The Great Candied Adventure, Part 13: A Waste of Money
Chapter 13: A Waste of Money
Dungeon area
"Owww… dang." Chris got up, rubbing his head. "Can't believe I fell for that. Stupid knight… where am I?" He alit both hands to see the room more clearly. "Hm?" Everywhere were piles of eggs, leaving barely anymore room. "Just how much cake do they make, anyway…"
But due to the presence and warmth of the fire, all of the eggs began cracking. They hatched in seconds, and a swarm of tiny baby chicks began chirping happily. Chris wore a frantic look. "Where've I seen this before! Hatched awfully quick… Though I read somewhere that a firebender's presence causes eggs to hatch quicker. Is that why all those eggs hatched for my dad? Well, anyway… I need to get out of here. …I don't suppose you all know the exit?"
The chickies exchanged glances and started to flutter above the Uno, latching him with their little talons. "Whoa, I guess you do! Whooooaaa!" They began carrying him up the trapdoor's shaft.
Whole Cake Mountain Lair
Sheila and Haruka still raced after Jessie and Sandy, up a flight of stairs in an outside area, leading to what seemed like the highest point in the lair. "Oi, is Big Mum up here??" Sheila questioned.
"Where the hell do you think we're leading you." Jessie stated.
"Another trap." Haruka said, disbelieved.
"She sounds really scary, though." Sandy said with teary eyes. "I hope you guys know what you're doing."
"Please, you forget who you're talking to." Sheila smirked. "We're Raccoon Pirates."
"Yeah, yeah." Jessie eye-rolled.
They made it atop the stairs and charged into a hallway with no door, leading into a room with a round table, and huge double-doors across it. "Eeeee-YAAAAH!" The kids jumped back when Tamago shot down, quaking the floor with his mighty kick. They looked as a large turtle then spiraled into the room, slowing as the lion, Pekoms stood upright. "Bonjour, leetle ruffians, but zis is as far as you go, hohn-hohn!" declared Tamago.
"No one's allowed to see Big Mom unless you're expected for dinner, growlll, if so, I don't see your toppings." Pekoms stated.
Sheila and Haruka exchanged witty smirks. They locked hands as Sheila spun her free hand and ran forward, with Pekoms and Tamago readying their selves. The henchmen punched and kicked forward (respectively), but the girls leaped over them as Sheila hurled her Light Sphere at the double doors and blew them open. They landed behind the henchmen and kept running without another glance.
"Arrêtez!" Tamago raised his long leg to kick after them, but Sandy's rope lashed over and caught it.
"Going somewhere?" The girl smirked.
"Je vois. So you vish to tangle with us, ohn? But I am a Longleg HUMAN!" announced Tamago. "And ve vill not stand for zis, Missy! NO SIRREE! Come, partenaire, let us show zese ruffians POURQUOI!"
The hall grew much darker as Sheila and Haruka went, with the former using a Light Fist to see the way. "There's another door coming." Haruka noticed.
"Heh!" Sheila grinned. "No problem!" And with another rapid spin, this door blew down as well.
They now stood in a small, pitch-black room with a giant throne. Augustus stood there, and behind him, the terrifying entity that controlled this island. Big Mom was a lot bigger in person, and much more gruesome, with ravenous bloodshot eyes that seemed dying with hunger, and massive teeth that drooled with the deepest lust. The way her drool dripped and burned on the ground, Big Mom could munch anything, and any amount. She could swallow their little bodies whole, and gobble this whole island in a few simple bites.
"Hey, Fatso, d'you see anyone named 'Big Mum' anywhere?" Sheila asked. Haruka face-palmed.
"Nyaaaaaa!" Her eyes shook.
"Sheila, that IS Big Mom." Haruka stated.
"She IS?" Sheila ran forward, leapt onto the woman's big nose, and hung upside-down by her feet as she faced into Big Mom's mouth. "OIIIII! PANINIIIII! YOU STILL ALIVE IN THEEEERE?"
"NYAAAAA!" The overweight woman furiously shook and flung Sheila against the wall. "GRANDSON… get rid of the spare. This is a matter between CAPTAINS!"
"As you command, Your Overliness." Augustus bowed. Haruka stood ready as the teen approached her with a cool smile. "Shall we adjourn?" With a gentle stomp of his foot, a trapdoor opened beneath and sent them falling.
"Uuuuuhhh…" Sheila stood up dizzily.
"So you're the fabled Sunny-Fist Sheila, daughter of Marine the Scourge. To think a whiny brat like you could make it this far. Am I expected to fear as something as TINY as you?! A filthy rodent whose kind scavenges out of trash for a living."
"Dinga, I don't wanna know what filthy trash YOU been crawlin' around in! And I ain't lettin' you get a lick o' that cake FIRST!"
"Ma ma ma ma! I knoooow you're aware of my curse. Why else would you BE in Loompa Land's ruins? The cake is what will grant me sanctity. A burden that has lasted in my bloodline for GENERATIONS!"
"But crikey, Mum, that curse is bloomin' killin' you. Wouldn't you rather just find a CURE for it, instead of just eatin' the same bloody thing that caused it all?"
"You don't understand, do you? For generations, my family has sought the ultimate source of candy. They believed that sugar and sweets grants the greatest power in the world, and that power is what would help them to thrive! As the generations went… the Candy Virus became less and less fatal, but it was only by the existence of this virus, they believe, would help them FIND this luscious source! Candied Island seemed it… but it was just so simple… so WEAK! So for generations, we kept baking and eating this cake, until we could one day find the promised land! Then, at long last… I found it."
"Wot? You mean Candied Planet?"
"Of course, Child! It was closer than we ever thought! The real source of power in the world… the one that would keep us at the TOP. You little brats wouldn't know it… but candy is UNHEALTHY for you. And yet, it is soooo tasty. And this, my grandmother's cake… is the tastiest substance in the entire cosmos! It outmatches all other foods in any food group! It must… since it is composed of the 7 tastiest candies in the world. And the Candy Virus which these Seven Wonders cause is so horribly contagious, and could make any morsel not immune to the virus fall to their stomachs! Such is my intention…
"You see, while Candied Island is composed of all sweets, no soil, it is deeply rooted with the Earth's core. Even in this sub-dimension… Ultimately, every source of food or nutrition is linked with the earth. Fruits and vegetables grow from the rich soil, feeding the animals which are then eaten by other animals. In this circle of life, all things are kept alive and healthy… which is why… I shall eat the Cursed Cake, and gain the full force of this sugary virus. Then… I shall channel the virus from Candied Island, ALL the way through the Earth's CRUST, and turn every piece of dirt on this planet into ONE BIG Candied Island! All beings will have nothing to eat but candy, and with the lack of healthy foods or meals, every being will fall WEAK with hunger! Sure, the kids will enter a frantic sugar rush, but in time, they will falter, helpless and FAT! …But not I…
"When the people are all helpless and feeble, they will have no choice but to submit to my rule! I, Charlotte Linlin, whose family's bloodline is already one with sugar, shall become the SOLE ruler of new Candied Planet! Everything will become another morsel to me, making me stronger while they get WEAKER with the sweets! I will be the most powerful being in the world, and the ONE TRUE CANDY PIRATE QUEEN! NYAAAA HA HA HAAAA!"
"Blimey, a world made entirely of candy…" Sheila made a smile, "that would be the old Kids Next Door's dream. The very reason… I don't like 'em that much." She looked seriously. "In a world that's filled with adventure… there're so many foods to eat. And eating the same thing all the time… would just get boring! I'm…I'M SICK OF CANDY!!"
"MA MA MA! I'm a little surprised. The way you and your mom are, I expected them to ingest GALLONS of it."
"Don't be sour 'cause you can't be as great as my mum!"
"Ma ha ha! Your mother was nothing more than a drunken idiot. A mindless slob who probably conceived you as some drunken mistake she was forced to raise. She had no mind to raise you properly, had wasted both of your brain cells while she was pregnant with you, so she filled your mind with the petty notion that life is all about fun and adventure. In reality, life is about reaching the top and being the strongest, but without the knowledge or integrity to do so, all your mother could rely on were her artless morals. The fact is, Child, you were born under a runt, and you'll be nothing more than a runt!"
"SHUT UP!!" Sheila never felt more full of rage. "My mom was the greatest person ever!! I…I wouldn't be ANYONE ELSE'S daughter!"
"Ma ma ma ma! Sure you wouldn't! A child who blindly follows their idol is always the same! Unable to see how retarded your mother is in reality, especially when she made YOU retarded by her own doing!"
"AAAAAAHHH!!!" Sheila spun both fists and dashed at Big Mom, but quickly jumped back when the woman lunged down and chomped her teeth. Gotta watch out for that Candy Virus.
"MAAAA MA MAAAA! I'd like to SEE how dim you become after my sugary goodness infects you! I'll bet you won't even be mistaken for a-"
Sheila furiously spun her fist during this time, and fired a Light Fist so whipping fast, it forced Big Mom against the wall. "I admire my mom for EVERYTHING she did! And I won't let ANYONE talk BAD about her!"
"Nyaaaa! You're gonna pay for thaaaat! MAAAAA!" She lunged at Sheila with the greatest hunger.
Filing Room
Carol kept running as a group of Nickel Joe's guards came at her from the other end. "Heads UP, boys!" She threw money on the ground, distracting the men with greed, letting her jump and forcefully kick them with her high-heels. "Ha ha ha ha! Say I'm useless NOW!"
She appeared in a maze of cubicles with many businessmen typing on typewriters. They all stepped out simultaneously, their toneless stares fixed on Carol. She made a witty smile and yelled, "Iiiiit's MONEY DAAAAY!"
"OOOOOOHHH!" She threw her dollars everywhere, and everyone scrambled to collect them. Two Big Knuckles punched each other for some bucks, a Slim Jim tried to strangle an Average Arnie, and an Overweight Orville jumped down from a cubicle to crush another Jim. "Get it HEEEERE, and HEEEERE! Money all YEEEAAAR!" She threw dollars everywhere with the greatest joy. In time, all of the guards were beating each other for money, and this office room fell into ruin. Smirking, Carol easily snuck past the guards, and into the 'Main Office.' She rushed in and closed the door calmly, silencing the noise. "Phew, what a mess. DAAAAAH!" She screamed when a coin hit the wall beside her and exploded.
"Well, there seems to be a bit of ruckus goin' on outside there." smirked Nickel Joe. "Would ya be acquainted with such?"
Carol marched forward proudly, "YES, and NOW I'll be acquainted with YOUR defeat! …Aaaas… soon as my luggage gets here."
"Huuuff, heeee! Hoooo, hweeee!" The two Spinach Men hurried inside and plopped the crates on the ground. "Hokay… huff… we can't go anymore… Hooo." They fainted.
With that, Carol reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a tiny tiger. "Get ready to face the power of my MINI ZOO! A swarm of mini animals just rarin' ta TEAR YA to limbs!"
"An intriguing strateegee, but might I inquire how yer little munchkin intends ta do as such. It seems too wee ta even tear a beetle ta limbs."
"A reasonable inquiry, the simple reason I stocked up on Growth Gum!" She gently set her tiger on the floor and pulled out a stick of the gum. "It takes a while, but once these guys are fully energized, better WATCH your nickels!" She pulled a piece of the gum off and fed it to the tiny tiger. It slowly puffed back to its normal size, but started growling furiously at Carol.
"Hey, Lassie, I think yer tiger might hold a little resent!" Joe said worriedly.
"You forget that MY pets love NO ONE better than me!" she proclaimed confidently as the tiger crept closer. "And nothing makes my pets respond more than-" The tiger's eyes widened with joy when she held up a bundle of dollars, "MONEEEEY!"
"Ahhhh the plot twist." Joe flipped. "The rich girl's only mode of language."
"You won't be grinning after these animals get a taste! So let's get this fight underway!" (Play "Mafia Boss' Big Showdown" from A Hat in Time!)
Boss fight: Nickel Joe
"Now GO, Lady Tigra!" Carol threw her money at Nickel Joe, making the tiger lunge forward, but Joe swiftly kicked it away. "It's not over, yet! Here comes TWO more!" She fed Growth Gum to two more tigers, re-expanding them and throwing her money at Joe. Joe managed to kick one tiger, but the other bit him on the hip before he could get it away, and knock it out with a Coin Bomb. "You still haven't met Lady ROO!" She released a kangaroo that attempted to punch Nickel Joe with boxing gloves, but the grinning man evaded her shots and kicked the animal from behind. "That wasn't her." Joe looked up and gasped when another kangaroo came down and pinned him, furiously beating his head like a punching bag.
"Aaaah!" Joe kicked the animal away and flipped to his feet. "Forget these li'l kiddy games. I'm kickin' you out." Joe ran to kick Carol, but she dodged away, leaving her crates defenseless as Joe kicked them and let all the animals roam loose.
"HEEEY! My mini zoo!"
"'Twas a peculiar business, but alas it failed. So you's only gots me yourself." He tossed his toothpicks that Carol avoided before raising her parasol, only for the picks to fly through her parasol. She gasped when Joe flew at her with a kick, evading again and quickly pulling the Growth Gum apart.
"Hurry, eat it!" She tossed the gum around the floor, and thankfully some of the animals ate it. A bull, bear, and camel re-expanded, and Carol quickly tossed money at Joe to grab their attention. Joe kicked the bear away, but the bull rammed him against the wall, and once he jumped away, he slipped on the water that the camel had spat around the ground. "And don't count out the others, yet!" Carol wagged her money by the unconscious tiger, kangaroo, and bear, awaking them and throwing them at Joe for more attacks. Joe was scratched by the tiger, but still kicked the animals away. "I've still got MORE!" Carol re-expanded two more bears and a tiger, and had them come at Joe once more. She then got the second kangaroo to grab Joe's arms from behind and let the first kangaroo punch his face. While he escaped and kicked them, Carol re-expanded two more camels to spit water at his face, then two more tigers to tackle the man. And for each animal and attack, she gave them a dollar bundle.
"Hahaha! I'm doing it!" Carol beamed joyously. "I'm really winning! Let's go for a quadruple tiger…" She searched her pockets for another bundle. "Huh?!" Her face lost its color. She searched her pockets frantically, but they felt empty. "Wh-What's happening?! I thought I had another thousand dollars! There's no way it could've…"
"Well, I guess yer all outta business." Nickel Joe grinned, standing and brushing his bruised form. "But I still got some coins ta spare."
Carol looked and noticed the animals were already eating her thrown dollars like grass, while the kangaroos stuffed them in their pouches. "AAH!" She wasn't focused when Joe shot over and kicked her away. She got back to her feet and pulled out her parasol, running to stick him with it, but the man simply jumped over and kicked the back of her head. When she stood and turned, Joe hurled a bunch of toothpicks through her dress and face, making tiny holes of blood.
"It looks like ya have no special talents left. Little rich tykes like you only know one thing: how to spend your money. And when yer all out, yer just like the rest o' the trash. Face it, Girly… ya lost."
Carol had nothing to say. She was so powerless… so weak. All she really knew was getting people to do what she wanted with money. What good was she in the end. …She didn't deserve to be in KND. She…She failed.
With no hesitation, Joe flicked a nickel that hit Carol directly. The explosion nearly ruined her dress and made blood leak from her face. He made her into what she truly is: useless trash.
Joe flipped his nickel. "Well, these animals ain't gonna be makin' anymore cash from you. But hey: they c'n still make some decent change." He held several nickels between his fingers, and the animals stared with delight. "Now, boys… FINISH 'er."
The animals snarled and readied to snack on their former owner's defeated form. But before they could, a swarm of snakelike shadows slithered in and caught the animals. "STRANGLE!" The shadows squeezed, and the animals fell unconscious. "Ganging up on a little girl? That's not very nice." Carol turned to the entrance as Dillon walked in with a serious glare.
"Oh? You…"
Dillon looked at her with a friendly smile. "I had a feeling this whole tactic was gonna backfire. I thought you were gonna need backup."
"Mmm…" Carol felt even weaker now. If he knew it would fail, too… she was useless.
"Hey, don't feel bad." Dillon smiled. "Cash Combat failed, we'll just have to accept that. It had its value for a while, but in the end, it just isn't how you should fight. But that's okay… 'cause that's the very reason you're coming to KND. To shape your skills and see what you're really good at. And when you find that thing… it'll be great to have you use it on our team."
She was a little surprised. "But I thought… you didn't want me-"
"Look, Vanellope's gone. That's something I'll have to accept, too. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't be closed off for any other members. After this is over, you'll be joining KND. And when there's something you can't do, someone else will have to do it for you. Right now… you just can't beat this guy. So someone else has to step in." He glared at Nickel Joe again and stepped forward. "I'm your opponent now."
"Heh… A stronger crewmate stepping in to help a weaker crewmate. That's…That's almost touching. And at the SAME time, a waste of space to wanna have her around. Yokay then… let our quarrel commence once again."
Dillon sent his lines of shadows out, but Joe jumped and threw his coins down to scare them away. "Talk about worn-out tactics. Is Shadow Possession all ya can do?" Another shadow whipped at Joe from behind, but he jumped away and threw a coin at Dillon. The smoke cleared, but no trace of Dillon was left.
Joe was baffled, but the shadowbender emerged from a Shadow Veil behind. "Not exactly." Only his head stuck out, and when Joe whipped around, Dillon's shadowy arms reached along the ground, up Joe's legs, and into his back pocket. "AHA!" Joe was too late to jump away as Dillon swiped the nickel from his pocket.
"Brilliant, so ya caught one o' my nickels. Gonna buy a quintuple at the 1¢ Store?"
"Not quite." Dillon smirked. "When Mario was sneaking around the Big Ma'am, he heard you mentioning something about only having that one nickel. And when we were fighting you, he actually snuck behind you and saw you make a nickel out of some goop, while holding another nickel. And I figured out… this is your only REAL nickel! You have some power that lets you make copies of it, but I bet you won't be able to do much if you lose it!"
"Siiiigh. It's true." Joe spoke sadly, but still had a grin. "A terrible tragedy occurred where I was left with that one nickel. But I joined the Big Mams, and she gave me the Dupli-Dupli Fruit. I can make a copy of anything I touch outta explosive clay. I been usin' it on mah nickel, and hence my ability Coin Bombs came into being. But woe, my secret is revealed. It's a good thing…" He grinned again and held his hands behind his back, "ya didn't grab the right one." A coin spawned in each hand, and he hurled them both at Dillon, blowing the wall down in the process.
"Cough, cough!" Dillon barely avoided the explosion. "We've gotta find that coin on his body. I just hope it's not somewhere gross…"
"And there's PLENTY more where THAT came from!" Joe jumped, spun furiously, and unleashed a storm of Coin Bombs around the room, making Dillon and Carol cover their heads. When it stopped, Dillon searched for the sly man, then finally saw him bent down, touching one of the fallen tigers and bulls. "But don't think I'll hesitate ta use just them." He created a clay-made tiger and bull, but they came rather deformed when he sent them at Dillon. He used Shadow Veil to go up the ceiling and avoid the fake animals.
"His artistic style isn't really professional." Carol noticed.
"It probably takes him awhile to make exact duplicates." Dillon said. "That's why he mostly uses coins."
"Ain'tchu a smart little know-all." Joe was now making a copy of a kangaroo. "But I guesses we both rely on our powers to win battles. So I feels no shame in doin' this." The incomplete kangaroo jumped to the ceiling in attempt to blow Dillon up, so the boy dropped to the ground. The bull charged, and Dillon dodged aside to let it ram and explode the wall. He saw Joe escape into one of the holes caused by his previous two coins. Dillon dodged the clay tiger and caught it in a Shadow Shockwave, getting away before it could explode.
Dillon chased Joe into a huge room with walls of filing cabinets. The man was gone from his vision, until Joe landed before him. "Welcome to my business compository, Mac. I smoked 'lot-a paperwork here, and burned many associates."
Dillon sent Mario to maul the man, but Joe exploded and left Dillon with some bruises. He looked up the right cabinet wall to find Joe standing there. "Impressed with mah life-size Clay Clones?"
"You sure you shouldn't just call it the Clay-Clay Fruit?"
"Actually, there was a Logia Fruit like that. Got eaten by a guy called Karlo. I'm satisfieds with this one." Three more Clay Clones jumped from where he was, and three on the parallel side (all fairly deformed), and Dillon hurried away before they could explode.
"Well, you're not the only one who can duplicate." Dill smirked. "Get a load of my SHADOW CLONES!" He formed a hand sign as his shadow stretched to six points, with a shaded replica of Dillon appearing on each one. The center, real Dillon yelled, "ATTACK!" The six Joes jumped around while the Dillons chased, and each Joe exploded to get rid of a clone. Dillon Shadow Veiled up the cabinet wall to get level with the real Joe, sending another clone to attack him. Joe jumped over the clone and threw a Coin Bomb at the shadow connecting the clone with Dillon, thus destroying the clone.
"You and I have similar traits, you and me." Joe grinned. Dillon sent Mario to maul him, but the clone exploded, sending Dillon to the ground. When the boy recovered and turned, he saw 10 exact Joe Clones behind him. He ran before the horde threw Coin Bombs, then sent his series of shadows to slide over and attempt to grab them, but they jumped on the cabinets and tossed Coin Bombs to make Dillon retreat.
Carol calmly entered the cabinet hall, seeing Dillon running toward her. "Dill, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Dillon panted. "He just got a bit more complicated, that's all. But don't worry, I can handle it, just stay safe, Carol." Another Joe Clone came, but Dillon caught it in Shadow Strangle to blow it up before running to engage them again.
Carol merely sat in place and rested her head on her hands. Siiigh… I'm so pathetic. I know Dillon said I just haven't found my skill yet… but the fact I can't fight him at all, I feel like a useless background character. I only wanted to join this crew to begin with… so I could help my Maseyfairy. He was the first person to care about me, and be my friend. He was always away on his missions, so I wanted to hang out with him more. I wanted to join KND to repay him, by helping him on missions. I mean, he still owes me $300 and counting, but it's a different kind of debt. I want to be able to help him like any friend would… and I wish I could do that now. Hmmm… She continued watching Dillon.
The boy sent three more shadow strings to catch Joe Clones and strangle them, but they still exploded while another Joe hopped onto one of the high, open file cabinets. "You kind of impress me, Little Dill. There's barely any light in here, and you shadowbend like three suns setting on Secco. What's yer secret?"
"Let's just say, I have strategies, too." Dillon stretched his shadow up to catch Joe, but he jumped overhead and tossed toothpicks down to pin all ends of Dillon's shoes down. Dillon couldn't move, and when he was about to take the picks out, Joe threatened to toss a Coin Bomb. He quickly slipped out of his shoes and dodged the bomb, but Joe saw a peculiar brown-orange stone fall out of Dill's right pants leg. "Ahhh…" Joe figured it out. Dillon looked at the stone with worry.
Just yesterday, when Dillon went home to train with his mom, she took him to a place called Twilight Town, where she and her three sisters tried to attack Dillon together. After much struggle, he managed to stretch four shadows and catch all four in a Shadow Possession. "Nnnn! Not bad." Victoria smiled, struggling to break free of the bind. "'Course it's easy since it's sunset."
"That's the problem." Danika said, easily snapping free of the shadow. "A shadowbender's only their strongest during sunset or dawn, but not all fights happen then."
"Well, that's why I came to you guys for help." Dillon stated. "I need to be able to improve myself WITHOUT sunset."
"Why doesn't he just use a Shadow Crystal!" Brianna beamed.
"A Shadow Crystal?"
"It's a kind of material found in the Shadow Realm, imbued with Shadow Chi." Dani explained. "If you had it with you, you could have the strength you would at sunset. 'Course, holding onto it might be a struggle."
"Just hide it in your pants and use your shoe to hold it up!" Victoria said. "That's kinda what Dani did when she was training!"
"Yeah…" Dani smiled in agreement. "I'll go ask Midna for one. With it, you might be able to make Shadow Clones."
"And maybe a Shadow Shrink!" Payton beamed. "I wanna play with a tiny little Dilly!"
"Payton, you know that's not a real move." Brianna said in disbelief. "You haven't changed a bit…"
"So that's what you use." Joe said. "One of those crystal thingies from the Shadow Realm. A good businessman has to know these things, you see." He flipped a nickel. "But I thinks I'll take it from you."
Dillon swiped the crystal back and hid it under his shirt, avoiding as the Joes tossed nickels. Dillon stretched his shadow strings to catch a few clones, but they all turned up fakes and exploded.
Carol heard something behind her, hiding behind the wall beside the hole as she saw Joe sneak into the previous room, through the other hole created by the exploding bull. The man turned to make sure he wasn't followed, then touched himself to start making another clone. With a view of his right ear, Carol spotted a particular shiny object inside the ear. Carol rushed over to Dillon and yelled, "DILLON, HE'S IN HERE!" The boy looked to the exit and ignored the other Joe Clones, finding the real one in the room.
"Mind your own BUSINESS, Girly!" Joe threw two more Coin Bombs that Dillon avoided.
"Dillon, it's the ear! He's hiding the real coin in his right ear!"
Dillon looked at the ear, and noticed a slight shine. "Of course! Get it, Mario!" His shadow flew over in attempt to swipe the coin, but Joe dodged right and threw toothpicks to stick the shadow. But he didn't notice when Dillon ran from behind and jumped on Joe's head.
"Ack, hey, get off me, you little twoip!" Dillon struggled to pull the coin out, but Joe grabbed and tossed him on the floor. However, Dillon did grab the coin, which rolled over to Carol upon landing.
She turned when it rolled between her feet, watching it land beside another coin. She picked them both up, and recognized it as the coin Dillon swiped from him earlier. "Hey, GOILY!" Carol gasped and turned, hiding both coins behind her as a deformed Joe Clone held Dillon by the arms. "You've interfered long enough. Hand the coin back, and maybe I WON'T explode him to a pulp."
Carol looked hesitantly between Joe and Dillon. But when the boy winked, Carol made a smirk. "Okay. Goooo GET IT!" She tossed the coin further right.
"Gyah!" Joe hurriedly ran to grab his coin, but when he got in its flight path, he suddenly froze. He was caught in a Shadow Possession, originating from the real Dillon in the hole behind Carol, while the Joe Clone held a realistic Shadow Clone. Joe looked with surprise as the coin flew directly at his face. Unable to move his arms, he aimed to catch the coin in his teeth. In the split second before it reached him, the world seemed to slow. And right as it impacted… the coin exploded. (End song.)
Joe's sleek, grinning face became disheveled and bloody. His mustache burned, lots of teeth fell out, and he flew backward down and defeated. His body landed limp and lifeless, the smile still frozen on his open mouth. The Joe Clone melted to nothing, as did all the others in the cabinet room. Carol panted and stared at the real nickel in her hand. "I…I did it!" She fist-pumped.
"Great shot, Carol! I didn't even know that was the fake."
"Hahaha! I defeated my first big-time baddie! I am AWESOME! …You know you owe me for this, right?"
"What?? I do NOT, I did most of the work."
"Yeah, but who was it that finished him?"
"You couldn't-a done that without me!"
"If that's what you wanna believe." She said proudly.
"Siiigh. Never mind." He looked around at all the animals, the ones unconscious, and the ones still tiny and roaming around. "What'll we do with all of them?"
"Well, I DID plan to unshrink them all for the fight… but considering their rude betrayal against their master, I think they're good as they are. We'll look for other Shrink Sweets for the others."
"Heh heh heh. Good idea."
"Yeah. I mean, I guess it was bound to fail from the start."
"Maybe, Carol, but… the point is you were willing to try it for your friends. That's all that matters."
"Don't use that pity-comfort on me. An operative whose ability fails is a waste of space. It's like adding a random character in a story where they have no relevance. That's why, when I join your team, I'll have a REAL skill! One that'll make you weep!" She smiled confidently. "I dunno what it is yet, but once I have it, Mason will fall head-over-heels for ME! Now LET'S go help our friends!" And she marched off with a new spirited aura.
"…Siiigh." Dillon wanted to say something against that comment, but figured this is just how she went. He followed her as they attempted to find the others.
Once upon a time, a chief accountant of a candy corporation made his company millions after achieving a multitude of monopolies. But tragedy fell when he sailed his money-loaded ship through a storm, and it was lost at sea. He was retrieved on a candy-made ship, and joined those Big Mom Pirates, having lost it all already. All he had to go by was a single nickel.
Bakery
The tremendous oven 'dinged' as the hatch slid open, and the tremendous, luscious cake to end all cakes slid out. Chef Pierre and his henchmen began to decorate the delicacy with the most colorful icing as Sir Knightly watched excitedly. "HO HOOOOO! EXCELLENTEEEE! This cake's gonna look buenos NOCHEEEEES! Ay-ay-AY, Big Señorita gonna be so bueno!"
"You need to check your Spanish-"
"AAAAAH!" Knightly whipped around to see Chris. "Y-YOU! DI' YOU NO GET ENOUGH OF MY KARATWANDOOOO?"
"Please, all you did was open a trapdoor without me expecting it."
"And WHO was the dummy in THAT caaaaase!"
"Siiigh. Whatever. But to be fair, you did teach me something after that cheap-ass fight. The fact I couldn't beat a guy who didn't lay a blow means I was really weak. That's why… I trained with the strongest person I know. A firebender who's strong of heart, and never willing to give up. That's right. I am talking about…"
A storm of fireballs flew rapidly at Chris, who swiftly dodged and countered, panting and sweating tiredly. "YAAAA!" He leaped forward and SOCKED his opponent in the face. "Got you now!"
But Fanny Drilovsky's face formed right back from the flames. "Not really." She blew him back with a strong flame blast.
"Huff, you really know how to put up a fight, Aunt Fanny." Chris smiled and panted.
"I'm flattered." She casually brushed her shirt. "And Ay'm not yer aunt, boy. Otherwise I wouldn't be lettin' yer siblings sleep with my kids. But at least yer brother puts up more of a fight. If this is as long as you can last, then you don't deserve to call yerself an Uno."
"Heh, I'm as Uno as they come, Lady. And I'm nowhere near finished. Even if I can't lay a blow, I'm gonna make even YOU sweat!"
"Admire your determination, but brute strength ain't gonna work. If ya really want ta endure, what ya need are some good meals. Remember how my Spicy Soup healed Panini after Nerehc laid a beating on her? Certain foods can strengthen or weaken a bender's chi, depending on their element, like hot foods with firebenders. Or how Matt's friends drink that soda. Why, if yer dad ate more like I did growin' up," she smirked with pride, flexing an arm, "he would be Logia, too. But… what can boys do. But Ay'll be generous enough to bake ya enough food to last ya a few battles. But NOT if yer gonna be wimpy like yer actin' now."
"Heh, you callin' me a wimp? I'll WRECK you, Drilovsky!"
"That's Fulbright to you." She lunged at Chris with a swift, powerful kick, which Chris countered with his own, almost blocking her with enough force to keep her back. The two engaged in a quick, furious fist-fight of flames, watched by Nigel Uno from their house across the street.
"Siiigh… my own son doesn't wanna train with me." He spoke sadly.
"Awww, don't feel bad, Nigel." Rachel patted his shoulder. "You taught Aurora about her special power."
"Yeah, but it's so embarrassing. Heck, I saved the world three times, but my own son thinks I'm a wimp. It might as well be Fanny who did all that stuff."
"Ahhh, don't worry about it. At the last minute, you might do something admirable."
"I'm not really sure how I knew that last bit." Chris said confusedly. "Anyway, after being introduced to Ms. Fulbright's awesome cooking… I remembered, all we had to eat was candy. The truth is, candy should only be eaten on occasion. Real food is what really makes a kid strong. The Kids Next Door were afraid of that in the past, because they thought it meant becoming adults. But it's not about how fast we'll grow up, it's about having the strength to take on challenges. Like fighting crazy adults."
…Hmm… they've really changed since then. Sir Knightly wore a disappointed look behind his helmet. And this boy… no doubt, he's…
"Hm? Somethin' up?"
"Er- I mean- WHOOOOOOHHH! Iiiii not afraid o' you! I gon' 'STROYYYYY you, Nuchacho! And you not get this cake! I'll beat you with my SWIFT ARM MOVEMENT!" He rapidly shook his arms. Then stopped. "Ehhhh… that's it."
"Pfft. I know someone who would do that, and actually be effective. But I'm no pushover like before. No matter how many hits it takes, I will breach that armor. And I'll yank that helmet right off! Yaaaaaa-!" Chris ran forward, leaped, and PUNCHED Sir Knightly in his protected face, sending the knight bouncing back with his pan still intact.
"HA HAAA! YOU DIDN'T KNOCK MY HELMET OOOOOFF! I still got my helmet ON, I still got it… MYYYY heeeelmeeeet oooon HAHAHAHA!"
"YAAAAA!" Chris tackled the armored knight and laid a series of punches against his chest area. Knightly threw the boy off and frantically ran away, but Chris flew in front of him with rocket shoes, charged a surge of fire, and shot him against the wall. Chris landed before Knightly and trapped the man in a column of fire. "Metal's a good conductor of heat, that oughta make ya sweat!"
"Ho… ho… hooo…" Indeed, the heat was quickly getting to the metal-clothed knight.
Chris then spun in a fiery tornado and flew at Knightly directly, drilling and drilling in a desperate attempt to breach his armor. When Chris jumped away, the knight fell to his front. But once again, he jumped to his feet. "Iiiii'm STILL ALLLL riiiight!"
Dang, this guy's gotta have a power or somethin'. "If I could guess, did you eat a Devil Fruit that made your body totally numb?"
"NnnnnnNOPE! You get three more guesses!"
"Ugh. Never mind. I'll kick your butt either way." He leapt and landed a storm of kicks against Knightly's head, bouncing it back and forth like a punching bag, but the knight still appeared unphased.
"Oiiiii heheee. I think some of my boogers knocked up to my eyes!"
"Grrrr! I won't stop 'til I make you HURT! AAAAAHHH!" He unleashed waves of flames at the knight.
Big Mom's Throne
Sheila evasively avoided Big Mom's chomping teeth, dashing under the woman's legs, and when Big Mom turned, she was met with a powerful Light Fist to the teeth. "That one's from me MUM!"
"MAAAAAA!" Big Mom unleashed a wave of green fire, and Sheila dodged it with a start.
"WHOA!! Blimey, don't tell me yer a Fulbright, too!"
"The virus allows me to absorb the essence of whatever I eat. At this moment, Panini is sitting in my stomach, while her marvelous chi is being channeled into my bloodstream. I can only wonder… the amount of strength I'll get from your lightbending! I'm dying to TASTE you, Sheila!"
"Yeh? I reckon I might be too spicy for you. I'd just settle with eating Chris. YAAAH!" Sheila ran forward, then dodged Big Mom's munch, and hovered upward when Big Mom breathed a ray of flames. Sheila hovered above the woman and came down with a Ground Pound, but the woman recovered quickly and tried to grab her. Sheila flipped over her hand and landed on the floor, continuing to run around as Mom blew flames in her path.
Cleveland, Virginia
Cheren didn't stop in his battle with Bobbin, but despite his strength of will, the wide-faced commander showed no signs of letting up. The two jumped several meters from each other as Bobbin launched several sword beams against the ground. "Bouncy be-e-e-eams! Boingy-boingy-boingy-boingy." His beams bounced to Cheren, who blocked them away, but some scratched his side and made him falter. He quickly defended when Bobbin bounced at him again, but with a spin-kick to the face, Cheren was knocked away. His glasses fell off, and Bobbin's image became a big round blur. "You lo-o-o-ose something, boyoyoyoyoyon."
Cheren spent the next few minutes searching for his glasses, having to raise his blade in defense when he sensed Bobbin come.
Town outskirts
(This scene is optional reading as I don't expect people to look up who all these pirates are. This was basically a chance to give the Nextgen Kids some more battles.)
The KND engaged in all-out battle with the Enraged Army. Karin Kurosaki, Sector JP's leader, struck Daifuku with strong kicks. Using the power of his Lamp-Lamp Fruit, Daifuku summoned a genie from his belt to counter her. The genie was too strong for Karin to kick down, but after a while, Karin realized that genies were technically spirits. She decided to reveal her second form to Daifuku and strike the genie harder. Karin's sister, Yuzu, fought Chef Streusen, whose Cook-Cook Fruit turned the surrounding land into food. He forced Yuzu to eat his food, disgusting her with the taste. She made him try her own homemade ramen, a taste so delicious that Streusen wept. Yuzu bashed him unconscious in his trance.
Jinta Hanakari battled Zuccotto, a chubby man with a hair bun and two axes. Jinta used his baseball bat to knock the axes away and bashed his head enough to KO the pirate. Ururu battled High-Fat, a tall man in a blue onesie with polka-dots. Ururu could shrink with her Tiny Devil and penetrate his onesie, scratching his skin underneath. High-Fat stumbled around enough until he fell over and hit his head.
Anthony McKenzie, Sector W's leader, battled Oven. Oven's Heat-Heat Fruit allowed him to scorch whatever he touched, so he caught Anthony's boulders and threw them back as molten lava. With Oven continuously melting their area, Anthony had less rock to bend. But that's when Fybi Fulbright used airbending to cool the ground, making the earth bendable for her leader. Anthony focused attacks to the face, but Oven would repeat his techniques and throw lava at Anthony. However, the boy formed a Boulder Bowl to catch the lava and dump it back over Oven, scorching him with his own heat.
Fybi would then go to battle Angel, a purple-haired woman who wielded a large bow. Fybi matched her with her own B.O.W. as they shot arrows at each other. Sally and Harvey Harper flew their yo-yos and tried to take Dolce and Dragée out of the sky; they were chubby twin boys who flew with balloons. The boys dropped bombs from their pants to attack the yo-yo twins, but with concentrated throws, the yo-yos could bonk the bombs back to the boys, eventually taking them down. Aranea fought Joconde, a short woman with a knight's helmet, puffy blonde hair, and riding a dark horse. Aranea countered by riding a Rocket Rocking Horse, dodging Joconde's lance and bashing her with a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R..
Melody Jackson fought a white, gooey blob man named Opera, made what he is by the Cream-Cream Fruit. She would be repeatedly trapped by his sticky cream and suffer burns when he enhanced the acidic properties, causing her clothes to dissolve. Melody kept bending water over Opera and freezing him, following with Water Punches to the head.
Opera had four quintuplet brothers: Counter, Cadenza, Cabaletta, and Gala, all equally large, bald, and bearded. The four men ganged up on Mocha, the giant of Sector W7. Her own strength persevered and took down the muscleheads, especially when Mocha mustered an ounce of Armament Haki to her knuckles.
Melody's brother, Danny, along with Eric, battled Prim, a pink octopus mermaid. Danny filled himself with water to puff up, rolled in place, and let Eric launch him at Prim with a Spring Gun. Danny avoided Prim's trident and spat water cannonballs at her, eventually making Prim drop her trident. While Danny kept attacking, Eric snuck up, grabbed the trident, and used the Spring Gun to impale the trident through Prim's butt. She cried out in pain, but was inevitably KO'ed by Danny.
Miyuki Crystal confronted Amande, a blue-haired, Snakeneck swordswoman. Her sword, Shirauo, was crafted with Time Dust: when she slashed Miyuki, the cuts would always show up slowly, but Miyuki would feel every second of pain. She used timebending to Pause the wounds and otherwise tried to fight Amande with bending, but the woman resisted even her Agifying power. MaKayla King fought Citron, a thickset Amazon with long legs and spiked light-brown hair the width of her body. MaKayla's smaller, thinner frame dodged swiftly as she attacked with Recorded Clones and her Chrono Staff.
Dacquoise ate the Bat-Bat Fruit, sporting big purple wings over his blue suit. He flew in the air and fought Lola Stork, Sector IC's vampire. She maneuvered behind to spank his back with her deadly hands. Lola's brother, Terry fought Kanten, a topless obese man with pink skin. Kanten shot goop over the Stork boy, but Terry struck Kanten's private area with forceful Shade Fists. George King, IC's leader, confronted Chiboust, a huge, blue-suited man with white protrusions in his head. Chiboust used a large shield to block George's Chrono Beams. George mustered the strength to Stop the shield in time, leap on, and start rapidly pounding it. Momentum built up in the Stopped shield, so when it became mobile, it blasted directly back against Chiboust.
Morgiana, Sector SA's kickboxer, engaged Myukuru, a Longarm woman with a blue shirt that had '100' written. Her arms served as a match for the Fanalis's strong legs. Nagisa, SA's leader, fought Nougat, a swordsman with a white-feathered scarf and pineapple-shaped orange hair. Nagisa maneuvered around Nougat and struck with mild attacks, eventually swiping Nougat's own katana. Nagisa tossed the sword upward, prompting Nougat to focus on it, but Nagisa seized the chance to use a Clap Stun and scare Nougat unconscious. Goombella and Index fought Broyé, a very tall woman in a yellow dress and cape, a gold crown on her pink hair. Index helped throw Goombella up to Headbonk the woman.
Makava clashed with Custard, a purple-haired swordswoman in a purplish-pink bodysuit. Makava's shorter size made her efficient in evasion. Vweeb fought Compo, a short and agile man with a yellow cap and purple suit. Compo threw a bladed boomerang at Vweeb, but the Kateenian rode the weapon back and used his newfound Kateeny strength to punch his face in. Tronta Dunfree fought Dosmarche, a chubby, mustached man in a purple suit. Dosmarche spun his twin swords like a shuriken, threw them at Tronta, and pulled them back with strings. Tron threw his Light Discs while the shuriken was flying, striking Dosmarche while his defense was down.
Tron's sister, Arianna was assaulted by Tablet, a short man with wavy blonde hair riding a large, pink bighorn sheep. He ordered the sheep to stomp and trample Ari, while she only struggled to command the sheep telepathically. Arianna was eventually knocked out, but was able to impart her feelings of frustration into the sheep. It kicked Tablet up into the air, turned, and bucked him away.
Mike Strongarm engaged Diesel in a race-battle; Diesel dressed in black and wore a chimney hat. By cranking the wheels on his sides, Diesel was a fast runner, but Mike's bike rivaled him in speed. Even Kimaya Heartly wanted in on the action: the young gangster battled Effilée, a Snakeneck woman in reddish-purple cowgirl clothes. She shot at Kimaya with twin pistols, so Kimaya used her own pistols to shoot Poison Bullets made from her own bending. Kimaya's friend, Kaleo fought Yuen, a man with a doll-like smile and a black staff. The staff's head enlarged as Yuen bashed it against the giant's head, but Kaleo endured and crushed Yuen with his poisonbending.
Columbine, Sector RZ's cook, confronted Galette, a fuchsia-haired woman with a wide, purple-feathered coat. She used butterbending to trap Lulu's friends, while she herself caught the butter on her pancakes. The fresh, warm pancakes melted the butter, and Lulu quickly ate them to extinguish the topping. She also threw hot pancakes over her friends' butter to melt them free, and they ate as well. Lulu landed enough attacks off Galette to take her down. Lee Andrew would then fight Eggplant Soldier, who threw eggplant bombs. Lee threw M.A.R.B.L.E.s and easily beat him. Leanne fought Nusstorte, a man who looked like Captain Crunch, a yellow face on his hat. Nusstorte's hat could blow strong whirlwinds, but Leanne got close with Shadow Veil and bashed him with an electric umbrella. Denny Whitby fought Bavarois, a man with yellow dreads, a bee-striped suit, and boxing gloves. Denny fought him with his own gloves, and the two started enjoying their scuffle.
April Goldenweek battled Compote, a heavyset woman with bushy teal hair and a huge bowl of fruit parfait on her head. With her plantbending, Compote made the fruits fly off her bowl and swarm April. She made the cherries explode like bombs, the bananas shoot like guns, lemons squirt sizzling juice, strawberries shoot seed bullets, etc.. Compote would then replace them with more fruits from her dress. April dodged her way to a rock and painted it green, tricking Compote into tripping on it. Her current bowl spilled out, so April swiftly painted and recolored the fruits. When Compote tried to shoot the yellow cherries, they exploded against herself; when she tried to shoot bullets from the red bananas, it wasn't enough force to shoot the long fruit out.
"She could just make the different fruits do the same affects, but she's already got a formula in her head." April observed. "Hypnotizing her is quite easy." Next, April half-painted a lemon red, so Compote couldn't tell if it was a strawberry or not. She instinctively tried to apply both affects, causing lemon juice to squirt against her own eyes. April quickly set up a canvas and painted herself, tricking Compote into attacking it. Meanwhile, the artist ran to retrieve a S.P.I.C.E.R. and painted it yellow, throwing it into Compote's bowl without her realizing. When Compote had a hard time bending the banana, she picked it out and tried to study it. She accidentally pulled the trigger and burned herself with the weapon.
Aeincha, the 3-inch girl of W7, tried to stay hidden and observe the battle. She then felt a presence standing over her: an 8-year-old girl named Anana, with pink hair, red eyes, and a pink frilly dress with black stockings. Aeincha told the sweet-looking girl that it was dangerous here… but Anana held up her stuffed bunny. "Oh, you like bunnies, too? My friends have a bunny!"
But Anana drew a knife and sliced the rabbit's head. "That's about to be you." With those words to send a chill down her spine, Aeincha ran. Anana chased and tried to cut the tiny girl, but Aein was a swift evader. But after finding the courage, Aeincha drew a tiny pair of scissors. She started to dodge and climb up Anana's clothes, snipping her clothes and hair anywhere she could. Anana eventually grabbed Aeincha and tried to cut her head off, until Gonbe bit her in the leg. She dropped Aeincha, allowing her to finish the job. After Anana was stripped half-naked and bald, she cried and ran away in embarrassment.
Aisa, W7's Shandian hunter, was ambushed by Anglais, a 14-year punk with a black jacket and pompadour. The boy kept trying to run over Aisa's toes with a motorcycle, but Aisa evaded while also blocking the cycle with her Impact Dial, absorbing its kinetic energy. After a while, she blew all that force back, destroyed the cycle, and knocked Anglais out. Chimney, W7's leader, fought Poire, a tall, fuchsia-haired woman with a panda hood and a wide, sharp-toothed grin. Poire shot a machinegun, but Chimney dodged swiftly and got close to strike Poire with karate. Apis fought Cornstarch, a large woman in a green dress. Cornstarch threw seeds around the field and used plantbending to grow stalks of corn and trap Apis. Apis tried to hone her Animal Telepathy, hoping help would come… and then a herd of deer, raccoons, and groundhogs came to munch the corn away. She grabbed her S.P.I.C.E.R. to burn and defeat Cornstarch.
Bon Clay, KB's leader, fought Marnier, a tall woman with a huge purple afro and black one-piece. They engaged in a disco battle as Marnier attacked with her cane, but Clay proved to be the fancier dancer. Ruby and Sapphire of Sector KB fought a team of Decuplets in pink clothes, their Fire and psychicbending holding them down with ease. One of the siblings, Newshi, used his Mix-Mix Fruit to fuse all his siblings into a giant, wielding a huge scythe. Unintimidated by their size, Sapphire used psychic to launch Ruby at their face for forceful, fiery punches. Libby Belle, KB's swordsgirl, fought Mondée, an obese swordswoman with a yellow raincoat and minty-blue hair. Mondée's swordsmanship was forceful while Libby's fencing was swift and precise. Mondée ran out of stamina first, allowing Libby to topple her.
Maddy Murphy battled General Snack, a large man with a yellow coat and several brown scarves. Dodging the swings of his katana, Maddy climbed his clothes to land punches to his weak head, eventually taking him down. Her brother, Zach, fought Mont-d'Or, a clown-faced man with a skeleton suit. He used his Book-Book Fruit to trap Zach in the pages of books, but Zach used his Bo-bobo Kempo to turn the books into comedic fantasies and attack Mont-d'Or from inside. After escaping the books, Zach used a similar ability to trap his foe inside of bad movies, such as Pixar's Bags or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids With Waluigi. Mont-d'Or wound up losing his mind from the dumb movies and fainted.
The Sector Q kids divided into their own battles. Drake Puncture fought Basskarte, a firebender with orange hair risen like flames, and a reddish-purple coat with oversized sleeves. Eddy Flores battled Kato, a pumpkin-headed, orange-skinned swordsman. Eddy kept his distance from the pumpkin and shot his face with explosive slingshot pellets. Jenny Strongarm fought Moscato, a thick-torso'd man with blue and pink, slicked-up hair. Moscato used a sword with an ice cream cone hilt, but Jenny's roller-blades could counter the blade. She would often grind up the sword to kick Moscato's face. E. Carmine battled Flampe, a girl in a red bodysuit and inflatable, spotted balloon that helped her float. Flampe mocked Carmine's contamination suit, called her ugly, but her darts couldn't puncture the suit. Carmine threw bombs up to pop Flampe's bubble.
Quill Ramsey, Sector Q's vice-leader, and Kodama, JP's fireworks expert, teamed up to fight General Cracker. Quill shot water balloons to weaken Cracker's armor, allowing Kodama to shoot fireworks inside to destroy it. Cracker's true form was exposed with purple hair, and a firecracker fuse on it. Cracker conjured more soldiers with his Biscuit Fruit, but as the duo kept destroying them, Cracker ran out of stamina. Kodama would eventually launch Cracker to the sky on her fireworks and watch him vanish in a colorful explosion.
Whole Cake Mountain; Inventing Room
"Arrrr! This be Black John ter Deadly Baby Trio! What's the stasis on the laboratory?"
"Yo yo, we's all good up in here." Rallo sang. "Thems kids ain't get ta us, yet."
"Don't let yer guard down. Some of our mateys reported seeing Fat Jack deflated in the caverns. Who knows who be next ta be skewered?"
"I'd be more concerned for who's coming for us." Stewie said. "Regardless of who it is, victory shall be ours." Maggie glared and cocked her gun. The three babies were ready for action.