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: Alright, that is kinda cool.

Rakshata: *salivating at the magic*

Rakshata: I must have those. FOR SCIENCE!

Leloucia: ask nicely and maybe she'll let you look them over.

He then looked at Alfonzo and jokingly began to ask. "On that note–how do you and sugar wings–?"

"Don't ask questions you aren't prepared to handle the answers to," Alfonzo warned, in a dead serious voice, shutting Ferguson up.

Click to shrink...

CC: Sugar wings?

*shows picture of Pixie Empress relative to Alfonzo side*

CC: Oh. *catty smile* That would be fun to watch, oh ho ho ho.

Shermie shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, things aren't like they were back when I was a kid. Back then you could brown bag it and nobody would care unless you acted like a putz who couldn't hold his liquor."

Ferguson immediately caught the implication. "Wait, you can drink below twenty-one in Mewni?"

"There really isn't a legal drinking age because, you know, Mewni is a brutal medieval society where there's no fridges to preserve food or water. But most other dimensions I've been to, it's always sixteen," Star explained.

"Can confirm!" Alfonzo piped in. "In the Pixie Kingdom it is also sixteen… but they don't drink alcohol–just do space cocaine!"

Ferguson pouted. "… I want space coke."

As Alfonzo dug through the cooler and pulled out a soda, Star shook her head. "I wouldn't recommend it. Do enough of it and the next thing you know you're doing really lame dances to bad songs that end up all over social media and all you feel after is dirty."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Cocaine is overrated. Author-kun for one is not a fan of it.

Milly: Eh, never been into it.

Rivalz: It's alright, just need to get pure stuff and not be an idiot about how much you're doing.

Rakshata: One wonders what the medical consequences of long term use are.

"It's the~! It's the~! It's the Rick Dance~!" The music sang as the dancing on screen played.

All three cringed in disgust. "Eugh!"

Ferguson grabbed his own drink and sat down on the grass to look at the school. "Well, I'd still take that over the cringefest that's going to go down in there–and not only because it looked like there was nothing but cute alien chicks in that vid."

He looked at Star. "Right?"

Star took a sip of her soda. "Actually? No… I hope they all have fun." She gestured with her can to the the dance. "Misao and Mabel and Janna are there, and at the end of the day Brittney put so much effort into this that it'd be a shame if it wasn't fun or interesting. If it can be that, then I won't mess it up, and I definitely won't wish that something bad happens."

Exchanging looks with each other, Ferguson and Alfonzo both nodded, before both held their sodas to her in a toast. Reading the proverbial room, Shermie joined in as Ferguson responded. "Well, that just proves we're at the better party anyway."

Star smiled and clinked her can to the other three. "Thanks."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: WHAT?! RICK SANCHEZ?!

Kallen: Who?

Trollouche: A delusional mad scientist who better not be part of this fucking verse. *glares at Ero Sennin*

Nunnally: D'aww, Star really has become a better person.

"Make me to hammer things! Give me hammers for hands! Put me to work where there's nothing but SCREWS?! And then you have the nerve to keep runnin' into my hammers, and then you have the nerve to not get back up when I pound you into the ground?! AND NOW YOU KEEP GETTING ALL OVER ME WITH YOUR INNARDS?! YOU BASTARDS I'LL NAIL YOU TO THIS PLANET'S CORE!"

Typhus didn't say anything, but not because he was unconscious or in too much pain. A half hour into the beating, he and Noxic both reasoned that anything they said would just make Hammer Kong angrier–or at least angrier than saying nothing at all made him.

"I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, SAY SOMETHING!" The Combat Mecha roared. "SAY ONE MORE THING AND I'LL KILL YOU!"

QED.

Click to shrink...

Nunnally: QED?

Rakshata: Quod Erat Demonstratum. "That which has been demonstrated." It's a term in mathematics used to designate the end of a mathematical proof or formula.

Rakshata: Or in this case, proof that Hammer Kong is just looking for an excuse to smash something.

Somehow, over his own furious raving, the sound of feet hitting the ground behind him alerted Hammer Kong, and he turned around to face Jara. The sight of the red-garbed Magnavore made him see red, which in turn made her hard to see–not that he wanted to look at her. "YOU COME TO GET NAILED LIKE YOUR FRIENDS HERE, LADY?!"

"Phrasing," Jara flatly answered.

That just, as one could guess, enraged Hammer Kong further. "I'M GONNA POUND THE CRAP OUT OF YOU FOR TURNING MY WORDS INTO AN INNUENDO!"

Click to shrink...

Milly: The innuendo is really obviously honestly.

Milly: After all, who doesn't wanna get nailed?

Nunnally: That was bad and you should feel bad.

There was no answer except for the sound of someone biting into a sandwich. Turning around and looking up, Hammer Kong found a young man sitting in the open doorway of an excavator, eating a thick, meat-filled sandwich soaked in red sauce that stained his hands, soaked the bread, and was smeared all over his face. The sauce dribbled onto the black hoodie sweater he wore and the image of a brightly smiling dirty-blonde teenage girl across its chest, and some even dripped from the bill of the black baseball cap with a deer skull in its middle he wore over his curly sandy brown hair.

"WHAT. ARE YOU. LOOKING AT?!" Hammer Kong screamed at the young man.

"Nothing," the young man replied as he took one hand from his sandwich to pull out his phone.

"OH YEAH?! I'M NOTHING TO YOU?!" Hammer Kong roared.

"Nah, I'm nothin' to you," he replied as he hit a button and music began to play.

Hammer Kong stared at the young man as he resumed eating his sandwich like nothing mattered. As the soft guitar intro began to float through the air, Hammer Kong's ire ignited once more, and he looked around to his left and right. "RRRRRARGH! I NEED TO FIND MORE NAILS!"

Completely forgetting the young man, the combat mecha turned and noticed a glow in the distance–the spotlights from Echo Creek Academy shining into the night sky and the holograms advertising Spirit Week by Wong. Growling, he began stomping towards them. As Hammer Kong left, the young man kept eating his sandwich and began to hum to the lyrics.

On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: ....what.

CC: Quoi???

Tohdoh: What just happened? Why did he suddenly lose track of his target? -_-

CC: That was extremely disconcerting.

Milly: We got bigger problems. He's headed for the school!

Coasting along the relatively secluded road that the driveway of the abandoned Hillhurst Manor led to, she did just that. "A simple sorry should be enough–nothing fancy or dramatic… just admit I was wrong to be like that and work not to do it again. I think Dipper would appreciate that… the others too, obviously."

There she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinkin' to myself
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

She shook her head. "No, no… get out of that toxic mindset! They're not the others; Star, Misao, Mabel, Janna… they're part of the team, they're all doing their part. I mean, shoot… Star's a better fighter than all of us combined! She's literally saved our butts more than once."

Reaching the Hillhurst driveway, she slowed down to a stop and sighed. "… And Nano's right, they won't give up on me, and I can't give up on me–not when there's so much more at stake."

Then she lit up a candle
And she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say

Just as she was about to pick up a little more speed to get to the house, Jo abruptly stopped. Parked completely across the narrow driveway, to block sight of it from the road, was a dark green sports car, a McLaren 12c. Staring at the car, and seeing no one inside through the tinted windows, she looked around for any sign of an owner or anyone who could explain why it was there.

"Wait, what…? Whose…?"

A glow in the distance then caught her immediate attention, and she looked towards Hillhurst. Then she grew alarmed when she saw it was a fire, sending a dense smoke streaming upward.

"Welcome to the Hotel California…"

Click to shrink...

Milly: Thatta girl, Jo!

Zero: Looks like someone showed up to throw their own party.

Zero: And what does Hotel California have to do with this??

Kallen: Nice car though. Somebody has good taste.

Alice: Probably a bad guy.

Kallen: I can like the car even if the owner is probably an asshole.

So. U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer, or Hammer to Fall by Queen? I cannot decide.

Click to shrink...

I suggest this instead:



Probably won't get used, but seems appropriate.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

It's kinda nice that I'm on Volume 7 for both Senpai AND Legends. How about that. Let's see how close I can keep them together. Anyway, like I said with Senpai, whole chapters of Legends will be posted when I have the whole volume done. I still haven't decided on a posting schedule when that happens, but I'm thinking weekly, usually on a... Tuesday or Thursday. Anywahoo. Here comes a preview of the Volume 7 Chapter 2 of Legends: The Geek.

(Woo, more MTL German...)

---

"Thank you for dragging me away from those two," a less recalcitrant Misao murmured as Mabel jogged along, still carrying her like she was a stuffed animal. "I think I would have fought them if you hadn't held me back."

"You definitely got a good slap in!" Mabel praised her. "But I put all that work in on the gel so they can tear a face open if you need to, next time use them claws!"

Misao agreed. "Next time someone makes me that angry, I will."

"Speaking of work," Mabel went on. "Do you want something new for your hair this week?"

Humming, Misao shook her head. "No, I'll wear this color for a little longer. It's very nice."

"I agree! Then I want to dye the underside of my hair red to match," Mabel said.

Misao leaned back into Mabel to look up at her. "Ja! You would look so amazing with red, or even pink!"

Mabel had an idea. "What about Barbie Pink?"

"That would be lovely!"

Content as she was to be cuddled by a jogging Mabel, it had to come to an end as the taller girl reached Misao's new homeroom. "Then we're gonna get started the first thing when we get home!"

Then Mabel had an even better idea. "And Star's wand works, now! We can get her help!"

Set down, Misao bounced in excitement. "That would be perfect! I want to do amazing things with her magic!"

"I'll tell her about it in class." She hugged Misao, who eagerly returned the embrace. "See you at lunch~!"

"Ja, bye-bye!" Misao sang back as they pulled from each other.

As Mabel headed off back to her homeroom, waving excitedly back at her the whole way, Misao sighed and waved back at her.

Ich liebe sie. She thought as she turned and headed to her classroom. Ich vermisse dich bereits.

Now that she had her schedule in order, it was time for her to buckle down and get to work on the whole reason she'd come to America to begin with–finishing her final year of High School. Right outside the partially opened classroom door to her AP Calculus class, she sighed and reached to put her hand on the door.

Du schaffst das. Das ist nur ein weiterer Kurs wie jeder andere. She reassured herself internally as she pushed the door open and stepped into class.

"Guten Tag, Bonjour, Hello, Buenos Dias, Konnichiwa~!" Misao greeted, putting her best foot forward and her sunniest smile on her face.

The response she received was more than encouraging, as numerous students waved and greeted her in turn. Among them, seated beside two empty desks at the front of the class, was Brittney Wong–who had taken a moment from looking at her financial portfolio to wave in greeting. Spying the desk next to her, Misao brightened and walked over to the empty desk.

"Is this spot taken?" She asked.

Brittney closed the screen of her phone and set it down. "No, go ahead and sit down."

Misao accepted the offer and took the seat. "I didn't know you had AP Calculus."

Brittney rolled her eyes, but not in a dismissive manner. "I take every AP Course this school can offer."

The exchange student was relieved. Oh, dieser kurs wird überhaupt nicht schlimm sein.

With a sage nod, Misao understood. "Even in a fun school like this, our parents have high expectations of us."

"You have no idea," Brittney replied, "You think I can take over this entire school for nothing? I need to always be top three in the whole school if I want the money to do anything here."

This piqued Misao's interest. "Top three, not number one? Wow… your parents are pretty laid back."

"It's hard to hold onto number one at this school, so they cut me some slack rather than do something Vanderhoff-worthy," Brittney muttered.

At the thought of academic competition, Misao had to know. "So… who's number one?"

"Marco," Brittney said like Misao should know this.

"Quoi?" Misao would've never suspected him. "He seems more of… hmm… a jock."

And Brittney had to stuff a very sharp laugh. "Hm?! He declined every sports club because he didn't want to get bruised."

"… You've seen him fight, maybe he didn't want to bruise others?" The exchange student noted.

Brittney considered the possibility. "No… he was a wuss before Star gave him something to throw hands with."

That brought a giggle spilling from Misao. "So, he's much cooler, now?"

"From a purely objective standpoint, and that's it," Brittney quickly said.

Just as Misao was about to needle Brittney now, a hurried Heather entered the class and bolted to her seat.

"Sorry I'm late!" She said before she realized Misao was sitting between her and Brittney. "Oh!"

"Hallo," Misao greeted with a wave. "You take AP Calculus, too?"

"Yeah," Heather said as she put her books in her desk. "If I keep my grades up, I have a scholarship to UCLA with my name on it."

Brittney gestured to Heather. "Meet number three in the whole school."

Misao cupped her cheeks and looked back and forth beaming at her neighbors. "We can be study buddies!"

Heather brought a hand to her lips and giggled. "Wow, this is the most fun the class has been since Jackie was here."

Brittney gave the newly arrived girl a bit of a sharper look. "Let's see how long that lasts."

That was a grim reminder for Misao. This was, after all, the Den of the Geek…

As if on cue, the door opened again, and the classroom's teacher walked in. He was a fair-skinned man of average height with a weedy build, wearing a white button-down shirt with a black tie, and gray pants. He had short cut black hair that matched his dark eyes and the glasses he wore.

When Misao looked, she had a pang of dread as she watched him scan the classroom with an air not unlike Trip and Van… like he was a man assured of his superiority over the people before him and he knew it in his heart.

That dread was confirmed when he spoke, his voice projecting across the room like a young man with grievances against his students. "Well, I see everyone had a nice time at the dance this past weekend. Let's wring all that joy and euphoria out, before you start thinking there's hope for any of you."

Verflixt. Misao thought.

---

You're on your own, kid, but at least you're not alone.

 

[TricksterPriest]

"Thank you for dragging me away from those two," a less recalcitrant Misao murmured as Mabel jogged along, still carrying her like she was a stuffed animal. "I think I would have fought them if you hadn't held me back."

"You definitely got a good slap in!" Mabel praised her. "But I put all that work in on the gel so they can tear a face open if you need to, next time use them claws!"

Misao agreed. "Next time someone makes me that angry, I will."

Click to shrink...

CC: I've never understood why some women consider clawing at faces as a reasonable tactic. *rolls her eyes*

Milly: It's not my thing either. Then again, I used to hang around Lulu's mom when I was younger, and she'd just clock people or stab them.

CC: Mari would have eviscerated these idiots for what they're doing.

Content as she was to be cuddled by a jogging Mabel, it had to come to an end as the taller girl reached Misao's new homeroom. "Then we're gonna get started the first thing when we get home!"

Then Mabel had an even better idea. "And Star's wand works, now! We can get her help!"

Set down, Misao bounced in excitement. "That would be perfect! I want to do amazing things with her magic!"

Click to shrink...

Milly: Ouuuu, magic makeover? Sign me up!

Milly: Kallen, you're coming too!

Kallen: Like hell I am! ¬_¬

Milly: Nope! No getting out of it!

Ich liebe sie. She thought as she turned and headed to her classroom. Ich vermisse dich bereits.

Click to shrink...

CC: "I love her." and "I miss you already."

CC: Someone has good taste.

Du schaffst das. Das ist nur ein weiterer Kurs wie jeder andere. She reassured herself internally as she pushed the door open and stepped into class.

Click to shrink...

CC: "You can do this. This is just another course like any other."

Trollouche: Lady, taunt murphy at thine own peril.

Brittney closed the screen of her phone and set it down. "No, go ahead and sit down."

Misao accepted the offer and took the seat. "I didn't know you had AP Calculus."

Brittney rolled her eyes, but not in a dismissive manner. "I take every AP Course this school can offer."

The exchange student was relieved. Oh, dieser kurs wird überhaupt nicht schlimm sein.

With a sage nod, Misao understood. "Even in a fun school like this, our parents have high expectations of us."

"You have no idea," Brittney replied, "You think I can take over this entire school for nothing? I need to always be top three in the whole school if I want the money to do anything here."

This piqued Misao's interest. "Top three, not number one? Wow… your parents are pretty laid back."

Click to shrink...

CC: "This course will not be bad at all."

Trollouche: Keep taunting Murphy, see what happens.

Milly: I can see where Brittney is coming from. Grandpa says if I want to do festivals? I need to be in the top 10 academically.

Rivalz: It's kind of an informal requirement for the council that you've got to be pretty good academically. Except Lelouch, he gets a pass because he's trying to stay under the radar and everyone knows he's sandbagging. I think he's still top 30, top 20 or so?

Milly: That's laid back??

Kaguya: For a rich Asian family? Yes.

Kaguya: You have nooo idea how much pressure there is.

"It's hard to hold onto number one at this school, so they cut me some slack rather than do something Vanderhoff-worthy," Brittney muttered.

At the thought of academic competition, Misao had to know. "So… who's number one?"

"Marco," Brittney said like Misao should know this.

"Quoi?" Misao would've never suspected him. "He seems more of… hmm… a jock."

And Brittney had to stuff a very sharp laugh. "Hm?! He declined every sports club because he didn't want to get bruised."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Whaaaaaat?

Rivalz: For real?

Kallen: I'm surprised too.

Trollouche: I think his nickname was "Safe kid" before Star showed up.

"Hallo," Misao greeted with a wave. "You take AP Calculus, too?"

"Yeah," Heather said as she put her books in her desk. "If I keep my grades up, I have a scholarship to UCLA with my name on it."

Brittney gestured to Heather. "Meet number three in the whole school."

Misao cupped her cheeks and looked back and forth beaming at her neighbors. "We can be study buddies!"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Looks like an impressive collection of brains here.

Rivalz: Aren't you in the top ten of the school yourself? How the hell do you do that with all the side job stuff as well?

Kallen: *blinks* Why? Is it supposed to be hard?

Rivalz: Nevermind.

Brittney gave the newly arrived girl a bit of a sharper look. "Let's see how long that lasts."

That was a grim reminder for Misao. This was, after all, the Den of the Geek…

As if on cue, the door opened again, and the classroom's teacher walked in. He was a fair-skinned man of average height with a weedy build, wearing a white button-down shirt with a black tie, and gray pants. He had short cut black hair that matched his dark eyes and the glasses he wore.

When Misao looked, she had a pang of dread as she watched him scan the classroom with an air not unlike Trip and Van… like he was a man assured of his superiority over the people before him and he knew it in his heart.

That dread was confirmed when he spoke, his voice projecting across the room like a young man with grievances against his students. "Well, I see everyone had a nice time at the dance this past weekend. Let's wring all that joy and euphoria out, before you start thinking there's hope for any of you."

Verflixt. Misao thought.

Click to shrink...

CC: "Darn."

Trollouche: Who called it? Who? Me, that's who!

Milly: Aaaaand I hate this guy already. -_-

Nunnally: I don't like him. He sounds like a mean and bitter person. ¬_¬

Kallen: Bets on him turning into a monster and the good guys getting to beat the shit out of him?

Rivalz: Place your bets folks.

The usual gang of lunatics and I await the full volume.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

Here we are with more preview material, this time from chapter 3 of Volume 7: Supervillain.

---

High School schedules were annoying. While most days Drew would have a chance to sit in class with Heather, today was the day she just happened to have AP Calculus, so she wasn't in first period where he, Jo, and Dipper normally hung together. Dipper wasn't there, either; Jo was kind of moody about that but not to the antagonistic degree she'd been before the dance. At the very least, she'd be in higher spirits when she could hang out with the other girls at lunch.

Heather will be there, too. Drew thought with no small anticipation at the prospect, as he made his way to his locker between the class changes. I really missed her.

Even with how eventful the weekend was, and all the distractions and interactions he enjoyed, she had never left the back of his mind. It really had felt like months since he'd spoken to her, and he was more than eager to pick up where they had left off that afternoon before his fight with Saberizer.

Maybe she'll be up for sneaking off to Britta's again. He thought with a small smile.

He had just reached his locker, when the school's janitor, a blonde-haired, mustachioed man in a blue boiler suit called over to him. "Uh, hey? Watch your step right there, okay? I just mopped."

Drew stopped and looked at the floor. Indeed, it was freshly mopped. Taking another look, he was even surprised to see wet floor signs set up on both sides of the wet area. He looked at the janitor, confused.

"… Uh… thanks?" He offered.

The janitor stared at him. "Thanks for what?"

"Normally you don't…" He stopped.

The janitor, looking panicked, quickly asked. "Normally I don't what?"

Drew looked at the care and vigilance towards the wet floor, then back towards the janitor. "Nevermind, thanks for the heads up."

"No problem, it's my job, you know?" The janitor said quickly. "Because I'm the school janitor! I've been here for 20 years, and I'll be here for 20 more, yep."

Drew nodded. "Okay, man. Just… uh… keep up the good work?"

"We have already established that this is my job, now uh… don't pay me any mind and go back to whatever you were doing, the next bell is going to ring soon," the janitor said before going back to mopping the floor and calling out kids walking towards the wet floor signs.

Turning back to his locker, Drew shook his head. How does a school getting by at least three one-percenters and the literal ruler of a magical kingdom only hire weirdos?

As he opened his locker, he paused. Why is THAT even a question?!

Rather than torment himself with further questions, he just reached for his textbook just as someone called to him.

"Hey, um, Drew–eep!" He almost jumped when he heard a squeak and the sound of feet slipping on the wet floor. Closing his locker, he found Sabrina Backintosh struggling to keep from falling as her cheerleader uniform's sneakers lost their grip on the freshly mopped floor.

Drew was quick on the draw, using his telekinesis without thinking to arrest Sabrina's falling long enough to catch her by the hand and pull her away from the wet floor and close to him.

Letting out a squeak, Sabrina slipped forward–but Drew caught her with his other hand on her shoulder. For a moment, the green-eyed brunette looked up at him in surprise at his agility, before she took a half-step back from him.

The overly concerned janitor bad at trying to be inconspicuous looked over. "Hey, there are signs!"

"Th-thank you!" She quickly said, hoping to quickly talk past her near spill… and the fact that he was still holding her hand.

Drew nodded and released her from both his hands. "No problem. You made it through Spirit Week without taking a fall, so… it'd be bad to break the streak before second period, huh?"

In her heart of hearts, Sabrina told herself not to tell Drew about the spill she took getting out of bed this morning as she agreed. "Yeah. So, how was your weekend?" She asked, struggling to fight down her normal nervous stutter.

Drew smiled at the mousy cheerleader. "It was all right, I spent all of Sunday at home relaxing."

Because he was still grounded, of course, but having a lock on his door helped make it more bearable. "What about you?"

"Um… about the same. I stayed at home in bed all day because the dance took a lot out of me."

Drew sympathized. "Yeah… I'm usually completely drained after a big event, too."

He's been having more of those; though, hanging out with his group of friends would be nicer without the fate of the universe being in the balance.

Sabrina relaxed, her smile reflecting it. "I-introvert problems, am I right?"

"You're right," he answered with a similar friendliness. "So, what's up?"

With the ice broken, Sabrina felt free to fidget a little. "You know, we have lunch at the same time, right?"

Drew nodded. "Uh huh?"

"I was wondering… if you wanted… to…" Sabrina reached up and messed with her hair before spitting it out. "Sit with me for lunch? You know… maybe hang out for a little bit?"

Drew stared at her in muted surprise much like when she asked him to the dance.

He had a really good time with Sabrina, nothing was ever going to change that, yet Andrew McCormick didn't think there was much more to it than that. He was just someone's companion at a school dance. Sure, he knew there'd be friendly smiles and waves for the rest of the year, but he was also under the assumption that everyone was supposed to go back to their respective social circles afterward.

He had even made peace with it. Though the shyest cheerleader to ever lead cheers, Sabrina was still a cheerleader, and he was a comic book nerd.

"Um… really?" He asked.

Sabrina nodded. "I had a good time at the dance, and I wanted to do that more…?"

"Oh, right."

So he had made that good of an impression. He inwardly cursed himself for having self-doubts about being a pleasant person to hang out with.

Sabrina rocked from side to side, while rubbing her right forearm with her left hand. "… So…?"

Before Drew could answer her, the very source of his self-doubts walked right up to him and Sabrina. Trip, strutting like he owned the school, lifted a curious eyebrow at the sight of Drew and Sabrina within such proximity. He tilted his head to the side more and squinted a little at Drew, as if he was trying to recognize him. Van was of course beside him, looking more confused at Drew's appearance than the fact that he was chatting with a girl out of his league.

"Huh, excuse me," Trip addressed him, "You wouldn't happen to know an Andrew McCormick, would you?"

Drew looked at Sabrina, then back at Trip. "It's me, Trip. I got fixed up after my accident last week so I could go to the dance."

Trip nodded. "Well, I see you got some other work in besides. Did you sell that ratty old comic to afford it, because if so? You didn't get your money's worth."

And there it was.

"And what's up with this?" Van asked as he gestured between Drew and Sabrina. "First Hope Hadley and that fat fuck, and now a cheerleader's talking to you?"

A grin splitting his lips, Trip opened his mouth to say something particularly cutting off the top of his head, when Drew cut him off.

"I'm going to stop you right there, Trip," he said, his eyes empty save for contempt. "You? Your brother? In case I didn't make it clear enough at the game on Friday? Pay attention."

He gestured between thee two of them. "Go fuck yourselves–or each other. Whichever helps you feel better about being miserable dumb fucks with no friends and a Dad who doesn't love you."

Trip's mouth dropped open, while Van visibly recoiled from the sheer venom in Drew's casually delivered but caustic rebuke. Beside Drew, Sabrina was similarly shocked by the vitriol he spat at his perennial bullies.

"You've got no friends, no personality, and no fucking common sense. If you didn't have all that money, you would be getting your asses kicked every day like you did during the game, by everyone," Drew snarled.

Van was startled further. "How do you know about–?"

"You shut up; I'm not done talking." Drew snapped at Van, and he fell quiet.

"I don't care how much money you've got, if you talk to me again?" He continued, "If you even come near me again? I will beat the shit out of both of you."

He promptly dropped his books on the floor, squared his shoulders, and stepped up to both brothers, making Trip take a step back on reflex.

"Or we can go right now," he offered. "Hell, see if you can pay someone to fight me in your place–since I hear you're too chickenshit to throw hands yourself."

The janitor, tightly gripping his mop, looked back and forth between the quarreling students, his own mouth agape.

Trip's face had gone from pale to the most incredible shade of red as the shock that Andrew McCormick, his favorite punching bag since middle school, was talking all the shit to him like he could back it up.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," Trip said, the ugliness and wickedness that seized him when he paid Goblin to go after Dipper rearing its ugly head.

"You're going to pay someone to kill me," Drew corrected him, completely absent of any care about what he just said. "Right?"

He looked at Van. "Are you gonna take a swing at me? Or are you going to stand there and look fucking stupid like you always do when this dipshit doesn't yap orders?"

Van sputtered; he honestly didn't have words for this. The Andrew McCormick he knew did not talk like this, nor did he do it with such confidence or intensity. He couldn't understand what was happening.

Seeing that no one was going to attack him, Drew stepped back, and placed his foot atop his dropped books. "If neither of you have shit to say, or don't want to fight me? Fuck off."

He finally spared Sabrina a look at that, and he found that the shock that had taken her was also replace,d but in her case by open awe and admiration. He averted his eyes back to his opponents, but the fact that Sabrina was extremely cute with that look of wonder made him feel even better than just saying what he wanted to say to the Vanderhoffs already did.

Trip took another few steps back and pointed at Drew. "Y-you're fucking dead, Andrew. Just you wait. Not now, not tomorrow, but just like Pine Tree, you're fucking getting yours!"

"But it's not now, so you can go," Drew snapped back before he heard the a quickly growing commotion down the hallway.

---

Quite a lot going on...

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

Volume 7 nears completion. Literally two chapters an a ton of editing to do before it's ready to go. Until then, here is another preview update. Now with a different machine translated language.

---

Over 1500 planes land per day at Los Angeles International Airport. Coming from all over the world, they range from single-engine civil prop planes to massive two and four engine jet airliners carrying hundreds of people. On this bright and sunny Monday morning, one plane went barely noticed as it lined up with the runway and began its final approach.

It was a small, white and gray-painted flying wing with a blended-wing-body and a pair of surprisingly quiet engines in pods also streamlined in the underside of the aircraft. Landing gear–a bicycle undercarriage with outrigger wheels under the middle of the wings–extended and the plane touched down.

Instead of approaching the terminal after it reached the end of the runway, the plane turned and taxied off towards a dark blue hangar where a sedan and two SUVs awaited.

Aboard the plane, a small Japanese woman with shiny black hair cut into a shoulder length bob, dressed in a dark-blue business suit with matching shoes and dark stockings.

Her gray eyes darted her right. Not to a window but to the wall-hugging screen of the private jet's cabin showing the world outside the aircraft as it rolled to a stop. She stared at the entourage waiting for her, as she spoke aloud.

「私たちのフライト で、 どれ 位 かかりました か ？」

Beside her, a woman similarly dressed, but taller, and with long fiery red hair that ended in yellow streaks at the end, replied.

「一時間と二十三分です。」

The smaller woman narrowed her eyes, before she got up. From her seat.

「またくだな 十年前には、これをしませんでした。」

The taller, more colorful woman giggled.

「しがたじゃないです。」

Then she spoke again, in English. "And also, ten years ago we didn't have anything this nice."

Giving her a withering look, the woman stepped towards the downward opening door, its wall folding out into a staircase. "True."

The taller woman then asked. "Though, would that stop you, Hyuuga-sama?"

Reaching the bottom of the steps, the woman stopped after touching the pavement and looked back at her taller companion.

"If I had to, I would swim the entire ocean to be here."

With that she headed towards the sedan awaiting them. "Now let's go, and resolve this unpleasant business."

---

An new arrival.

 

[TricksterPriest]

Huh?

CC: Oh look who's back. :3

Milly: Just go for it!

"Thank you for dragging me away from those two," a less recalcitrant Misao murmured as Mabel jogged along, still carrying her like she was a stuffed animal. "I think I would have fought them if you hadn't held me back."

Mabel looked down at her. "You definitely got a good slap in! But I put all that work in on the gel so they can tear a face open if you need to, next time use them claws!"

Misao agreed. "Next time someone makes me that angry, I will."

"Speaking of work, do you want something new for your hair this week?"

Humming, Misao shook her head. "No, I'll wear this color for a little longer. It's very nice."

"I agree! Then I want to dye the underside of my hair red to match," Mabel said.

Misao leaned back into Mabel to look up at her. "Ja! You would look so amazing with red, or even pink!"

Mabel had an idea. "What about Barbie Pink?"

Click to shrink...

Milly: I love her fashion sense!

Nunnally: Her hair would look so cute like that!

CC: I've never liked using my nails on people like that. A good quick slash with a blade is much more satisfying.

Kallen: Fucking Kami CC, you can't just go around using a sword on people. This isn't our world.

As Mabel headed off back to her homeroom, waving excitedly back at her the whole way, Misao sighed and waved back at her.

Ich liebe sie. She thought as she turned and headed to her classroom. Ich vermisse dich bereits.

Now that she had her schedule in order, it was time for her to buckle down and get to work on the whole reason she'd come to America to begin with–finishing her final year of High School. Right outside the partially opened classroom door to her AP Calculus class, she sighed and reached to put her hand on the door.

Du schaffst das. Das ist nur ein weiterer Kurs wie jeder andere. She reassured herself internally as she pushed the door open and stepped into class.

"Guten Tag, Bonjour, Hello, Buenos Dias, Konnichiwa~!" Misao greeted, putting her best foot forward and her sunniest smile on her face.

The response she received was more than encouraging, as numerous students waved and greeted her in turn. Among them, seated beside two empty desks at the front of the class, was Brittney Wong–who had taken a moment from looking at her financial portfolio to wave in greeting. Spying the desk next to her, Misao brightened and walked over.

Click to shrink...

CC: "I love her." and "I miss you already."

Milly: She's a very affectionate girl if you don't get on her bad side. :3

CC: "You can do it. This is just another course like any other."

Trollouche: Seriously people, stop taunting Murphy.

Brittney rolled her eyes, but not in a dismissive manner. "I take every AP Course this school can offer."

The exchange student was relieved. Oh, dieser kurs wird überhaupt nicht schlimm sein.

With a sage nod, she understood. "Even in a fun school like this, our parents have high expectations of us."

"You have no idea," Brittney replied, "You think I can take over this entire school for nothing? I need to always be top three in the whole school if I want the money to do anything here."

This piqued Misao's interest. "Top three, not number one? Wow… your parents are pretty laid back."

"It's hard to hold onto number one at this school, so they cut me some slack rather than do something Vanderhoff-worthy," Brittney muttered.

At the thought of academic competition, Misao had to know. "So… who's number one?"

"Marco," Brittney said like Misao should know this.

"Quoi?" Misao would've never suspected him. "He seems more of… hmm… a jock."

And Brittney had to stuff a very sharp laugh. "Him?! He declined every sports club because he didn't want to get bruised."

"… You've seen him fight, maybe he didn't want to bruise others?"

Brittney considered the possibility. "No… he was a wuss before Star gave him something to throw hands with."

That brought a giggle spilling from Misao. "So, he's much cooler, now?"

"From a purely objective standpoint, and that's it," Brittney quickly said.

Click to shrink...

CC: "Oh, this course won't be so bad after all."

Trollouche: Countdown starting now! :3

Milly: Marco??

Rivalz: Not the guy I expected to be #1.

Kallen: I'm surprised too.

Kaguya: Speaking as someone who...used to have parents like that? Brittney's are incredibly relaxed. >_<

Just as Misao was about to needle Brittney, a hurried Heather entered the class and bolted to her seat.

"Sorry I'm late!" She said before she realized Misao was sitting between her and Brittney. "Oh!"

"Hallo," Misao greeted with a wave. "You take AP Calculus, too?"

"Yeah," Heather said as she put her books in her desk. "If I keep my grades up, I have a scholarship to UCLA with my name on it."

Brittney gestured to Heather. "Meet number three in the whole school."

Misao cupped her cheeks and looked back and forth beaming at her neighbors. "We can be study buddies!"

Heather brought a hand to her lips and giggled. "Wow, this is the most fun the class has been since Jackie was here."

Brittney gave the newly arrived girl a bit of a sharper look. "Let's see how long that lasts."

That was a grim reminder for Misao. This was, after all, the Den of the Geek…

Click to shrink...

Milly: Also not someone I'd have predicted as top 3, but I'm down for it. *thumbs up*

Kallen: Guess she's got some friends now.

Milly: Wait, what was that last line?

As if on cue, the door opened again, and the classroom's teacher walked in. He was a fair-skinned man of average height with a weedy build, wearing a white button-down shirt with a black tie, and gray pants. He had short cut black hair that matched his dark eyes and the glasses he wore.

When Misao looked, she had a pang of dread as she watched him scan the classroom with an air not unlike Trip and Van… like he was a man assured of his superiority over the people before him and he knew it in his heart.

That dread was confirmed when he spoke, his voice projecting across the room like a young man with grievances against his students. "Well, I see everyone had a nice time at the dance this past weekend. Let's wring all that joy and euphoria out, before you start thinking there's hope for any of you."

Verflixt. Misao thought.

The teacher's gaze fell upon Misao, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "And a new student for my AP Calc. I've been waiting a bit to finally say hello to you, Miss Darlian."

Misao sat straighter, putting her best foot forward despite sitting down with a friendly response. "You have?"

Mr. Geike, the teacher, nodded before looking to the rest of his students. "So, we have ourselves a little celebrity here: You see, Miss Darlian is one of those E-Girls that you hear about."

Misao recoiled a bit. "Er… I am not an 'E-Girl', I play video games and stream it for entertainment. Being an E-Girl implies something I'm not even allowed to do."

Click to shrink...

Milly: And I already don't like this guy. ¬_¬

CC: "Darn."

Milly: E what now?

Trollouche: Basically softcore porn/titilation of girls and boys playing video games, Vtubing etc. It's not always that but it does tend to be associated with it.

Trollouche: Misao isn't quite old enough to do that legally yet.

Milly: How old is she?

Trollouche: About 17.

Milly: *raised eyebrow*

Trollouche: *shrugs* Their world, their rules.

Mr. Geike brushed it off as if he hadn't heard her. "You play video games for a living; and I'm sure you make a lot of money showing off your 1337 ski11z."

And now Misao bristled a little. "Ja, I have sponsors, Herr Geike."

Heather spoke up. "She's won tournaments."

Mr. Geike looked impressed. "Tournaments! You really are accomplished for someone your age. Lots of people play video games–little kids, teenagers, burnt out thirty-year-old losers with no girlfriends just finding something to kill the time between shifts at their Paycheck Mill. And some, like you, are fortunate enough to have the backing to be famous for it."

Misao eyed the teacher, feeling a burn in her chest as her ears had to endure his tone.

"I'm sure if every single one of them had a father who was head of a pharmaceutical corporation, and a mother who sold weapons around the world to throw money at whatever they desired–they'd all be winning tournaments, too."

Misao now frowned at the teacher as she asked, "Do you have a problem with who I am?"

"Problem? No, no… I have no problem," he replied with a heavy inference of the contrary.

"I just want you to know right now, who you are does not matter in my classroom. Especially if you think you're famous, or if your parents get up to unethical things in the name of science or business."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Oh ok. He's a bullying asshole.

Nunnally: I have a very low tolerance for abusive authority figures like that. -_-

Kallen: So she's rich, big whup. Still requires actual skill to win most of the tournaments she's playing I assume.

Kallen: Kinda biased towards gamers in general too. Hang on, what was that about her parents?

Trollouche: Apparently her family has some famous and infamous stories to them. Biopharmaceuticals and Arms Manufacturing, interesting.

She looked back at him. "Then what does matter in your classroom, Herr Geike?"

He slapped the back of his hand against the chalkboard. "The ability to think logically, think critically, and do the work. We live in a golden age of technology and discovery. Everything from hologram projectors in phones, to hypersonic business jets, to liquid batteries have all come from the scientific brilliance of the world's greatest thinkers. Their work, and humanity's benefit of it, comes from classes like these–not likes and follows on Twitch."

Mr. Geike looked down his nose at Misao, the ghost of a condescending smirk on his lips. "So, do you understand, now?"

Heather studied Misao's face; after seeing her slapping Trip at the lockers, she didn't know what to expect here.

Brittney did the same; after hearing about her slapping Trip at the lockers, she hoped she performed an encore here.

Her lips pursed, Misao nodded. "Ja, thank you, Herr Geike."

As though he'd been expecting a different reaction, the teacher was taken aback for a moment, but undeterred. "Good. Take out your textbook and open to section three, I don't want to spend too long getting you caught up."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Look, I'll be the first person to decry influencers and their followers as junk, but that doesn't mean he gets to use the bully pulpit of being a teacher to denigrate a student. ¬_¬

Kallen: Gotta admit, the tech in this planet is kinda nuts. There's things straight out of Star Wars here.

Trollouche: They're definitely ahead of us in quite a few places, which is no mean feat considering we have things like the Hadron blaster, the FLOAT system, Gefjun Disturber, FLEIJA, etc.

Alice: I'm certain Misao is going to make that pompous jerk pay.

Nunnally: I don't think he can afford it on a teacher's salary, tee hee.

"He is an interesting man, that teacher," Misao said firmly. "Is he always like this?"

"Always," Brittney replied. "He harassed Jackie Lynn Thomas out of the class the exact same way he talked shit to you."

Heather sighed. "I think that's the closest I've seen anyone get Jackie to explode. Why are people like this?"

Misao nodded. "He is the smallest possible man."

"You have no idea," Brittney assured her.

Heather looked at Misao. "Seriously though, it almost sounded like it was personal with him, mentioning your parents like that. What was with that?"

Closing her eyes, Misao hummed. "My mother runs a business that my father works for. My mother's work has her overseeing some morally questionable things according to the morally self-righteous. While my father's work involves much Ukrainian medical technology, and certain people find that unsettling as well."

Brittney huffed. "Of course they do. Anyone whose stated goal is to put an end to the medical and pharmaceutical industry becomes an enemy to the medical and pharmaceutical industry."

Heather gawked at Misao. "Wait, Darlian… is your father Doctor Edward Darlian?"

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Milly: So he's one of those terrible teachers who likes to lord it over people and compensate for their own petty feelings. Greeeaaat.

Rakshata: Morally self-righteous. Hmph. The same sort of luddites who decry things like the medical cybernetics I used to work on. Clearly idiots. ¬_¬

Kallen: Big Pharma is that bad over there? I know ours sucks at times, but...

Trollouche: Kallen, our healthcare is absurdly good save for access to those who aren't Britannians. Europia isn't that far behind us and even ahead in some areas. In contrast, American Healthcare in particular is hideously bad.

Trollouche: They don't have government sponsored healthcare, obscene prices for medication-

Rivalz: Hate to break it to you, but I don't think people wanna hear a long rant from you about how bad US healthcare is.

Trollouche: *rolls eyes* Fine.

"Ja, he is," Misao chirped back.

Heather went pale. "Oh my God, do Trip and Van know?!"

"Probably not," Brittney suggested.

Heather looked ahead, shaking her head slowly. "They really have no idea."

A smile played on Misao's lips. "Ja."

The blonde snapped her gaze back to Misao. "So when you said what you did at the lockers…"

"I meant every word of it," Misao assured Heather, just before Star bounded up to the girls.

Click to shrink...

Milly: Ouuuu. Someone's in trouble~

Kaguya: Fu fu fu fu fu.

Leloucia: That, was a declaration of blood feud.

Heather gave a start in surprise. "Um… it was okay, just family stuff. I'm surprised that you even knew…"

"Why wouldn't I know?" Star asked. "You weren't at the dance, and I asked around, wanting to make sure."

She nudged her. "If I knew where you were, I would've come to get you."

Heather blanched at the very idea. "… Oh, you would've hated it if you had."

When the other three girls scrutinized her, Heather explained. "Tahoe at the end of the season is so lame."

Brittney hummed speculatively, before she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, now that you mention it. It's always best to visit it during the peak. Sure, it's crowded but at least you don't have to worry about feral hippies or cannibal meth heads picking off stragglers."

Star gasped. "What's a hippie, and why are they feral?"

Misao, who couldn't correlate the words hippie and feral together due to a mental image of tie-dye, flowers in hair, and lots of marijuana smoke, shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know, but it sounds terrifying."

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Milly: I can't help thinking there's something odd about that girl .

Kallen: Eh, she just seems like she's got a weird family.

Rivalz: Speaking as someone from California? Tahoe gets kinda weird at times in the off season.

Brittney remembered she was dealing with out-of-towners. "Look, just take it from someone who knows. There are parts of this city–no, this whole state–that if you knew even half of it, you'd probably want to nu…"

She quickly noticed Star hanging onto her every word. "… uuuot want to stay here."

Heather grimaced, while Misao nodded in praise to Brittney for choosing her words wisely.

Star, however, was quick on the uptake. "Hey! I would not nuke Echo Creek off the face of the Earth, even if I knew how bad it could be here."

She grabbed both Brittney and Heather, pulling them into hugs. "This is my favorite place! And I've been to a dimension that is now a 24/7 party with booze, drugs, and the hottest music in the multiverse."

Brittney's eyebrows jumped up, before she gave Star an intrigued look. "Tell me more."

"And tell me less," Heather said, even as the prospect of a forever party appealed to her. "If my family knew I was even thinking about going to a party dimension, they'd flip out."

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Trollouche: I have doubts about the music. But the rest of it sounds fun. :3

Milly: That's because you can't stand electronic music, mr headbanger.

Nunnally: Star seems like a bright and cheery to be around, like you, Milly!

Milly: D'aww, thanks Nunnally.

Bald wird es hier noch schöner sein, Zeit zu verbringen. She thought pleasantly.

Click to shrink...

CC: "Soon it will be even nicer to spend time here."

Kaguya: Ominous.

As the two hugged, and Heather and Brittney were about to excuse themselves and walk away to their next classes, the wall to the quartet's right turned an alarming bright red and then red hot–the bright light and heat causing them and other students walking down the hall to back away quickly.

Instead of pooling down and melting however, the white-hot wall burned away in a spreading burst of green and black flames to create a hole in the wall wide enough for Shego to step through–spreading her arms to scatter the flames that clung to her hands and forearms.

Heather drew her breath back in a sharp, frightened gasp as panic swept through the hallway. "What is she doing here…?"

"Oh shit," Brittney sputtered out.

Misao, pale as a sheet, stepped back behind Star, as Shego scanned the hallway before her glowing green eyes fell upon her. Identifying Misao, the supervillainess smirked.

"So, you can't hide anymore," she said, "How fast can you run?"

Star stepped up to Shego, putting herself between Misao and the evil doer. Seeing the blonde with the magic wand, Shego lifted an eyebrow.

As her cheek marks began to glow, to match the bell of her wand, Star replied. "How fast can YOU run?"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Shit.

Leloucia: Ouuu, fun time!

Rivalz: What the hell is a supervillainess doing here??

Kaguya: And why is she after Misao-chan?

Leloucia: Stay tuned for next time on Senpai-verse Z!

 

[TricksterPriest]

"You gonna give me trouble, or are you as checked out as you look?" She asked him.

"I have no intention of resisting you if it means harm comes to Master Trip and Master Van," Dudley replied as he served Junior a cup of coffee.

Junior nodded to Dudley. "Thank you, Dudley."

The hum in response was curt and professional, but even Shego could tell man was having the time of his life.

Powerless in his bonds, Trip tried looked from Dudley, filled with hate at the butler's complete lack of initiative, to Shego. "Look, you want money, right? I can get you that, as much as you want. Five million? Ten million? My Dad's good for it!"

Shego hummed at the offer. "The way I see it, I'm already getting everything you're offering me when we clean you out."

She gestured to Junior. "And that guy? I'm pretty sure his Dad spends more in a month maintaining his fish tank than you paid for this house."

Junior chuckled. "Father does love his clownfish."

Trip squirmed. "Screw you! What did I ever do to you, huh?!"

Junior took a sip of his coffee. "Oh my, this is exquisite… and powerful."

"It's how I cope," Dudley replied.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: This is why you should always be nice to the help. Especially people like butlers, maids, etc.

Sayoko: Fear us, for we are petty in our vengeance. *smirks with a feather duster*

Trollouche: Sayoko is practically family, I'd never treat her badly.

CC: Partially because she might do something like put itching powder in your sheets, or make few discrete rips in your clothes.

Sayoko: We have our ways.

Van was not participating in Trip's one-sided screaming match with Junior. He was staring at Misao, who was giving him and his brother the same wide-eyed, hate-filled glare she had when they first walked in. Aside from her breathing and the occasional blink, she was entirely still.

Junior noticed the murderous look in his field of vision and directed his full attention to it. "I mean. I have kidnapped her, and I am holding her hostage with the intent of extorting her family–but she is looking at you with the kind of hate I think would start genocides."

Shego looked at him. "Was that a joke about her being German or Japanese?"

Junior turned to her, aghast. "Neither!"

"That was in poor taste, Master Shego," Dudley delivered in his unflappable monotone.

Shego looked at Dudley. "You know what? I've only known those two for ten minutes and I can dig why you just seem to feel nothing."

Dudley glanced at her. "Why do you?"

The butler's question in kind cut deeper than Shego liked.

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Trollouche: To be fair? I'd have made that joke.

CC: You'd have done it in a way that was funny. SSJ is too polite to engage in that kind of black humor. :3

Milly: Woah, Dudley with the shiv to the guts.

CC: Oh yesss, that was a most unkind cut.

"What the hell is even so special about this dumb fat pig, huh?!" He demanded as he nodded towards Misao.

Shego stopped slipping into unwanted self-introspection and leveled a flat glare at him. Junior wasn't anymore appreciative, and he'd tased the girl.

"You do not know who this girl is?" Junior asked.

Trip shook his head. "Clearly, she's not important enough for me to care! She hangs out with losers, so she's a loser, too."

Junior gestured with an upraised palm towards Misao. "That is Momiji Hyuuga's daughter."

The color drained from Van's face, and Dudley went very still.

Trip stared in silence at Junior, then looked at Misao, and then back at him. He let out a laugh. "Momiji Hyuuga doesn't have a daughter."

Junior nodded. "She does, and this is her."

Van began mumbling. "Trip… Hyuuga Heavy Industries has almost as much money as the Mendō family, or Makel Pratham… they donate weapons to Ukraine and Shanghai…"

Trip said it louder, like increasing his volume would make it the truth. "You're lying! She doesn't have a daughter, and if she did it would not be this fat fuck!"

Misao was still staring at the brothers, and the hatred in her eyes was as intense as ever, but now her eyebrows were raised. There was a glee there in her expression–like she was still angry but now she was enjoying it.

"Obviously the leading manufacturer of Superweapons would not be very forthcoming about her family, because well…" Junior gestured to himself, inferring the situation at hand.

Shego had been rather annoyed by the body shaming going on and decided to twist the knife. "Oh yeah, wait until she finds out that you guys constantly harassing her friends helped us track her down."

Trip laughed again. "This is all a joke! A big ol' prank to get back at me."

He turned to Misao, still laughing. "Stop playing around, this is your payback, isn't it?!"

He stopped laughing as anger filled his voice. "It isn't funny! Tell them that you're nobody! Just some fat chested bimbo from Europe!"

Misao let out a menacing, muffled laugh from deep in her chest, as she shook her head.

Shego leaned on the back of Misao's couch. "I guess the only saving grace is that her friends have no clue where she is or even where to start looking."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: AHAHAHAHA! BEHOLD THE POWER OF TAUNTING MURPHY!

Kaguya: Thou art fucked, Misters Vanderhoff. :3

Kallen: Ukraine and Shanghai?

Trollouche: IIRC, Ukraine is currently fighting an invasion from Russia, and China...I have no idea what's going on in China. *shrugs*

Kaguya: Weapons going presumes a conflict of some kind, but I don't think it's been mentioned what's going on.

Milly: Eh, how bad can it be?

Trollouche: Stop tempting Murphy, Millicent.

Milly: You mean like Shego did just now?

Trollouche: Exactly.

A rock bounced off the patio door. As the Vanderhoffs spent a lot of money on the house, their windows wouldn't be so easily broken.

Junior looked towards the window, just as his phone beeped and he looked at it. "What? The Fenrir have detected intruders?"

Misao brightened and began laughing harder as Shego looked past Trip and Van and out the window. It was almost completely black, with all the lights in their backyard out and the interior lighting on full.

Staring into the pitch darkness, Shego saw a pair of glowing eyes and two heart-shapes beneath them staring back.

Realization dawned on her. "SSJ… they found us."

Junior nearly dropped his coffee. "What? How?!"

Shego went for the door. "We'll review that later. Release the hounds!"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Jeremiah, release the hounds.

Jeremiah: Milord, I am obliged to inform you that this Simpsons joke is older than Lady CC.

Milly: Ok...so that glowing image of Star? Hot and also juuuust a bit scary.

Trollouche: Consider what I look like in the mask, same thing.

"Whoa…!" Star yelped as she backflipped away from the sweeping blade, then cartwheeled from the same blade coming down vertically. As she exited the cloud of mist, a large mechanical quadruped with a box-shaped head sporting a single mono-eye camera at its front lunged out after her and tackled her to the ground.

Staring up at the machine as it raised its left claw, Star brought up her wand and used it to block its attempt at caving in her skull. "Robot wolves?! That is so cool!"

"Like 'em?" Shego asked. "LQ-84s aren't exactly cheap, you know."

The machine's long and flexible tail lifted the rapidly spinning chainsaw–held with three smaller wires at the tail's end–up above Star to plunge it into her chest.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Woah, that's some pretty impressive robotics.

Nunnally: They don't seem very friendly.

Rakshata: Absolutely fascinating!

The beam connected with the Fenrir, damaging it. She spun and ducked when Shego took advantage and came for her neck, her burning hands slicing off one of the horns of her headband. When Star tried to sweep Shego, the taller woman skipped over the attempt and punished her with another kick to her face.

Star staggered back, bringing her free hand to her nose, and then up to her headband at the missing horn. Her eyes widening when she felt the damage, she glared at Shego.

"Hey! My ex-boyfriend got me this!"

Shego stopped and gawked at her. "Wow, and you kept it?"

She went in fast and began jabbing at Star. The Princess bobbed her head left and right to narrowly evade the deadly blows. "It's complicated!"

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CC: Relationships are complex, it happens.

Milly: Yeah, people keep stuff from exes all the time.

Leloucia: I wonder what it would cost to repair that horned headband. Also surprisingly spot on considering their shared ancestry.

Milly: Wait what?

Leloucia: Star is part demon by way of a marriage to House Lucitor in the past.

Before it could turn and attack her, there was a clang like something heavy striking metal, and the Fenrir lumbered to its left, before it was hit again, and again. Thunder echoed in the distance as three more times the monster was struck.

Shego's eyes widened as she watched the machine hobble, a set of massive holes blown into its side and neck, before it collapsed, silent. "… What the heck?"

Looking in the direction that the fire came from, she looked further up the hills that overlooked Echo Creek, and spotted a white SUV parked on the winding road. Standing with his back braced against the side of his car and holding the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle taken from his living room, was Shermie.

"Hahaha, looks like we old timers still got it!" The elder Pines shouted to his gun and his spotter–Waddles, who was sitting on the hood of the SUV wearing a vest and an army helmet.

"Long range backup?" Shego asked.

Click to shrink...

CC: Oh ho! Looks like they came prepared for war today!

Kallen: Fuuuuck, I wanna try that gun. Also, is that a fucking pig acting as a spotter?!

Nunnally: He's so cute in his little hat!

She was about to turn her attention back to Star–now avoiding the chainsaw swings of yet another of the Fenrir machines, when a spear entered her field of view, and she leaned back to avoid a thrust aimed for the side of her head.

Shego swung to cut the silver spearhead from its shaft, but Jackie Lynn Thomas moved it clear before thrusting it for the villainess' center mass. Shego swayed left and right, avoiding the spear tip, but her attempts to grab it were foiled by Jackie's skillful maneuvering of the weapon, keeping it out of her reach and always on the attack.

"What the heck are they feeding you kids?!" Shego asked while on the defensive. "I remembered when there was only one of you uppity teenagers thinking they could throw hands!"

Jackie kept up the offensive, aiming for Shego's vitals and narrowly missing her. "Nobody told you what happens in Echo Creek, huh?"

She quickly wreathed her body in energy, repelling the spear when Jackie lunged for her heart. When Jackie was parried, she riposted, aiming to slash through the weapon, but Shego was blasted in the back with a magic ray made of cupcakes and went flying past her.

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Kallen: Ok, this is some impressive fighting, not gonna lie.

Milly: As silly as most of Star's attacks look, they seem pretty strong.

CC: Would it surprise you to learn she's doing this on the fly?

Milly: What do you mean?

CC: None of these are spells from the book of magic or taught to her. Star made up all her own spells herself.

Milly: Hang on, you're telling me she's around my age or so and she's spellcrafting combat spells of this level?

CC: Ding.

Milly: Woaaaaaaaah.

Shego's heel came down on his face the instant the blade past, and Marco was bounced off the wooden deck and into a fast three-hit combo that lifted him higher off his feet before Shego used a weaker concussive energy blast to launch him into the Vanderhoff's patio window.

"You're not that good," Shego informed him, before Star cast another Laser Beam Blast. She leaped into a handspring over it, then threw herself into a spinning triple axel that became a rolling kick she dropped on Star's head in the same way Marco did her.

The kick jarred Star hard enough to make her drop the wand, which went skipping across the pool deck. Seeing the wand flung away, Shego open palm struck Star with no powers flowing through her right hand, then backhanded her the other direction. Grabbing her left hand, she pulled her around and then punched her hard in the stomach before letting her go, turning in place, and kicking her in the face to send her crashing into the furniture by the pool's fire pit.

Jackie saw Star go into the furniture, but before she could intervene, she found herself face to face with the now unoccupied Fenrir, three of them surrounding her.

Then there were two as more Anti-Tank Rifle fire crashed into the Fenrir directly in front of her, and she jumped back from the flanking lunges of the other two. When she looked again, Shego was walking over towards the wand.

"Well, that was easy," she said as she bent down to pick up the wand, "Now, let's see if I can be a magical girl."

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Milly: So what would happen if she did pick it up?

Trollouche: I'm not sure the wand has any restrictions on who can use it.

Milly: Does this mean she's a Sailor Moon fan?

A hiking boot-clad foot slipped under the wand and scooped it up to hit Shego in the face with it, before that same boot came back around hit the surprised supervillain in the same spot. Staggering backward, surprised, Shego stopped when she realized she didn't even notice this one coming.

"How many more of you…" She stopped and opened her eyes wide when she saw who had struck her.

"A magical girl, Shego, really?"

Standing in front of her was Kimberly Ann Possible, flicking her long red hair as she flashed her an amused smile.

"No judgment of what you're into, but I don't think you can rock the look."

Click to shrink...

Milly: Says you, I'd pay to see her in a fuku.

As she began to retreat under the assault, the realization dawned on her. "… Crap…!"

Fighting the Beetleborgs and Typhus as part of Junior's plan took a toll on her. They expected to have a much longer head-start without any way to track them down, so she could rest up for the next round… but here they were. Sure ,the other kids were easy pickings, but this was Kim. Who was a tough fight even when Shego was fresh.

Not that she'd ever admit that.

Star coming to their literal doorstep, the hoodie kid and the spear girl throwing down on her without any hesitation despite not being on her level, the long-range fire support, and now Kim just waltzing up like a special guest star. These concerns finally caused the most worrisome thought to occur to Shego.

Wait a second… did they plan this?!

Blocking Kim, Shego gasped when her arm was caught, and she was flung in a perfectly executed hip throw off the edge of the pool deck and into the rest of the Vanderhoffs' backyard. Getting up, huffing, Shego assumed her fighting stance again.

"Hang on a second, clue me in," she said, "When did you get here?"

Kim was feeling coy. "Not as long as you, but plenty of time to get rested up for tonight."

"Why are you always a step ahead of SSJ?" Shego asked as the indignation of that confirmation let her powers flare brighter.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Ah. She's getting gassed out from lack of recovery time.

Kallen: Shego is lowballing the Echo Creek kids, but in her defense, they haven't really shown they can beat her yet.

Tohdoh: However, facing a peer opponent who has beaten her previously in combination is a different prospect.

Trollouche: I'm going to chalk up their being tracked down so fast to an Op-sec failure.

"Hey," Van said not to Junior, but to Misao.

Misao acknowledged Van by focusing her contemptuous gaze on him.

He shrank when he felt its full force but continued. "You… weren't serious about what you said this morning, were you? When this is done, you're not gonna like… kill us, or something?"

She stared at him, and then slowly shook her head.

That brought some relief to him. "I… I've been thinking about all this, and this is too much–trying to k-kill you and your friends. After you jumped us, we were mad and wanted to hurt you, so we called that Goblin guy, and when we heard that he beat Pine… Dipper up we thought you guys would get the message and leave, but you didn't. This has escalated so much that I'm afraid somebody might really die soon…"

Trip looked at Van, trying to figure out where he was going with this, Junior and Dudley both were similarly quiet as they observed.

"So… I'm sorry. Trip, and I, we'll leave you alone. You can do whatever you want to get back at us, and we'll be done. Just don't kill him or me."

Misao stared, wide-eyed at him, otherwise unresponsive. Trip glared at his brother, looking betrayed.

Click to shrink...

Kaguya: Oh ho ho ho, so the truth of their situation has sunk into Van, has it?

Nunnally: I'm sorry Mr. Van Vanderhoff. But I don't think that's going to work at this point.

Trollouche: There is a word for this sort of battle. One that I don't think most Americans understand. It is a word steeped in old world values and ideas.

"Killing either of you is not enough," she said calmly. "I want you to live and suffer for as long as you possibly can."

Van flinched, as Misao continued. "I want every waking moment you have, to be one of regret and despair."

She slowly shook her head as she had done before. "You hurt my friends. People that I've only known for a very short time but have come to cherish for being so kind and warm to me. They did not care that I am rich, or that I am the daughter of Momiji Hyuuga. They saw me and my value as a person and stood up for the people you tormented for fun, I love and admire them for that."

Misao leaned forward, as she spoke for emphasis. "They may, in time, forgive you… they are good people, but I will never. I swear to you–on my own life–that your lives will be a neverending hell and I will dedicate my wealth and power to ensure it. If you live to be a hundred, two hundred, a thousand years… every second needs to be a reminder that you live because death is too good for you and your suffering is perfect for me."

The pit of ice in Van's stomach almost made him want to throw up, as he averted his eyes from Misao's to look at his brother. Trip looked almost delirious, like he was trying to wake up from this nightmare he was having but could not find his way out.

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: That word, is blood feud.

Trollouche: This is the equivalent in noble circles of a formal declaration of blood feud between families. And that is a rubicon not easily crossed. Once a blood feud is declared, a house will dedicate it's full resources to utterly destroying their opponent.

Trollouche: Americans do not understand this concept generally because this sort of thing doesn't really happen in the modern era in America for the most part. It's an old world idea, one somewhat medieval in it's conception.

Trollouche: Ironically, I am perhaps more merciful than Misao. While I may kill my own enemies in terrible forms of execution, their suffering ends in death. Misao Darlian does not show such mercy.

CC: They were warned, many times over of the path this was headed towards. They laughed at her, they mocked her, they believed themselves invincible.

CC: And yet now, when the consequences of their hubris come home to roost, they act shocked, horrified, appalled that they might have to answer for what they did?

CC: *cruel mocking laugh* Ha ha ha ha ha, what disappointments they must be to their father and peers.

Junior defied her. "I have nothing to say of those two. Rather, I would like to discuss the something with you?"

This pulled her gaze from the Vanderhoffs to him, and the same ice Van felt in his gut formed in Junior's veins.

"What is so important?"

Junior looked at the brothers, and then reached into his pocket before pulling out a small black box, like one could carry jewelry inside.

"Well, there is something I need to give to you," he confessed.

Misao's expression went from contemptuous to confused and curious. "Was?"

Dudley lifted his head, confused as well. Both Vanderhoffs stared, gobsmacked at Junior.

"This was all… very complicated. It should have been resolved weeks ago, but your dear friends interfered, and it turned into a disaster."

Misao stared at the box and then looked up at him. "I do not understand."

"There are things that cannot be attained with money, not even vast amounts." Junior explained. "That is why I dedicated myself to being a supervillain, to take what criminals and even billionaires cannot grasp."

He brought a hand to his chest. "And that is why I am here."

Taking the box in both hands, he opened it to reveal a simple silvery necklace, with three beautifully cut diamond-shaped crystals attached to its middle. The center crystal was three times the size of its companions, and the light striking them sent small streams of multi-colored beams scattering in every direction.

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CC: A gentleman thief indeed.

Nunnally: So this entire thing was just so he could give her a necklace?

Alice: I don't think he's asking her out, so...what is that thing?

"This is something that belongs to you," Junior answered, "And I would like to return it."

She looked from the necklace back to him. "I have never seen it before."

Junior grew somewhat concerned. "Are you sure?"

He held the case closer to her. "Because I was told that you would want it."

Misao looked from Junior to the jewelry, wondering what he could possibly mean, before she felt a chill run through her.

Then, suddenly, she could hear her pulse rushing through her ears as the world began to fall away; first the Vanderhoffs and Dudley, then the room she was sitting in, and finally Señor Senior Junior.

Her eyes locked onto the crystals, and slowly dilated as the sound of her own pulse slowed down, until it hung at a beat per second.

Watching Misao seemingly slip into a trance as she stared at the necklace, Dudley grew very worried. Van looked at Trip, then back at Misao as Junior removed the necklace from the case and moved behind her to carefully connect the ends of the chain around her neck.

"H-hey!" Van said. "Why is she zoning out like that? Is… is it a good idea to give that to her?"

Junior looked at him and shook. "Oh, no, not at all. But like I said…"

He clicked the necklace closed.

"There are some things that you cannot get with money."

Misao didn't react. She didn't even blink. Still entranced, she stared through the Vanderhoffs and out into infinity.

"Is she okay?" Van asked.

Junior tilted his head in confusion. "I… do not know? I was only told to give it to her…"

Click to shrink...

Alice: Seriously, what the hell is that? *raised eyebrow*

Nunnally: He said it belongs to her. And someone told him to give it to her. But the way she's acting..is she afraid of it?

CC: Mysteries within mysteries.

Milly: Things you can't get with money huh. What's so important that he and Shego had to spend millions of dollars, time, effort and planning, just to get this necklace to Misao???

Mabel turned to the others. "Misao! We're here to save you!"

Van sagged in relief. "Oh, thank God, we're saved!"

"Please, get us out of here!" Trip yelled at Ron. "We were taken hostage, too, they broke into our house and tied us up–"

Mabel looked at them both. "Go fuck yourselves."

Both brothers fell silent.

Mabel directed her attention to Dudley. "You're good, though."

Dudley snapped his fingers into a thumb's up to Mabel in reply.

Trip looked pleadingly at Ron, who quickly held up his hands. "Look guys, whatever beef you've got? We're just here for Shego and SSJ. As Kim would say, we are so not involved in the drama."

Click to shrink...

CC: Absolute lack of situational awareness.

Kallen: Get fucked, shitheads. ^_^

A far more pressing problem sprang up behind them, prompting both Trip and Van to scream in terror and Dudley to recoil with fright. Mabel, Ron, and Rufus turned to find Kombat Knat looming over them. After looking up at his gnarled teeth, their gazes fell to his shining red liquid eyes.

"In the name of my Radiance, you will not escape."

"Oh wow, that's really Kombat Knat!" Ron screamed.

With a sweep of his arm, Mabel and Ron were flung rag-dolling over the couch Misao sat on and across the room.

Van and Trip were too busy screaming loudly in terror at the ugliest thing they've ever seen. The object of their terror turned to face them and raised his claws menacingly.

"SILENCE. My Radiance needs the girl alive, but you are suitable snacks. The more you scream the hungrier I'll get!"

Mabel, snapping out of her daze, looked up to see Kombat Knat shove aside the couch Misao was on to stand over her and Ron. "You interlopers will pay–AAAAAHHHHH!"

Rufus, the little MVP, had scrambled onto his foot, and bit down with incisors rated to cut through steel like it was nothing.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Yikes! 0_o

Nunnally: Eeek!

Trollouche: Radiance, that sounds familiar. *thinking expression*

Kallen: What the hell are they feeding that rat?!

"Then you're not leaving alive." Kombat Knat quickly vanished from sight, shrinking down and speeding up to them. Growing to full size and shoving them back from the space he occupied, he swung down to slash through Mabel with his claws, but she jumped clear of his clumsy strike.

Ron turned around and bolted for Misao. "I'll get her!"

Before he could reach her, Junior tackled Ron, and the two of them went to the floor brawling.

As Mabel hopped back and around Kombat Knat, never turning from him, she pulled the M1951 from her skirt pocket. Aimed at Kombat Knat's eyes, she fired wildly, the bullets impacting and punching into the Synthetic Beast's hide. Shrieking, he retaliated by launching his extending arms at her, missing but shattering the patio windows.

Mabel saw an opportunity, changing direction and going out the window while still shooting and taunting the monster to lure him outside. "Come and get me then, bug boy!"

Kicking off as he shrank down, Kombat Knat became a missile in pursuit of his prey. Reaching the falling shards of glass, many of them larger than him, he began to leap from one to the other, rapidly changing direction and picking up speed before he sprang off a final large piece and shot past the fleeing girl.

Click to shrink...

CC: I must admit, for a monster with only one real gimmick? He makes very good use of it.

Tohdoh: The more surprising thing is that he's an infiltration unit not designed for frontline combat.

Unfortunately for the monster, all he fell into was Shermie's sights. An instant after he grew to full size, the old man had drawn a bead.

"Have a taste of how we do it in Jersey, eight eyes!"

He squeezed the trigger, using the weapons massive kick to speed up the pull on the weapons bolt to chamber another round and fire again. Then again. Then two more times after that within a space of time that even the best target shooters would scream obscenities about the possibility of achieving.

The five armor-piercing rounds smashed into Kombat Knat, the sheer force of the combined impacts knocking him away from Mabel. Wounded, he staggered towards the pool and fell into the water with a splash.

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CC: Ouch. Even for something as tough as him, five AP rounds to the face would hurt anyone. That they didn't overpenetrate is a testament to his natural armor.

Kallen: Holy fuck, did you see how fast that old guy fired that rifle off?

Off the pool deck, between the patio and the wall surrounding the Vanderhoffs' property, a dance was taking place. Four LQ-84 Fenrir Unmanned Gears were swinging their chainsaw blades, lashing out with their claws, and even throwing themselves bodily at Kim Possible, whose mixture of gymnastics, acrobatics, and plain old cheerleading kept the margins between their attacks and her body wide.

One of the chainsaw blades came in low, and Kim leaped off the ground over it and the Fenrir swinging. Snatching one of the few remaining knives located in the three-blade knife holster on the Fenrir's rear legs as she passed over it, she weaved under its chainsaw's attempt at carving into her and slashed the cable holding it with the knife.

The second Fenrir fighting her threw itself at her, spiraling towards her with claws outstretched, but Kim dove and tumbled under the charging machine. As she came up, she threw the knife back and sliced through its tail, also disarming it of the ability to use its main weapons.

As the still running chainsaw of the unit fell to the grassy ground, Kim jumped hard onto it. When it bounced, she maneuvered her feet, and spun it like a helicopter rotor under her. Catching it by its side mounted motor with one foot, she kicked it into a third Fenrir, the hot blade grinding through and destroying it as Kim landed.

The last intact Fenrir galloped at Kim, while the other two were getting up, she was more concerned with Shego–who coordinated her attack with the fourth Fenrir. Shego looked a little miffed, while Kim was still wearing a competitive and defiant smile.

"Yeah," Shego said as she boxed with Kim like the title belt was on the line, energy covering her fists like gloves. "You think you're really slick, huh?!"

Kim kept her guard up, staying light on her feet, so light that when Shego tried to kick them from under her, she sidestepped and switched positions with her. The next two punches Shego threw at her, Kim slapped aside, before she drove the heel of her right palm into Shego's left cheek.

"I'm more…" Kim did not let up, palming Shego left and right with both hands before she drove one last strike into her chin, throwing her back. "Smooth than slick!"

She back flipped when the fourth Fenrir leaped into a forward midair tumble, becoming a giant wheel of death with its saw blade. Back flipping several times, Kim then jumped up back onto the pool deck, avoiding the other two remaining Fenrir.

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CC: My my, that is impressive.

Tohdoh: She is the finest combatant I have seen since Suzaku. And I am uncertain even he could defeat her.

Kallen: Daaaamn. 0_o

Turning to Mabel, she smiled. "Hey, where's Ron?"

She pointed back in the house. "Fighting Señor Senior Junior."

Indeed, the two young men were still rolling around on the hardwood floor, trying to get on top so they could pin the other, but both were being really squirrelly about staying on the bottom.

"And the creepy bug monster?"

Mabel pointed into the pool. "Sherpa shot him."

Indeed, Kombat Knat was sinking to the bottom of it.

Click to shrink...

CC: Less impressive but still amusing. :3

Trollouche: So I'm gonna be that guy. Someone should really make sure bug head is actually dead. -_-

The sound of rotors at high speed caught Shego's attention, and she looked up and back to see the Red Striker AV rise above the wall, its fuselage pointing towards her while its ducted fans oriented straight up to keep it hovering.

Inside the cockpit, beneath the Strikerborg's helmet, Jo smiled as the AV's computer targeted Shego and the remaining Fenrir.

"I think you're done!" She said as she pressed down the trigger.

Shego was moving as soon as she saw the first flash, and a cascade of energy bolts fell upon her and the Fenrir. The Unmanned Gears stood no chance under the sustained assault, the energy bolts tearing them apart as Strikerborg focused her fire on them. As they went down one my one, Strikerborg pulled back on the sticks and the laser barrage crawled upward towards Shego, who was headed for the far wall and cover.

She didn't make it, for through that far wall the Stinger AV smashed through and its prow slammed into Shego's stomach as Stingerborg brought the vehicle to a stop before he could run her over. Shego was thrown backward onto the ground, coughing loudly as she tried to recover her breath.

Inside the house, Junior pinned Ron onto his back, and raised his fist. "How did you get here so quickly?! How did you find us?!"

Ron, gripping Junior by the collar and holding his raised fist back by the wrist, struggled to get free. "If I told you, you'd be really embarrassed!"

"I do not care, I must know!" he shot back. "This is my reputation as a professional on the line!"

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: And here's the air support!

CC: I'd say this is almost over. And I have a funny feeling about how they found her. ^_^

Trollouche: Oh?

CC: Woman's intuition.

He closed his eyes and bowed his head? "I am not so foolish that I do not know when I'm beaten."

Kim hummed in surprise. "Oh?"

"Wow, throwing the towel just like that?" Ron asked.

Junior looked up at him. "Yes, I do not have powers and there are more of you than me. I know my odds, and they are nil."

At that moment, Shego grasped her second wind, and leaped into an uppercut that lifted Stingerborg off his feet and onto his back in surprise. Kicking off the horns of his AV, she leaped back at Strikerborg, surging all of her power to her feet so she could flying roundhouse kick Strikerborg away from her as well.

"But I do have powers, and I don't care how many you are!" She declared. "My odds are looking amazing!"

And like her words had revived him from a watery grave, Kombat Knat exploded from the water directly behind Mabel, coming up and dropping towards her with his maw wide open–and every intention to clamp his teeth down upon her head as she turned and look back up at the monster in surprise.

Her head and shoulders were almost completely in Kombat Knat's jaws, when they slammed shut.

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Trollouche: What did I say? What did I FUCKING SAY?!

CC: *facepalms* Always always take the damn head.

Milly: Holy shit!

 

[TricksterPriest]

"What the heck happened to you guys?! Did the job Vexor gave you go bad?!"

Jara, holding her hand over the broken section of her mask, shook her head. "I do not want to talk about it. Fix my mask."

Noxic recoiled from them. "YOUR MASK BROKE?!"

Typhus nodded. "Yeah, that blue Beetle brat…"

Jara turned to let her mask glower at him.

He quickly changed the subject. "But even worse, Kombat Knat betrayed me."

And now Noxic was just confused. "Typhus, your creations are like your kids, ain't they? Don't they love you?"

Typhus growled. "I thought he did… but then he met a girl who got him all messed up."

Noxic threw his hands up. "Of course. It would be a woman that'll get a guy thinking crazy!"

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Milly: Why are they freaking out about the mask?

Zero: Presumably she doesn't take hits to the face often. It says something about how much better the kids are getting that she took a real hit.

CC: They do say women lead men astray.

He stopped. "No offense, Jara."

"Some taken."

He continued. "But still! Can't you just turn him off, or yank his chain, or anything?!"

Typhus looked down. "After Kamaza, I made sure to never make another monster that just blindly follows orders. Something that obedient and unthinking only causes trouble, baby."

His powerful hands tightened into fists. "I just didn't expect Kombat Knat to just drop everything and run off after that human. He went after her like a moth to a lamp."

Jara spoke up. "That energy that woman radiated."

Typhus mulled over it. "You think that's it? She really was a bug zapper, huh?"

Noxic scratched his metal head, pondering. "Geez, that's unlucky. The one time you need a creepy bug monster, and he gets led off by a bright light."

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CC: It's not really a thing to get offended about, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Milly: Huh, surprisingly considerate for a monster boss.

Zero: It's simple logic, blind obedience is a bad idea. It means something cant think on it's own.

Zero: .......ohhhhhh. Now I get the reference.

Milly: ?

Zero: Shego is "The Radiance" from Hollow Knight. Kombat Knat has been bewitched by her light, just like how The Radiance bewitches those glimpse it's searing light.

Milly: Ok. What's Hollow Knight?

Zero: *facepalms* Never mind.

He pounded his fist into his palm. "Hey, why don't we try to get him back?"

After a few moments of pondering going out there again and thinking about how defiant Kombat Knat was to him… Typhus raised his head. "Yannow what? At the end of the day, there are lots of things worth dying for, and a whole lot of them are better than being under Vexor's thumb."

A long silence fell as the three Magnavore commanders let Typhus' realization sink in.

With that to consider, Noxic withdrew his suggestion. "Yeah, you're right."

Even Jara, as she removed her mask with her back to them and held it out for Noxic to take, agreed. "May Kombat Knat find his destiny, free of Vexor…"

Typhus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, bathed in radiance, baby."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Sounds like these guys aren't on board with whatever Vexor is planning.

CC: Perhaps they'll jump ship later?

Trollouche: Vexor strikes me as the kind of boss who will discard minions if the prize is big enough, but not before.

Misao heard the click of the necklace and blinked in surprise. She was no longer in the Vanderhoffs' living room. She was suddenly adrift in an endless, star-filled void, far away from any celestial body but surrounded by them in every direction and a haunting ethereal light not-unlike the Aurora Borealis of the northern reaches of the world.

"Wo bin ich?" She asked aloud, her voice echoing only in her head. "Was ist das?"

Despite the infinite expanse, she cannot help but feel she is not alone in this emptiness. Realizing her hands and feet were free, she flailed around, and turned in place.

"Ist hier jemand?!"

She stopped, and gasped.

Looking over her was an impossibly sized figure, a giant that took up most of the void in front of her. It was solid black, blocking out the stars behind it, and outlined in the aurora. As she adjusted to comprehend its scale, Misao's eyes widened when she realized that it was humanoid and shaped like a woman. The long-haired feminine figure's only other feature besides its size, were two piercing eyes that glowed a vibrant green as they stared down at her.

Looking to her right, Misao gasped and found a second figure, this time that of a man. He too looked down at her, his eyes a piercing blue. However, the light that outlined him was whiter and only the edges swirled with color. As she began to turn, she realized she was surrounded by more of the figures.

A wolf outlined in red, as its white eyes seemed to cast contempt upon her.

A man with a blue outline, sharing the green eyes of the first figure, his wild hair barely tamed in a ponytail.

A younger-shaped figure, with a light-yellow outline, and softer green eyes.

Another younger figure with straight cut long hair, their outline a gentle pink but eyes glowing yellow.

A final violet outlined female figure, with eyes that were a lighter shade of blue than the others, almost icy.

Click to shrink...

CC: "Where am I?" "What is that?" "Is anyone here?!"

Kallen: .......Ok, wtf is this shit?

Trollouche: I'm totally lost here.

CC: Reminds me of that trip I took into your mind. Any clue who the phantoms are?

Trollouche: Not a one. This is new.

Milly: Does anyone know who these guys are?

CC: Search me. *shrugs*

Misao turned in place, looking at them all, as tears began to fill her eyes and flow down her cheeks. "I'm sorry… I'm… I'm so sorry…"

She stopped and looked up at the first figure. "I… I don't… I… no… I can't do it again."

Curling forward, Misao began to sob. "I can't do it anymore. Please… let me give up."

"No."

Misao stopped her whimpering when she heard her own voice. She looked back, and she was staring at herself, bathed head to toe in a silvery light, and her hair a radiant alabaster. Her glowing copy outstretched her hand to her, palm outstretched for her to take it.

Immediately, Misao rebuked her. "No?! NO?! After everything you want to keep going and subject us–subject them to… we're just going to do this again?!"

Her twin nodded. "Yes. Because we love them."

Misao began to cry again.

"Who does this to the people they love…?"

And just as quickly as she spoke, she was rebuked.

"We have no choice!"

Those words gave Misao pause.

Her twin in silver and white continued. "We can't stop. We can't give up. We can't go back…"

Misao knew what she was going to say, even as she didn't know why she knew.

"… We can only go forward."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: *eyes widen*

CC: What?

Trollouche: Endless pain, unending sorrow.

Trollouche: A lifetime of regret

Trollouche: *rueful laugh* Oh Misao, what dark sisyphean task have you set yourself to?

She looked at her own outstretched hand, beckoning her. Raising her head, looking up and around at the silent monolithic figures in the darkness, and then over her shoulder at the first one. She felt her burst of uncertainty and fear melt away and a resolve surge to take its place.

Why she felt these emotions, why she was so afraid before and so determined now… she didn't know… but she understood that taking the hand outstretched to her would give her the clarity she desired, and the direction to place this burning in her chest.

As the last of her tears dried, Misao reached out and took her twin's hand. The other Misao smiled,and nodded to her.

"Say it."

Words that Misao'd never heard before burst to the front of her thoughts, words that if she spoke, she knew she could never take back.

She didn't care.

"Tetractys Grammaton."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: "Even if I go to hell, I will live to the end of this world. And if the world does not come to an end... I will destroy it with my own hands!"

Trollouche: In another world and another story, a man who had lost everything made this unholy vow as the symbol of his hatred for all things.

Trollouche: Well then Misao Darlian, as one devil to another? Let us see where your resolve shall lead!

The last thing anyone had seen was Kombat Knat's jaws close like a bear trap on Mabel's head.

Then in the next instant, the monster was stumbling forward like a drunk stuck deep in a bottle.

Mabel was gone.

Not lifeless in his jaws, not headless on the ground. She had simply vanished.

After regaining his footing, a very confused Kombat Knat opened his jaws, but nothing came spilling out. "Ah?"

Marco turned to Hunterborg, relieved. "Super Speed is awesome."

Hunterborg was looking around, and then turned to Marco, Jackie, and Star. "… That wasn't me…"

Ron pointed past him. "Uhh… guys?"

Everyone looked in the direction direction he pointed and found Mabel alive and on the other end of the pool. She was alive and intact, and looking up at Misao.

"… Wow…"

The smaller girl stood, wearing from neck to toe a body fitting suit glowing as if it were made of white light with fitted crome plates on her arms, legs, and hips that sparkled and gleamed from the light the suit generated. From her back a pair of large, segmented, and telescoping protrusions extended upward, a full head taller than her, before curving downward to stop at just above her feet. A hazy light radiated from these wing-like protrusions–and on closer inspection, the source appeared to be transparent feathers made of glass.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: .....What the hell just happened? Why is she wearing powered armor?

Trollouche: The wheel of fate is turning.

Kallen: Lelouch, explain this shit!

Ron turned to look at Junior. "Hey! What did you put on her?!"

Junior, still staring at Misao, just shook his head. "… I do not know, but I am glad I did."

Kim, much more cautiously, moved towards Misao. "Hey, um… whatever that is, I think you need to take it off."

Hunterborg, concerned, was already in communication with Dipper. "Hey, we got a problem."

Over at the Beetle Battle Base, Dipper and Janna looked up at the whited-out screens that had been showing them the battle and recording various sensor data.

"… Yeah," Dipper said, "I think you do."

Evading both the Strikerborg and Stingerborg, Shego landed back on the pool deck and stopped when she saw Misao and her light show of an armor. "What the heck is this?"

She looked towards Kombat Knat. "Hey! Don't just stand there looking gruesome, we need to go!"

The light that had been in front of her, was now behind her, and Shego turned to see Misao standing on the railing that separated the pool deck and the backyard. She was staring directly at her, the black and blue dye that colored her hair draining away slowly, leaving it white at the roots.

Down in the backyard, Stingerborg and Strikerborg both gave a start at how abruptly Misao appeared.

Click to shrink...

CC: Curious, her hair is whitening?

Milly: Kinda reminds me of this old anime called Slayers. That happened to the main character when....

Milly: Uh oh.

Rakshata: I must have the data on this! Think of the advancements for SCIENCE! *_*

Shego, after a moment of surprise, smirked and lunged forward to swing an energy laden blow at Misao. In an instant she was within arm's reach, but right as her hand reached Misao, the girl was suddenly just beyond it, even the trail of her energy not coming close.

The villainess gawped in surprise, but undeterred moved forward and swung at Misao again, this time with a left. Misao was again out of her reach.

Now she was confused. She hadn't seen the girl move to defend herself or evade. "How are you…?"

She quickly lashed out again, this time with a kick, but again it fell short of Misao.

It was when she drew her leg back, that Shego noticed two things that made her blood run cold.

First. Misao had not moved from the spot she had first appeared in.

Second. Shego had not moved from the spot she'd attacked Misao from.

Quickly, Shego looked Misao over, trying to figure out what was going on–and right away her eyes locked onto the dye evaporating from her hair, leaving white in its wake. It was several inches longer, but still moving at the same slow rate she had first noticed.

Shego blanched. "… Wait…"

With ferocity she attacked, and once more her attacks failed to reach Misao. Again, Misao did not move, and neither did Shego.

Kim tilted her head to the side as she watched Shego fight in place, swinging at Misao like she'd developed a very acute case of near-sightedness. "… Shego…?"

Marco and Jackie were similarly stumped by the villain's sudden passion for shadow boxing.

"Now I am even more confused," Marco admitted.

Panting heavily as she stopped, Shego focused her attention on Misao's hair. More of it was white than it should've been in the few moments she attacked her, but it was still changing at the same rate.

What was happening became starkly clear to Shego.

With a knowing look, Misao nodded. "Give up."

Shego put her hands up. "I surrender."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: *mocking laughter* Hahahahaha! What's the matter Shego? Afraid to take one step forward?

CC: Or have you yet realized the trap you're in? The terror that surrounds you and could snuff you out at. any. given. moment.

Trollouche: To advance is to cross the line of death. You cannot even perceive the manner of your defeat. Choose your next move carefully, the clock is ticking.

Kombat Knat, seeing his radiance in danger, ground his teeth together. The hateful light coming from the girl, trying to pull him from his radiance, it would not stand. He would not allow it.

Her glow would not be outshone by another, he would die bathed in her light.

"YOU WILL NOT OUTSHINE MY RADIANCE!"

Misao turned her attention to Kombat Knat as he yelled his war cry and lunged towards her. Her scowl deepened into a glower, as she looked at his widely-opened maw and what those teeth had threatened just a moment ago.

The wings of the armor began to glow brighter, as Kombat Knat neared.

And in the next instant, a halo of light appeared above the town of Echo Creek, briefly lighting the night sky.

Click to shrink...

Zero: 消えろ！ (DISAPPEAR!)

Stingerborg answered first. "Yeah, we're okay, but… Kombat Knat is gone."

"Wait, gone? Did he shrink?"

"No," Stingerborg answered, "He's just not here."

Strikerborg scanned the area. "He didn't shrink down, he just vanished."

Lowering her guard after Kombat Knat blinked out of existence, Kim looked around. "What happened to the creepy bug monster?"

"You got me, but if he's gone, he's gone," Marco said before calling to Misao. "Uhh… Misao? Are you okay?"

"And what happened to your hair?!" Star asked.

Misao brought up a few strands and examined them. Her hair, from root to tip, was completely white.

Click to shrink...

Kallen: What. The. Fuck. Was. That?!

Trollouche: Dust is dust.

Kallen: *holds Lulu by the lapels of his jacket* Explain this shit, you jackass!

Trollouche: *chuckling*

Kallen: What's the joke, what's the fucking joke?!

Trollouche: She is. It's absurdity made manifest!

Trollouche: The most unassuming and harmless looking person of the echo creek kids, was the one everyone should have been wary of from the start!

Trollouche: Hahahahahaha, the greatest danger was always hiding in plain sight!

Kallen: ......... *suddenly realizes what just happened* ........Holy fuck.

Trollouche: Ahh, now you get it. Dust is dust, when faced with something beyond it's ability to comprehend.

Turning to her, Misao beamed, and the armor just dissolved away, leaving her in her clothes she'd been wearing prior. Then she leaped into Mabel's arms joyfully.

"Mein liebe!"

Mabel sagged in relief and cuddled Misao close. "Oh good, I was worried for a second. Suddenly you had armor, and Shego was shadowboxing you, then that monster just disappeared and I'm like whaaaaaaaa?"

Burying her face in her chest, Misao just shook her head. "It's… okay. It's so very okay… I am exhausted… and I will explain after I've slept for the next two hundred years."

She hugged Mabel tighter, and the taller girl began to stroke her now white hair.

"Okay… just stay here where it's safe."

"I don't think I've ever felt safer."

Mabel giggled and nuzzled the top of her head.

Star, like a blur, ran up to and hugged them both. "Challenge accepted!"

Without hesitation, Mabel and Misao welcomed her into their embrace, with Misao agreeing. "Ja, thank you so much, Star. You fought so bravely."

Jackie joined the hug, followed by Marco, and Misao sniffled. "You did all this for me… it's almost too much."

Strikerborg, made it onto the deck with Stingerborg and walked over to the group with Hunterborg–but didn't make the hug awkward with their heavy armor.

"Of course, we did it for you," Strikerborg said. "You're our friend."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: ......So that's it? Nobody is going to comment or ask anything?

Trollouche: Doesn't look like it.

Kallen: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

CC: Tsundere-chan, let it go.

Kallen: Like hell! What the hell is this bullshit?! She pulls out something completely out of context and erases Kombat Knat, and NOBODY is going to ask what the fuck that that was?!

Milly: Noooope. Because it's not important to them. :3

Kallen: *is incredulous at this shit*

Nunnally: Kallen, can't you just be happy they saved their friend? :slight_smile:

Kallen: *slowly facepalms*, groaning I am getting so many Lelouch vibes off her right now. ¬_¬

Trollouche: What the fuck did I do-

Kallen: BECAUSE SHE'S JUST LIKE YOU IN HOW YOU KEEP EVERYTHING FUCKING SECRET!

Nunnally: *pulls Kallen's ear* Kallen, please. Let them enjoy the moment of the battle being over and their friend safe.

Kallen: *grumbles and sits down* Fiiiine. Can't really blame them for being happy.

Kallen: But I'm still right about her being suspicious like a certain purpled eyed jackass I know. ¬_¬

Shego, still not resisting, just patiently allowed Kim to cuff her hands together with a pair of heavy, hand-encasing shackles that sent a disruptive surge of energy through her and nullified her powers. She wasn't even paying attention to Kim, just staring at the two hugging friends.

"So…?" Kim asked.

"So what?" Shego asked.

"Why suddenly so agreeable?"

Shego finally paid her a glance, and smirked. "If you have to ask, I'll never tell."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Figures."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Yeahhh, Kim would never believe it. It's something you have to experience to understand.

Kallen: Hell, I only barely believe it after connecting the dots. >_<

"We had a tracking device on her!" Mabel revealed.

Junior stared at Mabel, blinking. "I checked her for devices, I removed all of them!"

"And you were thorough," Misao commended. "You missed a secret compartment, however."

With that, Mabel reached into the cleavage created by Misao's shirt, and pulled out her cell phone. "Victoria's Secret compartment."

Junior's mouth fell agape, as he stared at Mabel's phone, then at Misao's chest, then abruptly at Mabel's face.

"I never would've looked there."

The girls all burst into loud peals of laughter. Marco, his face red, averted his eyes from Misao and Mabel while Star gently petted him atop his head in consolation. Ron rolled his eyes, as the girls all enjoyed their inside joke.

Click to shrink...

Milly: *rolling on the floor laughing*

CC: *laughing like a hyena*

Leloucia: Oh ho ho ho ho ho!

Kallen: Hah! Now that's funny!

Junior, grimacing, just shook his head. "Mierda…"

Shego, however, was surprisingly forgiving of Junior's screw up. "Hey, it's okay. You're not that guy, SSJ."

Junior looked over at her. "Oh?"

"You never would've looked there, and I'd have taken your hand off if you reached in. Learn from your mistakes and do better. Maybe have an EMP device set up to fry any electronics…"

"Or a faraday cage?" Junior suggested.

Shego brightened. "Yeah, perfect. A little pricey, but they pay for themselves quick."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: True, reaching into a lady's cleavage is a bit uncouth. But! There is another solution.

CC: Oh?

Trollouche: Hold her upside down by her ankles, shake till something falls out. :smile:

Kallen: How the fuck is that better??

Trollouche: What? She's not being groped or molested?

Milly: I swear to god you have no sense of shame, Lulu. raised eyebrow

Trollouche; Oh come on! I am all about equality of the sexes. I just don't give lip service to putting women on a pedestal.

Trollouche: Worst case scenario, I'd have Bitch Tornado pat her down and do a cleavage check.

CC: And Victoria's other secret compartment? :3

Trollouche: .......If she's actually hiding something there? Then she earned the victory. sweatdrop Even I'm not willing to do that kind of check.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" He held his hands towards his damaged fire pit, then towards the pool deck, then to his chewed-up lawn riddled with wrecked Unmanned Gears and Beetleborg AVs.

"YOU TRASHED MY HOUSE!"

Marco answered quickly. "And?"

Trip focused all of his hatred on Marco. "Oh no… don't you fucking start."

In Dipper's stead, Marco would clap back with all his might. "No need to worry, we're done."

He began to hyperventilate. "You… you…"

Staring at the group who invaded his home, shaking, tears began to well in his eyes before he erupted.

"… WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"

He pointed back and forth between them. "You… whatever you want… you just do whatever the FUCK you want, and you act like there are no consequences for you! You're fucking POOR! You're fucking LOSERS!"

Click to shrink...

CC: Hmm? You're still here?

Trollouche: I'm amazed he has such poor survival instincts.

Nunnally: Oh dear, I'm sorry. You're not very smart, are you? *sweatdrop*

Leloucia: The hilarious part is that he was enamoured with Turdina.....*cringes* Gods be damned, why? Why did Marco come up with such an absolutely terrible name?? *facepalms*

Tamaki: The fuck is this asshat going on about being rich? He's not a noble, he just has money. *raised eyebrow*

Kallen: Some people think money makes them god.

Ron recognized him. "Hey, that's the kid Dipper punched in that video."

Marco gave Ron a sidelong look. "Would you believe that he is still angry over that?"

"It's why we're even here," Stingerborg lamented.

Trip screeched. "DON'T TALK LIKE I'M NOT HERE! DOES IT EVEN FUCKING MATTER THAT I CAN HAVE YOU ALL KILLED IN AN INSTANT?! YOUR FAMILIES?! EVERYONE YOU KNOW?!"

Kim turned to the others. "What is wrong with him?"

Strikerborg answered. "He's well along in a mental breakdown."

Star piped in. "It really is like Jeremy Birnbaum…"

He slammed his hands onto his chest. "I'M TRIP VANDERHOFF, MOTHERFUCKERS! I'M A FUCKING MILLIONAIRE! OUR FAMILY OWNS HALF THIS TOWN! I OWN HOUSES IN LAS VEGAS! IN BRAZIL! IN FUCKING WASHINGTON DC! MY DAD COULD GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND HAVE YOU ALL LABELED AS TERRORISTS!"

Mabel walked over to him.

"THE ONLY REASON YOU EVEN GET TO KNOW ME IS BECAUSE I CAME TO YOUR POOR ASS PUBLIC SCHOOL SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT A REAL HUMAN BEING LOOKS LIKE!"

Click to shrink...

Kallen: Wait, really? That's it?

Milly: Yeah, he got pissed off because he got caught on tape being punched for being a dipshit.

Rivalz: Affluenza ahoy huh.

Rivalz: I may not be nobility, but even I know that you don't make threats like this unless you're prepared for the consequences.

Milly: Yep. This guy wouldn't even rate as a baron. And even if he was higher?

Milly: The amount of shit he's stirring up is enough to get his ass disinherited.

Trollouche: Blood feud it is!

He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, sweat and tears pouring down his face, before he shrieked at Mabel.

"YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU'RE NO ONE! YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ANYTHING I HAVE BUT YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE FUCKING PEO–"

Taking him by the shoulder, she punched Trip in the stomach, and the boy collapsed to the ground, squealing and bawling like a horse with a broken leg.

She stared down at him as he curled up into a sobbing ball and shook her head. "It's about time you stopped trippin'."

With that she turned to walk back over but stopped when she saw Van standing in the doorway, hesitantly.

Extending her hand, Mabel gestured to him. "Do you want any?"

Van just shook his head no.

Mabel smiled, and walked back over to the group. "I thought so."

"This is the guy who bullied me since I met him," Stingerborg said quietly as Trip sobbed and whimpered.

Ron looked at the Blue armored hero. "What does someone have to do to have a kid turn out like this?"

Jackie answered him. "Everything wrong."

Marco nodded in agreement.

Star sighed. "I don't think he's ever been hugged."

Stingerborg cut deeper than his blade ever could. "Look at that guy, and tell me with a straight face there was ever anyone who wanted to?"

As Misao embraced Mabel again, the taller girl did give Trip a quick look back, then just shook her head no.

Click to shrink...

*C&G crew golf clap*

Rivalz: He had it coming.

Rivalz: Also, nice one liner!

Kallen: One punch? Really? *shakes her head in disgust* What a little bitch.

Milly: Surprising that the older brother is smart enough to know how badly they screwed up. :3

Nunnally: I feel sorry for him. Everyone should know what a hug is like.

The sound of cars pulling into the Vanderhoffs' driveway caught everyone's attention. A dark SUV followed by a sedan, and another dark SUV pulled in and parked in plain view of the pool. From the two SUVs emerged a half-dozen men in black not unlike Brittney's guard detail for the dance–armed with submachine guns and wearing dark sunglasses at night. Two more such men exited the front of the sedan, but from the back emerged two women.

As the men with guns spread out and began to secure the premises, the two women walked through the hole in the wall the Blue Stinger AV made and past the wrecked Fenrir to make their way up onto the deck. Coming to a stop in front of the group of teenagers and the captured villains, the smaller woman–barely taller than Misao–stepped forward.

On closer inspection, everyone realized she was identical to Misao in almost every way, apart from being slenderly built as Star or Kim and having short black hair and dark eyes. Looking back and forth between the group, she nodded in greeting.

"So… you are the people who have been protecting Misao," she said.

Trip looked up at the woman, while Van blanched and took several steps back. The kids all looked at one another and back to her as she continued.

"Before anything else, please…"

The woman bowed deeply to them.

"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything that you've done. Without asking and without reward, you placed yourself at great risk to take care of her, and I do not think enough gratitude exists for that."

She stood upright and introduced herself. "My name is Momiji Hyuuga, and I am her mother."

Click to shrink...

CC: Oh my, is that the sound of impending doom I hear? :3

Rivalz: Bets on how pissed Momma Hyuuga is?

Milly: No bet.

Momiji greeted them. "Hello, Dipper, Janna. That's almost everyone… where's your Grandfather?"

Hauling the Schwanzstucker over his shoulder with one hand, with Waddles trotting alongside him, Shermie arrived onto the pool deck and walked over to the group gathered by the fire pit. "Right here. Good to see you again, Maple! It's been what, 15 years? You look great."

Momiji's eyebrows rose. "And you look… alive, no offense. A man your age being in such… shape."

Marco gawked for a moment at Shermie just lugging around an anti-tank rifle like it was nothing, then spoke up. "Uhh… kind of an understatement."

Jackie whispered to Mabel. "… Is it okay if I think your grandfather looks kinda cool?"

Mabel remained cheerful. "I don't wanna answer that."

Star kept her questions to herself, while Misao and Kim both coughed in unison.

Luckily Waddles trotted up to Mabel's feet to change the subject. "Oh, look, it's my little man!"

Snorting in greeting, Waddles gracelessly stood up on his hindlegs to be picked up. Before Mabel could, Misao immediately scooped him up and hugged him close.

Momiji stared at Waddles, surprised. "… Ah… a pig?"

"His name is Waddles," Mabel said as she patted his side. "And he's an angel."

Click to shrink...

CC: I do enjoy older men, and he is a fine specimen for his age. :3

Milly: Definitely a silver fox.

Nunnally: I understand and feel Mabel's pain right now. *strained smile*

As everyone's attention turned to Kim, she explained. "The Magnavores are just cosplay villains… and you guys are cosplay heroes taking care of them."

"Oh yeah!" Star said, before she turned to Shego. "You said that cosplay villains are pretty cringe, right?"

"Extremely," Shego replied.

Junior had to agree. "It is awkward whenever a supervillain or superhero appears dressed up as someone fictional."

Shego continued. "It's especially weird when they expect you to play along–like this is a LARP or something."

Strikerborg shivered. "Eugh, just hearing you describe it like that makes me cringe."

Turning to Mabel, Shermie asked. "I'm not too caught up on this new lingo, how bad is this 'cringe', girlchik?"

Mabel sighed explosively. "It is the worst, Sherpa. When you're cringe, you're causing people to have secondhand embarrassment for you. You never want to be cringe, you want to be based."

"And that's no problem for you," Misao added. "You are very based, Sherpa."

"Not too sure what that one is either, but if you gals think it's swell, then I am happy to be the basest guy around. It's like hip, right?"

Click to shrink...

Milly: Wow, that sounds so fucking stupid.

Milly: Supervillainy, ok. But just wearing the costumes and fighting an actual villain/hero with no abilities and expecting them to play along? Seems like a fast way to get to the emergency room.

Mabel gave her Sherpa a hard look. "We'll sort it out after we finish establishing the new status quo."

"Avoiding the subject of based vs. cringe," Kim said.

"Which in of itself is kind of cringe," Strikerborg chirped.

Kim gave Strikerborg a sharp look not-unlike Mabel's to Shermie. "Most people will just write off the cosplay fights as a bunch of nerds slap-fighting, and not actually a struggle for the fate of existence."

Shego did a double take. "Hold-up–"

Curtly Momiji nodded to a guard. "Gag her."

One of the bodyguards immediately slapped a wad of very sticky tape over Shego's lips. Indignantly and impotently, she bristled.

Click to shrink...

CC: I think his lingo is fine personally.

Milly: You are the definition of out of touch in some ways, CC.

CC: Considering how bad modern slang is? I'll take that as a compliment.

Trollouche: head desking Op-sec motherfucker, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!

Turning his attention back to Momiji, he quickly spoke. "Please, it was… it was all a joke… a prank, right? We–"

"No," Momiji said sharply, cutting him off. "My daughter cloned your brother's phone. I've read every message you and your brother sent back and forth to the people you were hiring to torment 'Pine Tree', his sister, and 'the fat foreign chick.'"

Trip blanched and shrank away from her.

"Though we have a distant and complicated relationship, Misao is still my daughter, and I love and cherish her deeply," Momiji informed the brothers. "In fact, the main reason we have such an arrangement, is because my greatest fear is that my business and reputation will cause people who wish me harm to harm her."

Despite being a full head shorter than Van, she seemed to loom over both brothers in presence. "It has happened before, and the people who attempted did not live to regret it."

Van visibly flinched, while Trip whimpered and shut his eyes tightly in terror.

"Sadly, for you, you will."

Click to shrink...

CC: How does that expression go? Oh yes. S.O.L.

Rivalz: Shit out of luck huh. Seems like it. :3

Kaguya: Oh it's about to get worse. n_n

"Here's what's going to happen: Your father, Thaddeus Vanderhoff II is going to wake up in his hotel and find that his credit cards have been canceled, his bank accounts emptied and closed, his business shut down and sold, and all of his personal property sold off."

Trip collapsed onto his backside. "… What?"

Mabel whispered to Dipper. "… Thaddeus?"

Dipper whispered back. "I think that's worse than mine…"

"Everything he owns–and by extension everything you own–is now property of several shell companies owned by Hyuuga Heavy Industries that will soon vanish into the aether themselves when their purpose is complete. The property that Zoom Comics currently occupies, for example, has already been paid off and signed over to Nano Williams. The trust funds with your respective names for them, have been similarly signed off on and the money dumped into numerous charities all in yours and your father's names."

She opened her hand to them. "That is not all. As I speak, efforts are being completed to remove you from pertinent legal documents relative to the state of California and the United States of America. You are penniless, landless, and by the sunrise you will be nameless."

Van, still looking down, murmured. "… Even our names…"

Trip's glasses slipped from his nose, as the totality of what he'd been told sank in. "… Why?"

Momiji looked down her nose at him.

"Because no one is above facing the consequences for their actions."

Click to shrink...

Leloucia: *demon queen laugh*

CC: *evil witch laugh*

Kaguya: *loli ojou laugh*

Leloucia: Behold, Damnatio Memoriae!

CC: An ancient roman concept, "condemnation of memory."

CC: It means purging someone from official records and all memory of them is to be accursed.

With a curt nod towards the fate of the brothers, Shermie walked over and ruffled up Mabel and Dipper's respective hair. "Honestly, it's better than what I woulda done to them. Nobody messes with my grandkids."

A scary gleam filled Shermie's glasses, obscuring his eyes. "Nobody."

Jackie, still looking at the massive gun, nodded. "Yeah, I'm actually surprised you didn't make their heads explode with that thing when you had the shot."

The gleam was still there as Shermie whispered back. "What makes you think I wasn't tempted?"

Ron turned to Kim. "Uh KP, is letting them do this okay? I think this is way outside of our general moral compass."

Rocking her head from side to side, Kim shrugged her shoulders. "The way I see it; they so weren't going to stop until somebody died. If this is how they wanna deal with it, then… okay?"

"Kim, that's not very lawful good."

Kim wagged her hand. "Neutral good… lawful neutral…?"

Misao turned her attention to Ron. "If someone messed with your friend like that, what would you do?"

Ron opened his mouth to answer, and the words almost spilled out. "I would have a lengthy discussion about trying to hurt someone I cared about. I'm more of a lover, than a fighter–or whatever THAT was."

The ominous presence permeating Shermie vanished as he chuckled. "I just hope you never have to worry about something happening to you and your paramour here."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Careful what you wish for, Mr. Sherman. You just might get it.

Kallen: Honestly, putting a bullet in these two might have been kinder. And yeah, if someone put a head on somebody I cared about, I'd be gunning for their ass too. ¬_¬

Kaguya: Lawful good?

Leloucia: D&D term. It's a term describing moral alignment. It's not an absolute thing. For example, I'm lawful neutral, CC is true neutral, Milly is chaotic good, etc.

Kim gestured to Ron. "We're best friends…"

Ron finished. "… But we've never been like that, no. As a matter of fact, she's not here, but I have a girlfriend. And KP's got her own boyfriend."

The other kids stared in surprise at Kim and Ron.

They both stared back.

"What?" Kim asked.

Jackie looked stricken. "… My ship…"

Mabel pouted at Ron, sniffling. "You're not single…?"

Hunterborg hung his head. "Damn, that's what they meant by never meet your heroes."

Dipper gingerly put it forward to the human members of Team Possible. "Honestly? We all kinda thought that you were… um…"

Click to shrink...

Milly: *sniffles* The fate of a ship sunk. So sad.

Rivalz: I mean, I kinda thought they were a thing too.

Kaguya: So, who's the boyfriend?

Milly: Not a clue. Probably someone who doesn't want to get kidnapped as "hostage for Kim Possible #26"

Ron gestured to them. "See? That makes sense."

Kim could not accept that. "What? When?!"

She looked between Marco and Jackie. "What about Jarco?!"

Star gasped in excitement. "Ohmygoshshewatchesmyvlog."

Junior piped up. "It's very good. Please update it more?"

Jackie was similarly starstruck. "Oh my gosh, Kim Possible ships me with Marco."

She turned and looked at Marco and Star. "… OT3?"

Marco paled. "Stop playing!"

"Who said anything about playing?" Janna suggested.

Pointing at her, Marco quickly answered. "By way of you implying anything as real, I know it to be a lie!"

Janna chuckled mischievously; Jackie shot a muted glare at her.

Star, however, looked rather thoughtful.

Click to shrink...

CC: Oh ho ho ho! It sounds like Kim Possible gave her an idea!

Nunnally: Oh I do hope she follows up, they look so cute together.

Milly: A triad isn't the hardest relationship to do, just gotta be honest about expectations.

Jackie chimed in. "Oh no, they're cool, now."

"They are?" Drew asked, as Marco rolled his eyes.

"Believe it or not, Jackie cut a deal with them," he said. "They promised they won't try to kill us as long as she remains their 'connection.'"

A chorus of "Ohhs" resounded, and Marco blanched.

"Wait, does everybody know about the weed?" He asked the others.

Hunterborg nodded. "Yeah, bruh, her family owns the only dispensary in Echo Creek. My parents buy from them all the time."

"Yeah," Strikerborg said.

"You didn't know?" Stingerborg asked him in turn.

"… Not until Saturday," Marco admitted.

Misao chimed in. "I have yet to partake, but Sherman Farm is her distributor, so I know it's good."

Click to shrink...

Trollouche: Better living through herbal chemistry.

Kaguya: One dispensary for a city that size? Surprising.

CC: Thinking of ordering from Sherman Farms, asshole? :3

Trollouche: If they could deliver to us, I would.

Walking up to her, Momiji embraced her daughter. "Well, I won't keep you from your new home any longer. There is still much to be done here, and I need to get this back to HHI."

As she pulled back, she held the necklace Señor Senior Junior placed on her.

Looking at the necklace, Mabel spoke up. "That thing that Señor Senior Junior put on her, what is it?"

Ron was curious as well. "… And why did it have a super cool armor in it?"

Kim grew curious. "Is it something like Project Centurion? Why did he put it on her?"

Momiji looked at the necklace, and then at the group. "To answer what it is, this is a weapon called Type-0. My company is developing it for dealing with things like the Magnavores… and worse. As for why he put it on her…?"

Momiji turned to Junior, who looked away. Shego went stiff and stared at Junior wide-eyed.

"I did not know what it would do," he admitted, "I put it on her to find out what exactly what the weapon was… I did not realize it could do that."

Click to shrink...

Kallen: The million yen question.

Rakshata: I can understand the desire to understand it, but I believe a scientist could have gleamed more from that than someone like him could.

Trollouche: Who dares wins. Was it worth, Mr Senor Senior Junior? :3 He's lying btw.

CC: Oh?

Trollouche: That isn't what he said when he put the device on her.

CC: So he did know something.

Kallen: So why is he lying now?

Trollouche: The other million yen question.

Watching Shermie's white SUV pull out of sight, Reiko looked down at Momiji. "So… now that she's used it, do you suppose she's awakened?"

"I could tell the moment we spoke to one another."

Momiji shut her eyes and let a smile grace her lips. "I don't think this has happened before, where she's been with people like this… I hope this is a good sign."

Click to shrink...

CC: Hmm.

Trollouche: Shilling for your thoughts?

CC: Just a feeling. That the winds of destiny may have just changed. :3