PLDN Chapter 30

"Chapter 30: Crossover Overdrive. First Contact with an Undertale AU (Sub-Entries 291 - 300)"

Sub-Entry 291:  "Hunger for Cowabunga at Rabbotou Dojo"
Back home again. I think now we could sit down and find out more about the Major's outing to Gotham with Usagi and Splinter.

Asriel and I knelt down at the tea table with the three of them.

"...you have had most unusual adventures, Asriel-san."

"You could definitely say that, Grand Master.  It's not every day you get dumped into a completely different dimension outside of the UltraVerse."

"I am humbled by your courage and capability, Asriel-san." Usagi.complimented.

"Aww, it wasn't anything special..."

"Modesty should be commended, but do not let it detract from faith in yourself, my student."

"Humility in moderation?" Asriel pondered.

"Doubt is a difficult deterrant to overcome.  It can lead to chronic worry."

"Major...!" I protested.

"How uncharacteristically blunt of you, my former student." The supressed grin on Splinter's face told all.

"If the sandal fits...wear it." Bunnie mused with a smirk.

"I'm being riffed ontwo-fold." I almost crossed my arms in protest. "I thought we were here to talk about your tale in Gotham not rip on me for being cautious.  Just because I've been doing a lot of ponderaing as to what Adonis' end game could be.  I mean he hasn't exactly sent us on pleasure cruises, but they've been a far cry from his usual efforts to really hurt us, physically, mentally, and emotionally."

"All valid points, Volt-hakase.  But could it be that having you worry about his next move might be his intention?"

"And there's no chaotic state to be in quite like jumping at shadows.  It is rather difficult to maintain order if you are second guessing yourself and questioning who or what to trust."

Good points. But nothing I hadn't heard before. Nothing that reassured any better than anything else said to me in the aftermath of the VideoLand adventure.

"Hey.  Don't worry yourself into a frenzy.  You do that and you'll start doing Adonis' dirty work for him.  We need you at top shop, best friend."

...okay...when Goat Son manages to convince me to drop my anxieties, you know he's got a leg up on the wisest people in the room.

"You're right."

"Now.  As to our tale..." Usagi segued into the story.

"I suppose it all started with our archenemy, the Shredder.  The Foot Clan's activity in the city had suddenly vanished without a trace.  My Turtles however soon picked up the trail that led to a city called...Gotham." Splinter set down his tea.

"The Foot had been responsible for the theft of a lot of technology.  To what ends was a speculation I dared not make for Oroku Saki's evil knew no bounds; he would go to any lengths in his mad hunger for conquest."

"The Turtles crossed paths with them at a laboratory...I believe Powers Industrial was its name...but they were unable to deter them from the theft of a great power source."

You know it occured to me...Splinter and the rabbits shadowing the Turtles during their outting to Gotham...was he really so sentimental that he had to keep tabs on them when they got in trouble? I mean...isn't it usually April O'Neill who follows them in search of a scoop?

Wait...I forgot...was she even a reporter in our continuum? Sometimes I remembered her as Channel 6's star reporter...sometimes I remember her as the former assistant of now crazed scientist, Dr. Baxter Stockman...sometimes I remember her running the Second Time Around antique shop...sometimes I remember her as a red-haired teen and the daughter of a psychologist...a daughter who was the half-human/half utrom hybrid after being born to a mother experimented on in the name of the Kraang. And most recently...I'd remember her as an African American girl with green Janine Melnitz eyeglasses who carried a baseball bat and photo-bombed impromptu pool parties with her four turtle besties.

Weird. Also...I'm getting off track. I segued from pondering Splinter being overprotecive into who April O'Neill was. I'd better stop before I start micro-analyzing Casey Jones next.

"Sounds rough.  So what happened next?"

"One should be wary of venturing outside one's own city to another...for every city has urban legends that tend to be true."

"Ah.  A 6-foot bat running around Gotham City?" I couldn't help but speak out of turn.

Bunnie gave me a warning glare.

"Sorry.  Continue."

"While our Turtle friends were on the hunt for Shredder, it seems that Gotham's own vigilante was tracking down a clan known as the League of Assassins." Usagi explained.

Asriel narrowed his eyes. Violet had taught him well the ways of the Direct Comics universe.

"Ra's al Ghul." He muttered to himself. The word assassin had the sourest of tastes to a goat son who believed in the credo of don't kill and don't be killed.

"It would seem my old enemy had plans of his own...which involved being approached by this...Ra's al Ghul."

"Huh...what would al Ghul want with a generator...?  I pondered.

"It was one of four such industries targeted."

"Two of them wouldn't happen to be S.T.A.R. Labs and LexCorp, would they?" Asriel asked.

Splinter and Usagi looked at each other for a moment.

"That is...correct, Asriel-san." Usagi raised an eyebrow.

"I never would have believed Michelangelo's obsessive comic book lore would have ever worked to our benefit." Splinter looked as uneasy to accept this as I was.

"Let's not tell Violet.  She'd never let us live it down." I enjoyed another onigiri.

"Which makes the last likely target..." Asriel started before Splinter resumed the story.

"My Turtles tracked down our foes to the next likely target, Wayne Enterprises."

"Called it." Asriel mused.

"But it seemed someone ELSE had eyes on the prize." Usagi folded his arms and bowed his head.

"With a rogues gallery that size in Gotham, it could be anyone..." I frowned.

"Nah.  You just gotta narrow the bandwidth, best friend.  Of them all, who'd profit most by intercepting the target and selling it to a "new player in town" just to forge an exploitable alliance?"

"Uhhh...okay, I know this one...I feel like I've been down this road--"

"Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.  Also known as the Penguin." Asriel mused, pointing upoward and closing his eyes.

"It seems Asriel's powers of deduction have increased ten fold since we first met." Splinter looked very amused.

"I was...not particularl good with stealthy approaches so I kept to a distance on the rooftops."

That's right. Usagi was samurai. Splinter was the master ninja.

"I kept to the shadows, having infiltrated the building.  My suspicions were correct as the Foot Clan had entered with intent to steal from Wayne Enterprises.  But as it seems...Wayne Enterprises has its own guardian in the shadows; the target they were attepmting to steal was an illusion."

"Holograms.  Gotta love em." I grinned.

"Hmm...an elaborate deception for a simple trap.  I like it." Bunnie pondered.

"The Foot soldiers were no match for this...Batman.  His style was far refined and indictive of vast experience." Splinter mused. "However while Shredder's pawns were no match for him...the Shredder himself proved...more than his equal.  So much so he had to resort to the dreaded Sato Oshi strike."

Bunnie's almost stood up at that. "Only two sensei know that move.  Him...and you, Master.  It is next to impossible for that move to be anything but a death sentence when performed in the right...or wrong hands."

"This is what I meant a couple years back when I said you haven't taught me everything YOU know, sensei.  And for good reason." Asriel looked grim. "There are some moves that I don't think I WANT to learn."

"Which is why when the time comes you will be worthy of learning them." Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder. "Such techniques may be abominations...but they are part of our heratage as ninja.  Even with our roots deeply in the role of assassins and spies...clans such as the Hamato and the Rabbotou have strived to use these tools for good."

"Continue, sensei.  Usagi."

"The Turtles did battle with this...Penguin person and his minions.  Clearly they were outmatched but the Penguin had his own means of escape."

"Umbrella-copter." Asriel curled his lip. "Gaudy but effective."

"Unfortunately, parallel battles have a tendency to...converge.  Even if it's only the aftermath." Splinter mused tenting his clawed fingers and hunching over in that iconic Ikari pose right out of Neon Genesis Evangeleon.

"I sense a big uh-oh coming." I said matter-of-factly.

"All crossovers tend to begin with heroes who were never meant to meet...clashing in battle." Asriel observed. "That's what puts the Verses in so many crossover arcs in comics, cartoons, and movies."

"And now you understand my title a little more, Goat Son." I'd seen my fair share of heroes duking it out before all the facts were straight.

"Little did we know the Foot and the League of Assassins were already meeting at that point.  However someone else allied with the Batman was keeping tabs."

"Robin.  Well...a Robin.  By now I know they've been more than one.  And not just in our universe."

"He witnessed a demonstration of the mutagen."

"T.C.R.I.'s legacy...or was it brought over from Dimension X with Krang's Technodrone...?" I thought to myself. "Or maybe it was milked from space maggots...I can't keep iterations straight."

I shifted.

"Well.  Now I have a clearer idea of what they want.  With a cloud seeding machine Gotham City would become night of the living mutation...but something just feels...incomplete about this plan."

"You're right, Volt.  The League would want to guarantee Gotham tore itself apart.  There's a missing component."

"I know certain members of your four students don't take failure...lightly." Bunnie slid her gaze to the side. "This is usually the point where they take the initive to do something that seems like a good idea at the time...but in reality is something rather stupid."

"Home invasion?" I suggested.

"And this is why I consider your powers of deduction no slouch, either, Volt-hakase." Splinter continued to brood in that pondering pose.

"Being they're amphibious reptiles...quickest way in is through the water channels." Asriel followed. "They found the Bat Cave."

"Donatello figured out where the Bat Cave is." Bunnie smiled, eyes closed. "Of course he did."

"That's a meeting I'd like to have been a fly on the wall for." I grinned.

"Funny you should mention flies..." Usagi grimmaced.

"Stockman." I narrowed my eyes, following. "We blacklisted him from the scientific community ages ago and he got himself turned into an insect."

"You mention blacklisting a lot of scientists, Volt.  I'm getting kinda curious to see that list."

"Some other time."

"I'm going to assume that we know where this meeting went."

"After a...bit of a tussel with Batman's ward."

"Burt Ward?" I chuckled. "Sorry.  Violet owes me money now." I couldn't resist a 1960's name drop.

In all seriousness, I wondered if it was Jason Todd or Tim Drake. If Nightwing existed, then it was an alternate version of Dick Grayson, not our Teen Titans ally.

"I think this is where that missing component comes into play, isn't it?" Asriel frowned. "I can't know for sure, but I'm going take a wild stab at it."

Don't say stab, Azzy.

"...Arkham Asylum?" He questioned after a lengthy pause.

"Correct." Both Splinter and Usagi said in unison.

"Then they need one more person in this partnership.  The most dangerous man in Gotham..." Asriel reasoned. "And not someone I'd bring up around Vi.  You know how she feels about...clowns."

I shuddered. But not because of the mention of clowns. No. The mention of THIS specific clown in particular.

"I think I'm starting to follow." The chemist in me was awakening. "And no one but him would have the chemical engineering knowhow to tweek the mutagen formula."

Asriel had plainly dropped Arkham Asylum's name. And they said the cantina on Tatooine was a collection of the worst scum and villainy in the universe. Imagine that concentrated into a block of prison cells in a mental ward. In other words...Batman's entire rogue's gallery.

"Really don't like where this is going." Asriel swallowed hard.

"However, Donatello working with Miss Barbara Gordon, engineered a retomutagen as an--"

"Ace in the hole?" Asriel couldn't resist dropping the name of the chemical plant...also the name of a certain hound that would inhabit Wayne Manor years down the road. Yeah...a reference that goes...Beyond.

"Jovial as always." Splinter cracked a smile, untenting his hands."

"Wait..." I sudden saw the bigger picture. "Asylum full of inmates who NEED to stay locked away.  Shredder with canisters of ooze.  Ohh crud." I facepalmed.

"Let's just give the cliffnotes version." Usagi suggested.

"Agreed.  Arkham was just a distraction to slow down Batman and the Turtles."

"But I bet the battles were so cool." I smirked.

"Volt!" Asriel protested. Was it weird I was the one being litehearted and he was being serious?

"Your choice of word is rather...apt for their first opponent."

"Victor Fries...Mr. Freeze that is." Asriel cut in.

"I can only guess what he mutated into." I muttered as Beach Bear crossed through the dojo with the rabit trio on his shoulders and head. He waved as he headed to drop them off at the veternarian as Bunnie had arranged.

"...right."

I reasoned since Harley Quinn was around those hyenas pets...duh. As for the others, I guessed...Scarecrow? Uh...crow. Bane? Some kiknd of wild cat, probably...not sure why. Poison Ivy...obviously a fly trap. Two-Face? ...honestly...I couldn't even guess.

"It was a harsh series of battle that took an unexpect turn..."

Asriel an I looked at each other with worried looks.

"He DIDN'T!" Asriel turned pale.

"He did." I nodded. The missing piece was in place. What happens when you mix mutaten with Joker venom?

"So...that dose of retromutagen?"

"I wonder why we even need to explain?" Splinter smiled again.

While I had pointed out that Splinter and Usagi were shadowing them, I hadn't pointed out that they were staying very much out of the battle. A testiment to how much faith a father placed in his sons to get the job done.

"So.  Now would be the time to retreat, regroup, and suit up again?" Asriel practically had comic books written into his DNA. He knew how this worked.

"But I can't figure out where their next move would be--"  Asriel pondered.

"They'd need large quantities of both chemicals.  They'd go to the place of Joker's origin."

"Ace Chemicals." Asriel narrowed

Or was it Axis Chemicals? Huh. One of these days I was going to get a mastery of having multiple iterations of multiple AU's in my memory and channel the right one at the right time.

"I can only imagine twhat kind of chaos went down there." I frowned.

"The kind that usually ends with...something falling out of the sky, guessing a giant Quad Copter outfitted with the combination Ooze/Joker Venom and causing a massive explosion after a free-for-all epic battle?"

"Now you are just peeking at spoilers, my young lycanthrope." Splinter gave the least sincere of scowls. He was amused but not giving us the satisfaction of acknowledging it.

Okay maybe I DID peek into STC's recent archived records for spoilers.

"So the city was saved and your partnership came to an end on good terms."

"It did.  As the Batman said...I was in fact very proud of my Turtles.  But...Leonardo was right.  I did have some harsh words for them being away from our city for such an exptended amount of time."

Yup. Master Splinter takes his discipline seriously.

"But...where were you in all this, sensei?"

"Everywhere...and nowhere." Bunnie said with a smug grin. Oh. A call back to what I said when she asked where Asriel came from. Nice......nice.

"There were moments when Usagi and I both were unaware of her presence.  She managed to be on site for nearly every major event during this off world adventure.  My former student has surpassed me in every way.  "

"Not every." As Bunnie and Splinter both suddenly snapped their chopsticks out. But it was Splinter's set that caught a lone fly between them.

"You were merely...holding back." Splinter comforted as he stared at the captured insect.

"I guess you can master anything." Bunnie nodded.

"So it would--"

* snap*

Asriel held up his chopsticks as he caught a second fly. You know Bunnie needs to change the fly paper hanging up.

"Look!" Asriel beamed.

"Beginner's luck." Splinter wrinkled his snoot.

"Indeed." Bunnie lowered her eyebrows.

"Humility is a virtue, Grand Masters." That earned me a brief dirty look from both.

"Being quiet now." I reciprocated.

I then turned serious. "I can't help but feel...that something about this story seems...untold." I looked off to the side.

Asriel also turned grim. "Yeah...but I wonder what it could be...?"

Unbeknown to us, at the rubble of what was once Axis Chemicals...

Nah. I'll leave the spoilers to someone else.

Sub-Entry 292:  "The Most Powerful Man in the Universe Not Played By Dolph Lundgen":
I admit. There was a time when Arcade Industries crossed paths with Eternia. And that was part of my childhood I considered a pretty fond memory. Back then it was easy to be entranced by the gladiator-bodied archetype at a time when Hulk Hogan's Rock N' Wrestling was something I was a fan of.

Tme change and the 80's fade away and the archetypes of old become a bit...dated and ripe for controversy no one even knew existed back then. Implications I will not elaborate on that will feed trolls for ages to come. That said, and because I don't want Violet jumping in here with things that even Mad Magazine would consider too juvenille to print, let's move on to how this is relevant now.

"I gotta say...a place named Castle Greyskull sounds more like a Dr. Wily stronghold than a place where fabulous secrets are revealed to the most powerful man in the universe."

Asriel looked up at it.

"This Sorceress.  Can she really help with our current dilema?"

"We're going to diffuse this Crossover War one way or another.  It was inevitable it would come here."

"Honestly I thought this would be a lot of sweaty wrestlers delivering one-liners in swords and sandals."

"You're not wrong.  We are currently in the 80's half of where the universes merged."

"The reboot universe is more belieable but it feels like as much a product of the times as this place does."

"Harsh, Goat Son."

"Yeah.  Violet wrote the explanation."

"There it is." I rolled my eyes. "Well.  Let's hope she lets us in.  Come on, Cringer 2.0."

The green cat yowled and backed away.

"You know if he can't talk, doesn't that make him a downgrade?" I frowned.

"I'm getting the impression that all sidekick characters in the 1980's just had to talk and be as scared as Antoine or as itching for a fight as--"

"Azzy. We promised Mysteries Inc. we would NEVER speak of Scrappy Cornelius Doo ever again."

"Right."

"I hope Jon and the others can keep things going before Mitzi ends up half-way to Snake Mountain."

Funny I should mention sidekicks. Violet was enjoying them in stereo.

"Totally calling it.  I'm introducing both these Orco incarnations to both of the Snarfs." Violet's eye twitched. "...and dropping them on Al Dente.

"Any luck with Prince Adam?"

"Which one, Bunnie?" Violet crossed her arms.

"Either."

"I have an easier time to believe Adam classic is you-know-who than Adam reboot."

"Yeah, but Adam classic is not afraid to rock it in pink." Sally arm-pumped.

"D'oooooh, I d-don't like this!" Cringer original covered his head with his paws.

"We gotta pull this off or both Skeletors will in fact get away with this!" Sally warned. "I swear, I didn't come all this way to get partnered up with a green, four-legged Antoine."

I suppose I should explain SOME semblance of how we got into this mess, or what this mess even was. But honestly...I didn't feel like it and more honestly...it would do no good. This whole thing was a ball of chaos and I'd spend forever trying to untie the strings and sort out how this happened, when it happened, why it happened, and what was going on at all.

Adonis really made a mess of this.

You know I could really be with Jon right now, actually indulging in all the moments that probably inspired the Great Papyrus.

"Nyeheheheheheheh!"

Lucky you, Jon.

"No no no no no no!  I'm being chased down by a blue skeleton with the body of Big John Stud and Papyrus' laughter!" Jon tightly clutched the 80's He-Man's sword.

"I have to get this back to Classic Adam before I end up blasted by that maniac's ram-headed staff!"

Jon ducked another of the force bolts.

"Come out little furry beast and meet your maker!  With He-Man's blade I will have dominion over Eternia, once and for all!  Nyeheheheheheh--hurrrk"

"I think I'd like to amend that agreement..."partner".

Two skeletons for the price of one. His day just got better.

"Where on this planet is the other Adam?!" Jon tried taking off for the border where the two universes merged. "Is he on this world or the other one?!"

"Beast Man!  Tri-Klops!  Mer-Man!  Trap Jaw!  Surround the mongrel and take what is rightfully mine!"

"Ohh boy."

"Victory is near, Evil-Lyn!  I can feel it in my bones!"

"Provided that He-Man's newfound allies do not interfere."

Funny you should mention that...

"...what a time to be ambushed moment before we were about to enter the castle."

"Oddly specific predicament.  But totally, Goat Son.  Totally."

Cringer backed away as Panthor advanced on us.

"I'd really like it if my NX Gear actually worked on this world." Asriel tossed the last of his stones and sticks, easilly batted away by the purple sabertoothed tiger.

My bolts were somehow missing.

"Magic.  Somehow Skeletor's protected him with something.  And with neither of us being magicians..."

"Yeah...not looking good, best friend."

Panthor pounced to attack...and then suddenly hurled sideways, the impact of some kind of blast knocking him away.

"Volt!  We're saved!  It's 2002 edition Sorceress."

"You're a sight for sore eyes..." I mused as Panthor when unconscious. "...Teela Na." I said quietly as the  vaguely Egyptian goddess appeared before us.

"No one is to know that secret.  Least of all."

"Yeah.  Your daughter." I looked off into the distance where Chameleon, Valkyrie, and Lupe had come along for the right and were in battle with both Teelas, both Stratos-es, and both Ram Men.

"We need your help and your counterpart's help."

"I fear that my counterpart will not be of much help.  Unlike me her powers are so tied to Castle Greyskull that she cannot venture far or she will revert to  Zoar."

"Yeah...a falcon form isn't exactly battle capable."

"But maybe there's another way.  Perhaps by linking your Castle Greyskull with theirs, the combined power should turn the tide.  We need He-Man.  Both of them."

"Let us hope this plan works."

Yeah. I'm going to be "that guy" and fast forward through this boring meeting and cut to...

"Okay...it's a long shot but it'll have to work."

"But now what do we do?  We can't make it to Jon and the others at the same time.  Not without our vehicles." I grimmaced.

"Without the NX board, we're not getting there nearly fast enough.  And even if we had either Adam's sword we wouldn't be able to use it to at least summon Battle Cat...either of them."

"When did these crossover battles get so complicated?"

"When Adonis decided to ramp up the challenge."

I had constructed a cage to keep Panthor out of our fur thanks to materials that the Sorceresses conjured.

"We're up the creek without a paddle, unless--!"

"Hey guys!"

We looked up in time to see Gadget and Rotor with both Man-At-Arms, Classic Mekaneck, Modern Roboto, and mixes of warriors from both universe in...what appeared to be a transport ship that was a mix of Eternian and Neo Arcadian tech.

"That's little sister for you."

"Let's get to those battles, big brother!"

Yeah, chopping out a lot of the action and plot is getting old but, bear with me. At least it makes sure this story doesn't drag on too much...right? Eh-heh...I'll just get back to logging this mess.

To wrap up, yeah...at times this felt phoned it, but blame it on war just grinding on my nerves. He we were at the final battle with Adam and Adam back to back.

"....you seem a bit young and inexperienced for this sort of adventure."

"You're one to talk with that dorky haircut."

"We should not waste our energy fighting each other with our words.  Our enemies will take advantage of it."

"First thing you said I agree with, other me...can't believe you're supposed to be me."

"If you are indeed me, then--"

"Yeah.  I notice yours is gone, too."

"Any last words, Prince of Eternia?"

"Victory is at hand!   NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!"

"Skeletor, you FIEND!"

"One of him was bad enough, but..."

"This predicament is worse with two of them."

"WAAAAAIT!" Asriel and Jon made a bee-line for them, each carrying a respective sword, each followed by a respective Cringer.

"Ohhhh...d-do we h-have to--"

"Yes, you do!" Asriel scolded.

"Get them!" Skeletor ordered as Tri-Klops' lasers and Evil-Lyn's sells rained down.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Sally blazed by and slugged the evil witch first in the gut and then in the face as Violet hopped up on Tri-Clops' shoulders.

"Hey, "see-more"!  Feel like getting HACKED!" Violet plugged a USB cable into his visor.

"ARRRRGH!!!"

Jon galloped up on all fours, blade in his mouth.

"Adam!  Catch!" Asriel dove, tumble-rolled, and winged the sword, causing it to spin like a rotor as it sailed to its owner.

"Thank you, fearsome dog creature!"

"Dog...?!" Jon protested, spitting out the blade.

"Now we're talkin'." Younger Adam snatched the sword.

"I think we both know what to do from here on out."

Standing back to back they recited the words as they held aloft their mighty swords and said:

"BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!"

On opposite sides of the dimension rift, Castle Greyskull on each dimension unleashed their power and transformed the two princes into their respective champions; both bearing the name of He-Man! The Most Powerful Man in the Universe!

"I HAAAAAVE THE POWERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"

And with both swords pointed at two green cats, their mounts were summoned forth as the Cringers each transformed into a Battle Cat.

In this form, Classic Battle Cat still talked but he had grown a spine and a pretty scrappy attitude.

Unfortunate my cage didn't hold classic Panthor for long and he had rejoined his master as New Panthor joined his.

And what a bruhah it became. I'd love to explain how much of a bruhah it became but...once again..."that guy". Hey, I don't glorify being "that guy", I just do what I gotta do.

With a mighty fist, He-Man Classic hurled Modern Skeletor back through the dimensional wall that separated the two worlds.

"It's been real fun but...we're leaving the past...in the past!" Violet waved as I gave the command.

"Ultra Crew Institute and Eternians of MOTU-2002, fall back through the gate!  Our eye in the sky is about to collapse it!"

"Nooooooo!" Classic Skeletor tried to charge after us before Modern He-Man yanked him back. "The past should stay in the past.  The future is now, but it's a future withotu you!"

The barbarian hefted Skeletor classic up and literally hurled him an impossibly long distance.

"I'llllllllllll beeeeee baaaaaaaaaaaack!"

And assurely his minions retreated after him.

"It was good working with you."

"Should we meet again, you can count on He-Man, the Most Powerful Man in the Universe."

"That's my line." A brief smirk before heading through the transparent wall between worlds.

"Shut it down now, Vi!" I commanded as we were all through.

A debrief at King Randor's palace and a renewal of tires between allies and we were off.

"You knjow I got vibes that reminded me of our time with the Thundercats."

"Yeah...strangely familiar but as different as night and day."

"So.  what's next on the menu?"

"Anything but Orcos trying to play royal chef with his magic."

"Ugh.  He's just the kind of guy you'd introduce to Al Dente, isn't he?"

"He'd have himself asking which is worse...being victim to Kid the Cat's chaos or Orcos bungling his spells.

"Well.  This mission's big heroes are you, Jon, and Gadget."

"We're all part of this victory." Asriel raised his glass.

True that.

Sub-Entry 293:  "Duck, Duck, and More Duck"
It's official. Alternate Earths attract us like iron to a magnet. One thing I don't necessarily count on is who we end up bringing with us. But I suppose that's what happens when Castle Duckula first ends up in Duckberg in our world...then ends up in a city called Anaheim, California on another Earth. Which ended up uniting not two but three sets of duck hybrids in the weirdest convolution ever.

"...ah you worry too much, Igor.  How hard could it be-eeeeeeeEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

We all cringed a little as Duckula wiped out on the ice.

"We are so doomed." I facepalmed as Scrooge narrowed his eyes.

"I dun'nt want to regret m' decision to fund this hoopla.  We looked on from the other side of the glass.

"I would not consent to m'lord partaking in such idle distractions had I not realized how incredibly violent they are.  Blood and bruises and teeth knocked out.  How delightfully draconian." Igor rubbed knuckles with a low cackle.

"Is he ALWAYS like this?" Dewey elbowed me.

"You have no idea."

"Creepy." Louie inched away.

Are you sure the Pond is a safe haven for this? I mean...I get why the Count insisted on doing this; anything for his fifteen minutes of fame."  Rotor rubbed a tusk.  "But why drag me into this?"

"You're a walrus, dude.  Ice is your schtick."

"And mine!" Jon joined us, snacking on too much junk food for any person to feasibly carry.

"Forget it, you two.  This hockey team is called the Mighty Ducks, not the Mighty Ducks plus a walrus and a werewolf.  "Right?"

"I'm going to have to side with your Commander.  This is kind of an exclusive team." Came the voice of Wildwing Flashblade.

Leader of the Mighty Ducks. You've seen this archetype before. A young man who has to step up after his hero sacrifices himself. A humble warrior filled with doubt now forced to take the reigns of the guy in charge but not really wanting the responsibility. The guy who felt he wasn't worthy. One Puckworld he was the recruit of the former leader of the resistance, Canard. As the team's goalie, he wore 00. Intelligent, just, and an overall straightman. And very protective of his younger brother, Nosedive.

"But you're letting the archduke of artisian lettuce out there on the ice for some kind of fifteen minutes of fame?" Violet prodded.

"Well.  He is a duck...technically." Asriel shrugged. "Have a little faith in him.  How bad could it be?"

"Yeah...but who's going to protect him if Dragaunus and the Saurians show up uninvited?"

"If this goes south y' won't be seein' a single penny from the likes of me.  I'd sooner sell of the stock in this barrel of buffoonery to Flintheart Glomgold.  And you KNOW how much I hate letting him get a leg up on me on an'na-thing." McDuck warned.

"This place is getting to be a real haven for ducks.  I don't know if I can swing any more billing for this game."

Phil Palmfeather. Human. Manager to the ducks during their day job as hockey players. Okay with them doing dangerous or stupid promotional gimmicks and autograph signings to promote their image; ironically not so okay with them saving the world. Also...he had by far the WORST sense of fashion I'd ever seen. I mean really...his outfits made my eyes WANT to bleed.

"Can anyone explain how this is going down?" I followed Gyro and Launchpad.

"I would explain if I had an inkling of an idea, myself, Master Arcade." Igor trudged behind.

"Ohhhhh, I don't like the idea of me Duckie-poo playing such nasty violent games.  I can't stand to see him get hurt!" Nanny blew her nose...beak into a big handkerchief with her good arm.

I didn't have the heart to tell her a number of times Duckula got hurt was BECAUSE of her trying to protect him.

"We'll find a way to make this work, Mr. Flashblade." Asriel assured. "And keep the Count out of trouble."

"When you said that he was a vampire--"

I thought I saw Wildwing's brother, Nosedive grab his own neck, protectively.

Nosedive Flashblade. Jersey number 33. Wildwing's younger brother, who initially was not intended to be part of Canard's resistance. However, Wildwing made Canard take Nosedive with them by quoting "If you want me, then my brother's part of the deal." He was by far the team's most impulsive and immature member. While  more childish and easy-going than the other Ducks, and often looked toward his older brother for support and protection. Nosedive seemed very likable, making friends with teammate Grin, and humans Thrash and Mookie.

"...vegetarian vampire.  Only drinks carrot juice and has a craving for broccoli.  It's complicated."

"If you puh-leeease don't mind.  I can take care of myself.  I don't need anyone getting in my way to fame in fortune!" Duckula snapped.

"He's...kinda of a jerk, isn't he?" I heard Mallory McMallard scoff. A fiery redhead who was well-learned in Puckworld's version of the martial arts, although most of the time she was content with just using a Puck Blaster. She has a sharp tongue and usually directed it towards Nosedive's immature acts, or anything that she feels is "out of line." I'd soon learn her her trust is easily broken, particularly in Duke's case, and as she sees it, for some very good reasons.

With her strong military background as a member of the "Puckworld Special Forces," she often thought in black and white. She was definitely a strict disciplinarian, and had a high regard for the chain of command. Also incredibly stubborn, which can be a fault as much as a strength. As the team's right winger, and her jersey number was 15.

What was it about the red-heads I keep meeting in which just about every one of them turned out to be a total tomboy? Sally? Maroon-haired. Total adrenaline junkie. Violet? Fiery orange hair. Self-explanatory. Janine Melnitz? Candy-apple red. Yeah. Mother hen who took no guff from her bosses.

I'm sure it's JUST coincidence.

"Yeah.  He kinda is." Rotor admitted before looked to Tanya Vanderflock, the Mighty Duck's nasally resident genius.

A real genius who was often the one turned to for advice, even by Wildwing. She was good with mechanics and used the Omnitool on her wrist with many of her projects. Despite her intellect, she had bad allergies (including an ironic allergy to feathers, with the result that she constantly sounded like she has a cold), lacked confidence, had a gentler personality, and was not as good a fighter as the other ducks. She made up for this with her good common sense and wry humor.

According to herself, her middle name was Gertrude. On-ice, Tanya was the left defenseman, and her jersey number is 23. Like Alphys with less stutter and more perpetual head cold. Wait a minute...Vanderflock...Vanderquack...I was going to have a talk with Mrs. Beakley about little Webby some time.

"Question." I asked a serious one. "Aren't we worried about Von Gooseling showing up if and when he gets wind of this?  And we know he will.  He has the same obsession with taking down Duckula as Inspector Zennigata has with slapping the cuffs on Lupin III and putting him in prison."

"We'll just have to be on guard."

"You know, we could always call in a favor from--"  Launchpad started.

"Your favorite St. Canard superhero?" Violet mused.

"Can we NOT involve Darkwing Duck?" I complained.

"I don't know.  From what I saw of him back in Duckberg, he seemed kinda awesome." Asriel wagged his tail.

"The only thing awesome about him is his super-inflated ego.  And if egos had gravitational mass, we'd never pull him apart from Count Duckula." I scowled.

"That's just your bias against narcissists jading that pretty brain of yours, boss." Violet trolled.

"I'm serious.  We don't need the two of those idiots grandstanding against each other.

"Volt, maybe we should get to a plan to deal with our more pressing enemies."

"Good point.  Sally?"

* ZIP*

"Right here, Commander."

"Huh.  Good ears."

"Good velocity." Mallory mused.

Sally just smirked.

"Got any spare plans for us to tweak and apply to our dilema."

"Actually a couple now that you ''ve briefed me on all the worlds that have collided in this.  We'll get to the lower priority, later.  But for now...the Saurians.  I figured I' d get advice from Chameleon on dealing with reptiles of any type as well as some strategy for dealing with aggressors.  This Dragaunus seems like bad news but I think we can reign him in.

Now being the size of this venue, the ticket sales are probably through the roof. And seeing as how Scrooge McDuck is sponsering this, this makes it a prime target for the Beagle Boys to try to rob him blind."

"You sure they'd go after it?  I thought the Money Bin was their prime target?" Asriel asked.

"Money is money and a crime family will still money if they think they can get it.  Even off world, now that they've hooked up with--"  Sally continued.

"Yeah.  Part of the reason Launchpad suggested we get help from Darkwing Duck.  He's dealt with F.O.W.L. before and pulled the plug on Megavolt."

"Well, I'm going to help Uncle Gyro and Miss Vanderflock in the lab and see if we can come up with some more equipment and tech to give us an edge." Gadget volunteered as she carried a box of gears past us toward the locker rooms."

"Hey, I don't suppose you got a few oil canister capacitors in there?" Tanya followed little sister.

"I just might!  Let's not keep Uncle Gyro waiting!"

That's a lot of brainiacs under the same roof. We're in good hands.

"Can't say I like this.  It has the markings of one too many things to go wrong." Came the advice of eye-patched Duke L'Orange, former jewel thief and the team's most experienced member. Described as level-headed but a little egotistical at times.

"Well.  You know what my little sister says to situations like this." I assured.

"Enlighten me.  And tell your coyote friend over there to stop swinging that sword around, trying to play hero.   Hey!  You!  Take it easy, you can put an eye out with one of that thing.  I should know."

"Why did we drag Antoine along again?" Sally grumbled.

"To appease sarge and *finally* get him some mission experience before she ends up kicking him out for failing to meet quota after all these years." Violet twirled the mini penant a little. "I gave him what I thought would be the easiest mission.  I mean how could you screw up watching a hockey game?"

"He'd...find a way." Sally crossed her arms and huffed.

"Take it you don't like him much." Mallory asked.

"What was your first clue?"

"If we're doing this thing, I gotta warn you.  Machines and I don't exactly get along."

"This wouldn't be in reference to the toggle switch incident?" Violet prodded.

"How did you know about that?"

"She's a hacker and a snoop.  It's what she does." Sally thwapped Vi over the head as an after thought.

"You know...there's some of our crew that haven't shown hide nor feather since this meet and greet began." Wildwing pointed out.

"I think I know who you mean." Violet responded. "And I think I know where to find them..."

And sure enough there was Bunnie Rabbotou in deep meditation, next to the hulking form of Check "Grin" Hardwing. A large super-strong member of the group with a Zen-like philosophy. Unlike the stereotype of strong people, Grin turned out to be quite wise and refused to let his anger cloud his judgment. He rarely used weapons in battle, relying on his wisdom and strength instead. He had a strong sense of honor and could always be counted on for support. A good friend of Nosedive. During Grin's younger years, he DID have a horrible temper. He found enlightenment with the training from the grand hockey master, Tai Quack Do.

Grin was the right defenseman of the team, and his jersey number was 1, the same number on Tai Quack Do wore on his robe.

"Well he found another friend." Wildwing seemed content.

"Birds of a feather--"  Asriel started.

"I'm going to ask you not to finish that pun." Mallory balled up her fist and glared.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well that's the whole team."

"So.  I guess we got a good amount of time before this goes down.  So.  Got a minute?"

"Ask about anything." Wildwing prompted.

"Tell me about Canard Thunderbeak."

"Except that."

"I see.  It's personal." I rubbed my chin. "I know the look of someone who's living in the shadow of someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.  I've been there.  I've been there and back."

"Then you understand why I'm not ready to talk about it." Wildwing opened up his locker and retrieved the Mask of Drake DuCaine, giving it a good look before replacing it.

"Yeah."

"Good.  When I'm ready to open up about it.  Not a moment more.  Not even to someone who has been there."

"Take all the time in the world you need."

And so...Game Day came  and all was going well.

"We're cleaning up in the box office, boss!" Fenton Crackshell assured Scrooge.

"Fuhst g'd news ahv heard all deyy." Scrooge leaned into his cane. "Keep up th' good werr-kuh, Fenton and ah wunn't have t' dock yah pay for the lahst incident."

Sometimes it was hard to cut through McDuck's heavy Scottish accent.

"Eep...yes, boss."

"What is taking so long, Igor!  The waiting on this is KILLING MEEEE!" Duckula had donned a uniform and for some reason kept his red bowtie on.

"Begging the master's pardon but as a vampire you should already be considered dead."

"Yeah, if he were a normal vampire, Eegs." Vi prodded elbowing him in the ribs, playfully.

"Eegs?  *scoff* The nerve of you, dear girl!  Madam, I will have you know generations of Igors have served the Duckula clan for ages and not one of us has ever been given the indignity of being nicknamed "Eegs"."

"Then it pleases me to be the first." Violet said, quoting Unicron from the 1986 Transformers movie.

And the game was underway.

"Someone want to be the one to tell our "teammate" that his showboating is really throwing off our game?" Wildwing growled after the distraction caused him to fail to block the shot.

"Not it." Tanya threw her hands in the air.

"Tempting.  But I'd rather not." Duke crossed his arms.

"Just try and hold me back--"  Mallory started to throw off her gear and shove her sleeves up a Duckula was starting to turn a hockey game into comedy on ice with his stupid attempt at what I can only guess was a victory twerk.

"Oh gods...no.." Sally facepalmed. "Congratulations, Antoine. He's knocked you off your thrown as the King of Lame."

Antoine just sweatdropped.

"Can we throw him in the penalty box for some kind of violation?" Asriel asked the referee.

Once the horn sounded.

"Hey!  What's the big idea!  I was hot on the ice!  That was my fifteen minutes of fame--"

"We will have a talk about this, later, your lordship." Bunnie glared him in the eyes, causing him to actually bend backwards from how closely she got in his face. You know you screwed up when you actually got Bunnie this irate.

"We are so doomed." Huey groaned.

That was when my TAO com beeped.

"I read you, Pit."

"We got movement in bound for the stadium.  I think it's those Beagle Boys you warned about."

"Yup.  Going for the ticket sales.  Typical." Dewey growled.

"He's not ripping off our Uncle Scrooge." huey followed up.

"How are we going to stop them."

"Not to worry.  The Junior Woodchuck Guide book will walk us through this one." Huey pulled out the oversized manual.

"Hey, Uncle Scrooge.  We'll be back.  We have to uh..."

"Snacks!  We're going for snacks!"

"But ye' jes had a small fortune in--"

"Mr. Jonathan kinda ate them all."

"Ack!  I'm not made of money, y'know."

"Fine!  We'll pay for out out of our allowance." Louie huffed.

The three moseyed out to do their Home Alone thing, setting traps and such.

"Commander!  I have eyes on Professor Von Gooseling.  He just left a cab and he's not being subtle about his wooden stake gun.  I think no one's stopping him, because they think he's part of the show and probably think that's a prop!"

"Then everyone thinks Duckula's appearance here is just actors playing rolls for publicity.  Dang it.  Fenton, I think this is a job for Gizmo Duck."

"Commander, our problems just tripled.  Positive confirmation on the Saurians.  And they look furious."

"Okay, places people.  This isn't a drill.  How soon can the Ducks wrap up the game?"

"Umm...by wrap up...?  What's our time window?" Rotor asked, nervously."

"Take a wild guess." Violet grabbed my com.

"Hey!"

"I was afraid of that.  Battlestations, people!"

And so...

"DUCKULAAA!!!  YOUR TIME HAS C--  ...wait a minute...who are you?  Wait!  Stop!  AHHH!!!"

And thus...

Duckula slunk away from the concession stand. "....what kind of a refreshment stand doesn't have tomato smoothies on tap.  I'm never coming back to this town again--"

* THUD*

"What the...!  Von Gooseling?!"

"Duckula!  You fiend!  This is your doing! How dare you sick your overgrown werewolf on me!?!" Von Goosely was unceremoniously dropped at Duckula's webbed feet, completely hogtied in some pretty big knots.

"Werewolf?  What are you talking about?  I don't have a werewolf--"

Igor turned away and muffled a cough against his fist.

"....something uh...you want to talk to me about, Igor?"

"No m'lord."

Back stage, Asriel gave a quick high-five to Jon.

"Nicely done."

"Should we bail Igor out of this?  I mean...we know he has a werewolf...it just doesn't happen to me be, in this case."

"I'll get back to you on that.  Gizmo Duck.  Report in.  How goes---"

"A little busy here!!!" Fenton ducked behind cover despite being completely armored up. "I order you aliens to stand down or I'll...uh...I'll...what will I do?  Uhmm...uh...I'll.....press all my buttons!  And you will be sorry!  Ha-HAAAAAAH!"

Asriel slow turned to Jon. "Was it a wise move assigning Jon to slow down the Saurians?  I feel like some of our team is mismatched againt our enemies.  I mean Von Gooseling was a grand slam out of the park, but..."

"Have a little faith, Asriel-kun." Bunnie drifted out of the shadows behind Asriel before drifting back out.

"I am certain Grin will find his way to me should I need backup."

Meanwhile, half time was about to end and Duckula, despite protests, found his way back onto the ice. Thankfully Sally had come up with a new plan to...curb him showing off.

"HEY!  What gives!"

"Oops!  Sorry!" Nosedive trolled as he unexpectedly snagged the puck from his own team mate.

"I believe he is now getting a humbling lesson in the honorable ways of hockey." Grin mused.

"Nice." Duke practically smirked.

"For once I agree with you."

And with that the tables turned and the scores began to change for the better for our heroes.

"Can you put some nitrous in the tank, guys?  The Saurions are closing in outside.  Gizmo Duck and the others are pinned down and they're going to break through any time."

"Any word on the Beagle Boys?"

"Huey to Dr. Arcade!  Come in, Doc!  Over!"

"Arcade here.  What's up?"

"Louie, Dewey, and I just want you to know that the Beagle Boys won't be joining us for the game tonight.  They're too busy...hanging around."

"Tell Uncle Scrooge he won't be missing a dime on his return deposit."

"Yeah, he's gonna clean up from all this."

"Why do I want to take that hanging around line all too literally?"

"D'OOOOOOOH!  WHEN WE GET DOWN FROM HERE, YOU BRATS ARE GONNA GET IT!"

"Duh, my head hurts from hanging from the ceiling, Big Time."

"Yeah!  And I'm so hungry I could eat a hockey puck!"

"Ahhhh shut up!"

"Uh...guys?" Pit backed away as he clutched the Ogre/Ore Club.

He quickly dove out of the way and flew towards the open hatch in the roof. "We're about to get rude company!"

The game started to wind down

"Man...how are we going to protect all these people?!"

"First, let's worry about dispelling the imminante panic.  I have another idea." Sally explained.

The doors exploded inward as the dragon-like, firebreathing Dragaunus cut a path through the stadium toward the main arena.

"Tear this place apart and bring me their heads!"

"Whoah.  Tim Curry impression much?" Violet joked to herself as she hid behind a pillar.

"Fenton must've been defeated." Bunnie narrowed her eyes a she pushed the sword out of her hilt.

That was when the dragon beasts cloaked.

"Oh boy...we're in trouble if we can't see them coming." Rotor swallowed hard.

"Gyro, tell me you and Gadget have a plan?"

"Other than the Mask of Drake DuCaine, we have no way of seeing through their invisbility." Mitzi warned, forging a Green Spear.

"C'mon.  Just delay them a little more.  The game's about to wrap up!"

That was when Bunnie's ear twitched at the sound of an unmistakable air-horn from the inside of the arena.

"Good news.  The game is over and the Ducks won.  Bad news.  People are headed for the doors."

"About that plan of yours, Sally...?"

That was when I heard it over the P.A. system.

"Your attention, Annaheim!  After that amazing game by our own Mighty Ducks, stay for a special action stunt show arranged by McDuck Enterprises at no additional cost.  I promise it's going to be an amazing show!"

"That was Sally's voice.  What logical sense does it make to keep people IN the building with an impending threat coming in?"

"It's risky but brilliant if it works, Buns.  For one it puts a kabosh on a panic and mass hysteria if they think it's all a show with special effects; which lets the Ducks go out in Superhero mode.  And two, it lets Tanya, Gyro, and Gadget test their new tech with making sure they're well protected so that the Saurians don't take any hostages.  And it'll also do something about that cloaking of theirs once they get the other machine up."

"And all it takes is a little showmanship and slight of hand..." Asriel mused just moments before the lights came out...and came back on again with the Ducks in full gear and battle armor.

"Yeah.  I'm...gonna duck out right here.  So....thanks for making me famous!" Duckula suddenly jumped up into a miniature storm cloud that formed above him and disappeared."

"Sacre bleu cheese...what a coward." Antoine wrinkled his nose.

Sally rolled her eyes while Violet stifled a cough.

"Get ready, team.  The name of the game is...now you don't see us..."

Rotor suddenly grunted and tumbled across the ice after sustaining a heavy impact.

"...bad timing on your part, goat son." Vi grumbled as Asriel had deployed the ice skate add-ons on his sandals.

"Wait for it, Aunt Vi."

Wildwing pulled down the Mask of Drake DuCaine and scanned--

Quickly he aimed and fired his Puck Launcher. It impacted something invisible.

"Overtime it is..."

And what a brawl, back and forth.

"Hey, Nosedive.  Here's a trick shot I'll let you have for free." Violet hovered onto the ice with her Thunder Spear in "Scrambles the Deathdealer" scythe mode.

She managed to get a puck to stand up on its side on the ice. "I call this the Knuckle Puck!" She draw back and slapped it hard, sending it into the face of Wraith.

I could blow the whistle on Vi that she stole that move from a movie, but it would be too much of a mindblow to reveal to the Ducks WHICH movie it came from...

"Whoah!"

"On the house.  Feel free to copy it any time, you guys."

Antoine stood back to back with Duke.

"Am I to being careful with zis'...thing, now?" He asked smugly.

"You're a dangerous coyote and shouldn't be anywhere near a sword.  But in this case...I'll make an acception for you."

Our little calamity coyote was starting to make progress. Who would have thought?

As it turned out another of Dragaunus' top lieutnenants happened to share a name with our own draconian mercenary back home. Unfortunately the fact that he was a far more effective shapeshifter might give him leverage to try to convince our Chameleon to relinquish the code name. What would however work against him was that his dry sense of humor would most certainly not work in his favor. Suffice to say, someone would have a chat with him about "trademark infringement".

* tap tap*

"...?"

* FIST PUNCH*

That someone would be me.

"I know a reptile back home that would be all too willing to sue for use of his codename."

Other Chameleon collapsed after going through a barrage of transformations into various human celebrities, while each delivering a string of one-liners before collapsing out cold on the ice.

Which left Siege to go up against Bunnie and Grin. At his level of aggression and intense hatred for the ducks (ESPECIALLY Grin). It became immediately obvious that he believed victory could only be achieved by brute force. From the looks of it, he might actually be a match for Grin in strength.

"YOU ARE WEAK!  I WILL CRUSH YOU WITH ONE FIST!" He clamped down on Grin's hand and wrist and drew back to put his lights out.

"You should use two." Bunnie said calmly has her cybermorphed hand grabbed his scaly fist in mid swing...and she clamped down VERY hard on it, causing him to grimmace and yell in pain and anger.

With a mix of martial arts and the mystic ways of Tai Quack Do's teachings, they felled their opponent rather quickly.

When all was said and done...!

"And now the finishing touch." I hefted the vast upgrade to my Ice Gatling, turning it into an HMG ice turrent which all of us had to help lift. A pull of the trigger and every last one of of the Saurians and their army of hunter drones were encased in ice.

"And that's the game." Asriel mused as we struggled to set the beast of a machine down without cracking the ice.

"What--!" Wildwing suddenly gasped as the beam of light pierced through the roof and swallowed up our captives.

"They got away!" He growled.

"But they lost this battle." I assured putting a hand on his shoulder.

With that the crowd errupted into cheers.

With that we all took a bow together, to sell our cover story.

Afterward...

"We'll be in touch of you ever need us again."

"I think I've had enough hockey for one lifetime.  Too cold and it hasn't done anything for the Duckula reputation."

"Oh what a pity, M'lord.  Now maybe we can get back to getting you on track to be the vile scourge upon the world you were meant to be."

"Ohhhhh I was scared for you, Duckie-Poo!  I'm just glad you weren't hurt!" Nanny reached down and pulled him into a bear hug.

"No, Nanny, NO!  URRRK!" Mmpph!"

"If you're done embracing the young master, perhaps we best be returning to the castle before it becomes dawn, Standard Transylvanian Time."

Duckula squeezed out of her grasp and gasped for air. "In all the excitement!  I almost forgot!  We have to get back now or we'll be stranded again!  To the car, Igor!  Nanny!"

And the three of them hustled off.

"Good riddence." Mallory crossed her arms.

"What a weird dude." Louie shook his head.

"I'll say!" Dewey agreed.

"I gotta thank you again, Mr. McDuck.  I think we're going to be well into the green for a while, thanks to you sponsering this." Phil shook his hand.

"I nev'ah could resist a bargain.  And the return investment on this was worth ev'ry penny. Fenton, you did well, m'lad."

"You mean it?!"

"Don't push it.  You're not gettin' a raise out of this."

"Yes, sir."

"Gyro?"

"I'm all packed, Mr. McDuck.  Ready to leave when you are."

"Right.  If all is in order?  Duckworth.  Has Lauchpad been informed to ready the plane?"

"As requested, sir."

"Excellent.  To the airport.  And step on it!"

"I shall...*ahem*...get her in gear, sir."

"Sorry to see you guys go."

"Good luck, Uncle Gyro!"

"We'll be back together before you can completely rewire a server bank, Gadget."

Gadget giggled then waved as our friends took off for Duckberg.

"Hey.  Keep it real and 90's fresh." Asriel shared a fistbump with Nosedive."

"Yeah!  Beat up on those scaly clowns for us!" Sally grinned as she and Mallory bashed forearms together like I'd seen X and Zero do as well as Billy and Jimmy Lee.

"Til next time." I waved to Wildwing as we all went through the warp zone back to home.

Sub-Entry 294: "Into the Flip Side - Kidd Video, Part 1"
"Give it up, Adonis.  You're not getting away from us this time!"

"If there's anything I hate it's a predicable cliche." Adonis wrinkled his nose as he jumped back.

"No-Name not here to bail you out?  Oh wait...it's you who keeps bailing him out.  So I guess you're out of luck this time."

"I make my own luck...out of Chaos!" Adonis grinned befor opening the Cyber Gate.

"You're not getting away!" I hurled an electromagnetic tether around him as Asriel launched the grappler from his NX Gear and snagged him.

"Oh, you made this tooooo easy..." Adonis looked briefly over his shoulder before we soon realized he was able to overpower us both and yanks us all through the portal.

"If you think you're going to pull of what you did to us last time, you're SORELY mistaken!" I snarled.

"We're nicely anchored to the place we just left behind!  We'll be back home with you in custody before you can--"

Adonis grinned as he popped out the other side first and opened another Cyber Gate and dove in, dragging us with him.

"What?  What's he doing...?"

"Trying to shuffle us through more gateways than we can keep track of!  He's hoping our coordinates will get lost in the mess of places he sends us to."

"So he's basically Guardians of the Galaxy 2-ing us?"

"...remind me to cut off Violet's Blu-Ray showcases when it's not Movie Night.  I think she's getting you hooked on comic book movies."

"But seriously, can he do that?"

"I don't know.  I'm not sure if A.E.O.N. has a threshold before the coordinates come in too fast!"

"Maybe we should put a stop to this before he succeeds." Asriel unhooked the other NX joycon and converted it to laser zapper and fired on him repeatedly.

The next Cyber Gate to open up flickered a bit as Adonis began to lose consciousness from the blasts. The good news was he wasn't going to know where he was dragging us. The bad news was our tethers broke away at the moment he fell through the gate and it closed up. The worse news was that tthe gate behind us closed up as we were dropped into a different world.

"Well this sucks..." I grumbled.

But we didn't have time to complain further as we started falling out of the sky...only to be encapsulated in some kind of...crystal prison. A crystal that was floating toward...something.

"This sucks more." Asriel followed up. "I think we've been taken prisoner by someone."

"What makes you sure?"

"Call it a hunch." Asriel pressed his hands against the surface of the hollowed out prism prison as we could see something part the clouds and drift toward us. Some sort of...golden flying fortress with features that had a passing resemblance to an old 50's juke box. A giant window monitor was on the top of the tower structure. And on it was a live image of...

"Another hot musical act ripped from Earth and brought here to the Flip Side...another musical act to be my musical slaves...FOREVER!"

"Volt...do you see who I think I see?"

"Sally and Mitzi only described him in conversation; the corrupt manager and head music executive of the Kopy Kats back home.  We've landed in a universe where he exists too...but it seems he's a lot bigger and badder menance from the looks of it."

"So that's the Master Blaster."

"Yup.  Big, bloated, balding businessman with a head like the fattest of pears or Death Breath from Kid Niki: Radical Ninja that dresses like he got kicked out of the Purple Flower Gang from the days of 1920's mobsters."

"SILENCE!  Now...what sort of act are you?"

"Uh, news flash.  We're not a musical group, pal." Asriel put his knuckles to his hips in a manner I'd seen Mitzi do the same thing. "In fact we're not even FROM Earth!"

"What?!  BAAAAH!  Of all the rotten luck!  Ever since I brought THEM to the Flip Side, misfortune has showered down on me at every turn!  BLAST!" He pounded his fist on the arm of his high-tech hoverchair, barely visible in frame.

"So you'll let us go, yes?" I asked.

"You are useless to me but you still lose your freedom!  You can spend eternity rotting in my deepest, darkest dungeon!"

"Well.  It was worth a shot asking." I shrugged.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not sticking around." Asriel forged the Green Pizza-Cutter and started sawing into it.

"Same here.  I don't care how far the drop is.  The alternative's not much better!" I focuses my electricity on the spot wall. Very few gemstones actually conducted electric current per say, but the resistance should be high enough for me to try to carve a hairline fracture into it like a laser.

"What are you doing?  You have no chance of escaping that crystal!"

"We take chances.  That's what we do."

"He may be right though, Goat Son.  I'm afraid to turn up the current too much higher, or I may start ionizing all our oxygen."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about igniting it, unless you can bring you electric arc up to supernova temperature; the crystal would probably give out before combustion happened.  But the ozone buildup would probably poison us.  I don't know if I can even cut into it!  Even with a glass cutter, diamonds aren't something you can just cut into on a whim!"

"If this world is anything like a number of the ones we visited, then I guess our best bet is to hope for a major trope kicking in right now--"

"I'll sneeze and I'll...I'll...I'll save you AHHHHHHHHHHH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Did you hear who I think I just heard?"

"I heard it...but it's impossible!" We looked downward at the approaching faerie...the very FAMILIAR approaching faerie.

"GLITTER!!!" We both shouted out moments before she impacted the crystal. Instead of a glass-shattering crash, the whole thing POPPED like a balloon and we started falling.

"NX Gear to the rescue!" Asriel expanded his hoverboard and we both sailed down to the ground below.

"NOOOO!  That meddling pixie again!  Curse you, Glitter!"

As soon as we landed.

"You know my name?  How?  We've never met before!  Who are you?!"

"Agents of the Space Time Continuum Agency.  We're space, time, and dimension travelers.  We got lost here pursuing a wanted criminal who escaped to some other dimension before closing the portal to this one. Where are we?"

"This is the Flip Side!"

"The Flip Side?"

"Yeah...I think I get it, Asriel.  It's almost like a Wonderland of sorts...but based around pop music and all things sound, melodic, and rhythmic related."

"It certainly looks like blends of M.C. Escher and a Dali painting." Asriel scratched his head.

"Huh?" Glitter fluttered around us.

"It's weird meeting you when you're not a hologram."

"Hologram?  What are you talking about?"

"It's a long story but...a version of you exists in our world.  A computer program who appears as a mirage." I explained.

"Oh.  I guess...that sort of makes sense.  I wonder if it's anything like the Master Blaster's old Chameleon Machine?"

"Chameleon Machine?  That sounds more like some kind of trap set by our favorite surly mercenary back home." Asriel joked.

"We can't stick around here, long." I crosssed my arms. "That Master Blaster will probably come looking for us. We may not be musical slaves for his dungeon but I don't think he'll just let us go."

"He's become extra cagey after bringing the last people from Earth to here."

"No kidding?  This sounds like a famliar legend back home."

"C'mon.  They're friends of mine!  I'll take you to them!"

"Where do we go?" Asriel hovered the NX Board close to the ground.

"Follow the monorail track!  It'll lead us right to them.

Monorail? This WAS sounding familiar.

"Well.  Let's find a monorail train."

"Actually...it's a Kidd Mobile."

Wait. It can't be! What am I saying? Of course it is. By now after realizing that there were counterparts of people on Mobius, Disney universes, Capcom worlds, and who knows what else on VGM-098? Yeah. There was only one thing this could be.

"Asriel.  We're in the world of Kidd Video." I muttered as Glitter flew ahead.

"...you mean...that thing from seven years ago when we visited Neon City?"

"I have a feeling Neon City exists here, too.  But...much more literal from the looks of things.  I wonder what else we'll find?"

As it turned out, we'd  come across many cities that were counterpart to our own. But from their perspective, ours would be counterpart to theirs.

Neon City. Called it. Not only was this place MADE out of Neon Tubes...it's people were MADE out of Neon Tubes. Sure enough everyone, including Mayor Leon were teenagers. And all too glad to tell us the tale of how Master Blaster used  machine to transform the clocktower into a time trap that caused all the citizens to speed up and rapidly age with the danger of burning out...LITERALLY. But Kidd Video were able to stop him and his Copy Cats...or was it Kopy Kats? Huh...anyway...they were able to stop them from trapping the whole city in a permanent concert where the Copy Cats were plugged into various musical bands kidnapped from Earth; the same way Kidd Video was. Like we almost were.

"We owe them a debt of immeasurable gratitude." Leon assured.

"C'mon, Volt.  We're not going to find them here."

Uptown. I'm not even sure how we got here, considering it's a CITY IN THE SKY! Despite the jokes I could make about "Uptown Girl" and such....this place was inhabited by people who looked like bouncing balls.

As soon as I asked about Kidd Video, a girl named Bubbles...no Power Puff Girls jokes, please...immediately came to us and told about the Master Zapper--a device which could flip a personality upside-down, turning someone into the complete opposite of who they were. Hence a friendly music-lover could be transformed into a jerk who hates music...or in this case members of a garage band brought to the Flip Side could become servants of the Master Blaster.

"What a tale."

"I remember it like it was  yesterday." Glitter explained.

"I just have one question.  How did we get up here by following a monorail, again?" I peered warily over the edge of a cloud before getting the heck back.

From there...Rock Stock Forest. The allusions to Woodstock and Rockapalooza were passing but...if anything this was the weirdest, Alice-in-Wonderland-est version of Austrailia I'd ever seen. But that didnt' even compare to its citizens, the Stereo People. And while I could make obvious jokes, I'm going to stop there and say...yeah. They have two heads.

Don't ask for explanation, don't wrap your head around it. They're humanoids with two heads on one body; hence "Stereo People". Their leader, Buckthorne told us about how Master Blaster stole all the Woofers and Tweeters, upsetting the ecology and the balance of nature. Without them the vines grew out of control and threatened to choke the whole place to death.

"We've gotta take Lupe here some time."

"When we figure out where here is and how to get here, you can count on it, Goat Son."

Lotus Land. A seaside city of mermaids and fairies. We made the mistake of running into Glint, Glitter's nephew. And he was a trouble-maker. I was tempted to tell him what happened to his Fairy-Type Cyberdrive Gauntlet Operating System (FTCGOS) counterpart which cost Violet one of her digital friends after being backhacked on a mission gone bad. But I wasn't that cruel.

What we did learn was to steer clear of Barnacolis. He might as well be this world's version of King Triton. Or Neptune. Maybe Poseidon. Either way...don't wake him up and don't tick him off.

"So he gave the mermaids special msuic instruments to keep them from crying?"

"Which the Copy Cats stole and let nature take its course." Glitter growled.

"Its so weird...you being here."

"So I'm some kind of...computer program where you're from?"

"If you want to generalize it.  Yeah.  A computer program thats almost human in intelligence and behavior.  Just lacking a physical body.  You exist as a hologram...an illusion."

"That's a lot to take in."

"Yeah.  It kinda is." Asriel agreed.

"In all fairness, it's a lot for us to take in.  This world doesn't operate by any set of the laws of physics I've seen in any other universe."

Our next stop was Beatburg. It sounded a lot like Beefberg, the place that Commander Beef claimed to be from, when he wasn't telling people to take their calcium while wearing a fish helmet. But no...this place was Egypt...but covered in SNOW?! Oh HELL no...

"Why...is a Egypt-like land covered in snow and not desert?!?"

"It was because of the Pink Sphinx." Celestia, leader of Beatburg explained. "While his riddle remained unsolved and he had a wish to grant, Beatburg was green and warm.  But when Whiz wished for his friends to be safe from where they were trapped on a mountain cliff with no hope of escape, the wish made changed the climate."

"Don't tell this story on certain versions of Earth.  Climate change is a touchy subject." I warned.

From there...we...bypassed Dismal Swamp. Just a...fair warning from Glitter. And something about a fruit from a Laughing Bush that was deadly.

"Good lord...we've been traveling a long time now.  Aren't we worried that the Master Blaster will catch up to us?"

"I thought about that, Goat Son.  And he probably would...unless he had something else drawing his attention."

"Think he's going after those friends of yours?"

"Oh no!  That could be a huge problem!"

"We better get to them, first."

"Volt, give the NX another recharge.  We'll need it to make it to...?"

"Sparkle City."

"Really?" After a blank stare. "Okay.  It's legit."

An explanation of Euphonius the Melodious Dragon and how the Master Blaster stole her egg, causing her mourning cries to cause Sparkle City--a city where everything including its people and food and vegetation were all made of gems and crystals--to shatter.

It was everything Glitter said it was.

It wasn't until we got got to the place of one Professor Maestro, a scientist who Glitter described as "a genius but crazy"....that I got clues on how to get us out of this Flip Side and back home. She couldn't have understated any more how absent-minded this professor actually was.

While we were there I managed to make a copy of the equations on his blackboard. Something I bet Whiz had thought to do when he erased them to use the chalk dust to make Glitter sneeze and break the doctor out of being trapped behind a video game wall.

I'd also find schematics of the Groove Machine somewhere here. Not sure how the doctor got them but I did know that he had Ash's little pocket-keyboard synthesizer in his lab before.

"That guy was loco bananas." Asriel muttered.

"You know that's not the first time I've heard that expression." Glitter advised.

Groovy City. At one time it was known as Grooveyard City, plagued by hundreds of thousands of ghosts. Ghosts who trapped the people of the city under a terrible curse. Master Blaster made a deal with them to do this.

"So...this Whiz built a giant vacuum cleaner...car and sucked up the ghosts?  Talk about your Luigi's Mansion on overdrive." Asriel joked.

"Who?" Glitter asked.

"We gotta stop name-dropping stuff from our time and space in the universe."

"And let me guess.  Let the punishment fit the crime?"

"You are a smart one, Dr. Arcade." Glitter smiled, hugging her kneels to her chest in a cute pose as she fluttered in a hover.

Our trek continued and Glitter had no shortage of stories to tell. But when she got to the one about Mirada, the wise man who had a magic stone that could get Kidd and the others home.

"Mirada...that's one letter away from Miranda.  Coincidence?"

It felt like it was...but knowing Goddesses Destiny and Fate? There were no coincidences. This felt like a message.

Westside. I can't believe how many cities in  Neo Arcadia existed here...in weirdly warped incarnations. Westside was every possible Old West, John Wayne, and down-on-the-farm cliche you could raid from Tombstone, Arizona fully realized. Barns that danced, bulls that did the tango, and disproportionate people with impossibly large ten-gallon hats.

I noticed the hotel looked...recently rebuilt.

"So.  Any stories about that?"

"Depends if you grasp the situation when an actual Dream Machine was involved."

"Whiz invented a Dream Machine--"

"Which can easily be corrupted to make Nightmares." This is what would happen if Freddy Krueger went high tech.

"This story does involve a...giant guitar brought to life..." Glitter tapped her index fingers together, rhythmically and nervously.

"I can extrapolate from there."

South Plumbington.

"You remember Rotor's hometown and how only a small section of it was dedicated to plumbing sculpture."

"Yeah.  I see it.  This is that "sculpture" fully realized and overtaking the city...and Plumber's Peak.  And apparently extended into pipework and plumbing cosplay among the people."

We skipped a few other lands like Cobalt Mountains. Which Glitter warned was designed to play upon nostalgia. Asriel and I were beyond vulnerable. But the real danger was its giant, living teddy bear guardian. I didn't want us becoming its next set of "dollies".

It seemed like this would go on forever. By now we'd gone past Popland, host of a rock and roll contest; the city of Equinox where Uno the Cyclops--a pair of conjoined one-eyed twins--had a weird control over the climate based on his sleeping patterns (apparently insomnia caused super global warming); Wacko Island, where a pirate parrot held the cure for a deadly plant that causes those exposed to it to turn into plants; and Twin Cities Mall, where Whiz had gone shopping for pizza ingredients after his cooking caused a disaster in the Kidd Mobile.

We were almost at the end of our rope when...

"Volt...up ahead."

"I see it, Goat Son."

"The Kidd Mobile." Glitter pointed.

Sub-Entry 295: "Escaping the Flip Side - Kidd Video, Part 2":
After all this time. Here we were.

Big. Red and yellow. Oddly the same paint color scheme as the Containment Unit. But this thing was more like...a cross between a cat and a stingray in shape. There were even...paws on each side of the...face?

"Think anyone's home?"

I approached the door. I expected Asriel would already be checking before I could but...every so often I was the one who took a leap of faith.

I kinda expected the side door to open up but instead...the whole front of the vehical opened up like a mouth. Like a big catfish mouth and a metal carpet rolled out like a tongue. And out they came.

Kidd Video. I don't know if that was his real name or a stage name. But there he was. The leader of the group; played guitar and keyboards and sang many of the lead vocals. Kidd had light brown hair and brown eyes. I could tell he was ambidextrous. He wore a blue sleeveless jacket with 80s-pink trim, army pants with a bandanna tied around the leg, and red Chuck Taylor sneakers...that were black and red.

From his mannerisms I could tell he was the token cool kid but his weakness was that he knew it. Even if he was the hero, he needed his friends to keep his ego managable.

Ash. To this day I still don't have last names for our Kidd Video counterparts so I wasn't counting on finding them here. He played keyboards but I could tell he was also skilled with playing bass and saxophone. Just a musician's sixth sense. Ash had curly brown hair and brown eyes. He wore baggy pants with suspenders, a purple shirt with a matching "skinny" tie, and black Chuck Taylors

Glitter described him as being best known for always coming up with terrible song lyrics to describe the situation. He seemed like the biggest music lover, even though his improvised "lyrics", we'd soon realize were pretty awful. Known for being a little cowardly; he could be timid in dangerous situations and needs the support of his friends to keep going.

Whiz. There's no way that can be a real name. But what I can tell you was...he was a real genius. Whiz played guitar and keyboards and sang many of the lead vocals. Whiz had blond hair and wore round glasses. He wore an orange-brown blazer and pants with what I thought was an ugly pea-green shirt with a color but it turned out to be an ugly cornflower blue shirt with a color. Same difference.

A teenage Macgyver archetype. He made a lot of contraptions to get the gang out of trouble. He also made Toolbot. I felt a little humbled knowing that someone else made a counterpart to my 2LBT-0001 minibot toolbox. And with the same personality and "speech" impediments. I could tell he had occasional fits of being selfish, short-tempered, and too serious about getting home for his own good. But I could also tell he was one who always sticks by his friends and often gets them out of jams with his ingenuity.

Carla. The only girl in the group, Carla was the drummer of Kidd Video. Hispanic. Carla had black hair and brown eyes. Wore a pink mini-dress with one side off the shoulder and a red belt, and matching pink mini boots. And she was wearing glossy red lipstick.

Seemed to be kind of a party girl; seemed like she was the type who was always looking to have fun while the four of them were in the Flipside. From Glitter's expression, I could tell how good friends they were. Asriel sensed it, too. She was a strong female who stuck up for her friends.

"Whoah.  Did one of the werewolves get loose from the maze?" Kidd arched an eyebrow. I thought I saw Ash kinda duck behind him.

"I don't remember them being the type to wear labcoats." Whiz seemed more intrigued. "And last I checked wolves were usually more predatory around goats and other animals they can hunt."

"We really going through this old song and dance again?" When Asriel deadpanned, you could tell he was uncomfortable. He was not the type to cover up his emotions well.

"I can explain!" Glitter quickly darted past us.

"Glitter!" Carla was quick to intercept.

"I think we need to talk.  And to figure out what we're going to do about a certain mutual enemy and his three fleabags." I put my knuckles to my hips.

"You escaped the Master Blaster?" Kidd questioned.

"We had help from your friend here." Asriel waved.

"You're not from Earth, are you?" He questioned further.

"What gave it away?" I shrugged with a smirk.

"We're dealing with aliens?!" Ash looked a little freaked out.

"Technically, relative to us, we could consider you Earthlings aliens.  And by that extensive logic, all of us are aliens while we're in this...Flip-Side."

"I appreciate your use of the algebraeic method of transitive properties, but unless you're musicians like us, I don't understand what the Master Blaster wanted with you."

"He didn't know we weren't a hot act at the time he encapsulated us.  We were kinda...in pursuit of a dangerous criminal jumping through dimensions and we clobbered him into the next one but got trapped in this one." I explained.

"I'm going to hold off on asking what you do.  Probably better if we don't if you're chasing dangerous criminals." Whiz polished his glasses before putting them back on. "I'm also going to hold back my overwhelming fascination that you have time and space travelling science--"

"Because you're sure it's going to yield a way to get you home." Asriel cut in.

"As much as we'd love to help, it's...not up to us.  It's out of our hands.  And even if it weren't?  Our bosses would have the last word, and I KNOW they'd say no.  Even if you do belong on Earth." I explained. "And believe me...I do want to get you guys home.  But there are some things even I can't sneak past the Council."

All four looked somewhat dejected. What I wasn't telling them was how I snuck a lone orphan off a doomed planet onto a planet in a pocket dimension that didn't officially exist in the S.T.C. database seven years ago. And that landed me in so much hot water and I was still paying for it. Transporting four humans back to Earth with STC resources? That would go on the books. That would be something that the Council would INSIST Daimyou take action on. And while these seemed like flimsy excuses the real reason was far simpler:  it was the same reason I didn't just drop Asriel off in a new timeline without explanation all those years ago.

I couldn't win the end game for any world for its intended heroes. I could set things into motion for Frisk but I couldn't just drop a win into her lap. I couldn't just bring Asriel back to the moment Frisk wakes up among the other Boss Monsters and just say: "Hey.  Your son's alive.  By the way, Azzy, your parents aren't married anymore and they kinda hate each other's guts.  How long would it take for him to start feeling like that was his fault?  How much of Frisk's personal growth would I just omit; ensuring she didn't learn anything or evolve as a person?

That's not what what we do. We don't cheat the game. We're nothing more than Cortana working in the background of Windows 10.

That meant that Kidd Video had to defeat the Master Blaster once and for all and find their own way home. Just as we had to find our own way home. As completely unfar as that was, it was how it had to be. I was tempted to break the rules for situations like this...all...the...time.

"Don't worry." Asriel placed a hand on Whiz's shoulder. I could tell he was hit the hardest. "You'll make it back home.  I promise."

"How can you know that?" What did suprise me was that Ash was the one who spoke up. But maybe it wasn't that suprising. He just hid his homesickness better.

"Because...." I started, realizing I'd have to lecture myself for starting an explaination with 'like' or 'because'. "...you exist...or existed as other universe versions where we're from.  And history has told.  You did make it home.  The other versions of you did.  And if Lady Destiny is as merciful as I hope...she'll show kindness to you all as well, some day."

"It's like my sensei says.  Patience is the jewel on the Crown of Wisdom." Asriel recited that after all this time?"

"You seem like a karate man.  So I'm going to take your word for it.  That said.  How do we get you home?"

"Well.  I'd ask your place or ours to sit down and make a plan so...?"

"Come on in, amigo!" Carla snagged Asriel's risk and pulled him in. I thought I saw a jealous glance in Kidd's eyes.

I just shrugged and followed the others in.

"So.  Got names?" Kidd asked.

"Yeah.  I'm Volt.  He's Asriel."

Much later...

...inside the Master Blaster's Fortress.

"What is that fat ole' Master Blaster up to now?" Fat Cat muttered, stuffing his face with a slice of pizza.

Same as his counterpart, Marshall Effron, only he was wearing a blue Sgt. Pepper-esque jacket...that actually reminded me of the upper half of Antoine's Ecotropian military uniform. Just as much of a glutton.

"Who know's mee-yunnn!  Half the time he seems out of his gourd!" Cool Kitty replied. Same ugly yellow-framed, tinted shades as his counterpart,  Robert Towers. But wearing a loud red suit jacket with a very 80's skinny yellow necktie that matched the shades. And just as lazy and lethargic.

"He sure acts high and mighty.  'Copy Cats, report to the master control room!  Nooooooow'!" She-Lion mocked.

Yeah. This was Susan Silo, alright. Different dimension, same vain attitude. But what was different was her choice in clothing. The tallest, and obviously the most narcissist of the group wore a yellow unitard with a weird cornflower blue jacket with wide pink trim and light pink shoulder pads. And matching cornflower blue double-strap sandals. She was wearing matching cornflower blue eyeshadow and had a single circular ring in her right ear.

I felt like I knew how this went down...in fact I felt like it went down once before in this dimension...word for word. And redundancies like this actually...happened many times before, during the course of Project Lost Dreemurr...they just got swept under the rug by anyone who wouldn't be famliar with the timelines of ever world I'd visited.

Which only served us well, when we continued to...change the script of these timelines. Remastering parts of history in order to fix even bigger glitches in the timeline. Both down the road or right around the corner.

So all it took was for me to sneak aboard the Fortress and hide on the ceiling of the corridor the Copy Cats were taking to the Master Blaster...and using a little slight of hand to make sure She-Lion lagged just enough behind the group for--

"Mmmmph!" She-Lion wasn't prepared as Asriel grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth.

"Don't struggle.  I'm pretty sure you value your nine lives, so do us a favor...and just...listen."

Okay...I had to admit...this was a scarier Asriel than I had known. But Bunnie had taught him well at capturing, disarming, subdueing, and even incapacitating.

"I just want to have a talk with you.  And if you're smart, you will NOT inform your boss.  I can tell you amd your friends aren't exactly fans but you're also scared of him so you're not going to give him anything but your undying loyalty if you wan tto keep those nine lives of yours."

She-Lion struggled.

"Do you want me to let you go?  Then agree to my terms."

She finally gave up and relaxed before Asriel let her turn around.

"Who...who are you?  Do you know who you're dealing with?"

"I do.  And I don't care.  Tell me.  Why do you serve him?"

"He's the Master Blaster!  I don't need to explain myself to you, creep!"

"Clearly you don't have a choice but serve him.  Or do you?"

"...sh...shut up!  I don't have to take this from--"

"You're a smart one, She-Lion.  A smart one like you probably had better hopes and dreams for how your life should have turned out."

"You're not going to get me to go against him!"

"Fine.  I won't.  Just want to ask.  Why?  The real reason.  What is it you want out of this life?"

"...!"  She-Lion scoffed.

"You don't have to be this way.  If I asked you if you are as bad a person as you think you are...would you tell me yes?  That you're a bad girl because you want to be?  Or he tells you to be?"

She-Lion tightened her fists, her arms straight down in a pouting rage.

Without warning...Asriel hugged her. That caught her by surprise. As well as me. Did he finally discover girls...?

"You look like you need a hug.  And a friend.  Just...know that I while I don't understand...I'm willing to try to."

Redacted. This was Mina all over again. Not that this was a bad thing...it was just...some time he had to discover girls and not just see them as friends. He had to find that one that he'd be willing to go on a date with and take it to the next level.

The moment he hugged, She-Lion's eyes widened and she unclenched her fists, her fingers spread out completely in shock. She was like this for a few good moments before she let her arms and hands go limp...then slowly reached up and wrapped her arms around Asriel, accepting the hug. Her face scrunched up...and then she started sniffling and silently crying.

"Shhhh.  It's okay.  I know.  I'm willing to be your friends feel the same.  That maybe you aren't so bad after all.  Listen.  He doesn't have to know about this.  I promise.  But what I need to ask you is...will you help us?"

She-Lion tried to rest her head on his shoulder but he stopped her. "I'm sorry.  I'm not looking for romance.  Just a friend.  Okay?"

"...I...I...!"

Wow. When did Goat Son become...charming?

After a bit...she nodded.

"Hey.  Take care of yourself.  Become someone really cares about you."

Damn you, Sans. Leaking your essence into Goat Son from afar like this.

After a while...

"...I...I'm going to deny this ever happened.  I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.  I'm Master Blaster's now and forever.  All three of us are."

"I know.  I also know you can't make the same promise to Kidd Video."

"Just...take it.  Take it and go...before I change my mind." She-Lion turned away, arms crossed and angry as heck.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me.  Just.  Go.  Now." She Lion smoldered. "This doesn't mean I like you or anything.  I just need to get this out of my system before I end doing something he'll punish us all for.  And if he does that, I'll never forgive you and I'll hunt the two of you to the ends of--"

"No you won't." I dismissed it. "I didn't think it was possible but Goat Son showed me you three aren't as rotten as you or Kidd Video think you are.  And least of all, Master Blaster.  You just have to start building the courage to make that choice for yourself."

"Talk is cheap."

"Yeah.  It is." I hurried Asriel back to our escape route and we double-timed it back to Professor Maestro.

"COPY CAAAAAATS!" I heard the bellow behind us before we managed to air drop to the Kidd Mobile underneath us.

"Well?" Kidd asked as we dropped down the hatch with our prize in tow.

"The main part to his dimensional trap.  Just what we need to get us to our contact on the other side of reality." I nodded. "And with these formulas from Maestro we can make a gateway there."

"What about--"  Ash started.

"It's no good." Whiz cut in. "There's only enough power for the both of them.  And unfortunately we don't have the coordinates for our Earth.  He doesn't know them any more than we do."

"We'll find our way back when we find our way back." Kidd assured.

"And have the time to...let go of this world when you're ready to say goodbye.  Trust me.  I hate good-byes." Asriel secured his NX Board.

Once we had the rig up and running...

"...well...if we ever see you in the UltraVerse.  Drop us a line.  And maybe...  Play us a concert?" Asriel asked.

"We'd like that." Kidd nodded.

"We'll keep the party muy magnifico!" Carla assured.

"I'm going to want to pick your brain on a lot of things, Doctor."

"Counting on it, Whiz."

And Ash was already trying out new lyrics.

"We just helped our friends from out of town!  We got him to the Master Blaster and back without a frown!"

Uh...I'm not going to say his lyrics were a stinker but...yeah...they weren't good.

The portal opened and there was Kommand on the other side, in yet another of her fully body cosplays, obscuring her identity.

"Bubblegum Crash.  It had to be." Asriel chuckled.

"Whoah...they ARE aliens!" Ash gasped.

"Look us up if you're ever on Earth and hanging around H&S Storage." Kidd prompted.

"That is...if you have a way of not looking like--"

"Oh.  You mean like this." I demorphed and put on my glasses as Asriel hit the Unitrix plunger.

"Yeah...like that." Whiz's eyes doubled in side.

"Be seein' you." Asriel waved a we went through...and then the power gave out and the crystal cracked and shattered,

Silence among the members of the band.

But meanwhile...

"She-Lion!  You're in an extra foul mood, mee-yunnn.  You feelin--"

The door opened and a sandal flew out. Cool Kitty ducked, letting it hit Fat Cat.

"So I'm guessing a bite to eat is out of the question?"

She-Lion pouted, arms crossed, grinding her teeth. Then after a bit, her expression softened and she pondered.

"Who...who do I want to be...?" She questioned. She stared into her hand mirror for a bit...for the first time not happy with her reflection. She lay back in her hammock and rested her head into her palms, fingers interlocked and elbows outward in a daydreaming position.

"How do I thank you...should I even?  For all I know, you just made things worse for us.  I don't even know your name."

I guess time would tell if this was the breakdown of a long-standing facade...or just something she'd dismiss and be right back to doing Master Blaster's dirty work and being vain and just mean.

But one thing was for sure. Asriel had hope. And maybe he believed that her counterpart was worthy of hope as well. After all...now that hope wasn't walking alone for She-Lion.

Sub-Entry 296:  "Treading on Cobra and Leaving SKARs (Face Down on the Ground)":
"YOOOO, JOOOOE!"

If the battlecry wasn't a dead giveaway, allow me to elaborate that we've again crossed paths with another world within the Ultraverse...specifically the realm of G.I. Joe.

A bit of background. G.I. stands for government issue, and Joe is the codename of the elite military force of the best of combined soldiers hand-selected from the best of the five branches of military--army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard--to serve as the world's go-to against the evil criminal and cult organization known as Cobra, led by the diabolical Cobra Commander and his lieutenents, Destro and Baroness. The former of the two the current generation of a disgraced Celtic family of illegal arms dealers. The other a femme fatale and master of disguise specializing in infiltration, subversion, and sabotage.

So. The Weather Dominator. By this point it had become an almost laughable cliche of an old legend. Cobra's attempt at world domination by of course weather domination. Yeah. Why not?

Three componets. Three machines when combined gave a terrorist organization the means to attack world governments with the forces of nature like a scalpel to living tissue. The power source--and supposely limitless (I'd heard THAT before)--the Laser Core. The Hydro-Master--obviously for controlling all aspects of rain and other moisture. And the Ion Correlator. As a guy with a PhD in electricity and electronics, I was all too familiar with a machine that could manipulate ions, fields...and well...lightning itself.

Now...for the twist. Let's say...all three parts landed in three different G.I. JOE A.U.'s. With the Laser Core firmly here in 80's Joe territory, that was my area of expertise with Asriel and a team of my selection. Bunnie and Lupe especially instrumental. Ninja and a druid who was one with nature. And Azzy had been getting pointers in army training thanks to Sarge. I felt I should be going after the Ion Correlator. But...

"Field Commander and First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser?" I gave my best salute.

"Around here we go by codenames.  I go by Duke."

Blond, blue-eyed. Rough-necked. Barked orders with the boldness of a general.

"Sir."

"Saluting isn't exactly required for civilians.  But the powers that be decided you were the best outside help to assign to this.  While fighting terrorism is our job, crossing dimensional barriers and recoving stolen technology from other worlds is outside our field.  I don't like bringing civies into a firefight but I know when to accept help."

"No problem, Duke, sir.  This is where we shine." Asriel said, still saluting.

"You can calm down now, Goat Son."

"I can see your team is already getting acquainted with mine."

Bunnie was having a staredown with the JOE's own ninja--codename: Snake Eyes. A modern ninja who didn't say much. Some intelligence reports said his vocal chords were destroyed in a severe helicopter accident. Others said it was a vow of silence for his slain master--one said to be the victim of another student, codenamed: Storm Shadow.

After a loooong moment of silence...they gave each other a simultaneous thumbs-up.

"That's a good sign." Duke arched an eyebrow.

Good luck getting a description of Snake Eyes. He was completely wrapped head to toe in an black stealth suit and a modded visor that it was impossible to discern his identity. And his silence and lack of any mannerism or identifiable behaviors made it impossible to figure out anything outside of his gender. Definite a dude. But nationality or personality? Not happening. This guy was the ultimate in mysterious secret. Might as well be a blank slate. It'd tell you about as much or more about him.

Lupe on the other hand found a friend in...

"Charles Iron-Knife?  Lupe Ayla Lycans."

"Spirit.  And this is Freedom." Spirit pointed to his eagle. You are...a Shaman?"

Spirit. A medicine man but not a doctor; performs rituals but is not a priest. Mysterious. Not because he's secretive, but rather all around him deemed him impossible to figure out.

Long, black hair. Native American complexion. And pretty much not in standard uniform; too much of a stereotype image down to the headband, feathers, and jean jacket to be coincidence. The 1980's weren't exactly PC.

"As are you.  I can see it in your aura."

A moment of silence.

"Why do you not appear as you really are?"

Busted? So soon? I thought our human disguises were better than that.

"Commander?"

"No secrets, team." We all de-morphed.

"You're...taking it well, Duke."

"We've crossed paths with gene-splices out of Dr. Mindbender's lab before.  It's nothing new."

Our team would end up clashing against the O.G. terrorists.

Cobra Commander. "The Rasp" as I called him due to how much his voice sounded like Starscream if he had a hissing speech impediment. But just as incompetant. He toggled back and forth between "the mask" and the "helmet and faceplate". Demanded total loyalty and allegience to Cobra. When the chips were down and things didn't go his way? No one could give a cry of retreat like him.

Destro. James McCullen Destro XXIV. Callander, Scotland. Leader of the Iron Grenadiers and founder of M.A.R.S. industries. Weapons manufacture, illegal arms dealer, and scum-de-la-scum. Stoic and usually a lot more composed than Cobra Commander. Old iron-face himself and that's no idle insult. The fully-encapsulating head mask dated back a loooot of generations to a mark of shame and disgrace upon his family that had been passed down through the ages. Cutthroat, unyielding, and able to live a luxurious lifestyle.

Baroness. Her actual identity is up for debate as none of us can confirm what her real origin is. The most accepted profile identifies her as the spoiled offspring of European Aristocrats named Anastasia Cisarovna. First involved in student radicalism, dabbled in extremist fringe groups, and finally graduated to international terrorism. She is believed to have been trained as a spy and saboteur at an exclusive facility run by a former Warsaw Pact intelligence agency. Officially the head of Cobra intelligence operations, the Baroness is a world-class expert in cryptography, psychological warfare, and bio-chemical skin-irritants. She also has old ties and loyalties to Destro and is the only one who knows his secret identity. I do know she has had extensive facial reconstructive surgery and that she was a master of disguise and infiltration.

Dr. Mindbender. With a name like that do I need to explain? But as for appearance? I described him as Soda Popinski with a monicle. At one time a peace-loving orthodontist. After a failed test of a machine he invented to relieve dental pain, the brain damage he suffered caused a complete rewire of his personality, leaving his intellect and intelligence intact. Since then he's become Cobra's mad scientist and probably Violet and my equal with science and technology and Adonis' equal with how twisted he was.

With our enemies far more numerous than this, let me continue with the mission.

The Hydro-Master would up on an alternate future where the JOES were doing it 90's style. In word: EXTREME. Yeah. Everything in the 90's was "extreme"; pointy shoulders, unnecessary spellings that made use of the letter X, and ACTION, ACTION, ACTION...and attitude. Lots attitude and one-liners. I'd have to send another part of my team there. Sally couldn't volunteer fast enough. Gadget surprisingly wanted to go, too, but with my condition that Rick "Beach Bear" Bailey go with. Basically everyone qualified to solve problems in the most "extreme way possible.

Which left the final part landing in an AU I'd codenamed "Sigma Six". An anime world, guided by anime rules which of course necessitated an anime otaku. Violet, you owe me. But I was sending Jon, Pit, and Scott there. Muscle, flight, and a super sodlier.

Off world...

G.I. Joe Extreme. When you're surrounded on all sides and the odds of survival are a million to one...

A new team, now headed by Lieutenant Stone and Sergeant Savage now faced off against a new terrorist organization right up Adonis' alley. Dubbed Soldiers of Khaos, Anarchy, and Ruin or S.K.A.R. for short and headed by shrewd, mysterious, and incredibly powerful newcomer, Iron Klaw. Proclaiming that "we will be VICTORIOUS" to the world, he's brought a new era of terror to the world.

While it didn't involve taking control of the weather, genetically engineering a new leader from all of history's evil dictators, conquerors, and monsters (somehow Vlad "the Impaler" Tepes was in the mix but not the leader World War II Germany?) or blowing up the Eiffel Tower...all new means of waging war on the world and establishing a new world order were cooked up on this world. Even down to subliminal messaging through viral marketing campaigns, it wasn't that much of an "upgrade" to how serious one should take these plots at face value. But still a universe where something ridiculous could be turned into something dangerous.

The Joe Team's presidential liason went by "Mr. Clancy". Relax, Volt. While you were getting weird Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom vibes, there's no relation here. I hope. Even though he REAAAAALLY reminded me of Agent Smith from the Matrix.

Stone. I wasn't getting any real vibes I could go off of other than...famliar. Like Arlene on her most hard-baller days, yeah. The drill sarge archetype was ringing bells too famliar. He took no crap. That's all you need to know. Also he sounded a lot like Gary Chalk. Well that's just PRIME.

Savage. I couldn't be sure at first...but then there he was. Yeah...a carry-over from the 80's G.I. JOE. Or rather the tail-end of its era. Robert S. Savage Jr. existed in both the Real American Hero (R.A.H.) universe and this one. Known for "Sergeant Savage and his Screaming Eagles" back in the day. Oldest member of the group and his file said he had a wife and child.

Ballistic...or...was it Eagle Eye? There were descrepancies all over his bio what his real code name was. Real name: Albert Salviatti and sounded a loooot like voice actor, Brian Drummand and looking like a mix of the Arnold Schwartzenegger and the Punisher.

Black Dragon. A.K.A. Kang Chi Lee. The team's own answer to Snake Eyes but more talkative. Our intell spoke of him having bad history with a crime family in Hong Kong.

Freight. Alias Omar Diesel. Former pro football and the team's demo expert. Served in the U.S. Army before his football career.

Harpoon. Jose Montalvo. Former Navy SEAL. Team's nautical expert and comic relief. If I were there I'd long for the days of Shipwreck and Airtight.

Mayday. Real name unknown due to gaps in our records. The lone female and an aggressive fighter pilot and hand to hand combat expert. She was quick to bond with Sally and Gadget.

Metalhead, better known as Matthew Hurley. Communications officer and computer hacker. And total surfer/skateboard archetype who was pretty much the entire urban dictionary in beach bum form. Only Gadget and Beach Bear together had any chance of deciphering his hybrid tech talk.

Quick Stryke. Defectors are a special case. And none quite like this one. Former S.K.A.R. member who turned tail after the death of his brother, Jonathan.

Red McKnox. Scottish descent. Scientist and the designer of the team's gear.

Tracker. Well...name says it all. That and Tracker has E.S.P. Also has a pet wolf named Lakota.

And while the last two felt like they didn't quite belong in this universe...I didn't question it.

Short-Fuze. While having the same code name as the R.A.H. universe, there was no relation. Also he was another demo-man.

Long-Tall Sally. Short for Salindra. We stuck to that so it wouldn't get confusing. I don't know what her specialty was.

Gadget and Beach Bear automatically bonded with Metalhead. I think it was because the two of them mastered "Ripper Speak" a lot faster and better than any of us. And well...when you speak the lingo...

"...and the waves were totally subliminal."

"Wow!  And what did this Inferno guy do with it...?"

"Socialize later, soldier.  We're on the clock."

"Sorry, Lieutenant Stone, sir."

"We'll hang ten for now, but you best keep those waves nice and gnarly." Beach Bear showed how to fist-bump. Oh what were we doing to this timeline?

"So...we're working with talking animals, now?" Stone watched as the two of them left the room.

"Don't dismiss it so easily.  Back in the old days, our old team worked with anthropomorphs like this."

"You hear that?  That's positive proof that these timelines are connected!" Gadget looked excited.

"Nice." Sally gave a thumbs up and a wink before knuckle-bumping Mitzi.

"Can't wait for you to show us what you can do." Mayday said, arms crossed. "Don't disappoint me."

"We got this." Mitzi assured.

Anyway...suffice to say Iron Klaw got his hands on the Hydro-Master. And suffice to say it resulted in a clash against some new blood when it came to enemies.

Iron Klaw. Only his most loyal knew his real identity. And it was one time where the twist of having a double-life actually worked in his favor and worked against us...effectively. Being in the dark would be something we'd have in common with the JOES until much further down the road when S.K.A.R.'s empire finally collapsed. Iron Klaw operated under the alias of Count von Rani, the ruler of a small Eastern European nation called Kalistan.

Steel Raven. His right-hand woman. I couldn't tell you much more than than that.

Kidwell Pyre served Iron Klaw under the codename, "Inferno". Inferno grew up as the adopted son of a poor single mother who worked as a maid while his two brothers Miles and Fredwick bullied him at an early age. Refers to flamethrower arms as his "Toys" and talks with a hissing voice.

Wreckage. He was once a soldier named Eric Alexander who fought alongside Freight in the American military. Wreckage was experimented upon in an early attempt by Iron Klaw to create a cybernetic super-soldier when he was captured during a major military conflict in South. The experiments made Wreckage extremely strong and resilient, but prone to fits of rage.

Rampage. The man known as J. Remington III was an arms manufacturer who operated legitimate business fronts and black market deals. Rampage was S.K.A.R.'s primary weapon supplier. However, now, he seeks to eliminate Iron Klaw and seize control of the organization. Rampage possesses the ability to transform into a grotesque devilish green-skinned. In addition, he also wears high-tech armor in battle that has guns on it that often vary from a chain-gun to a rocket launcher.

Ohh boy. What were they in for?

Which left Sigma Six. Or as I called it...G.I. Joe anime reboot.

I've already introduced Duke so his counterpart wasn't much different.

His team however was made up of famliars but streamlined. Also for some reason...there was a kid with a dog robot he built and uploaded nanotechnology to it that he pirated from Cobra's servers while working in a college lab...somehow. A dog he named "Spud".

So who were the others?

The team was originally led by General Hawk. However a run-in with the Cobra organization of this world left him with "scrambled DNA". While I don't know if that meant TMNT logic or more the kind that causes lymphoma, I do know that retired him to a hospital bed and a position of spiritual adviser of the Joe team.

Snake Eyes. What more could I explain about this guy? Oh wait. In this continuity he had two ninjas in training--"Jinx" and "Kamakura". I have to wonder how one teaches students when they have sworn a vow of silence? There are ways. Bunnie assures me...there are ways.

Scarlet. Shana M. O'Hara. Counter intelligence specialist, helicopter pilot and Second in Command to Duke. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia and had the drawl. Skilled in martial arts and like her O.G. counterpart, more skilled with a crossbow.

Tunnel Rat. Nicky Lee. Infiltration and Demolitions. The team's little brother and wisecracking troll.

Long Range. Real name: Karl W. Fritz. Driver of the Mobile Command (R.O.C.C.) following Cobra's bombing of the Pit in this universe. Transportation specialist and sniper. For some reason, Violet won't stop calling him "Zondo".

Heavy Duty. Lamont A Morris, born in Chicago, Illinois. In charge of Artillery. Not many people are big and beefy enough to lift and fire an 80-lb machine gun effortlessly.

Hi-Tech. David P. Lewinski, born in St. Paul Minnosota. Specializes in armorment and weapon research and development. A genius with electronics, hacker, and communications officer.

Spirit Iron-Knife. We know this guy. His counterpart is pretty similar. Too bad we only have one Lupe to spare. But for some reason his falcon's name is "Billy".

And finally Lt. Stone. I didn't expect crossover with the "Extreme" team but here he is. Pilot of the Dragonhawk Heavy Armored Drop Ship, covert-ops specialist, and the former commander of Firefly. His eyepatch actually conceals a special eyepiece that can scan and duplicate the clothing of anyone. Described as "the best spy" that Firefly ever knew...before Firefly betrayed the team and jumped ship. On this world, he was of British origin and specialized in covert-ops.

Already Violet and Tunnel Rat were yucking it up and going on full overdrive with practical jokes, one-liners, and geeking out on gadgets.

"...and then I went toe-to-toe with him in a hamburger eating contest.  We really had Hi-Tech thinking we were going to slug it out!"

"Wasting your C.O.'s time with fake in-fighting?  I love it.  But dude.  Making the tech support look like an idiot?  We tech support are supposed to make everyone else look like fools."

Scarlet slow turned to Pit. "Is she always like this?"

"Afraid so.  Miss Violet is--"

"Another Tunnel Rat." She concluded. "And your associate?"

"Funny he should mention hamburger-eating contest..." Pit looked to the other room where two giant stacks of hamburgers separated a big, beefy African-American man and a grey-furred werewolf on opposites sides of the table.

"Oh noo..." She moaned.

"It never stops." Duke growled. "You are going to take this job seriously, I hope?"

"Depends.  Do I get to see this super robo-dog that injested a Cobra-formula for nanoplasm that's constantly evolving his hardware and A.I.?"

"Well.  You've confirmed your intelligence sources.  I guess we have no choice but to work with you."

"We'll...try to be descrete." Pit assured.

So fast-forward.

"...how did we get into a hockey game with the Laser Core?!" I growled as we struggled for control of it.

"I figured it was more curling than hockey." Asriel joked before I shot him a nasty look. "Right.  Focusing on mission..."

And...

Mayday crawled from the wreckage. "Great.  Another million-dollar aircraft shot down by SKAR."

"Any landing you can walk away from?" Gadget resized and climbed out.

Both looked up at the towering form of Rampage.

Gadget immediately hid behind Mayday, barely on her feet.

"We are in biiiig trouble." Little sister whimpered.

"Hey!"

Blurred light circled around them both moments before Rampage took a massive shock to his arsenal.

"The bigger they are...the slower they get." Sally gave a thumbs up as her Knuckledusters sparked.

"I think we might actually get that Hydro-Master."

And...

"...you okay, Heavy Duty?"

"Yeah.  Thought I had em' but right at the last second the fool jacked up the voltage!"

Jon and Heavy Duty looked up at Destro, crackling with the latent static of his broken energy shield.

Explosions rained down in the next room over where Violet and Tunnel Rat were thinning the ranks of the scrubs.

And Pit was back to back with Scarlet in a shootout against Baroness, who's holographic illusions were presenting a problem with nailing down a target.

"One of us has to make a break for Duke and Cobra Commander!" Pit warned.

"Help is on the way!" Scott charged in while the rest of the team had Cobra's elite distracted. "We'll have that Ionic Correlator before day's end!"

And sure enough, between all three groups...

"COBRA, RETREEEEEEEEEEEEEEAT!!!" Cobra Commander O.G. screamed as he piloted his bubble pod back to base.

"They won't be able to reassemble the Weather Dominator if we take these parts off world and scatter them to secure locations."

Duke...and Duke saluted with Lieutenant Stone also doing the same.

Scott returned the salute. The rest of us kinda acknowledged in our own ways.

"I guess we go our separate ways from here."

"Yeah.  It's only proper.  The balance between universes does have to be maintained and all."

"If karma is in our favor, we shall all meet again." Bunnie bowed to Snake Eyes.

"Hook me up with some of those det-packs of yours, Tunnel Rat.  I think I must might prank Al Dente back home.  I might have to pay Rotor double for the damage to the plumbing afterward but it'll be worth it.

"Don't want to know." Roadblock shook his head.

"That makes too of us." Scarlet Sigma Six agreed.

"Hey.  Maybe next time we'll get to ride the waves.  The other kind." Beach Bear gave a surfer salute with the thumb and pinky fingers extended, giving it a shaking motion.

"I'm there, dude." Metalhead assured.

So. Back home we went.

I entrusted the Laser Core to the Phoenix Foundation where Gadget was already on good terms with Matilda Weber, director of the organization. And THAT'S a hard thing to pull off.

Bunnie had the Hydro-Master sent to F.L.A.G. where it would be studied by the Knight Foudation.

Which left the Ionic Correlator with us at Ultra Crew Institute to be locked down and studied on our spare time.

For now...

"Do we get to say it?" Asriel asked.

"Why not." Duke O.G. shrugged. "Make it count, soldier."

And with that we all took a deep breath and shouted to the heavens. "YOOOOO, JOOOOOOE!!!!"

Sub-Entry 297:  "Moonwalking With Michael":
"...til next year." Garfield put his hat and trenchcoat on as he waved goodbye to us in Rock-Afire Pizza.

"Best lasagna ever." He mused.

"Happy birthday, Dad." I let that one slip out. I usually felt too embarassed to call him Dad in public. But Father's Day was only three days ago so...it was cool.

I'd noticed Mitzi had been playing a pretty tell-tale pattern of music tracks on the juke box all day. They all had one thing in common--they were by the same artist.

"Thinking about the King of Pop, lately, Mitzi?" Asriel asked.

"Yeah...fans like myself really miss him.  Taken from us far too soon."

"The same could be said about Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly just to name a few." I shrugged.

"You know we could have Violet cue up Captain E.O. on the Jumbotron if it'll cheer you up."

"That's a nice offer, but...it wouldn't be the same.  I never got the chance to meet him back in the day.  Billy Bob did, though..."

"Ah yeah.  The legendary meltdown on stage."

"That wasn't scripted.  That hissy fit was all genuine.  I did miss out because of cheerleader practice.  And I've been kicking myself ever since."

"Regret's not a good thing to live with, Aunt Mitzi." Asriel finished off the last of the lasagna. "I had 100 years of it feeling responsible for Chara's death and the end of my world.  While I could rationalize the former, figuring out why the world ended because of me was somerthing that tormented me every since Volt brought me to Miranda.  It didn't do me any good.  Holding onto this won't do any good."

"You're not going to tell me the same about holding onto my grudge against my ex, are you?"

"I know an unwinnable battle when I see it.  I might as well convince Aunt Vi to leave Al Dente alone."

That got us laughs all around.

"Still...I just wish I could have met him..."

"And gotten 400 autographs?" I prodded.

Mitzi shot me a sneer.

"Kidding!  Kidding!"

"Well.  What goes around comes around and I think you've racked up enough good karma for life to throw you a bone."

"Don't say throw me a bone.  It reminds me of my ex's guitarist."

"Dude was a dog?" I asked not knowing about Jasper T. Jowels.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Don't worry, Mitzi.  You still have his music." Asriel cued up another track.

"Thanks, Asriel.  That makes me feel better--"

Miles entered at that moment. "Guys.  I hate to break up the party but we got a mission off world."

"Where?"

"In the Sega Nebula."

"Sega Nebula?  That's the galaxy where Mobius...well...ACM-01 used to be located before it became ACM-002 and...later completely removed from our reality, maybe the Axis of Reality itself."

"Where abouts?" Asriel asked.

"Here." Miles pointed to the tablet at a planetoid on the galaxy map.

I did a double take. "That's...!" I blinked.

Miles nodded.

"Mitzi.  You're coming with."

"What?"

"You're going to want to see this.  Trust me."

A visit to the Cyber Gate room later...

"We're here."

"But...where's here?" Mitzi asked as she stepped out behind Asriel and myself.

We were inside of all things...a cavern...a cavern base of some sorts.

"I got a bad feeling about this."

I sniffed...then growled. "You have no idea.  This place is a cesspool of villainy...and something worse."

"Worse?"

I wispered in Asriel's ear. He immediately turned angry.

"Yeah...that'd do it.  I'm pretty sure that there's no time to contact the D.E.A. on this world?"

"Pretty sure the operation here might actually somehow go above their paygrade.  If anything, this is more something to send in the Justice League or the Avengers."

"D.E.A.  So this is a--?" Mitzi asked.

I nodded. "Let's not use the d-word.  Let's just find our contact and hope we're adequate backup."

We combed our way across the catwalks.

"Whoah.  Anyone notice this place is absolutely DRAPED in thick spider webs?"

"Look alive.  We got storm troopers."

"And gangsters!"

"And robots!"

"What kind of a freaky budget does this illegal operation have?!" Asriel converted his weapons as I amassed electricity in my hands and Mitzi forged the Green Tonfas.

"The kind where we fight for our lives and try to get out of here!"

And the blasting and pounding began.

"Seems pretty cut and dry, partner."

"Azzy?  You spoke too soon.  Look!"

"Hostages!" I noticed a little girl tied up and screaming for help.

"I got this!" Mitzi tumble-rolled, grabbed her and unbound her.

"You're not him!  ...but thanks!" She quickly ran off.

"Huh?  She gave me this?" Mitzi grasped the weird icon. "Dance?"

"Worry about it later!  We're closing in on the end of this base...I hope!"

"We got more hostages."

"And probably more than we can rescue at a time without risking their safety--"

I heard a plethora of guns and weapons cock, pop, and lock in our direction.

"I know I can survive this, but neither of you have a contract from the goddess of destiny and fate.  Pretty sure I can't shield us from THAT much ordinance." I noticed just how impossible a number were all trained on us from upper catwalks and lower ones.

"Oh boy.  This may be out of OUR pay grade."

"It's bad...but I'm willing to go down fighting.  I'm not scared of them." Mitzi narrowed her eyes.

That's when I heard what sounded like a chimpanzee chitter.

"Uh...what's a monkey doing down here?" I blinked.

That's when it happen. That's when a security door in the wall swung open, knocking one of the guards asside.

One of the other troopers quickly went on coms. "Primary target confirmed!  Engaging now!"

"Primary target?  Who's--"  Mitzi started. Then her eyes about tripled in size. "It...can't...be...!"

"HOOOOOOOOO!!!!  Came the high-pitched, musical shout of none other...than Michael Jackson.

"But...that's...impossible!"

"Volt.  The game world we're on?  It's Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, isn't it?"

"It's Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.  Coin-op arcade version.  You might want to help Mitzi out though.  I think she's regressed back to high school teenager from the googly-eyed look she's wearing."

"On it."

"M-M-M...M...M...!" Mitzi stammered.

"Oh no...not this again..." I heard the man in the white gangster suit groan under his breath.

"Behind you!" Azzy opened fire and nailed the robot looming behind.

M.J. whirled to see the machine clatter to the ground. "I owe you!"

"Thank me after we're out of this mess.  And ready some explanation.  Not all of us are on the ball and in the know."

"Mr. Jackson?  Dr. Volt Arcade of Ultra Crew Institute Action Team.  My associates, Asriel Dreemurr-Arcade; adopted into the family, and you've already met Mitzi Mozzarella.  We got your S.O.S."

"Michael Jackon...is alive...and he reached out to us?!" Mitzi blurted.

"Well, he's not our Michael Jackson.  He's an iteration of him with a different persona based on--"

"His Moonwalker movie...that's what this is, isn't it?" Mitzi went from panicked to eccstatic.

"I'm not one to jump the gun on this, but I'd say dreams do come tr--"

"Guys?  Still in the middle of a firefight."

"That's right!  This is no place for a celebrity to be!  You could get--"

"Mitzi?  I think he can take care of himself." Asriel pointed as M.J. was already amassing an aura ball in his hand before doing a heel-spin and unleashing his energy blast, taking out a number of enemies.

"Whoah."

"You know, for someone who knows a lot about Michael Jackson, I'm surprised you never played the Sega Genesis or arcade game." I prodded.

"I was...never much of a gamer!  I lost track of games after Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.!"

"You should become a quick study.  It's amazing Violet hasn't started drilling game knowledge into you and made you as much as an otaku as I am." Asriel joked.

"Guys.  We may be a little outnumbered here." I noticed the renenforcements were getting a little out of hand.

"How much you got left in your plasma vulcans?"

"Probably about as much as you got left in the NX Gear.  Don't think they're going give me a chance to rescharge either.  Mitzi?"

"I still got plenty of stamina, I've barely used my powers."

"You guys.  I appreciate it.  But I got this." Michael flashed a pleasant smile. I could swear I heard Mitzi's heart skip a beat. Girl's got it bad for her old teen crush.

"Bubbles!" Michael beckoned as the chimp ran up into his arms.

"Wait...that's THE Bubbles?" Mitzi gasped.

"You won't read about this in any book or see it in any music video."

Clearly he never watched his own movie on this world.

That was about the moment when Asriel and I noticed the comet shooting across the sky. And that's when the transformation happened; the King of Pop suddenly transformed into an 8 foot cybernetic automaton loaded to the teeth with futuristic weapons.

"Whoah."

"Just like the game." Azzy fist-bumped.

"What else haven't you guys told me?!" Mitzi blinked.

And then the mowdown commensed with lasers and explosive missiles. We soon cut a path to exit.

After M.J. transformed back we had a quick heads-up of what was going on.

"So this crime boss is running a huge d-word operation and it involves kidnapping?" Asriel asked.

"That's right.  They've got hostages all over the city.  The Amusement Quarter, the Night Club, the Graveyard...it all leads back to their main headquarters."

"We're in for a long trek." I reasoned. "Okay.  We're in.  But even with four of us..."

"I have a way to make it six." Michael said as a warp zone opened..and another Michael Jackson stepped out...

"That's Captain E.O." Mitzi recognized his other persona.

"This sure diverts from the game."

"You said six...I can't think of any other alter ego personas--"

That was when another warp zone opened and out stepped...

"...retracted.  I knew I should have studied the M.i.B. agent personnel database close.  Usually when I think of Agent M, I tend to think of a former N-Division legend who rocked a moustache and showed that Italian plumbers can definitely jump."

Agent M. Once he took off the shades and stowed them, the black suit tux completed the entourage. One in white, one in red, one in black. Players 1 through 3 were ready to rock.

"This is like some kind of dream."

"Eyes on the prize, Agent Mozzarella." I reminded.

And from there, the six of us cut a path through Mr. Not-Joe-Pesci's strongholds until we got to the evil look-alike himself and engaged in a knock-down dragout fight with his flying hover skimmer.

But as all cliches go...it ends with an unfair standoff with kids used as hostages with too many snipers to take down. And things probably would have ended there if Bubbles hadn't shown up and a Lucky Comet hadn't flown overhead. But the Robo-Michael was the tip of the iceberg.

"Hey, Mitzi.  You remeber how this movie ends?" I prompted as Robo-Michael 1, 2, and 3 merged together and morphed into a starship and unleashed the mother of all plasma lasers into the boss' death laser before ascending and flying off...

"Wait!  Don't...go.....ohh.....not again..." Mitzi almost crumpled...then hung her head.

That was when something...paper...drifted down into her hands.

"A blown up photograph?" Azzy scratched his head.

"No......an autograph." Mitzi read the note on the back.

"To Mitzi Mozzarella.  Sorry I didn't have 399 more pens and more space to write.  Hope one is enough.  Love Michael."

I saw her eyes well up with tears.

"Frame that sucker."

"I sure will."

"C'mon, team.  Let's go home."

Sub-Entry 298:  "Project Lost Dreemurr x Seed of Flowey, Part 1 - Rance":
For a very long time, I kept other AU's very separate from Project: Lost Dreemurr and Project: Lost Dreemurr NEXT. And any research I had on other Undertale AU's I kept nicely locked away in my personal mainframe, which I'd never tell Violet was named Teletran-1 after a certain Autobot main computer.

I kept Undertale AU's away from not just Asriel but our world but our very UltraVerse. Not just because they had the greatest risk of spilling the beans to Azzy, but also the greatest risk of letting my bosses know I was conduting unauthorized research outside of what I was assigned to.

I thought even Adonis wasn't clever enough to find this stash of secrets and use them against me. But then he went and threw me a curveball.

"Where..am I...?  Where the HELL am I?!"

Just my luck. He dropped a surprise on Chameleon's doorstep with a metal-armored clank. The fully-armored knight glared with what might have been a flash of red glow underneath the visor...but that's a detail in my logs I can't confirm.

He looked over in the direction of Miranda Palace, looking for a familiar landmark...and immediately didn't recognize the castle.

He narrowed his eyes. "This isn't the Human Capital or the Monster Capital." He thought.

"Now where...the Hell...is my sister?"

For the uninformed, this is actually first day of what would become a three-day adventure. But not the actual beginning of it, per se.

"When I find you, we're going to have a talk about the portal that landed us here.  Don't you dare say this was my fault."

Rance paced up and down the street in front of Chameleon's shack. In retrospect, at the time the traffic and surveillance cameras around were detecting his presence, his behavior initially suggested that he was venting and blowing off steam like Undyne. But really...he was taking in his surrounds, studying it and picking apart the details. He was being analytical. And because of that, he immediately noticed something was weird.

"Humans...and Monsters...living, working, and playing together?  Are they being acknowledged as equals?  What's going on...?"

Rance looked at Chameleon's shack. No. Too risky to ask the local for directions and info. Without knowing who or what lived in it nor knowing if they were hostile, it wasn't worth it.

He could see a number of our residences and places of work from here.

Curious and deciding he needed intel, Rance Vor decided to abandon Chameleon's shack for the time being and explore the square. He was unaware of the beady eyes watching him like a hawk.

"Is knight of loud priest?"

"No...I don't think he's one of Alistair's.  He looks too out of place to be from around here.  In fact...I don't think he's from around this world, Tithius."

"Master have other familiar follow him?" There was a hint of defensiveness if not jealousy in the pseudo's tone.

"That won't be necessary.  He won't get far if he is from...out of town."

Rance made his way to the square where he found the fountain and its statue of Brooke's ancestor, Victoria.

"That doesn't look like the late Queen..." Rance narrowed his gaze under his visor.

Then he began taking in our locations. "Computer Valhalla?  MItzi's Rock-Afire Pizzaria?  Walrus Brothers Plumbing Service & Supply?"

This only confirmed I was mistaken about my first impression. He was staying patient and keeping his temper under control. Definitely laser focused on his goal.

"You better be in one piece, Dianne.  Or there will be Hell to pay on whoever crossed you."

Rounds of stares and whispers went up among people that actully took notice. Sure enough, rumors that this knight might be of the Church of Eatos and a possible understudy of Sir Alistair DeRosen began to form.

“If I stick around here, I can forget about keeping a low profile.”  Rance wasn’t keen on putting his trust in the locals, yet.

It didn’t take him long to decide he was attracting too much attention for his tastes. Probably not a good idea if people got wise to the fact that he was not from around here. It looked like the way to go was to find her on his own.

Begrudgingly he managed to slip away from the crowded area and back to Chameleon's shack. It was looking like investigating the isolated residence and hope that they weren't hostile.

Simple plan. In, get a few answers, and out. How could he screw this up? I mean his sister gathered intel back home. How hard could it be?

"Metal man seems lost!" Suddenly came a voice from the ground. "Is friend of loud priest?"

"What the...!" Rance looked down upon the dragon wyrmling. Tithius looked up with that naive look.

A lizard creature. Almost immediately, Rance felt his blood temperature rise, metaphorically. We'd soon learn how much of a problem he had with reptile monsters. But it wasn't just that.

He growled underneath the helmet.

"Ooh!  Metal man have treats!  Tithius only borrow one--"

And in a flash he drew the sword and pointed.

"You have three seconds to get the Hell away from me or you're going to BECOME a treat for the rodents in this city."

Rance drew back to complete his threatening bluff. But immediately he felt a hand clamp down on his wrist. HARD. Hard enough to actually squeeze the metal gauntlet into the flesh with a groan of metal.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The Pseudo is with me.  And anything that happens to him, I take out of your hide.  I've already had three experiences with you out-of-universe-ers coming to my town and making a mess of it.  And two of those were the same brat.  I almost thought you were the same brat and traded up for an upgrade after getting stomped into a mudhole by the...local problem solvers around here.  But you don't have the same build.  I can tell even in that armor, you're 5'8" and have a more muscular build.

Aside from the dead giveaway that you're a knight, the unfamilar style and markings suggest you're likely a Royal Guardsman...possibly high ranking. I can tell your age is at least 20 but you're hardly green. Your stance tells me you're likely a spear-wielder but you're no slouch with a sword."

"Two things.  One, you're unusually talkative.  Two.  Release me or you'll be having your intestines for your next meal, which will be VERY soon." Rance wasn't having it.

"Hmm...interesting proposition.  But I'm afraid I just don't have the...stomach for it."

"Did...you...just make a pun?" While covered by his visor, Rance's eye was twitching.

"And now you've tipped me off to one of your weaknesses.  I can tell you're disciplined but you still have a lot to learn."

"Well then...if I'm the student, then are you the teacher?  Good to know I don't have your attention stuck in detention." Rance bit the bullet and came back with a joke of his own. Not as dark as he was hoping to get but it got the point across.

"Nice comeback.  You don't fear death.  You're confident, despite not knowing my abilities, my skills or my identity."

"I don't need to know who I'm about to eviscerate!" In a blinding speed, Rance slipped out and whiled. And then his temper spiked.

"It would have to be a lizard...a goddamned lizard!"

Chameleon flashed a toothy grin.

"Now that's just rude.  So.  Why don't we try this from the top.  I have a feeling you're not going to be forthcoming with your identity now.  So let's just cut to the part where I give you a chance to stand down and we can have some nice Border Patrol escorts lead you to our Helfire of a Queen and she can decide what to do with you?"

"Never going to happen." In his haste to escape he hadn't realized Chameleon had still managed to relieve him of his blade.

"Return that.  Now."

"You see...now you've got me intrigued.  I can tell you're skilled, no normal human slips out of my grasp at a speed that would make a certain lightrunner jealous.  So you'll escuse me if I spring a pop quiz on you.  You believe you're ask good as you say you are?  Then take your weapon back.  By force."

"I was hoping you'd say that..." Chameleon noticed the red glow through the visor slit.

Chameleon shook his head as he drew his own blade...that ornate Septus blade and his birthright as their true prince.

"Well then.  Have at you."

And Chameleon swung with the stolen weapon. He was surprised to see that Rance actually blocked his strike with his own gauntlet, a momentary discharge of red light from the point of impact.

"Heh.  You're very determined...aren't you?"

"You have no idea..." Rance pressed his attack, actually starting to overpower Chameleon.

"And stronger than you look.  What a gift you've given me: a challenge.  And I didn't get you anything." Chameleon's dark grin told a story...before he caught a boot to the stomach he wasn't prepared for.

"So you do have a grasp on hand-to-hand combat against an armed opponent.  You going to use that speedy little trick again?"

"Oh I'll be taking that back..  But you're not going to see it coming." Rance reached over and ripped a rain gutter pipe from Chameleon's shack.

"...defacing my property.  You don't waste a moment retaliating." Chameleon's grin faded.

"An eye for an eye...and a weapon for a weapon.  And I'm going to add interest."

The clash of blades went from single strikes to barrages.

"You're surprisingly good at feint attacks. Your swings and speed are more complex than you're letting on.  You look like you're unleashing full swings but the reality is you've loosened your grip at a certain degree and you hit with a grit at at certain point.

On top of that I haven't managed to land a single hit on you. But you've managed to strike a decisive blows on me, already. Heh...excellent."

"I'm not fishing for your compliments, beast."

"Now what kind of person passess up free gratuities?  Last I checked, flattering wasn't costing me anything except a little bit of pride.  And you should know a Septus' pride is a much more valuable resource than you think."

"You're a fool parting with your weaknesses so readily."

"Am I, though?  You're besting me in speed, power, and quite frankly...luck.  But you're decades below my experience level."

"It's not luck, mercenary."

At that point the battle was starting to escalate. While it was initially just a skirmish that was pretty much unseen by anyone, Rance was driving him out into the open, forcing him to be on defense.

"You really like swinging that thing around, don't you?"

That was a mistake to say; it reminded Rance of his battle with a certain skeleton.

The next thing Chameleon knew the blade he took from Rance went flying.

"I seem to have touched a nerve.  Did I channel someone you know that really pisses you off?"

"Shut your mouth!"

Rance's next attack came so fast and so powerful the shockwave from the impact it made actually impacted a parked car and caused an explosion...which led to the beginning of a panic.

"Well now.  You're taking this fight seriously." Chameleon rubbed his wrist after sheathing his blade. "As much as I'm enjoying this...I don't enjoy having to answer to the Border Patrol for property damage.  So I guess we'll just have to end this."

Chameleon suddenly drew his gun and fired into Rance's shoulders.

"Armor-piercers.  Wouldn't try attacking now, unless you want those to really tear up your ability to ever use a sword again.

Rance fought back the pain, dropping the makeshift weapon.

"No...it doesn't end like this...!" Rance's eys blazed red again...and his soul began to emerge.

"Well...can't say I haven't seen that happen before.  But that Determine is not going to get you out of this."

The next thing Chameleon knew he was starting at Rance's hand on a single word of a very familar H.U.D. window. And that was all he got out before he saw a single word

"UNDO".

"Well now.  You're taking this fight seriously." Chameleon rubbed his wrist after sheathing his blade. "As much as I'm enjoying this...I don't enjoy having to answer to the Border Patrol for property damage.  So I guess we'll just have to end--

I a blinding flash Chameleon felt himself pistol-whipped...with his own weapon.

"What the--"

When he looked again, Rance had both blades in his grasp.

"Heheheheh....don't know how you did that...but anyone this vindictive is a bigger handful than I thought.  And I thought Marcel was a master thief."

"You're not taking me, beast.  Why don't I accept your surrender and you tell me what I want to know."

"You don't know the first rule of being a merc, do you?  Or at least in our local "think tank" organization's own advice...IMPROVISE."

Chameleon suddenly spin-kicked the cap off a fire hydrant, sending forth a jet of water...which Rance sidestepped.

"That's your best recovery move?  I'm disappointed."

"And that's how you've lost.  Sometimes it's the danger you DON'T see!" Chameleon suddenly stabbed his clawed hand into the water stream as where the water spray had a splashed down had quickly turned into a big growing puddle that spread underneath Rance.

And then Rance felt an electric shock.

"Dammit!  How could I not be prepared for you using magic?  You resort to dirty tricks, now?"

"I'm just getting started." Chameleon responded before the jet stream turned to ice. How long had the Fareskel, David drilled it into him to even be able to use ice magic.

"Now let's see what--"

[ UNDO ]

"What?!" Chameleon noticed the missing grenades from his inventory as he was suddenly away driven away from the fire hydrant.

"Okay...one bitten, twice shy.  This reading my attacks is getting out of coincidence territory and into you being a psycher."

By now, even with the UNDO's, the two of them were starting to rack up serious damage on the town square.

"Hey!  Chameleon, what the Hell?!" Rotor peered out of the broken glass. "I'm sending you the bill!"

"Now you're starting to get a little bit annoying,"  Chameleon was starting to seeth wtih anger. Deface my shack, insult my species, and cheat at battle...but hit me in the wallet? That's my bread and butter you're f--(Flowey Cackle)--ing with!"

He suddenly gave the signal.

That was when his other familiar, Asmirus manefested in smoke.

"What--!" Rance jumped back as Chameleon had gotten his blade back and managed to slice into the binding on the pouch on his belt, causing the rope to come undone and spill its contents.

"It's not a decisive hit...but scoring information is far more valueable than drawing blood."

Chameleon went for the documents.

"Those documents arent' for your eyes!"

"Then maybe your phone over there might yield answers...hello...what's this?" He noticed the drawing on the ground and picked me up.

"I spy with my little eye...an all too famliar goat..." Chameleon mused moments before he barely dodged in time.

He wiped the small drop of blood from his own cheek. "You are just full of raw nerves to be stepped on."

"Get.  Your.  Hands.  Off.  That.  NOW." And before he knew it, the drawing was out of his grasp.

"So I was right...you are here for the kid...in both senses of the word."

"What do you know about them...?" Rance was more than a little P.O.-ed now.

"Now, now...information doesn't come cheap.  But when you get it for free, just giving it back is kind of a waste.  I think I have an "in" for your psyche.  Let's start with name, rank, and serial number if any."

"That's not for you to know.  The last think you'll know is the sight of your own blood before I turn you to dust."

"Dust, is it?  Now where have I heard that before...?" Chameleon mused.

He was certainly losing the physical battle, but he had more than gotten under Rance's skin so in all honesty, even with the UNDO's...the fight was even. The only real losers were the people in town as their city was being gradually destroyed and set ablaze by their attacks.

"So...who's the other one in the drawing?"

"That's none of your concern!"

"I think it's someone you're meant to protect.  Otherwise why would you be this defensive about them?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Your large amount of guts is what's compensating for being outmatched in skill and experienced.  Can't believe you actually got me on the ropes...but I can see you're not as smart as you think you are.  And that makes you easy to exploit.  Take a lesson from it."

Chameleon's spells were doing as much damage as Rance's determination-fueled strikes.

It was clear that he wasn't going to expose his foe's identy either through trickery or slight of hand. Rance was adapting too well for something like that. But maybe if he didn't see it coming or even know it was being set up. After all, Chameleon had managed to get them both near a construction site.

All it took was a well placed lightning attack while backed up against a magnetic crane...

As predicted, Rance was too quick to let himself be caught in the magnetic field. But not quick enough to secure his helmet after a combined distraction from both Chameleon's familiars--the pseudo dragon, Tithius and his shadow wraith, Asmirus-- managed to get it unlatched and steer him to lose it to the magnetic field.

"So THAT'S what you look like.  The complexion is familiar and the red eyes even more so...yeah...I think there's more to you than just being a run-of the mill royal guard.  Maybe if I put some rouge on those cheeks you'd resemble someone I have quite the hatred for..."

If Rance had picked up on that subtle hint, then Chameleon just let him know that he saw right through to the connection to Chara. If not, then that was a piece of knowledge that he'd probably end up toying with Rance over.

"Now.  Feel like telling me your name, now that I have a face?"

"All right.  Since you're going to be dead anyway...I'll grant you a last gift.  The name of the soldier that took you down.  I'm Rance Vor, Royal Guard and right-hand man to King Farlon.  It's the only thing you'll get out of me from here on out."

"I wouldn't hold yourself to that.  In fact I might have to do something about my iron deficiency.  And it's my lucky day...that iron supplement comes wrapped around a nice bit of protein..."

Chameleon shifted his form to that of a good-sized Bronze Dragon.

"...what the Hell...?!"

And then the destruction went to a whole other level.

Sub-Entry 299:  "Project Lost Dreemurr x Seed of Flowey, Part 2 - Dianne :
Remember when I said Adonis threw me a curveball? It was a curveball that split in two. He didn't just dump Rance Vor into our town...he dumped his sister into our town. As I'd soon learn, he dumped her in a place I wish she hadn't found. Lupe's nature preserve. As it turned out, Antoine would be her first victim...just not her only. It was a very bad time to be an anthropomorph one might consider "cute" or "cuddly". This is where Violet would have made so many furry jokes. And I'd deck her for it.

What I didn't know at the time was that Rance wasn't the first to arrive. Some hours before he clashed with Chameleon, the person of interest DID in fact arrive on VGM-098. The adventure actually started here when Adonis brought Rance's sister to our world.

Someone was unlucky enough to run into her and encounter the worst thing he could have discovered about her...

"...I do not wish to return here and find you disregarded my warnings, AGAIN, Antoine.  Your stunt with the Cuccos only got you a slap on the wrist and a stay in the hospital.  You bother my animals again, and this time I will perma-ban you from my preserve.  Understand?"

"I am not needing your warnings, madamoiselle!  I am being knowing what I am doing!"

Good grief. Antoine didn't waste any time from undoing his moment of redemption during the Ducktales x Count Duckula x Mighty Ducks crossover.

I suppose had Lupe stuck around, we might have ended up treating her, too.

"You are seeing me, yes"  Antoine poked the regular coyote. "I am being the result of centuries of evolution and your superior so you, mon amie, must acknowledge me--Antoine D'Cooliette--as your rightful superior.  Superior in intellect, strength, and obviously good looks.  It is beeing said zat' you must show dominance to tame a wild beast.  So be tamed and give moi the respect I deserve."

A whine from the animal. I think I'm going to point out how obvious it was that his moments of victory over Chara and the ones over the Saurians go to his head.

"I know, you cannot be helping but acknowledging my greatness." Antoine posed.

Only a few minutes prior, had Lupe been around, she might have noticed a fully armored knight asking around the human attendees for help and directions. But just her luck...most of them were no help. Those that were, were too taken aback that someone in full plate armor, covering their entire body would be walking around like this in the summer so casually.

It was when they discovered the anthropomorphic Hybrids in attendance that things went downhill.

"Excuse me, but can you--"

"Yes, Madamoiselle--"  Was all Antoine got out before the gleeful squeal and the exlclamation oF

"UWAAAAAAH!  YOU'RE SO CUUUUUUUTE!!!!"

"What are you---?!  No!  Stop!" Antoine felt himself being squeezed in a bearhug from behind.

And then Antoine rag-dolled, jaw going slack, eyes glazing over and checking out of reality completely.

"Awww...not again..."

The hybrids around however...

"So many furries!"

And then the panic began.

One by one the furry victims piled up.

It didn't take Lupe long to sense something was wrong.

"I sense it too, Tora.  Suma." She stroked her tigers carefully. "Attention any UCIAT in my area.  Respond please.  I might have a situation on site.  I'm headed toward the disturbance.  Please advise."

"I am almost on your position, Lycans Lupe-chan.  I am en route."

"Bunnette Von Rabbotte?  Bunnie's half-sister?  I haven't heard from you in a while.  None of us have."

"I have my own dojo to watch over in Westhaven.  Can you explain the situation?"

"Not yet."

"Stay out of sight from whatever or whoever's causing it.  Do not engage."

"Only if I have to."

And thus Lupe quickly got to the area and hid behind a tree, peeking out occasionally.

"A knight?  Or a paladin.  What are they doing here and why are they...glomping Hybrids?"

"Lycans-san." Bunnette 'un-melted' from the shadow of the tree next to Lupe's.

"Do you see it?"

Sure enough, unlike Antoine who went out like a light instantly, the others being huggled to submission looked like they were getting electrocuted but acting like they were being tranquilized.

"Their fur's standing on end but...it's like someone used one of your tranq darts on them before...!"

Thud. Another one hit the ground.

"I've heard of killing with kindness but...knocking them out with embraces?  Who is this person?" Lupe rubbed her chin.

"More dangerous than she appears.  I sense something off about her.  Something I think the Mage Academy should study."

"I can't let her drop any more people!  I have to do something!"

"No, it's too risky--"

Lupe stood behind the stranger. "Please.  Stop.  You're scaring my patrons.  You're driving away people from my place of buisiness.  You're disrupting nature.  Please...I beg you to stop."

"...!"  The knight relaxed her grip and let the lone hybrid drop, half-asleep.

"Oh no...what have I done...?  I'm...sorry, I just...couldn't help myself.  They were just so...so cute, I--"

The knight turned around.

"Let's start off on the right foot.  I am Lupe--"

"A wolf monster?"

"Monster?  I have been called many things but never that."

"You're...not a Monster?  What could you be then?  Are you a human who's been cursed?"

"No.  I was born this way." Then it hit Lupe. She knew only one person who'd ever used the word Monster...and didn't mean it as an insult. This woman...did she have a connection to."

"No...I can see it now.  Your aura is different.  You're...something different.  An animal...but you walk and talk.  And...you don't have magic?"

Lupe could tell  her insight was on the dot.

Lupe shook her head. "I am but a humble druid."

Bunnette was sure that Lupe had things under control and quickly joined her side.

"Where did you come from?  Your technique...it was almost as fast as the Shukuchi.  If I didn't know better I'd swear you were a student of--"

"If it is all the same I already know someone who makes allusion between my techniques and those of the Batosai, Ruroni Kenshin.  Though Violet would undoubtedly compare you to Lan Fan from FMA: Brotherhood."

I can't be sure if Dianne recognized either reference. But it was more likely that Bunnette's analysis of her technique was what convinced her to take her next action. Immediately the knight pulled off her helmet, revealing that she was slightly tan in color, black-haired with brown eyes. There was...something distinctly famliar but Lupe couldn't place it. She was about 5'6", without the armor, Lupe guessed.

"I'm sorry.  This is Bunnette Von Rabbotte.  A shadow warrior from out of town.

"So young...but so determined." Lupe cocked her head.

Shi-Shi padded over and nuzzled his nose against the back of the knight's hand.

"Shi-Shi-likes you.  And he is usually a good judge of character.  Perhaps we should have a sit-down and discussion at the palace."

"I think that would be for the best.  I'm catching on that I'm definitely far from home."

"I am sorry...but we are at a loss.  You know our name but we do not know yours."

The knight took a knee and placed her knuckles over her heart in a knightly salute.

"I am Dianne Vor, the messenger and assistant of the royal guard of the north."

"North?"

"We serve as the bodyguards of our princess." Dianne explained, for the time withholding the name of the princess. Was it luck she did so or...something else? If she had name dropped Frisk's name...things could have quickly gotten complicated.

"I see."

"Tell me.  What is this land?"

"Right now you are in my nature preserve on the outskirts of Miranda City, capital of the country and continent of Fontraile."

"That is...no place I know on my world.  This is not...Earth?"

"No.  Our planet is designated VGM-098.  Though it's actual name is something else.  It's...complicated.  Our world has a strange history."

"Perhaps we should contact the rest of your team, Lupe, and help escort our young knight to the castle to explain things."

"That would be best." Dianne nodded.

"Then let us make haste." Bunnette agreed.

"I...appreciate you not drawing your weapon on any of us."

"Should we not do something about...?" Bunnette looked to an unconscious Antoine and the others.

Lupe sighed. "Good point." She sighed as she held out her arm and a very large falcon dropped down from the sky, with of all things, Lupe's T.A.O. link communicator in its beak.

Lupe dialed. "I'd like to report a medical emergency at Gaia's Garden Nature Preserve.  Several Hybrids unconscious.  Also, call in the Mage Academy.  There may be more here than meets the eye.  I will be en route to the Palace so Miss Von Rabbotte will be standing by."

Lupe hung up. "Now we wait for our ride."

And sure enough...

"Beep beep!"

Lupe crossed her arms and sighed.

"You...didn't have to get a limo for me.  It's...a bit much." Dianne looked a bit overwhelmed.

"Violet, what are you doing?"

"What's the sitches, m'bi--"

* TWHAP*

Violet was smacked by a tessan fan.

"You should disregard anything she has to say."

"These are my friends, Grand Master Bunnie Meiru Rabbotou--"

"A grand master?  You are a sensei in the martial arts?" Dianne cut in.

Bunnie nodded.

"And Princess Violet Tokugawa."

"Vi to my friends.  Whassup, yo?"

"And before you point it out...I realize she does not talk like a princess."

"You're going to be trouble, aren't you?" Dianne smiled briefly.

"Guilty!" Vi did jazz hands.

"Everyone.  This is Dianne Vor.  She's--"

"Not from around here.  I sense we should contact the Commander, immediately."

"Yeah.  He's standing by with the palace with our favorite cinnamon roll." Violet cut in.

"Cinnamon roll...?" Dianne raised an eyebrow.

Bunnie lowered an eyebrow, sensing that this was information she should withould.

"Listen...I have to say...I've only been on this world a very short time but already it feels like this is a paradise for me."

"Oh?" Violet mused as the limo door closed and the car sped off.

"So many furries in this place...I just love it!"

Bunnie arched an eyebrow.

"You're into furries, huh?  Oh, this will be fun..."

"Huh?  What do you mean."

"How naughty do you like your anthros...?"

Dianne suddenly grinned uncomfortably wide.

"Oh no..." Bunnie almost said aloud.

"They made two of them..." Lupe thought to herself.

It wasn't long before the three of them were on the road.

"...and so we work for an organization that is a think tank as its cover, but we do REAL research and development.  But underneath the surface we are problem solvers for the intellgence agencies of the world when they need to take care of things that can't be officially sanctioned.  For those instances where plausible deniablity is a factor.  We're scientists, explorers, researchers who are head of an anti-terrorist network."

"Let's just call all that fancy talk a way of calling us spies with PhD's." Violet chuckled.

Dianne actually smiled warming, resisting a chuckle herself.

"You seem like a very kind person." Lupe noted. "You remind me of someone."

"Really?  Who?"

"Time permitting, you'll meet them. For now, let's focus on your story."

"I'd feel more comfortable explaining in an official meeting."

"Fair enough."

That was when there was a knock on the limo window.

"What?  How?  We're in motion.  Who could--"  Dianne asked as Violet rolled down the window.

"Hey, gurrrrrl!" Sally traded Devil Horns gestures with Vi.

"Hey, guuurl!" Violet resplied.

"Just want you to know, all's ready at the palace!" Sally winked with a FALCOOOOON...SALUTE!

The next thing Dianne knew she was staring at a fading blue neon light trail stretching all the way to Miranda Palace.

"How did...?"

"We'll explain later.  Sally has a way with speed."

"Oh really?" I think Dianne was suddenly up to the challenge of finding out who could go faster. Sally's OGPX S.A.N.D.S. gear or her own Shukuchi.

It would be at the palace when things would start to get complicated. Up until that point, none of us had ANY indication that Dianne was from an Undertale AU. But we were about to have it dropped on us like a bomb.

The guards lined up on both sides of the carpet path of the throne room.

"Our commander is on his way, hopefully with the resources we need to figure out how to get you back home."

"Yes.  Before my brother ends up on the war path when he finds out I'm missing."

"Brother?" Bunnie questioned.

"Yes.  Rance Vor.  The royal guard of the north and right-hand man of King Farlon."

"I see."

"So you got family.  Man, I swear...is everyone in our organization a brother or sister but me?  Being an only child--"

Bunnie ahem-ed loudly.

"Oh.  Right.  Forgot about Gadget."

"Maybe we should slow down our banter about our own lives before we overwhelm Miss Vor with things about our world that would be lost on her."

"That's...okay...I'll just have to be a fast learner." Dianne rubbed the back of her head.

"I am going to show you so much hentai when we're done with this."

"Violet...could you not?" Lupe facepalmed.

"If you don't mind.  We're in the presence of Brooke-domou?"

"So good of you to acknowledge you're not the only ones in the room, Violet." Brooke's voice cut through everyone like knife...one that was left in the freezer.

That shut everyone up. And put a chill down Dianne's spine.

"Now then.  Dianne Vor.  I am willing to dismiss the problems you caused at the nature preserve.  But in exchange I would like you to agree to behave yourself in our kingdom."

"Yes, your majesty.  I wouldn't think of causing trouble.  I am Royal Guard and I swore an oath to uphold the laws of my kingdom.  I could do no less abiding by the rules of yours."

"Well said.  I do not believe we will have an issue."

At that moment, Sarina, the head of the Mage Academy approached Brooke's throne and whispered to her.

"Understood.  Resume your duties."

"What was that about?" Dianne wondered.

Bunnie decided to be honest. "To tell the truth it is about those Hybrids you left unconscious.  I didn't want to say but the Mage Academy studied the victims and discovered that they were under the influence of a curse.  Something you'd like to share?"

"I suppose I should talk about that..." And Dianne explained.

As it turned out she didn't get a chance to. That was when I arrived. And I wasn't alone.

"Sorry it took us so long, Lady Brooke.  Major.  Everyone.  I had to discuss things with my underground contact."

Bunnie remained stonefaced but knew who I meant.

"She has confirmed the breach in space and time.  It's got Adonis' fingerprints all over it."

"Dianne Vor?  Our commander, Dr. Volt Alessandro Arcade."

"Doctor." Dianne was visible trying to wrap her head around a world with so many anthros and non-humans mixed in with the human population.

"I have to say, Major.  I really thought it was going to be another invasion by you-know-who.  But when I got Bunnette's report...this still raised flags but put me at ease."

"This Adonis.  He's bad news?"

"You don't ever want to meet him.  I don't care HOW good and determined you are."

That was when it happened. That was when Asriel entered the room. And things changed.

"Volt, wait up!"

As soon as Dianne turned.

"You...?" I thought I heard her whisper.

"Okay, I'm here.  Is this the out-of-towner?"

"....no...you look like him.  But you're not.  The aura's different.  But the resemblance.  It has to be you."

"Huh?  What do you mean."

"Different mannerisms...you're more naive than he is...

"Hey, now.  Be nice.  We just met.  I'm--"

"Prince Asriel Dreemurr."

There was dead silence and the situation got a bit intense.

"You know me?"

"Not you, specifically...but now things are making a little more sense.  You are Asriel Dreemurr, son of King Asgore and Queen Toriel, right?"

"Yes...that's me...but those are names I haven't heard in a long while."

"I think I'm starting to catch on, what's going on here--"

Bunnie put her hand on shoulder and gave a quick glance. It took only but a glance but Dianne could sense exactly what she meant.

"Wait.  Are you saying that you're from an AU of...my birth world?" Asriel started to follow.

Uh-oh.

"A.U.?"

"Alternate Universe."

"I don't know why I didn't figure it out sooner.  We've been to so many worlds with alternate universes, I don't know why I didn't see it before.  Volt...my world...my Undertale.  It has AU's too, doesn't it?"

At that moment, I was staring into the Abyss and the Abyss was staring back. Don't blink. Don't...blink.

This is what you wanted, Adonis.

I closed my eyes and nodded.

That was all it took for Asriel to realize that he just stepped into the territory of the questions he didn't know he didn't want to ask at the time. But now it was clear. This would compromise our promise to each other.

"I see.  Well.  I guess...we should help Dianne Vor with her problem.   Figure out where in the Axis of Realities she's from."

"Agreed." I nodded.

We would have gone on futher but that was when the second half of Adonis' plan went into motion.

"Your majesty!  We've got a major situation in town!" One of her advisors ran in.

Brooke sighed, stood up and waved her hand as a spherical dilation appeared in the room, becoming a viewing globe of sorts. There it was, large as life. Chameleon and Rance going full tilt.

"Oh no..." Dianne groaned. "If you hadn't come here on your own, I'd say I can't take you ANYWHERE, brother."

"Rance Vor, I presume?"

"Regretfully, yes."

"He is causing a lot of damage to my town."

"Who's he fighting?" Lupe tried to get a better look.

"Chameleon."

"Who?"

"Prince Ja'Kerith, former prince of the Septus--a race of dragons and dragonoids ruled by the Dragon Council.  Exiled from their ranks for marrying a commoner and human.  He's currently known as Miranda's surliest mercenary with a dark sense of humor and puns that Asriel gets a kick out of."

"That's very bad.  For TWO reasons.  One...Rance has a big problem with lizard creatures.  The royal scientist's parents were responsible for their deaths."

"Oooh...Alphys...I think Goat Son's not the only one who isn't ready to meet his counterpart..." I muttered under my breath. Asriel didn't hear me.

"Dr. Arcade.  Do you recall what I said the next time an outsider would bring trouble to my kingdom?"

Bunnie let a bead of sweat roll down her forehead.

Brooke spread her wings. "I will handle this personally."

"I'm coming with--"

"I would advise against that." Brooke looked over her shoulder coldly as she walked past us.

"But he's my brother--!"

Bunne put a hand on her shoulde rand shook her head.

Dianne could sense the tension. Among the various things said. Including the deal with why were were being so careful talking around Asriel. Bunnie would explain to her later, en route to Rabbotou Dojo. But for now...

"I don't know how you're doing it...but unless you're psychic, you shouldn't be prediciting my moves so easily.  You should have packed it in when I pulled out my trump card."

"Your dragon transformations are nothing I've ever seen before.  But I'm not going to be defeated by the likes of you.  You are really tempting me to leave you a corpse.  But I need you alive if I'm going to get answers about my sister."

"This is all too familiar.   I've already told you that you're not the first to come to our town and make demands, looking for a brat your age.  I even thought you might BE them until you lost the helmet.  And believe me, I would be more than happy to take him down after his last attacks.

So why don't we stop beating around the bush, kid. Why don't you tell me the real reason you hate my kind so much."

"That's none of your damn business!"

"It's almost too obvious.  Something happened to someone you care about and my species made it happen, didn't it?  Good to know I actually have a reason for my persecution."

"You have me all figured out or so you think."

"The only thing I haven't figured out is what you keep doing to outthink me.  It's crazy to think, but I'm getting this feeling...this gut instinct when I look into your eyes.  It's this nagging feeling telling me that you're wearing the look of someone who just made a mistake and is getting a second chance; following through with a do-over.  Now why would that be?  And how could that be?"

"Does he know...?  He can't.  My Determination's too strong.  Every move and mistake should all be wiped from existence. Something's...not working quite right around here.

It could be the strange physics of our world's unique timeline. While I was sure his Determination was too strong to stop...it's possible its effect could be altered by a timeline that wasn't his. Just a theory though.

Rance's UNDO would later remind me of a phenominon I'd studied before. An anomaly in a man in Gotham who developed the means to rewind time and perform a do-over. But here...I knew that effect. I knew that H.U.D. I knew that this was an Undertale ability. But I'd never seen this specifically.

And even I wouldn't be aware of it until KOMMAND called me up and told me about the discrepancies in our timeline that were erupting like popcorn in an air popper. Too many, too deliberate, too quickly.

"Come on...don't you hold back..." That red aura...he was more determined than ever and I think his intent had grown. He might very well be at the point where he could land a killing blow. That was a mess I didn't want to clean up...nor did I want to lose a friendly rival...okay friendly was a stretch.

Brooke suddenly appeared with an eruption of black flames and thunder.

"Chameleon.  Stand down.  You.  Rance Vor.  You are under house arrest for aggrevated assault and destruction of property and any other charge that sticks.  You may be an outsider, but you will follow my kingdom's rules."

"And who the Hell are you?"

"Nothing doing.  A merc doesn't get his reputation by letting things slide."

"You will unless you want a return trip to De Midian."

"....don't even joke abou that."

"I wasn't joking."

"I'll ask again.  Who are you?"

"I am the Queen of this kingdom.  You will listen to what I have to say."

"And if I don't--"

We didn't see it happen but suddenly Rance was bound by chains...specifically daggers ribboned on his chest without impaling him.

"What the...!  Oh crap--"  Rance stumbled and landed face down on the ground.

"I apologize, Lady Brooke.  But she insisted on going to the battle ground.  She is...very Determined."

"I'll say." Asriel hovered to a stop and stowed his N.X. Board.

"What the...what the Hell are you doing here, Asriel?  How the Hell are you here?"

"Umm...have we met?"

Dianne whapped him over the head. "Okay, one.  You have a lot of explaining to do why you tore up the town.  Two, you're going to be punished for doing so.  And three, that's not our Asriel."

"What do you--"

"I'll explain on the way back.  You're in a lot of trouble."

"Crude...but effective."

Brooke growled but folded up her wings. "I'll leave your brother to you for now.  But we will have a talk later.

"Okay, everyone.  Let's head on back.  All aboard!" Violet opened the door to the limo.

Rance took one look at the car with a deer-in-headlights expression then said plainly "I'll walk." Rance waved her off, starting to walk away. But not before Dianne grabbed him.

"You will RIDE that vehicle and straighten things up brother!" She said, her demeanor changing from kind to pissed.

"NOO! Don't force me to it!" He flailed.

"Gliltter.  If you would kindly...?" Vi gave her best Bioshock quote.

With that energy rings snapped around Rance and bound him.

"Get me off of these!! Sister!"

Dianne quickly attached her chains to the bindings and dragged him to the car door.

"DIANNE,  WHAT THE HELL!"

We all just shrugged.

Sub-Entry 300:  "Project Lost Dreemurr x Seed of Flowey, Part 3 - Resolution"
"...so he's adopted by human parents."

"That's right."

"I'm still unclear on how he can no longer be a Monster." Dianna had been loaned a kimono and Jangese attire for everyday wear and downtime around the temple-mansion dojo.

"Violet will explain it when she rounds up your...ahem...assets."

The grin was tell-tale.

Rance had left his boots by the door as had Dianna. Usagi had lent some samurai attire and training gear. Despite being for a samurai rabbit, it was a surprisingly good fit.

Asriel hadn't caught up with us, yet so we had some time to talk about...sensative subjects.

"So that's it.  You're from SOF-011." I pondered. "That's the designation we, at the STC Agency...well...technically just me...assigned to your dimension's coordinates."

"S.O.F.?"

"I think you know what it stands for." I narrowed my eyes.

Rance narrowed his.

"Seed of Flowey." Dianne responded. "So...I take it you know about him?"

"He's a nearly universal constant in all Undertale universes.  Ours is no exception.  But he's less sinister by comparison.  Mischievous, yes.  Playing one big game?  Yes.  But as far as I can tell...he's a different Asriel.  One who's just sick and tired of the resets and desparate enough to make a deal with the Devil for something new to happen besides pacifist, neutral, and genocide runs.  The one belonging to the current timeline.  Our Asriel here?  He came from a Genocide Timeline that's long gone and ERASED."

"I see." Dianna pondered. "So you've been raising him here.  He looks a lot like him but..."

"Yeah.  It's just him.  Never died.  Never absorbed...their soul.  Never crossed let alone broke the barrier.  He just knows this life after his world was destroyed." I made I was aware of their Asriel's...unique symbiotic relationship with Chara...well...a Chara. It sounds like there were well over 70 or more iterations of Chara, thanks to the resets.

"And...you want to drop him off in a new timeline?"

"Eventually.  When he's good and ready to know the truth.  I can't let him come in contact with ANYTHING that would even hint at what my plan is.  He can't meet Asgore or Toriel yet.  Not until the True Pacifist timeline runs its course and a long enough buffer afterward passes."

"In otherwords...his family needs to heal as much as he does.  I can see it in your eyes.  You don't want to let go."

If I had a copper piece for every time I heard that said...

"So this is a reunion in the making you're planning." Rance had calmed down a lot since Asriel showed up. It was weird he had this pacifying effect.

"What I'm really telling you both is...what happens in your dimension stays in your dimension.  No mention of Princess Frisk or anyone else from your world that he might recognize the name of.  Anyone else I guess is fair game.  Like that Dunkelheit, Seven Gears, and Giga Lionheart you mentioned. "

"Maybe in time.  For now, I think it's best if we don't let too much about our world slip." Rance narrowed his gaze. There's those trust issues again. At least now he was lukewarm to most of us.

"I am interested in helping with this seed problem and what we can do to help with the Red Moon sickness.  And if possible with the cure for King Farlon."

"That's very kind of you but from what we understand there's only one cure for his curse and a spider monster holds the key."

"Muffet?"

"No.  Someone else.  Cook, yes. but I think the name was...Kinchi."

Bunnie's ears perked up a little. "On this world, that is a Jangese name.  I think I follow where you're going with this.  If that is true, then you're right.  There isn't much we can due to help."

"I suppose there is not much to do at this point.  It is late.  While we could continue this meeting, I think it best we retire for the night and pick up where we left off tomorrow.  Megami has prepared your rooms."

"Thanks.  It's...appreciated." Rance headed off.

"I'll talk to Chameleon.  See if I can get him on better terms with your brother."

"You're welcome to try...but I think Rance may have met his match."

"Chameleon, too, as it would seem."

''' Day 2. '''

While I was hoping this day would be productive, I also knew that our guests would be awarded a large degree of freedom to explore.

For the time being Rance remained at Rabbotou Dojo, decided to hone his skills. And challenge whoever seemed like a worthy opponent to spar with. Bunnie only agreed under the intention of studying the nature of their abilities...their powers...their curses.

"...again. HAKKYOI! .....that means begin.  Sorry.  Native tongue."

...and of course to teach them the few moves that they might not learned on their world. Once a teacher, always a teacher.

"...TOMARE!  That means stop.  Again, I apologize.  We will take a rest now.  Please hydrate and catch your breath." Bunnie tossed him a bottled water.

"Hmmph."

"You have much discipline but you still let your temper get the better of you.  Still...I haven't seen so much determination since--"

"Asriel."

"Right.  You seem...calmer when he's present.  Any stories you'd like to share about his conterpart."

"..."

"I understand.  As your trainer and instructor at this very moment, you'll gladly follow my guidence.  But you still don't completely trust me or any of us.  Least of all Chameleon.  I can speculate why but I would prefer to hear it from you.  You are free to divulge or withold that information at your descretion.  I respect your right to privacy."

"Your Commander knows about our world, right?  A little creepy that he's been studying it from afar." Rance glared.

"I wouldn't spread it around; his bosses might consider you a security risk if it gets out." She didn't tell him the real reason was that I wasn't even supposed to be researching other AU's.

"Then he knows about a...Dr. Alphys?"

"We've actually met our version.  I find it hard to believe the good doctor would have anything to do with your bias.  So I speculate it's more a matter of sins of the parents."

"You are too clever for your own good, sensei Rabbotou.  Don't press this any further, for your own good."

"...as you wish."

"If it's all the same to you.  I don't feel like continuing our sparring."

"I've overstepped my bounds.  I appologize."

"You are collecting information on me.  Not going to take it personally.  But tread lightly.  You must know what I'm capable of.   What I've done to Monsters on my world.  What I would do to someone I'd consider a threat to this world.  My sister would do the same."

"I can speculate."

"I didn't get the workout I was hoping for."

"Then perhaps a substitution in training partners?" A voice suddenly spoke up.

"Ah.  O'Conner-Taisa."

Scott saluted.

"So...you're Asriel's father on this world."

"Colonel Scott Angus O'Conner, soldier."

"A mlitary man.  You know...I might actually take you up on that offer.  But uh...is Asriel cool with me beating up on his old man?"

Scott let out a chuckle. "You sound sure of yourself.  Good.  I'd feel a lot worse if I put a green through the wringer.  Land a punch on me and you won't have to drop and give me twenty afterward."

"How about we make it if I land a punch on you I get to drop and give you twenty afterword.  And you see if you can keep up with me?"

"I like this one, Master Rabbotou." I don't think we've seen this side to Scott before. All this time, it seemed like the actual soldier in him awoke again. Rather than the UCIAT agent personna he had taken on while trying to be a family man.

"I'm glad this is going well on our end.  Takes the edge of of thinking how things are going on Violet's end..."

For the record...I've already censored most of anything pertaining to Violet. But that said...

"...how much gold you want for a trade?"

"Trade?  Keep em."

"No....way...you are...by far...the most amazing person to live, Violet!"

"I never get tired of hearing that."

I'd say something about corrupting our new friend but...you can't corrupt the already corrupted. I always thought that a fusion of Violet and Gadget's personalities would be dangerous thinking. I guess I wasn't wrong.

Still. Out of the two of them, Dianne was getting along with the most number of people. Especially the girls. Especially...well...Violet and Gadget. And to other extents, Sally and Mitzi.

Plus she felt inclinded to make it up to Lupe for causing trouble.

Violet promised her a night on the town and all the fun she could take.

"So... this pizza place?"

"Oh yeah.  We're totally dropping in on Mitzi.  She makes the best pizza pie you'll ever sink your teeth into."

"I'm holding you to that."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

So what was my take on all of this? On the surface I was just rolling with int. But internally? I was kind freaking out. I felt like with Asriel now in the know that there other Undertale universes out there...I was sitting under the Sword of Damocles, waiting for the worst case scenario. Even if they swore to secrecy...sometimes it was possible to spill the beans without spilling the beans. Don't ask me how. It's happened. It's a risk that worried me.

"Well.  No going back now."

Well. What did I think of them? Despite the obvious chip on his shoulder and the agressive streak and that he was obviously on a short leash; sister dearest made sure he didn't do something stupid and minded his P's and Q's. But ironically...he seemed like the more responsible of the two. Anything he did was for the good of kingdom, country, and those he cared about. A little direct but surprisingly more disciplined than I gave him credit for. I began to notice what seemed almost like a bipolar personality and it only seemed to change when Asriel was around. I couldn't be sure...but Goat Son really seemed to pacifiy him. I was catching on that there was a friendship with his world's Asriel that was coming to light.

Dianne was seemingly nicer by comparisson. I could tell she was the smarter of the two. Definitely an intelligence officer if I had to ascribe a secondary purpose besides royal guardsman. But Bunnie and Callista warned me that they had a...feeling there was a greater darkness that was buried...deep, deep, deep below the surface. Knowing that, everything else about seemed very likeable. Very kind. Very understanding and willing to cooperate. More readily than Rance. Maybe he saw the danger in us much as we saw the danger in them. I felt like she, too, had a multiple personality to her. We just weren't seeing the other side. At least not yet.

But all in all? I respected them both. And I felt a powerful guilt that Adonis made them both unwitting pawns in his sick game. They didn't deserve this. The least I could do was get them home. What was taking KOMMAND so long to get an access point into the right dimensional coordinates?

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey."

"Hey." I looked Asriel in the eyes.

A moment of silence.

"I guess I have more questions to add to...the day when.  Huh?"

I nodded.

"What do you think of them?"

"I like them.  They seem like good people."

Good answer, Goat Son. I completely agree.

Adonis didn't have to seen psychos like himself to cause a ruckus. He just needed to throw something at us unexpected to put us off our game.

As the day went on...I felt like things had drifted back into normal. But that was about to change when Asriel paid a visit to the dojo to check in on Rance. And it was the request Rance made that turned some of us on our ear.

"You want WHAT?" I about freaked.

Callista stood behind Asriel, nervously rubbing his shoulder.

"You don't think your cinnamon roll is up to it?"

"I know...what you're trying to do.  I don't provoke into battle easily.  I'm not going to g nuts by being called chicken.  I have nothing to prove, you know."

"You're about as naive as he is.  And you also don't have--"

"My sibling to hold my hand.  I'm not as naive as you think.  I don't know...what she...or he is like on your world, but I can assure you...I'm not going to run to them for help.  Nor my parents."

"So...little goat has a big brain.  But I'm not the kind to take no for an answer.  What are you going to do if you come across someone who wants to press a  real fight?  A deadly fight?"

"A little something called "improvise".  I respect you, Rance.  But my sensei told me not to fight a battle unless you know you can win."

"So you've given up already."

"I didn't say that.  I just know you're stronger and more skilled than you're letting on.  And I don't want to risk that I'm being set up for failure against someone who might actually have no problem with fighting."

"So you have a Kindness soul."

"No...it's actually more complicated than that."

"Well then.  Now I want to fight you enve more."

"Dianne..." Mitzi prompted.

"I'm sorry, Mitzi.  When he's like this, I don't think even I can stop him.

"Yeah...his determination is off the scale." I narrowed my eyes at the scan.

"Asriel." Bunnie suddenly spoke. "You have my blessing."

"Full combat with weapons.  And don't you hold back, dammit."

And so it was on. Asriel with both NX Sabres lit. Rance chose his weapons.

"Those are a far cry from Hope's Peak and Dream Sword."

"Those sound like...the coolest weapon names ever." Asriel responded. "Nothing fancy about these.  I mean they're just matter wave poly-photonic hardlight constructs stablized by electromagnetic framework."

"That's a lot of words I don't think I want to understand."

"If it's easier to pronounce, then "light sabers" will do.

"Now I know you're not calling me dumb."

"Of course not.  That would be mean." Asriel smiled.

"...okay...I believe you." Rance calmed down from the momentary diss.

I wasn't okay with this. My scans showed Rance had an LV of 20. I knew what that meant. Sans knew what that meant.

"Begin." Bunnies lone word sent a chill down my spine. I know she was dubious as well, but why okay this? If this went to far, did she plan on stopping this? Especially after she witnessed Dianne giving a demonstration of her abilities, earlier. I thought back to it...

~

"....how...did you do that...?" Mitzi's Green Swords clattered to the ground as she clutched her wounds. Her weapons quickly broke apart into light particles.

"TOMARE!" Bunnie immediately called for the sparring to end.

"I see...you held back." The rabbit observed. "But why use such a dangerous move on my student?"

"I tried to hold back...I just sensed...she wasn't being completely honest with me, now.  And--"

"I see.  While I appreciate that you enforce honesty in your opponents, be careful about your line of questioning.  There are some things that are too personal just as there are some things that are classified info."

"I just can't help myself when I'm being deceived for any reason."

"Noted." Bunnie responded as Megami began the healing jutsus on Mitzi.

This would be that other side to her. I had a feeling that if she had ANY inkling that someone was a threat for any reason, it would get less pleasant. My scans had only clocked her at an LV of 1 with a skill level of 15. I didn't know at the time that Violet had been taking more advanced scans of them both. But giving this info...how was she able to move that impossibly fast and stealthfully?

I didn't feel like I had to worry about someone with little or no LV as that was a tell-tale sign that they had never killed anyone. But I wonder...was that the whole story?

If her brother was a fraction of that level of savage...

The clash began and the attacks from both sides came in wild and fast.

"So that naevity in your eyes...it's not telling the whole story, after all.  You're definitely not him."

Rance might not have the smarts of Dianne, but he was instinctive. And he did have a good sense of getting a feel for an opponent.

"It's a good tool to rely on if your opponent thinks you're too green to be a threat.  I still don't like resorting to violence and I'd prefer if we could forge our friendship by talking it out over trading sword blows.  But I'm not going to back down."

"Then you better give me everything you have or I will make you regret it."

The threats were not doing anything for me.

"Have to say...you suddenly got dark for a dude who seems to like me."

"I give no quarter to friend or enemy in a spar.  The enemy will show no mercy so I can't afford them the same."

"Just remember.  You asked for it." Asriel suddenly delved into the the tool kits of toshindou, savate, and kapoera. Bunnie had been pulling multiple duties expanding his martial arts styles, lately. By now he had to be ready for at least two more dan ranks.

"Better..." Rance panted a bit as he backed off a bit. "But you're still holding back."

"You've never seen an episode of D.B.Z. have you?  It could take Goku like six episodes before he breaks out his biggest guns.  A five minute battle got stretched into 3 hours just to hammer home the illusion of just how impossibly fast they were moving."

"You still watch cartoons at your age?"

"Disappointed?"

"I'm here to battle a worthy prince.  Not babysit a nerd."

"Ouch.  Don't you know?  Nerds are the coolest people on this world."

And the attacks and counterattacks sped up. A lot.

"You're no ordinary human.  I can sense it."

"Why don't you show me what you're capable of.  Because you're no ordinary monster prince."

"Do me favor.  Don't call me a prince.  I abdicated the throne...not that there's one to abdicate anymore."

I gave a glance to Dianne, indicating this was a sensative subject.

"I thought you were going to fight, not talk his ear off, brother."

Ouch. Not what I had in mind for suppressing his line of questioning.

"Alright.  You want to know what I can do?"

"Since I'm used to dealing with Monsters' magic, you might as well bring out out into the open."

"Well the thing is...I don't exactly have magic.  But I do have something else.  Not exactly the best thing to use indoors."

"Then do like your lizard friend says...and improvise." Rance narrowed his gaze.

"I see you met Chameleon." Asriel said as his eyes turned green...then lit up.

"I thought you said you weren't a kindness soul."

"I'm not...but that doesn't mean I can't channel it." Asriel said as his weapon came into existence.

"What do you intend to do with that?  Cut up a butterscotch pie?"

"I'd love that...but it's not exactly as kitchen tool as you think!" Asriel swung and clashed with Rance's weapon, driving him back.

"...okay...gonna keep my big mouth shut next time." Rance looked displeased. "But at that range--"  Rance said as he got distance between them...then found himself dodging to the side. "...of course it telescopes."

I think that much ticked him off. Because his neck sword blow came with a nasty surprise.

"Your eyes are--!" Asriel noticed as his soul became visible for a brief moment.

"What..?  A crack?" The goat seemed concerned.

He raised the cutter to block and was completely taken by surprise when Rance's sword not only cracked it but completely shattered it.

"That's...never happened.

"I think he's starting to get worked up."

"Starting to, Dianne?" Mitzi took a step back.

"Bunnie if he goes berserk, hit his psychic kill-switch and send him off to dreamland for a nice nap." Violet advised.

"No.  Don't." Callista put her hand on Bunnie's sholder. "I think we both know why."

"The same reason we chose not to invade Dianne's mind.  It would be very bad for us.  Very, very bad for us."

"Like...head-exploding bad?" Violet asked.

Her silence confirmed it.

"Okay.  No psychic knock-outs.  Got it.  Any other plan for shutting him down if he sends our favorite goat to the hospital?  Or the morgue?"

"You still don't trust him, Vi."

"He hates me.  Any reason I should trust him?"

"That's a load of horse manure, Vi.  if anything were that simple with you--"

"Dang.  You read me like a book, Sally."

"You guys?  You're distracting us from the spar.

"Okay...then how about this?" Asriel's eys started glowing ice blue as the watering can appeared."

"Not even going to ask." Rance got out before the spray from the can turned into...

"Mist?  I didn't know it could do that." I shrugged.

"More like fog."

"Lowering visibility won't help."

"Ooooh, yeah, that's actually just a bonus effect as to what it can really do."

"What are..." Rance shook his head as his vision began to blur a little...and he noticed he was starting to slow down.

"I didn't peg you the type to drug a warrior."

"Not proud of it, but I assure you you're not poisoned.  You've just been given a lesson in--"

"Patience.  So you were telling the truth about being complicated.  You're not the first person with a double-soul I've met.  WIth more than one kind of magic.  But even that...has its limits--"

Asriel's eyes widened as he ducked back, the edge of Rance's blade shaving dangerously close to his nose.

"You haven't landed a blow on me yet.  Still not impressed." Asriel heard Rance's voice moments before the stomping started.

"What is he--"

And then the shockwaves kicked up and managed to clear the room of the fog.

"He wasn't kidding about not holding back." Asriel grimmaced.

"Well then.  I wonder if you're familiar with a loud-mouthed, orange-haired ninja named Naruto." Asriel said as his eyes turned neon blue and his OGPX suit construct wrapped around him.

I glared at Violet.

"Now.  Keep up with this.  Even your speed has limits, doesn't it?

Rance charged forth...or tried to when he felt than hand on his shoulder. He slipped away and bumped into his opponent.

"Using my own speed against me?  Fighting fire with fire isn't always the way to go."

"You'd be surprised.  And...you're close...but off by one detail."

Rance about jumped when he heard the same voice on both sides of himself.

"What?!"

"He didn't just do that, did he?" Dianne asked.

"You can make copies of yourself?  Now that's more of a challenge." Rance's intense red eyes gaze became even brighter.

"So...maybe it's time YOU stopped holding back." Asriel narrowed his gaze.

"You may not be him...but you're just as sharp as he is.  What gave it away?"

"Maybe I'll tell you after I win this."

"Fine.  But one detail.  You're not GOING to win.  And you're about to find out why..."

Asriel charged forth and combined the NX Sabres into their claymore form.

And that's when it happened.

* UNDO *

"...!  Asriel's copies displled as he felt himself put into a choke-hold.

"Not him...but just as naive."

"How did you--!"

"Now.  Let's try this again and do it right.  I want to see you at your best.  Including the last trick you're hiding."

"I can't do that.  It'll burn down the place."

"Oh no...he's pressing it.  His determination is starting to go out of control." I growled.

"You saw it when his soul emerged.  It's cracked." Bunnie whispered to me.

Rance pulled Asriel close. "You're going to learn to ditch that naevity if you're going to survive even if I have to go to soem place dark wtih you.  Now I will use whatever means I can to push you to your limits and I'm not afraid to cross lines to get you to do that."

"You're scaring me, pal."

"Good.  Now you might be willing to stay iron-willed if your own life was threatened.  But what about your best friend?"

"That's not going to work.  He's immortal.  You can't kill what can't be killed or what a deity won't let die."

"What if I had a way to permanently kill even a deity.  Would that motivate you."

"Guh...!"

"You can't take the risk that it's a bluff, can you?  It's choices, Asriel.  Hard choices....or harder choices."

"You can't do this...!" Asriel's eyes started to tear up.

"If you want to protect the ones you love you have to risk getting hurt.  Now...how far are you willing to go?"

"This is too much.  I'm pulling the plug." I started to step forward before I saw Rance's sword "love-tapping" my chest. "Maybe you'd like to find out if it is a bluff?  Don't.  Interfere."

Asriel's fists started to light up with the white flames.

"There it is...that's what you've been hiding.

Asriel smashed both hands together fusing the flames into one massive fireball.

"Now that...I might have trouble with..." Rance taunted.

"Asriel.  Stand down." Bunnie warned.

"Stop this, Dianne."

"I can't...his Determination is too great.  He intends to see this through."

Asriel held the whole thing aloft like a Spirit Bomb.

* KA-WHUMPH *

"I do not believe I gave you sufficient warning about starting trouble in my kingdom." Brooke unfurled her wings...and used the scary voice. I could tell even Dianne was rattled.

"What--!" Rance's concentration was broken for a moment. Just quick enough for Dianne to chain and bind him.

Brooke approached Asriel. Gave a pleasant but wicked smile...then reached out and snuffed the flames with her bare hand.

"Let's have none of that.

Asriel blinked a few times...before breaking down and hugging her.

"There it is."

"What the Hell is the MATTER with you!" Dianne smacked Rance upside the head.

"...!!!"

"I am going to torment you so bad when we get back home for this.  Where you about to kill the prince of all monsters, you idiot?!"

"We're going to have a long sit-down behind closed doors.  You were already under house arrest.  Give me one good reason I shouldn't charge you with a very long list of crimes."

The red glow in his eyes was still present.

"You don't think I can't--"

"No.  You've abused that ability long enough on this world, dear brother.  Don't make things worse."

"Ability?  What's she talking about?" Sally asked.

KOMMAND contacted me at that moment. "I can answer that.  It was hard to pick up, but boy did he ever cause a number of time anomalies on VGM-098.  It appears he has an ability far more powerful than RESET."

I drew a motion across my throat to prompt her silence and gestured toward Asriel.

"Right.  Seems his destermination is so strong he can actually void entire events from timelines including memories.'

"Just like Orihime's "reject" power that Aizen kidnapped her for."

"Rance.  Let it go.  He's stronger than you think.  And your're not as strong as you think."

Rance sighed and the glow faded. "...fine."

"Let us...just forget abou this incident...barring whatever punishment Brooke-domou has for you."

"I would suggest deportation as soon as possible."

"Leaving so soon?  I'm crushed." Chameleon crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway. "You got guts, kid.  For that, you have my respect.  Took it a little far with Goat Son but it isn't anything I wouldn't do for a bounty or revenge."

"I think we all need to wipe the slate clean iwth pizza and a get-together.  My place?" Mitzi offered.

And that night we ate and got to know each other.

''' Day 3. '''

Well, by that point the coordinates were finalized and arranged  for transport.

But KOMMAND had some...discoveries to share with me...and only me.

"...what?"

"That's right.  I scanned them both.  Each is a reincarnation of a Chara from their timeline due to resets.  Annnnd there is yet another Chara sharing a body with THEIR Asriel.  In fact, your friend the Absolute God of Hyperdeath is one of the forms he can access."

"That's the opposite of good news, KOMMAND!"

"So...how's things adjusting after Rance decided to be a cotton ball?  Dude takes his sparring seriously."

"Well appologies all around, a make-up dinner and all that.  Dianne dragged Rance to Computer Vahalla under the radar and made him take part in more of Vi's games, movies, and bad puns than he could take.  I'd say for the first time, someone arranged a punishment far worse than anything Brooke had ever cooked up.  And she could get REALLY dark with punishments.  Just ask the former leader of the terrorist group, Natural Selection. "

"I'm jealous." KOMMAND grinned.

"Despite Rance still having trust issues...I think he's warming up to Chameleon.  Maybe they're more alike than they want to admit.  And Hell...Chameleon can't stay mad at someone who can kick his tail and at least be straight with him.  But I think we both know the REAL reason they're getting along."

KOMMAND half-coughed, ajustinging the prop Jang festival mask that she had stolen from Gorillaz's own Noodle from the "Meloncholy Hill" video.

"They both just can't stand one Violet Usako Tokugawa."

"Well that sucks." KOMMAND smoldered.

"Dianna convinced everyone to give him a third and final chance.  His fight with Chameleon was strike one.  Asriel is strike two.  If he has a third strike, Dianne's going home and passing on a message that Rance pretty much put another kingdom's laws through the blender with a request for your acting leaders to meet with ours to decide on whose turf he'll be tried, convicted, and punished for causing what could be an inter...dimensional incident."

"Oooh. As much as I WOULD like to see that go down, yeah.  I think both of our sides are skating on thin ice.  How's Azzy?"

"Shaken but he recovered well.  It's actually not the first time someone really hit him off guard with something personal.  He won't tell me what it was.  Just that it scared him bad.  He is a little too forgiving though.  Then again he was forgiving for Chara.  Only person he never forgave is locked away in a high voltage laser containment system for holding ghosts."

"Well, let's find the silver lining in all this.  It didn't go down the way that Adonis wanted, right?" KOMMAND shrugged.

"No.  I think it went down exactly the way he wanted.  Small victories even with small levels of chaos.  And now Asriel knows other Undertale AU's exist out there.  He now has a major clue to the secret we're keeping.  And Adonis could use that against him...and us.

"But look at it this way.  In the long run...now we have allies in this.  Now we're not alone." KOMMAND responded.

"We've always had allies.  But you're right...now we have another Undertale universe to support us." I replied.

"So.  How long?" KOMMAND asked.

"It's day three and Gadget and Mitzi have taken over for...Violet's tour guide duties of our city.  Because of his little stunt, we're keeping them both AWAY from UCIAT Headquarters.  Brooke and I both agree it would have been okay, but the two battles made him a security risk, and unfortunately we have to make this a package deal.

Foreign people in our country from a foreign universe. More than that, Dianne works in intelligence gathering so the less she knows about that, the safer things are. Don't get me wrong, I trust her and I don't think Rance is that much of a threat as long as we don't provoke him and as long as he doesn't get into any more sparring battles. Why he took it so far with Asriel, we may never know. I can only assume he's seen things and done things. Plus there's the...Chara connection. I can't rule out that the Chara incarnation he's connected to had some influence."

"Okay then.  So.  Now what, boss?"

"Now...I attend a good-bye party.  And a see them off.  Asriel's actually been spending a lot of time with the both of them.  Trying to get to know them.  Trying to understand why Rance did what he did."

"You know...Adonis could have had a hand in this besides just dropping them on our doorstep."

"I agree.  But it's something we'll have to worry about later.  For now...I hate long goodbyes."

And so...

"Well.  You made a mess of our town, traumatized our son and got yourself put under house arrest which led to you now being deportest.  And all I have to say is...thank you for making friends with our Humble Bundle.  I think he's glad to know that he's not alone in the universe.  As far as worlds like his own Undertale are."

"I'll never get used to that word you keep throwing around..."Undertale".  Sounds like the name of one of those video games the rabbit forced me to play."

"Technically I forced to you play so you could learn a lesson about getting into fights." Danne scolded. "And I'm not going to let you forget it."

"Officially, I 've welcome your kingdom as allies to ours.  And with that I bid you farewell and safe travels."

The public apperance had wound down and now we were down to the goodbye.

"But off the books and off the record...if you ever so much as scratch a fire hydrant the next time you find yourself in our city, I will have your soul dragged to Gehenna itself and we'll put to the test how that UNDO ability works in the pits of what our world calls the equivalent of Hell.  Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Rance begrudgingly admited.

"Now.  Having said that.  I don't think you're a bad seed.  I think you are a hero where you're from and you are quite impressive.   Miranda needs powerful allies especially with these Crossover Wars going on.  That said.  Would your kingdom be willing to form an alliance with us in the long-run?"

"It's...a bit of an overwhelming request and...to be quite honest we have a lot going on back home.  It's...kind of crazy dealing with...pretty nasty threat waiting for us back there.  But...uh...we can at least run it by King Farlon and...the rulers of the Monster Kingdom."

I'm sure Asriel could probably put it together she meant Asgore and Toriel. But...he chose not to make the connection for some reason.

"Well then.  Be off with you."

"I'm gonna miss you!" Gadget started to approach.

"Gadget?  No hugs."

"Aww..."

"Keep it real." Sally gave a thumbs up.

Bunnie bowed. "You have much to learn but...you are more disciplined than you let on.  You just need to keep that...other side of you contained." She nodded to Rance.

"Well.  I've got the Cyber Gate workinng.   It should land you exactly where you left off.  And hopefully you should be safeguarded against any more of Chaopolis' portals into other realities."

I fired up the circular arc shaped framework as the portal swirled into existence.

"Good luck and safe travels, you two."

Both of them were back into their armor.

"We won't forget this." Dianna assure.

Rance went in first.

Dianna followed but not before giving the biggest smile.

But something about that smile...felt more than what we saw on the surface.

I'd exprerienced this feeling before. The only thing missing were cartoonish-ly big rosey cheeks.

"Major?"

"I sensed it to.  A glance at what's really behind the surface."

And she seemed like the safer one of the two to be around. But if they were both...this connected to a Chara...then maybe...

"Do you think we'll see them again, Volt?"

"I don't know.  Time will tell.  As it always has."

The gate closed and that was that. While it was the first encounter with Undertale AU's coming to us, it wouldn't be the last.

For now...summer was upon us and the adventures we not going to stop.

CRYPTOSMASHER LOGOFF

END TRANSMISSION...

Chapter 31

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