Protective Angels

G.U.N. H.Q.

His name was Joey Beatles… His brother was Wallabee, who had a wife named Kuki… Joey killed Kuki. He killed dozens of people. His mind was torn apart and reshaped into that of a killer. He was arrested by the Kids Next Door and locked in Moonbase. When the Apocalypse arrived, he was moved to GUN H.Q., locked in a secure cell with metahuman cuffs. He vaguely remembered where he came from, but now he was a monster that had to be locked away.

A soldier knocked on his cell door, but Joey didn't look up. "You have a visitor." The door opened as Joey saw a pair of bare feet walk in. His gaze directed up at the magenta music note dress to the head of long, aquamarine hair. The woman of 22 had purple eyes with a pink glass eyepatch over the left one.

"Hi, Joey. My name's Sugar. I'm with the Kids Next Door."

"Sigh… you're no kid." Joey said in a rough, morbid Australian accent. "I remember those guys. They don't let adults in."

"Joey, I used to occupy this cell. I know how you feel right now. I hurt people, too. I felt so bad that… I didn't wanna live, anymore."

"What did you do that was so bad? You look like you're on top of the world. You ever kill anyone?"

"Not specifically… but I ruined a lot of people's lives. I kept hundreds of people prisoner for my father's sake. And even though I tried to find enjoyment in what I was doing, I was dying inside. Joey, nothing you did was ever your fault. You know that, right?"

"Save your breath, I heard it already. The Government brainwashed me, I was made an assassin of CP10. 'No, that's not who you are Joey, you're my brother! You're Kirie and Joey's uncle—I even named him after you!' But when I look at that girl or her friends, I feel the urge to kill. They were the enemies I was ordered to fight… and even though I have no reason to hurt them, I want to. You couldn't understand. Otherwise, you would be in here with me."

"Maybe, but the reason I'm not in here is because I had someone to take me outside. I learned what I want to do and what to live for. Please, come outside with me, Joey. I can help you, too." She held an open hand.

Joey stared at her curiously and helped himself to his feet. "Why do I matter to you? I don't even know you."

"I don't really know why I want to. Maybe it's because of your family."

"My family?"

"My father died, and my brother and I… aren't getting along very well. I have friends, but I don't have anyone to come home to, anymore. I guess I feel like… I relate to you. So, I want to help you."

"Right… and where are we going, exactly? Taking me to rekindle with the family? Reintroduce me to society?"

"No, I wanted to take you somewhere else. Just come with me. You'll see."

"Sigh… all right. This place is boring, anyway."

"Hey, is it okay if I take him with me?" Sugar asked the GUN officer.

"Well, we'll have to ask the commander first… and we'll also have to bring a couple soldiers to watch after you. Let me escort you."

"Come on, Joey." Sugar smiled and invited him to follow. "Wave to all the nice prisoners!" They passed a hallway of jail cells sorted by groups. Sugar winked flirtingly at each one.

"DON'T you give us that look, Traitor!" Diamante stated. He and his associates were in a cell labeled Don Quixote Family. "It's your fault Doflamingo is dead!"

"Ooo, Sugar looks quite sexy now." Señor Pink said smoothly. "Perhaps she will like a taste of… pink."

"You know, the Teens used to have a plan for Agifying kids." Nya commented from a cell labeled Teen Ninjas. "Way to bring back dead ideas, Sugar."

"Who are they talking about?" the headless Man Ray asked. He was in a cell with Dirty Bubble, Dennis, and Karen. "I can't see anything!"

"Ugh… and I thought Plankton babbled too much." Karen sighed. "I really wish XANA was still here."

Sugar and Joey passed a cell labeled Pipo Monkeys, which held dozens of Specter's former soldiers, including four of the Freaky Monkey Five. "LET ME OUT OF HERE!" cried Mojo Jojo as his unintelligent brethren were fighting with him. "I am Mojo Jojo, and my intelligence is superior to these lesser-minded chimpanzees, ergo I deserve a more sophisticated cell, perhaps with a journal from which to write my…"

The Nefarious Drones were conversing in a cell of their own. "I can't believe that boy turned out to be the Seventh Light."

"At least we found out what happens when Dr. Nefarious sees a plot twist. Sigh…" The robots bowed their heads in respect.

They passed a cell labeled Cipher Pol 10, where Eldwin and five of the CP10 agents were held. "It's your fault we ended up in here." Ernie said to Eldwin. The chicken was wrapped like a mummy, having survived Chris Uno's attack with heavy damage. "I knew we should've elected Lucci as leader."

"Well, guess what: LUCCI AIN'T HERE! And for all we know, he probably decided he's too good for us."

There was also a cell for the Big Mom Pirate officers. "Hey, Peko-o-o-o-oms. Did you hear Augustus's voice earlier? Mmmmm boyoyoyoooon." Bobbin jiggled.

"Yeah, I did… I wonder if he's around? Growl…" Pekoms replied.

"Better watch out, Tyrone!" Black John Licorice said to his brother in the other cell. "He's coming back for Round 2!"

"And to think the Noah's power was almost mine…" Lord Licorice sat miserably in a cell shared with Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregard, and Mike Teavee.

"Boy, we turned this place into quite a party." Sugar mentioned. "Last time I was here, cells were all empty and boring. Still, seeing all these villains in one place makes me wonder what our new enemies are doing…"

King Dutchman (Play "Meanwhile in the Prison Ship" from Rayman 2.)

The dimension where our heroes had sailed from was ravaged in chaos and inter-dimensional ruin. The only thing that had been spared from the chaos was this titanic vessel with sharp teeth on the keel: the King Dutchman. Its massive sails carried the dark breeze of millions of souls who perished in the ultimate cataclysm. The Jolly Roger atop the mast depicted a green "13" with an "8" in the center.

And the Thirteen people who were spared the fate of nonexistence were gathered in the ship's dining room. The thrones had been torn out of the Great Clock and set around the rectangular table. Yellow Diamond and Thanos' giant thrones were set on one end of the room. "Good afternoon, crew!" Bill Cipher announced, pacing on the table in his human child form. "Terribly sorry we called you into this prophecy so abruptly. Why don't we begin our late orientation? Ahem…"

Bill directed up at the giant poster of his master. "This good man right here is Lord English, the single most powerful being in the entire multiverse. He's kinda responsible for the little masterpiece outside. Now, you are all here because you have been personally acknowledged by Lord English for your powers and characteristics, and have been chosen to serve in his crew. Scarce few have won such an honor, so you should be very thankful. We have constructed this ship, the King Dutchman, to serve as our primary headquarters. Since you guys have been dubbed the Thirteen Darknesses in this prophecy, our organization shall hence be called 'The Thirteen.' …Ignoring the fact there are 16 of us, including me, Lord English, and Giovanni.

"Now, my name is Bill Cipher, Lord English's mentor and closest companion. Since my good friend hasn't had practice talking to people directly, I will act in his stead and serve as your boss. Rest assured I will certainly be writing to His Lordship about your accomplishments. Our job is to travel across the multiverse and spread the word and rule of Lord English until he has absolute control of everything. If you are successful, Lord English will reshape the worlds specially to your liking. Madara, you will be granted a world of peace and no conflict! Aizen, you will be granted millions of powerful warriors that will test your abilities. Zeref, we will transform all our fallen victims into Inferi and give you a world where no one can die, where no evil lies."

"Well, I want to return to my homeworld!" Yellow Diamond stated. "Is it not true that those children have sailed to the realm where my home lies?!"

"Rest assured, My Diamond, you will see your homeworld again. Unfortunately, this ship isn't built to survive the torrent of the First Byway like theirs is. Currently, the First Dimension is under a state of repair, and until that repair is complete, our enemies are safe from us as they travel the First Byway. If they get to the First Dimension, there's a chance that they might discover a couple of Lord English's weaknesses…" Bill shrugged. "It's not likely, but just in case we'll have to stop them. All we can do now is begin conquering the multiverse.

"Now, Dimentio there has swallowed a powerful dimensional portal that can take us to all your home dimensions and beyond. Before we begin any real heavy-duty work, we have some pre-requisites to take care of. In other words, getting YOU guys involved in this prophecy! In the storage room, there are stone pyramids and little eyeball things called Unown. I'll tell you guys how to use them…" (End song.)

Earth; Forest of Light

A small group of GUN troops carried Sugar and Joey to the Forest of Light on a ship. Under the night sky, the forest was still lively with fireflies, glowing plants, and moonlight that poked through the leaves. Sugar enjoyed the feel of the soft grass under her feet, and had invited Joey to go without shoes. Having his cuffs off felt nicer. "The sky looks different." Joey observed. "It looks… like something an artist created."

"That artist is April." Sugar replied. "She painted realistic images of the planets' skies, and Wendy used her magic to project those images inside the protective barriers."

"…Oh." Joey never heard such a direct and simple explanation to something so beautiful. But Sugar had explained what happened. Explained how the world was a smaller place…

"We did this so everyone could still live the normal lives they always had. We hope we can restore the worlds to their full size one day. But as long as that monster is around… we'll have to keep protecting them."

Sugar and Joey found a bushel of glowing blue butterflies. She reached and gently allowed one onto her finger, holding it to Joey. "Your niece really likes butterflies."

"Well… I like fighting and dodgeball." Joey chortled. "As a child, I was never awed at the sight of a butterfly."

"But you can become one. You have the power to change into any animal, according to Caesar."

"Yes, and it has proved quite handy in assassinations. So, what?"

"Joey… look around you. This forest is full of tranquil animals. They have no queries and no worries except finding food to eat. Even the would-be predators settle with fruit. Put yourself in the place of these animals… this butterfly, for instance. Know how it feels to be one."

Joey stared closely at the little creature. The butterfly's light glinted on Sugar's features. There was a blue twinkle in her eye, and her aquamarine hair seemed to match the blue glow in this light. The butterfly sat calmly on Sugar's finger, for it felt no fear in their presence.

I know that you have done things you're not proud of…

You still feel the nightmares… swarming in your head

Sugar's voice flowed with the harmony of the forest. The slumbering animals thought of it as a lullaby.

We only feel this pain… only 'cause we're human

But you don't have to live in dread…

Joey softly tapped the butterfly's antenna. With his metahuman power, he changed into a butterfly and landed on Sugar's finger. She brought him close and smiled.

I know you feel shamed for your wrongs…

You want to stay away… but first, you must know

How a butterfly feels as it flutters fro

How to spread your wings and fly and grooooww…

The bushel of butterflies fluttered to the moon under Sugar's lovely vocals. She watched as Joey joined the flock.

And let your nightmares goooo…

Joey saw the glowing yellow eyes of a lemur in the leaves of a tree. He transformed into a lemur, scaring the creature as it leapt across the branches in fright. Joey excitedly pursued, and Sugar raced after, delighted by their antics.

Guilt is just the heart's way of mending its wound

But no medicine heals stronger than joy

The two lemurs began to fight over a peach.

We all have battles… we all make a choice

To let our passions shooooww…

Joey reverted to human form and fell out of the tree with the peach. The lemur was terrified and chose to leave him with this victory. Sugar picked up the peach and helped Joey to his feet. "And let your nightmares goooo…" She brushed the peach on her dress and handed it back.

"…What is this, a Disney musical?" Joey retorted, taking a bite from the fruit.

"Why can't it be?" Sugar grinned.

"It may be easy for you to forget what you did, but I killed people. I killed my own sister-in-law and didn't even realize it. Pretending to be a bunch of different animals in the forest ain't gonna make up for it."

"It's not about pretending or hiding from your problems. It's reminding yourself there's joy to be had in life. If you don't let your fears control you, you can be anything you want to be. Literally!"

"What if I still have an urge to kill? To assassinate for money? Because that part of me is still yelling over the part… that says I'm Joey Beatles. It's yelling that the Kids Next Door are still my enemy."

"Then… am I your enemy?" Sugar frowned.

"What?"

"I'm with Kids Next Door. If you wanted to, you could kill me. You can turn into a bear, maul me to death, then just blend in with the animals of this forest. You could get away with no consequence."

"I don't want to kill you. You were never my enemy."

"Then will you dance with me?" Sugar offered a hand.

"I don't dance, either."

She giggled. "You never tried!" Joey sighed and locked hands with her, with the peach still in his right hand. They twirled and danced through the forest.

Before you decide you must live by your fears

Live by that overwhelming instinct

Imagine a place heard only by your ears

Where the dark and pain are extinct

Sugar gasped when her foot stepped into a river. She giggled to ease the start in her heart and stepped back on land. "What's the matter? Can't swim?" Joey smirked.

"Physically, I can't. That part of my curse stuck with me." She blushed. "Can you swim?"

"Yeah, I can turn into fish."

"Would you swim for us?" Sugar asked with a cute smile.

"Er… okay." Somehow, Joey couldn't say 'no' to that twinkle in her eye. He stepped into the river and morphed into a fish, swimming with the current alongside others. There were glowing anemones on the riverbed, allowing Sugar to see and race after her friend. Her notes vibrated the current.

Imagine a place known to no one else

Picture yourself… and slowly, you will get there

A river has its hardships and trials

Joey maneuvered around jagged rocks to stay with the current.

Just persevere… Have no fear…

A brand new world you will knooooww…!

Sugar stopped and gazed at the moonlit lake which the river led into. Joey transformed into a dolphin, and enjoyed the sound of Sugar's giggling. A sea creature had no business being in a forest lake, but then again, neither did anemones. It truly was a magical place. The dolphin swam to shore as Sugar bent down to pet him. "And let your nightmares goooo…"

After Joey turned back into a human, the two sat together with feet in the purifying water. They took turns eating parts of the same peach. "It's better than that noisy dungeon, I reckon." Joey said. "But let me ask you something, Sugar… if you killed as many people as I did, would you still be singing? Would you still feel like you were free?"

"I can't say for sure… I guess I would feel a tight pain in my chest. I would want to atone for my crimes. But if I ever wanted to relax my mind a little… I would come to a place like this and sing. And when I think about the friends I have… it feels even healthier."

"I haven't seen my old friends in years… I barely remember their faces."

"Can you remember my face?" Sugar turned to him.

"I'll probably have this song stuck in my head."

"Good!" she grinned. "If you feel upset, just hum my song to yourself. Ask the soldiers to bring you here once in a while. I'll always be here, Joey. Even when I'm not right next to you."

Joey raised a brow. "Does that mean you're… dead?"

"Hm hm hm! No, silly! But I'll still be watching over you."

No matter where you are, always knooooww…

My voice will help your mind to grow…

And you will let your nightmares… go…

Joey grew drowsy and lay his head on Sugar's chest. She rubbed his arm and hugged him softly.

The Noah

Nebula D. Winkiebottom heard Sugar's call from Planet Earth. She used her spacebending to warp Sugar off the miniaturized planet, appearing beside her on the platform at normal size. "You want to go to Symphonia now?" Nebula asked, curious by her request to come back.

"Yeah, in a minute." Sugar floated in the artificial space, passing the miniature planets until she was close to Earth. "Nebula, do you ever feel like we're the protective angels of these planets?"

"I'm the only one who's protecting them. Unless you want to sit and meditate here for hours and hours every day."

"True, but we all have a part in this. And we all have people we want to protect on these planets."

"Do you have someone to protect, Sugar?" Nebula raised a curious brow. "Are you anyone's 'protective angel'?"

"…I guess so." Sugar closed her eyes and hummed her song. "Hmm hmm hm hm hm, hmm hmm hmmmmm…"

Whenever Joey would revisit the forest, he would see her beautiful face in the sky. "Hmm hmm hm hm hm, hmm hmm hmmmmm…" He slept peacefully knowing she was protecting him.