66. Metal

There's a Number Cipher in the upcoming stage.

Quahog, Rhode Island

All of the operatives regrouped in the town square after the battle. Maddy awoke with aching pains, confused when she saw the various sectors. She was wrapped up in bandages, and so was Chris – the only other person who took sufficient damage. Melody Jackson healed them all with waterbending, and at 9:00pm, the sky had a faint amount of orange left.

"Oh, Maddy. You're awake." Mocha sighed with relief. Maddy looked left to find the giant on her knees.

"Mocha? What's going on? Did we win?"

"CP10 retreated and kidnapped Cheren." Mocha frowned. "That animal dragged you back to us."

Maddy saw Shade asleep on the ground in her torn jumpsuit, her fur still messy. "Wait… they took Cheren?"

"They did." Francis said regretfully.

The operatives heard tires screeching in the distance and saw a taxi speeding up. It screeched to a halt as a familiar gas-bodied scientist flew out. "COME BAAAAACK!" Caesar reached to the sky in despair.

"Oh, look. It's Caesar." Haruka said casually.

"THAT BOY!" Caesar cried. "That was my… Th-That was… MY MAMMAL-MAMMAL FRUUUUIT!"

"Your Mammal-Mammal Fruit?" Aurora repeated.

Caesar sniffled and wiped a tear. "The Mammal-Mammal Fruit was literally the fruit of my research! Fifteen years ago, I created it… the ultimate Zoan Fruit that could change the user into any animal! The perfect wereanimal who could become them all and have no weaknesses! They could even become aquatic creatures and swim in water. GAAAH, I WAS GONNA MAKE MILLIONS FROM IT! But then he stole it… That sneaky little brat stole my prize! I'll never forget him… JOEY BEATLES!"

Sector V gasped. "So that man that looked like Mr. Beatles…" Mason realized. "That was the Uncle Joey Kirie's parents told us about?"

"The one they said went missing?" Dillon recalled. "Five years after the Firstborn Quest."

"But when we fought him, he acted like he didn't know who he was." Mason followed. "I wonder what could've happened to him…"

"If I had the chance to touch him, I could see his past." Miyuki mentioned. "Then I could tell you."

"Or maybe Caesar can." Haruka said suspiciously.

Caesar turned to them and said angrily, "Joey was one of the boys I kidnapped 15 years ago, for the same reason I kidnapped you and that fatheaded brat over there." Mocha growled at the scientist. "It was around the same time I finished my Mammal Fruit. Then one day, my precious fruit was gone! And Joey was gone, too! Coincidence? NOT REALLY! But I didn't think he was in CP10. CP10 was one of my customers; I would assume the lot of them have Devil Fruits."

"And you created all the Devil Fruits." Aurora noted. "Maybe you can tell us how they work so we'll be able to fight them!"

"Shuroro, of course I could!" Caesar grinned. "The question is, COULD you fight them? Devil Fruits aside, CP10 was formidable before they got them. I mean, just look at what they did to you!"

"That's why we're all going to gang up on them!" Karin Kurosaki declared.

"My sector was able to defeat a World Leader by working together!" Aurora reminded. "I know we can all do the same with CP10!"

"Really?" Caesar raised a brow. "How did that go?"

"Well… she…"

"We locked her in Arctic Prison," Marcus said, "but she escaped with a bunch of prisoners. Including Abram."

"And it didn't occur to you this Leader let herself get captured in order to bust some people out?" Caesar inquired. Sector V exchanged awkward glances. "In reality, a single World Leader could conquer an entire nation. Then again, I suppose you kids could, too. The point is, if a World Leader wanted to be serious in a fight with you, you would be dead!"

"So that Rockhead I fought in Washington was just trolling me?!" Anthony asked angrily.

"He sure was, Big Brother!" Michelle jumped him from behind.

"GYAH! Michelle, how many times you gonna sneak on our ship?!"

"You never spend time with me, anymore! I miss my Ant-ony!"

"I'm not an ant."

"And I am FROSTY!" Suki Crystal rolled out, encased in a snowball.

"Suki!" Miyuki's eyes widened. "You, too?"

"I miss playing with you too, Sister-chan!"

"Hello!" Michelle greeted. "I'm Michelle!"

"I'm Suki! You have pretty feets!"

"Thank you! So do you!"

"BEEEEEST FRIENDS!" They hugged.

"Great." Anthony eye-rolled. "Well, I guess we're siblings-in-law." he said to Miyuki.

"I wanna die again."

"Guys, focus!" Aurora yelled. "We need to come up with a plan to fight CP10 and save Cheren!"

"I'm really not… in the right shape at the moment." Maddy grunted.

"Yeah, and… we don't even know where CP10's base is." Chris grunted.

"They make their base in Enies Lobby," Caesar explained, "which is on the base of Mt. Mariejoa and is also home to the Teen Ninjas. That place is loaded with heavily-trained fighters, or so I heard. They aren't all on CP10's level, but you'll have a rough time breaking in."

"Sigh…" Francis sighed. "We should be thankful Maddy survived… but if she becomes the Seventh Light, they might kill Cheren. That's why I have to wonder… would Cheren want that?"

"In other words, it's him… or the universe." Miyuki replied.

"What are ye two saying?!" Panini shouted. "We can't let Cheren die!"

"But Maddy needs to become the Seventh Light!" Francis argued. "And the Apocalypse is roughly 13 days away! Do we really have time and energy to use on these assassins?"

"The two goals are the same." MaKayla said, her eyes closed. "I'm remembering something… A vision I saw in Great Clock. The Poneglyph that Maddy must read in order to awaken is in Enies Lobby."

"You are extremely convenient." Lola remarked.

"So for Maddy to awaken… we really have to beat CP10." Chris construed.

Maddy lay on her back and stared at the darkening sky. She didn't have the strength or the motivation to challenge them again… not in this state. With less than half a month to go, she feared if she could regain her strength. Even then, it wouldn't be enough. "Woof-woof-woof-woof!" She heard a familiar barking, and before she knew it, a little brown puppy had pranced up to lick her face.

"Sparky! I missed you!" She petted him.

"Oh, right… I was wondering why space was so relaxing." Zach sighed.

"Let's all go up to the Moonbase." Aurora said with a smile. "We're probably attracting too much attention."

Star Train

"Yikes, what happened to her?" Nefarious asked as they viewed the screen from Sparky's view. "She's a mess."

"It must have been one walloping of a welcome-home party." Lawrence replied.

"Well, whatever it was, they have to find the Poneglyph soon. If she waits until the Apocalypse arrives, they wouldn't get to the Clock in time. But when she does, we'll catch her!"

"Sir, I am concerned about your plans in… detaining her. I am aware that Sparky is meant to catch her in a chi-blocked net and fly back to our headquarters… but we haven't the slightest clue in what is meant to happen. What if this power Lord Gnik talks about is something on a god's level?"

"A human becoming a god, don't be silly, Lawrence. Besides, even if catching her fails, don't forget I have other methods. If she does not comply with my demands afterwards, I have loads of atomic bombs ready to TURN this planet into metal!"

G.U.N. Area Delta

When we last saw Team Emily, they had reunited with Mike Strongarm and boarded a Pipo Monkey ship that was set for a GUN base. The base was built within a towering cliffside, where the ship landed on a platform. The group had a lovely view of the sun setting over the forest. "The R.A.D.A.R.'s picking up oodles of monkeys." Emily reported. "I dunno what they're doing here, but no need to change the pattern."

"So, this is all you've been doing all month?" Mike asked with a wry smirk.

"I know, and I barely got to explore an ounce of Adams Tech." Emily wept. "I really hate Specter for ruining my vacation. When I get my hands on him, I'm gonna…?" Sarah tapped her shoulder and indicated the wandering Dr. Cooper.

Sheldon was slightly bent over, looking around as his nose twitched. "There is a familiar scent about." He walked up to the cliff wall and sniffed up it. "Sniiiiiff. It's lavender… mixed with lemon-flavored foot cream. And is that, sniiiiff… hair shampoo that smells like pet spray!" He turned around with a beaming face, "She's here! Amy Farrah Fowler is here!"

"Then you have served your purpose just to tell us that." Gary remarked.

"Perfect!" Emily raised her net confidently. "We'll wrangle up these primates and rescue Sheldon's lady of the evening! Maybe we'll even go on a double date." She moved up to Mike, who blushed.

"Eh he… As much as I would love to, we should report to Moonbase after this, see how everyone's doing."

"You're right. Looking back, I originally wanted to find Specter to see if he has anything to do with the Apocalypse. Sector V said he's allied with Team Gnik… It's now or never if we wanna get information from him." (Play "Air Fleet" from Shadow the Hedgehog!)

Stage 64: GUN Area Delta

Mission: Catch 20 monkeys and rescue Amy Farrah Fowler!

Addendum: Emily's 7th stage, expect something good to happen.

To start the stage, Emily had to put on her M.A.G.N.E.B.O.O.T.S. and walk across a metal path on the cliffside, over a line of cannons that launched missiles. Emily had to be wary and avoid the missiles, which would then explode like fireworks in the sky. "Well, it's nice to know my tax is going to wasted ammunition." Sheldon said. Once Emily was across, she could turn a gear and make a walkway emerge from the wall above the cannons. Unfortunately, the missiles destroyed the walkway whenever they launched, but Emily could keep turning the wheel so it'd come out again. The kids had to use their Super Hoops to cross. Since Sheldon didn't have one, he hopped on Mike's shoulders while the boy rode his bike across.

Team Emily encountered the first two Pipo Monkeys, using jetpacks to fly over the edge of the platform. The main trio was easily able to shoot them down with homing slingshot pellets—however, the monkeys took the fall down to the forest. They reactivated their jetpacks and resumed flying, safe from their range. Mike was opening the crates that were placed around the platform, and discovered a small metal object the size of a pellet. "Emily, what do you think this is?"

Emily took the strange pellet and decided to launch it at one of the monkeys. It morphed into a hand, grabbed the ape, and returned to its master, allowing Emily to net the ape. "A Returning Grabber Pellet! You're the best, Mike!" She used it to catch the other ape. Afterwards, the team climbed to a higher platform using a pipe on the cliffside – which had an electric hole in its middle. They set foot on the upper platform and had view of a distant platform on their left. There was a chain device, and Emily launched the Return Pellet over to grab the chain's end and pull it to them. She could hold the pellet in place while Sarah and Gary use their Balance Bikes to ride across the chain. They pressed a switch that stretched a bridge for the others to cross.

The canyon wall turned a corner from which a bridge crossed to a platform. A Pipo Monkey controlled a GUN Hot Shot, a large robot with only two legs and twin missile launchers. It blasted missiles all around the bridge, so the group hid behind the corner while Sheldon controlled the C.A.M.-C.A.R. across the bridge. He avoided the missiles and found an opening behind the robot's foot, driving the car in to finagle with its insides. The Hot Shot fell defeated and the monkey jumped around in panic, only to be caught in Emily's net. The team saw a metal ladder above, leading atop the cliff. Emily flew her S.P.E.C.S. up there to hack into a control panel, making the ladder lower.

They climbed up and had a greater view of more of the base. This area had more room as it wasn't stationed on the cliff's side. Laser Hunter robots were shooting them, and the GUN symbols on their bodies were replaced with Specter's face. Sarah bounced between the robots with the Super Hoop and took them out, and Gary shot down the above GUN Beetles with his slingshot. There was nothing else on this platform except for boxes of provisions, as well as a switch on the edge of the cliff, overlooking a distant area of the base. Emily hit the switch, and a swarm of GUN Beetles flew out of that base's garage, pairs of two connected via solid energy beams. "Swing Test Level 2 initiated."

"Well, if Level 2 makes the jump to 'hanging precariously over a thousand feet', what does Level 1 require?" Sheldon asked with fear of heights.

"You two can hide in the Infi-Cube until we're across." Emily said, holding out the small box.

"Don't drop us, Em." Mike winked, jumping in before Sheldon.

"I now have Mike trapped in a box!" Emily's eyes brimmed with fantasy and desire.

"And you made the jump from 'schoolgirl crush' to 'obsessed.'" Sarah remarked. The trio used their Sky Flyers while jumping the solid beams. Some Beetle pairs flew up and down, and one pair floated to and fro. Gary noticed a monkey casually seated on a Beetle and proceeded to catch it. At the end of the course, they could land on a platform on the cliffside. From there, they used Sky Flyer to go up two more platforms, and the third one had a Spring Rhino. They used the spring to bounce up over the cliff, releasing Sheldon and Mike as they viewed the garage entrance.

Opening the garage required the capture of two monkeys, and one of the monkeys available was controlling a GUN Flying Dog. Sarah and Gary took the liberty of dodging its missiles and shooting it with explosive pellets, while Emily noticed another Pipo throwing grenades from the garage roof. She climbed a flagpole to get to the roof and catch the ape, and she had a lovely view as the Flying Dog crashed and Sarah caught its primate pilot. The garage opened, and a road that looked like a plane's airway led into it. "I say we do like we did Viridi's!" Mike exclaimed.

"On bikes!" Emily popped their bikes out of the Infi-Cube. Sheldon once again sat in the basket of Sarah's bike as they sped into the tunnel, using headlights to see. Mini warplanes were being launched from the dark, forcing the bikers to jump. At the end of the tunnel, a red stoplight turned green, and a glass capsule containing a Pipo opened. They made it through without taking damage, so they could catch the monkey for their reward. They entered a door in the back, and were instantly bombarded with gunfire by Laser Hunters.

The team bypassed the robots and ran to a ledge over an electric pool. Another Beetle Bar pair was across the pool, and Emily could pull them over with the Return Pellet. When she released, the Beetles would float across, taking the kids with them when they clutched on. ("I am not a kid." Sheldon informed me thusly.) They faced another electric river, in which Emily had to launch the Return Pellet to pull over a model plane, which hung by strings on the ceiling. They hopped on and rode the plane across, but it tilted left or right by their weight. Their team stood on either end to balance the weight, but there were shifts when they had to jump lasers or catch two floating Pipo Monkeys. (Why the lasers didn't cut the strings was beyond Sheldon.)

They could jump off on a ledge with a door that brought them outside. They were on a low point on a cliff, and they could use their Balance Bikes to ride across a rail, having to jump lasers shooting from the wall. They stopped on a platform with a turret, which they would have to use to shoot down remote-control GUN Jets. While Mike took this liberty, Sheldon used the C.A.M.-C.A.R. to drive along a very thin ledge on the cliff. The thin bridge stretched away from the cliff and became zigzaggy and snaky, but Sheldon was careful in guiding the toy car across. The car pressed a switch, and a solid energy path was spawned from the thin bridge.

They raced across and each took turns grabbing a hook that would reel them above the cliff. Emily noticed another hook above where that one originated, using Sky Flyer to reach it as it lifted her to a monkey hiding in a floating metal crate. She netted the ape and dropped back to her friends. The area above this cliff had a forest area, and the R.A.D.A.R. picked up a monkey hiding in a tree. Gary bashed the tree with the Stun Club, the ape fell out, and what happened next was obvious. A steep ramp sloped down and would fly them up to a cliff with another garage, and their bikes were the only means of gaining momentum to do this.

They entered a vast room with a tall platform that had multiple computers on it. On their left were three GUN soldiers tied to wooden pegs and a monkey that threatened to shoot them. They chose not to get close in case the monkey would shoot them, so they trekked the spiral path that led up to the platform. There were two monkeys wearing labcoats. One was wasting time on Bananabook and another was looking up female chimps. (It seems Tiny Kong made the cover on Darn Pretty Mammals again.)

The team netted the monkeys, and from here there was a zipline that led down to the gunner monkey. First, they curiously examined the large computers, which each changed screens when they were hit by the Stun Clubs. One of the computers displayed a code: E / 23-9-12-12 / 13-1-11-5 / 1 / 4-9-1-13-15-14-4. The computer facing the gunner monkey switched to Camera Mode, and recorded the monkey threatening the agents.

If I believe in Ape Jesus hard enough, they will die. The caption for the monkey read. The caption for the gun said, If I believe in Gun Jesus hard enough, all of them will die.

Mike grabbed the zipline, flew down, and kicked the ape in the head, holding him down until Sarah ran up and netted the gunner. They cut the GUN agents free afterwards. "Oh, thank you!" one agent saluted. "Those apes showed up on the 5th and we've been fighting them ever since. It was going well until a black monkey in a cape showed up."

"That sounds like Specter's henchman, Mojo!" Emily remembered.

"Given that he kept repeating his name, that sounds about right." The second agent replied. "In fact, on the same day he took over the base, his apes brought in a woman with black hair."

"Do you know where they could be keeping her now?" Sheldon asked.

"The prison wing is further down that hall." The first agent pointed. "After that, you need to cross a bridge outside. We use impenetrable glass cages. But I can't guess why they would need to lock her up."

"We'll tell you if we find out." Emily promised, though she didn't mean it. The five proceeded to the designated hall, which sloped down as GUN Rhinos drove up. Gary ran at them with the Super Hoop and bounced between them like a pinball, destroying each Rhino in one strike of the hoop's charge. The slope stopped at a corner and would resume down a right hall. In that corner, an electric pipe led up to the ceiling where a Pipo Monkey was tampering with a wire socket. Emily used her auto-pedaling Balance Bike to ride up the pipe. Given the vertical angle and no prior momentum acquired, it took a minute and a half to actually get high enough and net the ape.

In the second hall, a GUN Hornet locked on from the end and launched homing missiles. Sheldon went in front so all the missiles locked onto him, using his Observation Haki to dodge each of them. This left the Hornet helpless, so Sarah shot it down with the slingshot. A door led them outside to an enclosed canyon, where a long bridge stretched to the opposite end. Two Hot Shots were already set to begin blasting them, but Emily and Mike each hid under a Hot Shot so the robots would strike each other with their own missiles. They could catch the monkeys that came out.

They came to a set of platforms that were electrified. There was a tunnel that cut through the electric, fit for the C.A.M.-C.A.R. to drive into. Sheldon parked the car on a little switch on the other side and turned the electric off. When they crossed the platforms, they noticed a spidermonkey hidden inside one of them. A mini path would lead off the main path and into an opening of the platform, so Sheldon drove the toy car in there and caught the mini monkey.

Further down the bridge, GUN Beetles shot at them from overhead. To their right over the chasm, there was a series of harmless Beetles that led to one that a monkey was hanging from. Emily carefully jumped the Beetles like platforms, but since the ape's Beetle was higher, she thought catching it would require a quick switch to the Sky Flyer. However, a Gold Beetle appeared beneath it, serving as a platform for Emily to stand on after catching the ape, but she quickly jumped back before the Gold Beetle vanished.

She returned to her friends, and the team had to ride their bikes across four rails that electrified at different intervals. They jumped between rails that weren't electrified and made it across. The bridge ended almost eight feet before a door that had a large key in the center. There was a drawing above the door depicting three circles inside each other, with numbers on one corner of each one. Emily launched the Return Pellet to grab the key. Going by the diagram, she controlled the hand to turn the key northeast, and when she pulled, the center circle popped out. A '2' was on the west side of the middle circle, so Emily turned it that way before pulling. She had to rotate to southeast for the third circle, pulling that segment out as the door opened.

A bridge stretched over for them to enter, and a sign on the hall's ceiling read Prison Wing. Unfortunately, they were one monkey shy of completing the stage… Thankfully, a frightened ape was clutching the back of the sign. They shot it down with the slingshot and had him netted. (End song.)

The five turned a few corners in the quiet, vacant hall, glancing in the rooms that either had nothing or some unknown prisoner asleep behind a glass wall. When Mike peeked in one room, he called, "Guys, look over here!" They came to enter the room and saw a slightly pudgy woman with long black hair and glasses asleep on a vertically-standing bed, cuffed by her wrists and ankles. She was wearing a blue- and black-striped shirt with a black skirt, black stockings, and black shoes.

"Sheldon, is this your girl friend? (Which I meant as two separate words.)" Emily asked.

"Yes… it's Amy." Sheldon approached her.

"Now I'm wondering how you could smell her if she's locked in there." Sarah said.

"I have very keen senses, and Amy's scent is… one of the heavier ones I remember."

"Where'd you find this guy again?" Mike asked.

"In a bat cave." said Emily. "Yalright, fellers, time to free this princess from the horrible demon that doth have her trapped! And hope we don't have to go to another castle."

"You are mistaken, because you see, YOU are the ones who are trapped!"

A trapdoor opened, dropping all five kids (plus adult) down a chute. They screamed upon descent and grunted after splashing in a puddle of filth. "Good Lord!" Sheldon said with disgust, shaking off a pizza slice. "We're in a garbage chute!"

"Alright, who's the Star Wars fanboy behind this insidious trap?!" Mike yelled.

A TV came on, depicting a black-furred monkey with a green face, blue suit, and striped dome helmet. "I am not a fan, nor a boy, and I do not know this Star Wars of which you speak. I am Mojo Jojo, the last of Specter's simian officers, excluding the foolish human with abnormally round hair, and I have lured you here with the knowledge of Dr. Cooper's trapped friend with the intention of executing you, and then I – Mojo Jojo – will return to Specter with a satisfactory report of your demise, because without your nuisance, we may begin the next step of our plan, which can only go smoothly with your destruction, for if you were to live, you would be a liability in our accomplishing of the-"

"LET US OUTTA HERE!" Emily kicked the wall.

"Ha ha! You are short on luck, because the trash compactors are now set to compact, as is their function, and the door will not open until the compacting is complete! You will be left as nothing more than discarded pancakes, never to be discovered before your remains are incinerated. START THE PROCESS!"

Alarms blared as the parallel walls began to close in. The trash was being shoved into piles as the five struggled to push the walls. "It's no use, these walls are too strong! We have to escape with our nets!" Gary yelled.

"NO!" Emily yelled determinedly, hands pressed firmly against the moving crusher. "We're so close to saving Amy, we have to find a way out!"

"I'm not seeing any exits!" Sheldon yelled.

"Come on, Emily, you're smart! What are we going to do?!" Mike shouted.

Emily stopped pushing to catch her breath. The walls were ten seconds from closing, and only small space was left for them. The longer she kept her hands pressed on her wall, though she couldn't explain it, she felt the strongest instinct that she could push it. Now there was only space for her friends to shove both walls with their hands and feet. Fearlessness flowing through her, Emily took a breath and gave one final push. "HAAAAAAH!"

In a sudden burst, the wall dented and shot back to its starting point. The other wall stopped. Sarah, Gary, Sheldon, and Mike gaped. Emily's square-shaped eyes grew wide as she stared at her hand. She decided to approach the other wall, push it, and dented it as well. They had no words and no understanding. Emily formulated theories… It couldn't be that she had superhuman strength because her one attempt to stop a rolling garbage boulder backfired. So that left the other theory:

"HOLY COW, I'M A METALBENDER!"

"A METALBENDER?!" Sarah and Gary screamed.

"This is insanity!" Emily stared at her open hand, her fingers twitching. "I can't be a bender, I've never bent an element before in my life! Well, except when the Undersea Lab let me play with the photon particle tubes—but this would make me an earthbender, and that's illogical, because my feet are too flimsy to adapt to the earth! Oooo, but is that a chi flow I see in my hand?" she asked sadly. "No no no!" She shook. "I'm a microbiologist, so if I'm an earthbender, I'd have to become a geologist—and geology's not even a real science!! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!"

"Emily, it's okay!" Mike hugged her. "You saved our lives, that's all that matters!"

"Look, the door's open!" Sarah indicated, standing in the exit. "Let's get outta here!"

"I'm sensing a conscious presence up this hallway!" Sheldon yelled, running ahead. "It might be Mojo!"

Control room

"No! This is impossible!" Mojo yelled, watching the five escape on his camera. "They could not have escaped, because the trash compactor is inescapable. If it were that easy, all the trash could escape, which it has not, ergo the likelihood of their escape-"

"Is as likely as the length of your SENTENCES!" Emily burst into the room.

"AAAAH!" Mojo whipped out a laser gun, which Emily bashed away before whacking Mojo with the Stun Club. Sarah and Gary scored some hits until the ape was left unconscious. "Back to the zoo with you!" Emily caught Mojo in her net and watched him teleport.

Sheldon searched through the terminals and noticed Amy's room. "I can open her cell from here!" He pushed the button under her screen.

The glass cage opened and the Sleep Gas was sucked away. Team Emily relocated the room as the latter broke the cuffs with her club. Sarah and Gary caught Amy before she fell. "Yikes, this girl's heavy!" Gary yelped.

"Be careful with her!" Sheldon cautioned. "Her arms aren't meant to bend back at a full 90 degrees!"

"Then why don't YOU help lift her!" Sarah argued.

"Of course not, I don't know how long she's been in here, what if they never bathed her?"

"Wh-Whuh… Who's bathing?" Amy moaned softly. She regained control of her limbs as they helped her stand upright. Her eyes opened, and the blurry image formed into the mantis-like face of her friend. "Sheldon…"

"Amy…" Sheldon smiled.

"Awwww, this is so romantic!" Emily hugged herself. "Hug and kiss, do whatever you gotta do!"

"Oh, I'd love to," Sheldon said, "but we only engage in physical contact the third Tuesday of every month."

"It's necessary." Amy agreed. "My mother believes too much physical contact would cause my hormones to overdevelop and result in mood swings. But Sheldon, what's going on here? Am I still in the GUN base? W-Where's Specter?"

"We believe Specter is elsewhere. I still don't understand why Specter sought to kidnap you. Judging from his dialogue, there was a greater goal in mind than wishing to enter my laboratory."

"Yeah, Amy, why did Specter kidnap you?" Emily asked.

"I know why…" Amy said with regret in her voice. "It's because I'm a World Leader's scientist."

"A World Leader?" Mike repeated in shock.

"She means a World Government Leader." Sheldon noted. "I understand the term 'World Leader' is unspecific as it could refer to any person who is a leader in our world. You confided in me that you were offered a position by Daphne Anderson, correct?"

"You're right." confirmed Amy.

"But the World Government's security is supposed to be impregnable for their important officers. Were you not considered valuable?"

"Oh, I was. But I let myself get captured on purpose."

"Why?" asked Mike.

Amy needed a minute to collect her thoughts, but her expression was morbid. "I met Master Anderson four years ago when I traveled to Saudi Arabia to collect research funds. I'm engaged to a Saudi prince, you see, and it works in my favor."

"Something we plan to work out in the future." Sheldon noted.

"I told Master Anderson about my work in neurobiology. At the time, I was studying ways to manipulate the brain's structure, alter its thoughts, which would ergo change a person's emotions."

"That sounds really dark." Mike said.

"I was only limiting the tests to animals. But Daphne took interest in the research and offered to let me work for her. She gave me funding and new materials like Psychic Crystals. But… after a few years, I realized what the Government planned to do with my research. They were capturing powerful benders and wanted me to brainwash them into thinking the World Leaders were their friends. They planned to use a device called the 'Sun Chi Lantern' to steal their bending and add it to their own."

"That's horrible!" Emily gasped.

"I know… and I was looking for a means of escape for a long time. Still, it wasn't too bad. I did get to meet a new friend… Oh, that reminds me! Hey, you can come out!" Amy shouted to no one. The five exchanged glances. "Hello? Are you awake in there? Hang on." Amy bashed the right side of her head. "I feel ya-… Outta there-… Nnn! Nn!" She kept slapping herself. With one stronger blow, a small thing shot out of her left ear and hit the floor.

The creature stirred, awoke, and stretched back to its normal baby size. It was a silver-bodied being with a gold head and two tails. "Mmmmmm!" She yawned. "Too much earwax!"

"UXIE!" Emily screamed.

The Firstborn of Knowledge opened her golden eyes. "EMILY! IT'S YOU!" Her eyes widened and sparkled.

"DON'T LOOK HER IN THE EYE!" Sarah and Gary shut theirs.

"I don't have that curse, anymore!" Uxie floated up and faced Amy. "By the way, real smart thinking! Pretending you had skin termites to give yourself an excuse to go outside and get captured by the apes? Ingenious!"

"I learn from the best, bestie!" Amy grinned.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?" Mike asked.

"My sisters and I were captured by the Government three years ago." Uxie explained. "I ended up in the possession of this big-brained gal! You see, ever since your father set me free, I developed an addiction to… shrinking myself and going in peoples' brains to examine their IQ. And Amy's is one of the brightest brains I've seen!"

"Your standards must not be very high." Sheldon laughed like a panting puppy. "If I let you in my brain, you would be overwhelmed, and probably die. So I can't allow you entry. It'd be tricky to disinfect without bruising anything."

"Hey Uxie, I just learned I'm a metalbender!" Emily beamed.

"Really, you just learned now?" Uxie cocked a brow. "I knew the minute you were born. I thought someone smart as you would've guessed sooner."

"Uh… of course I did." She blushed, shifting her feet. "I just wondered if… you did."

"No offense, but it seems like a lot of work to hire you to brainwash people." Sarah commented. "Can't the Government just fire up a machine or a magic spell to do it just like that?"

"My research would've resulted in a permanent mind-manipulation." Amy replied. "Mind-control using swirling pictures or fancy words never lasts. Even Sleeper Agents need to be deactivated after sometime."

"You know, if we're gonna talk about disturbing science experiments," Mike intervened, "I wanna do it in the comfort of our Moonbase, so can we please go?"

"Huhu, okay." Emily changed the setting for her T.E.L.A.-N.E.T.. "I'll warp us to the museum where we'll take a ship up to Moonbase. You first, Uxie!" She caught the Firstborn in the teleporting net, and one-by-one warped the others.

Enies Lobby

Corks popped out of soda bottles as their contents came out in fizz. "CP10, let's have a drink!" Eldwin spoke joyfully in his thuggish bully voice. He was a chubby teenager wearing Battle Ready Armor, and had a cast around his neck. "We scared those KNDorks so hard, they peed blood!"

"Hold a nail-hammerin' second there!" Bob contradicted. "You didn't do a thing!"

"I'm the mastermind running things from the shadows!" Eldwin set the soda bottles on the table in the center of the couches where the assassins were seated. The tall windows behind Eldwin's desk provided natural light in this white marble chamber. "Your fearless leader, Eldwin Savinsky! And I couldn't be more proud of you. My subordinates deserve the rarest and tastiest sodas known only to Nimbi and merpeople!"

"I don't wanna drink this kid stuff!" Ernie complained. "What about beer, don't we have any beer, bawk bagawk?"

"Alcohol kills the immune system, Chick." Rickey said, wiping his soda bottle. "But you can always trust soda to keep ya energized." He drank.

"Supreme Leader Eldwin." Nya LaMar and her friend, Tracy entered the room. "You have a visitor. Fukuro from CP9."

"Chapapa!" A large, yellow, egg-shaped man with a big zipper mouth and green hair, wearing a black tux, rolled in. "On behalf of CP9, the Statistics Cipher Pol, I am here for a progress report on your training."

"Analyzing our Power Levels again." Leslie said embarrassed.

"Hey, not many people have that ability, you should count yourself lucky!" Eldwin yelled.

"But my Power Level is always so tiny." She flushed.

"I will now analyze." Fukuro bundled up. "You first, chapapa!" He rolled at Leslie, who was quick to jump and stomp him hard as she could with her high-heel foot. "Leslie Meijer, your Doriki is: 1200."

"Not bad." Rickey smiled and patted her.

"I've seen better." She still blushed.

"You next." Fukuro rolled at Rickey, who punched him back. "Lime Rickey, your Level is: 3000."

"Nice!"

Fukuro approached Megan, whose hand was outreached. Fukuro shook it—resulting in a painful shock from the hand zapper. He was soot-covered afterwards. "Miranda Cosgrove, your Power Level is: 2000."

"MY NAME IS MEGAN!!"

Fukuro attacked Ernie, who sliced with his talon. "Ernie the Chicken, you stand at: 4500."

"THAT'S what I mean, bawk-bagawk!" Ernie smirked.

Number 4 transformed into a giant bee and stung Fukuro. "CP10 Number 4, you are currently: 3500." Fukuro rolled at Bob, who jumped and kicked both feet like a Mario Brother. "Bob the Builder, your Power Level is: 1700."

"Can't win 'em all!" Bob smiled and shrugged.

"Eldwin, your turn." The Teen Leader approached the egg man and dealt a weak punch. "Your Doriki is a whopping: 9. How sad, chapapa."

"My power is BRAIN power!" Eldwin argued.

"And lastly, I need Rob Lucci's-"

The man had already become a lion, grabbed Fukuro in his teeth, and swung him around before throwing him against the wall. He reverted to human as the egg man weakly got up. "As expected… Rob Lucci's Power Level is… 5500."

"5500?!" Ernie freaked out. "That's almost as powerful as President Morgan, BAGAWK!"

"This concludes the progress report. I'll be leaving now." With that, Fukuro jumped out the window and flew to the sky, giving one final note:

CHAPAPA, PA PA PA!

"Eldwin, now that we're here, can I ask you something?" Nya asked.

"You just did, Nya." Eldwin retorted as he filled a glass with soda. "What's to stop you from asking again?"

"Since we brought Cheren to Mariejoa, don't you think the brats will be after him? So what if Maddy comes here and finds the Gibberish Rock? Even Lucci couldn't kill her!"

"If I recall, you had a perfect chance to kill her yourself once." Lucci narrowed his eyes at her. "It would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"She would've been dead if it wasn't for Hoagie!" Nya yelled in his face. "You're the hit assassin, so I expected more from y-"

Lucci punched her to the floor. He then pinned her neck under his foot as she failed to push him off. "You fail to notice spies in your midst… You Teen Ninjas are an incompetent force. Why the Government trusts a bunch of delinquents is beyond me. Your existence merely encourages the Kids Next Door into thinking they're in charge. We should be rid of you."

"Hey hey, easy, Lucci!" Eldwin tugged the man's arm. "We're all on the same team here!"

"Nya, you okay?" Tracy helped her friend to her feet.

Nya clasped her neck and caught her breath. "I'm fine. Let's just go, Tracy." Nya glanced at Lucci with spite as they left.

"What a bitch, coo-kachoo!" Hattori flapped his wings.

"Anyhoo, I'm not worried." Eldwin said. "Even if the Kids Next Door show up, we got more than enough firepower to smash them. But Leslie, just so you won't feel upset about your Power Level, I got a present for ya." He went to his desk and pulled out a magenta lemon with swirly lines. "Voila! A Devil Fruit I've been saving up! What it does, I dunno. But if you want, you can find out."

"Wouldn't you rather eat it yourself?" Number 4 asked.

"Hey, I'm a boy with very little. I at least wanna be able to swim. So Leslie, wanna give it a taste? If not, I'll give it to Ernie."

"I don't need a crappy metahuman power, bawk-bagawk."

"Well, I don't want this to go stale, so maybe I'll give it to one of my Teens-"

"Give it to me!" Leslie jumped over and snatched the lemon. She took forceful bites out of the sour fruit and made sure to swallow all of it. "OHH!" A strong sensation coursed inside her. "Uuuuuh…" She clenched her stomach and trembled. "UUUUAAAAAHH!…" The agents were anticipating the first use of her power any minute. "…I have to use the bathroom." They collapsed anime style.

"Yeah, those things is nasty, aren't they?" Rickey blushed.

"Definitely!" Leslie bolted.

"If she's going to waste time trying to adjust to a new power, she'll never be prepared to face our enemies when they come." Lucci said.

"The Kids Next Door wouldn't come too soon after that performance." Eldwin figured, pouring another soda glass. "We have plenty of time to prepare ourselves. And plenty of prisoners to kill if things go bad."

Mariejoa; Midway Peak

Two Shy Guys carried an unconscious Cheren into a dark room. They dropped the boy as he moaned and awakened. "Where am I…"

"Well, this isn't The Chronicler's den, unfortunately." A familiar woman's voice said from a table, where she was playing chess with the General Guy.

"Aunt Morgan!" Cheren jumped to his feet. "You brought me here?!"

"Somewhat… I instructed CP10 to retrieve you while they were planning their assassinations. And before you ask, I didn't know whom they would be assassinating, let alone Kuki. How unlucky… Because all of your operatives showed up, they had to hold off on killing the Light, but they were able to retrieve you ahead of schedule." She knocked one of General's pieces down. "Pity. If she had just died, no more of my old friends would have to meet a fate."

Anger fueling him, Cheren reached for his sword—but it was gone. "My sword! Where are my weapons?!"

"It would seem they brought you unarmed. On May 15th, you challenged me to a duel. I agreed to fight you in five days. The day after tomorrow will be the appointed day. Just wanted to make sure you showed up in time. I can show you to the gymnasium where you may train until then. You probably didn't expect to have to use your own strength."

Cheren glared. "How can you talk about Kuki's death so casually? Why did you stop caring about them? Your old friends, don't they mean anything to you?"

"Of course they did." Morgan said seriously. "Even after I began training under a World Leader, Nigel, Kuki, Kami, and all those people still held a place in my heart. I was distraught when The King killed my cousin… I was angry at him. But I repressed my feelings because I knew… it's all for a greater good. The King plans to save everyone… humans and spirits. He plans to save us from the Apocalypse and give us the peaceful world we longed for. I wish to go to that world… and never have to live with these feelings."

"You want to let everybody and everything be destroyed just to escape your own sorrow? You're no different from Dimentia or Gnaa."

"You're wrong. Dimentia's fear was growing up, and Gnaa only desired darkness. They were both petty ambitions. But His Highness… King Andrew knows that the Kids Next Door will fail. He knows what power is destroying this universe, what's causing the Apocalypse. He will take us to a world where that power will never be a burden to us." Morgan stared at her hand. "You would think we psychicbenders have a free spirit because our powers are centered around Imagination. But at some point… Reality breaks the Imaginary."

"…" Cheren kept glaring. "Well, won't it be hell for you when King Andrew's ambitions only make things worse. And wouldn't it be downright embarrassing if I mopped the floor with him, too."

"Don't even make such a joke."

"Oh, I'm not joking." Cheren turned and walked away. "See you in two days."

As he walked slowly, Cheren bowed his head and closed his eyes. Sunni… I dunno if you can hear me, but I'm in Mariejoa. I'm gonna have to fight Morgan in a couple days. Bring the Sacred Treasures if you can. If I'm being honest, I may need a little help defeating her.

KND Moonbase

Sunni's eyes shot open. She took off her telepathic enhancement helmet and ran out to the bridge where the many sectors gathered. "Guys! I just heard Cheren, he's at Mariejoa, in Aunt Morgan's place!"

"So that's where they took him!" Sugar exclaimed. "He challenged Morgan to a fight and she accepted."

"If she planned to fight Cheren, then CP10 wouldn't kill him if you attacked their base." Azelf deduced.

"But what about Sheila's mom?" Mason asked. "They still have her as their trump card."

"Oh, my mom is tough, she wouldn't let 'erself be skinned by some big-nosed British blokes." Sheila said with a scowl.

"If only Jasper and Horace were behind this." Mason chuckled.

"Look, we got more than enough operatives to gang up on CP10 and a Teen Ninja army." Lee Andrew reasoned. "We'll ambush them and save Marine before they even have a chance!"

"Don't you kids ever listen to me?" Caesar Clown questioned. "Enies Lobby is a powerful stronghold that has long been prepared for such an invasion! Speaking of strong holds, could you loosen these chi-blocking cuffs?" He was in cuffs, as well as a leash that Mocha was holding.

"Down boy." said Mocha.

"Frankly, a large-scale invasion is all I can think of." Francis replied. "At least with all our strongest sectors. Hopefully, Sector SA can finish the mission they took up so they can join."

"We're talking too much brute force." Carol inferred. "What happened to brains winning battles?"

"We are usin' brains!" Anthony yelled. "We're thinkin' how to ATTACK them!"

"Anthony's plan is to charge on in like a bull." Aranea smirked. "Earthbender style."

"Oh, please. How many earthbenders run in and scream every place they burst into?"

"EVERYBODY EVERYBODY EVERYBODY!" Emily Garley burst into the bridge and started running around. Her initial outburst startled some operatives. "Guys guys guys! I just learned I'm a metalbender! Check it out!" Emily pulled out some nickels and made them levitate in the air. "Da dana daaaa! And that's not even the best part, we broke into a GUN base, saved this nerd woman, and look who she had with her!"

"UXIIIIEEE!" Azelf and Mesprit screamed.

"SISSIIIIEEES!" Uxie flew up and embraced the two in hugs as they twirled around and around.

"Emily's a metalbender?" Anthony asked with interest.

"Anthony, she could be the Hornfels descendant!" Aranea said logically. "We should take her to someone who might know."

"Sigh." Sunni relieved the shock from the scare. "I'm really not up for anymore surprises today."

"I'M HOOOOOOME!" Darcy Chariton burst in, scaring her sister.

Sunni whipped around. "DARCY!" The two ran up and embraced in hugs. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"ON A POKÉMON JOURNEY!"

"HOW MANY'D YOU CATCH?!"

"ZERO! It was just a training journey." Darcy blushed. "SUPER BORIIIING! But now I know five different Elemental Martial Arts!"

"However, we didn't come back empty-handed." Lucario stepped in, holding a long-tailed white cat in his arms. "We have recovered Mew."

Sunni and other operatives hurried over to see. The Firstborn looked pale and was moaning weakly. "Mewwww…"

"Team Rocket has been sapping his energy all this time." Lucario said. "Using him to restore a strange corpse."

"What corpse?" Lee Andrew asked.

"Some guy with white hair and dragon tattoos." Darcy recalled. "I wanted to call that chapter 'The Guy With the Dragon Tattoos.'"

Sector RZ gasped, for they happened to know one man who fit the description. Lee Andrew glanced toward the infirmary where his fallen sister lay. It was then realization struck. "I just thought of something… Leaving Mew out," he pointed at each Firstborn/Guardian, "we have Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Manaphy, Midna, Crest, and… whatever yours is." He pointed at Sugar last. "So that makes seven all-powerful Firstborn free for our use… So, uh, WHY DON'T WE USE THEM?!"

"We're not allowed to harm mortals." The Lake Trio chorused.

"And even under our Guardians' orders, we can't go too heavy." Midna followed.

"I never realized how useless the Firstborn were." Artie commented.

"Look, if our enemy is a god of supreme power, give us a call." Azelf remarked.

"Until then, I would be happy to offer some education." Uxie said proudly. "Uxie, the goddess who knows 20,000 things."

"Adults know at least 20,000 words by the time they're older, among other things." Michelle said with a smirk. "Why ask you when I can ask my parents?"

Uxie floated over and glared directly in the five-year-old's face. "Smarty-pants. …" Uxie sniffed Michelle. "You smell… weird."

"IT WASN'T ME!" Michelle pushed her away. "It was Anthony!"

"It was Anthony WHAT?!" her brother yelled with a blush.

"…" Uxie floated away, eying Michelle with suspicion.

"Hey, what about GKND?" Harvey asked. "You think they'd want in on this?"

"Unfortunately," Panini reported from the Global Tactical Station, "even though our intergalactic coms should be functional again, the GKND STILL isn't responding!" The screen was static. "Ugh, just what is going on up there?"

"Hey Darcy, we could take Mew in the medical wing so me and Manaphy could heal him." Melody offered.

"We appreciate your aid." Lucario bowed. "But I fear it will not be enough."

"Mew probably wants to lay down, at least." Darcy said.

Maddy was currently at rest in the infirmary, and Zach had fallen asleep while watching her. She looked right to see Shade on the next-door bed. The echidna had finally woken up and was scratching her fur. "I hope I didn't attract fleas…" She glanced over. "Oh, Maddy. I'm glad you're okay."

"You, too… What did you do back there, Shade?"

"I used Primal Mode. It's a power that Mobians have. We revert to our primal instincts in order to prevail in battle. Using it too much would drain our humanity. I didn't think I could beat him with it, but I thought I could save you."

"Well, thanks. …The others are saying the Poneglyph is in Enies Lobby. That means we'll have to beat CP10 to get to it. But if that's where it is… wouldn't that mean I have to beat them?"

"It's the ultimate Chosen One cliché. But given your current state, I don't think it's possible. The rest of us will have to fight and bring you to the Poneglyph."

"I can't let them do that, Shade. I think…I think I should go on my own." She weakly climbed off her bed.

"Why in the world would you?"

"You spent your life waiting for me because you knew I was the Light… and CP10's hurting everyone because they know I'm the Light." Maddy limped toward the exit. "Either I die or… I read that Gibberish Rock. Everybody's getting involved because of me… but I'm not gonna let that happen, anymore. I'm going to them to get it over with."

"You'll kill yourself." Shade got up to grab her arm. "If the World Government fears the prophecy… they'll do everything they can to stop you. You need us."

"I thought you wanted me to be the Chosen One you waited for? If I let you all fight for me, how can I be?"

"I…I don't know." Shade let her hand droop. She looked down, melancholy. "It was supposed to be your destiny… but was destiny wrong? Just what is meant to be… What is meant to happen to us…"

The two remained and reflected her words for minutes without end. Neither of them could think of an answer. The only sound in the room were Zach's loud snores.