Legends: A Story of Lies [Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Gravity Falls, Big Bad Beetleborgs]

[The Ero-Sennin]

Let's get back on schedule!

= - = 8-3 = - =

|The Dragonslayer|​

The world was aflame.

Bright pink fire scorched the earth, boiled the seas, and even clung to clouds–eating away at them. The blaze spread out in every direction, rolling like the swells of a raging sea. Above the intense firestorm, sleek delta-winged police craft with front-facing windows and blue and red spinning lights atop their hulls braved the heat as they headed towards the center of the inferno where a titanic being stood.

It was a feminine figure, neon pink in color with short magenta hair. Her face was grotesque, dominated by a large-lipped mouth filled with massive, jagged teeth, and she sported two sets of horns, three going straight down the top of her head to the back, and two massive ones that curved up and then out from the sides. Her limbs from her upper arms and thighs down were made of fire, and she wore a red cape and red high-heel shoes.

In spite of the tremendous flames that her body generated, keeping the police craft from getting too close, the monstrous creature was in no good shape, holding her limp left arm as she looked back at the police craft in defiant contempt.

From the vehicles, a commanding voice of authority spoke. "Pyronica, there's nowhere left for you to run. Surrender now and this doesn't have to get worse than it already is for you!"

Her eye narrowing and starting to glow, the fiery being Pyronica let go of her left arm and pointed her right hand at the cops. "I've said it before and I'll say it again! You'll never take me alive, copper!"

"Suit yourself," the voice said. "And by the way, we're Titanium not copper. We learned our lesson from the last time!"

Pyronica lowered her hand slightly. "… Crap."

"But we're the least of your problems."

Pyronica's eye flew wide, when she saw the glint of metal moving extremely fast through the air above the flames she created. She barely had time to throw her injured left arm up before something crashed hard into it, the blow knocking the fiery monster off her feet and sending her crashing onto her backside against a hill.

Letting her arm fall to her side, a large gash cut into it, Pyronica sat up and stared with a mix of anger and panic at her attacker. It was a much smaller creature, human sized, adorned in gold-trimmed black armor with helmet, gauntlets, cuisses, and greaves made of a polished black bone and a chestplate fashioned from the head of a red-eyed black dragon. The armor was completed with a black and red cape that unfolded out into a pair of draconic wings keeping Pyronica's attacker aloft.

"You pigs must be really desperate," Pyronica sneered, "If you're contracting out to scum like Dragonslayer Barla!"

Barla, a seemingly human-appearing woman beneath the armor, smirked in amusement at Pyronica. "You really aren't so tough without Bill Cipher to hide behind, are you?"

She thrust her right hand forward and a stream of fire shot towards the armored warrior. "I'm tougher than you, skank!"

Barla threw herself into the flames, diving through and scattering them away before swinging her sword and cutting down Pyronica's arm from palm to shoulder in an instant. As the fiery monster screamed in pain, Barla circled around her back and then dove for her other shoulder.

"Where are the rest of your Henchfriends, Pyronica?! Was Cipher really the glue that held you weaklings together?!" She taunted as she closed in, before swinging her sword and cutting off Pyronica's already injured left arm at the shoulder.

Roaring in pain, Pyronica clenched her teeth as the row of horns down the back of her head lit up bright pink before the same light appeared in her horns. A tremendous blast of pink light shot from her sole eye, focusing from a pink ray of fire into a bright blue laser as she tried to kill Barla with a look.

"You're the last person in the whole Nightmare realm to be calling anyone weak! Fight me without that armor, and then see how weak I am!" The flame monster screamed as she fired her laser.

Barla was a blur, leaving trailing afterimages behind herself that Pyronica's laser slashed apart before she reached the monster's face and kicked her in her large lips. With a shriek, Pyronica was thrown back and crashed into the ground so hard her laser cut out.

Groaning, Pyronica focused her vision on Barla, who glowered down at her with far less amusement than before.

"Why would I take this armor off for someone as wretched as you?" She asked as the mouth of the dragon head that made up her chest plate opened. "You're not even that hot."

Pyronica was offended as a yellow glow began to shine from the dragon's mouth. "Oh screw you, I'm at least an eight!"

Barla rolled her eyes as the glow grew brighter. "Eh, six and ha–"

The glow vanished, Barla with it.

Pyronica stared at the spot in the burning sky where Barla had been, then looked around. There was no sign of "The Dragonslayer" anywhere. "Uhh… what just happened?"

She then noticed the sky around her was filled with dozens, if not hundreds, of police craft. All of them training weapons on her.

Looking at her injured state, and then at the cops, Pyronica bowed her head down.

"Darn it, Bill, why'd you have to go and die like a chump?"

@@@@@​

The searing heat of a burning sky was replaced by the relatively cool, stale air of the Magnavore's mausoleum lair for Barla, as she landed in a heap at the foot of its central sarcophagus. Her cape falling limp down her back after losing its dragon-wing shape, the armor-adorned woman coughed several times as she expelled superheated gas from her lungs and adjusted to a different air, temperature, and gravity.

"What…?! Where…?!" Barla demanded as she looked up, and the first thing she saw was Vexor staring down at her, surprised.

"It truly is the armor of a–" Vexor was cut off when Barla gripped her sword and leaped for him.

"Vexor G!" She roared, swinging her sword down–only for it to clash against Jara's blade as the Magnavore General intervened.

"Barla!" Jara called out. "Stay your blade!"

Seeing Jara, Barla's eyes flew wide before she jumped back, like she'd seen a ghost.

Keeping her sword pointed at her for a moment, she lowered it slowly, her surprise all over her attractive face. "… Ja-Jara…? Is that you?"

Jara lowered her weapon with the same slowness. "It's been a long time, Barla, I see you've been taking care of the armor I made for you."

A long tense moment passed between the two, before the sword in Barla's hand vanished in a flash of black flame. Letting out a squeal of joy, she threw herself at Jara, meeting her with a hug that the red-wearing Mercenary General enthusiastically returned.

"It really is you!" Barla said as she held Jara tightly. "I've lost count of the years since we last met!"

"It has been too long, too long," Jara said as she patted Barla's back. Taking her by the shoulders, she stepped back. "You've gotten stronger since I last saw you."

"You as well," Barla said before she looked at Vexor and grew suspicious. "But what are you doing working for him?"

Jara let out a grunt. "He is a long-term client. He is also why we are both no longer stuck in the Nightmare Realm."

Barla stepped back in surprise. "Wait, this is not the Nightmare Realm?"

"Correct; somehow through Cipher's trickery we were able to escape."

Vexor chimed in. "I am in the process of learning how this came to be–and also conquering this world, which is where you come in."

Barla scowled at Vexor. "Conquering this world?"

"Of course," Vexor said, "The Magnavore Tribe's mission is to rule the stars: Whether they burn here or scream there."

Jara turned to Barla. "As far as clients go, I personally would not call him the best." She looked back at Vexor pointedly before returning her gaze to her. "But by us coming here, he's certainly provided more than any prior."

She reached out and took Barla's hands. "And once we understand how we were able to escape the Nightmare Realm, we can bring the others as well. Zaiking, Illuba, Gorgodal, and Hidra… we could all be reunited!"

Barla liked the sound of that but noticed a name missing. "And Saberizer, as well."

Jara fell quiet, tense, and Barla's eyes slowly widened. "… Oh."

Vexor cut in. "But before we can discuss such reunions, we must focus on the business at hand. Barla, Jara speaks highly of you not only as a powerful warrior, but as a skillful commander and tactician. The Magnavores need a leader in the field to command our forces and strike against our powerful enemies."

Barla once more scowled at Vexor. "I see."

Jara moved, taking Barla by the shoulder. "Vexor, I will bring Barla up to speed. For now, I believe you had research to attend to?"

Sensing the tension in the air, Vexor conceded to Jara's request with a gesture of his right hand. "Very well, I will leave orientation to you. After all, this operation is yours to command overall."

Jara nodded, and both women vanished in a burst of flame. Turning away from where they stood, Vexor summoned to his hand a new book: a biography on Art Fortunes. He opened to the page he left off at and resumed reading.

Both Jara and Barla appeared atop one of the many indistinct piles of metal scrap surrounding Noxic's workshop. The compound was now a hive of activity, with many scabs working to finish all of the workshop's facilities. Noting it, Barla directed her full attention to Jara.

She was unhappy, they both were. "Jara… why are you working for that self-important, chitinous slime?!"

"It is not a simple answer," Jara replied. "But the shortest way I can explain is there is a debt owed that I have yet to repay."

One she did not want to divulge, Barla respected Jara to not press for details, but stuck to the point. "Regardless of your reasons, he is still a criminal. One who wishes he could be as much a terror as Cipher, Nukus, or Vilor–"

Jara huffed. "You have been doing work for law enforcement in our time apart, haven't you?"

"And?" Barla asked. "It is good money. In fact, before you summoned me here, I was putting another of Bill Cipher's 'Henchmaniacs' away. It was Pyronica."

Jara was impressed. "Who else did you capture?"

"Keyhole, 8-Ball, and Hectorgon. I made sure to capture them first because they could break out the others."

Jara nodded. "Pragmatic as always."

"Do not change the subject, however–"

"I am making a point!" Jara cut her off. "You are not a cop, Barla, you are a warrior. We are beholden not to law or lords but to the battlefield, and to those who we call comrades."

"So is Vexor a comrade?" Barla snapped back at her.

"He is a client," Jara snarled in turn, "No more and no less."

Barla remained tense, glowering at Jara, and reluctantly yielded to her friend and superior. She had more pressing questions anyway. "What happened to Saberizer?"

Jara tightened her hands into fists. "Saberizer fell in battle here, only days ago."

She knew something had happened, but still hearing it shocked Barla into stunned silence. This was a tremendous loss for Jara, and after escaping the Nightmare Realm, too. "How can it be possible, are the warriors of this world that powerful–?"

"They are…!" Jara stopped herself from exploding at Barla and pulled back her wrath. "… Children armed with powerful weapons. It is a game of pretend to them, playing hero and treating us like we're villains in their fantasies."

Reaching out she grabbed Barla by her shoulders. "That is why we need you, Barla! To show them that it is not a children's game that they can go home after, that there are no rules or safe zones, that this is war, and we are warriors!"

The mask concealed her face, but Barla didn't need to see it. She felt Jara's emotion in her words, and how she gripped her shoulders. Her frown deepened into a scowl, as she nodded. "I understand. Which one killed Saberizer specifically?"

Jara's tension eased, and she nodded. "I will explain the enemy we're facing in detail. Right now, I should introduce you to my fellow comrades under Vexor."

Barla tilted her head. "Oh? These are comrades?"

Jara turned and looked over the edge of the scrap heap they stood on. Down on the ground, both Typhus and Noxic waited patiently.

"So…" Noxic said. "You gonna introduce us, or am I gonna have to make increasingly rude and offensive guesses?"

Barla stared at the two other Magnavore Generals, then turned to Jara. It bore repeating. "These are comrades?"

"Hey, I don't know what anyone's told you, but Typhus, me, and Jara are the best buds you'll ever meet!" Noxic called back up.

"Yeah, we roll deep! Ride or die, baby!" Typhus proudly added.

Barla had concerns. "Jara… what have you gotten into?"

"In spite of all appearances, they are good friends," Jara reassured her, before calling down to them. "This is Barla, one of my comrades from my Mercenary Army."

At that, Noxic's tone changed. "Whoa, hey! Another Mercenary badass? Well, shoot, a friend of Jara's is a friend of mine. Welcome to the team, Barley!"

"Barla," Jara corrected.

"What did I say?" Noxic asked.

Typhus, ever the gentleman, patted Noxic on the shoulder and threw some more reassurance Barla's way. "Hey, don't worry about this guy. He always messes with the new guys on the team."

"They don't gotta be new," Noxic corrected.

"Yeah, well, still don't worry about him. Noxic's the coolest."

"Cooler than cool!" Noxic boasted.

"This guy's buildin' our army, how cool is that?" Typhus gestured back to the many Scabs constructing the workshop, and when Barla actually saw the machines at work she was impressed.

"They're a buncha mooks, but even a mook can be a problem with the right orders," Noxic said. "With you and Jara callin' the shots, we might actually beat down them Beetlebums, and their friends!"

Finally, a name for their enemy. "Beetles…?"

"I said I'll explain it more in depth," Jara said, before she looked back towards her comrades. "And since we're all here… there's no time better than now."

With that she stepped to the edge of the pile. "I will tell you what we are up against, our plan for defeating them, and your role in it."

@@@@@​

“A dead body was found behind the school, in a hidden off spot behind the bleachers of the new sports field right near one of the back entrances of the school. From what Drew and I overheard on the Beetle Battle Base’s police scanner, it was really, really messy.”

With Roland and Jo’s arrival at Hillhurst, the group plus their new legal representation were gathered on the front porch of the mansion. Jo and Janna both cast her side-eye looks but otherwise treated her presence as a non-threat while the discussion of this morning’s events continued.

“Like I was saying on our way here,” Marco said, “The police are going to ask if we know anything about this.”

“Which we don’t,” Jo said. “None of us were in the back of the school during any of the fights since last week.”

Mabel asked. “Could it have been someone attacked by SSJ’s robots?”

Dipper shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. When you guys were fighting them, did they look like they’d been… used?”

Marco, Jackie and Star all shook their heads. None could recall seeing any signs of blood splatter on any of the Fenrir they fought.

“They’ll probably be asking him and Shego questions about it, too,” Drew said. “What are we going to do about this?”

Dipper shook his head. “There’s no we, here. You, Roland, and Jo gotta start staying even further away from us in public.”

“Man’s right,” Roland said. “The heat just jumped up a bunch, m’boy.”

Jo pouted. “This means we can’t be seen associating even at Zoom, because unlike in the comics people can rub two brain cells together.”

“Most of the time,” Dipper said.

Mabel was even more reassuring. “You’d be surprised what dots people don’t connect.”

“Yeah, but see how long it takes for Nano to put it together, cuh,” Roland pointed out.

Dipper and Mabel both stared blankly at Roland. “There’s no way Nano doesn’t know you’re the Beetleborgs.” They said in unison.

Roland stopped. “Damn, you right.”

Janna smirked at Drew. “Looks like you’ll have to sneak over if you wanna hang out, Sad Kid. Don’t worry, I’ll leave my bedroom window unlocked.”

Drew did a quick double-take. “What?”

Star leaned closer to Marco and whispered. “She’s not being subtle anymore.”

“No, she’s not,” he whispered back.

He looked to the others and asked the important question. “Besides doing our best to not be incriminating… what are we going to do about this?”

Elise looked up from where she stood off the porch. “May I suggest nothing?”

When they all looked at her, she continued. “Unless a monster is actually responsible for this, I advise you stay as far away from this case as possible. Leave it to the police to investigate, and for me to tell them that you’re not involved if they come to question you.”

She looked back and forth between them. “Besides that, under no circumstances are you to talk to the police by yourselves, nor are your families. When they come to speak with you and I’m not around, don’t say anything at all, not even a yes or no. Just tell them to speak to your lawyer, me.”

She reached into her pocket and offered a stack of cards that Mabel reached out to take from her. “Give them these so they can contact me.”

Janna nodded in agreement as she took a card from Mabel. “Don’t talk to the pigs. So, what I already do when they bother me.”

“How often does that happen?” Drew asked.

“I’m very good at it. I haven’t seen the inside of a station yet.”

“Better than us,” Mabel said. “We spent a week in county.”

“Nice,” Janna praised, finger guns and all.

Dipper hummed. “I still don’t know what Soos did to get those charges dropped.”

Jo was displeased. “So… we’re not going to investigate a possible murder? One that might’ve happened while we were otherwise preoccupied, or worse… happened indirectly because of our actions?”

Drew felt tension creep through him at Jo’s observation.

“Yes, that’s exactly what you need to do,” Elise said before addressing the Beetleborgs directly. “Even with your identities still secret, coming near something like this will put you on Authorities’ radar. If you get associated with this as the Beetleborgs, the cops will want to know who you are under the helmets to find out why you’re so invested.”

Roland nodded in agreement. “We gotta stay in our lane: Fight the Magnavores and save the universe from the Nightmare Realm. Leave the street level crap for the street level peeps.”

Drew wasn’t so sure about that, and as he looked at Jo he could see she wasn’t either. They seemed to be the odd ones out, though, as everyone else exchanged nods of agreement.

“Fräulein Elise,” Misao began.

“Ah, just Fräu,” Elise corrected.

“My mistake,” Misao bowed her head in apology, before making her request. “Can you gather as much information for us as you can, please?”

Elise smiled. “Of course, this is exactly what I’m here for.”

Drew took a deep breath but kept his concerns to himself. He decided he’d talk to Jo about it later and come on to a consensus with her about what they should do. Steering clear of something like this just didn’t sit right with him at all.

“Besides that, do you guys need anything? Want anything?”

Marco had an idea. “Can you go to my parents and tell them what’s going on?”

“Of course, I’ll swing by your place on the way into town.” She nodded to the Pines. “I’ve already spoken to your Grandfather.”

Dipper nodded back to her. “Thanks.” He turned to address everyone. “I don’t like this, and I get the vibe that some of you like this less.” He looked at both Drew and Jo. “But most of us like dealing with cops even less than that.”

“Preach,” Janna and Jackie said in unison.

“So yeah, until this becomes something we can’t ignore, we’re staying as far away from this as possible.”

“Fine by me,” Star said. “Cops are kinda lame.”

“I wanted to be a cop when I was in middle school,” Marco muttered.

“But now you don’t, which is good!” Star said, before pecking him on the cheek. “Because I’d never date a bootlicker.”

“Same!” Janna and Jackie said together once more.

“In the meantime, we have our own crisis to worry about,” Dipper continued. “We need to start figuring out a few things about the Magnavores. Like where they’re hiding, what they’re planning to do next, and what their connection to Art Fortunes is.”

He looked at Hillhurst Mansion. “We also have to figure out why Flabber is the one who made them coming into our world possible in the first place, and why there are monsters even living here at all.”

Star spoke up. “Yes! We also need to get better weapons and armor! In fact, if not for the distraction of homework, I’d be getting that done right now!”

Dipper knew what she was getting at but took the bait anyway. “What is it, math? I’ll do it for you, just give me your book and which chapter.”

“Do mine, too!” Mabel quickly said.

“Sure.”

This annoyed Marco. “Hey! Don’t cheat for them!”

Dipper didn’t like upsetting Marco, but… “We have a week to ourselves, Marco. Just let Star have this so next time we fight no one gets ragdolled like we did by that Goblin kid.”

Marco grimaced, before remembering they had a lawyer. “Say, Ms. Elise?”

Elise looked over at him. “Yes?”

“There’s somebody else I wouldn’t mind you looking into…”

= - = 8-3 = - =​

Barla was one of those villains from Juukou B-Fighter who couldn't be adapted into Big Bad Beetleborgs. If you see the episode she appears in, you'd see why. Still fanfiction has no such limitations, so Barla the Dragonslayer is our enemy of the arc.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

And we're back on schedule fully! See you on Saturday.

= - = 8-4 = - =

|Wolfy's Room|​

As the Beetleborgs and their allies concluded their meeting on the front porch of Hillhurst Mansion, Mums stood by the window, just out of sight with his head as close to the glass as possible. Just a few feet away, Fangula and Frankenbeans watched with quiet anticipation as they waited for Mums to report. Even further away, by the organ, Flabber floated upside down with his arms and legs crossed, exchanging side-eyes with the Pipe-ettes when not glowering at the eavesdroppers.

"What are they talking about, Mums?" Fangula stage whispered to the mummy.

Mums gestured for Fangula to be quiet. "I'm trying to listen!"

"I wanna know!" Frankenbeans yelled out.

Mums gestured wildly for quiet. "I can't listen if you're being loud!"

"Can you at least tell me if that woman is coming in? I'm starving!" Fangula yelled. "And I'm fairly certain I can have a bite from her without getting weird looks from the rest of you!"

Flabber interjected. "Fangs, you will always get weird looks from us."

"We'd ask if you've looked in a mirror, but…" The Blue Pipe-ette chimed.

Fangula looked towards the organ and its occupants, affronted. "That is modern poppycock! We can be seen in mirrors just fine!"

Flabber lined up his shot and took it. "He's right, girls, the only reason mirrors don't work with Fangs is because they break when he looks in them."

He actually got a laugh out of Mums with that one before he caught himself and rotated his head 180 degrees to snap at them. "Hey, can you knuckleheads be quiet?! They're talking about dead bodies and not talking to the police. I think they killed a guy!"

"Oh, first they bring us weed, and now murder. I'm proud of them," Fangula said.

"One of us! One of us!" Frankenbeans chanted.

Flabber, who could hear everything outside just fine, rolled his eyes and snickered with the Pipe-ettes before Dipper opened the door and stepped in.

"Hey, we didn't kill anybody," he informed them.

Mabel stuck her head in through the doorway. "And stop eavesdropping!"

Mums and Fangula threw their hands up in disappointment, while Frankenbeans shoulders drooped.

The rest of teens filed in, as Flabber floated away from and allowed the Organ to swing open. "Are you guys okay?"

Drew shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever's going on is outside our wheelhouse–"

"For now," Jo sharply said.

Dipper nodded. "There's not a whole lot we can do, and we already have enough incidents that'd have the police bothering us. We don't need more."

Jackie nudged Marco's side. "Hey, dude, since we're here and Star's homework is taken care of, maybe she should come along."

Marco remembered. "Oh yeah." When Star gave him an inquisitive look, he explained. "You want to explore the house with us?"

Star lit up and caught both Marco and Jackie in a hug. "I'd love to!"

This drew the attention of the monsters. "Hey, you guys looking for Wolfy's room again?" At Marco and Jackie's nods, Mums was interested. "Count us in, too!" He turned to Frankenbeans and Fangula. "Hey you bums, get moving."

Janna was tempted to see this werewolf den, and looked over at Drew. "Hey, Sad Kid, want to go along?"

Drew looked over at Dipper. "You don't mind?"

Dipper shook his head. "All I've got to do is scan comics, you're cut loose."

Jo brightened. "Roland and I can help you with the comics."

"Yeah, not like there's anything else going on for the rest of the day," Roland added

Mabel and Misao were already headed down. "Misao and I will brainstorm ideas for the armors~!"

"Awesome~!" Star sang back. "We'll be back with any and all dramatic revelations!"

After the two groups cleared the living room, going their separate ways and the organ closed, the Pipe-ettes turned to Flabber.

"Flabber baby," the Blue Pipe-ette said. "Is it a good idea for them to be sniffing around Wolfy's crib?"

Flabber folded his arms and hummed. "Well, if the house wants them to find it, then I can't tell the house no."

The Green Pipe-ette hummed. "Why do you think it wants them to find it?"

The Red Pipe-ette said, "Maybe it thinks Marco is Teodoro."

Flabber and the other two Pipe-ettes looked at their Red counterpart, bemused.

"… Who?"

@@@@@​

With Hillhurst behind her, Elise drove her minivan back into Echo Creek proper. She was already on the phone with her superiors. "The kids described the person who attacked them over the weekend: African American male with darker complexion, 185 centimeters in height, dripped out fashion–but hey this is LA–and is armed with a walking stick that contains a katana. Does that match anybody on the database?"

"No," Reiko replied, "but I know who you're talking about. We made contact just this morning. He sounds like an amateur but is professional enough to know that he's not getting paid, so he has no more business with the team."

Elise didn't expect that. "You saw his face though, right? Does he look like anybody specific?"

"Yes, actually, Gabriel Ronzell Haley."

Elise slammed on the brakes, a fortuitous event as she'd just come up to an intersection with a stop sign. "Hold on, what?!"

"It honestly explains why he hasn't appeared on the show…"

Checking the intersection, Elise resumed driving. "Does his family know that he's going around beating people up for money?!"

"I reckon not, but the Haleys have been candid about him being troubled and starting trouble since he moved in with them from Go City. This is a dark turn, though…"

"Dark turn? This is scandalous, the kind of scandal that gets shows put on hiatus and an entire family under a microscope."

"It would be if they kept it a secret. Gabriel's patterns of behavior are already known and his family struggles to rein him in. The fact that he hasn't killed anyone, especially the kids, says that he has some restraint at least."

Elise didn't think so.

"But speaking of restraint, there's something more intriguing about that whole matter you're not taking note of, Dancing Shadow. Even as it's right there in front of your eyes."

Elise stopped at a light, and wondered what Reiko was getting at, before it dawned on her. "… He dog-walked three of them."

"Exactly."

"Who is this kid?"

"We'll work on finding that out. Right now, though, he's left Echo Creek for Glendale and isn't interested in carrying on now that the ex-Vanderhoffs are no longer in town. His car was spotted parked at a hotel where we confirmed he checked in. I recommend you not tell them where he is, because Marco, Jackie, and especially Star want to run it back."

"Them doing anything there is almost certainly going to involve Law Enforcement, so yeah. I'm not."

"Atta girl. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing that I can collect on my own besides maybe some details on what they found at Echo Creek Academy."

"We've already got Medjed on the case, there. Expect something by the evening when the police are done gathering evidence."

Waiting, something Elise didn't mind doing, but didn't know if the kids would be as patient. As she turned on the street leading to the neighborhood Marco, Star, Dipper, Mabel, and Misao lived in, she replied. "Well, they have a busy day ahead of them. So hopefully they can wait until then. Right now, I've gotta let Marco's parents know that they have a lawyer, now."

She frowned when she saw an unmarked police car parked in front of the Diaz home. "… And not a moment too soon. I'll call you back."

"All right then," Reiko responded, "Be safe out there, Dancing Shadow."

@@@@@​

Down the unrealistically long hallway of Hillhurst Mansion did Marco, Star, Jackie, Janna, Drew, and the resident monsters go. As if to accommodate the larger group, the hallway seemed a little higher and wider than they all remembered their last times down them, reminding them of the supernatural qualities of the house even as they discussed its residents more.

"Wolfy is the only monster who can come and go as he pleases," Mums explained to the kids as he puffed a pipe packed with the good stuff courtesy of Jackie. "And he abuses the heck out of it. He only shows up every few decades!"

Fangula sniffed. "You'd think he would have the common courtesy to just die, but right when you think you'll never see him again, there he is to be a disappointment on top of an annoyance."

"Ever wonder why Werewolves and Vampires don't get along?" Janna asked aside to Drew.

"I blame World of Darkness," Drew replied.

Janna looked surprised. "You know about World of Darkness?"

"Roland, Jo, and I used to play it when we started High School," Drew revealed.

"When?" Janna asked, before Fangula answered the question he listened in on.

"Vampires and Werewolves actually get along just fine," he informed them, "I just don't like Wolfy. Also, World of Darkness? I wish things were that nice here!"

Drew challenged that. "Are you kidding? If we got Beetleborg powers in the World of Darkness, we'd be tearing down Vampire Society to its foundation."

"Sure you would, blood bag," Fangula teased back.

Marco looked back at Fangula in turn. "Your personal opinion aside, why is Wolfy allowed to leave like he does?"

"Why are you imprisoned here?" Star asked.

Mums answered them. "If we knew that, we'd figure out how we could escape. Not even Flabber knows why we're here."

Fangula sniffed haughtily. "I've always suspected Wolfy knows, which is why he doesn't stick around. So, he doesn't let it slip."

Mums gave Fangula a withered and withering look. "You know, I always thought the same thing! Ever since Wolfy locked Flabber in the organ for us."

"What was that about?" Drew asked.

"That jerky jester was gettin' on our nerves because of those hippies we drove off." Mums explained.

"The Manson Family," Janna said.

"Yeah, those guys. They made themselves at home, and their boss smooth-talked Flabber into becoming his friend while the rest of them were cleaning out the house and pawning everything they could for cash."

Fangula nodded. "We tried to terrorize them into leaving, but half of them were so high all the time that they thought we were hallucinations. Flabber making sure we couldn't hurt them didn't help!"

Frankenbeans, a few synapses firing in his brain, then cheered. "Then Wolfy come back!"

Mums pumped a fist. "He sure did! He stuffed Flabber back into the organ, threw all those bums out and scared them so bad they cut their hair and got jobs!"

Janna snorted. "Oh no they did not."

"What happened to 'em?" Mums asked.

"Like, Manson and half of them went to jail and the other half died when they tried to kill some washed up actor dude. It was hardcore."

Mums cackled. "That's even better! Dang hippies!"

Drew looked around. "Flabber is that true? You were friends with Charles Manson?"

The tiniest Flabber appeared on Drew's shoulder, looking guilty. "Well… you had to be there, kiddo. He was a really charismatic guy."

"He tried to start a race war," Drew said, "And ordered his followers to kill people."

Flabber had a blank look for an instant. "Race war…"

"Yeah, dude, not cool," Jackie said.

Flabber snapped out of the momentary funk. "Well, I had forty years to to think about that in hindsight!"

"Forty-five but go off," Janna corrected.

"And I'm never going to make a mistake like THAT again."

"Instead, you've made new, more exciting mistakes!" Star cheered.

Marco didn't think that was worthy of praise.

Neither did Drew. "Mistakes Flabber is helping us fix. And doing a good job."

"Perhaps if Wolfy comes back," Fangula said, "He won't stuff you back into the organ this time."

"I hope not," Flabber said. "I'm really starting to like True Blood."

Drew and Marco both made faces of disgust, while Jackie and Janna nodded like Flabber's opinion was so obvious.

Star brought the conversation back to Wolfy. "So, what do you suppose Wolfy does while he's gone?"

"How would I know?" Mums asks. "He doesn't talk much, and only brings souvenirs for Frankie. He just goes into his room, and we don't see him again until he decides to leave."

Marco hummed. "When does he normally show up?"

It took a moment, but Fangula answered. "Actually, the only time he ever shows up is not too far away."

"Yeah!" Mums said. "Every time he's shown up it's been around Halloween, and he leaves not too long after."

Janna rubbed her chin. "A mysterious werewolf of few words, who comes and goes as he pleases, darkly just in his actions… but obfuscating in his habits…" She sighed. "Yep, the monster-lover in me is intrigued."

Fangula opened the distance between himself and Janna slightly but visibly.

Mums knew he had nothing to be concerned about.

Frankenbeans' attention was elsewhere entirely. "Wolfy Door!"

There it was, different from the last time encountered. Rather than being across from an alcove it was in the middle of the otherwise unremarkable stretch of hallway. It was exactly the same as before, featuring the locked door and the name plate reading "WOLFY" and "No Entrar" to dissuade intruders.

"Spanish?" Drew asked.

Marco stepped up to the door, Jackie and Star joining him. He stared at the knob, before looking at his former crush and current girlfriend. "Here it is… it's definitely the same door."

"Do you think it'll still open for you?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know," Marco admitted as he reached for it.

Mums stopped him. "Hold on a second, there's something we gotta check first!"

The Mummy patted Frankenbeans on the back. "Go on ahead, Frankie. Give it a go, just like before!"

"Okay!" Frankenbeans said as he stomped up to the door.

Drew turned to Mums. "I don't get it."

"Frankie and Wolfy are friends, so the door should open for him!" Mums explained. "If it doesn't… then we got even more questions than you brats do!"

Stepping aside, Marco let Frankenbeans come up to the door. The massive man-thing took the doorknob and turned it.

Nothing happened.

Frankenbeans gave it another, harder turn and only jiggled the knob.

A moment of silence passed, before Frankenbeans' shoulders drooped again.

"… Wolfy no like me?"

Everyone else turned and stared at Marco.

"… And now I have more questions," Mums confirmed.

Fangula leaned closer, scanning Marco over. "I don't understand. Why, of all people, did it turn for you?"

As Frankenbeans plodded away from the door, sniffling, to be consoled by Mums, Marco shook his head. "I don't know. I've never been to Hillhurst before, and I don't think anyone I know has."

"I tried," Janna said, "But you guys scared and chased me and my peeps off."

Mums patted Frankenbeans on the back. "There, there, dummy. You hear that? You scared the witch! Wolfy will like that."

Drew rolled his eyes before he asked Marco. "Maybe it has something to do with your ancestors?"

"I don't think any of my family was in Los Angeles before my Dad emigrated up here," Marco replied. "And my Mom's not a native, either."

Star walked over to the door, examining it, and hummed. "Well, maybe you have a long lost relative. Someone who was here a long, long time ago when the house wasn't haunted."

She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned to Marco. "And because of that relative, you can turn the lock like–"

Click.

Everyone's attention shifted from Marco to Star.

Star was looking at the doorknob in her hand, wide-eyed. Slowly, she turned to them, her bright blue eyes wide and dilated. "… It opened for me…"

"… Okay…" Marco said. "Maybe it… uh… opened because Star's magical, and she's cast a lot of magic on me. So, I'm… magically radioactive and the door just opens for me."

"I don't think it works like that, Marco," Star said before she thought about it. "Does it?"

Drew decided to test that. "Well, I'm magical thanks to Flabber. Let me try."

Star let go of the doorknob, and it clicked closed again. Walking up to it, Drew took it. "If it opened because Star and Marco are exposed to magic, then I should…" He stopped. "Huh. It's not turning."

He stepped back, and then tried something else. Everyone behind him watched as the doorknob jiggled, but refused to turn even as Drew concentrated his telekinetic powers on it.

"… Okay, that's enough power to rip somebody's arm off, I think," he said. "It's not turning."

He stopped with his telekinesis. "… This is very weird."

"We've tried everything to get in. Knocking the door down, punching through the wall, using Frankie's head as a battering ram. Fangs even tried to turn into a swarm of insects and get under the door. Nothing works," Mums lamented as Janna tried opening the door, followed by Jackie. The knob didn't bother. "Why are you two able to open it?"

Jackie just flat out said it. "… Maybe they mean something to Wolfy."

"Only way we'll know for sure is if we open it," Janna said, before turning to the chosen two. "Well?"

Marco and Star shared looks, before they walked up to the door. Placing his hand over the doorknob, the former began to turn it when the latter placed her hand over his. Looking at one another, they nodded and turned the knob together.

Click.

The door opened, and with a creak it swung open to reveal a dark room with no windows. The shape of furniture immediately stood out. A four-post king-sized bed draped with purple curtains adorned with countless specks that made it look like a starry night sky. Beside the bed was a desk, and across the room from the bed was a massive armoire with a pair of large double doors at the top.

The room was empty beside that, and unlike the many unused rooms in the house there wasn't a mote of desk to be found. It was spotless and pristine.

Holding up her wand, Star stepped into the room and held the wand out in front of her. "Whoa, it's…" Her shoulders dropped. "… just a bedroom."

She turned and looked at the curtains over the bed and found that the sheets matched. "Love the bedspread, though… reminds me of something."

Marco walked in and looked around, Drew, Janna, Jackie, and the monsters gathering at the doorway.

"Star, can you get us some lights?"

Star nodded and held up her wand. As the half-star in the bell began to glow, several gas-powered lamps kicked on with blue magical flames before they cooled to yellow, casting the room in a comforting glow. Something else lit up, however, a purple glow shone from the topmost drawer of the armoire just before the double doors–the mark of a Crescent Moon colored a smoky amethyst purple.

Looking from her wand to the armoire, Star turned to her boyfriend. "Marco… the room's reacting to my wand."

Marco stepped up to the armoire and placed his hands on the drawer's handles. "This closet thing is also… huh?"

As soon as he touched it, red glowing lines spread out, illuminating intricate swirls that spread across the front of the armoire, all of them converging to a lock between the drawer and the main doors of the armoire–where a keyhole in the shape of the letter S sat.

Marco let go of the armoire, before slowly turning to Star. In the shocked voice she used when he opened the door, he whispered to her. "… It reacted to me…"

They all had questions.

Drew, Jackie, Janna, Mums, Fangula, and even Frankenbeans.

As Marco and Star's gazes met, both wrestled with the most important one that everyone was thinking in that moment.

Why them?

= - = 8-4 = - =​

Next time: A dive back to 1899.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

Who is Teodoro? Let's find out!

= - = 8-5 = - =

|The Hunter and The "Doctor"|​

The wind howled loudly over the San Gabriel foothills, as a figure beneath a solitary pine tree dug furiously with both hands to excavate as much dirt as possible. He had excavated a long, but reasonably deep trench, before he collapsed beside it in exhaustion briefly. With several deep breaths the young man, wrapped in a Mexican serape with a black-colored wide brimmed hat dangling off his back, unneeded at such a late hour, pushed himself back up onto his knees and looked down at the hole.

Reaching to his side, he picked up a long, tightly wrapped bundle and threw it in the hole. He followed it with a second wrapped bundle, before heaving into the far end of the hole a large pack that hit it with a heavy thud. With the same urgency, he began to fill the hole with the dirt he carved out of it–packing and punching it down until it was as level and undisturbed as the rest of the loamy soil surrounding the pine tree.

As he sat there, still labored in his breathing, the wind picked up even stronger. The tree above him swayed, its branches creaking from the strain, as the gusts caught his serape like a cape and blew it out to his right side.

Slowly, the figure stood up, a young man wearing a faded red shirt and faded brown trousers. He turned away from the tree and looked down the hill it stood at the summit of. At the base of the hill, looking up at him, an immense, misshapen man stood silently. Looking like a conglomerate of human body parts, stitched together in the shape of a powerfully built man evocative of Frankenstein's monster, the abomination stared hatefully at the boy in turn as electricity crackled from the two bolts screwed into the sides of its head and arced down his body down to his feet.

The young man, despite his exhaustion, reached with his right hand and to a holster on his hip. He gripped the handle of a silver-polished Colt Single Action Army revolver, and narrowed his tired brown eyes at the creature.

"Prey that thinks it can stalk the hunter…" he said to the beast as it hunched lower and growled at him.

After a tense moment, his grip tightening on the weapon, he yelled. "… Is just prey that is eager to die! Come on, then!"

The creature obliged. It leaped, hurtling up the hill and leaving a torn up crater where it stood, flying towards the young man as he drew the revolver and aimed it between the beast's eyes.

@@@@@​

When Dr. Hillhurst brought the unconscious young man into his home, several things were readily apparent. First of all, he was Mexican, and he had spent a very long time out in the elements. His deeply tanned skin was dry and warm to the touch, reflecting a lot of walking out in the bright sun. His clothes, consisting of brown pants, a red long-sleeve shirt, a dark-brown colored sombrero with even darker, reddish splotches all over it, and a brown and green-striped serape meant to keep the sun off his body.

He was a young man, mid to late teens, with a youthful face, dark brown hair, and a beauty mark under his right eye. Judging by his shallow breathing and previously mentioned warmth even out of the sun, Dr. Hillhurst was fairly certain he was dying of heat exhaustion.

"Exposure…" He said aloud. "If I recall correctly…"

Getting up from where he left the young man on the couch. Dr. Hillhurst hurried out of the room and into his kitchen. Soon, he returned with a pitcher of water and a damp cloth. Pouring the water onto the cloth, he removed the young man's serape and began to dab it onto his face and exposed arms to make sure they were moistened.

As he continued to loosen his clothes to let his skin breathe, Dr. Hillhurst stopped when he noticed on his belt at his right hip a silver revolver–a Colt Single Action Army. It was while checking his other side that he noticed something even more unusual.

"… Is that a C96?" He looked at his belt and found that he even had spare, if used, stripper clips for reloading the gun in a hurry. "… How'd you get hold of something so fancy?"

It then occurred to him that the stripper clips were empty, and the slide of the Mauser was pulled back in its holster. "… And what were you using it for?"

He looked at the Colt and slipped it partly from its holster. All the cartridges had been fired, as well, and the boy's belt had not a round left to reload it.

Sliding the gun back into the holster, Dr. Hillhurst stepped back and brought a hand to his chin. "… This is unsettling…"

A well-armed young man with well-used guns usually meant bad news. Especially with a rising crime rate courtesy of the forest of derricks spreading like a cancer in Echo Creek. However, a young man wielding a fancy new semi-automatic with a bespoke caliber would be the talk of the town both below and above board.

Dr. Hillhurst had also never seen this young man before. He knew every Mexican and Native resident around Echo Creek as a matter of neighborly course, and the young man was not one of them. Nor did his distinct face match any of the usual notorious suspects' description down at the Post Office.

"Where did you come from…?" He asked the young man aloud.

As if he'd said the magic words, the young man's brown, bloodshot eyes opened, and he moved with a practiced, efficient swiftness–drawing the Mauser from his holster and pulling the trigger repeatedly as soon as it was aimed in Dr. Hillhurst's face.

The loud, impotent clicks of the empty, slide-locked pistol filled the living room of the house, as Dr. Hillhurst stared down the barrel of the gun at the young man's face.

"I see you didn't need much, to come back around," the doctor replied cheerfully despite the weapon pointed between his eyes. He picked up and offered him the pitcher of water. "You must be thirsty, drink up."

Staring, surprised, at the man's completely nonchalant response to being used as impromptu target practice, the young man looked at the pitcher and immediately dropped the Mauser to take the it and gulp down some water.

After the first taste, he paused with a gasp of surprise, before he all but upended the pitcher into his mouth, draining the whole thing in great, greedy gulps.

"Yes, with all the oil drilling going on over the hill, I have to be very careful with the water I pump out. I've taken to using some English water treatment techniques–London is beyond hope for ever having anything drinkable, but it works wonders here."

As soon as the water pitcher was empty, the young man took Dr. Hillhurst's hands into his own and bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you," he said in a raspy voice, "Thank you so much… you've saved my life."

Dr. Hillhurst was relieved. Pulling the gun on him must've been a reflex; he seemed genuinely grateful now that he had his wits about him. "It's the human thing to do, friend, there's no need to thank me."

Letting go of his hands, the young man looked around. "When I crossed the border, I was told to come to this place, because there was a man who was friendly to Mexicans who needed help. Are you Aloysius Hillhurst?"

Dr. Hillhurst frowned. "Doctor Aloysius Hillhurst, but yes."

The young man's brow furrowed. "My apologies, I was not told you were a doctor."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dr. Hillhurst sighed. "I paid a lot of money for that Doctorate…"

At the young man's puzzled look, Dr. Hillhurst waved it off. "Nevermind all that. What's your name, friend, and what brings you so far north?"

The young man nodded. "My name is Teodoro Ysidro, from El Desemboque in Sonora."

Dr. Hillhurst was surprised. "On the Gulf? Good Lord, young man, what are you doing all the way up here?"

Teodoro did not mince words. "My village was destroyed and everyone in it was killed."

Dr. Hillhurst recoiled with a start from the young man. "Everyone?"

"Yes," he said with a stiff nod. "They came in the night. Beasts that showed no mercy to anyone, they slaughtered men, women, and children then burned all they did not take. Those that escaped, they hunted like animals, and left none alive."

That was horrific. "… They hunted you as well?"

Teodoro shook his head. "No, I hunted them. My father, brother, and I survived the attack and chased them… but they were too many and overwhelmed us. I escaped, my father and brother did not."

Dr. Hillhurst looked at the darker stains on his hat and shirt, and quickly realized that they were all from blood, dried and baked into the fabric by the hot sun that must've beaten on the boy for weeks.

One could easily call his story made up; a lie meant to cover grisly deeds to explain his lack of ammunition.

But Dr. Aloysius Hillhurst was a man of confidence, and his years of experience taught him to identify those who spoke with confidence, and those who spoke with a clarity that could only be truth. Teodoro's story spilled from his mouth with complete sincerity, tinged with the horror he'd experienced and relived behind his wide eyes that were otherwise empty.

"Good Lord," he muttered, "And you made it up here… all the way to Los Angeles?"

Teodoro nodded. "I had to, I followed them here."

Dr. Hillhurst gave pause. "… Say that again?"

"The sons of bitches are here, I tracked them here and I will hunt them down until they are dead." With the water in his system, Teodoro spoke more firmly and with increasing anger in his voice. "That is why I came here. They say you make ammunition, and don't turn away Mexicans."

He looked at his two weapons. "I need as many rounds as you can make."

Dr. Hillhurst hummed. "I've never made 7.63 Mauser before, but if you have a few shell casings, I can work with it."

Teodoro was relieved. "Thank you." He then reached into a bag on his hip, and produced several bars of metal he handed to him. "The rounds for the .45, I need them made from this."

Dr. Hillhurst looked down at the weighty bars in his hand, and his eyes flew wide when he realized what he'd been so plainly handed. The bars were solid, pure silver, each weighing a kilo and there were easily two dozen of them tightly tied together.

Feeling the weight of the silver in his palm, Dr. Hillhurst quickly set it aside. "How long have you been carrying that on you?!"

Teodoro stared at him, puzzled. "It came with me from my family. We melt them down for ammunition."

Dr. Hillhurst was, to say the very least, incredulous. "Ammunition–?! What the devil do you shoot with this?! Demons?!"

Without an ounce of hesitation, he replied. "Yes."

Dr. Aloysius Hillhurst was a man of confidence. As a man of confidence, there were opportunities born every minute, as well as the people who provided them. Twenty-four kilos of solid silver did not simply fall into a man's hand like this, confidence or otherwise, expressly delivered by a child who spoke of "hunting beasts" and shooting "demons."

A less discerning man would take the silver, melt it down, and gloss up the weight in rounds as a replacement. That less discerning man whispered in Dr. Hillhurst's ear to do just that. That same confidence of his, however, gave him pause.

Once more, this boy was far too forthcoming and sincere. His was a naïveté that would get him killed anywhere else, especially in a land so hostile to his kind. That told him two things that weighed gravely on him.

Dr. Hillhurst nodded. "I can do that for you, but it will be costly."

Teodoro understood. "I have no money, but as long as I am here, and those beasts are, I will repay you however I can. I will do work for you, whatever you need, so long as it does not involve harming the innocent."

When was the last time Dr. Hillhurst had an assistant? Quite possibly too long. The last one didn't work out when the Lady Bonner offered him a better price for his services rendered.

That set his ventures back several weeks and he was still bitter about it.

"I'll do you one more, Ted–can I call you Ted?"

Teodoro didn't get it. "Ted?"

"Teodoro? Theodore? Ted is short for it."

Teodoro lifted and dropped his shoulders. "I do not mind."

"Ted, as it turns out I am past due for an assistant to help keep my affairs in order and my posterior unkicked. In exchange for making your ammunition and providing you free room and board here, I'll need you as my right hand while I attend to some troublesome dealings in the town over yonder hill."

The young man made a face of disgust. "That oil field is a town? How do people live there?"

"That's the thing," Dr. Hillhurst said. "They don't, and that's what makes the dealings so troublesome."

The price didn't seem too steep to Teodoro at all. "Again, as long as I do not harm innocents, I do not care what you need me for."

Dr. Hillhurst beamed. "Outstanding, lad. You are in good hands."

A new dilemma erupted. "… Though, if I'm going to be making this many rounds, I'll need brass, and I have a shortage."

Teodoro looked down at his pockets, and produced another three dozen bars of silver, much to Dr. Hillhurst's disbelief. "I only brought silver with me."

"How much of that have you been carrying with you?!" He shouted in exasperation.

"… I buried a pack nearby with all that I could take from my home."

Dr. Hillhurst's mouth dropped open. "Did you live on top of a silver mine?!"

Teodoro gave him a blank look. "No, a fishing village."

Dr. Hillhurst shook his head. "Nevermind, Ted, nevermind." He got up. "Now then, you get some rest. There's water in the kitchen and an icebox with food you can prepare. Make yourself at home and don't worry about doing anything for the rest of the day so you can recover. I have to write down an order for some brass and find the strength to go back into town to submit it."

He shook his head in dismay. "I'll have to make a deal with a devil or two to see it filled."

= - = 8-5 = - =​

Huh, lad seems familiar.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

Whoops, missed another day. Probably because I was locked in on another bit of writing. Nevertheless! The next chapter of Legends Volume 8 is here!

= - = 8-6 = - =

|Offensive|​

At Britta's Tacos, Brittney Wong tore into an overly stuffed burrito as she watched her best friend Sabrina Backintosh meekly stare at her smartphone. The phone sat on the picnic table in front of the restaurant, Sabrina swallowing heavily as she tapped her fingers on either side of it.

Brittney took another bite and chewed, her eyes narrowing as Sabrina's fingers inched towards the screen before retreating back to their starting position. The mousy, clumsy cheerleader was sweating profusely, and trembling like a chihuahua in the midst of a panic attack.

Chewing and swallowing, Brittney set down the burrito in its cardboard container, before she lashed out for the phone. "For fuck's sake, Sabrina!"

Sabrina was faster, snatching up the phone in both her hands and shrieking at her friend. "I CAN DO IT, BRITTNEY!"

Backing off, Brittney rolled her eyes. "Are you going to do it before the Heat Death of the Universe?"

"I'm gonna!" She assured her best friend. "It's just…" She sighed. "I had so much fun with him Saturday, but that was the biggest dance, that was YOUR dance. I don't know if he'll say yes if it's not for something big and important like that."

Brittney gave her a probing look. "Sabrina Backintosh. The fact that Andrew McCormick had fun with you and wasn't a sniveling simp the entire time like some kind of dweeb means that if you asked him out… he'd probably say yes." She rolled her eyes. "I mean, come on! You spent the entire dance attached at the hip and you were chugging whipped cream at the end of the night like nobody was watching you two be the most adorable goobers alive!"

She slapped the table. "You have chemistry! You get along! Ask the boy out already before Heather Summers or Janna Ordonia do!"

Sabrina did a double take. "Wait, Janna's into him, too?"

"I've heard rumors," Brittney said before pivoting back to her point. "But that just means you need to square up, get your pom-poms out your purse, and STAKE YOUR CLAIM!"

A fire burning in her eyes, Sabrina lunged for her phone and held it up to her face. "I… I'll do it!"

With great determination Sabrina began texting out a message.

Sabrina said:
Hello Andrew! I hope this text message sees you well. I wanted to tell you again that I had a very good time at the dance and I hope you did too!
I was hoping that since we had so much fun, that you would like to hang out again. We could go see a movie, grab some food, or even take a walk down Santa Monica Pier! Or all three! Actually, all three sounds really good, it could be an entire afternoon and it'll be super fun!
I'm sorry I'm rambling, but I'm super nervous, I've never asked a boy out on my own before. And you're like the coolest boy I've ever met. So anyway text me back! Thank you for taking the time to read!

"And… SEND!" Sabrina said like she was pushing through the last rep in a set of fifty. Sagging in relief, she then threw up her hands in victory. "I DID IT! I ASKED A BOY OUT!"

Brittney finished her burrito in the time it took Sabrina to write out that text. "What did you send him, Tolkien, a manuscript?"

"I'm nervous! I rambled!" Sabrina snapped back at her. Her eyes then flew wider, and she let out a frightened squeak before she shrank back.

Her reaction alerted Brittney, who looked behind her and jumped when she found a young man walking up to her from her blind spot. He had brown, unkempt sandy brown hair underneath a black baseball cap with a deer skull in its center. He wore a pair of baggy black jeans and a white t-shirt with the picture of a scowling, fair-skinned, glasses-wearing man with short black hair and matching dark eyes.

"Hey, ladies," the young man greeted.

Brittney stared at the face on the shirt and felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she tried to recollect where she saw his face before. Her eyes then widened before she looked up at the young man's face, his eyes hidden by his hat and hair not unlike Oskar Greason's.

"Hey…" She said with a suspicious tone before asking. "… You wouldn't be TC Darnell, would you?"

"That depends," the young man used his thumb to tip his hat up, revealing gentle-looking eyes that were an unusual shade of violet. "Are you Brittney Wong and not the kind of girl who'd blow up a man's spot?"

Sabrina was less nervous. "Ah… TC Darnell… the artist?"

Brittney nodded, recognizing him. "Yeah, it's him."

"In the flesh," he confirmed.

She looked at his shirt. "Is that a new shirt design?"

"Mmhm!" He replied. "Just finished it like an hour ago. I actually just had a dozen made." He gestured to a duffel bag that he had set at his feet. "When I thought I saw the daughter of one of LA's better known patrons of the arts and thought… 'maybe I should hit her up, see if she wants a shirt.'"

"Of course I want a shirt," Brittney said without hesitating, before she added. "But what are you doing here in Echo Creek? Weren't you in Paris just like a month ago?"

"Paris, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Shanghai… I went to a lot of places a month ago, selling shirts like crazy." TC reached down into the bag and pulled out a pair of white t-shirts that he then handed to Brittney before tossing one in front of Sabrina. "I've done so much traveling it's actually pissed off a few of my sponsors, so I'm laying low for a bit."

Sabrina stared at the face on the shirt, not experiencing the strange sense Brittney had. "Excuse me, um… my friend's told me about you. Where do you get the ideas for your shirts?"

"The faces? Well, I do a lot of traveling, and I see a lot of faces. So many faces that after a while they blend together, and I can barely remember any save for specific features that just grab me." He gestured to the shirt. "So, I draw the faces from memory and use the features that stand out or strike me. The result is a face that doesn't exist… but is familiar to someone in some way."

He smiled at the girls. "You might've seen someone with glasses like these, or eyes, or haircut… maybe even been frowned at by a particularly mean teacher. You don't remember where you've seen this face, but it sticks out and it creates that feeling that this person who doesn't exist might have been someone you knew."

Sabrina held up the shirt given to her, and saw the face of the bespectacled man glaring at her. Now that she saw it up close, she got what he was trying to say. That scowl sent a chill through her, like she'd seen it before. "… I see what you mean, it's kind of creepy."

TC shrugged his shoulders. "And that's why I draw them, so people can feel something."

"Well," Brittney said, "Are you planning on making anymore while you're here?"

"A few more," TC said as he watched Sabrina fold her shirt up. "I have an idea for one that I'll get started after dinner tonight."

At that moment a familiar and unsettling sound filled the air. Soon as she heard it, Brittney's left eye twitched and she shot to her feet, scanning the sky. "… Are you kidding me?!"

Sabrina, TC, and everyone else dining in front of or waiting in line at Britta's Tacos looked up as the shadows of the vespoid-shaped Magnavore Jet Fighters passed overhead. There were two flights of four of them, flying high and circling wide over Echo Creek like vultures searching for a meal.

"They… they're attacking again?!" Sabrina asked, in disbelief. "They just attacked yesterday!"

Brittney already had her phone to her ear, calling Star. "I guess they got tired of acting like Power Rangers villains with that monster of the week crap."

TC looked down the street and frowned. "Uh… girls? We should run."

Both followed where he was looking, and Brittney almost dropped her phone when she saw that what was once an empty street was now crowded with dozens of those Scab monsters from last week. They stood in square formation, their bodies twitching and jerking in anticipation, moving in an inhuman fashion.

At the very front of this formation, Barla stood with her black dragon armor gleaming in the sun and the eyes of the dragon head on her chest alight with malice. Raising her hand above her head, her sword materialized in it with a burst of flame. Looking at the otherwise peaceful neighborhood and gawking pedestrians and drivers stopped and staring at them, she pointed her sword forward and shouted.

"ATTACK!"

@@@@@​

"Flabber, can you explain any of this?!" Marco demanded as he and Drew cornered the phasm in Wolfy's room. Behind them, Jackie and Star were examining the still glowing armoire, while Janna laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling of the four-post bed.

"I honestly can't!" Flabber said. "It was so long ago; I can't remember anything. My memory before… oh… 1920 is really fuzzy, guys!"

"Come on, is there anything at all you remember?" Marco pressed. "This is important. What is this place to me and Star?!"

Drew was wrestling with the implications of this room. "This random abandoned house in the hills outside of Echo Creek is connected to a magical princess from another dimension, the guy she was chosen to live with… and only became relevant to us on the day we all met… what the actual hell?"

"Huh," Mums said from the doorway. "When you think about it like that. It almost sounds like you brats were meant to be here."

Marco and Drew turned to him, shouting together in exasperation. "That's the screwed-up part!"

Flabber knocked on his own head with both hands. "I'm sorry! I really am, I just can't remember anything too far back. Wolfy would probably know!"

Star confronted the monsters. "What do you remember?!" She demanded.

Fangula shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing? We didn't wake from our slumber here until the Doctor passed in the 1930s. And some of us weren't keen on getting up even then."

Mums discreetly pointed at Fangula without looking at him. "This guy."

"If I'm going to wake up, I will wake up beautifully," Fangula declared.

"You must be sleepwalking champion of the Vampire Dimension," Mums muttered.

"I'll end you, mummy."

"Well, do you remember how you got here?" Jackie asked.

All three monsters shook their heads. "All we know is that one day we were here. There's a bit of a blank for me from about… 3500 years ago to 1939 AD."

"No remember," Frankenbeans said. "Only remember doctor make Frankie… then wakey wakey in house."

Fangula huffed. "I remember everything from my turning in my home dimension, coming to this dimension in 1730, and everything from then to about 1898."

Drew stopped overthinking the idea of destiny. "What happened in 1898?"

Fangula shrugged his shoulders. "I had a bite to eat, tucked into bed, and then woke up in 1948."

"None of this makes sense," Drew said.

"Wait, you're from another dimension?" Janna asked and went unheard.

"No, we just don't have all the facts," Marco said as he went for his phone. "Welp, time to call Dipper and have him do his mystery stuff."

Star's phone abruptly rang.

Worship the queen and you might could pass! Keep it real, these bitches couldn't wipe my ass!

"Wait, Brittney?" Star said as she pulled out her magic mirror compact. "Hey, Brittney this is a bad time–"

"Yeah, it's a bad time!" Brittney shouted. "Those Magnavore guys are attacking downtown! They've got jets and everything! People are running around trying to not get blasted or beaten up!"

Star looked around at the others. "The Magnavores are attacking Echo Creek."

Drew grew alarmed. "Wait, they're actually attacking the town, now?!"

At that moment, the house's PA clicked on and Misao called out. "Everyone, come down to the Beetle Battle Base right now! The Magnavores are attacking the town with Jet Fighters and a lot of Scabs! We're getting the AVs ready!"

Star turned her attention to the Magic Mirror. "Brittney, we'll be there as quick as we can!"

Without a moment's hesitation, she ended the call and used the Scissors to slash open a portal to the Beetle Battle Base, the teenagers all pouring into the command center where Roland and Jo were already transforming into the Hunterborg and Strikerborg. Dipper was already at the main console with Misao, both watching the computer screen as transcripts of police and EMS reports poured in and a map of Echo Creek's downtown, specifically the vicinity of Britta's Taco's, radiated red.

"How many are there?" Drew asked as he summoned his Beetle Bonder.

"At least a few dozen scabs and eight jet fighters," Dipper said.

Marco didn't like that. "A few dozen?! Where'd they get that many?!"

Drew sneered. "Today is just non-stop question after question." He held up his Beetle Bonder. "Beetle Blast!"

In a flash he transformed and turned to his fellow Beetleborgs. "Let's get to work!"

"We were waiting for you, twin," Hunterborg said.

Strikerborg pumped her fists in excitement. "I get to take to the air again." She looked at Misao. "And I'll definitely be mindful of what's happening on the ground."

Misao called back to Strikerborg. "I trust you!"

As the Beetleborgs turned and raced to their AVs, Dipper looked to their less armored friends. "Are you guys going out there, too?"

Marco looked at Star and Jackie, then at Dipper. "Well, we have to."

"Armor or not," Jackie said, "There's a lot of those Scab guys, right? We need everybody who can fight over there."

Star held up her wand. "I have a temporary solution. I don't know how long it'll last, though."

Mabel stepped up. "Then count me in, too!" There was no question from anyone. After Mabel's performance last week and yesterday, her joining was welcomed. "So, magic us up, girl! We have a town to save!"

Nodding, Star held her wand aloft. "RAINBOW SENTAI BATTLE ARMOR!"

With Star's command, the wand flashed to life and sprayed rainbow-colored energy that swirled out around herself, Marco, Mabel, and Jackie. The light spread over the four of them, becoming a bodysuit-like forcefield that was at its thickest a half-inch. It covered them from head to toe, sporting devil horns on Star's "helmet", a karate-belt shaped addition around Marco's waist, a whole shark tail sticking from the back of Jackie's suit, and the top of Mabel's suit shaped like the sweater she wore.

"I dub us… the MewRangers!" Star declared.

Marco turned and looked at her. "… We're not calling ourselves that."

Star stopped. "Right, got a little carried away." She focused and held up her Dimensional Scissors. "Let's get going!"

@@@@@​

It was chaos. People were running for their lives as they were chased by weapon-brandishing Scabs. Tires were screeching as townsfolk driving into the chaos abruptly turned around and drove away–only to abandon their vehicles and dive for cover as the Magnavore Jet Fighters dove low and strafed the streets.

Amidst the chaos, Brittney, Sabrina, and TC ran around the corner from the mob of Scabs and sprinted up a side street. Dudley was standing beside Brittney's G-Wagen while enjoying a bowl of pozole purchased from the restaurant for his lunch break. He'd barely noticed the chaos that was beginning, until he saw his brand-new employer and her companion approaching with another young man he did not recognize.

"Dudley! Get us out of here, before we get jumped!" Brittney shouted at her butler.

Despite the alarm in his charge's voice, Dudley could not help but feel elated to be called by his real name. "Is everything well, Master Brittney?"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT?!" Brittney yelled at him before a quartet of Scabs fell from the sky and landed around her, Sabrina, and TC, blocking their route to Dudley while several more charged up behind them.

TC looked at the monsters, then at the two girls in his company and their elderly, doddering butler who began walking towards them. He hefted his bag. "Okay, we're getting jumped. How do we not die?"

"Pardon me," Dudley said as he approached them. "But disperse so that I may escort Master Brittney and her companions to safety–"

The Scab nearest to him turned and immediately brandished its flame-shaped blade, while making a sound between a screech and a swarm of metal wasps buzzing angrily in warning.

Still walking up to the Scab, Dudley lowered his right arm and then in a much faster motion reached up and plunged a stiletto knife into the dead center of the Scab's head.

"I was not making a request," he said as the Scab crumpled, dissolving into a pile of dying metal wasps.

The other Scabs immediately took more interest in Dudley, swarming towards him. But the seemingly innocuous old man calmly and efficiently dispatched each as they approached in the same manner, stabbing them clean through their heads as soon as they entered his range of attack.

Brittney, Sabrina, and TC watched, mouths agape, as the butler calmly walked around them and used his methodic violence to clear remaining the Scabs before stopping behind them and slipping the stiletto into his jacket.

"… Could you always do that?" Brittney asked as the last of the offending Scabs began to decay.

"Yes," Dudley replied.

"… Did your former employers know that?"

"Master Brittney, they couldn't be bothered to know my name."

Brittney and Sabrina looked at each other, then back at Dudley.

He clearly had the patience of a Saint for not murdering them himself.

"Now then, please get to the vehicle so that we may depart safely," Dudley ordered.

The girls quickly complied, TC not so much. "Hey, I'm not heading the same way you are. So I'm going to abscond elsewhere. You guys be safe."

Sabrina looked at the chaos down the street. "Are you sure?"

TC flashed her a smile. "I'll be fine, don't worry! I'll see you around… enjoy the shirts!"

With that he crossed the street and ran up it before ducking to his left into an alleyway. Shrugging her shoulders, Brittney took Sabrina's hand and led her off to the G-Wagen.

"Let's go, Star will be here any minute now and we don't want to be in the splash zone!"

The very moment they reached the car, Brittney's words rang true as the Green Hunter AV came around the corner in front of them and thundered past towards the corner and Britta's Tacos. Looking across the street in front of him, behind his helmet Roland scanned across the street at the Scabs causing havoc, target markers appearing over each of them. The blaster turrets atop the hull of the Hunter AV opened fire, the beams pummeling the Scabs without striking any of the fleeing pedestrians they were chasing around.

"God damn there's a lot of them!" Hunterborg said before his AV was rocked by several laser bolts from four strafing Magnavore Jet Fighters.

As the four crafts pulled out of their dive, bursts of laser fire from in front and below caused the fighters to spread out. Climbing to meet the ascending Jet Fighters, the Red Striker AV committed on the leading Jet Fighter, Jo ripple firing blasters that ripped through the fighter.

The exploding fighter came apart, becoming a cloud of dying and decomposing metal wasps that the fan-driven beetle-shaped fighter blasted through.

"And a bunch of fighters!" Strikerborg said as she chased after the lead Jet Fighter's wingmate, while keeping clear of bolts fired by the other two Jet Fighters that had quickly come around to pounce on her.

As the aircraft cut across the sky, down the street from the Hunter AV, the Stinger AV arrived on the scene and with the same machine precision opened fire on another group of Scabs. "How many of these things are they able to summon at once, now?"

A group of Scabs charged towards the Stinger AV racing towards them, brandishing their weapons. After making sure the path was clear of innocent people on the ground, Stingerborg lowered the horn of his AV and floored it, crashing through the crowd and scattering them away or running them under its wheels.

When he passed through the crowd, however, he came upon Barla, who brandished her sword and swung it down to meet the horn of the AV. With a clang, the Stinger AV came to an abrupt halt, and Drew lurched forward in his seat. "Ah… what the…!?"

Seeing Barla's face, his eyes widened in alarm. "Ah, crap, they got Barla?!"

Looked it, but the strength she used to proceed to flip the Blue Stinger AV into the air was anything but. Rather than flail, Drew recovered and worked the controls, firing off emergency thrusters that righted the AV and brought down on its wheels.

"Hunterborg, be careful!" He shouted out. "She's strong!"

"Man, I just saw her do that!" Roland called back as he fired blaster bolts at Barla.

Under the hail of fire, Barla spun her sword to cut down two bolts before swinging the blade twice to smack aside follow up shots. "Get out of those machines and fight me properly!"

The mouth of the dragon chestplate opened and fired a continuous beam that smashed into the Green Hunter AV, pushing it backward and damaging it.

"Hey, are you all right?!" Drew asked.

Roland nodded. "I'm good, it should be able to make it back."

Drew released the controls. "I'm going in."

Roland nodded. "You got this, cuh!"

Stingerborg launched himself from his AV and landed in a crouch in the middle of the chaotic street. Hearing him land, and his AV retreat, Barla turned and brandished her sword at him.

"The blue one who defeated Saberizer."

Stingerborg pulled out the Input Magnum into his left hand, then deployed the Stinger Blade over his right arm. "Yeah, I did."

Barla nodded. "That's a shame. I never got to measure myself against him after I received this armor." With that she prepared to attack. "Show me the determination you had that allowed you to defeat him!"

At once the two attacked one another, Stingerborg opening fire with the Input Magnum in Beam Mode. Barla raced straight in, the energy shots glancing harmlessly off her armor before she got close enough and slashed him across his armor chest with a downward diagonal stroke.

Sparks flying from his armor, Stingerborg tried to recover and strike back, but Barla was faster and swung upward vertically, cutting upwards over Drew's armor and knocking him off his footing completely.

Inside the armor, Drew was even more alarmed. She hits harder than Saberizer!

"I'm not done yet!" Barla shouted as she struck Stingerborg with a flurry of slashes, her arm and the blade she wielded a blur as sparks flew from the armor with each hit.

The barrage of attacks came to an abrupt halt when the Green Hunterborg caught her arm in the Hunter Claw. When Barla looked to her right, Hunterborg was aiming the Input Magnum at her face.

As soon as Roland fired, Barla turned her head, the Beam Bolts deflecting off the side of her helmet to hit the staggered Stingerborg in the chest and arm.

"Shit–!" Hunterborg yelled out before Barla pulled him in and punched him in the head. As he stepped back, she used her sword to pull him in front of her, then yanked her blade out from the grip of the claw. She then struck Hunterborg with a rising diagonal cut, disappeared, and reappeared behind him to strike Stingerborg with a descending strike in the opposite direction.

Turning around as Stingerborg toppled, she lunged to stab Hunterborg in the back but passed through his after image. His attempt at a super speed attack was foiled when she effortlessly parried the Hunter Claw from closing around her neck, then brutalized him with six quick, heavy hits that knocked him off his feet.

Landing on his back, Hunterborg looked at Stingerborg, who was getting up. "Hey, twin? I'm kinda mad that Strikerborg got to fight Hammer Kong but we're out the gate with this shit."

"Me too," Stingerborg said before Barla came at him again. When she swung her sword this time, however, Stingerborg successfully blocked and then parried the blade aside.

I have to go straight to using telekinesis to move myself! Drew thought as Barla recovered from the parry and countered his riposte. To her surprise, her next quick blows were either stopped out right or countered.

"There it is!" Barla said. "So you can fight!"

"It doesn't matter if I can or can't, I have to!" Stingerborg shouted back.

Sparks flew as their blades clashed again and again. "I have to protect people from creeps like you! So, don't make this out like it's something I'm doing for fun!"

Once more Barla was parried, and Drew winced from the pain of moving his arm with such violence. "The last guy who talked that kind of shit, I cut him and that sword of his in half!"

Rather than moving himself with his Telekinesis, he moved Barla, grabbing her and throwing her with all his might into the side of one of the cars abandoned and burning since the start of the attack. She went into it with such force that she went through the frame, rending it in half before hitting one of the picnic tables in front of Britta's tacos and reducing it to splinters.

Shaking her head, Barla sat up. "What did he hit me with? Telekinesis?"

That wasn't what actually bothered her, though as she watched Stingerborg enter a combination on his Input Magnum and open fire upon her with a blue ray of frosty energy. Quickly her cloak transformed into a set of wings, and she launched herself into the air above the freezing beam.

Stingerborg watched her race into the sky, high above him. "She can fly, too?!"

At the Beetle Battle Base, Dipper watched the battle unfold with chagrin. "She's not in any of our databases, I don't think we've gotten to her comic yet."

Misao turned to Janna. "Janna? Go take Gargantis out, so you can support them. They're going to need more firepower."

Janna perked up. "Wait, really?"

"Yes!" Misao said. "Schnell!"

As Barla rose above the battlefield, she looked down and found a sight she didn't expect. Her Scabs were under attack, not by the Beetleborgs but what appeared to be the others Jara described.

On the ground, Marco high-kicked a Scab in the head with such force that its head disintegrated, before he switched and kicked with his other leg to strike another Scab in the chest, throwing it onto its back. Behind him Jackie, armed with another spear, slapped another Scab terrorizing some civilians across the head before she quickly brought her weapon back and stabbed it where a human's nose would be.

Twisting the spear, she wrenched the weapon out of the Scab's head and spun the weapon around before using the razor-sharp head of the weapon to cut deeply into two more Scabs and then stab a third.

Marco dipped his body while sidestepping the wild swing of a Scab's short sword, before he back handed it with his right fist and then delivered a left cross that wrenched its head at a bad angle. He then turned and swung the back of his right heel into its neck, snapping the head off completely. As it dissolved, yet another Scab jumped in, succeeding in stabbing Marco in the chest and causing him to stumble back.

Star's spell held, with only a few sparks flying from the contact. "Is this what it feels like for the Beetleborgs? I felt that!" He crossed his arms to block a vertical swing from the Scab, before Mabel intervened with a flying drop kick that sent the Scab crashing to the ground.

Marco capitalized, running up to and bringing his foot down on the robot's head, crushing it and cracking the pavement underneath.

"I'd be having a lot more fun if they weren't messing with people who've got nothing to do with this, and my tacos!" He shouted out.

"Yeah, we have a lot on our minds!" Star, further behind the others, shouted as she raised her wand. "Rainbow Avalanche!"

The stream of rainbows crashed into multiple Scabs, battering and then tearing them apart while also avoiding nearby civilians scrambling for cover. Turning towards a Scab, Star swung the wand at it as she shouted another spell. "Super Heart Slap!"

A light in the shape of a heart appeared around her wand as it connected with the Scab, both blowing its head off and sending its body flying. "I am so happy for this distraction!"

"And so many things to break!" Mabel cheered as she grabbed a Scab that cut across her magically armored body, doing no damage, and picked it up to slam onto another Scab that joined in the first's attack.

As soon as they were down Jackie fell on them both, stabbing one and then the other each in the head. She then turned and swung the weapon like a golf club, bodily bisecting another Scab's head. "So many things! I don't like that there's so many, dude!"

Barla observed the brawl with interest as she noticed most of the civilians caught up in her attack either open the distance from the brawl or film it with their phones. Another thing she noticed from on high was the universal flashes of red and blue as police established a perimeter around the area rather than barging straight in.

"… They're not moving in themselves," she said aloud.

A cascade of energy bolts danced off her armor and she looked down to see the Stingerborg and Hunterborg shooting up at her with their Input Magnums. Unharmed by the weapons, she merely sniffed in derision–before much heavier bolts slammed into her back, causing an explosion that propelled her forward.

Stopping herself, she turned around to see the Red Striker AV hovering there, its beam cannons swiveling slightly to focus on her before firing another barrage.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?!" Strikerborg asked as Barla swiftly evaded the next attack. "Well, of course she'd evade now."

As Barla turned and attacked, Jo redlined the throttle and evaded the lunge before pivoting the fans and accelerating away. "Hey, Misao!"

"Ja?" She asked.

"I'm going to need to focus on flying, can you shoot for me from the Battle Base?"

After a brief moment, Misao answered. "As a matter of fact, I can! I'm connected to the Red Striker AV, now!"

"I figured you'd be able to." With that, the Red Strikerborg pulled her AV into a high-speed climb.

Barla gave pursuit, scanning the sky for the Jet Fighters she came with. To her surprise there were none. "Did the red one shoot them all down that quickly?!"

Above her, the Red Strike AV's body flipped over while the fans kept driving it upward. Seeing the barrels, Barla stopped and boosted back. Turning completely over upside down, Jo flipped the fans to match the body's orientation and plummeted straight down. As the Red Striker AV fell, Misao locked the beam cannons onto Barla and fired with a precision that surprised both the Dragonslayer and Strikerborg. Almost every bolt from the short burst hit, engulfing Barla in smoke.

"Whoa, nice shooting!" Strikerborg said as she adjusted the throttles to flip her AV over, then oriented them to race away from the cloud.

"Nice flying!" Misao complimented back. "How do you do it so well?"

"Please, I've played every Reddle-centric flight shooter since I was eight! Sure, they were buggy and some of them triggered epileptic seizures for some weird reason, but they taught me a bunch about how this thing moves!"

Dipper, overhearing that, said aloud. "It may have to do with the fact that anything Beetleborgs related comes from the Nightmare Realm and adaptations are some kind of cognitive hazard. I mean… look at the movie."

Misao nodded. "That makes sense."

As the smoke cleared, Barla was taking aim at the Red Striker AV with her Dragon Chestplate. As the dragon's mouth began to glow, however, she was bombarded again from the ground by Stingerborg and Hunterborg. Once more, the weapons did nothing to phase her.

"Useless!" Barla declared before opening fire. The beam shot across the sky, and she was certain the attack would hit, but the Red Striker AV narrowly rolled clear and used said roll to come back around at high speed.

"Holy crap!" Strikerborg said as she closed in, Misao targeting and striking Barla a few more times. "Barla is freaking crazy!"

Drew followed the Dragonslayer's movements across the sky. "That armor is too tough for the Input Magnums, and Strikerborg is literally just annoying her."

Star, fortunately, had a solution to that immediate crisis. "Honeybee Tornado Swarm!"

A beam of yellow light from Star's wand struck Barla, and quickly manifested in a swarm of extremely angry honeybees that began stinging her everywhere they could reach to no effect.

"Is this some kind of joke?!" Barla said before a portal opened directly above her, revealing Star aiming her wand at her on the other side.

"SUPER RAINBOW FIST PUNCH!"

A massive rainbow-fist connected with and smashed Barla down into the street below before dissipating into a festive colorful cloud.

In the fist-shaped crater made by the impact, Barla stood up. "… How…?"

The Dragon chest plate's eyes lit up, and Barla quickly brought her sword up to parry Stingerborg up and away as he attacked from her front. As he was knocked off his footing, her whole body flickered to block Hunterborg swinging the Hunter Claw like a sword.

"You should stay down!" She snapped at him.

"Stop your yapping and box!" Hunterborg shouted back.

As if teleporting, both switched places, their weapons meeting again, before Hunterborg abruptly vanished and then appeared on Stingerborg's other side, slammed into the ground by a haymaker from Barla's free hand as she appeared above him.

Before she could move with her own super speed again, Stingerborg grabbed her with his telekinesis while entering Crash Mode into the Input Magnum. He jammed the barrel of the weapon into her face and opened fire, performing the equivalent of a mag-dump until an alarm warned him of overheating.

When he pulled the weapon back, he was surprised to see a demon-like mask over Barla's face, before it opened to reveal her own unarmed visage and the dragon's mouth opened to blast Drew in the chest with another beam.

Freed from his telekinetic grasp, Barla raised the sword over her head with both hands and plunged the blade down from overhead to impale Stingerborg through the chest.

Using his telekinesis, Stingerborg threw himself out of the way of Barla's blade. As the weapon slipped deep into the ground, almost to the hilt, Barla looked to her right at him, before movement to her left prompted her to rip her blade up out of the ground to strike Hunterborg in the gut with the pommel.

As Hunterborg was doubled over by the attack, Strikerborg dropped from her AV and landed in a crouch behind her, the Striker Plasmar already spinning at max RPM.

"TORNADO SPARK!" Strikerborg yelled, the large bolt of energy generated from the weapon slamming into Barla and throwing her down the street, towards Britta's Tacos.

Before she could smash into and destroy the restaurant, she was struck by another Rainbow Fist Punch that knocked her into the street next to the restaurant.

Barla shook her head, surprised again by the force of the blow, before Marco fell on her with a flying kick she blocked with the flat of her sword. Putting both feet on the blade, Marco jumped off it, avoiding Barla's parrying slash.

Star slid under Marco, wand aimed for her chestplate. "Winterstorm Hyperblow!"

And then Barla was blasted with a beam of ice that completely encased her. As her chestplate's eyes flashed and the thick ice began to crack, Mabel came running in from her left, jumped, and performed a flying roundhouse kick that shattered the ice and sent Barla stumbling towards the center of the intersection.

"All together now!" She shouted out. "JUMP THIS LOSER!"

Barla raised her sword and swung before Hunterborg intervened with super speed and blocked her strike. As soon as their blades met, Jackie used her spear to catch the sword between itself and the Hunter Claw.

Barla broke the lock and slashed both Jackie and Roland. Star's protection barely held for her, but the wind was still knocked out of her as she caught herself. Roland, having taken the brunt of the hit, outright tumbled along the ground away from her.

Just as quickly as those two were discarded, Marco slammed a right hook into the side of the Dragonslayer's head, surprising her with the force of the strike. She performed a sweeping strike with her sword, but Marco ducked under it to bring up his right heel to connect with the other side of her head.

Barla felt that one, too.

These children…! She thought in disbelief as she recovered and swung her sword down. They're not fighting like children at all!

Jackie interrupted her slash even as Marco jumped clear, stabbing her just above the chestplate with the spear. "Dude, go down already!"

Both she and Marco turned and connected roundhouse kicks to Barla's chest, actually knocking her off her footing before Stingerborg grabbed her with telekinesis again. As Marco and Jackie jumped back, Strikerborg stepped in and punched Barla in the stomach with all her might, lifting the Dragonslayer off her feet.

Stingerborg then slammed her into the ground, and Strikerborg raised her left foot to stomp Barla down and create a hole in the street with her and Barla at the bottom of it.

Lying at the bottom of the hole, Barla stared up in surprise at the Red Strikerborg. "… Such ferocity!"

Strikerborg raised her foot again. "Yeah, we're not playing around!"

There was a blast of light and Jo was sent flying from the hole by an energy blast from the chestplate's mouth. As Strikerborg left the hole, Star leaped over it, aiming her wand straight down at Barla. "THERMONUCLEAR BUTTERFLY BLAST!"

Barla's eyes grew wide. "Thermo–WHAT?!"

A column of rainbow colored light soon rose from the hole in the street, which then became a localized explosion that shot skyward above Echo Creek. Out of the very small mushroom cloud that rose from the street, Star came flipping out and landed with Marco, Jackie, Mabel, and the Beetleborgs.

"Good hustle!" Mabel praised them.

Star looked at Jackie. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Jackie replied. "Thanks for the protection."

Star beamed. "Just imagine how good the real armor will be!"

Marco called over. "Uh, guys? Focus. There's no way she's done."

He was right. Barla immediately leaped from the smoldering crater of Jo and Star's creation, and she landed with enough force to crack the pavement beneath her feet. Slowly, she walked towards the group, her eyes narrowing as she lowered her sword rather than raise it for a new attack.

"It is to my understanding that Vexor wants some of you alive," she said as she reached the middle of the intersection in front of them. She pointed at Star. "You." She then pointed at Stingerborg. "And you. "If you surrender now, then this chaos will cease, and I will allow the rest of you to leave without further harm."

"Yeah, no," Strikerborg snapped back.

"What kind of offer is that?!" Mabel asked. "Sure, we'll give you the keys to conquering the Earth, what's the worst that could happen?!"

"Oh, the worst that will happen is if you refuse," she said before she was engulfed in a black, flame-like aura–both her own eyes and the dragon chest plate's glowing an ominous yellow through the darkness wreathing her.

Dipper did not like that. "Guys, she's ramping up the power!"

Those protected by Star's spell could feel the heat and pressure radiating from her through the protection. Jackie in particular was stunned. "Dude, how is she so strong…?!"

"It's that armor," Jo said.

Something about what Barla said, however, had caught Drew's attention. Stepping forward, he called out to her. "Go ahead. Do your worst."

Barla paused. "Hm?"

Marco looked at Drew. "Hey, maybe not call the scary dragon lady's bluff?"

Drew ignored him. "I said go ahead and try. We're not going to surrender anyone to you, and we're not going down without a fight, either!"

Star agreed with him, raising her wand like a batter anticipating a fast ball. "Yeah! You want the smoke? You're getting it and the fire!"

Marco shrugged his shoulders and got ready to fight. "Yeah, we're just getting started and you're by yourself out here."

Jackie aimed her spear at her. "We're not afraid of you."

Hunterborg prepared the Hunter Claw. "We've beaten enough of you clowns to know we'll beat you, too!"

Strikerborg punched her palm, creating a thunderous sound. "So come on, square up!"

A few moments passed, and the group of warriors watched Barla's grip tighten on the blade and her teeth clench, hints of frustration that gave away her hoping for them to fold rather than call.

Underneath his helmet, Drew almost felt vindicated. She's different from the others.

Out of nowhere, Janna joined the call. "Hey, Sad Kid. Can you link up what you're seeing to Gargantis?"

Drew gave a start. "Gargantis?" He didn't hesitate to comply. "But wait, hold on. It needs the Input Magnums to work, how is it connected?"

Atop the hills that formed the valley Hillhurst Mansion sat in, a massive Hercules Beetle-shaped robot with a black, silver, and yellow body stomped into position, shaking the ground beneath it. Its upper horn, shaped into the mix of a jet fighter with a very, very big cannon, was lowered and aimed into the town.

Inside the cockpit of the machine, Janna sat in the middle of set of five seats that made up the cockpit. "Don't worry about that, just um…" She broke into a grin when Barla as Drew saw her appeared on the panoramic cockpit screen in front of her, and the position data allowed Gargantis to lock onto her with its main weapon, the Beet Cannon. "… Get clear."

Stingerborg looked back at the others. "MOVE!"

Everyone scattered clear, to Barla's confusion, as inside the cockpit Janna received an alert that the Beet Cannon was ready to fire. "Satisfy my destructive urges, Gargantis!" She called out. "Beet Cannon, FIRE!"

The Beet Cannon erupted, the multi-colored beam passing over Echo Creek and reaching Barla as she turned to see it. Her eyes widening, she tried to move but realized she was being held in place by Stingerborg's telekinesis. She closed her eyes tight before her mask slipped over it and extra armor covered her exposed arms and legs.

The beam smashed into her, pushing her up the street and carving a narrow trench into it, the angle of the blast eventually drove her under the street and then under the ground and sewers beneath that before it finally cut out.

Strikerborg looked at the damage done, then at the distant Gargantis. "… Dude."

Jackie was of the exact same thought. "Uh… dude."

Star was in awe. "… That was so cool…!"

Steam hissed from vents along the barrel of the Beet Cannon, as Janna hugged herself in satisfaction.

"Oh yes, that felt good."

There was a small explosion, as Barla erupted from the ground and landed behind the crater she made, parts of her now full armor still glowing red hot and wisping smoke as she glared death at her opponents. She looked around, seeing no signs of her remaining Scabs, and realized that the other four must've destroyed them.

"A fine display," she commended them, "But this is only the start."

With that promise, she raised her sword to her chest in salute and vanished in a burst of black flame.

= - = 8-6 = - =​

I think the biggest take away from this chapter, is everything that happened in this chapter.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

And with the end of the battle, we walk into the aftermath of the battle.

= - = 8-7 = - =

|Defensive|​

As Barla observed, a police perimeter had been established by the authorities, the Echo Creek Police Department was bolstered by the LA County Sheriff's Office, Los Angeles Police Department, and Glendale Police Department. Throughout the battle, SWAT Teams from the latter departments had gone in and aided in the evacuation of civilians from inside the perimeter, while several heavily armed units proceeded closer to the scene.

Overhead, the Magnavore Jet Fighters had kept manned news helicopters out of the scene, but large quadrotor drones had no such concerns and had their cameras on the battle right up to the moment a great flash of light beamed down from the San Gabriels and ended the fight in an instant.

When some of those cameras pointed towards the source, they saw no sign of the new attacker. News reporters from all over Los Angeles were covering the incident broadcast all over the city.

"… As you can see right now, whatever attacked the monster invading Echo Creek has vanished. We're unsure if it was another attack from the magical girl, Star Butterfly or something else."

In the Diaz home, Rafael and Angie were both cheering in relief at their son and charge standing victorious again. Elise, however, had her face scrunched in consternation. Behind her, standing by the door, were two plain clothes Detectives of the Echo Creek Police Department. An African American male in his late 30s with short-shaved hair, wearing a suit and sunglasses, and a Japanese American woman in her late 20s with bright red hair, and her own styled suit and sunglasses combo.

"For those of you just tuning in now, we're covering yet another attack on the town of Echo Creek by heavily armed and aggressive members of an unknown organization. As previously, this attack has been foiled by a group of young people local to the area, described by some as 'teenagers with attitude' and 'a bunch of weirdos.'"

In Middleton, Colorado, Ron Stoppable looked up from his meal at Bueno Nacho at one of the televisions in the restaurant showing the crisis underway in Echo Creek. "I wouldn't call them weirdos, they all seemed pretty cool."

Across from them, Kim Possible had a worried expression. "Well… so much for no one taking them seriously…"

Next to her, Kim's boyfriend Eric narrowed his eyes a bit. "Yeah, if the news is covering it like this, then they're no longer small-time heroes getting into cosplay fights, are they?"

Seated beside Ron, Bonnie Rockwaller fed a nacho cheese slathered tortilla chip to Ron's naked mole rat Rufus, while she leaned against Ron. "So… are you guys going back to help?"

"If they ask," Kim replied.

"This is just the latest in a series of escalating incidents that came to the attention of law enforcement in the Los Angeles area, following the sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects and the discharge of energy weapons in the airspace over Echo Creek, and a more dramatic incident the following day where a Goodyear Blimp was attacked and brought down. The crew of the blimp in that incident suffered only minor injuries and are expected to make full recoveries."

At his home, Shermie Pines watched the news grimly, his attention focused on the drone image capturing his Granddaughter and their friends standing out in the open–clearly in discussion over their recent battle. His right hand rested atop Waddles head, the pig lazing on the couch next to him. "Haven't seen this kind of craziness downtown since the King riots."

He looked down at the pig. "Think girlchik will mind if you tag along for some good ol' fashioned gunrunning? If they're making the evening news, don't think I can put off the trip any longer."

Waddles, looking at the TV, oinked in agreement.

"A government source who's spoken under condition of anonymity has stated that the serial escalation of the conflict in Echo Creek has been brought under the scrutiny of not only state but Federal law enforcement–going as high as the Department of Defense."

Dipper and Misao stared at the latter's phone, after the latter received a text message from Elise advising her–urgently–to bring up the local news and watch.

"Maybe sending Janna out was a bad idea," Misao said.

"No, we needed the firepower to push her back," Dipper decided. "And we may need even more of it."

He looked up at the main computer screen and two windows open on it. One showing Gargantis' current status and the other showing Gargantis in an alternate configuration: its large silver carapace opened and the three AVs mounted on its unfolded back.

"… And we've just received word that the police are slowly closing the perimeter on the teenage vigilantes, in order to detain them for questioning."

The news was only reporting what was already happening, for on the street in front of Britta's, the LA County Sheriff, LAPD, and Glendale Police Department SWAT Teams that had been creeping towards the group exited their cover and approached them with Carbine Rifles, Submachine Guns, and Shotguns trained, shouting orders to get on the ground and place their hands behind their heads.

Unsurprisingly, given they'd just fought an extremely powerful creature from another dimension, they were not immediately moved to comply by the display.

"Oh, the cops are here," Jo said, "This is not surprising but still very inconvenient."

Jackie was downright indignant. "Dude, I am not getting arrested for helping people."

It was about then that Dipper called in. "You guys need to get out of there, the cops are moving in to arrest you."

Mabel chimed back. "They're trying!"

Roland was tense. "So… we have to exit."

Drew agreed. "Yeah, but how without them getting really determined to chase us down?"

Misao radioed in. "Our legal representation says that you can disengage and leave the scene as long as you don't make any aggressive action but suggests that one of you should stay to distract the cops. She'll get you out without any charges."

Marco looked at the others. "I'll give them someone to take in. You guys get out of here."

Jackie looked at him, worried. "Dude, don't."

"If Elise says she can get one of us out, then fine. It'll give them someone to yell at."

Mabel nodded. "And feel good about themselves for not being able to do anything else."

"The po-po do be like that," Jo lamented.

Drew turned to Marco, grateful. "Thanks, Marco… and be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, bruh, you're a real one," Roland praised.

Jackie looked even more conflicted as Marco looked back at them and offered a weak smile.

Star, on the other hand, quickly caught Marco in a hug. "Thank you, Marco. I'll see you soon, okay? I'm not going to deactivate the spell so they can't rough you up, too much."

Marco hugged her back. "Thank you, mi cariñito."

Pulling from her, Marco placed his hands behind his head, got down on his knees, and then laid flat on the ground. Star quickly cut a portal open with the Dimensional Scissors, and she, the Beetleborgs, Mabel, and lastly Jackie took off through the portal. As it closed behind them, the combined SWAT Teams rushed over and placed Marco–still under the protection of Star's Rainbow Sentai spell–in handcuffs.

Overhead, the news channel drones captured the scene in the highest quality, a reporter offering a play by play.

"… The police are moving in and have detained one of the vigilantes, but it appears the others have used some kind of portal technology to escape apprehension…"

At Zoom Comics, Heather watched the unfolding news with a hand over her mouth in quiet shock. At one of the tables, Alfonso and Ferguson were in disbelief.

"Dude… they got Marco," Ferguson said in dismay.

"Free Marco! This will not stand!" Alfonso declared. "This is considered by the Pixie Kingdom an act of war!"

Behind the cash register, Nano scowled angrily at the pathetic display on television. "I'm about to go down to the station and flip that whole mother upside down!"

As Heather nodded in agreement, she noticed out the corner of her eye someone walking past the front of the shop outside. It was TC, now wearing a black hoodie with the same picture as on his t-shirt and pulling the hood up and over his hat as he walked.

In a living room not too far from Echo Creek, a young man with messy black hair and lighter brown highlights running through it, dark blue eyes, and dressed in a stained blue hoodie and baggy beige pants sank into his couch with a look of utter disgust as he watched the police, and the media reporting make a big show of apprehending one of their suspects.

"… From 'young people local to the area' to 'vigilantes' in the span of a news report," the young man said bitterly. "That must be a record."

Getting up, he grabbed the television remote and threw it with all his might into the television screen. It struck with such force that it punched a hole through the screen and out the back. He turned away from the destroyed TV and headed for the stairs to his room.

"Whoops, looks like Dad will have to use his next paycheck for a new TV."

@@@@@​

At Noxic's workshop, the factory assembling Scabs was well underway, with Noxic himself nodding appreciatively as he oversaw the work. "The first batch did pretty well, overall. I gotta say."

Jara sat at a table; her right hand flat on its surface while she stabbed the spaces between her fingers at increasing speed with her short sword. "They could be better, though. Why haven't you bothered?"

Noxic placed his hands on his hips. "The Commander Types are a few circuit-boards removed from my bespoke creations. I ain't giving any of those to Vexor!"

Typhus, who was sitting across from Jara, chimed in. "The Commanders also have their own personalities and can talk. And uh… you know how that sorta thing goes with Noxic, baby."

Noxic turned around to face Typhus. "Hey! The Commanders work! I programmed them based off Jara, so they got discipline, honor, and all that warrior stuff she likes!"

Jara almost stabbed through the table. "… They do now?"

Quickly, her mechanical friend backtracked. "Conceptually, on paper. I haven't actually built any Commanders nor programmed their AI."

This was a lie.

Jara knew this.

Noxic knew that she knew. And so did Typhus.

Barla arrived before she could properly interrogate Noxic about the last known status of these conceptual, on paper, units programmed after her likeness. The black dragon armored warrior was in one piece, physically at least, and her armor had receded to its lighter state. Her face, however, bore a mask of turmoil that even Noxic could recognize at a glance–being friends with Jara for so long had taught him much.

"Barla!" Jara said as she yanked her sword out of the table. "The Scabs were destroyed, but their last report showed you doing well. How did the battle end?"

Marching up to Jara, Barla grabbed her shoulder and got close to her. "You are underestimating them."

Jara's mood soured. "I am doing no such thing! They are children, Barla, they are not like us!"

Without hesitating, Barla shouted right back at her. "We were children once, too, Jara! We were once unsure and without focus, surviving by providence, and winning by any means because we had nothing else but the determination to survive!"

Noxic almost physically lit up and rushed to Typhus' side. "Hey, buddy! More Jara lore!" He whispered excitedly.

"Shut up, I'm tryna listen!" Typhus whispered back.

"You called them children playing out a fantasy," Barla said sternly. "I saw none of that when I faced the one who felled Saberizer. Or as the others actually fought like they understood their mission."

Jara sneered. "They read comic books like they are addicts. Anything that comes out of their mouths is probably taken verbatim from that trash."

"Conviction is more than words! I think you've spent too long with your client to remember what that is!"

Barla's words sent a flash of fury through Jara. "I remember what conviction is just fine! There is none of that with any of those children. Much less the Butterfly or that blue-wearing lucky idiot!"

"Lucky is surviving one battle. How many have you fought with them that has seen you come back here, stewing in your injured pride and resentment?" Barla demanded. "How many times did they best you before you thought to bring Saberizer here, only for HIM to be defeated?! You call that luck?!"

"I call that being saved by their powers, not by anything of their own!"

Barla's eyes flashed yellow, before she viciously slapped Jara across her face. The force of the blow was enough to knock Jara's mask clean off, sending it clattering to the ground towards the pile of scrap that bordered Noxic's workshop. Armored cape and all, Jara staggered to the side, frozen in shock.

Her face twisted in rage; Barla seethed. "You are not the Commander I fought alongside. The woman who helped me defeat a Star Eating Dragon and forged its body into this armor as a mark of pride and confidence in my abilities."

Tears welled up in Barla's eyes. "You're nothing but a pathetic shell, so torn up over being beaten by 'mere children' when the woman I remember would have been impressed and sought to bring them into her ranks. Or would regard them with actual respect."

She turned away from her. "I'm confident that Saberizer would've acknowledged being defeated by that boy in the blue armor. In fact, I am certain he did. What I do not know is what happened to you that made you so wretched."

She glanced back at her, but only briefly. "From now on, I will be taking orders only from the client. Do not show yourself before me, Jara. I cannot bear the sight of you."

With a nod, Barla disappeared in a burst of black flame. Left wrecked in her wake, Jara slowly sank to the ground, still frozen in shock and disbelief.

Typhus and Noxic had been so excited for Jara lore, but now they most certainly were not. Both looked at one another, unsure of what to do as they looked from Jara to her dislodged mask, and then back at her. She was not facing them, thank goodness, so neither could see her face–or the look they could only imagine on it.

Unsure of what to say, Typhus got up from the chair. "Hey, Jara, baby… do you need a minute…?"

It felt like an eternity had passed, before she replied. "More than a minute."

Typhus nodded and turned to Noxic. "Hey, we gotta get ready for phase two anyway. Let's give her some room."

Noxic agreed. "Hey, Jara, if you need to blow off some steam, you can have a couple Scabs to trash. Just give the command, okay?"

With that, Jara's two companions nodded their heads and also departed in flashes of fire.

Left alone in the workshop, Jara looked at her mask, lying in the dirt but facing as if to stare back at her. It was a face she'd gotten so used to seeing that she'd long forgotten what her actual face looked like.

Slowly, she brought her fingerless gloved hand up to her right cheek. Touching her skin, she almost flinched at the sensation as she kept staring at the mask.

"Barla…" She said quietly. "… You could never understand. You never will."

Vivid images flashed behind before her eyes. Comrades frozen in stone, locked in horror, casting long shadows beneath a light that caused even the sun to leave a shadow. Of a smiling face like an angel in the terrifying heart of that incandescence, with glowing marks on its cheeks.

She shook her head, banishing that nightmare from her sight. The pure rage and vile disgust the memory stained in her almost drove her to retch, but she held her composure.

"I cannot, I will not accept defeat from those things, even if I must die."

Once more she shook her head as the image of Star Butterfly jumped at her.

"Not another Butterfly, and certainly not a child treating our lives and pain like a game–a joke."

The image of the Blue Stingerborg haunted her with as much searing pain.

"Not after that day."

@@@@@​

Marco had been taken to the Echo Creek Police Department, and promptly brought to an interrogation room in handcuffs. Rather than a concrete room with a cold and intimidating atmosphere, it was rather cozy and professional with a carpeted floor, comfortable couch and a chair beside it, a desk and chair combo across from the couch, and a wooden door. It seemed like a school counselor's office–except for the CCTV cameras in each corner of the room.

Since he'd been taken into custody, he hadn't uttered a word to anyone, as instructed. The police didn't make it easy, either, trying to strike up a conversation about everything on the way to the station and from the unloading zone to this interrogation room. Since they did not take him in for booking, he realized that he was not under arrest, which made him wonder why they had him in here.

Good, Elise really will get me out of here without trouble, he thought, before he looked around and realized. Wow, I've been detained by the cops… this is gonna do big numbers at school.

He couldn't not be excited by that idea. Not only was he technically taken into police custody, but they had to get the SWAT Team on him, and it was on some BS reasonings. The bad boy was actually a hero, and still getting heat for it!

A thought then occurred to him, that the main reasons he wanted to be a bad boy was so that people would not drag him for being the Safe Kid… but since that day a few weeks back, he was friends with people that were already more important to him than popularity.

The door opened, then, and Marco looked up as a woman wearing a lime-green business casual suit walked in. At first sight, everything about the woman screamed "Karen", from her shoulder length blonde hair, the light makeup applied in vain to hide the lines of middle age, and the sheer contemptuous look she had the very moment she looked down on him. In her left hand she carried a clipboard with a single sheet of paper on it.

"Mr. Marco Ubaldo Diaz, am I correct?" She asked with the enunciation of a teacher who had a delinquent dead to rights.

He didn't reply, exercising his right to remain silent while avoiding eye contact with the woman. She looked at the paper again, then let out a short quick laugh. "You're in High School, so I don't need to ask if you realize your initials spell out MUD."

That stung. Marco really didn't like his middle name, but he held his tongue. She was trying to get a rise out of him, get him to say even one word.

Seeing that she got nothing, the woman took a seat at the desk and folded one leg over the other. "My name is Tara Bouger, I'm a special investigator with the Glendale Police Department, working as part of a task force with the Echo Creek Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and LA County Sheriff's office."

She tapped on the paper. "Young man, do you realize how much trouble you're in, with what you've done, today?"

Marco almost immediately wanted to ask, "What do you mean what I've done?" but once again, he realized she was trying to get him to do exactly that. He held his tongue and kept looking away from her.

Tara's eyes narrowed at his lack of response, and she looked down at the paper. "From the looks of things, you're running around with a very dangerous looking crowd. Getting into fights in the streets, causing property damage, and wielding some pretty exotic weapons with the intent to harm."

She looked up from the paper at him and got no response. "To say nothing of the people you're fighting with, who we have no idea what kind of crap they're on. What is it? A rival gang? Another cosplay crew muscling on your turf? Is there someone pulling some strings, giving you an incentive to get out there and cause trouble?"

Again, Marco said nothing.

"Because we don't know what's going on," she continued, "Which is why we had to arrest you."

Marco knew he wasn't arrested. He was being detained but not arrested. He did not realize cops could just lie like that.

"Are you going to keep quiet like this? Because we need to know what's going on before people start getting hurt, Mr. Diaz, so we can work together here and bring in whoever is responsible for all this violence."

Bring them in? Marco really could not imagine Jara, Typhus, or even Noxic obediently being booked like common criminals. It would never happen, not in a billion years, and he was pretty sure no one in this police station could bring them in if they tried.

Tara leaned forward slightly, her eyes hard despite her empathetic appeal. "Who's making you do this? Who's putting you out there in harm's way, kiddo?"

Marco glanced out the corner of his eye at Tara, and when she sat back to wait for his answers expectantly, he looked away again. This seemed to get a rise out of the woman, who bristled slightly at Marco's silence.

"It's in your best interest to come clean," Tara explained. "We've got you attached to a lot of things, and how that plays out for you in court depends entirely on if you can clarify how involved you are."

She was trying to scare him with threats of facing a judge. Was Marco a criminal? Of course not, he was fairly sure coming to the defense of others and defending himself was not a crime. Not that he'd speak up to defend himself. He was starting to wonder what she'd say next to try to scare him. Maybe something about his school record and how badly an arrest would look for his future?

"And we want to avoid that," Tara continued. "You don't have a record, and from what we know about you… you're a top student at your school with healthy college prospects. UCLA isn't going to like any kind of gang affiliations."

Huh, he called it.

Also, gang affiliations? Kim did say that cosplay heroes and villains were a thing, how bad was it?

Both he and Tara sat in silence after that, Marco stonewalling her efforts at getting any words from her and the woman clearly not liking the impasse. Every so often he'd glance at her, and see the corners of her lips tug downward, or the wrinkles on her forehead furrow as she sought an angle or opening to get him to speak up.

Suddenly, a small smile played on her lips, like she'd found something. "You don't want to worry your parents, do you?"

Marco tensed. She was going there, wasn't she?

"They seem like decent folks, but you and that exchange student living with you… your actions aren't going to reflect kindly on them," she pointed out. "Especially if we can find proof that your parents are encouraging this kind of reckless endangerment."

She stopped. "I mean, most certainly your exchange student friend will have to go back to her home… wherever that is, but…" She looked at the paper again, then at his face. "You do realize if your father does get in trouble for this, he's going back to where he came from and will never be allowed back here, right?"

Anger flashed over Marco's face, and he slowly looked back at the woman. He'd seen that look in her eyes as their gazes met, a genuine enjoyment that she got a reaction out of him, a pleasure in that she knew exactly what button to hit and how hard to hit it.

It reminded him too much of that vapidly smug and superior face of one Trip ex-Vanderhoff.

"We don't want that any more than you do, Mr. Diaz," she continued. "So, cooperate with us here. Tell us what's going on."

Marco stood stone still, staring at the woman, everything but his lips moving as he shook in anger.

The door opened, and two Echo Creek Police Department Detectives walked in. An African American male in his late 30s with short-shaved hair, and a Japanese American woman in her late 20s with bright red hair. Both wore sharp suit and sunglasses combos, and both were accompanied by Elise.

"Special Investigator Bouger, I am Detective Xavier Bishop of the Echo Creek Police Department, and this is my partner, Detective Mirai Hashimoto." The first detective introduced himself in a deep commanding baritone. "With us is the legal representative for Mr. Marco Diaz, Elise Dinkleman."

Marco sagged in relief when he saw Elise. Finally, he could get out of here. In that brief moment, he had never been angrier at anyone. Not even Trip, not even Toffee… he was already exhausted, and this felt like the worst night of his short life.

Tara stood up and greeted them. "Oh, detectives. Lawyer."

There was an icy, and dismissive tone when she said lawyer, like she was speaking to an insect.

"Yes, I am a Lawyer," Elise replied. "With Baxter and Taylor. You've heard of them, yes?"

At the mention of "Baxter and Taylor," Marco saw a glorious thing. All the color seemed to drain from Tara's formerly smug face as if she'd just been locked in a room with a very large, very hungry grizzly bear and there was a freshly killed deer leg tied directly to her neck.

She quickly coughed and tried to recompose herself. "I'm sorry, d-did you just say Baxter and Taylor?"

Elise reached into her pocket and produced a card. "Here you go, in case you want to contact me in the future."

Tara took the card and read it, that paleness of her face gained a greenish hue that was starting to match her obscenely bright business dress.

Detective Bishop grimaced at the woman's reaction, and then looked at Marco's beaming countenance. If he hadn't had the same reaction Tara had when Ms. Dinkleman introduced herself, he'd be enjoying it as much as he was. "We're releasing Mr. Diaz into her custody. He's not been charged with anything, so he's not under arrest."

He turned to Marco. "Sorry about this, son, you're free to go."

"I hope you've been keeping my client good company, and making him feel both welcomed and safe," Elise continued. "He's had a rough day, and it would look pretty bad on all the departments involved if he had anything to complain about."

She turned to Marco. "Well, anything to complain about?"

Marco was now smiling ear-to-ear. "Nope! Everything was fine actually. I didn't have anything to say, but she sure did make the minutes fly talking about nothing at all."

He turned to Tara, still smiling. "Right?"

At that moment, Marco was pretty sure he got a glimpse of pure hatred as Tara looked at him with an impotent fury that dwarfed Trip ex-Vanderhoff's rage and his own for Trip in turn. Three words had punched this woman's soul out of her, and if she didn't want to get it suplexed on cement, she knew she could only respond with one.

"Right," she replied like she was being forced to bow in supplication by the Echo Creek PD Detectives.

Tonight was a great night; Marco would do it all again just for this. 10 out of 10, no notes.

"All right," he said. "I'm ready to go."

Elise nodded and gestured for him to follow her. "Right this way, Marco, your family is waiting at home with pizza and wings."

"Sounds great, I'm starving," Marco said as he followed Elise out of the interrogation room.

As they left and the door swung all but shut, Tara whirled upon the two detectives. "You must be out of your God Damn minds if you actually believe that that… that punk has the most powerful law firm in this country as his representation!"

"He does," Detective Bishop said. "We checked the Bar; we called their office. Elise Dinkleman is an attorney employed by them, and they have record of Marco Diaz being a client of Baxter and Taylor effective yesterday. Him, Star Butterfly, Mason and Mabel Pines, and Misao Darlian. The daughter of HHI's Momiji Hyuuga Misao Darlian."

Tara recoiled. "Wait… the daughter of…" She looked a bit dizzy at that. "Momiji Hyuuga does not have a daughter."

Detective Bishop's partner spoke up. "She does, they keep it kind of low profile because… well… when Shego attacked the school, yesterday… she was after her."

Detective Bishop pinched the bridge of his nose. "That… is another can of worms we don't want to open."

Tara dropped back on the couch, deeply shaken. "So… that's it? We can't touch any of them?"

Detective Hashimoto sighed. "Nope. At this point, you'd need the DoD to actually go after them now. And given that Baxter and Taylor represent some of the Pentagon's most important contractors…"

Slowly, the blonde shook her head. She was struggling now with the earth-turning revelation. "When you called Glendale to assist; you guys implied that this was just another bunch of SheZows running around causing trouble."

"We thought that, too, until this afternoon," Detective Hashimoto said in consolation.

"From what we have been told so far, the situation is very difficult and at the moment may possibly be a global-scale threat," Detective Bishop explained. "We'll be getting a full brief on the situation by the end of the week. But for right now, we need to downplay and diminish this to avoid causing a panic."

Tara snapped alert, then, and glared at the two detectives. "A global-scale threat? And we're just leaving it to a bunch of punk kids with guns?!"

"I did say it was difficult," Detective Bishop reiterated.

Detective Hashimoto shrugged her shoulders. "Shoot, we let Kim Possible get away with it."

"Kim Possible isn't a costumed delinquent causing property damage and making a show about it!" Tara snapped back at them.

「しょうがない。」 Detective Hashimoto simply said in Japanese, earning a nod in agreement from Detective Bishop, before she switched to English. "What can we do?"

"I believe there's also an implication that we should assist however we can," Detective Bishop said. "It may be unacceptable to some of us, but for the third time… this is a difficult situation. If we don't like it, how can any of them like it any better?"

Tara had heard enough and got up from the couch to push past them. "Detectives," she said as she reached the door and stopped. "Take it from someone who is familiar with the mind of a vigilante: they are degenerates who do as they please because they have powers, a secret identity, or a cult following. They love it and they will lord it over those we who are bound by duty to uphold the law. If they get too powerful? The law itself will break down and they will become the law."

She pointed at both of them. "Do not hand your balls over to these brats. Pentagon Lawyers or not, we are the law. We enforce the law. And we must not let any costumed freaks think they can flaunt it. Or their friends."

With that she marched out of the room.

The redhead detective looked up at her partner, left eyebrow raised way up. "… X, she is really the last person to be talking that shit."

Detective Bishop pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, Mirai, I know."

= - = 8-7 = - =​

New enemies, new allies, and... seemingly random people who don't like the police? Who knows!

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

On to the next.

= - = 8-8 = - =

|Off the Hook|​

Riding shotgun in Elise's minivan, Marco basked in his victory this evening. He was an enlightened man, he saw for himself and understood now why his friends all regarded the police with suspicion. In some ways he was disappointed, in others elated, but beside all that he was confident he'd be reluctant to trust another policeman so implicitly like the Safe Kid in him once would.

"I'm proud of you, kid. They really tried to screw you over, but you stuck to the plan and now you get to sleep in your own bed tonight."

"Yeah, I'm really surprised… I also kind of understand now why rich people act out like they do."

"Right?" Elise flashed him a quick smile. "Don't abuse it, or we'll dump you in a deeper hole than the one we put Trip and Van in."

Marco raised his hands in supplication. "Message received! I am ten toes on the ground and dug in; I'm not going to take advantage of you or what you're doing for us."

Elise didn't need to hear that. "Of course you aren't–I was just teasing. You're a good kid, you're all good kids… and that's why I'm here to help you so this isn't as hard as it's going to be."

As hard as it was going to be. After fighting Barla, Marco implicitly got the meaning. These fights were going to be harder, and they were going to need a lot of help to get through them at this rate. Not just his friends, but their families, and people like Elise running interference for them and speaking when they can't.

They were also probably going to need guns. Lots of guns. "I'm not going to lie. The idea of it getting harder worries me. This new one we're fighting was tough. And now they're attacking the town itself? What do we do about that? What if they start attacking at different times, to try to throw us off? Or go after other places?"

Marco tightened his jaw as Elise shot him a glance. "What do we do if there's something worse out there than Vexor and the Magnavores?"

A good question, Elise wondered that, too. "Hope that when you run into it, you'll be ready."

She smiled encouragingly. "We'll make sure you are."

@@@@@​

"Has he answered yet?" Brittney demanded as Dudley pulled the G-Wagen into a neighborhood between where the battle took place and their school. Beside her, Sabrina checked her phone and shook her head.

"It was sent but he hasn't read it yet," she lamented as Dudley pulled up to a line of houses that bordered the town's eponymous creek. "Maybe he's busy."

Brittney considered today's battle and nodded. "Yeah, or maybe he got caught up in the fight today, too. Who knows."

"I hope he's okay."

At that, Brittney snorted. "I'm sure he'll be fine." She insisted, even as she decided to check something when she was done here. "He's going to text you soon, don't freak out before then, okay?"

"I'll try." Sabrina was having a micro-freak out every several seconds since they escaped the battle.

"We have arrived, Master Sabrina," Dudley informed.

Sabrina managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Dudley. And thank you for protecting us earlier."

Dudley nodded back to her. "Of course."

As Sabrina climbed out and closed the door and began to walk up the driveway towards the side of her house, Brittney turned to Dudley. "Say, Dudley, what do you suppose are the odds that Drew is one of the Beetleborgs?"

"Extremely high, Master Brittney. I was there the first day that the Pines Twins arrived in Echo Creek, he, his sister, and Master Roland associate with them."

Brittney scowled. "It's good circumstantial evidence, but I won't be satisfied with that. I need you to take me to Star Butterfly's house."

"At once, Master Brittney." As Dudley put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, he noticed the edges of his vision begin to blur.

Staring at her message to Drew and the sent icon, Sabrina sighed as she reached the side door of her home, that would reach her kitchen. As she went into her pocket for her keys, movement from the corner of her eye made her jump, and she spotted TC in his hoodie step around the corner from her house, from the direction of her backyard.

"… Mr. Darnell?" She asked in confusion.

TC looked just as surprised to see Sabrina. "Oh! You made it out of there all right. I'm glad."

"I-I was about to say the same thing…" Sabrina said. "It's good that you're safe but… what are you doing behind my house?"

TC looked back. "I got out of there by running to the creek and hiding under a bridge, luckily none of those Scabs noticed me so I was able to book it. I was actually just climbing over the fence to go back to the street when I noticed you. What are the odds, huh?"

She agreed. "Yeah, one way or another I didn't think we were going to meet again."

"Oof!" TC said with a laugh. "That one hurt."

Sabrina managed a nervous chuckle herself. "Well, again I'm glad you're okay… but I should get inside."

"Oh, of course!" TC said as he lifted his hat up slightly. "But before I leave, I want to ask you something."

Sabrina paused. "… What?"

"I don't normally ask this to specific people, but…" TC's smile grew. "Would you like to be on a shirt?"

@@@@@​

"What do you mean you hot-wired Gargantis?!" A disbelieving Jo demanded. "You didn't need to hot-wire it!"

"No," Janna conceded, before she snapped her fingers and pointed at Jo, "But I wanted to."

Jo stopped and weighed on that. "You know what? That's fair, go on, Queen."

They were all gathered in Star's room at the Diaz household, after receiving word from Elise that Marco was already on his way home. Food had been delivered, soft drinks were served, and Star was waiting downstairs excitedly for Marco's return. With the crisis regarding Marco not a crisis at all, the atmosphere was slowly easing its tension.

"However she wanted to do it don't matter. She stood on business," Roland pointed out.

"Big business," Mabel agreed.

Janna hooked an arm around Misao's shoulders and pulled her close, poking her chest with her other hand as she pointed at her. "It's thanks to this guy. As soon as we saw how Big and Bad Barla was, she had me out there."

Misao giggled. "Danke schön."

Drew, opening a soda with his mind, held the can up in salute. "And you drove her off when we needed you to. That's some Super Sentai timing."

"Super Sen-timing," Mabel chimed in.

"I'll remember that one," Drew said.

Jackie was sitting at the end of Star's bed, drizzling some ranch dressing over her slice of pizza. "So, when Marco gets back, we need to talk about how we're gonna fight that Barla chick. She was way too strong."

Jo was in agreement. "Yeah, what's up with that? Everything we hit her with she just shrugged off like she was early-career Brock Lesnar."

"2002 to 2004: The worst period in professional sports entertainment history," Janna lamented.

"The key to defeating her lies in the Big Bad Beetleborgs movie tie-in issues," Drew said.

"108 through 120?" Dipper asked.

Drew nodded. "She was the main villain throughout that entire year of comics, but it was revealed that she was only the herald for the arrival of the movie-only villains."

"And since the movie didn't come out those comics haven't been recirculated and are rare as hell," Roland added to explain their rarity.

"Non-canon, too, until the movie finally does drop," Jo felt she needed to add.

Jackie looked around. "So, we're getting them, right?"

"Ja, of course!" Misao assured her. "Very first thing in the morning we will go to Zoom Comics and I will buy them from Nano, paid in cash."

"And the other rares we're missing," Drew said.

Jackie relaxed. "Sweet. You've read those comics though, right?"

"Obviously I have not," Jo said.

Drew shook his head. "Never got around to it, because, well…"

"I have," Roland said. "And believe it or not… they're actually not very good."

Jo nodded. "Because Marvel was being pushy about them, and the Chairman insisted that each comic have a guest artist and writer to make a big deal about the brand."

"It went poorly, because suddenly Art Fortunes had to work with people he'd never worked with before at best, or outright hated at worst, and it showed on the pages." Roland continued. "The writing was mid, the art was all over the place, and the story was so janky because of problems with the film production that in hindsight they're all a really hard read."

"Speaking of working with Art," Dipper said. "Misao, is there anyone you can connect us with to maybe get a meeting with him?"

Misao brightened. "I have a friend who is working on the new Beetleborgs film. And my would-be host family, too."

Silence reigned in the room, as everyone stared at her.

It was then that Misao realized… that this hadn't come up before. "Ah."

Jo, being Jo, broke the silence. "You know people working on the Beetleborgs film?! Who?!"

Misao shrank some, becoming smaller than she already was. "Um… Cynthia McDougal–"

Jo screamed. "YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH FUCKING REDDLE?!"

"We went to middle school together in Switzerland!" Misao quickly explained.

Roland shook his head. "Jo, chill. It's not like we could've used this info earlier, we've been busy!"

"Yeah, so much has happened… and is going to keep happening until we deal with the Magnavores for good," Drew said.

The door opened, and Star stepped in. "Guess who's back from doing a bid~!"

Marco walked in. "Hey guys!"

"MARCO!" Mabel, Misao, and Jackie all shouted at once, before Jackie beat them to running up and hugging him.

"Dude, how was it?" She asked.

Mabel and Misao reached him next, joining the embrace. "Yay, you weren't police brutalized!"

Janna then spoke up. "You didn't snitch, did you?"

"I didn't snitch, I didn't talk at all!" Marco snapped back.

"Relax, I knew you wouldn't."

No longer mobbed by the huggiest of girls, Marco went over to Star's bed and sat on it, both Star and Jackie joining him on it as he grabbed a chicken wing from a box. "Anyway, I got some bad news."

"Bad news how?" Dipper asked.

"Well, the Glendale Police Department is part of the police task force thing that swarmed us."

Everyone who was from Los Angeles in the room made faces of disgust.

"Okay, I'll bite," Dipper said, "What's the deal with Glendale?"

"Glendale PD has its own superhero," Jo said. "Or rather, its own supercop, and she's a massive bitch."

"Yeah, she is," Marco said before all but biting through the bone of his chicken wing. "She tried to make me talk by threatening that my Dad would get deported."

Mabel made a face. "That's foul."

"Dude, saying it lightly," Jackie seethed.

Roland dropped her name. "Yeah, she'd say something like that. Freaking Tara Bouger, also known as Major Blast II."

Jo continued on. "If you look up the word Karen in a dictionary you will see her face next to it. She hates superheroes, brown people, and dogs."

"She hates people not being inconvenienced by her in general," Janna said.

Drew sighed. "It's been nice, but if she's got legal permission to act here, next time the Magnavores attack we may end up fighting her, too."

"You mean we'll get to fight her," Jo said. "I don't know about you guys, but if she does pull up? She's getting exactly what she deserves."

"Well, yeah, but it's going to be annoying."

Dipper wasn't too concerned about police interference. "As long as we stay focused on the Magnavores, the police and any pet supercops they have won't be able to do much without it being a bad time for them. We just need to keep our heroism above board."

He looked at Star. "Which means after we're done here, you should get back over to Britta's and clean up the mess."

Star nodded. "I can do that; I wanted to do that! But, you know, the cops."

Drew spoke. "So tomorrow we have to pick up the comics with Barla in them so we might have some understanding of how to defeat her, and we have to prepare for what might be another Magnavore attack as soon as tomorrow… and somebody died at our school under suspicious circumstances that we're not allowed to go near."

Mabel brought up the bright side of it. "Hey, at least we have the rest of the week off."

Janna was about to add another important event from today, when Drew remembered. "Oh yeah, and there's that room in Hillhurst that reacts specifically to Star and Marco, complete with a magic armoire that will only open for them."

The room went quiet as Dipper slowly turned to look at Star and Marco.

"I'm sorry… what?!"

Marco, Star, and Jackie all nodded in unison. "It's true. It's weird."

Janna further confirmed it. "We were all freaking out until the Magnavores gave us something more important to worry about."

"Did you open it?!" Dipper demanded.

Marco shook his head. "We couldn't, we're missing a key."

Dipper had to know. "A key, what kind of key?"

"I don't know," Star said, "It was shaped like an S."

"An S-shaped Key?"

"Yeah, the letter S," Marco said. "We're not sure about what it means."

Roland hummed. "An S-shape, huh… I think Nano might know; we'll ask her tomorrow."

Dipper was now going through the same implications Drew had. "… Wait, what does the house mean to you and Star? Why are Flabber and the Monsters there? Were we supposed to be there?!"

"Oooh, a strange destiny? It wouldn't be the first time!" Mabel said.

Dipper turned to Star. "We need to go back to Hillhurst right now, I need to see this!"

Star reached into her purse and pulled out the Dimensional Scissors. "I wonder if we'll be able to go directly to it."

She snipped open a portal, and sure enough, it led directly to Wolfy's Room. "Oh, hey, it let me in–" Dipper all but bolted through the portal into the room. "Hey! That's our room!"

"And that's weird!" Dipper shouted from the other side of the portal.

As Star, Jackie, and Marco followed in after the others, Drew got up to follow when he felt his phone slip from his pocket. Stopping, he picked it up as the screen came on and showed a message from an unknown number. "… Huh…?"

Opening his screen and going to his messages, he stopped when he began to read it. "Wait, this is from…"

He trailed off, as the edges of his vision started to blur, like tears were starting to form in his eyes.

@@@@@​

In her driveway, beside her house, Sabrina was surprised at TC's offer. "M-me? You want to put my face on a t-shirt? I… but my face is so… normal…"

TC laughed. "Nonsense! I think you'd look great!"

She wasn't sure. "But… doesn't' that go against your theme? The whole point of your artistic vision?"

TC shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you see…"

A car at the end of the driveway honked its horn, startling both of them. Recovering from her fright, Sabrina looked at and recognized the car before its driver opened the door. "Wait…"

Heather stepped out of her Audi. "Oh, hey Sabrina!"

Sabrina was confused. "Uh… hey, Heather… what's up?"

"I was on my home from work, when I saw you and just remembered I forgot to tell you some things about Drew, and…!" She stopped when she noticed TC. "Oh, I'm sorry, who's this?"

Sabrina brightened, mainly since they were going to talk about that boy she liked. "Oh, he's…!"

TC raised a hand, laughing. "Actually, hold on a sec." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Oh shoot… my agent is blowing up my phone like crazy, worried about me. So I gotta bounce."

He gave Sabrina a smile. "Take care of yourself, I'll see you whenever, but who knows…"

He nodded and tipped his hat to Heather. "Nice meeting you."

With that he headed down the driveway and began walking down the street, bowing his head low and pulling his hoodie down over his baseball cap. Watching him go, Sabrina looked disappointed. "Oh, just my luck."

Heather turned to her. "Who was that?"

"TC Darnell, the artist," Sabrina revealed.

Heather tilted her head. "… Who?"

Sabrina paused, and then got a bit awkward as she realized. "… I guess he's someone who'd only hang out in Brittney's circles, I only know about him from her, myself."

She pulled out the t-shirt he made. "He gave me a t-shirt he made just today."

Heather's eyes grew wide when she saw the shirt. "… Oh! I know who you're talking about, now! He's that t-shirt artist, who does the weird faces!" She turned and looked back the way TC was walking away in. "Wow… and he just gave one to you?"

Sabrina nodded. "He gave Brittney one, too. I was so surprised."

Heather glanced back at her car. "Say, you wanna go hang out? I know Britta's is off the table, but there was some stuff I wanted to tell you about Drew since you're going to be asking him out."

Sabrina looked at her house. "Well, I just got home, but…" She wanted to know more about Drew. "… Actually, would you like to stay over for a bit?!"

Heather nodded. "More than anything, let's go inside."

While Sabrina and Heather headed inside the house, Drew gave a surprised start as he recognized the message and his face colored. "Uh… wow."

Janna suddenly leaned over his shoulder. "What's up, Sad Kid?" She read the screen, and her eyebrows rose. "So… Sabrina wants another taste, huh?"

Turning to her, and extremely aware of her nearness, Drew was unsure of her intent. "Well, is… uh… that a problem?" He asked.

Janna looked at the phone, and then him, smiling. "No, if she wants to hang out, you should hang out. She's cute, you're cute, be cute."

Patting him on the shoulder, Janna leaned close and whispered. "But be gentle, Sad Kid, you might be too much for her~"

"H-hey!" Drew snapped as Janna swept off–snapping her fingers and pointing at him like they were guns–and headed for the portal. "Look, are you into me or not?!"

Janna stopped at the portal and looked back at him. Jo, Roland, Mabel, and Misao all looked at the two of them.

Finding herself on the spot, Janna nevertheless remained entirely cool. "Well… isn't that obvious?" She stepped into the portal. "Don't let that discourage, you though, I'm generous."

With that she headed through to check out the hilarity in Wolfy's room.

Everyone still in Star's room turned to look back at Drew. Jo was surprised that it just happened, Roland was proud and happy for his boy, while Mabel and Misao were both watching all their ships sail with excitement.

Drew… just didn't know how to respond to this.

"… Huh."

= - = 8-8 = - =​

That was a close one.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

And with this, we close out Volume 8. I hope you've enjoyed the read, and look forward to the next one. It's already well underway, and there's going to be quite a few changes, twists, and turns as we start to go beyond the borders of Echo Creek.

= - = 8-9 = - =

|The Heroine|​

When night fell in Echo Creek, strange moons illuminated the dark. Perched atop towers almost 150 feet tall, the harsh, unrelenting light of Carbon Arc Lamps pierced the haze created by the town's Oil Derricks and danced off the metal with the same vibrance as the sun. It was an unearthly sight that Dr. Hillhurst found both unsettling and excessive.

So much light and yet it made an already contaminated place appear more hostile to life.

Letting gravity take his bicycle downhill, he coasted to the edge of town and to a pace no faster than a casual stroll as he made for the heart of the town and the vicinity of the Post Office. The Arc Light, still several blocks away, beamed down unmoving across the night sky, causing buildings to create long and threatening shadows in the alleyways of the few buildings not replaced by derricks… to say nothing of the crisscrossing tangle of darkness cast by the derricks themselves.

Turning left at the corner adjacent to the post office, he rode down the dusty road past nothing but oil derricks, heading further into Echo Creek and the domain of Emily Blakesfield-Bonner. The everpresent haze and fumes of oil and the steady, noisy chorus of slowly working pumps was nauseating, making him yearn to cover his mouth with a handkerchief, as futile as that would be.

For several minutes he rode on, fighting his disgust at the forest of progress, before his destination came into view. A foundry hard at work even at this late hour, the night shift workers taking on the task of casting the metal that spread the damnable derricks.

Securing his bicycle at the entrance, Dr. Hillhurst dismounted and covered his mouth with a bright orange handkerchief as he headed to the foreman's office. Reaching it, he gave it a brisk knock, before taking the knob and letting himself in.

"Mr. Backintosh, are you in?" He called as he stepped into the office. "I need to speak with you about an order."

A deep, annoyed voice called from the shadowed back of the office, lit by a small arc light in the ceiling. He was a typical factory man, broad shouldered, strongly built, with a full head of dark brown hair and matching eyes that burned with contempt in the low light. "The hell do you want, Hillhurst?"

"Doctor Hillhurst," he happily corrected.

"Fuck off with that," Mr. Anthony Backintosh barked at him. "I'm not dignifying a Diploma Mill Doctorate. Now what do you want, Hillhurst?"

Dr. Hillhurst played coy. "Oh, nothing much, I just need brass for… Mauser 7.63mm and Colt .45–"

"Mauser?!" Mr. Backintosh cut him off. "Who the hell did you talk out of a Mauser on this side of the world?!"

Dr. Hillhurst smiled, having piqued the bitter man's interest. "It's not mine, a client came right to my door asking for ammunition in Mauser. I couldn't believe it myself, until I saw it. It's pristine, Anthony, the well-used weapon of a man who does well by it."

Mr. Backintosh glared at Dr. Hillhurst as he steepled his fingers. "I take it you have an example for me to work from?"

Dr. Hillhurst reached into the pocket of his coat, and produced five shell casings, before handing them to him. "Look, ye mighty, and despair."

Mr. Backintosh picked up one of the casings deposited on his desk and marveled at it. "Fucking hell… that's real 7.63mm…" He turned it over and looked at the bottom of the cartridge. "… Avameros…?"

Dr. Hillhurst hadn't noticed that. "Avameros?"

Mr. Backintosh held it up. "The headstamp… I know this. Avameros is short for Avalon Armeros, a custom cartridge and firearm manufacturer that only does work for European nobility."

He set the cartridge down. "Be honest with me, Hillhurst. How'd you get hold of this?"

Dr. Hillhurst hummed, before he answered. "European nobility, hmm? Like I said, it's not for any weapon of mine; a client commissioned me and I'm here to pay you to get the brass made."

He reached inside his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "I need it made quickly, so I'm paying up front the full price for a standard order, with the promise of double that when the job's done."

Dr. Hillhurst tossed the open envelope onto the desk. Mr. Backintosh could see a considerable amount of money inside. The foundry foreman looked up at the alleged Doctor, intrigued.

"I was going to charge you extra for the work in machining something in a rare caliber, but you're a step ahead. I can't say no to money like that, especially since we're making these damn oil pipes at a loss."

"At a loss–?!" Dr. Hillhurst stopped and scowled. "Don't tell me…"

He nodded. "Revolutionary as she is, no one trusts the innovations of a woman whose family's history is wreathed with deceit and trickery that would do the Northwests offense."

Dr. Hillhurst made a face at that name. "Of course."

"Nevertheless," Backintosh continued, "I'll get started on this tonight. You'll have enough brass to arm a company by the day after tomorrow."

Dr. Hillhurst beamed. "Oh, Anthony, you are my savior in the night. My client and I are immensely grateful and wish success and happiness to your family for generations to come–"

"Get the fuck out of my office," Mr. Backintosh said curtly, with no patience for Dr. Hillhurst's eloquent praise.

"Fine! I'm leaving, asshole!" Dr. Hillhurst abruptly declared, with a quick laugh before he was out the door.

As he walked back out into the putrid night, Dr. Hillhurst pondered what he learned. "Avalon Armeros, shooting demons with silver, hunting beasts…"

He hummed. "Are you what I think you are, Teddy?" He mused aloud. "I may have to consult the Master for his wisdom on the matter…"

When he turned towards his bike, however, he found it gone from where he left it. "… The Devil…?"

He looked down the street, and saw a young boy perched upon it, looking at him with a big smile on his face. Locking eyes on the ruddy young man, Dr. Hillhurst saw red.

"Hey! You look like you can barely read, lad, what makes you think you can ride–?!" To his dismay, the boy turned and rode off on the bicycle as fast as he could. "Damn it to hell!"

He broke into a run after the fleeing thief. "Get back here! That derailleur is not patented yet!"

The bicycle thief only laughed as he pumped the pedals as hard as he could, quickly picking up great speed. "Shows what you get for not keeping an eye on–"

His taunt turned into a scream of terrified disbelief as he found Dr. Hillhurst almost within arm's length of grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking him bodily off the bike. Turning away, he kept screaming as he rode faster, trying to stay ahead of the sprinting doctor.

Cutting a hard right, the boy aimed for the alley between two buildings, narrowly escaping a grab and ducking down it. Staggering to a halt, Dr. Hillhurst took several deep breaths before he sprinted down the alley, disappearing into the darkness after him.

"Get! Back! Here! I've outrun Soapy's boys in a dead heat, you won't get away from me!"

His boast echoed in the alley. The smack of a fist against his face immediately followed.

The blow stunned the doctor, and he collapsed against the brick masonry wall of the warehouse before a pair of strong hands lashed out from the dark and shoved him into a gaslit clearing. Stumbling to a stop, Dr. Hillhurst turned around and stopped when a familiar face strode out of the dark towards him, his dark eyes grim but his lips curled in a satisfied sneer.

"Hutchinson, my boy!" The Doctor said as he backed up with hands raised. "Fine time meeting you this late…"

"I said I'd be coming straight for you!" Hutchinson swore before he swung at Dr. Hillhurst, who deftly sidestepped the swing despite his fading dizziness.

"I seem to recall!" He said before he evaded another punch. "But I assumed you'd be coming to my door, not luring me in the alley by stealing my bicycle." He ducked another and circled around Hutchinson, putting his back to the way he came out of the alley and facing his assailant. "That's not very straight for me, good man."

He noticed more figures moving in the dim light, the two associates that he'd bested earlier in the day along with Hutchinson outside of the Baldwin homestead. The boy who took his bike was in the back, grinning like a loon in anticipation. His lips dipped into a frown. "I say, you're serious about this, aren't you?"

"I want my piece back, Hillhurst."

"Doctor Hillhurst," he corrected, "And I'd gladly exchange it for my property had you thought of just that. As it stands, you've taken my bicycle and assaulted me, so I'm afraid only one of us is coming out of here satisfied."

"Yeah, the three of us," Hutchinson said as he raised his fists to brawl.

Dr. Hillhurst shook his head. "I said one of us."

The world fell quiet as Hutchinson lunged towards him, and slowed to a crawl. Staring at him, and the two other men moving in the shadows, Dr. Hillhurst's mind began racing as he analyzed their approach.

Three men, unarmed. Man on the left, mild signs of concussion from earlier blow to jaw. Man on the right, cracked jaw from previous chin strike. Point man, Hutchinson, smells of alcohol. Responsiveness lowered due to consumption of three glasses of whisky.

He sniffed.

Four glasses. Liquid courage.

He watched as Hutchinson began to raise his arm.

Hutchinson will attempt a wild haymaker. Evade by moving out the path of the punch and striking him in the liver.

Sure enough, Hutchinson swung his haymaker and was immediately punished with a blow to the liver.

Crack his ribs on his right side to evacuate air in his lungs, then uppercut to chin, he'll fall back into the man on his right.

He struck Hutchinson again, then landed an uppercut. Sending the man stumbling into the man on Dr. Hillhurst's left. Looking right, the Doctor saw his opponent coming at him with both hands clasped above his head, to bring them down like a hammer.

Five glasses of whiskey, desperate, afraid. This is all he thinks he can do. Right jab him in the nose, then left cross in the jaw. He will crumple straight to the ground.

Dr. Hillhurst did just that, quickly punching the man in the nose. As his hands dropped to cover his broken nose, the "Doctor" slammed a left cross into his jaw, and in short order the man sank to the ground, properly concussed. He looked at the man he used Hutchinson to knock down, and he was clutching his unconscious leader in his arms like a fallen brother in battle while staring at Dr. Hillhurst in terror.

Two drinks, just sober enough to realize how outmatched he is.

"PA!" He heard the boy who stole his bicycle in the first place exclaim in horror, before rushing to the other unconscious man and trying to stir him. "Pa, wake up! Wake up!"

Seeing that, Dr. Hillhurst sneered in disgust. "Of course, men of low character would dare to pass a legacy of violence onto their children."

He turned and looked down the alleyway, furious. "I do recall saying something to the effect of offering a man enough to feed him and his, and he'll do whatever is necessary. A hypocritical, contemptible wretch like you would of course take and twist it into the vilest of things, Ms. Blakesfield-Bonner!"

Two sets of footsteps approached from the darkness, before the elegant and composed Emily Blakesfield-Bonner stepped into the dim arc light. Far from the impassioned teetotaler who spoke of shutting down dens of sin and the virtues of sobriety, she wore a cold, malicious stare that bore through Dr. Hillhurst–a deep and wide hatred that only dared show itself at night.

His hands folded behind his back; the man who walked beside her remained in the dark. Dr. Hillhurst noted him, before focusing on her.

"Is it no wonder that men turn to crime in this town, your town? You drive them from their homes, turn verdant, lush land into oil-soaked, dead dirt, force them to work for next to nothing in your factories, and then take every fruit of that labor for yourself. Oil, and broken men, that is all you are interested in producing."

Emily sniffed at Dr. Hillhurst's damning words. "It is not for nothing that men break in the service of progress. Every drop of oil drawn from the earth fuels and lubricates the machines of industry that will turn this country from an afterthought to a great power. I facilitate it, the sacrifice of those who work for me ensures it."

Dr. Hillhurst wished he'd brought a gun, or even his cane to strike this woman down and dead where she stood. "And that is all they are, broken pieces of your great work–"

"Exactly," Emily said sharply. "Men who can be replaced and will be. Who need nothing but to know their place and will be rewarded for it. Those who cannot, who will not, have no place in this world… let alone in my sight."

She stepped aside, and the man who accompanied her stepped forward. In the low light, Dr. Hillhurst was surprised to see, of all people, an Asian man approach him slowly. He was close to his age, maybe older, and wore the popular attire of the Chinese Immigrants who'd settled west and south of Echo Creek near the sea and the heart of LA.

Dr. Hillhurst's anger was obfuscated by astonishment. "… Is… is that a Chinese man?!"

Emily nodded. "I've grown weary of the fancy martial arts you keep hospitalizing my hard-working employees with."

"Bartitsu, it's all the rage in London," Dr. Hillhurst quipped.

"Whatever barbarism it is, I've chosen to fight it with barbarism." She nodded to the man. "Ping, deal with him."

Dr. Hillhurst rolled his eyes in disgust. "That's probably not even his name."

"I did not hire him to know his wretched life story, only to put an end to yours."

The Chinese Man, whether his name was actually Ping an irrelevant point, slipped his hands from behind his back and bowed to Dr. Hillhurst before assuming a front stance with his right hand and foot leading. As with Hutchinson and his boys. Dr. Hillhurst's mind began to race as he sized up his opponent.

Stone cold sober, breathing even but deep and open, pulse at rest. There is no tension in his body, only anticipation in his nerves. This man is not like those I've dealt with. I need to be quick and decisive if I am to defeat him. This mustn't register on an emotional level.

Dr. Hillhurst looked at his hands, then his feet, then back and forth as his hand reached for the handkerchief in his coat pocket.

First, I'll distract the target by throwing my handkerchief at his face, then block his blind attempt to grab, and counter with a cross to his left cheek. Then, discombob–

The next thing Dr. Aloysius Hillhurst knew was that he was being punched in the face repeatedly by the Chinese man, who'd grabbed him by the collar of his suit and began using his face as a speedbag with his other hand.

Behind the Chinese man, Emily smiled in satisfaction as she watched the subject of her ire take a long-awaited beating and listened to the sounds he made with each hit.

"Urk! Ough! Oof! Damn it–! D'oh...!"

"Honestly this is so long overdue," she said, "I've only known you for a less than a year and it feels like you've antagonized me for an age."

"Bleh–! Paddy–! Guh–!"

"Do you have any idea how much it costs to pay for the medical expenses of the men you've put into the hospital?"

"Of! Poit! Zort! D'apples!"

"To ensure that they and their families don't go hungry? Do you know how it feels to be in their shoes?"

She raised her hand, and the Chinese man immediately ceased punching Dr. Hillhurst.

Panting, his face already swollen in spots and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Dr. Hillhurst looked at Emily. "… I… don't know… do you know how it feels to be the farmers… whose lives, wives, and children are threatened by those same men if they don't give up their land so you can grow oil instead of food…?"

Emily made the most hateful face. "You talk far too much."

"I will… however… give credit where it is due. I am stunned that you've hired a man–for the first time–based entirely on the skills he possesses, and not the color of his skin." To the martial artist, he said to the man in note perfect Mandarin. "Congratulations on breaking the racial barrier, I hope you're being paid the thirty-five cents she pays her white thugs."

Ms. Bakersfield-Bonner recoiled. "You speak that gibberish?!"

The Chinese Man let Dr. Hillhurst go and answered in perfectly fluent English. "Thirty-five cents?! I'm only being paid twelve!"

Right away she realized what he did and scowled at the "Doctor" before snapping at her newly hired muscle. "It's more than your kind should get, now do your job or you don't get paid at all!"

The threatening crack of a whip made everyone in the alley jump and go very still. All looked up to see a feminine figure standing on the roof of the warehouse, illuminated by the larger Arc Lamp shining on the town. It was the gaudily dressed woman who'd foiled the robbery earlier in the day, the sequined jewels in her attire and the S-shaped ring on her right hand ring-finger gleaming fabulously in the light.

"Rest assured, amigo," she said to the Chinese Man, "You won't get your medical expenses as generously covered as the lady's white thugs either. So, reconsider your risk against reward."

The man didn't need to be told twice, turning and fleeing down the alley while flipping Emily off and saying some very colorful things in his native Mandarin. After watching him go, Emily looked up at the interloper with a fierce scowl as the other woman casually stepped off the edge of the roof, fell over thirty feet, and landed in a neat crouch unharmed beside Dr. Hillhurst.

Dr. Hillhurst gave a bloodied smile at the woman. "Never in my life have I been so fortunate to see someone so offensive to my eyes."

The woman stood upright and tipped her hat to Dr. Hillhurst. "Doctor."

She then turned to Emily. "Ma'am. I do believe that a lady of your standing need not be out so late. It's dangerous out here; you have no idea what could happen to you if you keep going 'round unattended."

Emily's cold gaze attempted to lance through the woman but was met with a smile that concealed not a threat but a promise. Huffing, she turned away. "'Doctor' Hillhurst, I hope this is the last time I have to lay eyes upon you."

"Hey, me too," Dr. Hillhurst replied. "It is dangerous out here, after all."

Scoffing, the socialite pulled out a handkerchief and threw it onto Dr. Hillhurst's face. "Wipe yourself off, Doctor, you live to see another day."

With that she walked into the alley, disappearing into the yawning darkness. The remaining conscious man of Hutchinson's trio dragged his boss out, while the simpering bike thief hauled his still unconscious father out after.

Dr. Hillhurst, taking his bike, stood it and rose to lean on it, when his savior came to his side and helped him stand. "Now, hold on, Al. You look like you took a bad beating there…"

He turned to her and smiled. "Really, you are too kind. SheHaw, was it? Are your sure I cannot call you Ja–"

"Not while I'm on the clock," she cut him off. "What in tarnation are you doing getting into fights at night with that whore's whores?"

"It was an ambush," Dr. Hillhurst said. "They used my one weakness, my attachment to personal property."

"And that you talk too much."

"I thought you were here to help!"

"Anytime and always," she said as she got him on his bike, took it by the handlebars, and began rolling him down the alley. "But I reckon you've been recklessly doing as you please, expecting none of it to catch up to you–and now that it has, you need to be told how you messed up, so you won't again."

Dr. Hillhurst sighed, as if to swoon. "Oh, SheHaw, if I could hold romantic desire for another. I would fall to my knee and ask you to be my bride."

"And I would laugh in your face at the very idea."

"Is it possible to love someone more platonically?"

SheHaw laughed as she wheeled Dr. Hillhurst out of the alley and pointed them both in the direction towards his home. "So, what was it this time?"

"She's making her way up the hills, going after the white homesteaders now. That woman's appetite for oil is insatiable."

With a snort, SheHaw shook her head. "Of course, she would."

"I stepped in, as usual, earned a rare prize from her polite young men, and that should've been that. I didn't even rough them up as much as I normally do."

"You've been at it with her for months, did you think she'd never be able to pull a new trick out from under her skirt? That you'd always just throw a few guys around, run them off, and receive all the thanks, beef, and wine you can stuff into your big mouth?"

"Sadly, the whites are a lot less grateful for my service to the community, so I think I'll be seeing less of that in the future," Dr. Hillhurst lamented. "While we're on the subject of disappointment: she was right there, you know… you could've slammed that whip right between her eyes."

"Oh yes and kick off the mother of all riots aimed at anyone darker than a caramel. Why yes, I would like that on my conscience." SheHaw scoffed. "She only plays this game because it's as much good publicity for her as it is for you."

Dr. Hillhurst fell quiet after that as he conceded to that point. The reason he was alive, the reason Emily Blakesfield-Bonner was alive, was because the latter treated it as a game… and if she lost, she'd make sure no one else could enjoy their victory.

Dr. Hillhurst swore one day he would throw it away and kill her, but it would not be this day. "You have to admit, though. The fact she actually hired a Chinese man to fight me is shockingly progressive for her."

That prompted a laugh from the heroine. "Hah! At this rate, she'll hire a negro next."

The thought filled Dr. Hillhurst with wonder. "Good Lord, I'd gladly let the man punch me all day if it got him paid his twelve cents an hour."

A softer, kinder laugh left her. "… And that's why I bother to rescue your worthless hide, Al… you never make it about you. Some man of confidence you are."

Dr. Hillhurst leaned against SheHaw and chuckled. "Ah, but that's exactly how a confidence game begins in earnest. You never make it about yourself, that's how you get the mark to trust you."

= - = 8-9 = - =​

SheHaw, like Yee Haw? Believe it or not, I watched SheZow for this (don't, like Big Bad Beetleborgs it's wasted potential and effort at every possible level even for its time), and for a show with so many god awful, I mean absolutely horrific puns... not introducing Old West SheZow as SheHaw was a wasted opportunity. Anyway, see you in the next one!

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

Been a while since this place has been active. Here's a capper chapter to bring it all together. Volume 9 is underway, had to do a bit of writing for 1899 arc and prepare for the story's scope to broaden, because things are about to get very complicated in Echo Creek.

= - = 8-EX = - =

|Resolution|​

Within the crypt hideout of the Magnavores, Barla emerged in a burst of black flame, walking up to Vexor as he read through the biography of Art Fortunes. Turning, he lowered the book and gestured to her with his unoccupied hand in a palm up, polite greeting.

"Dragonslayer Barla, it is good to see you returned alive; I sensed tremendous power during your battle, to the point it interfered with my scrying."

Barla nodded. "The battle was intense, more than I was told to expect."

Vexor found that curious. "Oh?"

"I've been told that these were children playing games, that when faced with a strong opponent, their resolve would shatter, and they would be exposed as the naïve fools Jara claimed they were."

Vexor detected how Barla's tone dipped and how she spat out Jara's name, when they had been so close at their reunion. However, he focused on Barla's observation. "I see."

"When we fought, however, they held their ground. No, when they saw the difference between us, they only attacked with greater intensity, determined to keep hitting me until something broke." She stopped and shook her head. "Even after all their efforts to harm me failed and I told them to surrender, they did not care and offered to continue fighting."

Barla looked at her scuffed and scorched armored gauntlets. "That is not the mindset of children pretending, that is a warrior's commitment to stand and fight, something that is supposed to be respected."

Vexor weighed on Barla's report. Despite the tremendous power he mentioned before… the battle was inconclusive. Indeed, Barla's armor bore the brunt of their ferocity. These were ominous signs regarding the success of this operation.

There was a greater concern, however. "Is everything well between you and Jara despite this error on her part?"

"No, and in the future, I will not associate with Jara directly. I will take orders from you, but not her. Nor will I join her on the battlefield unless otherwise commanded."

It was as Vexor worried. "What has brought this on?"

"Jara has demonstrated leadership, strategic, and combat ability not meeting the standards she had set out for her own Mercenary Army. For that, I have deemed her unfit as a warrior and leader and will disregard her as such."

A complication, and one that Vexor did not particularly care for. In less than half a day, the two mercenaries had gone from joyously reunited comrades to being on no speaking terms whatsoever. To say it could be a liability in future operations was an understatement. If their enemies learned of this discord, it would be a disaster.

He did not want to resort to this, but he had no choice.

"May I suggest, Barla," he began, "That you set aside this enmity towards Jara."

Barla did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"Since we arrived in this world, I have observed that Jara has not been herself in battle. Something has shaken her since our campaign started, and I fear that the death of Saberizer has deepened this trauma."

The Dragonslayer stared at Vexor in profound confusion, not expecting that explanation of Jara from him of all people. "… Ah… I see."

Vexor gestured to her. "In summoning you, it had been my hope that her morale would be boosted, and she would return to form. However, I see that has not happened."

He turned away from her, walking towards his sarcophagus. "Going forward, I suggest that the two of you discuss your differences in my presence, so that I may mediate and moderate your disagreement, and that you both may come to a resolution that does not interfere with or otherwise derail our campaign."

Reaching the end of the massive stone container, Vexor turned back to Barla and noted the strange look she was giving him. "Is something the matter?"

"No, it's not," Barla said. "As a matter of fact, what you've suggested is well-reasoned and sensible. I just wasn't expecting it from Vexor Gaohm."

"Oh?"

"From what I've understand, you're an insane egotist who thinks himself superior to both brothers of the Melzard Tribe and Bill Cipher."

Vexor chuckled. "That being true does not make me an insane egotist, Barla."

There it was. "How do you figure yourself superior to The Lord of Nightmares, The Abyssal King, and The One-Eyed Beast?"

Vexor gestured outward with both hands. "For all their power, the brothers of Melzard bicker like children, and that pointless, perpetual spat leaves them easy prey to the likes of Bill Cipher, who himself claimed to be all-powerful and brilliant in his insanity–but was little more than a trickster punching down upon lower beings. In every story I've heard of him, his undoings were against minds only slightly cleverer than the common ape."

"What you said about the Melzard isn't untrue," Barla admitted, "And honestly I've packed up enough of Bill's Henchmaniacs to see that in his absence they are more pitiful and non-threatening than he advertised them as."

She gestured to him. "Still, you'd never defeat any of them if you came to blows."

Vexor chuckled. "That goes without saying. However, through avoiding such blows, clarity of vision, and excellent fortune through the folly of our foes… I never have to."

He lifted his right hand aloft. "We are no longer prisoners of the perpetual entropic hell that is the Nightmare Realm. We can claim this reality for ourselves, and with time we can take any other reality we please while those fools we left behind burn in their prison."

With a sweep of his right arm, he gestured in the direction of Hillhurst. "Dealing with our enemies here is no different. Choosing how we engage them, disengaging as we see fit, manipulating the situation so we do not have to engage them. That is how the Magnavores will conquer this world, and then the stars, and then every corner of existence. That is why your assessment of them after this battle is so important and why resolving whatever conflict you have with Jara is even more so."

Barla was sold. More than convinced, she was impressed by Vexor. Of course he would have such an ego. Not only has his small group survived in the Nightmare Realm… they had gotten out.

"I see," she said softly, before she spoke louder. "Thank you, Vexor, for your criticism and advice. As… difficult as it is for me to bear it, I will speak to Jara and arrange that we settle things before you."

Vexor brought his hands together, grateful. "Ah, thank you, Barla. We can ill-afford any in-fighting. Fortunately, the next phases of our operation are in the hands of Typhus and Noxic, so you will have time to approach your friend."

Barla nodded. "Very well, I shall."

With that, Barla disappeared again in a jet of black flame. Alone in the crypt once more, Vexor folded his hands over his abdomen, as he began to pace around the sarcophagus, calculating a change to the strategy he set forth. One thing was for certain, he realized.

"I must be more hands on in my management of these four," he stated to himself.

@@@@@​

It was well after nine in the evening at the Diaz Household, and most everyone else had gone home after the hearty meal to celebrate Marco's safe return. Only Dipper stayed behind, sitting on the edge of Star's bed as Marco–extra tired from the long and climactic day–lay on the bed directly beside him.

Star was in her closet, moving things around inside the strangely large room looking for the Magic Instruction Book.

Dipper huffed in amusement, trying to distract himself from the fact he was sitting so close to him. "How hard can a giant book be to find?"

"You want to go in there and help her? Be my guest." Marco cast a dark look towards the closet, remembering the last time he was in there. "I'm not setting foot in that heap again without my own Beetleborg armor."

"That bad, huh? Sounds like Mabel's closet."

Marco sat up, concerned. "Wait, is having messy closets just a thing that girls do?"

Dipper shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think we can put Mabel or Star in the same category as other girls."

There was a loud rumble and thump, before Star let out a grunt in frustration. "Ugh, it was on my bed when we left earlier. Glossaryk, did you move the book in here?"

Almost immediately, a voice replied from under the bed. "Well, I'm not going to just let it sit around in the open. While I don't mind Janna having a look, that Jo girl has an evil glint in her eye."

Dipper and Marco both looked down at the floor just off the edge of the bed, as another, larger rumble filled the room. A large, dromaeosaurid dinosaur leaped out of the closet, Star perched upon its back and gripping its reins. She was dressed like she was auditioning for a spot in a Predator remake.

Both boys jumped back onto the bed, Dipper instinctively putting his arms out to shield Marco behind him, as Star leaped off the dinosaur and then slapped its flank.

"Go back inside, Sprinkles Refreshing," She commanded. With a loud coo, like a pigeon with the deepest possible voice, the dinosaur stalked back into the closet and the door shut behind it.

Star laid down on the floor to look under the bed, then reached under. "Well, then you can come out now…" She pulled back, the leather strap that bound the book gripped in her hand. "… Because we need to talk!"

She dragged the massive Magic Instruction Book out from under the bed like she was pulling a tire through a roadside drainage pipe to unclog it.

Emerging like said tire, the Magic Instruction book opened with a thud to reveal two pages: The first featuring snakes in varying shades of purple zigzagging across the page, and the second bearing a bleached white skull with glowing blue chains extending to the corners of the page–as though to lock the contents beyond it. And from the very center of the book itself, Sir Glossaryck of Terms emerged from a circle of blue light, floating with his legs folded beneath him and his arms tucked into the sleeves of his shirt in front of him.

Dipper's attention darted sharply from the locked page to Glossaryck, who was facing Star.

"Also, you didn't even offer me any food," he continued grieving over why he hid. "Maybe Glossaryck wanted some pizza and chicken wings, did it ever occur to you to ask?"

Staring back at him, Star slowly shook her head. "Not really, no."

Marco hit upon an idea, but kept it to himself, as Star pointed at Dipper. "But I did bring Dipper!"

Glossaryck turned around, the book's pages flipping towards the front and concealing the pages he emerged from, to face the indicated young man. "Oh, you… did?"

The little blue creature stopped and stared at the younger Pines Twin, an expression that a human could mistake for surprise appearing on his features before he floated up to and began circling around him as if examining a statue. "… Hmm…"

"Uhh… hi?" Dipper asked as he followed Glossaryck's path around him.

Glossaryck didn't respond, instead humming in interest as he came around in front of him. "… Curious."

He floated up to Dipper's face, and pushed up his curly bangs, revealing the Big Dipper-shaped birthmark on his forehead. "… Fascinating!"

Dipper's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "Do you mind?"

Glossaryck pulled back and inserted his right hand into his left arm's sleeve. "You really are the Pine Tree; then Bill Cipher is truly dead."

"I hope so," Dipper said. "And don't call me 'Pine Tree' or 'The Pine Tree' or 'Conifer' or any nickname like that."

The strange creature nodded. "All right, Mason it is!"

"DIPPER," he corrected sharply.

Marco looked at Dipper. "Wait, your name's really Mason?"

"Do not call me that," Dipper said. "The only names I will answer to are Dipper or Tyrone."

Marco wasn't sure about that one. "I don't know if this is racist, but you do not look like a Tyrone to me."

"It is, and he doesn't," Glossaryck said.

This was getting off to a great start, said no one. In fact, everyone in the room with comprehensible minds thought the opposite as Star intervened. "Glossaryck! I said we needed to talk!"

"Right, of course," Glossaryck said. "But it's late, and I wasn't offered any pizza…"

Marco knew he'd go for it, and countered Glossaryck's childishness. "We have some leftovers, and it's still a bit above room temperature."

That changed Glossaryck's tune completely. "Do you, now? That's when it is the best for eating."

Dipper had to hand it to Marco as he continued bargaining with Glossaryck. "And you'll get all of it when you tell us everything we need to know without any riddles or cryptic wordplay."

"Yeah, no metaphors, either," Star said.

Glossaryck gave them all a disappointed look. "You're really taking the fun out of this."

"Well, it's the fate of the world," Star argued. "Maybe two!"

The tiny blue man's expression brightened at that. "Well, when you put it with such actual concern, how can I disagree? What would you like to know?"

Dipper was the one who asked. "You've been around for a long time; did you know a Dr. Hillhurst?"

Glossaryck went unusually still as he hovered in the air–like a figurine locked in time and space where he floated. The only thing changing was his face, his eyes widening as old memories resurfaced behind his diamond-shaped pupils.

"Huh, that is a name I have not heard in a long time," he said with the interest of a wizened sage being reminded of an old life. "Dr. Aloysius Hillhurst?"

"Yeah."

Glossaryck appeared to understand, and his next words confirmed it. "His house is still there, isn't it? And you found something in it you need my help to open."

The three teens all shared surprised looks.

"Can you?" Star asked.

Glossaryck shook his head. "Nope."

Marco jumped on that. "Are you able to?"

"Nope," Glossaryck repeated.

"Why?" Dipper asked.

"Because it's not my place to, and as it's not my place, it is not something I can open," Glossaryck explained. "Magic is funny like that. What I can tell you, is that you've probably primed two of the locks… you just need the third key:"

He waved his hands like someone exaggerating a mystical artifact. "The Warden's Ring."

Now they had even more questions. "And what's that?"

Glossaryck made good on his promise of straight answers. "It's a ring of great magical power, bestowed once upon a time to a group of powerful warriors called–well–Wardens."

Star asked. "Like… Jail Warden?"

"Warden is a funny word with multiple meanings, but in this case, it means protector," Glossaryck explained. "The Wardens were once guardians of Magic, serving to protect all dimensions from The Forces of Evil."

"Like Mina Loveberry, the Solarian Warrior!" Star said excitedly.

Glossaryck's expression shifted to one of mild distaste at the mention of that name–if only for an instant–as he confirmed Star's suggestion. "Erm… yes, like her."

Something that made this little weirdo uncomfortable? Marco was curious. "Who's Mina?"

"Oh, just Mewni's greatest warrior. She's basically our Kim Possible," Star explained.

Marco stopped. "Why haven't we called on her?"

"Because she'd tell my Mom," Star explained, "And that would be that."

Glossaryck agreed. "There are other reasons to not want to deal with Mina, but we'll go with that as the most pertinent one."

Expecting more details later, Dipper stayed on topic. "So, what happened to the Wardens?"

"Most of them are gone now," Glossaryck said. "The Warden of this dimension is one of the last. If not the very last one."

"What happened to them?" Dipper asked.

"It varied. Some simply lost their lives in the line of duty, grew old and passed on, or fought in a big civil war to try to conquer the multiverse and wiped themselves out. What I know for certain is that there's hardly any left. The last Warden I knew was a friend of Dr. Hillhurst, who took it upon herself to be the protector of this dimension."

There sounded like a lot was going on back in Dr. Hillhurst's day. "How much do you know about what happened with Dr. Hillhurst?"

"Yeah, why is there a shrine that only reacts to Star and I?" Marco asked.

"Not a terribly great deal. I only met Dr. Hillhurst briefly," Glossaryck said as he looked from Marco to Star, "As your Great-Great Grandmother Celena did not rely on me as much as other bearers of the wand."

"Great-Great Grandma Celena came to Earth before?" Star asked, surprised.

Glossaryck nodded. "Of course. This dimension has a long history with Mewni. Celena visited here, your Grandfather on your mother's side is from here–"

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Star shouted.

"Your mother didn't tell you?" Glossaryck asked, before he realized the pointlessness of bothering. "Oh, who am I kidding? With how she foisted you on your father and Royal Guard and only steps in to discipline you, it's no wonder you barely know anything about her."

"My mother didn't…" Pausing, Star took a moment to reflect. "… Okay, yeah, she did do that. A lot."

Marco and Dipper shared awkward looks as the conversation took a turn despite their best efforts.

Star, prescient of this, valiantly stopped making this about her. "Anyway! You don't know why Great-Great Grandma came here, right? Did you find out… at all?"

Glossaryck shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, it wasn't something she talked about at all, to anyone. Not that she talked about much of anything, there's a reason she's called Celena The Shy."

"So how do we find this Warden?" Marco asked. "If this all happened that long ago, then she's probably as long gone as Celena."

Glossaryck stroked his beard.. "That's true. Given how the Warden Ring survived through the ages into the last century, however, I don't doubt that she passed it on to a descendant."

"How do we find her descendants, then?"

The tiny creature chuckled. "Oh that one's easy: just look for the strongest person around dressed in pink, and you've found this world's Warden."

"Pink?" The three said in unison again, before Marco's eyes shot wide in recognition.

"… There's no way," he said suddenly, in awe and a little fear of the coincidences he's encountered today.

"Who…?" Dipper asked.

Marco looked at Glossaryck, then at Dipper and Star. "I think he's talking about SheZow."

A moment of silence passed, before Dipper asked. "… The same SheZow who got run out of her hometown on a rail and has not appeared since?"

Another moment of silence passed, before Marco palmed his face with both hands. "Of course…"

Star rested a hand on Marco's shoulder. "Don't worry, Marco! I'm sure we can find SheZow, and who knows… maybe we can get her to help us against the Magnavores!"

Dipper agreed. "She's right. After everything that happened to her, I think SheZow would love to have a comeback."

Surprisingly, Glossaryck was on the same page. "I wouldn't mind meeting a Warden after everything that was said and done with them."

"Then we have another thing to ask Elise about," Dipper said. "I feel like getting the armoire open will answer a lot of questions about Hillhurst Mansion, Flabber, and the monsters."

Glossaryck perked up. "Ooh, I'd like to meet them, too. You wouldn't mind introducing me some time, would you, Star?"

"Not at all," Star said.

"We'll probably need to bring the book over to the house anyway," Dipper said. "Something this useful should stay in the Beete Battle Base"

That was a good point. Before further plans could be made, there was a knock at the door. When all looked over, Angie opened it and peeked inside.

"Marco, Star, there's someone outside who wants to see you, one of your classmates," she revealed.

Marco turned to her. "Huh, which one?"

"Brittney," Angie revealed.

The three teens all looked at each other, and then at the time. What could Brittney Wong want at this time of night?

@@@@@​

With the help of the Dimensional Scissors, Drew and Jo stepped into the small backyard of their home, fenced off and out of view from their cul-de-sac neighbors in their almost identical and prefabricated clay shingle-roofed homes. Looking at one another, they nodded and crept around the side of the house and reached the open garage door containing their family's vehicles.

"There's no way Dad's not up," Jo said. "He's going to give you shit."

Drew shrugged his shoulders, as they went to the door leading to the kitchen. "I mean, yeah? School got cut early, and we've basically been no show all day. What else is he going to do but bitch at me?"

Jo couldn't help her snicker at Drew's harsh attitude. She was even more amused when Drew simply stepped into the kitchen rather than attempt a discreet entrance. He strode ahead of her, headed into the living room.

Mr. and Mrs. McCormick were both waiting, turning to look at Drew simultaneously as he came into the living room. Mr. McCormick, his expression droll and unimpressed as always at first, grew genuinely surprised when he saw his son's bandage-free and unblemished face. Mrs. McCormick, her own usually down-cast if not neutral look lit with genuine concern, moved to rise from her seat, but then stopped in confusion when she saw Drew's face and the general lack of concern in both her children.

"Andrew…?" She began, before Mr. McCormick raised his hand up off the armrest of his chair in a calm, halting gesture. Pausing, she quietly yielded to him as she retired back to her chair but stayed on the edge of it.

Drew and Jo's gazes lingered on her as they turned to their father, who did not bother to rise and was schooling his expression as he adjusted his glasses with two fingers. His gaze was locked on Drew, looking at him in the same way one would look at a crack they had just discovered in their car's windshield after an already bad day.

"Where have you two been? Why did you not come straight home after school?"

"We were hanging out with Roland," Drew said, before Jo could.

"At Zoom?" Mr. McCormick asked, sounding like he'd take that affirmative and then call Nano for the security tapes to be sure.

"No, we were practicing karate all day," Drew explained.

Sensei Brantley didn't have cameras in his dojo.

Mr. McCormick found that unusual. "Since when do you practice karate?"

Jo stepped in. "Since a couple weeks ago, Dad. We practice over at the Hill-Trank Plaza like three times a week."

Their father narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Aren't you two a little old for karate kicks?"

"You're never too old to start," Jo argued. "Plus, it's something for us to do beside read comics all day. That's something you've been on us about, right?"

On Drew about, but Jo was in something of a fighting mood and throwing some shit back in a hater's face.

Expressing his doubts, and wanting to focus on his son, Mr. McCormick let out a dismissive hum before gesturing at Drew's face. "What happened to your bruises, and the bandages?"

Bringing a hand to his cheek, Drew blinked owlishly before he shrugged his shoulders with the same dismissive energy. "Oh, I guess I got better."

"Better, huh?" Mr. McCormick scrutinized Drew's face before looking him up and down. "No… I think you lied about getting beaten up. To try to get sympathy to go to your dance."

Drew lowered his hand from his face. "Uh-huh, and since when could I expect sympathy from you?"

Silence fell on the McCormick household's living room following that. Mrs. McCormick drew back slightly, her eyes widening slightly with apprehension as Jo looked up at her brother, impressed.

Drew stared his Dad down, feeling the same intense defiance that he faced Barla with earlier. "Full disclosure, Dad. On Friday and Saturday I snuck out of this house under your nose to attend the homecoming game and to go to Karate, and I'm glad I did, because both times I ran into Brittney Wong–who showed more human decency to me than you have in my entire life and took me to get treated for all those injuries you scoffed at me having and still grounded me."

He slipped his left hand into his pocket and gestured with his raised right palm from side to side. "All so I could go to the dance, which I did while you were out playing charade date night with Mom."

Jo held up her phone, showing a picture of a selfie she took with Drew, Roland, Sabrina, Janna, Chantal, Megan, and Brittney. Drew had his arms over both Janna and Sabrina's shoulders as all three beamed at the camera, Roland was tipping his hat with his cane and smirking while a grinning Megan hugged his side. Chantal and Jo were making cute pouty faces at the camera, while Brittney simply had an expression of being too glamorous for any picture even with remains of pie on her face.

It was such a good picture, being completely ruined by the news of Dipper breaking the news at what happened at Hillhurst some few minutes later.

"See?" Jo said. "Drew even danced with a cheerleader, it was so much fun."

Mr. McCormick stared at the image on the phone, his face fixed but his eyes giving away his confusion. He looked up at his son, who folded his arms and quietly dared him to say something passive-aggressive.

He did not disappoint. "Even with the picture, I find it hard to believe that's you."

"Yeah, well… that's really always been your problem." Drew said, before he began counting on his fingers. "If I get hurt; it's my fault. If I stand up for myself, I'm wrong. I fail at something, I'm not good enough. But if anything happens to go my way? You cannot believe it, or that's not right–like in your eyes I'm supposed to be a loser who's not allowed to have anything."

Drew let his hands drop to his side. "I have a great idea, Dad. How about you keep your passive-aggressive mind games to yourself, because I'm not afraid of them–or you–anymore. Just listen to your shitty Eagles and pretend you're the most normal guy in the world who needs to bully his own son to feel like he's achieved anything in life."

With that, he turned and headed upstairs. "Oh, and Don Henley and Glenn Frey would call you a loser if they ever met you!"

Jo watched her brother go, then looked at her parents. Her mother was ashen, her normally tired eyes wide with shock as she covered her mouth with her fingers.

Mr. McCormick, however, just sat frozen, watching Drew ascend the stairs. Jo could see it in his eyes. The irrational contempt, the indignity of being told off by someone he looked down on like he was an insect.

She hated that look so much, and she still didn't understand why he was like this.

If she could do it, she'd just walk up and swing at his face.

With all of her might.

"… Jo, go to your room," Mr. McCormick said flatly. "Don't be like that loser."

No, he wasn't worth it and never would be.

"Sure thing, Dad," she said as she headed up the stairs. "And he's right, you know."

Rather than bother to hear anything he had to say in reply–he thankfully didn't–Jo walked over to Drew's room and tapped on it. "Hey, it's me."

A few locks turned before the door opened. Drew was sitting on his bed, looking at his phone as she stepped in and closed it behind her.

"So…" She began. "… When are we ending this relationship?"

Drew looked up at her. "Honestly? We can do it anytime, now. Trip and Van are gone, and after dealing with Barla, and Jara? Why am I afraid of that piece of shit?"

"I'm surprised you haven't force-choked him out, yet."

"He is not worth any of that."

"Oh good, we're on the same page."

Drew looked at Sabrina's message again. "Dad's just a bitter jackass who's made my entire life about being lesser than him. If there's anything worse than your personality being 'having money' it's building it around your own son being your sworn enemy for life."

"Some Manga Gendo Ikari bullshit, just without our Mom being a giant robot."

"Or you being a weird clone of her I have conflicted feelings about."

"Ew."

Both laughed at the absurdity of their lives being anything like Evangelion, before Jo gestured to her brother. "Say the word, and I'll drop the hammer. And by the hammer I mean Nano. Dad will be gone and we'll probably find out why he's even got it out for you."

"Honestly? At this point I don't even care about the why. I really just want him gone like the 'Hoffs."

"Bet!" Jo said brightly. "You don't even worry about it, then. Just focus on dealing with the bad bitches and bad bitches causing you problems and leave the rest to me."

Drew chuckled. "Yeah, thanks." He looked down at his phone again, at Sabrina's awkward yet eager text asking him out. "I'm probably going to be busy this week, so I'll be happy to have another pain in my neck gone by the end of it."

"So we can focus on the real aches, right?" Jo went to open the door. "By the way… Sabrina or Janna?"

"… Between them and Heather, I don't know," Drew admitted truthfully. "I don't really know how to deal with girls."

"Don't look at me, I don't know how to deal with girls either and I'm pretty sure I'm one," Jo said.

"Well, I've always liked Heather; with Sabrina… I dunno, I don't think I've ever hung out with a girl who just likes me, and Janna…"

She fascinated him, as much as she got on his nerves.

Drew smiled. "I don't get Janna."

"Cryptids I do understand. Of course you don't get Janna. I don't think even Star or Mabel get Janna. I think the only person who actually knows Janna's whole deal is Jackie, and maybe Marco, since I know she would mess with him, too."

Drew remembered his conversation with Janna about Jackie the other day. "I got that feeling they were close."

"Close? My brother before The One Above All, for a while I thought those two were dating." Rather than give Drew a chance to entertain that mental image, she quickly jogged his attention

"If you want my dogshit observational opinion?" She continued. "I think Janna is a ball-buster specifically to deflect anyone away from actually getting close to her emotionally."

Drew knew that was something Jo did, and he was pretty sure she came to that conclusion first because of that.

Jo then shrugged her shoulders. "That, or she's just a tryhard who wants people to think she's this macabre wannabe witch. You know, like how Marco tries too hard being a bad boy."

That sounded more reasonable. Janna didn't come off as someone who wasn't confident in herself or had a life at home she wanted to hide.

"I guess," Drew said, "But I still don't understand what she meant by being generous."

"What else could she mean?" Jo asked, almost incredulous.

"You tell me, you're the smart one."

"Academically speaking, yes, and my ability to break things down mechanically… but have you seen the social disaster I've been the last couple of weeks? I was about to turn this into a group project."

Drew winced. "Fair enough."

"Me being the hammer… erhm… ugh." She stopped and sighed. "I'm not going to use hammer puns anymore." She stopped and restarted. "Me being the blunt bitch that I am, I suggest you inquire to Janna directly. Not on the phone, face-to-face with her and don't let her misdirect or sly-talk you. Figure out where you two stand, and if she's really implying that she wants to make you into Blue Beet for real."

Obviously Jo was harkening back to her complaints about Blue Beet in the comics being basically a western-written harem protagonist, but Drew was a comics nerd, he had to make a deeper cut. "I hope not, Blue Beet did literally die and had to be brought back to life."

"That was a good storyline, though," Jo pointed out.

"Oh, the best Art Fortunes ever written, hands down. I'm just not too keen on the dying part because the resurrection half of it is probably not possible."

Jo wholeheartedly agreed with that. "Well, just leave keeping you alive to me and Roland. Good night, broseph."

Drew chuckled. "Picking up on Mabel's thing?"

"What? It's cute," Jo snapped back before she left his room and let it swing closed.

Looking at the door with a small smirk, Drew used his telekinesis to secure the locks before he lay back and held his phone above his face with both hands to look at the screen.

Sabrina said:
Hello Andrew! I hope this text message sees you well. I wanted to tell you again that I had a very good time at the dance and I hope you did too! :slight_smile:
I was hoping that since we had so much fun, that you would like to hang out again. We could go see a movie, grab some food, or even take a walk down Santa Monica Pier! Or all three! Actually, all three sounds really good, it could be an entire afternoon and it'll be super fun! :slight_smile:
I'm sorry I'm rambling, but I'm super nervous, I've never asked a boy out on my own before. And you're like the coolest boy I've ever met. So anyway text me back! Thank you for taking the time to read! :slight_smile:

For now, he decided he'd hang out with Sabrina. She was nice, and it wasn't complicated or inscrutable like Heather or Janna.

Drew said:
Hey Sabrina. I've been thinking a lot about the dance, too, and it was nice to hang out with you. I don't know when I'll next be free, but how about on Saturday we take that walk to Santa Monica Pier? I've always wanted to go to the Aquarium over there and walk along the beach. :slight_smile:

He hadn't even set his phone down after sending that message, when he got an abrupt reply.

Sabrina said:
OMG YES!!! Okay! I'm going to ask Brittney if Dudley can give us a ride there! I can't wait to see you again!!! :flushed: :blush:

Drew rested his phone on his chest and looked up at the ceiling.

"… Can't wait to see me again?"

If someone had told him a month ago that a Cheerleader would ask him to a dance and then want to go on a date with him after, he'd have called that person an insane idiot and wondered who was playing a prank on him. Even now, he was having a hard time believing it was really happening.

He wasn't, however, going to say it didn't feel amazing.

@@@@@​

Star, Marco, and Dipper walked outside the Diaz home to find Brittney and Dudley standing outside of the former's G-Wagen. Brittney had her arms folded, like she'd been waiting for them to show up, while Dudley was standing straight, with an elegant and dignified air about him.

Marco almost didn't recognize the guy. "Wait, is that Dudley?"

"Good evening, Master Dipper, Master Marco, your Highness," he greeted. "Master Brittney would like to have a word with you."

It was Dudley, Marco was about to ask more about how he came to work for her, but Brittney derailed that with her inquiry. "So, I'm gonna cut to the chase: I think the McCormick kids and Roland are the Beetleborgs."

The three froze where they stood, surprised that she would just come out swinging with that. All three shared quick, wide-eyed looks.

Rather than take their reaction as validation, Brittney took the time to explain her reasoning. "Drew and Roland were in at the dance and Jo wasn't, but the Red Beetleborg showed up to fight that hammer idiot, and only after it was done, did Jo show up for the dance."

The three looked at each other again, then at Brittney.

"I also watched all the videos posted of the fight before that, over at the creek bridge. You guys were all gathered around and waiting for the Blue Beetleborg to come back from wherever he went… and when he got back, he seemed like he got roughed up. Then look who's going around like a freshly bruised mummy unwilling to explain how he got them besides 'I got roughed up by monsters?'"

The three looked at each other a third time, then at Brittney.

"I'm not here because I'm going to snitch or blow up your spot," she continued, "I'm here because I don't want any of my friends getting hurt because they don't know what they're getting into. And also, because I want to know how I can help."

Dipper… did not expect this. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," Brittney snapped back. "I'm not the two and three quarters bitches from before the dance. I want to move on to making sure me and mine are safe."

Marco looked at Star, but Star was now looking at Brittney with the biggest smile on her face. "Star, wait–"

Star turned to him. "No, no this is good. This is really good!"

She went over and took Brittney's hands, surprising her. "If we have Brittney on our side, that means we have effectively the power of THREE Princesses backing us up!"

"I don't know…" Marco was concerned about the number of people knowing getting bigger.

"Plus, Brittney has access to big tough dudes with guns and robots who can cover us!"

Brittney frowned. "Hold on, that Hench Co. thing was Daddy letting me use his account. I can't just do that."

Dipper asked. "But if you could do that, would you?"

Brittney nodded. "Pfft, duh! Of course! I'm already writing up a proposal to get them full-time as security for the school. I want to be able to graduate this year and not have classes be interrupted by monsters and supervillains."

Star turned right back to Dipper and Marco, both of whom still had suspicions. "I don't know…" Said the latter, "I mean, what brought this on?"

She sighed at her boyfriend's understandable reluctance, knowing he missed some context. "Marco, before you get weird about it? Brittney and I? We're cool."

She hugged Brittney for emphasis, and despite being unused to the affection–let alone it being from Star Butterfly–Brittney returned the hug.

"Like I said, the beef is squashed," the Queen Bee of the school declared. "And I want to help out because this involves me, I have a lot of money, and I want to invest in not being bothered by those Magnavore creeps."

That was shockingly pragmatic, not as shocking as Marco realizing that the end of conflict between Star and Brittney was actually real. "Okay, there is a lot flying at me tonight and I'm really tired from fighting monsters and not breaking a Karen's neck."

"Oh, me too!" Star pointed out. "I am about to crash."

Dipper, tired himself, nodded. "All right. We'll get you in touch with our representative then, and you can talk to her about how you can help us out. Just as long as you don't do stuff like you did last week and nearly get your face slapped off."

Brittney whipped her hair and sniffed arrogantly. "I would've taken his arm off if Miss Skullnick hadn't jumped in."

"Sure," Dipper and Marco said as one, while Star genuinely believed Brittney absolutely would've done it… somehow.

Satisfied with tonight's meeting, Brittney stepped back. "I'll leave you to get rest, then. I mean it when I say I want to help, and I'm willing to take orders on how to best do it so this nonsense will be over with sooner than later."

Marco had his doubts about such a commitment, but having people who could help honestly felt good. "All right, I believe you, and if Star and Dipper are cool with it then so am I."

"I am so cool with it!" Star said.

Dipper nodded. "Yeah, me too. Welcome to the coalition, I guess."

Brittney noted that none confirmed that the Beetleborgs were who she suspected, but she was fine with that. If they were okay with her helping them, she could wait a bit to find out for sure.

Still, she had one more question to ask before she got in her G-Wagen. "One more thing."

Star rejoined Marco's side. "What's up?"

Brittney pointed between the two of them. "Are you two dating?"

"Nope!" Both of them said in unison. Dipper was impressed at the speed they answered, even as he was reminded of this unfortunate turn of events for himself.

The young woman rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I get it; you don't want people knowing if you're mashing faces, but believe me? Everybody already thinks you are–StarFan13 ships you for Pete's sake. So, cough it up, I won't tell anyone if you are, and tell everyone that you aren't."

Sharing one more look, and with a consenting nod from Marco, Star answered her. "Okay, we've just started dating, and we're kind of too busy to be up front about it."

Marco nodded. "Yeah, let people think what they want to think, and otherwise mind their own business."

Brittney could respect that. "Okay, that's all I wanted to know."

Though, now she was curious about how Jackie Lynn Thomas factored into their whole dynamic. Her gaze lingering on Marco before she turned away, she decided it wasn't her business.

Dudley nodded and tipped his hat to the three teens, before letting Brittney into her car and going to the driver's seat. The G-Wagen then pulled a U-turn and drove off down the road to its destination in Upper Echo Creek.

"I'm… not used to Brittney talking directly to me and not throwing an insult in there somewhere," Marco admitted.

"If you want, you can imagine she was insulting you," Star suggested.

Marco laughed. "No, no… I'm going to roll with this one. Besides, after dealing with those cops? It's nice to know that there are people on our side who aren't just our friends and family."

Star smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"So, uh…" Dipper began, drawing their attention, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "… Before I leave, can I just say something, myself?"

"Sure, what's up?" Marco asked.

"You're not going to veto Brittney joining up, are you?" Star asked.

"No, not that… this is a personal thing, and I think I should get it off my chest and out of the way before we start getting into drama on top of fighting." Dipper said. "Back when we first met, I was… kinda into you?"

Star froze where she stood, and she looked from Dipper and back at Marco–whom Dipper was speaking to.

Oh no, he chooses now to just drop it on him? She thought in alarm.

Marco stared at Dipper, blinking slowly. "… Wh… huh?"

"And… I'm not saying this as a confession thing, or some vain hope that you'll be into me, too…" He stopped himself from trying to ramble on. "I'm just putting it out there so we're all on the same page and it doesn't get weird."

Marco processed that for a second. "… Ohh… You liked the Princess Marco look, right?"

Dipper nodded. "Well, yeah." Before Marco could reassure Dipper that he wasn't the first guy to be tripped up by his Princess form, he continued. "But I also liked what I saw after you changed back."

"Yeah, well you're not the–" Mouth open and hand raised for the aforementioned reassurance, Marco paused, and then his face colored slightly. "… Oh."

"Sorry, for springing this on you, man. I just wanted to get it out of the way, like I said…"

Marco held up his hands, his reassurance now stronger than ever. "What? Don't be sorry! I'm just surprised, I never thought a guy would just come out and say he liked me liked me."

Honestly it was both validating and relieving, especially after finding out that Trip had been into his feminine persona. Funny as that was. People with taste besides Star thought he was hot, and he could live with that. Enjoy it even.

Dipper was relieved that it didn't get weird, and he hoped it wouldn't get weird later. Between fighting the Magnavores and working with Star and the Magic Instruction Book, he had a feeling he'd be close to Star and Marco going forward a lot more.

"Anyway, I'm going to get home. You guys take care, all right? Don't stay up too late," he said.

"I wasn't kidding about wanting to crash," Marco promised. "Later, Dipper."

Star was likewise happy that nothing melted down or even came close to a runaway reaction. "I'll make sure Marco gets his beauty sleep! As long as you get yours, Dipper!"

Waving, Dipper headed up the street towards Shermie's home, and both Star and Marco turned towards their house.

"Dipper has a crush on me," Marco said.

"Yep," Star said.

He looked at her. "Did you know?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone else knows."

Marco stopped at the door. "How did I not notice?"

"A general combination of you being extremely focused on first Jackie Lynn Thomas and then me, combined with all the schooling, teaching, and fighting you do on top of being already awesome."

Marco laughed a moment after that. "And here I thought I was the PHD."

Star then placed her hands on his shoulders. "But Marco, the important thing is… how do you feel about this?"

How considerate of her to ask him. "I mean… Dipper's a tall handsome guy, but I have a girlfriend. That girlfriend is you."

Marco stopped. "Wait, are you looking at this like a yao–"

"Whoa! No! Nonononono–!" Star insisted. "Marco, I just don't want there to be drama. If Dipper likes you, he likes you! If you like Dipper, you like Dipper!"

Marco tried to get a word in edgewise, but then Star hit him with a curveball he didn't see coming. "Same with Jackie Lynn Thomas! If you like her, you like her! I won't mind because Dipper and Jackie are people I like, too! And I like seeing all the people I like hanging out and being happy with people I like! Which is you, who I like, a bunch!"

Immediately, Marco recalled the interaction from the night before, after Misao was rescued and everyone was discussing their shipping being wrecked on the awful rocks of reality. Specifically, he zeroed in on what Jackie had said that had been at the back of his mind since.

"… OT3?"

He had just said he was exhausted, but the implications of what he just learned were going to keep him up for at least half the night, now.

At least if he didn't confirm it. "… Star, I'm going to ask you this very slowly, and you are going to answer me slowly, so you have as much time to think about your answer as I do."

Star nodded, perceptibly slow. "Okay," she said, matching his verbal cadence.

He reached up and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you saying, in all confidence, that it's okay if I want to date Jackie Lynn Thomas and/or Dipper, even while I'm dating you. Like… an open relationship or polyamory thing?"

Star answered, with powerful slowness. "I do not know what polyamory means, but I do know that I am okay with you dating Jackie Lynn Thomas and Dipper, and me… because I would like to date Jackie Lynn Thomas and Dipper and you, too."

Suddenly Marco looked around, like he was scanning for hidden enemies or the paparazzi about to ambush.

"What's wrong?" Star asked, with the same slowness.

"You don't have to do that anymore," Marco assured her. "I'm just making sure Janna's not hiding somewhere and this is a bit."

"It's not a bit, I swear," Star said. "I am down for the OT3.. or OT4, I mean… it's up to you what you want to do. Jackie and Mabel both say that communication and being on the same page is important in this kind of thing."

Marco thought he'd be able to sleep on this, but now he knew he definitely was not going to. "Are… are you sure?"

Star pulled Marco in and hugged him. "Of course I'm sure, Marco. The bad guys are getting stronger, there are other people messing with us, and all I want is for my friends to be happy. All my friends, and the guy I am totally in love with."

As Star continued, Marco slowly brought his arms up and returned the hug.

"If we're all fighting for each other as much as we are alongside each other, then nobody can beat us. Ever."

@@@@@​

Beneath a highway bridge crossing the Los Angeles river, just off a bike path that ran underneath it, TC sat on the edge of the river, beside the torn apart remains of a human body. In his right hand, he held a strip of skin and connected flesh, blood dripping from it, while in his free hand he held his phone, watching video of the battle at Britta's Tacos. He frowned when he happened to catch sight of himself incidentally fleeing during the fight captured by a news camera.

"Guess I'm not going back to Echo Creek anymore," he mused aloud. "For the best, Brittney didn't give off the vibe I was hoping for. Those Vanderhoff boys fell off the face of the Earth, too, so… no safe harbor."

He took a big bite out of the strip of flesh. "Maybe there's somewhere in the Palisades I can chill. I can't be sneaking around like this anymore. I am too rich for this shit."

CLACK

Alarmed, TC turned and looked with wide eyes down the edge of the river. Gabe stood there, with his shirasaya held in front of him, driven so hard into the concrete shore that it was cracked and split beneath it. In the dark, he couldn't see his face, but the way his face gripped the shaft of the shirasaya in his right hand, while his left hand pulled the hilt of his sword out of the lacquered wooden sheath.

"Too rich?" Gabe greeted him calmly as he pulled the sword. "Ain't nobody too rich for an ass-beating, fuck nigga."

TC tossed aside his meal and stood up, blood dripping from his hand as he closed his phone screen and put it away. "How the fuck did you find me?"

"I'm more embarrassed that I didn't find you sooner," Gabe admitted.

Drawing his sword fully, he held it out at his side as he walked towards TC, using the sheath like a walking stick. "You really out here killing people in broad daylight, and tryna hide out in Echo Creek. Not only is you sloppy, you're dumb, too."

TC narrowed his eyes, practically bristling at the remark. "Can't fault a nigga for being hungry."

"You ain't allowed to say that shit," Gabe shot back. "Now turn the fuck up or get cut the fuck up–I don't mind either way."

Baring his teeth, TC lowered his posture as his violet eyes took on an unearthly glow. "Oh, my pass is revoked, too? Guess I'm switchin' to the hard R, then. I don't need to be smart or clean, Goblin. I got luck on my side, and I know I'm stronger than you."

Gabe stopped, and his neutral expression finally shifted into an unamused scowl. "Nah, you ain't getting away this time."

With that he shot towards TC at high speed, pulling back his sword to swing down, as the hoodie-wearing young man's lips split into a blood-thirsty grin, and he leaped at him in turn.

= - = 8-EX = - =​

Legends: A Story of Lies Volume 9 will be here in the Spring... I hope.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

There's a lot of Legends right now, and there's a LOT of characters including Original Characters and Characters from other smaller series. So, let's talk about the characters, and separate them by volume and series of appearance. We'll start with our main characters and those who appear in Volume 1 of Legends.

Character Info
Volume 1

|Gravity Falls|​

Spoiler: Dipper Pines

Name: Mason "Dipper" Pines
Alias: Pine Tree, Tyrone
Alignment: Good
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Nationality: American/Israeli
Hometown: Piedmont, California
Personality: Clever, curious, adventurous, and brave. Dipper Pines is always on the hunt for a new riddle to unsolve and mystery to uncover. His time spent in Gravity Falls in the Summer of 2010 has made him into a wiser and even more mature young man than he already was.
His determination to uncover the truths in the world has made him an independent and reliable young man. He's far from grown, however, and still regularly finds himself outside his depth even in matters that he's confident he can handle. Fortunately, he can trust and rely on his twin sister to guide him through the mistakes of his youth.
Background: When he was 12 years old, Dipper and his older twin sister Mabel were shipped off to Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend the summer with their Great Uncle Stan Pines while their parents sorted out their marital problems. What appeared to be a long summer at the home of a boring crackpot scammer relative's tourist trap turned into many adventures with the paranormal, weird, and ultimately a clash with tremendous forces for the fate of the universe. This experience changed Dipper down to his very core, transforming him into a mature and assertive young man willing to take risks to uncover truths and defy evil.
When learning of Star Butterfly and her antics in Los Angeles, he did not hesitate to organize a trip there to investigate Star and what she was doing here. He had no idea, however, that this decision would lead to becoming involved in yet another critical battle for the fate of the universe...

Spoiler: Mabel Pines

Name: Mabel Pines
Alias: Shooting Star, Hambone
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Nationality: American/Israeli
Hometown: Piedmont, California
Personality: Mabel is a free-spirited girl full of energy and kindness, with an optimism and humility that pairs perfectly with Dipper's steadfast determination. Like her brother, she learned many hard lessons and facts about herself in Gravity Falls, putting herself a bit ahead of the curve of her peers. As such, she has developed a strong, independent streak and seeks–like her brother–to prove herself mature and responsible.
Still, she is not above falling back upon her old bad habits. At her worst, she can be thoughtless–even cruel–and her optimism can leave her blind to unfortunate realities. Nevertheless, she can rely on her brother to take her hand and help her face the worst a cynical world can offer.
Background: Since her adventures in Gravity Falls, Mabel has grown, in many ways, into a kinder, more compassionate version of the manic wrecking ball that tore through that remote Oregon town when she was twelve. Despite a busy career as a championship level Cheerleading Captain, she gave it all up without a second thought to accompany her brother to Los Angeles, simply for a chance to make a new friend out of Star, but would come to find so much more once she arrived...

Spoiler: Shermie Pines

Name: Sherman "Shermie" Pines
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Good
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Nationality: American/Israeli
Hometown: Echo Creek, California
Personality: Shermie is an easy-going, laid-back, and freethinking man despite the long and eventful life he's lived. He has fully embraced the retired life, living off the savings he's accrued through his life and partaking in various hobbies including grilling, comic book collecting, and target shooting.
A worldly man, he is a bit behind on the times and doesn't particularly bother to try to keep up. So he may come off as old-fashioned, but he is anything but conservative in his mindset. Were it not for his lengthy military service in multiple countries, he'd be accused of being an old hippie with his disdain for authority and enjoyment of recreational drugs. His relationship with his younger brothers is... tense at best. He cares very little for Stanley and Stanford, hardly pardoning the extenuating circumstances behind their conflict, though deep down he also blames himself for not being there when it all began in the first place.
Though he is a peaceful man in his twilight years, he is not at all above or against violence, and he is the biggest supporter of Dipper and Mabel handling their business as the young adults they are rather than children many try to box them up as. He will, however, not hesitate to fall upon like the wrath of God anything his grandkids cannot handle.
Background: The elder brother of Stanford and Stanley Pines, Shermie left home at a young age and would spend the next thirty years of his life all over the world fighting in wars and getting wrapped up with various people, cultures, and organizations. By the early 1980s, he finally returned to the United States but settled in Los Angeles rather than back in his native New Jersey to raise his family. After his only son moved out and on to start a family of his own, he has since lived in blissful retirement, the leisurely monotony broken up by visits from his child and grandchildren, who he spoils rotten at every opportunity and doesn't hesitate to accommodate at their request.

|Star vs. The Forces of Evil|​

Spoiler: Star Butterfly

Name: Princess Star Butterfly
Alias: Star the Underestimated
Alignment: Hero
Sex: Female
Race: Mewman (with some Human and Demon ancestry)
Nationality: Mewman
Hometown: Butterfly Castle, Kingdom of Mewni
Personality: Star is a happy-go-lucky, friendly, energetic, charismatic and courageous young woman from a fantastic world of monsters and magic. Quick to go on adventures and very quick to throw herself into a fight, she takes on any new challenge with an eager and excited smile. As a result, her arrival on Earth and meeting Marco Diaz, she has dedicated herself fully to learning more about this world, making new friends, and defeating the forces of evil.
Her stay on Earth has been more enlightening than she'd like at times, however, and dealing with problems from Mewni that have followed her to her new home has caused her to question what she always knew in her sheltered upbringing–and as she learns more about Earth and its culture, those questions are getting harder.
Background: Upon her birthday, Princess Star Butterfly received the Royal Magic Wand of Mewni, and began preparing to take the throne. Within an hour, she'd set much of Butterfly Castle on fire. To avoid risk of further harm, her parents Moon and River Butterfly sent her off to a safe, boring dimension where she could burn off all of her excess energy without causing harm to Mewni–after all, Earth has no magic, monsters, or any serious threats to Star or Mewni. What was the worst that could happen?
With the defeat of a longtime nemesis, Star is looking forward to enjoying the rest of her school year with Marco… but something seems to be wrong with her wand.

Spoiler: Marco Diaz

Name: Marco Ubaldo Diaz
Alias: Princess Marco Turdina, Safe Kid
Alignment: Hero
Sex: Male
Race: Human…?
Nationality: American/Mexican
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Responsible, organized, down-to-earth, and cautious, Marco is almost everything that the impulsive, chaotic, and reckless Star is not. Smart and straightforward, he takes pride in his orderliness, and his individual skills from his high marks in class to his martial arts prowess. However, he is without question eager and able to throw himself into danger–in the name of defending his friends and those close to him, but also for the fun of it.
In spite of his various skills, Marco is a young man with troubles attached to self-image and a fear of being ridiculed. Though Star abruptly entering his life has helped him begin to overcome some of his hangups, others remain firmly entrenched and still more have appeared thanks to her and grossly limit his potential. Some, however, would see Marco's humanizing shortcomings and call everyone fortunate that he has them…
Background: Always labeled as the "Safe Kid" by his peers for his cautious nature, Marco's entire world was turned on its head when Star Butterfly crashed into his life. Since her arrival, he's seen and done things well outside of his comfort zone, and has found himself craving the adventures and relishing the time he spends with Star during them.
Even when it's a little bit more than he should be handling…

Spoiler: Janna Ordonia

Name: Janna Ordonia
Alias: Janna Banana
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Nationality: American/Filipino
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Janna is a dry and crass young woman who does as she pleases in defiance of convention. With a curious heart and love for the weird and macabre, she is more at home in scrapyards and cemeteries than in comic book shops, and is drawn to and attracts similarly dark souls to herself. In spite of her off-beat nature, she has no problem being friends with the hyperactive Star and the responsible Marco. As a matter of fact she holds no small affection for both–that is usually sublimated into strange pranks and invasions of Marco's privacy and personal space.
Janna dislikes appearing emotionally vulnerable, keeping people separated from herself with walls of weirdness and indifference. Hidden is an observant side as well, an awareness of the strangeness around her that drives her to delve deeper into the unusual world she lives in, searching for what lurks in the dark.
Background: Growing up alongside Marco Diaz for all his life, she often featured as a background character in it until his family took in an Egyptian foreign exchange student named Akil. Her time spent with Akil brought her closer to Marco, and even after Akil returned home, she remained in his orbit. Something about him caught her attention, and she began sticking close–but still strangely at arm's length from the young man.
She would begin to get much closer again, however, when Star Butterfly arrived at their school from Mewni.

|Big Bad Beetleborgs|​

Spoiler: Drew McCormick

Name: Andrew "Drew" McCormick
Alias: Blue Stingerborg
Alignment: Good
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Drew is a comic book nerd somewhat out of place in the modern discourse of gatekeeping, identity, and contrarianism. A true geek, he has little problem sharing his enthusiasm for comic books and superheroes with others. He holds an idealistic naïvete about heroes and heroism, and dreams of being a hero like those in his favorite series, the Big Bad Beetleborgs.
In spite of being an open and accepting comic book fan, he is critically lacking in self-esteem in other areas in his life due to both his upbringing and targeting of bullies throughout his childhood, and would much rather be the heroes in his comic books than himself. Which in itself is a shame, because his ability to persevere in the face of his hardships gives hint to a much greater figure than he can imagine.
Background: Drew has never had the most positive upbringing. Living between a narcissistic father, a competitive and aggressive younger sister, and daily torments from two bullies wealthy enough to live beyond consequence, Drew has spent much of his life engrossed in comic books, and many of his interpersonal bonds are founded on that love. It is then no surprise that the most important event in his young life is the result of wanting to be the hero in his favorite book; the consequences of that desire, on the other hand…

Spoiler: Jo McCormick

Name: Josephine "Jo" McCormick
Alias: Red Strikerborg
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Jo is an aggressive, combative, but surprisingly intelligent tomboy. A comic book lover like her brother, she's happy to throw down with the most densely bearded of aficionados and come out triumphant in her knowledge. Also like her brother, she has a strong sense of justice, but has no problem dispensing it in the name of doing the right thing.
Jo despises being looked down upon for any reason, and always endeavors to be on top. Her fearsome, opinionated attitude has gotten her into plenty of shouting matches, and physical altercations to boot–but it has distanced her from others, leaving her only real friends Drew and Roland. Nevertheless, she is close to those she cares for, and when the stars align and she can be the person she wants to be, she is a reliable friend.
Background: Jo grew up favored in her household over her brother, whom she is barely a year younger than. Like Drew, living with a narcissist has greatly warped her interpersonal behaviors, but in a different direction from Drew, and as a result she is isolated from others and doesn't do well at making friends. So when the opportunity to become a hero like in the comics came along, she took it on… and the consequences that came with it.

Spoiler: Roland Williams

Name: Roland Williams
Alias: Green Hunter Beetleborg
Alignment: Good
Sex: Male
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Laid back and comfortable in himself and identity, Roland enjoys working part time at his family's comic book shop and poring over his favorite books with his closest friends. He readily bonds with Jo over comic debates, but appreciates Drew's live and let-live attitude with regard to the comic fandom. He is an avid trash-talker, however, and running his mouth has gotten him in plenty of trouble with his friends, his peers in general, and his family.
Background: The son and grandson of successful business owners, Roland has grown up all his life a respected figure in Echo Creek's community. Though he is humble and plays ignorant of his position and privilege in the community, he is well aware of it and even more so aware of the checkered past his family conceals behind the image cultivated by his grandmother. His love of comic books, fostered by his family and his longtime friends Drew and Jo, and that aforementioned checkered past were all big factors in accepting a chance to become a superhero… and despite all appearances, he's more prepared for it than even he knows.

Spoiler: Heather Summers

Name: Heather Summers
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Heather is a friendly, kind, and charismatic girl, who is popular with her peers (especially Drew). Despite her "popular girl" status, she is an avid comic book reader and nerd–which is why she works part time at Zoom Comics as a Barista. She cares greatly for her coworkers and boss, and for her favorite regular customers Drew and Jo.
Background: A normal girl in a crazy noisy town, Heather is considered one of the most popular girls at Echo Creek Academy and is the object of affections of many of her peers. Consciously aware of this, especially of the crush Drew has on her, she gently keeps her distance from those who make advances towards her, but there's no mistaking when she has a soft spot for someone.

Spoiler: Nano

Name: [REDACTED] "Nano" Williams
Alias: Big Nano
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: Energetic, sassy, and very much in-your-face; Roland's grandmother, whom everyone in town affectionately refers to as "Nano" believes that old age is a state of mind and she does not subscribe to it. A daredevil and an adrenaline enthusiast, it's hardly unusual to see her riding her motorcycle, practicing martial arts in the park, or starting it with any troublemakers who show their hides on her turf. Past that, she is a loving and doting matriarch of her family, teasing and pranking her son and daughter-in-law in good fun, and spoiling her beloved grandson.
In spite of her extroverted nature, however, Nano likes to keep many things to herself. Her family knows to never ask her about the days of her youth, and anyone outside it is quickly deterred from trying.
Background: A woman with a great deal of history, one she keeps to herself, Nano settled in Echo Creek in the late 1980s with her son Aaron after a relatively nomadic life on the backroads and side alleys of the country. Inspired by a visit to Gravity Falls in the early 90s, she opened Zoom Comics and quickly became not just a successful business owner but a pillar of the community in Echo Creek and the larger LA Metro area.
Nowadays, Nano can be seen practicing Tai Chi in the park, riding her motorcycle, or running her comic book shop alongside her son and grandson, but wherever she goes she cannot be missed.

Spoiler: Vexor

Name: Vexor Gaohm
Alias: Vexor G.
Alignment: Evil
Sex: Male?
Race: Unknown
Nationality: Magnavore Tribe
Hometown: The Nightmare Realm
Personality: Vexor is intelligent, self-assured, and calculating. From the formation of his small group of villains, he has prided himself on being able to outsmart and outplay the larger parties that hold control over the incomprehensible boundary between dimensions. He is also inquisitive and surprisingly open-minded, eager to explore new situations and solve the problems presented to him practically.
For all his self-proclaimed attributes, Vexor is manipulative, coercive, and has no qualms about punishing his minions if they ignore him. However, he is strangely sensible in his methods and savvy, which can be held as proof of why he has survived so long.
Background: The leader of the Magnavore Tribe, it is unknown how he formed this group, or how powerful it was back in the Nightmare Realm. However, once he came to the Nightmare Realm, he did not hesitate to begin a campaign to conquer not just Earth, but the entire universe.

Spoiler: Noxic

Name: Noxic
Alias: Combat Mecha Army Commander Noxic
Alignment: Bad
Sex: None [Identifies as Male]
Race: Machine Humanoid
Nationality: Magnavore Tribe
Hometown: The Nightmare Realm
Personality: Noxic is happy-go-lucky, chaotic, and obnoxious. Noxic is a villain who loves to cause trouble, get into fights, and laugh at the mayhem in his wake. Having little respect for authority figures, especially Vexor, he is the most rebellious of his subordinates and often receives physical harm as a result. He is also careless and indifferent to his mechanical creations, and their contempt for him in turn.
However, when it comes to the people he calls his friends, he is not only intensely loyal to them but also thoughtful and considerate of them, to the point of being quick to provide emotional support for as much as fight for them.
Background: A machine intelligence occupying a mechanical body of his own design, how Noxic came to be shackled to Vexor's will is a long and irritating story, but he gets through it by causing trouble with his fellow Magnavores Typhus and Jara, whom he considers his best friends.

Spoiler: Typhus

Name: Typhus
Alias: Bio Lord Typhus
Alignment: Bad
Sex: None [Identifies as Male]
Race: Unknown
Nationality: Magnavore Tribe
Hometown: Nightmare Realm
Personality: Gregarious, boisterous, but easy-going, Typhus loves excess in everything from eating to drinking to fighting. In battle, he's quick to praise his opponents even as he taunts and grinds them down with his regenerative abilities, before clobbering with his monstrous strength. To his friends he's even kinder, quick to be a place of comfort and support, and even wisdom when they're low.
Despite his brutish nature, Typhus is extremely intelligent, with a profound knowledge of biology, chemistry, medicine, and genetics. It is with this knowledge that he is able to create his monsters from his own body, giving him his moniker, The Bio Lord.
Background: A long lived resident of the Nightmare Realm, Typhus' rough past and skills has seen him cross paths with many powerful denizens. It was this complicated past that led him into the servitude of Vexor. Owing his life to Vexor, Typhus serves him reluctantly, but his friendship with Noxic and Jara has made it easier.

Spoiler: Jara

Name: Jara
Alias: Mercenary Army Commander Jara
Alignment: Bad
Sex: Female
Race: Unknown Humanoid
Nationality: Magnavore Tribe
Hometown: Nightmare Realm
Personality: Confident, no-nonsense, and pridefully arrogant, Jara is a consummate mercenary, Jara relishes martial combat and challenging strong foes. Loyal to her companions, she often takes a big sister or motherly role to Noxic and Typhus, often leading them into battle and stunning them with her prowess.
Her arrogance, however, is her greatest weakness. When challenged, Jara does not do well. Especially when she is challenged by someone she sees as weaker than her. Other, deeper issues haunt her, and when things go bad, she tends to spiral severely.
Background: Leader of a once powerful army of mercenaries, Jara wound up in the employ of Vexor after a crushing defeat at the hands of a Butterfly long ago. In spite of the proud face she puts on behind her mask, she is deeply scarred by her past experience, manifesting as a distant aloofness from her friends.

Spoiler: Trip and Van

Name: Thaddeus "Trip" Vanderhoff III and Van Vanderhoff
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Bad
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Nationality: American
Hometown: Echo Creek, Los Angeles, California
Personality: The Vanderhoff brothers are the poster children for affluenza: Cruel, sadistic, petty, and completely disconnected from human empathy thanks to a life of nothing but wealth and privilege. Utterly without real friends or relationships that aren't about their money or position in Echo Creek's society, they simply do not care and relish being able to lord their wealth over those beneath them. They are, without doubt, the worst people in town.
Background: The half-brother sons of Echo Creek's most prosperous real-estate developer, Trip and Van are a pair of bullies who go largely unchallenged in Echo Creek thanks to their phenomenal wealth and ability to leverage it against any obstacles in their path. Their favorite target is Drew McCormick, and from their first meeting they've done nothing but torment him for their own amusement and nothing else. Someone should punch these dipshits in their faces.

|Original Characters|​

Spoiler: Misao Darlian

Name: Misao H. Darlian
Alias: FaithfulPony371
Alignment: Good
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Nationality: German/Swiss/French/Japanese
Hometown: Geneva, Switzerland/Berlin, Germany
Personality: Misao is bright, extroverted, and assertive. It is natural for her to plunge headfirst into any situation and pull along anyone within arms reach with her. This, combined with her beauty and positive nature, makes her quick to connect with almost everyone she meets.
Being a generous and gregarious girl from a wealthy family, she has no issue with spoiling herself or those she considers close to her. On the other hand, when crossed, she has a fearsome temper–and rarely holds back her wrath when those close to her are in danger.
Background: The daughter of Hyuuga Heavy Industries CEO Momiji Hyuuga, and Hyuuga Medical Works Chief Researcher Edward Darlian, Misao has lived a sheltered life among wealthy elite throughout most of her life in Europe. Educated in Switzerland and the South of France, she chose the final year of her schooling to spend it in the United States and was invited by the famous Haley from their decades and generations spanning sitcom "Our Family" as an exchange student.
Expecting to spend the last year of youthful freedom immersed in American High School Culture, she never would've imagined that forces beyond her comprehension were moving to ensure that she would end up in a weirder and wilder situation than any private school in Beverly Hills could hope to provide.

Character Info
Volume 1​

And so we reach the end of the character bios for Volume 1. Fun fact: There aren't actually quite a great deal of Original Characters here in Legends. One of my goals has been to keep those to a minimum, and there will be more as the story goes on, this story isn't about them and no one's going to take the spotlight from our heroes.

See you when I cover Volume 2... or when I get some art done for these characters...