drunkenpandaren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
drunkenpandaren) wrote2006-07-22 10:41 am
drunkenpandaren) wrote2006-07-22 10:41 am
Intuition
After much intuition and deliberation, and not to mention Ryan pointing it out to me, I've re-edited Water to remove all traces of pure insanity. The chapter was getting FAR too insane, even for me to control and I didn't like it. So I removed a ton of stuff in order to work out a more level chain of command, and extend the days spent preparing. Poor kids need something resembling time and it's something I haven't provided recently.
If anyone is wondering just what I took OUT, it's all here.
“Puny human,” rumbled a giant machine that stood at the next crossing. “Why do you not flee from me?”
“I have no time for mindless fear,” replied Cedric and the creature made a “Hmm” sound before Megatron stomped by, earning delighted shouts from the children. If it were not for the numerous Autobots that surrounded the criminal, there would have been much shooting indeed.
===
“This is not possible,” uttered Phobos as the last guard fell. Bean grinned savagely and in an instant, the seventeen tendrils on either side of his body receded. “What manner of beast are you?”
“An intelligent one, sonny,” smirked Bean. “Now listen here. There’s a world of opportunity out there so to speak. Heroes and villains from all walks of creation gathered here together from one errant spell. To think that their collective power would be squandered.”
Phobos’ brow furrowed in thought. “A pact with many other villains?”
“Hundreds if not thousands!” cackled Bean. “This is war, son! There’s no need to drag yourself with a little so-called royal guard trying to kill a measly rebellion and five teenagers! Come with me son, and we’ll show you the ropes!”
“If what you say is true, then what is there for you then?” inquired Bean.
“Eventually, the world,” smirked Bean and Phobos smirked, mirroring Bean’s expression.
Several hours later, the palace guards found many people walking into the room from the odd to the young and old. Some of them exchanged wary glances and the assorted villains did not acknowledge their existence, unless feeling unusually cruel. Then they were struck down without a thought, merely because “they were in the way”.
In scant hours, the third Army of Evil was born.
=====
“Let them be impatient,” snapped Phobos. “I am Prince of this land, and nothing else matters but my own opinion.”
“Er…” Cedric was no fool; he knew that many of the people who awaited Phobos’ address were more than enough to, coining a phrase from the humans of Earth, “Put the Kibosh on Phobos”. They scared him, and that was the only initial reaction he had upon meeting Hannibal Bean.
=====
I propose we amass our forces and attack immediately.”
“And what do we get through this,” hissed the demon sorcerer, Shendu. Many of his companions nodded. The demon sorcerer was vastly underpowered from his original form, but he still held tremendous strength in his body and magical fire that would scorch the world. “This world, is not big enough for all of us.”
“We will defeat our enemies together, and then we will return to our usual methods,” said Phobos, sniffing as if he smelt a bad odour. “Is that fair?”
There were a few more rumbles through the crowd and a man with no skin and silver skeletal system spoke up. “You think you can defeat them all with your power?” scoffed Lord Zedd. “These humans, have proven to be extremely resilient.”
“And what of our enemies,” added another, an eternal evil named Aku who had suffered greatly from the power that had raked the land previous. “I Aku, will not suffer under the aggression of the Samurai once again.”
Dissenting agreements were heard as many more voiced their concerns. Then, a man dressed in mystical armour spoke, his tone gravely and deep. “They are only but a few. The sheer weight of our combined forces will crush them. Numbers over theirs will be more than sufficient.”
“For your sake, Shredder, if that were the case it should be enough to crush four measly turtles,” sneered the Dark Lord Voldemort. Shredder snarled and prepared to cut the man’s head off, but Phobos let off a blast of power, silencing the room.
=====
As the pair shared a laugh, a few who were listening in scowled to themselves. “He’s going to get us all killed,” snarled Aku. The evil shape shifter growled under his throat. “Aku will not stand for all of this. My power was great, before this strange power swept my own away!”
“Do not rush in foolishly,” admonished the black cloaked man and his breathing was deep. “A fool gets himself killed at a moments notice. A serpent strikes when the time is right.”
“You think like a Slytherin,” hissed Voldemort to Darth Vader. “A pity, you are not wizard born.”
Vader turned an impassioned gaze upon the wizarding dark lord and nodded slowly. “My master, has taught me well.”
“That’s all well and good,” snapped the fourth member of their team, a monkey with an enormous brain. “But I, Mojo Jojo will defeat the Powerpuff Girls on my own.”
“You forget,” said Vader, using the force to halt Mojo Jojo’s walk, “That we are facing an army of our own.”
“So,” said Aku slowly, “We wait. And let them kill each other.”
“Precisely,” said Voldemort, nodding and hissing at the thought. “Then we strike them down when both sides are weak.”
“Treachery at it’s best,” mused Mojo. “Very well. I Mojo Jojo will prepare the necessary mechanical beasts for our doing.”
=====
Lex was no ordinary man. He had existed alongside the super intelligent archival program Braniac, and he was prepared to create contingency plans. As such, using his twelfth level intellect, he sought out the beings who would enter a pact without preparing to contend with each other without stabbing each other in the back.
The being Lord Zedd was the first on the list. He and his wife Rita Repulsa were none other than infamous in the multiverse. With a promise to help restore their empire with new technology, he gathered them to his side, as with the Prince of the Machine Empire, Gasket and his wife Archerina as well. The pair were preparing to create a technological empire to rival his fathers, and Gasket knew that the legend of Braniac, however diminished in their own universe was also a force to be reckoned with.
The Demon Sorcerer Shendu was also a strong ally. With an incredible hatred for the man named Jackie Chan, his intelligence rivalled his own and Shendu provided much mystical knowledge that Lex eagerly absorbed with every word spoken. Another stood to the side, silent but deadly; the ninja Uchiha Itachi. The ninja had slaughtered his entire clan and left one to become one like him. Lex definitely could use the evil that the young man had created, and was less prone to betraying him than the snake sannin Orochimaru.
The Shredder was an unusual introduction to Lex’s quickly formed Secret Society, but the man was more than enough in both combat and ancient knowledge. His technological prowess made Lex’s heart sing and the pair worked tirelessly to prepare for the assault that would come at dawn.
Several others joined the ranks, some weeded out because of self interest such as the being known as the Box Ghost. Some others like the Dark Dragon were also pressed for information. Knowledge was power, and Lex liked power.
The group of villains were as varied and ranged as the ones who used to be part of the Secret Society, but then Grodd also tended to be overbearing with his work. Many of the worlds had similar themes to them, and as a result he found several enemies who were actually copies of themselves. But the final topping was of the villain whom Lex was out to retrieve.
Stories were rampant from Lord Zedd about the being known as Ivan Ooze. So, taking a platoon of Zedd’s putties and a few new allies to help him, he begun to dig.
=====
Creatures of all shapes and sizes were working the quarry, many of them gunmetal grey and making a gargling sound. A pack of shadowy ninjas worked with shovels and pick axes tirelessly and a similar group of ninjas wearing metal around their arms and legs lifted giant boulders over their heads. Others were of different types and there were many unique shapes in the crowd. At the head, wearing protective gear was a bald man who stood next to other beings of unique stature.
“How much longer do we have?” inquired the bald man of the tall sinister looking man who wore the lethal looking set of armour.
“Phobos is preparing the strike at dawn, which leaves us several hours to go,” said the man in a dark rasping voice. “We have already unearthed several pieces of the Ectomorphicons from their slumber. It will be only a matter of time until we uncover the chamber at day’s end.”
“Excellent,” said the bald man. “Lord Zedd, Queen Rita, I await your help to open the hyperbolic chamber.”
Zedd, the man with no skin and a chrome skeleton nodded and in a snarling tone said, “I am curious on how the being known as Braniac knows about the existence of Ivan Ooze.”
“Braniac has long since studied the cultures, and referred to many civilizations in our world having legends of Power Rangers roaming the galaxy long before the current civilizations emerged,” said Luthor. “And in my world, Ivan Ooze arose in Angel Grove in the year 1997. He was subsequently crushed by a team of Rangers.”
“Of course,” murmured Rita Repulsa. “That was the year we let him loose on Angel Grove.”
“Interesting,” said Shendu, and Raimundo felt his hackles rise as he gazed upon the demon sorcerer. “The being known as Ivan Ooze is legendary in my own world, though efforts to find him with my resources have been less than stellar. Angel Grove does not exist in the way you know it to be in my world. The natural ley lines cross more under the land known as San Francisco.”
“We have found the Ectomorphicons,” reported a cog, marching up to them with shovel slung over its shoulder. It continued in it’s tinny synthesized voice. “The process will take three more hours barring maximum efficiency, my Prince.”
“Excellent,” said Gasket, for the cogs obeyed him and Archerina alone. “Lex, we should prepare our… gift for Ivan Ooze. What is to say that if we do not offer him the unlimited power of ruling alongside with equal shares, he will merely imprison us in a snow globe and be on his merry way?”
“Indeed,” said Lex, nodding. “I’m certain Braniac’s side of things can help improve his Ectomorphicons in record time. Gasket, I require a team of cogs and Shendu, your assistance in sending out Shadowkhan is also appreciated.”
Shendu nodded. “What would you have us do?”
“I know it is demeaning of a sorcerer of your status, but in exchange for part of my territory once we defeat Phobos’ measly little Army of Evil, I require these items.”
Handing a list to Shendu, he and Gasket peered over them, Gasket raising a metallic approximation of an eyebrow. “Lex, these are earth technology.”
“Yes, but even earth technology can be modified into the most powerful technology. Technology that even we can use to modify our own skills and powers to the uttermost full potential. I am willing to offer another part of my land, if you find me those pieces of technology.”
“A fair trade,” mused Archerina. “Very well, we accept.”
“As do I,” hissed Shendu. “Shredder, you wish to accommodate some of your foot ninjas as well?”
“I have no need,” said Shredder dismissively. “My place is here. My people are bringing the portable lab.”
Lex smiled at that .Two steps ahead of everyone else, eh Shredder? Fortunately for me, I’m already twenty.
Raimundo, Hay Lin and Katara slunk down behind the rocks and they exchanged worried glances. “If all the worlds merged together, then that means there’s an Army of Evil out there waiting for us,” whispered Raimundo.
“And Phobos is at the lead of the majority of the forces,” added Hay Lin. “This is bad. Very bad.”
“Phobos is Elyon’s crazy brother, right?” said Katara for clarification and the pair nodded. “Yeah, we need to get going. Let’s see about sneaking out.”
The trio snuck off, taking the long route around the quarry, never noticing the eye that watched them from beneath the helmet. “Lex,” said Shredder, pitching his voice soft. “We have been spied on.”
“Of course,” said Lex. “An operation like this takes time, and someone is bound to stumble upon our little party here.”
“Shall I have them delayed?”
“No. No sense wasting manpower,” said Lex, shaking his head. “They will get the information to their companions with or without interruption, and it would merely become more aware of an attack on two fronts. It is one of those universal laws. Which is why we focus our efforts on reviving Ivan Ooze.”
“I see the legend of Braniac is of valued truth to your world,” mused Shredder. “How is it that you managed to get several villains with different goals to cooperate?”
“This little mudball called Earth is but a fraction of the power we can wield with the epicentre of the world in our possession,” smirked Lex. “Keep your options open.”
=====
Dulcea cast a gaze over the people and added, “I see many stories encircle the world. Those who hide in the shadows, the four brothers…”
Everyone gazed towards where she looked and from it, four mutant turtles emerged from the shadowy depths, accompanied by their elderly rat sensei. Equal parts of astonishment shown on their faces.
Dulcea smiled at them and turned to another part of the room. “Young Jade Chan and her uncle Jackie. You two have much life within you. Young Jake Long, your destiny is great. True Adam, your journey has just begun. Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, your world is at but a beginning as well. Guardians of the Veil, you have a difficult journey ahead but it is filled with much laughter. Xiaolin Monks, your world has begun with the first steps took. Ancient Avatar, much to learn and so little time, let your friends become your strength. Young June, your imprisonment is but a glimpse of a world beyond…”
The assembled people looked at each other, many of them meeting for the first time as Dulcea added more names to the roster. Young and old, tall, strong, weak, skinny, meek, bold, the list went on.
Finally, Dulcea turned towards the center of the room and said,
=====
“Free at last,” proclaimed the purple being who emerged from the egg-shaped prison. “Well now, Rita and Zedd, I presume?”
“You presume much, but yes,” said Zedd, carefully wording his response as he let Lex step forward.
“And who might you be human?” inquired Ivan. “Not often you find someone in company with a sorcerer such as Lord Zedd.”
“I am Lex Luthor, and I bring tidings from Braniac,” said Lex. He was pleased to see Ivan blanch a little and Lex added, “We offer our services to you.”
“No one said anything about offering service,” protested Rita but she was cut off by a sharp look from Gasket. The witch quieted down and Ivan rubbed his chin to think about the situation.
“I suppose you let me out for a little fun but with a price,” mused Ivan. “What is it you want?”
“With the proper tools, we will upgrade your Ectomorphicons to their maximum potential,” said Lex, gesturing towards the legion of Shadowkhan who worked tirelessly at finishing the exostructure of the titanic zords. In return, we ask but we split the Earth evenly. This is Earth after all; there is plenty of glory to go about.”
“And if I refuse?” inquired Ivan.
“Many of us can get rather… creative,” replied Lex smoothly.
“Indeed. Who are we facing?”
“Potentially an army of skilled warriors, and many villains. I hope you join us. It would be much easier than to attack on your own.” Lex let the morphological being ponder the statement over.
“All right. You have yourself a deal, funny-face,” needled Ivan and despite being insulted, he and Lex shook.
=====
“This place has everything,” remarked Raimundo, wandering into the room where a multitude of sleeping pallets were set out. Many of them were occupied with early heavy sleepers or people who sat up, reading or were gathered around playing games. Locating a free pallet, Raimundo sat down and found that a young Chinese-American lay on his own pallet, reading a book next to him. “Hi.”
“Hello,” replied his neighbour and Raimundo blinked for a moment at the voice of the young man. It was extremely similar to the moody prince of the Fire Nation. His neighbour put down the book and held out a hand. “Jake Long.”
“Raimundo Pedrosa,” the pair shook. “So… what do you make of this entire situation?”
“It’s better odds than I usually have,” remarked Jake, rolling his eyes. “Though there’s enough mystical beings here that would give me pause anyhow.”
Raimundo chuckled. “I know how it is. I deal with weirdness all the time.”
“You’re one of those Xiaolin Monks, right?” asked Jake, snapping his fingers. “Grandpa told me about you a while ago. Said you guys deal with magic on a regular basis.”
“Your grandpa knows about us?” inquired Raimundo and Jake nodded. “I guess word gets around.”
An older man slumped to the pallet next to them and muttered, “Oooh, bad day.”
Jake looked at the man and his brow furrowed. “Hey, aren’t you that archaeologist, Jackie Chan?”
Raimundo looked over as Jackie looked up and nodded. “Yes I am,” replied Jackie.
“Cool. I’m Jake, this is Raimundo.” Raimundo held up a hand in greeting and Jake sat up in bed. “So, what’s your story?”
“Ugh, I’m just an archaeologist,” replied Jackie, “But there are days when I also run into trouble on a regular basis.”
“Magic?” inquired Raimundo and Jackie nodded. “Same here. Looks like everyone here has some ties with some type of mystical or technological problems at hand.”
There was a loud crashing noise outside and a cacophony of voices erupted from outside. “Aiyah!” cried an elderly voice. “Where is Uncle supposed to get wings of butterfly now?”
Jackie sighed heavily as the voice was joined by many other people, possibly upset about the contents of whatever they were working on being destroyed. “That’s Uncle,” he sighed to the pair. “Perhaps I should go and bail him out.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” smirked Jake as he heard the distinct voice of Fu Dog coming from behind the doorway. “In any case, I need to get some rest.”
=====
June wandered the vast corridors of the building, unable to sleep. Most of the time she could sleep like a log since being the Te Xuan Ze wore her out something fierce. But tonight she couldn’t sleep, especially after witnessing the type of power granted to the three teams of young kids like herself.
Rounding the corner, she stopped short as a fist nearly hit her nose. “Oh, sorry,” said the owner of the fist, Taranee as she lowered her arms. The girl was in a form June hadn’t seen before, about sixteen years of age with dreadlocks and wearing an outfit of pink, blue and green. The only note that June had that this was the power granted to her by Dulcea was a sword slung across her shoulders and a simple medallion on her wrist and emblazoned on her chest like an overly large coin.
“Couldn’t sleep?” inquired June as Taranee bounced up and down on the balls of her feet to slow her rapid breathing down. Taranee shook her head. “Ah. Oh, sorry I’m being rude. June Lee.”
“Taranee Cook.”
“Was that martial arts?” inquired June curiously and Taranee chuckled.
“Not really in a sense. I’m working off instinct actually since I know nothing about the martial arts. I typically rely on my guardian powers. And these.” The wings on her back beat twice and June whistled. “So, what’s your story?”
“Well, I’m a protector of two worlds, this one and the mystical world. My family is part of a long line of protectors known as the Te Xuan Ze. My dad, Ah-mah’s son, my dad, was supposed to be the Te Xuan Ze but it skipped, landing me with the powers.” June shrugged and added, “It’s rough going at times. I don’t exactly have an entire team of super heroine friends to help with problems. Not to mention this whole alliance of superheroes is probably also throwing the whole Code of the Protector thing out of alignment.”
“I know the feeling,” admitted Taranee. “Though I’m having problems since my parents have no idea what I’m doing. At least you have family to talk to about the situation. My mom would throw a fit if she realized I was putting myself in danger on a regular basis.”
“Is it just you and your mother?” inquired June and Taranee shook her head.
“No, I have my dad and Peter’s there too, although I think Peter and dad would take it better than mom would. I think Peter would think it’s cool however.” Taranee laughed softly. “I guess I’m worried that she’ll forbid me from being a Guardian ever again.”
“You know, we should get some kind of parental support group,” remarked June. “I’m sure Ah-Mah would like someone to gripe to whenever I get myself into a situation.”
“Excellent,” said Taranee, smiling at the thought.
=====
Oh, and I just spent a ton of money on NX Cash use. It has to go SOMEWHERE and while I enjoy a fat bank account, I'd like to have SOME fun.
If anyone is wondering just what I took OUT, it's all here.
“Puny human,” rumbled a giant machine that stood at the next crossing. “Why do you not flee from me?”
“I have no time for mindless fear,” replied Cedric and the creature made a “Hmm” sound before Megatron stomped by, earning delighted shouts from the children. If it were not for the numerous Autobots that surrounded the criminal, there would have been much shooting indeed.
===
“This is not possible,” uttered Phobos as the last guard fell. Bean grinned savagely and in an instant, the seventeen tendrils on either side of his body receded. “What manner of beast are you?”
“An intelligent one, sonny,” smirked Bean. “Now listen here. There’s a world of opportunity out there so to speak. Heroes and villains from all walks of creation gathered here together from one errant spell. To think that their collective power would be squandered.”
Phobos’ brow furrowed in thought. “A pact with many other villains?”
“Hundreds if not thousands!” cackled Bean. “This is war, son! There’s no need to drag yourself with a little so-called royal guard trying to kill a measly rebellion and five teenagers! Come with me son, and we’ll show you the ropes!”
“If what you say is true, then what is there for you then?” inquired Bean.
“Eventually, the world,” smirked Bean and Phobos smirked, mirroring Bean’s expression.
Several hours later, the palace guards found many people walking into the room from the odd to the young and old. Some of them exchanged wary glances and the assorted villains did not acknowledge their existence, unless feeling unusually cruel. Then they were struck down without a thought, merely because “they were in the way”.
In scant hours, the third Army of Evil was born.
=====
“Let them be impatient,” snapped Phobos. “I am Prince of this land, and nothing else matters but my own opinion.”
“Er…” Cedric was no fool; he knew that many of the people who awaited Phobos’ address were more than enough to, coining a phrase from the humans of Earth, “Put the Kibosh on Phobos”. They scared him, and that was the only initial reaction he had upon meeting Hannibal Bean.
=====
I propose we amass our forces and attack immediately.”
“And what do we get through this,” hissed the demon sorcerer, Shendu. Many of his companions nodded. The demon sorcerer was vastly underpowered from his original form, but he still held tremendous strength in his body and magical fire that would scorch the world. “This world, is not big enough for all of us.”
“We will defeat our enemies together, and then we will return to our usual methods,” said Phobos, sniffing as if he smelt a bad odour. “Is that fair?”
There were a few more rumbles through the crowd and a man with no skin and silver skeletal system spoke up. “You think you can defeat them all with your power?” scoffed Lord Zedd. “These humans, have proven to be extremely resilient.”
“And what of our enemies,” added another, an eternal evil named Aku who had suffered greatly from the power that had raked the land previous. “I Aku, will not suffer under the aggression of the Samurai once again.”
Dissenting agreements were heard as many more voiced their concerns. Then, a man dressed in mystical armour spoke, his tone gravely and deep. “They are only but a few. The sheer weight of our combined forces will crush them. Numbers over theirs will be more than sufficient.”
“For your sake, Shredder, if that were the case it should be enough to crush four measly turtles,” sneered the Dark Lord Voldemort. Shredder snarled and prepared to cut the man’s head off, but Phobos let off a blast of power, silencing the room.
=====
As the pair shared a laugh, a few who were listening in scowled to themselves. “He’s going to get us all killed,” snarled Aku. The evil shape shifter growled under his throat. “Aku will not stand for all of this. My power was great, before this strange power swept my own away!”
“Do not rush in foolishly,” admonished the black cloaked man and his breathing was deep. “A fool gets himself killed at a moments notice. A serpent strikes when the time is right.”
“You think like a Slytherin,” hissed Voldemort to Darth Vader. “A pity, you are not wizard born.”
Vader turned an impassioned gaze upon the wizarding dark lord and nodded slowly. “My master, has taught me well.”
“That’s all well and good,” snapped the fourth member of their team, a monkey with an enormous brain. “But I, Mojo Jojo will defeat the Powerpuff Girls on my own.”
“You forget,” said Vader, using the force to halt Mojo Jojo’s walk, “That we are facing an army of our own.”
“So,” said Aku slowly, “We wait. And let them kill each other.”
“Precisely,” said Voldemort, nodding and hissing at the thought. “Then we strike them down when both sides are weak.”
“Treachery at it’s best,” mused Mojo. “Very well. I Mojo Jojo will prepare the necessary mechanical beasts for our doing.”
=====
Lex was no ordinary man. He had existed alongside the super intelligent archival program Braniac, and he was prepared to create contingency plans. As such, using his twelfth level intellect, he sought out the beings who would enter a pact without preparing to contend with each other without stabbing each other in the back.
The being Lord Zedd was the first on the list. He and his wife Rita Repulsa were none other than infamous in the multiverse. With a promise to help restore their empire with new technology, he gathered them to his side, as with the Prince of the Machine Empire, Gasket and his wife Archerina as well. The pair were preparing to create a technological empire to rival his fathers, and Gasket knew that the legend of Braniac, however diminished in their own universe was also a force to be reckoned with.
The Demon Sorcerer Shendu was also a strong ally. With an incredible hatred for the man named Jackie Chan, his intelligence rivalled his own and Shendu provided much mystical knowledge that Lex eagerly absorbed with every word spoken. Another stood to the side, silent but deadly; the ninja Uchiha Itachi. The ninja had slaughtered his entire clan and left one to become one like him. Lex definitely could use the evil that the young man had created, and was less prone to betraying him than the snake sannin Orochimaru.
The Shredder was an unusual introduction to Lex’s quickly formed Secret Society, but the man was more than enough in both combat and ancient knowledge. His technological prowess made Lex’s heart sing and the pair worked tirelessly to prepare for the assault that would come at dawn.
Several others joined the ranks, some weeded out because of self interest such as the being known as the Box Ghost. Some others like the Dark Dragon were also pressed for information. Knowledge was power, and Lex liked power.
The group of villains were as varied and ranged as the ones who used to be part of the Secret Society, but then Grodd also tended to be overbearing with his work. Many of the worlds had similar themes to them, and as a result he found several enemies who were actually copies of themselves. But the final topping was of the villain whom Lex was out to retrieve.
Stories were rampant from Lord Zedd about the being known as Ivan Ooze. So, taking a platoon of Zedd’s putties and a few new allies to help him, he begun to dig.
=====
Creatures of all shapes and sizes were working the quarry, many of them gunmetal grey and making a gargling sound. A pack of shadowy ninjas worked with shovels and pick axes tirelessly and a similar group of ninjas wearing metal around their arms and legs lifted giant boulders over their heads. Others were of different types and there were many unique shapes in the crowd. At the head, wearing protective gear was a bald man who stood next to other beings of unique stature.
“How much longer do we have?” inquired the bald man of the tall sinister looking man who wore the lethal looking set of armour.
“Phobos is preparing the strike at dawn, which leaves us several hours to go,” said the man in a dark rasping voice. “We have already unearthed several pieces of the Ectomorphicons from their slumber. It will be only a matter of time until we uncover the chamber at day’s end.”
“Excellent,” said the bald man. “Lord Zedd, Queen Rita, I await your help to open the hyperbolic chamber.”
Zedd, the man with no skin and a chrome skeleton nodded and in a snarling tone said, “I am curious on how the being known as Braniac knows about the existence of Ivan Ooze.”
“Braniac has long since studied the cultures, and referred to many civilizations in our world having legends of Power Rangers roaming the galaxy long before the current civilizations emerged,” said Luthor. “And in my world, Ivan Ooze arose in Angel Grove in the year 1997. He was subsequently crushed by a team of Rangers.”
“Of course,” murmured Rita Repulsa. “That was the year we let him loose on Angel Grove.”
“Interesting,” said Shendu, and Raimundo felt his hackles rise as he gazed upon the demon sorcerer. “The being known as Ivan Ooze is legendary in my own world, though efforts to find him with my resources have been less than stellar. Angel Grove does not exist in the way you know it to be in my world. The natural ley lines cross more under the land known as San Francisco.”
“We have found the Ectomorphicons,” reported a cog, marching up to them with shovel slung over its shoulder. It continued in it’s tinny synthesized voice. “The process will take three more hours barring maximum efficiency, my Prince.”
“Excellent,” said Gasket, for the cogs obeyed him and Archerina alone. “Lex, we should prepare our… gift for Ivan Ooze. What is to say that if we do not offer him the unlimited power of ruling alongside with equal shares, he will merely imprison us in a snow globe and be on his merry way?”
“Indeed,” said Lex, nodding. “I’m certain Braniac’s side of things can help improve his Ectomorphicons in record time. Gasket, I require a team of cogs and Shendu, your assistance in sending out Shadowkhan is also appreciated.”
Shendu nodded. “What would you have us do?”
“I know it is demeaning of a sorcerer of your status, but in exchange for part of my territory once we defeat Phobos’ measly little Army of Evil, I require these items.”
Handing a list to Shendu, he and Gasket peered over them, Gasket raising a metallic approximation of an eyebrow. “Lex, these are earth technology.”
“Yes, but even earth technology can be modified into the most powerful technology. Technology that even we can use to modify our own skills and powers to the uttermost full potential. I am willing to offer another part of my land, if you find me those pieces of technology.”
“A fair trade,” mused Archerina. “Very well, we accept.”
“As do I,” hissed Shendu. “Shredder, you wish to accommodate some of your foot ninjas as well?”
“I have no need,” said Shredder dismissively. “My place is here. My people are bringing the portable lab.”
Lex smiled at that .Two steps ahead of everyone else, eh Shredder? Fortunately for me, I’m already twenty.
Raimundo, Hay Lin and Katara slunk down behind the rocks and they exchanged worried glances. “If all the worlds merged together, then that means there’s an Army of Evil out there waiting for us,” whispered Raimundo.
“And Phobos is at the lead of the majority of the forces,” added Hay Lin. “This is bad. Very bad.”
“Phobos is Elyon’s crazy brother, right?” said Katara for clarification and the pair nodded. “Yeah, we need to get going. Let’s see about sneaking out.”
The trio snuck off, taking the long route around the quarry, never noticing the eye that watched them from beneath the helmet. “Lex,” said Shredder, pitching his voice soft. “We have been spied on.”
“Of course,” said Lex. “An operation like this takes time, and someone is bound to stumble upon our little party here.”
“Shall I have them delayed?”
“No. No sense wasting manpower,” said Lex, shaking his head. “They will get the information to their companions with or without interruption, and it would merely become more aware of an attack on two fronts. It is one of those universal laws. Which is why we focus our efforts on reviving Ivan Ooze.”
“I see the legend of Braniac is of valued truth to your world,” mused Shredder. “How is it that you managed to get several villains with different goals to cooperate?”
“This little mudball called Earth is but a fraction of the power we can wield with the epicentre of the world in our possession,” smirked Lex. “Keep your options open.”
=====
Dulcea cast a gaze over the people and added, “I see many stories encircle the world. Those who hide in the shadows, the four brothers…”
Everyone gazed towards where she looked and from it, four mutant turtles emerged from the shadowy depths, accompanied by their elderly rat sensei. Equal parts of astonishment shown on their faces.
Dulcea smiled at them and turned to another part of the room. “Young Jade Chan and her uncle Jackie. You two have much life within you. Young Jake Long, your destiny is great. True Adam, your journey has just begun. Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, your world is at but a beginning as well. Guardians of the Veil, you have a difficult journey ahead but it is filled with much laughter. Xiaolin Monks, your world has begun with the first steps took. Ancient Avatar, much to learn and so little time, let your friends become your strength. Young June, your imprisonment is but a glimpse of a world beyond…”
The assembled people looked at each other, many of them meeting for the first time as Dulcea added more names to the roster. Young and old, tall, strong, weak, skinny, meek, bold, the list went on.
Finally, Dulcea turned towards the center of the room and said,
=====
“Free at last,” proclaimed the purple being who emerged from the egg-shaped prison. “Well now, Rita and Zedd, I presume?”
“You presume much, but yes,” said Zedd, carefully wording his response as he let Lex step forward.
“And who might you be human?” inquired Ivan. “Not often you find someone in company with a sorcerer such as Lord Zedd.”
“I am Lex Luthor, and I bring tidings from Braniac,” said Lex. He was pleased to see Ivan blanch a little and Lex added, “We offer our services to you.”
“No one said anything about offering service,” protested Rita but she was cut off by a sharp look from Gasket. The witch quieted down and Ivan rubbed his chin to think about the situation.
“I suppose you let me out for a little fun but with a price,” mused Ivan. “What is it you want?”
“With the proper tools, we will upgrade your Ectomorphicons to their maximum potential,” said Lex, gesturing towards the legion of Shadowkhan who worked tirelessly at finishing the exostructure of the titanic zords. In return, we ask but we split the Earth evenly. This is Earth after all; there is plenty of glory to go about.”
“And if I refuse?” inquired Ivan.
“Many of us can get rather… creative,” replied Lex smoothly.
“Indeed. Who are we facing?”
“Potentially an army of skilled warriors, and many villains. I hope you join us. It would be much easier than to attack on your own.” Lex let the morphological being ponder the statement over.
“All right. You have yourself a deal, funny-face,” needled Ivan and despite being insulted, he and Lex shook.
=====
“This place has everything,” remarked Raimundo, wandering into the room where a multitude of sleeping pallets were set out. Many of them were occupied with early heavy sleepers or people who sat up, reading or were gathered around playing games. Locating a free pallet, Raimundo sat down and found that a young Chinese-American lay on his own pallet, reading a book next to him. “Hi.”
“Hello,” replied his neighbour and Raimundo blinked for a moment at the voice of the young man. It was extremely similar to the moody prince of the Fire Nation. His neighbour put down the book and held out a hand. “Jake Long.”
“Raimundo Pedrosa,” the pair shook. “So… what do you make of this entire situation?”
“It’s better odds than I usually have,” remarked Jake, rolling his eyes. “Though there’s enough mystical beings here that would give me pause anyhow.”
Raimundo chuckled. “I know how it is. I deal with weirdness all the time.”
“You’re one of those Xiaolin Monks, right?” asked Jake, snapping his fingers. “Grandpa told me about you a while ago. Said you guys deal with magic on a regular basis.”
“Your grandpa knows about us?” inquired Raimundo and Jake nodded. “I guess word gets around.”
An older man slumped to the pallet next to them and muttered, “Oooh, bad day.”
Jake looked at the man and his brow furrowed. “Hey, aren’t you that archaeologist, Jackie Chan?”
Raimundo looked over as Jackie looked up and nodded. “Yes I am,” replied Jackie.
“Cool. I’m Jake, this is Raimundo.” Raimundo held up a hand in greeting and Jake sat up in bed. “So, what’s your story?”
“Ugh, I’m just an archaeologist,” replied Jackie, “But there are days when I also run into trouble on a regular basis.”
“Magic?” inquired Raimundo and Jackie nodded. “Same here. Looks like everyone here has some ties with some type of mystical or technological problems at hand.”
There was a loud crashing noise outside and a cacophony of voices erupted from outside. “Aiyah!” cried an elderly voice. “Where is Uncle supposed to get wings of butterfly now?”
Jackie sighed heavily as the voice was joined by many other people, possibly upset about the contents of whatever they were working on being destroyed. “That’s Uncle,” he sighed to the pair. “Perhaps I should go and bail him out.”
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” smirked Jake as he heard the distinct voice of Fu Dog coming from behind the doorway. “In any case, I need to get some rest.”
=====
June wandered the vast corridors of the building, unable to sleep. Most of the time she could sleep like a log since being the Te Xuan Ze wore her out something fierce. But tonight she couldn’t sleep, especially after witnessing the type of power granted to the three teams of young kids like herself.
Rounding the corner, she stopped short as a fist nearly hit her nose. “Oh, sorry,” said the owner of the fist, Taranee as she lowered her arms. The girl was in a form June hadn’t seen before, about sixteen years of age with dreadlocks and wearing an outfit of pink, blue and green. The only note that June had that this was the power granted to her by Dulcea was a sword slung across her shoulders and a simple medallion on her wrist and emblazoned on her chest like an overly large coin.
“Couldn’t sleep?” inquired June as Taranee bounced up and down on the balls of her feet to slow her rapid breathing down. Taranee shook her head. “Ah. Oh, sorry I’m being rude. June Lee.”
“Taranee Cook.”
“Was that martial arts?” inquired June curiously and Taranee chuckled.
“Not really in a sense. I’m working off instinct actually since I know nothing about the martial arts. I typically rely on my guardian powers. And these.” The wings on her back beat twice and June whistled. “So, what’s your story?”
“Well, I’m a protector of two worlds, this one and the mystical world. My family is part of a long line of protectors known as the Te Xuan Ze. My dad, Ah-mah’s son, my dad, was supposed to be the Te Xuan Ze but it skipped, landing me with the powers.” June shrugged and added, “It’s rough going at times. I don’t exactly have an entire team of super heroine friends to help with problems. Not to mention this whole alliance of superheroes is probably also throwing the whole Code of the Protector thing out of alignment.”
“I know the feeling,” admitted Taranee. “Though I’m having problems since my parents have no idea what I’m doing. At least you have family to talk to about the situation. My mom would throw a fit if she realized I was putting myself in danger on a regular basis.”
“Is it just you and your mother?” inquired June and Taranee shook her head.
“No, I have my dad and Peter’s there too, although I think Peter and dad would take it better than mom would. I think Peter would think it’s cool however.” Taranee laughed softly. “I guess I’m worried that she’ll forbid me from being a Guardian ever again.”
“You know, we should get some kind of parental support group,” remarked June. “I’m sure Ah-Mah would like someone to gripe to whenever I get myself into a situation.”
“Excellent,” said Taranee, smiling at the thought.
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Oh, and I just spent a ton of money on NX Cash use. It has to go SOMEWHERE and while I enjoy a fat bank account, I'd like to have SOME fun.