28. Rulers of this World

Sector STORM Treehouse

Far away from Birka, near the entrance to Storm Canyon, was Birkan Kids Next Door, Sector STORM's treehouse. Much like the rest of Birka, it is composed of storm clouds hardened into metal, with thousands of wires, and constantly takes in lightning from the clouds. Sector W returned to their Angel Wing, which they used to follow the Birkan kids to this hideout. "Welcome to our place!" Dio zipped away, came back, "Make yourselves at home!"

He was gone, Laxy replaced him, "We'll give you the tour, show ya around." He zipped off—came back, "That's the end of our tour. No asking questions about the secret room."

"Quit buggin' us and just tell us what's goin' on!" Anthony yelled. "Is this the only Birka sector?"

"Duh, there's only one Birka." Amper said, zipped away, Ela replaced her.

"We're part of Skypian KND, though. They call us for fast-pace missions." She zipped away, Brendix replaced.

"We knew who you were, Phosphora. Our parents told us about you. Betcha can guess who they are."

"Wait…" Phosphora figured it out quickly. "You mean you're-"

Dio and Amper zipped. "Sola is our mom, Sulfa is our Grandma."

Brendix zipped, "Node is my dad, didja know that?"

Then Laxy. "Rizbi's my dad, I'll tell 'im 'hi.'" Zipped away, came back, "Just kidding, he's in jail."

"And mine is Bzzbert. That's all." Ela concluded.

"Lingning didn't get married?"

"'Course not, she's only 27." Dio replied. "Who has kids when they're younger than 27?"

Around the world

"ACHOO!!" All of the Nextgen parents sneezed.

Sector STORM

"Funny thing about Lingning, though." Dio said. "It was her idea that Birkan KND should be formed. She was the original operative. This was her treehouse. And some friends of hers. Not yours, they were too old." Zipped away, Amper filled in.

"But they all knew what Loki did to you, they were just afraid to do anything. Lingning took action by starting this KND, her team worked to try and find a way to expose and defeat Loki, but never managed, now we're continuing their work." Zipped away, Brendix filled.

"Loki kinda caught on, too, Lingning and our parents are locked in Dashi's Peak right now. But now we know just what Loki's doing here." Zipped away, Ela began to explain.

"Loki built a giant ray gun on the island's underside, it's connected to Dashi's Peak, wasn't there before." She spoke quickly (much like her friends). "It shoots below the clouds every now and then, it's absorbing energy from the surface."

She zipped away, Laxy filled in. "And we know why, we found a book in Loki's room on Dashi's Peak. How'd we sneak in, shrink ray of course, everywhere else has one, why not a lightning sector? Anyway, he had a page bookmarked, about Mount Olympus down on Greece, he's gonna-"

"Guys, can you at least explain this part slowly, I can't follow along when you talk so fast." Aranea interrupted.

Dio filled in and talked normally. "It tells a story how Greece used to have their own band of gods, before the main gods told them to leave. The reason is those gods created a group of gigantic monsters called Titans. There was a Rock Titan, Ice Titan, a Magma Titan, bunch of them. I think there was also a Cyclops."

"But before the gods left, Zeus sealed the Titans in the grounds around Mount Olympus." Brendix continued. "Zeus was a lightning god, so only tremendous amounts of lightning energy could break the seal. That's why Loki's been absorbing lightning from everywhere with Dashi's Peak. We aren't sure when they actually finished building it, but after 22 years, we think he might have enough energy. We started flying over Greece not too long ago."

"But wouldst Loki not need terrific amounts of energy?" Fybi inquired. "He hast been absorbing power from the surface, verily, but we art talking of a seal created by a god. Canst average Earth lands produce so much energy?"

"But Fybi, he took your B.O.W., didn't he?" Aranea asked. "You said it produces limitless energy arrows."

"V…Verily." Fybi felt a growing tinge of worry inside. "But Birka wast already crossing Greece before he hath taken. Didst he not already possess enough?"

"The book didn't actually look clear from what we read, so we don't know if Loki is sure, either." Dio replied. "But what about this B.O.W. of yours? How can it produce unlimited energy?"

"Hmmm…" Fybi thought for a moment. "I believeth… yon GKND who hath lent me such material… claim it is from Vaporia, planet of electric."

"Home of Volcor, Vaporian God of Thunder." Laxy knew. "We were in the Viridi War, you know. Betcha can guess why you didn't see us."

"Thou means to say that 'Volcor' is whose energy my B.O.W. possesses?" Fybi inquired.

"It's a thought. Either way, Loki could definitely get a handy amount of energy from Vaporian technology. If Loki sets those Titans free, he could ruin the whole planet."

"Well, what're we up here for? Let's fly to Dashy's Peak and clobber him!" Anthony fist-palmed.

"Surprised you still have the ability to say that after being clobbered in the head by him." Aranea remarked.

"You can if you want to." Laxy replied. "But it won't be easy. A barrier made of Loki's energy protects the cannon until it needs to fire, and that same shield protects the upper parts of the tower. It forces electrical bodies like Birkans to go all crazy, like some radioactive business. Only soldiers get to the top by flying through the inside, except for those brief moments when the shield's down."

"So we wait for the cannon to shoot, then go up?" Harvey asked, swinging his yo-yo.

"That's not a good move, either." Ela replied. "Let's assume that his next destination is Mount Olympus, if we wait for it to fire, the Titans'll come up. The best plan is to go into Dashi's Peak through the bottom entrance and make your way up. Since you guys have those rubber suits, you should be safe from most of the electricity."

"Go inside Dashi's Peak and find a way to turn off the barrier." Dio told them. "While you're in there, you can save all the prisoners being forced to contribute their energy to the cannon. In the likely event it fires on Mount Olympus, the less energy, the better."

"'Tis a rational course of action." Fybi agreed. "I wish to reclaim my B.O.W.. I shalt not let it be used for such evils."

"Come to our armory and we'll let you pick out some of our weapons." Laxy zipped away, he came back, "Well, what's taking you guys so long?"

"Stop doing that, Laxy." Amper said with disbelief, before the Birkans calmly led the humans away.

Anthony was going to join them, but noticed Fybi float away from the group, apparently lost in thought. He approached his angel friend. "Fybi, don't you want any weapons? Without your B.O.W., you…"

"Pray tell, Anthony, fair Tom hast told thee the way of lavabending, yea?"

"Pfft. It took me forever to Seismic Sense, you think I can lavabend?"

"Nay, but wouldst thou hath the stomach for it? Is not what Tom said to know what heat is? Thou dirty thine feet with the dirt of the world sun after sun, ast thou embraces fair earth, thou canst control it. Tom continues to know heat every day, and hast tapped into Earth's raging form. Wherefore canst I not do the same? I hath flown hot summer air and cold winter chills. Shouldst I not be able to make my air hot or cold, whenever I desire?"

"IIIIiiii wouldn't think so?" Anthony had trouble understanding her sometimes.

"Nay." Fybi smirked. "I shouldst." Fybi clamped her hands together, focused her chi, and spun the air around her. Anthony's jumpsuit became increasingly sticky with sweat, the air was so hot, he thought he might suffocate. "Prithee, is it hot?" Fybi smiled brightly and let the air chill. Anthony begun to shudder now, he wished he was wearing something thicker, because it was co-o-o-o-o-old.

Their teammates later returned with gray, cloud-made, electrical-based weapons in hand. Aranea held the empty handle of a whip, Harvey wore shoulder pads that he could press with his head and shoot lasers, Sally had an average electric ray gun, and Phosphora possessed a small, thick thunder rod. "Well, here's some for you guys." Aranea said, passing Anthony a set of electric knuckles, and Fybi her own shock ray. "Bur-r-r, who turned the air down?"

"My apologies." Fybi grinned. "I shalt not be needing a weapon for present. I shalt only use my B.O.W. to battle Loki."

Outside Dashi's Peak

The tower was tremendous up close, and its front gates were shut. If one gazed at Dashi's terrific size, they could hardly believe it doesn't stretch above the clouds. Guards were stationed at every exterior corner. Since no one could fly to the top through the barrier, only the bottom parts required guarding. One soldier looked in the distance, seeing five Birkan kids innocently kicking a shockball around. Amper kicked it skyward to Dio, who spun around and sent it rocketing to the base of Dashi's Peak. It smashed against a guard's face, and said guard flew backfirst against the tower. The guards stared up at the kids. "GOD THOR SUCKS LOFTWING MILK!" Brendix announced for all to hear. "Betcha didn't know that!!"

A trio of guards zipped up to chase him, but Brendix's friends flew down, zapped the other guards, and earned their full attention. The citizens of Birka got to enjoy an afternoon spectacle of guards chasing kids, in the forms of strips of light. Sector W and Phosphora peeped out from behind a bush. "Now's our chance!" Anthony whispered, and the group bolted to the stairs to the gate. The gray, wooden doors were sealed, but posed no threat to Fybi. She whirled her arms, spun the wind around her to a single point, and thrust the gust forward to blow the doors down. (Play "In the Aurum Hive" from Kid Icarus: Uprising!)

Stage 37: Birka

Mission: Defeat Loki and save Birka from his rule!

Act 2: Dashi's Peak

The first room was large and wide-open, with columns of lightning surging from the floor to the ceiling. Birkan Spearmen zipped around the room, zapping small electric spheres from their rods. Sally and Harvey tossed their yo-yos, which had blades extracted on their sides that contributed to the damage, injuring their exposed areas. Aranea extracted her Electro Whip that she lashed through the guards' armor, and Anthony fought with the mud he got from Rubberband Land, performing Mud Slices across the armor. During their weakened states, Fybi used gusts to blast them into the electric columns. The five heroes climbed a ladder onto an upper walkway (Fybi flew) and found a huge door sealed with four giant locks. "It needs four mega-charges to open." Phosphora explained. "It must be the point of these columns."

"Hope one of these lightningbenders is willing to help." Aranea said.

"That's why I took this." Phosphora held up her metal lightning rod. "Very attractive. I might just keep it afterward!" She winked.

"I shalt take it now." Fybi took the metal rod and flew to the closest column, keeping a firm grip when the electric attracted to the rod's tip. Her arm trembled from the force, but she held tight and pulled the lightning to the first lock. She stuck her rod in, turned it off and pulled away, and the lightning stayed directed in the lock. She repeated the process with the other three columns, and once all four charges were set, the door shone brightly before opening. This room was more narrow, but wide, with many electric columns that kept platforms aloft. The friends found a stairway of platforms to their left, but jumped up them carefully, as they were close between the other columns.

They reached a large gap between their current platform, and another platform that floated left and right. An unlit rod was hanging horizontal above them, so only Sally and Harvey swung across with their yo-yos. They rode the moving platform to the very left, finding another unlit sideways platform against the wall. Sally and Harvey tossed their yo-yos around the rod and pulled it with them when their platform floated back. When it was close to touching the other sideways rod, Aranea lashed her whip up and between both rods, connecting them with an electric charge. They floated across the gap between the kids and the parallel cluster of columns, passing under an unlit rod and lighting it.

This rod connected with a Charge Pad on the floor, which allowed the platform to float over, in which Fybi flew above to push the platform down beside her friends. (Sally and Harvey had to drop to the floor and come back up the platform stairs to reunite with their friends.) The group rode it to the upper floor on the other side, and were able to freely jump around the platforms of equal height. There was a ledge on one side (directly above the room's entrance) with a sealed door, requiring two charges on the antennas. There were higher platforms connected to antennas via charges, and Phosphora used her thunder rod to catch the lightning from two of them, jumping the platforms and pulling them to the antennas. When she had the charges connected with these antennas, the door opened.

They were in a vast, cylindrical room that seemed to stretch many floors. The four electric columns from the lower room stretched up this far. A line of holes spiraled up around the wall, but no stairs. "I shalt see if I canst find a way." Fybi floated all the way up the room, avoiding the Amps and Ruff Puffs around. The line of holes ended at a ledge with two round slots on the floor. After examining their insides, she flew back down to inform her friends. "Seemeth a device which turns is required above."

"Oh, right, energy cogs." Phosphora face-palmed. "Where can we get one of those?"

"Actually, can we use tops?" Sally asked.

"Why would tops-?" Before she could finish her thought, the twins pulled out tops from their pockets, which puffed to their size on the push of a button.

"We learn a few things from our Negatives." Sally smiled. "Let's go, Harvey!" ("Sweet!") The kids hopped on their tops, which extracted blades from the sides that stuck into the barren stair-holes, allowing them to grind up the spiraling wall in this fashion. The twins ducked the Amps that flew by in attempt to hit them, and they tossed their yo-yos to dizzy the Ruff Puffs. The tops rolled off on the floor, and the kids each claimed a slot and kept spinning. They felt cogs underneath turn, and a stairway shortly came into being from the holes. Their friends seized the moment to run up, with Aranea and Fybi using their whip and wind to take out the Ruff Puffs.

Fybi blew the gates at the top open, bringing the group to an outside stairway. Beamos were stationed along the stairs, sensing the kids' presence as they blasted their signature beams. Harvey bumped his shoulder pads and shot the eyes with lasers while Sally took aim with her own shock gun. "My neck's gonna hurt after this." Harvey said. A chunk of the stairs was missing, with a rod stationed on the upper side, so Aranea roped it with her Electro Whip and pulled, unveiling the concealed stairs. The friends rushed up the stairs before Aranea switched her whip off, then jumped on before the stairs retracted fully. A door with a diamond center was sealed, but all they had to use was a single Beamos. Fybi smirked and got the sentry's attention, tricking it into blasting its laser at the diamond, which shone brightly before the door opened.

There were Birkans with chains around their ankles, forced to clutch wires within the walls and contribute energy. Guards were watching them, and had Jolteons on leashes. "Those must be the prisoners." Phosphora deduced. "Let's help them out!" Fybi whirled hot air around her arms and blew it at two guards, causing them to suffocate. Phosphora rushed forward and punched them in the face while the Harper twins struck with bladed yo-yos. The Jolteons were released as one of them sent a thunderbolt at Anthony, who withstood the shock with his suit before slicing the creature across the face with his mud.

The Harper twins rode their tops and rammed the guards with the bladed edges, and when the Jolteons ran at them, Aranea roped them with her whip and threw them into the electric columns, defeating the Pokémon with thousands of more jolts than they could stand. Aranea sliced the chains of two of the prisoners, and Anthony did the same with his Mud Slice. "Are all of you okay?" Phosphora asked.

"Yeah, but my hands aren't gonna feel the same for… Phosphora?" One of the men spoke to her.

Phosphora needed a moment to recognize him. "Rizbi?"

"Holy friz, where've you BEEN all this time?! We thought you were dead!"

"I've been out of this world, if that still qualifies. Where are the others?"

"On other floors. Probably getting their juice sucked out like me." Rizbi sat on the floor.

"Just rest until your power comes back. We'll save them."

"Here, I stole this from one of the guards." He handed Phosphora a key with electricity flowing. "'Course, you can probably steal one from their unconscious bodies. Heheh." Phosphora stuck the key into a nearby door, sending electricity through before it opened. This room had hovering platforms like the lower floor, except a pool of energy made up this room. Dark gray clouds were floating in the 'water', while others floated like stairs to higher platforms, but they looked too small and fragile to jump. Fybi made the air cold and channeled it into the clouds, increasing their density and size, so her friends were able to jump across.

They jumped a cloud-stairway to a solid foothold in a corner, close to a set of lightning columns whose three platforms shifted up and down. When the nearest platform was at their level, they jumped on, were lifted to the second, then jumped from there to the third. A Dark Puff was innocently hovering around, so Fybi made good use and puffed it with cold air. The Puff felt stick to its core, but the friends passed this off and boarded its inflated body. The air was forced out of its mouth with their weight, blowing toward another foothold in the corner. The team jumped off before the Puff deflated. Leading to the next walkway was a group of energy geysers, rising up from the pool below. Fybi flew to the area on the other side and found a crate of emergency rubber rafts – inside a box with Rubberband Land's logo. Fybi took and dropped a raft over the tip of each geyser, allowing her friends to cross once more.

They entered a door and turned to pass down a hall—Loki grinned at them from the other side, and the friends braced for impact when the king fired a sphere. Fybi attempted to blow it away, but the sphere phased through her and didn't harm the kids at all. "It's an illusion!" Phosphora yelled. The fake Loki chuckled solemnly before vanishing. The heroes found a room where a Birkan prisoner was running ceaselessly on a large hamster wheel, barked at by Sky-Blue Spinies, whom were commanded by Dark Lakitu. Phosphora recognized that candy-green hair to be Bzzbert.

Fybi blasted the Lakitu with airbending, then the Spinies curled into balls to zoom at the kids, dealing painful damage with their high speed. Sally and Harvey rode their tops to ram the Spinies, bouncing between them and the wall as they steadily pushed the creatures toward the wheel's generators. Their spiky bodies took a deadly zap while also destroying the two generators, forcing the wheel's energy flow to stop. "WAAAAAAH!" Bzzbert was caught off-guard, slipping and zipping around the wheel before he was thrown to the wall.

"Hehehe. Sorry, Buzzy." Phosphora giggled.

"Owww." Bzzbert landed on the floor and sat up. "Who are you, Thor's hooker?"

"Hmph, I could've been. I'm Phosphora, Dumbo."

"I was almost gonna guess that. …Sorry, I'm really happy to see you, I just… huff… been running for a long time…"

"Wouldst thine breath return quicker, knowing we were going to rescue thy friends?" Fybi asked.

"Huuuuff… almost!" Bzzbert fainted.

By stopping the wheel, an electric barrier blocking a stairway was gone. The friends rushed up, avoiding the Amps coming down, and entered a small, straightforward room with Voltorbs. The ball Pokémon rolled at the kids, who immediately dashed down the stairs when the explosions happened. Fybi blew away the smoke that followed them, and when the kids returned, the Electric-types were defeated like that. The friends crossed the room to another outside stairway, where the thunder roared furiously overhead. "WHOA!" The kids jumped to avoid a sudden bolt, and a strike began to occur every 2 seconds.

"The energy in the tower must be getting stronger!" Phosphora yelled. "It's making the clouds unstable! I'll run ahead first." She raised the thunder rod and rushed up the stairs, catching each sudden bolt and feeling a tremor in her own body. The sectormates kept behind her, safe from the bolts themselves. They noticed the energy in the rod was building after each strike, and this would become convenient when they reached the sealed door, with a keyhole as wide as the rod. "Need a charge, do ya? Well, here it is, fresh from nature." Phosphora stuck the rod inside, filling the door with enough energy to open.

The moment they entered this room, they were horrified: the severed heads of Birkans, their bodies as well, lay dead and bloody. The sign above read Dýspistous Prosochí̱! "It says 'Disbelievers Beware'…" Phosphora spoke with gloom.

"Beware of what?" Fybi blasted air everywhere, dispersing the illusion. "Our own mind, mayhap." The guards that were hidden tried to attack them, Aranea roped one's wrists with her whip and flipped him upside-down, leaving Anthony to punch them in the face with his Watt Knuckles. Phosphora kicked another in the shin, then Fybi blew him into a nearby lightning column, and the Harpers stood on either side of a column as they threw their yo-yos around the arms of a soldier, pulling him back and into the electric. The next door was above a high ledge, with no way to climb up. Fybi flew above and observed the walkway, seeing two holes beside one area. She felt above those holes—discovering an invisible ladder. "Loki's mirages be most deceptive."

The friends climbed the revealed ladder to the next room, which was reddish-pink colored, massive, and a stairway of rows of giant blocks led up to the door. Phosphora was going to climb the first one, but it vanished, and Fybi pulled her back before the hidden Amp zapped her. "Most deceptive indeed." The woman replied.

Anthony observed the blocks carefully, walking just inches from them to avoid touching the fakes. He felt an odd force beside one of them and touched it, confirming it solid. "This one's safe." Phosphora helped the kids climb before getting on herself. So for the rest of the room, Anthony determined the solidity of each block, and the kids progressed based on his judgment. "Not bad, Anthony." Aranea said.

"Earthbenders gotta know what's hard." He winked. Behind this next door, the hall was incredibly narrow and cramped. The way they progressed through might've been similar to a 2-D side-scroller. There was a small pool of electric, where they had to wait for a platform to come over, jump on, and ride across. A pair of platforms were moving along a square-shaped line in midair, so the kids hopped on and rode the nearest one, jumping an incoming electric sphere. Pink electric sparks lit up the following passage, each one at certain intervals, so the six were patient in getting through.

The group entered what seemed like a pumping room, with four pipes channeling energy from a center. Phosphora didn't need long to recognize Node, who shifted from fat to skinny on a regular basis, and was now using this trait to pump electricity through the pipes. He was trapped inside a glass dome, so Anthony decided to use his Watt Knuckles to begin punching it. Birkan Archers zipped into view and attempted to shoot him, Fybi blew off the electric arrows and Screw Kicked the first guard in the face. Harvey caught Aranea with his yo-yo and hurled her to the second guard, and she caught his legs with her whip to pull him down, letting Phosphora run up and kick him across the face. Sally threw her top above the third one, whipped her yo-yo up to press its switch, and the top expanded to crush and bring the guard down, then she grabbed the enlarged toy to bash him senseless.

The minute Anthony's fist broke the glass, Node puffed to the ceiling. He slowly drifted down, as flat as a paper. Phosphora grabbed and stretched him to normal. "Ouch. Is that you, Phosphora?"

"I only stay one width, Node."

"Yup. …I don't suppose you… brought extra underpants?"

The friends showed disgust, so they quickly left him to recharge. A door was opened with the pipes no longer operable, bringing them outside. A platform was connected with an energy tube spiraling up around the tower, so they boarded on and began to ride. Sky-Blue Spinies dropped down from above, and the kids dodged when the turtles tried to roll at them. Some Birkan Archers landed, Phosphora fell and spin-kicked one off its feet, letting Fybi blow him down, and Anthony caught another's arrow to stick it in the guard's mouth, before Sally hit his face with her yo-yo and knocked him over. The platform came to a stop on a new ledge as they entered the door. "I actually wonder how much of this technology was built when Loki arrived. Because otherwise, this tower's been here for thousands of years." Phosphora thought aloud.

This room was the prettiest inside the tower: dozens of giant, colorful plasma lamps were stationed around, giving this place an alien, otherworldly feel. This appeared to be the lounge room, for guards were laying on couches, smoking electrical cigarettes. "So I was down at Shizzles' the other day, I saw this guy's daughter, and she was HOT. Like, SO hot."

"Dude, I was with you. She was twelve."

"I know. This was back when we were kids."

"Oh, yeah…"

No one was attacking them, and it looked like there was nothing worthwhile, except they could rejuvenate their selves in the hot spring. They decided to do so, and once their strength returned, they entered the next door. It was a huge disco room of sorts, where hundreds of hovering, vertical pads circled around the central ball. The pads lit beams every few intervals, so the six kept an eye out for lit ones and dodged them. The kids performed this gesture as they hurried to a flight of stairs to their right, leading onto the upper floor. Inside an electric barrier surrounded by colorful tiles was Phosphora's friend, Sola, dancing gracefully to the music that played and powering the disco with her energy.

Birkan Spearmen were there to slow their progress, so the others had them dealt with while Phosphora studied the flashing tiles. Red, green, yellow, blue, purple tiles, but how to free Sola. She discovered a nearby terminal, with a design of a red circle with an empty center, likely resembling this floor. There were purple numbers at different spots, 1, 2, 3, 4, and Phosphora deduced they were the purple tiles, which flashed in fewer areas than others. On the bottom-right of the screen, each tile color was lined up, with arrows between them, implying those colors would change to those. The yellow tile had a Check mark, letting Phosphora know they were safe to stand on.

Phosphora considered the purples' location on the map with the actual ones, and thankfully the '1st' one was nearest the edge. She jumped to, stepped on it, and jumped back. The second tile was further in, requiring Phosphora to jump around yellow tiles, hit the purple when it came, and make her way back to start. The third tile forced her to maneuver a complex pattern of appearing yellows, and from there, she skipped to the fourth tile, just touching the barrier. The entire room blacked out, the disco, tiles, and the barrier. Sola gasped for breath, thankful she no longer had to dance. "My legs are gonna hurt for hours."

"Awww, but you were always so good, Sol." Phos grinned.

"Phosphora?" Sola said during a breath. "When did you…"

"Clearly, I'm Birka's most-recognized. Sola, is your mom here? Where is she?"

"I think she's in that room up there." Sola pointed to a stairwell across a bridge. "That's the room where the barrier machine is."

"Thanks." Phosphora faced the stairs unwaveringly. "Come on, guys, let's take it down." She ran first while Sector W followed, and bright blue flashes were seen up above. They glanced at an alternate passage on their left, to a hangar room where Lightning Chariots faced the open sky, waiting to be ridden. The heroes made it to the barrier chamber, where two giant rods focused toward a center, where powerful electric energy was channeled between them via a small force. (End song.)

"That must be what's powering the barrier!" Sally exclaimed.

"But what is it?" Harvey asked.

"It's…" Phosphora looked closely. She only knew one Birkan who could channel that much lightning through her arms. She ran forward and yelled, "LINGNING! LINGNING, IS THAT YOU?"

"Nnnnnuuuu, naaaaah. . . Don't hurt. . Phosphora. ." She spoke with a raspy, trance-like voice.

"What's wrong with her?!" Aranea shouted.

"Mayhap Loki hath done something." Fybi said.

"LINGNING, SNAP OUT OF IT! It's me, Phosphora! I'm all right!"

"Phosphora's dead. Phosphora's gone. I should be dead. I should be gone."

"Lingning, please! I was glad to take that lightning for you! I didn't know what was gonna happen afterward, no one could have! But despite everything that happened, I'm glad it was me and not you! I still remember how you looked, Lingning. A little girl who saw us playing around and wanted to get in on it. You were better at lightningbending than all the other kids, so no one else your age played with you. You felt like one of the big kids, even though you were only five! Looking back, you probably could've survived that blast, but I wasn't gonna chance it! So don't blame yourself, Lingning! Snap out of it and come down!"

Groups of lightning bolts suddenly struck either rod of the machine and destroyed them. The surge shot back to Lingning and shocked her, and Phosphora caught the 27-year woman before she hit the floor. Even after all these years, she still could only look at her like that same little child. Lingning opened her tired yellow eyes. "Phos…phora?"

"Talk about overworking." Sola remarked, joined by the others of Phosphora's friends. "Did you find…!"

They looked to the other side of the room. An elderly Birkan with a robe was just powering some wires, before the machine suddenly exploded. Phosphora passed Lingning to Rizbi and hurried to her side. "Lady Sulfa?"

The woman looked the very same as when Loki impersonated her. She looked up wearily. "Phosphora… Is that you, Child?…"

"I don't know, is that really you? Not Thor?"

"Thor?… My dear… that's not Thor looking over Birka… it's Loki."

"But you're you." Phosphora smiled. "Lady Sulfa… I'm sorry this all had to happen. All of you are in here because of me."

"No, Child… Loki's actions against you, exposed him for what he really is. I was much the same as you. This 'Thor'… is not the same one I grew up with, either. I didn't want to honor a god so evil… and yet, I couldn't bear to tell the others the truth. I wanted them to still be able to hope… Oh, what a fool I was."

"Loki's not going to fool anyone, anymore. It's time for us to stop him."

"Oh, will you?" The friends jumped aside when a bolt struck down. Loki stood grinning at them from a high perch. "Isn't this pleasant… The first humans to grace the presence of their new ruler. Millions of children are envious of you, now."

"That's funny, because we're envious of all the children who AREN'T looking at you." Aranea retorted.

"You'd be wise to watch your words, little girl."

"Where did you even find a book about our world, anyway?"

"So you know about that, too? Interestingly, the book was delivered to my jail cell on Asgard, along with dimensional coordinates. I'm not sure from whom, but it was clearly trustworthy information. The note told me something that was not in the book's pages: the true Pure Energy under Mount Olympus."

"True Pure Energy?" Phosphora questioned.

"Of course. Those Titans will merely be my aids in reshaping this world. But when the Greek gods were forced to abandon this planet, an embodiment of Zeus's energy was contained and sealed deep within the mountain. Using all of the power I harnessed in this tower, I will be able to take it! I, Loki of Asgard will become a TRUE God of Thunder, and reign over your people like insects! There will only be one religion across the planet, and it will be the greatest of all! To honor the one, true god that rules this domain! To realize their selves as DIRT in the eyes of their Lord!"

"Even if we do let you get away with that, no one will ever worship you." Aranea stated. "Because you aren't the god that people want to honor."

"Hm hm hm, can I assume you're one of them?" Loki grinned humorously. "A sniveling human that clings to a religion for the sake of appearing important before whatever imaginary god you idolize?"

"There's more to a religion than just worshipping a god or feeling self-satisfaction. I follow my religion because it gives me hope and happiness. Because I believe that God does care about His followers. He gives everyone a bright future that they can strive for. No matter who you are or what power you have, you'll NEVER be our god!"

"The words of a child… hmph. The lot of you are nothing but a nuisance. The only worth you've proved is handing me this bow." He pulled out Fybi's treasured weapon. "Its energy contributed massively to my Energy Cannon. A worthy weapon for a king of this world. Perhaps I'll give you children the honor, of being the first smited by it." Loki pulled the string back and charged an arrow. "Good-bye, children."

A lightning bolt struck the ledge below him, making Loki stumble and drop the B.O.W., while Fybi caught it. "That's no- way, to treat the kid-dies!" a sing-song voice sang. A rap tune played, for standing at the entrance was Killer Bee.

"It's that rapper!" Harvey pointed.

"He's a lightningbender?" Phosphora noticed.

Killer Bee swayed as he rapped, "Ah saw them kids, goin' up the tower, and thought they would need my power, and now that I see you, Ah say, Ah'm not lettin' you get your way, fool, ya fool!"

"Peh. Keep your toy." Loki scoffed. "I've absorbed more than enough power from it. Say your final prayers, children, and we'll see how well your God protects you. Say your same words after you come outside!" He zipped away.

"Let's get him!" Anthony and friends rushed up the stairs and to the door that was behind Loki.

"You guys go, and I'll protect the co.. Go give him a show. Fools, ya fools!" Bee rapped.

"I'll catch up with you!" Phosphora told the kids, running back down the stairs.

Dashi's Peak

The door led them outside, to a small flight of stairs to the top of Dashi's Peak. Loki's throne was empty, so Fybi blasted it with her B.O.W., expecting an illusion. The throne crumbled to pieces, the kids looked around frantically. "Up here!" Loki was hovered above them on a Lightning Chariot, swinging his staff to strike a bolt from the sky.

"WHOOOAAA!" The kids were blown over the stairs and over the edge, losing their electric weapons as the hundreds-feet fall began. Sector STORM swooped by and caught them inside their ship, flying alongside Fybi outside.

"Came as soon as the barrier went kerploot." Laxy said. "Wanna see us come again?"

"Just fly after him!" Phosphora yelled, having appeared beside the ship on her own Lightning Chariot. She boosted after Loki's chariot in the distance, and the sector followed.

Loki had soared far beneath Birka's edge, and was in view of the island's underside. "YOU'RE TOO LATE!" he cried to his pursuers. "The era starts NOW!" (Play "Dragon King" from Fairy Tail!)

The tremendous cannon on the bottom of the island shone with energy. A laser of incredible power fired down, and blew away the sea of clouds below. The peak of Mount Olympus was revealed, with many ancient temples and structures that belonged to the Greek gods. The laser struck, and began burrowing down the mountain's center. It felt like the entire world was trembling. Even from the heavens, they could feel it.

A few miles in the distance, the ground was crumbling. A tremendous brown arm made of thick, solid stone reached up, clutching its fingers. The rest of the earth crumbled, and within seconds, the Rock Titan was towering over the land. A round, rugged bulky body with two heads on top, red eyes and mouths. Lythos roared to the heavens and began his march to crush Greece into canyons.

A skinny, skeletal arm, made of the coldest ice, with long, sharp fingers, reached from the earth, the land around it freezing. The Ice Titan, Hydros broke free, and the terrifying skeleton would begin his march to turn the ocean into a great field of ice. "FWAAAAH-" A very fat Titan with reddish-pink skin, no clothing except for a red loincloth, and a single yellow eye on his bald head, came bursting from the mountainside, rolling midair before landing on the ground with a terrific quake. The Cyclops looked around confusedly, before eying fleeing herds of sheep and horses. "ME go eat FOOOOD." The ground shook at each quick step as he chased.

"THE WORLD IS ENTERING A NEW ERA." Loki cried for all of Birka to hear. "I, Loki of Asgard, shall reign supreme as the God of Thunder and Destruction! From the ashes of this world, I will create an ideal law! Humans, angels, and ALL creatures will forever live in fear of the gods! And with the energy I shall harness from this mountain, I will spread my power across the cosmos! There will be no mortal alive that can challenge me!"

The operatives watched with horror as the Titans made slow, but great progress across the landscape. "If that laser keeps drilling the mountain, the other Titans will be waken up, too!" Laxy exclaimed. "The Magma and Wind Titans are the worst. We have to destroy that machine!"

"But we can't just let the Titans wreck everything!" Aranea yelled. "We need to stop them somehow!"

"Easier said than done with Choki botherin' us!" Anthony reminded. "What're we supposed to do about him?!"

The many kids and Phosphora gripped their heads in aggravation. What should come first, the laser, the Titans, or Loki? They were hopelessly outnumbered. "PRAY, wherefore dost thou hold thine heads in such mannerism?!" Fybi shouted them out of their thoughts. "We shalt approach this quick and now! Sector STORM, thou shalt attack the cannon with everything thou hast! Anthony, Sally, Harvey, and Aranea, slow the progress of the Titans if nothing else! Phosphora…" The Birkan looked at her. "We shalt battle Loki posthaste. Realize thine dream of driving a Lightning Chariot and duel him with me!"

Fybi didn't seem phased by the situation at all. She was the smartest of all of them, her sectormates had to admit, and her spirit was strong. They all put aside their feelings of worry and became determined. Within minutes, Sector STORM was flying them all to the mountainous Titans. "But first," Anthony announced, ripping off his rubber suit and switching for his real clothes. "I fight much better like this." The others followed his example and changed.

STORM's ship glided over the Rock Titan, so Anthony dropped down first. "HAAAAAA!" He balled his fist and smashed the center between their heads. The Titan cried and shook, hopelessly flailing its arms, unable to reach Anthony, who had fallen down the front and landed on the ground. He shook slightly from the impact, but stood firm on his feet and faced the Titan.

The sector flew over the Ice Titan next as Sally and Harvey leaped out. They swung their yo-yos to wrap around the beast's neck, swinging around as Hydros roared and tried to swat them away. The twins landed on its shoulders. "Sis, you're sure these strings are unbreakable, right?" Harvey asked.

"If what our Negatives said was true."

Aranea stared with worry as the ship hovered over Cyclops. "I dunno, that guy looks pretty big."

"Your brain is probably larger than his, so GO for it." Brendix pushed her out.

"WAAAH-!" Aranea landed atop Cyclops's head. She lost her footing when the monster shook his head confusedly, falling down the front as she grabbed the top of its eyelid. "Uhhhh, hey, big guy, I'm gonna have ta ask you not to destroy everything. You probably don't have anything better to do, but we'd appreciate it-"

"Fl-leeeea…" Cyclops held his fingers by the tiny child, and flicked her away.

"OOOWW!" Aranea felt like she flew miles, landing against the leaves of a tree before she fell to the ground. She regained her senses and watched the Cyclops continue to chase sheep. "Sure, send the smallest operative to fight who is, without a doubt, Anthony's ancestor. This is gonna go well."

Fybi was high within the clouds, glaring at Loki on his Lightning Chariot. The man kept his wry smile as Phosphora caught up on her own chariot. He began to chuckle, seeing that look in her purple eyes. Eyes that were once so joyous to meet her lord, now sought revenge on him. "Never, in all my years, have I known children as humorous as you." He spoke. "Before coming to this world, I have read of so many things. Children who 'protect' this world from 'adult tyranny'… I almost laughed when I learned this was the same world where the pure energy was located. It's far too hard for me to feel threatened. A wingless angel and a feathered angel against an Asgardian god? The fact that you have survived this long in the storm is amazing. A child like you, simple airbending… is much too soft."

"Thou art knowledgeable about our world, yet know so little." Fybi said. "'Tis true, those of the youth serve as its only protectors. I hath seen it too many times, and heard so many stories. And children like us… shouldst not hath to undergo so many trials. Our childhoods ruined by what battles yon gods hast ordered us to endure. As an airbender, I must be against such battles. Mine wish is to follow the ways of peace, to know serenity and freedom. I wish this life for all kids. The wind is lovely under my wings…" She gently flapped. "But thither be angry winds, too. When the direction changes, so must I. Under calm skies, I let the wind carry me." She held both hands open, spiraling wind around them. "But when yon raging storms blow forth… I must allow my anger to burn… like FAIR LIGHTNING!"

Her hands shone with electricity, and during Loki's utter surprise, she blasted two bolts at his chest. "FYBI!" Phosphora screamed. "You're a LIGHTNINGBENDER?!"

"Hm hm hm!" Fybi smiled innocently. "Pray, what is lightningbending? What is Birka, the Lightning Island? Dost it magically spawn from our very being? Nay… lightning be the conflict between positive and negative charges. A bender doth be the master of their element. I canst make the air hot, or cold, and both between." She spiraled the two different airs around her hands. "Water molecules forever float among the winds, they canst be molded to make clouds, and yon clouds become my charge. Birka is incredibly rich with this power. Conflicting temperatures art all around. For long as I've flown, I hath soared hot summer airs and cold winter mountains. Temperature, climate, altitude, thou may call me its queen!" Lightning shone on her hands again.

"Hn hn ha ha ha." Loki calmly stood up, brushing his armored chest. "Simple little angel… you should know better than to play with lightning." The head of his staff shone brightly. "No matter who you are, however… you're still only a mortal. And you will face judgment before the eyes of a god."

Fybi smirked. "Speaketh such words to a certain goddess, whom hast received a most horrifying fate." (Play "The Encounter" from Kingdom Hearts II!)

Boss fight: Loki

Fybi spiraled more lightning around her arms and blasted at Loki, but the mirage dispersed as the real Loki zipped between both girls on the Lightning Chariot, Phosphora nearly falling off of hers. She hopped back on and whipped her reins, forcing the Thundercorns to dash after the other chariot, while Fybi flew alongside her. Loki threw rounds of energy spheres from his staff, the girls having to think fast to avoid them, and when the phony god swerved left and upward, Fybi attempted to halt, then boost to cut him off, but in a flash of lightning, three Lokis whipped out of space, Fybi braced for impact when they came, but the mirages dispersed upon colliding, then the real Loki zipped out of nowhere and grabbed Fybi by the ankle. He merely pulled her along for a few seconds, but Phosphora flew up from the side and rammed her chariot into his, Loki stumbling back as he released Fybi. The younger angel clamped her electrified hands over his face, resulting a shock, then Phosphora punched him in the nose, before the god recovered and batted her off with his staff, flying away on his chariot.

He vanished beyond the clouds, so the girls chased—and ended up flying over a valley of active volcanoes. They evasively dodged the giant meteors, the sudden lava geysers that sprout up from the surface, then Fybi was caught unprepared when Loki zipped out of the distance and bashed her with his staff. She recovered and evaded the array of lightning bolts that struck out of the heavens, dodged Loki's electric shockwave when he flew back down, then attempted to chase him, but a great wall of magma exploded from the ground. "Fybi, he can make mirages, remember?!" Phosphora shouted. "None of this stuff is real!" The woman tested her own claim and flew through the magma, and rather than burn and melt, the spot she flew through became a blue, mystic light, hinting its falseness. Fybi flew through as well, and when meteors came flying, she phased through as easily as a ghost.

Phosphora was chasing Loki as they swerved about in the air, and Fybi stopped in place to lock on with her B.O.W.. When Loki turned at an angle that faced Fybi, she fired and struck one of his Thundercorns, causing the chariot to turn sideways. Loki fell out, and Fybi performed a Screw Kick as she flew at him whipping-fast and kicked him in the face. Loki recovered and activated his anti-gravity boots, launching spheres and energy columns at Fybi, who spun clouds around her arms, passed them to her legs, and lit them electric. She dodged Loki's attacks with greater speed, flew up to him, and dealt quick electric stomps at his face, then flew behind to charge and arrow and strike his backside, leaving a crack in his armor. Loki zipped back onto his chariot and rode it away.

The Rock Titan's foot was bigger than five houses, and Anthony dodged it by inches when it came down. The colossal creature seemed to take no interest in him and continued stomping. "HUUUUURRRRR!" Anthony stomped the ground, propelled himself forward with a rock-jab, and slammed his fist against the monster's foot. Lythos cried and stumbled slightly, so Anthony ran to the center between his legs, stomped, threw his arms up forcefully, and forced a pointed rock to stab up and through. Lythos fell completely on his front and shook the world, so Anthony took the time to climb onto his back. He furiously stomped the stone creature in an attempt to get inside. "If you're anything like the OTHER rock titan I fought, you have a weak spot inside!"

The monster began shaking, reaching a hand back to smash Anthony like a bug, but the boy stood firm and pressed his hands against the great stone palm, keeping it up. Anthony kept stomping until he could sink partway into the monster's back. Lythos stood up and furiously shook, letting himself fall backwards and smash the earth. He got up and turned to glare at the tiny, fallen Anthony. The two-headed Titan raised his right fist and prepared to bring it down. Still on his back, Anthony raised both hands and countered with all his strength.

"WHOOoooa, WHOOoaaa…" Sally and Harvey swung about frantically from the Ice Titan's neck, holding tight to their yo-yo strings while the monster shook. "OOF." Both siblings collided with each other, and their strings unraveled before they fell. The Ice Titan felt a burn in his neck where the strings were, forcing ice onto that crack to freeze it up. The twins panicked when the Titan prepared to blow ice against them, grabbing tops and throwing them under their feet as they expanded to the size of platforms, letting them slide away. They continued sliding desperately when the storm of ice chased. "If we get frozen by that, we're goners!" Sally exclaimed.

"Too cool, man! Too cool!" Harvey yelled with worry. The ice finally stopped, and they looked back to see that area of ground frozen completely. The Ice Titan lashed icicle missiles, the twins dodging on their tops and riding them over the ice, the slippery surface allowing greater momentum. "Its legs, Harvey!" Sally yelled, and both siblings skied to a separate leg to toss their yo-yos around it. They tugged, emerging the yo-yos' blades as they spun back around and cracked the Titan's legs, making the creature fall forward with its long-fingered hands against the ground.

"Let's take him apart!" Harvey exclaimed as the duo each climbed onto a leg, hopped on their tops, and rode up and across the Titan's back while the tips of their tops released a small laser, cutting perfectly through. The twins formed parallel lines up to his shoulder blades, and Hydros roared as he was split into three. Each part still had half a leg or two, and the arms helped their respective sides up, leaving only the middle down. Each arm side chased one of the siblings, forming giant ice boulders in their hands that they chucked.

"Huhu hwah hwah hwaaaaah!" The Cyclops had several sheep squirming in his hand, picking one up at a time and tossing them in his mouth. "Mmmm, woolly goodness!"

"HEY, DUNG MOUNTAIN, YOUR JUNK IS SHOWING!" His ears picked up a tiny voice. The Cyclops looked around confusedly. "Oh I'm sorry, you're ALL junk!" He looked at the nearby ground, seeing the teeny blue flea that was Aranea.

The colossal fatso squatted down and squinted closely at the girl, scratching his cranium with his long, black fingernail. "Talking fw-weeeea?"

"YES, and as much as I hate to say it, my Uncle Herbie doesn't stuff himself as much as you! Are you really this hungry?"

"I've been asleep for nearly…" Cyclops took a moment to count his fingers, "7,520 years. So my last meal was," he took a moment to count again, "7,520 years ago. Yes, I'm pretty hungry."

"Well, there's such a thing called moderation. You ever consider going on a diet?"

"I'll EAT what I WANT to, FWEEEEAAA. If YOU ate more, you wouldn't be so POOOOO-ny."

Aranea was getting a headache from this lug. "If I'm so poo-ny, how do I know what a Higgs boson is, or how to multiply a fraction by a decimal, or how to determine the exact circumference of your navel?"

"Duuuuh-" Cyclops scratched his head.

"Because by eating right each and every day, my brain is decades ahead of yours in terms of development, and it's got more juice in its veins than every ounce of lard on your whole being. Yup, it's a real shame that you don't have a brain as improbably large and juicy as mine." She smiled proudly.

"Hoo HWAH HWAAAH hwah hwah!" Cyclops laughed and pointed giddily at the child, his sound ringing in her ears. "How can such a POOOO-ny flea have anything but the POOOO-niest of wittle-fwea bwains?"

"Well, this puny brain knows how to ripen a wider range of vocabulary, and possesses the uncanny ability to enunciate words correctly and without drawling."

"Hoo HAH ha… uuuuhh…" Cyclops couldn't think of a comeback. His head hurting, the monster raised his hand out of anger and SMASHED Aranea flat. However, the girl easily evaded and climbed onto his finger. "Guess again!" She slipped under his nail and lay hidden, and when the Cyclops was unable to shake her out, he gripped that nail and pulled. "UWAAAAH!" He cried, for it was a painful sensation.

"Thanks! I needed one of these!" Aranea held onto the severed nail, pulling it free from Cyclops's fingers, and dropping to stab it in his eye.

Phosphora lashed her Thundercorns to boost toward Loki, but the mirage vanished, the real Loki zipped beside and shocked her with his staff, then zipped away, appearing a few feet from Fybi, who spun and slammed a kick into his face. Loki zipped away and landed in his chariot, throwing his staff skyward to make streams of lightning rain down, but Fybi spun a Wind Sphere into being and caught the lightning on. In this energy form, she boosted to Loki and blasted the energy at him, while he countered with his staff. Fybi flew away, charged an arrow, and shot an energy sphere of his, then Loki zipped underneath and made Fybi spiral vertically.

The pseudo-god soared to the underside of Birka to view the progress of his Energy Cannon, but to his horror, saw the laser was blocked, with only a tiny sliver making it to Olympus. The five kids of Sector STORM were pulling the rest of the energy to them, then channeling it to blow away from their bodies. "You WON'T interfere with God's plan!" Loki swung his staff, striking lightning bolts from Birka's clouds to zap the kids away. The laser continued drilling Mount Olympus at full power.

"NNNNNAAH!" Phosphora rammed Loki's head with her chariot, forcing him out of his own. He hovered using his boots, twirling his staff when Fybi blasted an onslaught of arrows. Loki flew away, charging a powerful beam and shooting it into Birka's cloud. Much of the underside lit blue, and giant spheres began to rain down everywhere. Fybi nimbly dodged them, but- "AAAAH!" Phosphora's Thundercorns were struck, and she plummeted. Fybi glared at the god, who chuckled and sported a taunting grin. The angel soared around and around, likely attempting to make a tornado from Loki's view, and he merely let her do so for humor. But this tornado was becoming inexplicably hot, Loki was sweating under his armor. The god rasped, in desperate need of breath, and during this moment of weakness, Fybi charged her B.O.W. and struck him in the chest.

"OWW!!" Phosphora remained in her chariot when it collided with the ground, feeling sore in her lower back. The Thundercorns looked a little weary, so she didn't expect them to recover soon. Phosphora felt a shadow over her, and gasped when the Rock Titan was about to stomp. "HNNN!" Several rock-spears popped up from the earth and kept the foot up. Phosphora saw Anthony struggling to keep them standing. "HURRY AND MOVE!" he yelled at Phosphora. The woman lashed her reins, and the Thundercorns weakly, but quickly walked away.

Anthony jumped aside himself to let the Titan stomp, catching his own breath. He couldn't rest long, for he had to chase the Titan before it got far, then quickly stomped the ground to send rock chunks at its legs. The Rock Titan growled and turned to glare at the leader, raising its arms and falling forward. Anthony smirked, dashing forth before its bulky body could crush him, and got between his legs. Anthony swished his mud around the air a little, made it flat as a blade, and began cutting the bases of the Titan's legs. In minutes, they were severed from its body, and the Titan was unable to stand. The monster was forced to crawl around to be able to face Anthony, and realized the boy was holding its feet with his earthbending.

Sally and Harvey wished they could say it was funny how the severed halves were hopping on one leg, but it was a different story when the colossal stubs were chasing them, and freezing the ground around them. Sally's half formed another ice boulder and threw it at her, so she used both yo-yos to catch, pour a lot of strength into whirling it, then threw it at the knee. It cracked slightly as the monster slumped, and Sally glided forward on her top and threw a yo-yo around the knee, pulling and chopping it in two. Meanwhile, Harvey boosted toward the other leg on his top, blades extracted from all sides around the device as he rammed against the foot. He dodged the icicles and came around for another ram, and the monster-half came tumbling down, but held itself up with its arm.

The central body blasted ice breath at the ground to propel himself upright on both leg-halves. The Titan trembled and began to regrow his end sides, and the arms were in their first, stub phase. The left side attempted to grow its own head, and both halves of the right side's severed leg began to grow its respective missing part; in other words, Sally and Harvey were up against four Ice Titans now.

Cyclops furiously stomped his feet, but Aranea was much too fast, and his one eye was still tearing from the fingernail stuck in it. Aranea blew a raspberry and ran away from the monster, laughing happily, but when the Cyclops decided to fall forward, she panicked. His bulbous blubber body shook the world, and Cyclops stood to view his flattened foe. "Huh?" Aranea was nowhere on the ground, so he gripped his belly and pulled it upward to search for remains. "HEY!"

"Dude, I hope you aren't planning to rent this place, because IT needs SERIOUS cleaning!" Aranea yelled from the confines of his bellybutton.

"GET OUT!" Cyclops furiously punched his belly. "COME out of there and FACE me, FLEEEEAA!" He shook his belly and punched it some more, but couldn't hold back from coughing afterwards. He held his fist by his navel during a fit, giving Aranea the chance to jump and grab his knuckles. The Cyclops confusedly raised his hand to look at her, but when close enough, Aranea jumped and grabbed the fingernail still lodged in his eye. "Hoo-HWAAAAH!" She merely stabbed the nail in his iris again, and when Cyclops felt the instinct to punch, Aranea slid down his right arm, letting his left arm sock himself in the face. The Titan stumbled backward and fell, his right arm flinging Aranea upward before she landed between his upturned toes. Before she could recover, the toes squeezed her between, and her face smashed against the ground when the Cyclops stood.

The Sector STORM members recovered and used their powers to try and pull the laser's energy to their direction. "I don't think we can keep this up much longer!" Ela yelled, the five struggling to fully direct the energy their way.

"Keep trying!" Dio yelled. "We can't let anymore Titans escape!"

But to their horror, another region of the earth was crumbling. A pitch-black wind burst from the crust, and took the form of a gigantic tornado, with demonic red eyes in its blackness. "OH NO!" Amper screamed. "It's the Wind Titan!"

"Canst thou not destroy it?!" Fybi yelled.

"No we canst! It's completely made of wind, I don't think there's any physical entity!"

The wind immediately began to pick up. The clouds spiraled in the sky above the Titan, and sucked into its form. "It's going to suck up all of Skypia if we don't do something!" Phosphora shouted. "Somebody has to stop it!"

Laxy and Brendix were about to fly after- "NO!" Dio stopped them. "We have to keep holding back this laser! If the Magma Titan escapes, we'll never be able to stop it! COME ON!" The five operatives focused their power on the laser.

"Hm hm ha ha." Loki laughed wryly, his armor ruptured thanks to Fybi's arrow. "It's not even funny anymore, you children. To think this world has survived so long with you as its protectors. I seem to be horribly misunderstanding."

"Verily… thou art." Fybi said. "I take it upon myself to educate thee." Fybi spun like a wheel as a circle of lightning formed around her, flying at Loki who rose his staff in defense. She continued spinning and pushing on his weapon, then flew below and kicked him upward. Loki recomposed, dodged Fybi's arrow, but Birka's underside was hit, resulting in a lightning bolt striking Loki. Fybi flew up, punched him, then dealt a round of kicks against his face, before Loki zipped behind and batted her away. Loki summoned his Lightning Chariot and boarded on before flying away.

Fybi flapped her wings forcefully and chased with wind-breaking speed, B.O.W. aimed forward as she blasted endless arrows at his back. He struck three bolts, Fybi dodged, then dodged the three Loki clones that sped at her. The real Loki zipped by, grabbed her, and slammed her against the floor of his cart. He stomped her chest, then Fybi blew forcefully at his face, which she kicked upward as she recovered. She blasted rounds of charged arrows that he blocked with his staff, but was unprepared when Phosphora's Lightning Chariot shot up before his, making Loki stumble. Phosphora flew in place and passed a smirk and wink to Fybi, who returned the gesture.

Loki jumped up, struck a beam upward, and shot two bolts down on either Nimbi. He blasted Fybi away, but Phosphora ducked when the staff swung over her, whipping her Thundercorns to speed away while Loki chased. He struck the right wheel of her chariot, but she kept her grip on the reins. Loki thrust his staff backward, and Phosphora dodged the lightning that struck from ahead, which then hit Loki's staff before he shot skyward, lit the clouds blue, and rained lightning down to injure her. Loki was about to shoot her again, but felt a chill in the air and turned back. A sphere of cold wind spun around Fybi, who flew at Loki with a determined look and frosty skin. She flapped her wings toward him and swallowed Loki in the freezing wind. She flapped away and surrounded herself with hot wind next.

Loki furiously blew the cold wind away and blasted Fybi, who dispersed into mist. "What?"

"Thou art not the only one that canst create mirages!" Loki turned and gritted his teeth at the swarm of wavy, intangible Fybi clones. "High temperatures canst make one delirious, see what thou wisheth. Doctor Pepper machine, anyone?" A misty vending machine appeared in midair.

Loki chuckled at the antic and sent illusions around to disperse the Fybi fakes. "OOOF!" Phosphora zipped her chariot by to ram his, the pseudo-god falling over again.

"Pay attention to all your opponents." she remarked.

Anthony controlled the feet of the Rock Titan and stamped them against its heads. Lythos furiously swatted the chunks away with his arms and lunged forward with mouths wide, so Anthony seized the moment and dove into the right head. The head swallowed, but then they both exchanged worried glances. "Uh-oh." They felt furious thrashing inside them, until the right head was blown clean off. Anthony's tiny head replaced it.

"Ha-hall RIGHT! This is awesome!" The child exclaimed, raising the monster's arms. "Who knew you could control a rock monster like a robot! Let's see what THIS does!"

"Wait, nooo!" Anthony slammed the left fist onto the left head, then pushed the arms against the ground to propel them upright. Anthony stomped toward the Ice Titan on Lythos's stubby legs.

"Hoo HWAH hwah hwah!" Cyclops joyfully kicked Aranea up and down and up and down. "Bouncy fwea, bouncy FWEA!"

"UUH!" The child landed on the ground backfirst, then gasped horrendously when the Titan's underside loomed over her.

"POO-ny flea go POOT." Cyclops smashed Aranea under his butt, then happily stood up to see her practically flattened. Cyclops giggled as he picked the tiny operative up in his fingernails. "Wittle FWEA go in my MOUTH. Hoo HWAH hwah hwah!"

Cyclops flicked Nea off so she would take the fall on his tongue, but she quickly regained herself, grabbed one of his teeth, and flipped atop his upturned face. His pupil focused on her confusedly, but didn't reach before Aranea climbed into his ear. "I was right, alright. The only thing that occupies this space is the retina. Well, not for long." Aranea drew out her S.P.I.C.E.R. and proceeded burning the fragile cord.

"WAAAAAAH! WAAAAAH!" Within minutes, the eyeball rolled right out of his head. "What have you DONE to me! I'm BLIIIIIND!"

Sally and Harvey used their tops' lasers to burn through the severed leg Titans, then tossed their bladed yo-yos to slice the legs of the bodies with heads. Sally and Harvey swung to the top of either head, throwing their yo-yos around their necks in attempt to burn through. "INCOMING, GUUUUYS!" Anthony cried, trudging over on Rock Titan's body and grabbing the Ice Titan's severed arms/legs. He swung them around and smashed the giant ice chunks into pieces.

"AAAAAAGYHGOO!" The Cyclops flailed his arms helplessly and collided with the Rock Titan, furiously beating and shattering the stone as Anthony was flown out. The trembling caused both bodies of the Ice Titan to fall forward, just when Sally and Harvey had the heads chopped off, the Cyclops turned around, one head landed in his mouth, the other down his loincloth, and both of those areas froze solid. The Cyclops fell forward, and the ice smashed.

Sector STORM was almost totally burnt out. They focused every ounce of strength into redirecting the laser, but its resulted tiny laser was growing larger, for the amount of energy they could channel back was steadily decreasing. But in what seemed like a miracle, the energy was blocked by another force. Lingning was keeping it back with her bending. "Don't stop now! It's time for Sector STORM to complete their mission!"

The younger operatives looked as their parents zipped by. "Keep holding it back, kids!" Sola yelled. "We'll take care of the tornado!" They zipped off in the Wind Titan's direction.

Fybi swiftly avoided each Loki that flew at her, blasted arrows at some, then ducked the real Loki's staff before shooting at his head, but Loki batted the arrow away, Phosphora rammed his chariot from the bottom, and Fybi Screw Kicked him in the face during his weakness. Loki lashed the reins of his Thundercorns and boosted skyward, making the loop around to charge back. Loki attracted the lightning trail onto his staff and formed a massive energy whip, each swing coming as fast as lightning as the Nimbi narrowly avoided. "You totally stole this idea from Lingning!" Phosphora retorted.

A successful whip shocked them both, suspending them in midair for a few seconds. "To think that your powers were given by gods." Loki chuckled. "'Lightningbending', 'airbending'… you're unworthy of such powers. All of you are."

"HYAH!" Phosphora lashed her Thundercorns after regaining her senses, and was gone above the clouds in seconds. Loki and Fybi faced each other alone, floating in place.

"TELL ME, CHILD, like that woolgathering Birkan who just fled me, what kind of creature do you perceive yourself in your gods' eyes?" Fybi glanced up, seeing the trail of Phosphora's chariot forming a glowing circle in the clouds. "An angel of justice? A pure soul? Is that why your gods give you such powers?! I'll tell you the real reason! Your gods are MOCKING YOU!"

The circle of energy in the clouds was growing brighter. "They bless mere mortals with their powers because they're unworthy to wield it! They watch how you pathetically struggle and fight each other with the powers given to you! They watch as you mortals DESTROY each other! Before long, this entire planet will fall into decay because you mortals didn't know the power you possessed! But you, you Kids Next Door think you're the saviors. Why, in your most droll of opinions, do you think the gods give you these powers?"

Fybi laughed softly to herself and closed her eyes. Listen to Loki ask such a question, like a curious child. She knew because she asked the very same question.

"Prithee, Auntie Rachel?" Five-year-old Fybi asked the woman. "'Tis not a lie that thou hast met God Rayquaza?"

"'Tis not a lie at all, Fybi." Rachel shook her head.

"To meet a god must be a wonderful honor! Pray, didst thou ask him this query for me?"

"What query would that be?"

"Why yon Anthony possesses Earth, thine children create Fire, and my mother and I control the wind… wherefore ist their reason?"

"Hmmmm…" Rachel smiled and nodded her head in thought. "We did kind of talk about this. And what Rayquaza told me… was that we mortals are stronger than gods!" She grinned brightly.

The lightning reflected off Fybi's determined emerald eyes. "'Tis because the gods doth not think we mortals should rely on them." Fybi shot to the sky, spinning rapidly toward the circle of lightning. "'Tis because the gods wish for us mortals to have power! To decide our fates, to give us the ability to hope!" She flew to the center of the circle, spinning the wind furiously, hot and cold and hot, channeling the lightning inside. "For we art the most powerful! Our souls are the most pure! Because 'tis brewed with the most impure of impurities!" The energy was coming below the clouds. Fybi was a blinding ball of electric. "Our anger. Our love! The storm that always spirals! 'Tis what makes mortals powerful!"

Loki crunched his teeth and jumped from the chariot, headfirst toward Fybi. "So thou shalt see!" Loki held his scepter forward, charging power in the head. "The true gods of this world art… yonder KIDS NEXT DOOR!"

The two powers collided and lit up the whole landscape. Loki used all his strength to stab through Fybi's shield, but the power was too strong, her lightning was directed to his body, the energy from his staff followed suit. Loki was blown away, the momentum from Fybi's attack sent him directly toward the Energy Cannon. His scepter, now overfilled with concealed energy, was aimed toward the cannon, and the moment it stabbed through, the unbearable power channeled through Loki. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

With a sudden flash, the cannon exploded, and the beam pierced directly up through the island, with Loki with it. Phosphora flew by on her Lightning Chariot and rammed the king once more, sending Loki falling to Dashi's Peak. He collided with a painful thud, his helmet flown off. (End song.)

Phosphora's friends caught up to the Wind Titan, whose wind was stronger than ever up close. "Shoot lightning from all angles until you find a weak spot!" Sola declared, trying to stand her air.

But the black tornado heard them and turned, glaring with its fearsome red eyes. The four readied to battle the demon, and the Titan was ready to make its move. "…!" Its eyes widened. The tornado spiraled and swirled like a thing being flushed down the toilet, and in seconds, it shrunk into the distant ground, like it was never there. The four adults exchanged the most baffled of glances.

The Wind Titan roared and ragefully hit the tiny jar it was trapped in. The Man With the Red Eye held the captured creature to his face. "This is an interesting specimen… I know someone you could be very useful to." He hid the jar under his coat and Disapparated. The four Birkans zipped down and searched the area. With no detected trace of the Titan, they decided to fly back home.

Phosphora and Fybi reunited on Dashi's Peak, taking the moment to catch their breath. They exchanged grateful smiles, still sparking with electric. Sector STORM was there to join them as they faced Loki. The defeated god helped himself stand. "I will not be defeated… by lesser mortals like yourselves." He rasped. "I am Loki… of Asgard! I am a GOD among you people! I will not be beaten like some pathetic-!"

A blinding flash of lightning struck Dashi's Peak, blowing Loki against a pillar before he fell on all fours. Phosphora and Fybi shut their eyes and kept away from the great white bolt. The lightning vanished, and someone stood in its place: an armored figure with a red cape and yellow hair, wielding a powerful stone hammer. The mighty being turned, glaring at Loki with clear blue eyes. Loki shuddered at his appearance; but Phosphora's purple eyes have never shown so much delight.

"Brother…" Loki spoke lowly. He lunged to punch the figure, but he batted the blast away with his hammer, then smashed him with the tool. Loki moaned from the force, which following his battle against the two Nimbi, rendered him unable to fight further.

"You've hidden from me long enough, Loki." the man said. "But no more. I am taking you home, where you will face judgment."

"No. ." Phosphora limped forward, slumping to her knees. "Are…Are you…"

He turned to look at her. "Do not be alarmed, fair maiden. I am Thor. First son of Odin. I am not permitted to explain the details, but my brother, Loki traveled to this dimension with unorthodox means. I cannot stay for long," Thor sat Loki against the pillar and planted large, stone cuffs over his wrists, "so I must take Loki quickly. Farewell-"

"Wait!" Phosphora jumped up and gripped the man's arm. Her purple eyes were full of wonder and excitement. "You're Thor… THE Thor!… The God of Thunder! We've been waiting for you for so long!"

"I was… expected here sooner?"

"Thine raised brow dost tell thou dost not know." Fybi figured. "So I shalt clarify: thou art honored as god among fair Birkans."

"You blessed the very first lightningbenders with your energy, your power is what brought life to Birka!" Phosphora spoke quickly. "And we waited for you for thousands of years so you would give us pure energy!"

"… …Oh… Well, this is awkward." Thor said. "Your people may have misunderstood. Although Asgardians live many years, we are not immortal. Even if I were, I cannot grant what you call 'pure energy.'"

"You…You can't?"

"I do not know the customs of your people, nor do I wish to go against them. But I can assure you that my power is not what gave life to you. Perhaps it is a force you have not yet acknowledged. Whatever that force may be, it would seem your people have thrived well on their own. I don't know what 'pure energy' is, nor how great it would be… but know that perfection is not always needed. One's own strength may be enough."

"…I see." Phosphora looked down with disappointment. "I guess you couldn't restore my lightningbending, huh?"

She looked up when Thor put a hand on her shoulder, smiling handsomely. "You seem like a kind young woman… I wish I could provide you the answer you want. If such power is what you desire, I could allow you to come to Asgard."

Phosphora turned red in the cheeks. She turned to look at Fybi and Sector STORM, whose expressions were eager. She turned back and smiled politely. "No thanks. I only just got home, I want to stay."

Thor nodded, and his cool smile kept Phosphora blushing. "Very well." The Asgardian backed away, took Loki by the arm, and raised his hammer before they zipped to the sky in a flash of lightning.

The Head Priest and his guards floated a few meters from the peak, having witnessed the spectacle. "So that was Thor…" he spoke hoarsely. "The god that had been reigning over us… was a fake. Oh, I am such a disgrace."

"Don't be so glum, Baskerville." Lady Sulfa's weary voice spoke brightly. The priestess had appeared beside him. "I think we all learned a valuable lesson. And that lesson was… make sure our god has a hammer before we brand him as 'Thor.'"

Fybi and Phosphora heard panting from below the stairs, and watched as Killer Bee and Sector W made it up. "Not to worry!" Bee gasped. "I brought the tykes back safe and sound!"

"Thank thee, fair rapstar." Fybi smiled.

"Hey Fybs, what happened to Joki?" Anthony asked.

"Phosphora and I hath showed him the exit. Or mayhap Thor, wouldst be an accurate answer. Without regards, yon island is saved from phony god."

"Wait. So you ladies took down that crazy lightning guy?" Bee asked. "Even if I was far away, he looked like pretty powerful stuff."

"Hmhmhm. Thou shouldst not look at me, and say I am not powerful." Fybi twirled.

"Well, Ah gotta say, y'all are pretty hot stuff. Ah dunno if you're being rewarded, but take this from me." Bee reached under his robe and pulled out a blue headband, with a shiny silver buckle depicting a swirly leaf design. "It belonged to an old friend of mine. Think of it as, uh, special ticket for mah next three concerts."

Fybi took the headband and let it dangle from her hand. "I shalt bring it to mine heart."

A beautiful ray of sunlight poked from the cloud tunnel above. No one on Birka remembers the sun ever shining on their land. "Prithee… from where doth yonder light shine?" Mesmerized by its golden glow, Fybi softly floated upward. (Play "The First Mask" from Rayman 2.)

The clouds stretched miles and miles up the sky. The texture around the clouds was blended with many colors, alit only by the golden sun above. Fybi drifted higher, and higher, she thought all of this sun would blind her vision, but it became more warm and wonderful the higher she went. Just when she was about to touch its very source, she found herself above Birka. The top of the eternal storm fortress was calm and very beautiful, with a sky of blue, gold, and pink tones. She was enclosed within a great cloud mountain range, but floated even higher to land on a vast, long road of solid marble, leading to a temple in the distance. But just on the start of this road, between the parallel stairs, was a stone cube with ancient writing.

Phosphora and Sector W flew up on a Lightning Chariot, landing to watch as Fybi slowly approached the monument. Her eyes gazed at nothing else, as if this stone was calling to her. She stopped a few feet from the stone as her rewarded headband glowed, floated up, and sunk into the cube. The ruin shone with blue light, which flew into Fybi's body, then faded. Her friends didn't know what it was, Fybi knew just as much, but an odd sensation flowed within her.

Fybi awakened herself as the THIRD LIGHT! Only 4 more to go!

The odd writing on the monument glowed. Fybi read its contents clear as daylight. "'If you're reading this, congratulations, you must've come a long way. You can rest for now, but don't get too comfortable, because the real battle has yet to begin. We look forward to the day we can meet you, and we know you can make it. Believe it! –Naruto Uzumaki'."

"I didn't know Fybi spoke Greek." Aranea said.

"That's not Greek, I can't read it either." Phosphora corrected.

"Then what is it?" Anthony asked.

"Ha-halright! You guys finally made it!" They looked up when an angel with glowing wings flew in a circle overhead. He stopped and flapped in place, grinning at the heroes. "Took ya a while!"

"Huuuu!" Fybi gasped, her emerald eyes displaying pure delight. "Thou art… Pit Icarus!!"

"Long time, no see, Fybi!" The brown-haired angel winked. "Lady Palutena knew you would find the Poneglyph."

"Lady… Palutena?" Phosphora asked.

"Yeah! This is where she lives. Come on, I'll introduce you! She prepared a banquet and everything." Pit flew across the road. "I'll race ya."

"Hahahaha!" Fybi happily flew up, and said to her friends, "Thou must hurry, or the sun will set! First course is for meeeee!" She joyfully flew after Pit.

The five other friends exchanged excited glances. "I wanna meal after all that!" Anthony yelled, so they all bolted up the stairs and across the miles-long road. The spirit of a boy with blonde, spiky hair, blue eyes, and whiskers on his face appeared, grinning at the kids as he fixed on his headband. (End song.)

Down below, things had never been more calm on Birka, and though they wished their lightning would return soon, the sunlight was something to marvel at. The Energy Cannon had drilled deep beneath Mount Olympus's surface. Deep within that hole, a blue flame appeared. From the flame, a two-dimensional spirit, a golden triangle with black, stubby arms and legs, as thin as lines, a black skinny top-hat, and a single eye.

The very bottom of this hole is where Loki's staff fell. The spirit grabbed the blue, glowing cube on its head and ripped it off. "So, this is the Tesseract, huh?" he spoke with a perky, monotone voice. "It doesn't feel as powerful as I imagined. Maybe its energy is limited in this world or something. Still, this is just the kind of material I needed. It looks like Loki was able to prove his use after all." He tossed the cube into his chest, vanishing into his being. "I should be able to have the machine running, soon. Matter of fact, they should be stopping by in a little bit." He squinted his eye giddily, his body displaying images of Cheren, MaKayla, and Wendy Marvell. "I guess I better get back to Gideon. Bill Cipher is back in action, baby!" The spirit dispersed into flame.

Great Clock

Jagar King sat in meditation before the Time Gate. The twenty chairs around the room were empty, and had yet to welcome their guests. In this Chamber of the Twenty Keys, Jagar always felt melancholy. Especially now, more than ever, knowing what was to come. "Calliope… if what you say is true… then I can't let it happen." Jagar stood, clutching the Chrono Staff tight. He looked at the room's doorway with solemnity. "I can't let the Twenty Keys come together."