B-2. Galactic Juvy

NOTE: The Negaverse scenes were also published in "Down in the Negaverse," Volume 2. You don't have to read them again if you already did.

Diagon Alley

The team of five appeared out of a fireplace in a dingy alleyway. "Look sharp." Facilier told them as they scrambled to recover from the fire. He led them to the city street, very cramped as oddly-clothed figures roamed everywhere. The windows of every shop were filled with all the magi essentials, broomsticks, wands, pointy hats, as well as (to Wendy and Carla's disgust) severed animal organs. Posters advertised the renowned Hogwarts School, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes featuring the Ghost of Fred, and a new haunted house attraction called The Witch's House, based on an old legend from New Oakland.

"Harvey Old Bean, wonderful to see you!" a man called.

"Bonjour, Mr. Baggins!"

"Facilier, Dear, you make the most wonderful hotcakes!" a lady said.

"Ha ha ha, I do my best."

"I say, that's a marvelous specimen." A man with a long thin mustache and monocle examined Carla. "Is this an undiscovered breed or some experiment?"

Carla flew up and glared in his eyepiece, "I'll make you into both if you don't back off."

Facilier mentioned many times that this was a wizarding community, but Wendy's never seen it herself until now. She shirked a lot, for she really stood out regarding color scheme; a lot of people were pretty gloomy and dark-looking. Well, their clothing did, the people actually seemed pretty happy, but passed curious looks to the blue-haired maiden and her flying cat nonetheless. She honestly hoped unique hair colors were common in magic worlds, but not this one it seemed. "M-Mr. Facilier, you said a lot of mages need to go into hiding because of their power. Is that why it's so crowded?" she asked.

"Well, yes." Facilier frowned. "But since benders and metahumans became more 'accepted' 20 years ago, it's not AS bad, but wizards of all people are still 'frowned' upon; or rather, feared. Even among benders we're unnatural. Wizards ain't as revered as in the Negaverse. I wouldn't sink so much into it, we've gotten pretty used to."

Wendy wanted to ask what the 'Negaverse' was, but didn't wanna distract him too much while they were navigating. She saw a group of kids gathered around a building's window with a Magic Mirror TV inside. Wendy stood at the back of this group and saw an anchorwizard and witch in the mirror. The small picture behind them depicted a familiar baldheaded wizard in a black cloak.

"In other news, the 2nd of May is nearing, marking the 34th anniversary since the fall of Tom 'Voldemort' Riddle. Known for taking many steps forward in the field of Dark Arts, commanding thousands of humans and inhuman creatures to his whim, and achieving immortality through the use of Horcruxes, he will always be remembered as the wizard who brought the greatest age of suffering in all of Wizarding History." The anchorman went on.

"But let's not forget those dark wizards before him," the anchorwitch continued, "like the Arthurian Witch, Morgan 'Morgana' le Fay," a beautiful witch with a flowing pink robe, "Avalaran legend Zeref the Black Cloud," a very handsome mage with black hair and robe, looked in his teenage years, "as well as more recent rises to stardom, the Devil Reincarnate Ganondorf Dragmire, and the elusive mysterious Man With the Red-"

"Wendy Dear, come on." Carla returned and took Wendy by the arm, pulling her along.

Facilier was at a shop called Ollivanders, speaking to an ancient white-haired man through the window. "Soooo Mr. Ollivander, I was wondering if there was any progress in, ah, procuring that wand."

"Mr. Facilier, what do you expect me to do, just call the King of Fairies and request the Fairy Princess's Fairy's Tail? I can make you the best on the market, but whoever expected me to procure a wand of that importance and fortitude must be WAY off their noggin! Surely a Pony's Tail, or an Angel Feather, or—goodness, a Minish Acre Piece, but you CAN'T expect me to persuade those blasted fairies to give some student wizard their most prized POSSESSION!"

"Look, if it were up to me, I woulda asked for something simple, but this ain't me, it's her father, but HE can't appear in public, so I gotta do everything for him!" Facilier rambled on as Wendy and Carla caught up.

"Siiigh… I'll keep trying, I really will, but let it be known I have quite a few words to say to her 'father'. Cod, blasted-. ." He shut the window and stormed inside.

Wendy felt guilty after overhearing that, following Facilier further with her head down. "Mr. Facilier, you don't have to get me a good wand. Any old thing would do, really."

"That's very sweet o' you, but I can't say no to this guy. Still, you have to learn magic at some point, the question is where to start. Lessee if anyone in the pub knows any good teachers."

They entered a bar called the Leaky Cauldron, which reeked of a smell Wendy only assumed was magic alcohol. Very dingy and rugged inside where many thugs were guzzling drinks and talking. "Ah'll only be a minute." Facilier said, approaching the barman at the counter. "Bonjour, Tom!"

"Dr. Facilier! How long it's been, I say—thank you again for the hair." He felt his head of smooth brown hair. "What can I get you?"

"See that girl over there? She's a kid I'm lookin' after for a friend o' mine, and, short version is, we're lookin' for a.."

Wendy and Carla walked around while Facilier spoke, exploring the bar, though there wasn't much. She noticed a large book on an abandoned table. Curious, she walked over and picked it up. It was History of Benders, Volume 1. Wendy cracked it open to view the Table of Contents. Chapters such as "Decision of the Gods", "The Avatar/Negatar", "Fall of Arceus", and others were listed. Wendy skimmed them for perhaps anything on airbending – then found a chapter called "Logia Bending", Section 1 "The First Logia".

Wendy flipped over to that page and skimmed. "'Logia is a high level of bending where the bender's Personal Chi has molded perfectly with the Natural Chi, granting them the illusion to transform into their element. The term was coined by the first bender to achieve this level, Acnologia, a mage who possessed—'"

"Hey, that's mine!" A boy with purple-black hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark-red vest that exposed his chest, took the book. He looked about 12. "Are you a bender or something?"

"S-Sorry. My name's Wendy—yes, I'm an Air Mage."

"A mage, too? Cool! Name's Romeo. I bend fire." He lit his right hand with a violet flame. "I use my magic to give it all sorts of colors and effects; I can freeze," shot blue fire to freeze a table, "stick," his purple fire was thrown on a man's shoulder, who panicked to get it off, "and stink." His flame turned yellow, forcing Wendy and Carla to shield their noses before he turned back. "Trying to develop other colors."

"That's amazing! Are you going to Hogwarts next year?"

"Yeah! I'm actually my 2nd year. If you want, I can teach-"

"Time to go, Wendy!" Facilier returned and grabbed the child's hand. "We're goin' to Orchid Bay, Tom coined us the perfect teacher!"

"I-I'll see you later, Romeo." Wendy told him hurriedly.

"Okay. Take care!"

With that, the team of five were strolling down Diagon. Disappointed that she couldn't finish that sentence, Wendy spoke, "Mr. Facilier, I read that the first Logia was a mage. Do you think his magic helped him become what he is?"

"It does feel too coincidental. Yes, there is a very good chance his magic helped him better to become one with his element. By observing him, regular benders got the idea and found ways to do it themselves."

"But what was his element?"

"Hmmm… to be honest, I only heard of Acnologia, I don't remember what element he used." Wendy was even more disappointed she couldn't finish that sentence. "I would honestly guess shadow, if not maybe fire, or darkness or light—eh, I'm just spitballin'. Either way, our next priority is getting to Orchid Bay. I think the Knight Bus drives there on week days, I'll have to call and see. Well, we've about accomplished all we could here for now. Can you guess what we're about to do now?" Facilier asked with a sly grin. "Apparition!"

Wendy gulped. "Can't we just take the fireplace back?"

"Sorry, where we're going, Floo Powder don't get to. Sonny, Donna, refresh our minds on the dangers of Apparition!"

Sonny smiled and said, "When the mental or physical state in any of the passengers isn't totally stable-"

Donna continued, "-this could result in the loss of internal or external body parts."

"Otherwise known as SPLINCHING!" they cheered.

"Uuuuuuu-" Wendy shuddered and sweated nervously. She Apparated with Facilier before, the worst that happened was she lost one of her hairs. But it was still scary.

"Hhhhha ha ha. We'll be fine, though, Wends, ain't nothing Dittany can't fix. In here, everyone, don't want any extras goin' with us." Facilier gestured them to an empty alley.

"It'll be okay, Child, just don't think about it." Carla told her comfortingly. Wendy nodded and calmed down, holding Facilier's arm tightly.

"Let's SPLORP!" The twins glomped Wendy against Facilier, and Carla hugged the witch-doctor's neck before they zipped into thin air. The dimensions spiraled around them with the sensation of being squeezed in a tight rubber tube. Wendy shut her eyes and prayed for it to be over, she thought she might suffocate in this dimension, was afraid of losing a leg and wondering if she already had, an Apparition was roughly 5 seconds long, but it feels forever.

She felt her feet hit solid, though soft soil, and breath filled her lungs. Wendy opened her eyes to find them in a peaceful forest. "See, Wendy, nothing went wrong." Carla smiled.

"WAAAAH! CARLA, YOUR TAIL'S MISSING!" Donna screamed.

"AAAAAAHH!" the cat panicked, feeling behind her. "Put it back! PUT IT BACK!"

"Just kidding!" The twins hugged. Carla snarled at them.

"Where are we, Mr. Facilier?" Wendy asked with wonder in her eyes. "Did you take us to an enchanted forest? Are we gonna learn how to ride unicorns, or catch fairies, or; or find special herbs for powerful potions??"

"No, it's just the Black Forest in Germany. I come here to set trees on fire when I'm angry. We're just here to practice."

"Oh. Well, that's okay!"

Facilier directed Wendy to face a road of trees and bushes. "Now you've been practicing that move I've been tellin' you about, right?"

"Y-You mean that… one?"

"Yah. Show it to me."

Wendy faced determinedly at the set path. She inhaled for nearly 10 seconds, creating a makeshift vacuum in the air, some birds almost flew in, they wondered just how large Wendy's lungs were. Then, she unleashed it all in the form of a powerful cyclone, blowing the small shrubs and twigs miles away, the trees were bending over, lost many leaves, it was like a storm appeared in this one area. Wendy eventually stopped to catch breath. "Excellent, girl." Facilier patted her back. "You make the inventors of the Cyclone Roar proud."

"Eh he. Actually, I've been calling it the Sky Dragon Roar all this time."

"Sky Dragon Roar?"

"That's what they're calling me in the wanted posters, I-I thought it had a nice ring to it. If it bothers you, I'll call it the Cyclone Roar if you want…"

"…That is… a way cooler name." Harvey replied honestly. "Seriously, I'm gonna have to call the authors of the book and have them rename it."

"Y-You don't have to go THAT far!" Wendy flushed. "It mostly feels right for me, is what I'm saying."

"Yeah, but seeing you use it, I dunno, it's like that move was created for you."

Wendy looked away sheepishly, twisting a foot against the soil. "It's nothing special… but, what I really wanna do is start learning magic. I already know plenty of airbending, I'm just wondering…"

"Well, legally students can't use magic until they're officially enrolled, and even then, they can't use it outside of school. Otherwise, they Track yo' ass to the ends of the Earth."

"Oh…" Wendy frowned with disappointment. She was really hoping to learn magic soon.

Facilier smirked, squatting down to put an arm around Wendy. "You're talking to a guy who's a pro at getting around legalities. Which is why, when we're getting to Orchid Bay, I'm buying you a wand."

"You will?!" she beamed. "I-Is it that one you wanted from that store?"

"Hah ha, if only Orchid Bay did sell that wand. Naw, but we'll getchu any kind you want! Mermaid's Heel, Genie's Ring, Hippogriff's Humility, if you think it's fashionable, the money's on me."

"I'm so excited, I can't wait!!"

"Easy girl, Chi-Stabilizers may not hold against emotional states! Now, let's keep tryin' that move. When I send this Fiendfyre at you, you have to use your Sky Dragon Roar to block it. Are you ready, Wendy?"

"Go for it!"

"Okay." Facilier pulled out a small box. "Here it COMES!" The box popped open, out came a massive serpent with a skull's head, made entirely of fire as it flew into the sky, setting trees aflame. It redirected and flew directly at the group, its boney fangs open.

Wendy sucked in a great breath of air and released. "Sky Dragon ROOOOAAAAR!"

Gumdrop Cove

The sun began setting by the time Augustus arrived, the stronghold where all Candy Pirates could come and be sugary in peace: Gumdrop Cove, a tremendous orange-brown island named for the fact it looked like a smashed piece of gum underneath a school desk. "Ahh, I love the smell of Hershey's in the air." Augustus smiled. "They never set 'em up like these anymore. But ever since Captain Black Chocolate Bart coined this cove, it's become a helluva-" Cannonfire roared, Augustus swerved his plane to avoid the giant jawbreakers. "Ho ho! Here's the welcome wagon! We're going doooown!"

"Whoooooooaaaa!" Rallo and Stewie cried as the plane dove for the island like a kamikaze, narrowly dodging all cannons. Augustus whipped around, breezing the sailors with wind caused by the force, and landed his plane along the shore between parked ships. Augustus exuberantly hopped out. "Hoist the Fruit Roll-Ups, mi amigos, your favorite captain has returned!"

"ARR-HAAAARRRRR (Gustaaaaaahhhh!)!" The pirates cheered for him.

"Oogooshtush, ye bootee-grubbuh." A fat, short pirate with a blue coat, white pants, black boot and peg-leg, and a squishy green beard of jelly, and pink Jell-O gums, marched forward. "Where've ye got'n yer sorry soul this aour?"

"Gelatin Gerald." Augustus greeted the captain of the Jelly Pirates with a cool smirk, dropping his dry lollipop. "Long time, no see. Still obsessed with that 'Jelly Planet' dream?"

"Dun't mock what ya don't know, boy. They say iss a drim, but I knows it: out thar in them stars be Jellatonia, a planet made o' the sweet soliquid. Ar'll round me up a space-pirate vessel, 'n' bring home to yer two galleons' worth. Mark me wards, I be a half-Jellien, dropped here on this wreshed rock, and I'll be the king o' all o' 'em."

"Hmm. Well, I'll be waiting for that from beyond my grave."

"Yer mouth not be weighed down with gelatin substancsh, ya make unwise use o' it. Iffin' yer really got ta right ta be usin' such, a swear-off be what we need. Go 'n, boy. Curse me with yer most jigglin' of carses."

Augustus started a new lolli. "You go first."

"Yer end's spelled now, boy. Arr-har-hrm: Ya are… a big-buckled, lolli-lickin', self-cod."

"Ooooooo!" moaned the watching pirates.

Augustus smirked. "You're a… jiggle-boned, celery-brained, graso."

"Aaaaaarrrr!"

"NOE cursin' in yer native tongue, boiii! Arr-harm: you are… a puff-chested, wrinkle-faced, retirement home resident."

"Oooh-HOOOOOOOH!"

"You're a… dung-grubbing, urine-bathing, toilet-kisser."

"OH NO HE DIDNNNNN'T."

"Yar ee… forest-earred, flat-buttocked, oxygen-addict."

"Ahhhh-haaaaaa."

"You're a… salt-cowering, heat-detesting, lard-lover."

"Aye? Well yer… a fan-haired, bottle-sucking, self-wettin', half-devoured, hind-kissing, piece of landlubber trash that nary his birthers wanted ta deal with."

"OOOOOOOHH!!"

Augustus wasn't phased. "You're: a soulless, grammatically-inaccurate, culturally-ignorant, hopeless-dreaming, envious, pathetic ball of slop that has to feel glorious through means of swear-offs."

"Arr… that's below the belt. ARRR, ya win this time, ya wretched wretch of a… wretchen! Arrr, blubber blubber…" he cursed as he stomped away.

"'ey, Gustah." An eyepatch pirate with a big brown beard around his big mouth held a wanted poster with his hook hand. He spoke with a hoarse throat. "Yoh' still wanted foe yoe allianceship with the Big Moms. 500,000 Chocolate Dollars foor yor head."

"Only because I'm too sexy. …Which actually hurts saying it out loud, seeing as Grandma was worth 46 million. But you all aren't gonna tattle, are ya?"

"Big Mom made the seas hurrrrrtful to us. Almost bad as Davy Jones, or those crocodiles up in Mermaid Swamp. Blamey. If you have reason not to be ousted, let it sound." His weak voice grew more high by the word.

"You know I never come here without reason. And lo and behold:" Stewie brought the half-gallons on his captain's instruction, "Everbubble Fizz!"

"Yoo got that?" A skinny, dark-skinned pirate asked. "You trekked the Peztecs?"

"I trekked them." Augustus said proudly. "Now where's Bubbly Brandon? In the Soda Can again?"

"He's up there, a'ight. Why ya businen' with him, again. That soda be rightfully yers and those little wee ninnies. Keep that old coot with his average brew."

"I would." Augustus and the babies walked off. "But he has business with me."

Sugary pirates with hairy bodies and miscellaneous amputations-replaced-with-candy tramped everywhere, up and down every stair and across hundreds of wooden walkways to every building dedicated to a specific brand of candy. The Smarties Corner for all them sea-sugar nerds, the Kisses Booth for swabbies in love, the Scarlet Licorice to view all them sexy lady pirates, the Jawbreakers-Plus-Other-Disposable-Parts for anyone wantin' to get tough, or everyone's favorite pub, the Soda Can, whose double, saloon-like doors Augustus pushed open. The floor was always sticky and brown, the sound of spurting soda from shooken-up cans was almost 24/7, and 'twas truly the corner to raise one's blood-sugar levels.

Augustus approached a skinny man in a red coat and an everlasting goatee and mustache of light-brown bubbles. He saw the boy coming and plopped down the pitcher of soda. "OOOOOhhh Augustus. You've actually gone and did it."

"Aye-aye, Brandon." Augustus placed the half-gallons of Everbubble on the table. "The most nerve-shaking soda out there. Even the stuff at the Coffee Drilling Rig doesn't compare."

"Hoh-hoh. Too great a soda to just guzzle down in one gulp. I'll just take…"

Augustus clamped his hand over a half-gallon and pulled it over. "The Marzipans need their share of the sodium, too. My grandpa's in the Soda Control Board."

"You're seeking to bedevil your blood-sugar. That sodium was too powerful for the Peztecs, YOUR bones will never hold right."

Augustus cocked an eye over a sunglass, showing Brandon its sky-blue color as he tipped the glass to his mouth. "This soda needs to talk to every lady these lips've been in contact with. Then they'll know, it's impossible not to settle down. …" He was inches from slurping it.

"Settle down, boy! You're an air-lubber I'm fond of, I don't want the worst to happen to ya."

"Then gimme the best." He plopped the soda down again. "You said you knew a guy where I can get the best-quality Corn-Clamber Boots. I'm heading up Buttermilk Building and no other material can stand its slipperiness. So choke up or I'll drink you dry."

"Okay, okay. A fellow of mine up in Mountain of Flavors, Greenland, makes the best hiking gear. His name's Ricardo, but please, don't go up there, lad. I heard that…that man's goons have been lurking up there. The most terrifying candy hunter who's not even a pirate, but he's a demon among them. Lord Licorice."

"Pfft, that old fart? Scare me with the Boogeyman."

"I'm serious, Augustus. The most generous thing Licorice ever did was let Hasbro use his likeness in that crappy board game. Little twerps like you are getting the wrong idea because of it, Lord Licorice is a monster. He seeks rare candy just to mock it, or muck it. He kills any soul who takes delight in any sweet but his own. He's-"

"Black John Licorice's younger brother, he already told me this stuff. And if I could stand his company, Lord Tyrone Joshua Licorice doesn't scare me one bit."

Brandon sighed and shook his head. "What do you want me to do, Son. Send a letter to my man on Flavor Mountain to ready a pair to send ya to your death? My immortal soul is too precious to risk."

"Your soul isn't the one being risked. But mine will hurt unless I climb Buttermilk Building and taste its everlasting sanctuary. And then I'll… I might finally have a good ingredient…"

"Yes, you will have a perfect ingredient… to your death. Very well, I'll send Ricardo the message you're coming. But I'm not attending your funeral."

"Man, you're so negative. If I come back alive, pep up a little."

"Don't get agro at me because you have no cheerleaders."

Augustus left the bar and trekked down wooden stairs to a lower part of town. "Come awn, man, don't make us go up against Lord Licorice!" Rallo cried frantically. "I played Candy Land, that guy is messed up! Kidnappin' King Kandy, ruining Gramma Nutt's garden, and what's with forcing little kids to eat licorice? Plus, whaddyou think happened to Plumpy, the last of the Plumpa Trolls? He killed him, that's what! That's genocide! I don't wanna have ta deal with that!"

"Besides, we have a plane, why the hell do we need climbing boots?" Stewie asked.

"Because even the air around Buttermilk is strange. The cream evaporates into little particles that seep inside of engines and makes everything slip apart. Too risky. And we couldn't even land anywhere that isn't slippery."

"If Ah get cream all up in mah afro, you're paying for my barber, Chocolate Coin Boy." Rallo frumped.

"Mw-mw."

"See, Mags knows what I'm gettin' at."

"The sun's going down… We'll rent us a room at the Cup of Cocoa and get rest. It's fair to worn you, you kids might be sharing a bed."

"Employ this one at Child Services." Stewie remarked.

"Speaking of which, though…" Augustus led the children back to the Ace Flyer, pulling wrapped blankets out of the trunk. "I need my crew at its best, so it's time for you to eat." He unwrapped the blankets to reveal boxes of fruit and sandwiches. "Dinner is served."

"Why the healthy provisions all of a sudden?" Rallo asked. "They's candy in these fruit?"

"No, it's honest-to-good food. I'd chow on candy 'til bedtime, but it's no good for toddlers, and as your captain, I'm basically your babysitter. Especially since you're unaging brats, so eat up."

Stewie took a sandwich, Rallo took a banana, and Maggie had apple juice. "Well, not the worst Child Services." the former remarked again. "You should eat, too."

"Nah." Augustus sat on the plane, dropping his dried lolli. "I survived this long in Big Mom's crew; and a forceful cleaning from Knightbrace, I don't need this stuff."

"Mw-mw." The teenager looked down at Maggie. Her hazel eyes were wide and pretty as she held an orange to Augustus.

He smiled warmly. "That means a lot, Mags, but I'll be-"

Cock. "Mw-mw." Augustus looked nervously. Maggie narrowed her eyes as she aimed a gun at his head. Augustus slowly reached down, took the orange, and munched the first bite, chewing slowly. He swallowed through the saliva clogged in his throat, due to his nervousness, and munched the next bite.

Negaverse; DNK Moonbase (Patrick Stewart, if you would do the honors?)

Gladly, Gamewizard. When we last saw all our friends in the Posiverse, Supreme Leader Cheren had abruptly revealed the coming of the Apocalypse just 3 days beforehand, and now everyone is scrambling to find twenty unnamed Keys and do whatever sort of self-realizing journey God has put them on. Down in the Negaverse, however, Supreme Leader Nerehc revealed the Apocalypse four months ago. Now as either world has only one month to prepare for this cataclysm, you can surmise how serious everyone must be taking it. The Negatives, actually, are treating it quite casually. It was only a month before when the danger of the DNKG was abolished, and the skies of Nega-Land are filled with light. Things have never been happier, so why should anyone worry.

Even Nerehc himself seems more lazy than usual, in his office on Moonbase. The paperwork was stacked and "filled"; so he claims, so now he was taking it easy, kicked back with his feet on the desk. He even had a strand of grass in his mouth, he wondered what was so cool about people having these. …It wasn't bad. He sat up quick when his door opened, spitting the grass out as Ininap and Sicnarf walked in. "So um, Nerehc, summer is just around the corner, and based on your info, the Apocalypse should be happening by then, so… what're we gonna do about it?" Sicnarf asked.

"Beats me."

"B-But we can't just sit here and let it happen." Ininap stuttered.

"Well, I don't know what to do, according to Smiley or whatever he's called, the Positives are gonna be doing most of the work. The Seven Lights and Thirteen Darknesses are in their world, so…"

"Yeah, but wasn't the point of Meet Your Match Day back then to have both sides get to know each other?" Sicnarf questioned. "That way, we can fight together and have a better chance at winning."

"Maybe, but we never got around to planning another Match Day, because Cheren's crew is always busy. Makes sense. It's kinda been hard for us too, considering a lot of our operatives were traitors."

"But they've been better after Innus returned them to their normal sizes, haven't they?" Ininap asked.

"It isn't just them, the DNKG members and all their allies, they're still pretty sour. The Nimbi and the merkids are still fighting, we've still got scuffles with the Hsinim, even with this Apocalypse in mind, we can't convince them to get along. That's our real priority at the moment."

"Wouldn't it be better to just forget the DNKG kids?" Sicnarf replied. "They've been total psychos since going to Galactic Juvy. It's too risky to even let them meet their Positives."

"True, but we know some people that might help." Ininap informed with a nervous grin. "Remember our cousin, Ayamik and her friends?"

"I thought about it, but they're too classy. They wouldn't agree to it."

"If they did, would they be able to help?" Nerehc wondered.

"Depends on who can stand the other's company."

"You got me hooked." Nerehc stood up. "Take me to your cousin's house, I wanna see what's so 'classy' about them."

"If you want to." Sicnarf shrugged. "I should warn you about our aunt, Imak. And why we never invite her to Ingratefultaking dinner."

"Can't be any worse than Aluben."

Yltraeh Household

Sicnarf and Ininap kept a safe distance while Nerehc knocked on the door. A blonde-haired woman with cold green eyes, a ragged tank-top, and black shorts swung open the door, knocking Nerehc back. "The fuck do you want?" Imak Yltraeh (een Yksvolird) shouted, munching on a taco.

Nerehc rubbed the bruise on his forehead and sat up. "Hi, Mrs. Yltraeh. Is your daughter home?"

"Wut, comin' to join her prissy tea party? Yea', she's upstairs, what're you expecting a welcome party?"

"N-N-N-No, Ma'am." Ininap shrunk.

"May we come in, please." Nerehc asked with mock-politeness.

"Ain't no one stoppin' you, indoors is pretty much outdoors in this house. Just don't touch anything in mah fridge." The bad-odored woman stepped aside so the three could enter the messy, uncared-for house, going up stairs that creaked with each step. "AYAMIK, your shitty cousins are here with some NERD kid!"

Ayamik's room was quite the opposite. "That's fine, Mother." The daughter had blonde hair in seven curls, very pale with powder, and she wore an elegant white dress as she cooled her face with a fan. Her associates, Oelak Nosredna, and the siblings, Pat and Flow, wore their own fancy attire, too fancy for description at the moment, and all sat at a curtained table to drink tea in this heavily polished room of gorgeous china and posters depicting famous opera stars.

"Ah we really allowing company up here?" Oelak asked; his teeth looked a little large for his mouth, so he talked funny.

"It's such a cabbage patch here otherwise, what harm would guests do."

"Um… hello?" Nerehc peeked into the door.

"They harm us by beginning their sentences with filler." Flow replied, sipping her tea.

"Yeah, classy's an understatement…" Nerehc mumbled, walking in with Sicnarf and Inap behind him. "You must be Ayamik. Are these your friends?"

"'Friend' is merely a layman's term for associate, which people make use of far too casually." Ayamik replied. "We prefer to think of ourselves as such so as to distinguish ourselves from ruffians."

"Well, your cousins tell me you're actually experts in dealing with, um, 'ne'er-do-wells', making them more calm and civilized and, such."

"We're accredited for it, true." Pat replied. "However, never is it enjoyable, those fools in detention are such lunatics. Yet, the school insists on troubling us with their conflict because they need more diligent workers."

"Your work helps though, right?"

"From time to time." Flow replied. "Ydnas and Noel could serve as reference."

"In that case, I would like your help with some, if you would. I don't know if you know about the DNKG, but there's a group of alien kids in Galactic Juvy."

"You wish us to be involved with extraterrestrial miscreants?" Pat questioned.

"Hahdleeeh." droned Ayamik. "The last thing we desire is juvenile court. Let alone garblish-speaking crooks. Why would you desire them in society?"

"For personal, selfish reasons you won't care about. The reason I'm asking is because I'm not good at therapy, but I really want to help those guys. You four don't really have to, I'm just saying it may be in your best interest. So will you or not?"

"If you are to insist upon us, sure." Oelak replied. "What say you, chaps?"

"Aye." They chorused.

"Then the motion is carried. Where ah these acclaimed miscreants?"

"In Aixalag, a galaxy far far away." Nerehc answered. "We'll go up to Moonbase and take one of the S.U.B.-L.O.O.C.s. Ever since the DNKG thing, I thought we might have to go there again, that's why I asked Cheren for those Warpdrive Keys."

"Miscellaneous information that does not interest us." Flow informed.

"I know, I was saying it to them." He gestured at Inap and Sicnarf.

"Your response was to Oelak's question, was it not?" Pat asked. "You cannot so suddenly shift conversations."

"Heck, they'll break the aliens out of their madness just by drivin' 'em crazy." Nerehc remarked lowly.

"At least make this trip more enjoyable by negating to mumble." Flow commented.

The seven kids glanced at Imak guzzling the cereal, Crumb-O's in the kitchen while they casually left the house. "If it interests you, Mother, we are going into non- or semi-oxygen now, we do not expect dinner from you." Ayamik told her.

Ininap, who was the last to leave, frantically shut the door before Imak threw a chair. "Damn brats, go fall in a gopher hole."

Aixalag; Planet Noreciv

After acquiring a S.U.B.-L.O.O.C., the kids used the Warpdrive to fly to Aixalag in minutes, and were currently approaching a planet of green and yellow landscape. "According to Emorej, this is where Galactic Juvy is stationed, on Noreciv. Incidentally, the main reason they built it is because of the DNKG. He said it was around this region, so let's check."

"Another planet, how shrew." Ayamik waved the fan at her neck. "I feel the atmosphere of these beasts infiltrating my lungs already."

"Not gonna argue there." Nerehc replied. "Can't imagine a kid prison looks pretty. Even on our terms."

Although the sky was yellow, the surface was beautiful, with lush green alien plants growing everywhere. Butterflies, bumblebees, every vicious and gentle animal frolicked. An ocean yellow like lemon candy stretched over the distance. The kids landed a short distance away from a small, white building that looked like a preschool. The colorful sign outside read Galactic Juvy. "Population 12." Nerehc commented.

"This place looks delightful." Ininap grinned, shuddering at the thought of meeting mean, scary kids. "Maybe the DNKG kids are already better."

Nerehc walked up the flat stone path to the front door. He knocked gently, and a pretty, obese woman with long brown hair, a blue dress with white polka-dots, and legs going into black high-heels, greeted them with a grin that rivaled the sun. "Hello, dears! I'm Miss Ahtaga Llubhcnurt, the warden here at Galactic Juvy. Are you here to visit the students?"

Nerehc, Inap, and Sicnarf looked weirdly at one-another. "Um, kind of… we wanted, um, to know if, we could help with, some of the students?" Sicnarf was at a loss while wording that sentence as he still couldn't comprehend the bright and cheerfulness of the outside.

"A sentence should not have that many intermissions." Oelak had to point out.

"If you would like to help teach, then sure." Miss Llubhcnurt grinned brightly. "Why don't you come in, dears?"

The inside of the small building was merely a lobby, with waiting chairs and a receptionist desk, in which Miss Llubhcnurt led them to an elevator on its right. "I'll take you down one floor as a start. It's suppertime for our friends, so make sure to share your food nicely! And don't get your clothes stuck in the door, dears." The eight of them squeezed onto the lift before the door closed and they rolled down. "And here we are. Hellooooo, everyone! We have guests!"

Prison cells were lined up all along the hallway, each containing an alien child aggressively eating the fine food that passed for supper. One of the aliens looked at them. "Look, it's Nerehc!! The one who beat Aluben!!" Incomprehensible shouts and roars rang all throughout the halls as each former DNKG agent desperately tried to break through their barrier.

"Looks like I'm an intergalactic hero." the boy in question noticed.

"Oh my, you seem very popular among these dears!" Llubhcnurt perked up. "I hope we won't have to line up for autographs. Hoh hoh hoh! I'm afraid I should tell you, the students usually do cleanup work in the kitchens on Yadsruht, so if you wanted to help teach any of them, may it only be a few."

"That's okay. There's four in particular we at least wanna see. Can you help us find them? They are…" Nerehc proceeded naming them.

"Why, of course, dearie! I'll take you over to the Quiet Room and have them brought out shortly."

The Quiet Room was, to say the least, quiet, keeping all the shouting outside as muffles. There were actually five different sub-rooms around the wall, Ayamik, Oelak, Pat, and Flow were led into four specific ones. After a while, scary alien guards brought the four chosen DNKG kids in through alternate doorways of the rooms, so either couple was separated by glass. Ayamik got Avakam, Oelak got Atnort, Pat got Annaira, and Flow got Beewv. Each former operative wore a blank, gloomy expression, though murderous intent for Nerehc in the background was clear in their eyes. "Um… good luck, you guys." Nerehc told them before he and his friends shut each door.

"So… you're my therapist, huh." Avakam said to her aid.

"I'll have you know that I partake no interest in associating with the likes of scoundrels as yourselves." Ayamik stated. "But it seems that I am obliged to by this stranger. So let us cut to the chase, if we may, if you were to be set free right now, what would be your course of action?"

"Grab the closest gun and shoot Nerehc in the head."

"I do not argue with your decision, but I doubt they will find it acceptable. So entertain me with what you consider your backstory."

"What backstory. My mom was a Nairuomolg, Dad was a Naineetak, but I was born on Mom's planet to learn how to hunt and shoot things. She says I can't shoot my brother, though, 'cause we'll have nothing to eat in case the Apocalypse comes. Ultimately, we live on that godforsaken ice planet, Occes, where we had little food in our puny log cabin. Then Aluben shows up, wants us to be part of her empire, I'm like 'Sure, 'long as I get away from this place.'"

"How great is your interest in hunting?"

"Very great. I like to rob creatures of life to show them life is cruel. I never like to give them the chance to look back on their decisions. They enter the afterlife as they are."

"Yes, well Lord permit you to enjoy your own meager existence." Ayamik applied lipstick to her mouth area.

"What does that mean?"

"Clearly, your skin is not naturally developed for the temperatures of an ice planet, but your parents were either poor or lazy with money, so they wished for such a living quarters. You feel distaste for all the animals and creatures who have adapted so well, your only solace is their demise. Each bullet you fire is but an inch of your accumulated spite and suffering."

Avakam laughed hysterically, "Hyou are not even CLOSE, because I am not-"

"-CUTE! I AM NOT CUTE!" Beewv screamed at Flow in their own room. "That's what I keep tellin' them, but apparently there's something adorable about the only white Naineetak in existence. And you know what I said, I said I'll learn swordplay too! And I'll CUT you all up!" He made the gesture of jabbing a sword. "I'll cut you up so hard, you'll not even SEE it! Same for all those DNKG jerks, too, I'mma chop them ALL up! THEN you'll see why you should never underestimate—"

We had technical errors while our voice actor was trying to pronounce Beewv's full name, so this scene was edited. We apologize for the inconvenience.

"You make your personal grief vividly clear." Flow said. "All I can configure is you're a nutcase. If it's any consolation, I don't find you the least bit adorable."

"Yeah, but I'm STILL sick of Miss Peppy-dress's crap! I want my swords back so I can chop up her dress and everything underneath!"

"Repulsive…"

In Oelak and Atnort's room, the former had been digging around his mouth all this time. "There we ah." He pulled out a notepad and pen. "My apologies, but I must take notes if I am to make believe I am paying attention. Please, begin."

"I'm half-Nairapmup and half-Natinrah. My parents are of two different species, but Atinrah was swallowed in conflict and wars, it ended up destroying itself so the surviving population moved to Airapmup. So as you might expect, our planet is pretty *** crowded- Wait, why was that censored?"

"No cursing in the school, dearie!" Llubhcnurt sang through the intercom.

"Anyway, not that I can show you with these chi-blocks in place, I'm a lightningbender. I always have a need to burn off energy, which I COULDN'T without shocking anyone most of the time, yet I was supposed to let my sister bloodbend me for fun. So when Aluben let us join DNKG, she promised my own private planet to shock things. But it ain't go so well when NEREHC gave me Zapper Nation and botched up my chi-paths."

Oelak nodded solemnly and wrote things down. "Mmhm, mmhm, resent for Nerehc, urge, but forbidden to be a delinquent, inability to tolerate company of others… You ah an imbecile."

"Okay, that's it, LET ME OUT OF HERE YOU STUPID-!!" Atnort furiously banged on the glass.

"Remember our manners, dearie!"

"Ghhhhhh!" Atnort really wanted to strangle somebody, but settled in his seat. "So how's things in yer life." he said through gritted teeth.

Lastly, Pat was talking with Annaira, who slouched on her way in. "So what tale have you to delight me with." said Pat.

"What my brother is shouting about in there. We're from a crowded planet, so my only comfort is controlling animals. I hate animals. Very much so. They show dislike with us, too. So I like to play with them with bloodbending. I like to kill them from inside and eat their flesh. That's what real hunting is."

"Your parents must have been proud."

"If only. I was inherently born with good bloodbending, but my mother forbidded it. Never let me practice. Only the matriarch is allowed to control her kids. Atnort always ratted on me whenever I practiced. Aluben let me take lessons. I was her favorite. I…I admired her…" Anna's eyes twitched. "Her parents let her do everything she wanted…" She clutched an invisible force. "She was going to make us respected… feared… Then Nerehc took her from us… now we're nothing…" A high-pitch ringing was rising in her head, and only she could hear. "COME BACK TO ME, LORD ALUBEEEEEN!"

Pat was checking his frowning face in a mirror, ensuring his features were perfectly symmetrical. "Yes, females are 'lords' in this universe…"

Miss Llubhcnurt's Room

"Doot, doot-doot dooooo, doo-bi-di-doo, doot, doot-doot, dooooo." The warden hummed merrily to herself in her resting quarters, which could easily be mistaken as a little girl's room. She was putting eyeliner on her lashes. "Oh, how I cannot wait for dinnertime! Those dears must be ever-so excited to show me their new kitchen. I hope those tutors finish with their four in time, I just don't like leaving anybody out. Now let's see- oh! My lipstick, of course!" She opened her drawer, took the red stick, and began rubbing it on her lips.

As she viewed her own progress in the dresser mirror, her image strangely wobbled. "Oooo, now that's funny. I didn't purchase one of those silly mirrors again, did I? Those things ALWAYS get me!" She stood up and grabbed both sides of the mirror to straighten it. "My, what an odd refraction. I'd almost say it's, wh-wh-whoa. WOOOOOOHHH!" She clumsily keeled forward and through the liquidated mirror.

Zordoom; Trunchbull's cell

The discharged muscular principal washed her hands with gusto, splashing water onto her sweaty face before staring at her mirror. "Ahh, you put in a good effort today, Agatha, it's a shame those blowhards don't follow your example. Well, I'll whip 'em into shape one way or another. Prison's no different from school," she walked away, "and 'long as I'M around, they'll-"

"-WOOOOOH!" Ahtaga Llubhcnurt tumbled out of the mirror onto her back, startling Trunchbull. The imprisoned principal curiously stood over her, exchanging a strict, grouchy look with Ahtaga's bright smile. "Why, hello there! You look just like meeeee!"

"Who in bloody blazes are you?"

Galactic Juvy

Ayamik's friends managed to talk to the DNKG agents for half an hour before they got bored. Nerehc stood up eagerly when they returned. "So what's the news?"

"They hate you." Ayamik replied.

"Indubitably." agreed Oelak.

"A great amount." Pat said.

"I don't see what's so special about small things." Flow commented.

"Well, we tried our best." Ininap shrugged. "There's no gettin' them on our side now."

Nerehc sighed. "I'm not giving up, yet. GUARDS, bring them all out here."

The stone, toad-like aliens in metal armor held the four juveniles by the arm (and Beewv in one's fingers) as they brought them before Nerehc. "I don't care why your love for DNKG was so great, or how or why you could respect Aluben. I don't care how much you hate me, because our universe is in danger. A cataclysm is coming, and we all have to work together to save everyone. Humans and aliens, Negatives and Positives, fighting each other isn't going to help that. So if I get your butts bailed out of here, can we at least focus on the bigger picture?"

The aliens exchanged glances with each other. Nerehc made a very valid point, a universe-wide cataclysm was something they'd like to avoid. …What a load of crap.

Avakam kicked away from her guard and swiped his electric gun, shocking him in the mouth before shooting the others to free her friends. They jumped Nerehc's crew as Atnort swiped the Devil's Sword, holding it to Nerehc's neck. "Let all the others out of their cells or I'M bending his blood!"

The guards exchanged worried glance- "NOW! !" A guard nodded at another before he ran down the hall to an emergency 'Recess' switch. The guard pulled, and alarms blared as every barrier disabled.

Former DNKGs and general juveniles trashed the facility, overpowering every guard who, apparently, wasn't trained for this kind of drill. Psychotic kids were stronger in numbers. Sicnarf punched Atnort away with Armament, then elbowed Annaira back, but the former still took Nerehc's Devil Sword and bolted. Nerehc tried to chase, but Beewv had gotten up his pants leg and started biting his skin, slowing the boy's progress as he jumped while trying to smack Beewv out.

Avakam swiped two more shock-guns from fallen guards and shot Sicnarf, who rolled and dodged before running at her. Ininap balled her fists to fight Annaira, but although the latter was chi-blocked, her punches easily bruised Ininap's baby skin, knocking the human down before picking her up by the neck. Sicnarf about-faced, forced to cease attacking when Anna threatened his sister, allowing Avakam to easily shock him in the back.

Nerehc managed to grab Beewv out and throw him against the wall, but storms of juvenile aliens piled on him. Nerehc punched, kicked, and bit to get away, Wall Jumping across the hallway to get over most of them, otherwise jumping across their heads. He saw the white glow of his sword drawing farther away in Atnort's hands. He stumbled and fell into the crowds, the followers of Aluben ragefully whaled on him, prevented him from standing. Nerehc reached his open hand and called, "GHIRAHIM!"

The diamond-skinned spirit appeared from the sword, punching Atnort in the gut before taking the blade back. "Master." He smirked, tossing the sword across the crowds so Nerehc could jump up and grab it. Ghirahim stood with him back-to-back as the aliens stepped away.

"End of the line, Ner-Ner." They whipped around to face Team Aluben, who held Sicnarf and Inap hostage as Avakam aimed a gun at the latter's shuddering, teeth-clattering head. "You destroyed our leader and got us thrown in here. We're officially taking over Juvy, and our first order of business is getting rid of you. After we kill your friend." She cocked the gun, and Ininap shut her eyes.

"EEEEEENOOOOOOOUUUUGH!" This thundering roar was followed by a sudden quaking of the halls. This quake resulted from Agatha Trunchbull's herculean punch. "EVERYONE get back in their cells for a headcount or you're ALL being shoved someplace so dark, you'll BEG for the alien crows or whatever you bloody have to be able to fly by and land their droppings on you. NOOOOOOOW!!!" Miss Llubhcnurt stood behind her, clapping giddily.

Avakam, Atnort, Annaira, and Beewv cowered behind Nerehc. "WE'LL BE GOOD! Please save us!" they chorused.

"Yes, your loyalty to Aluben lasts only as long as your fear." Nerehc eye-rolled.

"You are truly outlandish." a voice said beside Trunchbull.

"Ex-CUSE MEEEE??" she screamed directly at Ayamik, whom wasn't phased at all while waving the fan at her powdered face.

"The only possible excuse for your behavior is you were born supernaturally large and old, ergo your premature instincts allow you to become the 'big bully' of the playground, not that your intelligence is anything to celebrate."

One expected Trunchbull to rebuttal. Her mouth opened, she raised her index finger, but she stopped herself. "Hmph… I like this girl." she said to Llubhcnurt. "You should find more of them. Congratulations, you're officially Miss Trunchbull's Number One." She smacked Ayamik's back forcefully. "Now everyone report to the kitchen for cleaning or we'll be using your misc. alien limbs as scrubbing utensils."

As everything inside was settling down thanks to the school's new co-warden, Miss Llubhcnurt was seeing their guests and the four students off. "Thank you all for coming, and for helping our students. We'll truly miss these four, but we hope you come back to visit."

"We probly won't miss this place." Atnort remarked.

"Thanks for letting us in, Miss Llub." Nerehc said. "You'll give Ayamik's friends those coordinates to Earth in case they wanna come back, right?"

"Why, of course I will. I must say, this woman is such a delight! Already 10 minutes and we feel like long-lost twins."

"HURRY UP, you silly wannabe backwards version of myself or I'm feeding this steamed broccoli to those Iceans."

"Oops, that's my call!" Llubhcnurt flushed. "You four behave, now. Toodle-ooooooo!" She wiggled her fingers joyfully as the operatives returned to the ship.

The S.U.B.-L.O.O.C. was leaving Noreciv's atmosphere with the four new passengers handcuffed in the back. "So recap us where from the universe this 'cataclysm' idea came from?" Beewv inferred.

"I guess your spies never got the chance to tell you." Nerehc figured. "I'll explain on the way, and we'll let you hang out on Earth until you're, how we say, 'rehabilitated'."

"You can't really expect us to play along too well." Annaira stated. "Even after all your talk of peace, you killed our leader."

"…Aluben's not dead. She's alive in the Underworld, I requested it."

"She's… alive?" Avakam asked, confused.

"Mm-hm. And if you behave, maybe I'll take you to see her."

Dnaleci; Gnik Household

Ragaj Gnik sat alone in his basement. It was so dark, you couldn't even see his face. Just hours ago, he had lit the green light for his allies, Team Gnik, to begin their journey. Meanwhile, he would be tending to his own tasks. "Egroeg! AlyakAm!"

His son and daughter came down the basement stairs. "Yes, Father. What is it?" Egroeg asked tonelessly.

"The doomsday we have known was coming is upon us. But I am still a long time away. I have yet to make ready for my master's arrival. That is why… I want you to go to the Posiverse." Ragaj trembled with fury, but his tone remained moderate. "A precious item was stolen from me! It was stolen by my Positive! I want you to get it back…"