PLDN Chapter 33

> Chapter 33: With an Anniversary and A Goat Turning 118, Big Developments Ensue (Sub-Entries 321 - 330)
>
>

## Sub-Entry 321: "Power X-treme Marks the Spot."

Somehow, it just feels right that the entry
number of this log is 321.

"Contact!"

But, actually it has nothing to do with that science show reruns Asriel and I learned to love at the museum.  I would trade off with Violet on that note; when I treated him to 3-2-1 Contact, she'd take the next museum outing and
treat him to the mathe-magic of Square One.

"You are enjoying yourself, Goat Son?"

"This is....amazing......the best...thing...ever!"  Asriel was trying so hard to contain his
excitement and sound grown-up...

"...I don't think I ever want to
leave!"

...and failing.

"Asriel's first spacewalk.  A bit early for a birthday present, but I'm
sure he doesn't mind."  I grinned
ear to ear.

"I don't know how to thank you enough, Dr.
Kane."

"Crystal."

"You're too kind.  I don't feel like
I've earned a first name basis...but if you insist, Crystal.  Thank you for letting us come aboard Space
Station, Sky Vault."

"The Arcade Foundation has been a faithful sponsor
since Centrum came online.  And the
recent addition of the Tokugawa Family funneling into our budget has helped
keep our operation going."

"Arcades protect and serve.  All in
the line of anti-terrorism.  And from the
looks of things, your team has a doozy of a terrorist to deal with."

"I'll say, partner."  Asriel's
voice came in.  "I mean terror is
LITERALLY in his name.  I mean a villain
named Doc Terror is almost TOO obvious if not a neon sign over his head.   Cliché much?"

"Point made, Goat Son.  Wisecracks aside,
remember...you DO have a mission to complete out there.  The Solar Panels remember?"

"Right, right!  On it!"  Asriel made his way to the damaged solar
cells and began repair work.

I smiled as I watched him work from the
observation deck.

"I admit.
I feel a bit wary when I'm allowed to be in my true werewolf form on
terran worlds like yours, Crystal.  I
mean...as far as your Earth is concerned, werewolves and mutants are just movie
and comic book stuff, right?"

"I admit.  It did seem more than a
little hard to believe when the true nature of Neo Arcadia revealed itself to
us.  Granted it would be an amazing boon
to mankind for it to become public knowledge that we are not alone in the
universe...

However...the reward versus risk is not something
I'm willing to gamble on so frivolously merely for career advancement or some
wide-eyed belief that we'd change the world as quickly as the invention of the
light bulb, airplane, or automobile.  I
don't believe it would be a good show of faith to make a media spectacle about
something like this.  Despite it
all...mankind is not ready to learn the truth."

"I appreciate the show of integrity.
It's for the best.  And
besides...keeping an ace in the hole means that no one knows about it;
especially not your enemies.    You keep
our secrets, we'll keep yours, after all."

I looked out at the Earth below.

"You know...not that I'm complaining; quite
the contrary.  I'm grateful you were able
to provide Asriel and I with an off-world outing during a calm between
storms.  Semblance of peace time before
Doc Terror and Hacker launch another attack.
Something like fixing solar panels is a nice change of pace from getting
caught up in wild west shootouts, sailing with pirates, and teaming with other
people fighting the good fight on other worlds."

"There's a 'but' in there, doctor."

"Read me like a book, you do.  The
'but' comes from the fact that I'm sure Asriel is at least some semblance of
disappointed he didn't get to meet your team.
Or even get to see them in action.
He's been racking up hero encounters like baseball trading cards."

Crystal had a look of amusement at that.  "It's just as well."

So here we were--in the "near-future"
where Doc Terror and his cyborg companion, Hacker, unleashed their forces to
conquer Earth.  Only one force can stop
this evil--a hand full of brave men.  In
specially-created Exo-Frames, they can be transported anywhere (via quantum
teleportation advanced enough to teleport organic and synthetic matter) to fuse
with incredible weapon systems beamed down from the space station, Sky Vault,
becoming...Man and Machine; Power X-treme!

I looked over the expanded roster of who was who among the so-called
"Centurions".

Taken from the name of warriors from ancient
times.  Heck, even Palutena's army, once
led by Pit, called themselves Centurions; so the name had plenty of
pre-standing significance even before coming here.  But that detail aside, here was who was
standing in the way of Doc Terror's mad schemes for world domination:

Max Ray--'Brilliant' Sea Operations Commander: The calm and collected de facto
leader of the team, donning a green exo-frame suit and sporting a fine
moustache. His weapon systems are best suited for underwater missions.

Jake Rockwell – 'Rugged' Land Operations
Specialist: Donning a yellow exo-frame suit, he has a short fuse. His weapon
systems have the most firepower and are best suited for land missions.

Ace McCloud – 'Daring' Air Operations Expert:
Donning a blue exo-frame suit, he is a brave but cocky womanizer who is
sometimes at odds with Jake. His weapon systems are best suited for aerial
missions.

And the two
new additions, hence "expanded" roster:

Rex Charger
– ‘Expert’ Energy Programmer. Dons a red and pale green exo-frame suit.  You'd think as an authority on energy, I'd
have correspondence with him.  But
honestly I didn't know much about the guy even from the bio.

John
Thunder – ‘Specialist’ Infiltration Commander. Has a black exo-frame with
exposed skin.  Native American.  Something about him made me think of our own
Lupe.

"Well.  Mission or no, we could be watching the
effects of zero gravity on grass growing in a bell jar and he'd still be this
invested."

"A
good student, I would say."

"A rare breed.  Anyway.  Frankly I'm content just enjoying the peace
and quiet--"

And that's when the klaxons went off.

"Crystal.  Remind me to kick myself for opening my big
mouth."  I facepalmed.

"Volt?  What's going on?"

"Spacewalk's cut short.  I think we
just had a Doc Terror attack down on terra firma."

"At least it happened right as I finished up.  Solar panels are back on line.  Pull me back in!"

And so...

"I
take it the doctor has already made a house call?"  Asriel said after getting out of the space
suit and heading over.

"Thanks
for the assist, Lucy."  Asriel
thanked Crystal's unconventional companion--a trained orangutan of all
creatures.  The primate took care of the
equipment.

"Reminds
me of Clyde back at Vi's lab..."
Asriel mused.

I on the
other hand was bonding with a different animal companion.  Hope Jake didn't mind if I got chummy with
his four-legged companion.

\*bark bark\*

"I
hear ya, Shadow."

I petted
the Siberian husky.  Jake Rockwell's dog
was wearing a harness housing some survival equipment and a pair of missile
launchers.

"Let
me guess.  World-wide transmission on all
television stations?"  Asriel
crossed his arms, wrinkling his snoot.

"See
for yourself."  Crystal dialed up
the live transmission on the video screen.

"Citizens
of the world, this is Doc Terror with an ultimatum.  You world is in deadly peril.  And I ALONE have the power to save you.  Submit to me or suffer the consequences!  You have twelve hours to submit a document of
unconditional surrender to me!"

Okay.  Freaky guy.
Black hair.  Angry, low, slightly
gravelly voice.  And clear no sense of
humor and very dead serious.  But the
standout was the immensely bulky robotic exosuit that engulphed literally half
of his body on the left side, the entirety of his face on the right side.  The rest of him was red and black exo-frame hard
suit.

"Mr.
Nasty isn't kidding, is he?"  Asriel
mused.

"Five
will get you ten he CAUSED this deadly peril."  I paced.
"Crystal, do you have anything archived about Doc Terror's previous
acts of terrorism?"

"Entries 1 through 60 are available in the auxiliary mainframe on deck 6
of Sky Vault."

"C'mon, Asriel.  We're about to do a
cram session so we can reverse-engineer this guy's twisted thought process.

And once
there...

"Yikes.  This guy doesn't beat around the bush.  Look at some of these video archive entries:
"SVR-C-DT-00A: The Sky is on Fire",
"SVR-C-DT-00B: Sand Doom", "SVR-C-DT-002:  Tornado of Terror", "SVR-C-DT-007:
Operation Starfall"..."

"This
guy had a plot for every occasion."
I frowned.

"Maybe
we should access his data file and learn more about his operation.

Opening
that revealed of course the mad man of the hour but also details on those who
allied with him.

Hacker.  I could only guess that was an alias, because
this guy did not look like a computer hacker even before he was turned into a
cyborg.  Granted, I knew better than to
judge on appearance, but his bio pretty much assured me this was one time I
could make an exception.  He wouldn't win
any awards for intelligence.  As far as I
could tell, Terror only recruited him on the promise of being powerful.  A means to show off his cybernetic technology
before the world science council.

"Volt?  Does this scenario seem familiar?"

"Too familiar.  It was down to Crystal
Kane's research into the Centurions program and Doc Terror's research into
mankind's next evolution being half machine.
Guess whose research they funded?"

"Somewhere Dr. Wily  just
sneezed."  Asriel joked.

"He
took it about as well as Dr. Wily, too.
But  Hacker took it worse when it
became clear that his new form was permanent.
His rampage caused an accident which forced Doc Terror to us his own
cyberneticizing process on himself to compensate for his serious
injuries."

"Yikes."

"Besides
Hacker, Terror has one other known ally.
His biological daughter, Amber.
And she takes a page from Cobra's own Baroness."

"Master of Disguise?"

"Very much so.  Good at subversion,
counterintelligence...the whole nine yards.
I guess when Doc needs someone to match his intellect, blood is thicker
than water."

"I
take it he has an army to back him up?"

I folded my ears back as I showed the screen.
"Have a look at Doc Terror's own Christmas Catalogue if you
dare."

Goat Son
looked upon the sets of blueprints.

"Doom
Drones.  Come in two varieties.  Traumatizers--walker robots with laser
blasters for arms.  And Strafers--flying
robots with missiles and lasers.   Seems
Doc Terror and Hacker can swap out their cyborg halves with Strafer parts for
flight capability.

Ground
Borgs.  Land-based robots armed with
lasers and move on treads.

Cybervore
Panther.  A robot that is exactly what it
sounds like.

Cybervore
Shark.  Ditto.  Has the capability to merge with the Panther
to create a mechanical monstrosity."

"Nice
ugly list of death machines."  I grimaced.

"There
are other lesser ones listed like this drone that seems to have a large screen
and cannons or this submarine drone."

"He's got all of the three modes of transportation covered."

"So do the Centurions.   Anything
that Doc Terror can throw at them, they can match or surpass."

"That's the spirit, Azzy.  But from
the looks of this one, they may still be outnumbered and outgunned."

Goat Son paced.

"You
know...they don't have to be..."

"You got that look again, Azzy.  You
thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"Think we can convince Dr. Kane to let us into the research and
development lab and let us have a peek at the Exo-Frame weapon systems."

"You totally are."

"And you've got the electronics knowhow..."

"Say no more.  You don't have to
butter me up on this one. But we are so not telling your parents about this
one..."

And as time
passed....

"Crystal,
what's the situation down there?"

"Not good.  It looks like Doc Terror
may have finally orchestrated a plot even too much for five Centurions to
handle."

"Then might we suggest some basic addition?"

Crystal raised an eyebrow.

And so...

"...I
would have waited a lifetime for this victory.
The defeat and unconditional surrender of the Centurions."

"You should have picked the winning side when you had the
chance."  Amber looked down upon the
five captured men, directing that little stinger mostly toward Ace McCloud.

"Aw,
come on, Amber.  No goodbye kiss after
all this time?"

"Ever the joker."  Amber
brushed him off.  Clearly she set him up
to shut him down.

"When
we get out of this, you're going to be picking your parts out of a
junkyard!"

"Shut
up!"  Hacker backhanded the
hot-tempered Jake Rockwell.

"You
plan won't succeed.  You've tried to
force the world to surrender.  Even if we
fall, someone else will take our place and carry on the good fight."

"Your trivial threats no longer amuse me.
As the de facto leader, Max Ray, your team's failure falls on
you."  Terror gloated.  "Even now, you are cut off from Sky
Vault.  I've made sure you’re Exo-Frames
won't have any nasty surprised beamed to them."

That was about the time we beamed down.

"What?!  What is this?!"

"Maybe their Exo-Frames don't work..."

"But ours do."  Asriel mused.

"Who
are you?!"

"D'aaahh!  What are they,
Doc?!"

"Abominations of nature!  Mutants as
it were."  Amber reached for her
weapon.

"Now
that's just mean."  Asriel shrugged
before letting a Taiyoudama fly and strikes the weapon.  She dropped it with a yelp before it melted
upon impact with the floor.

"Ah-ah-ah!  No touchies the goat son."  I discharged a bolt of electricity into
Hacker's swivel-blaster end effector arm.

"GAAAAH!"

"Yeee-haaa!  Nothin' like a good old fashioned Texas cavalry
to the rescue!"

"Many thanks, our friends!"
John Thunder agreed.

"Stop
them!  Destroy them all!"  Terror commanded as the walls opened up,
revealing his Doom Drones.

"You
know, I was thinking our new threads could use some accessorizing."  I looked to Asriel.

"I was thinking the same."

"Crystal, time to beam in the new stuff!"

"Copy
that, Doctor. Sending you the Stormbreaker weapon system and sending Asriel the
Sun Vulcan weapon system.
Energize!"

"Say it with me, Goat Son!"

"POWER X-TREEEEEEEEEME!"

With that
the gear materialized in the wide shaft of light that reached all the way up to
Sky Vault.  Each part plugged itself into
our frames and linked up with our suits' internal systems.

"Nice
hardware.  I couldn't have designed a
better energy system in a week's time."
Rex Charger definitely admired my use of high-yield plasma arc cannons,
tesla coils, and lightning lasers as well as the magnet armatures and magnet
grenades.

"You
wear the weapons of a true warrior."
John Thunder had noticed Asriel had taken a few personal liberties with
its solar theme but also with its armaments that looked almost Lupe
inspired--from the crossbow, tomahawks, and HEAT daggers, to the slingshots and
bolos that boasted some fiery ammo.

"Let
the sun shine in!"  Asriel led off
with the flame throwers that drew from his own Quantum Solar powers.

"And
lightning doesn't just strike twice!"
I lit up as many bots as I could handle.

"All
this action and I'm feeling a little left out."  Jake grumbled.

"I'm
with you, buddy.  I could really stretch
my wings."

I headed
over.

"I
think I can help in that department."
I set about unhacking their Exo-Frames.

"You're
frame's back up."  I finished on
Ace's first.

"Fly
me to the moon, beautiful!!"  Ace
contacted Crystal.  Even at a moment like
this he was flirting.

"Flattery won't get you a date.  But
it will get you this.  Now beaming Strato
Strike!"

"POWER X-TREME!"

"And
for Jake, an old favorite.  Sending
Detonator."

"POWER
X-TREME!"

"And
beaming Cruiser for Max!"

"POWER X-TREME!"

By the time
we were turning the tide, Crystal had already sent two more weapon systems,
rounding out our force with Rex and John's best gear.

"Grrrrragh!  Blast those Centurions!"

"Doc!  We gotta get outta
here!"

"Father!   We must retreat!"

"You have made powerful enemies this day, Volt and Asriel Arcade!"

Terror slammed his fist down on the console of the giant mainframe .  It was there that the back half of the
command center room seemed to break away and separate before the whole thing
lifted off.  The open area of the gaping
hole in back sealed up with a system of panels.

"That's
new."  Ace looked on as he hovered.

"It's
moving too fast."

"He got away!"

I wrinkled my nose as I looked up at that giant transforming airship.

"Typical."

"Hey, Volt!  KOMMAND just contacted
us.  We've got incoming allied science
teams coming in to assist with the world disaster Terror caused.   They're optimistic that the process can be
reversed within a few hours."

"Excellent.  Chalk up another
victory for science!"

And so...

Back on Sky
Vault we enjoyed our celebration as well as renewed alliances.

"As far as we're concerned, your both
honorary members of the Centurions."

"Well, we already have the Exo-Frames and their first weapon systems.  I'm looking forward to coming back and
designing something new."

"Our facilities will be at your disposal, Dr. Arcade."

"Volt.  You've earned the first-name
basis."

"Hey!  Tell me you're not getting
chummy with the werewolf!"  Ace
protested.

"Relax, big guy."  I pointed to my wedding ring.  "Besides.  Our relationship is strictly professional."

"I guess that means he gets to practice his pick-up lines for a little bit
longer."  Asriel shrugged.

Goat Son was learning.  Now if he could only learn to take an
interest in a significant other.

"I guess we'll be packing up and heading
home."

"But first..."  Asriel grinned
as Lucy dragged in the Space Suit.

Laughter all around.  Go ahead and take another well-deserved
spacewalk, Goat Son.  You've definitely
earned that.

## Sub-Entry 322:  "The Founding and Partial Disbanding of the Team We Just Named":

"Just lay back...relax...and I'll do the
rest."

"I have to know, Callista.  If this
is real or not. Bunnie gave me some insight but..."

"I understand."

"Things like this make me recall the old research from the N-Division
days...the Sub-Con file...the Koholint Island incident...that horrific incident
on Elm Street that we don't speak of.
They all have one thing in common."

"Dreams.  As well as no way to prove
they were just dreams and not something...else."

"Well then.
Normally I've let these things happen naturally.  But...maybe this time I can induce my
appearance in this...DeltaRune."

"Alright.  But be mindful.  I've explained the nature of the subconscious
mind during sleep cycles."

"Indeed you have.  So...I guess
there's not much else to say but...wish me luck."

I laid down on the couch.  "I feel like this is a psychology
session."  I muttered.

"Nothing so general.  Do not worry.
I am a professional.  I'll help
you get to the bottom of this.
Besides.  I'm a little curious to
know what Asriel's connection to this is, myself."

I closed my eyes as Callista waved her hand over
it...and....and....then I wasn't so sure what happened...next...

"Hey.
Wake up, ya old geezer."

I opened my eyes.  Really wishing it
wasn't Suzie greeting me just now.

"Oh.
I thought I smelled calcium carbonate."  I mused.

"........"

Clearly I made her brain shift without the
clutch.  My guess is that if she were
passing chemistry class, I'd be missing a few fangs for a moment or two.

"Don't spend all day figuring out what that
is."  I walked past as I kept pace
with Kris and Ralsei.

We headed north, passing the fork in the road,
initially.  But we soon discovered the
path ahead lead to a dead-end.  A puzzle
that we couldn't solve just yet.

"From the bottom, the order of our rooms in
Card Castle.  Of course, if you haven't
been there, you won't know it."

Before I considered risking another argument with
Suzie over just plowing through the death spikes in the road  I deemed that we should probably come back
here when we knew the solution...buuuuut...

Darned if I wasn't intrigued enough to give it a
try.

After a few permutations I had come up with the
following combination:

Red Diamond, Red Heart, Black Club, Black Spade.

I guess it made sense that the spade should be
the last one in the list based on how high and mighty Lancer was acting around
us.  Though that wasn't a guarantee of
anything.

Still, we lucked out.  The spikes retracted and we got access to the
lone treasure chest.

"Looks like...a broken key?"

I reasoned that there were at least two more pieces to it.  And since I was a long way from the
metallurgy lab, we'd need to find a blacksmith to weld it back together.

Kris put Broken Key C into our inventory, and we
doubled back to the intersection.  At
some point it escaped my attention when we went back to Seam's shop and
purchased the Key A fragment...or...did that happen?  Did something happen between my dream
sequences?  For that matter...a more
pressing question was...what did this key unlock?

Turning left lead us smack dab in the middle of a
group of various guys.  Two Rudinns and a
Hathy to be exact.

I preemptively warned them to watch out for Suzie's axe.  Considering themselves very warned and able
to duck her swing, that made it easier to go through the ACTs needed to spare
them.

"Woo."
That was certainly something.

But I don't think any of us were prepared for the
Forest of Hopes and Dreams to suddenly end and the floor to turn from purple
grass to red and black checkerboard.

I was also starting to notice the pillars around us that looked like chess
pieces emblazoned with a bat-like insignia with a hole in the middle.

Just as suddenly as the music had started once we
entered the gate from Ralsei's training area...it just as suddenly stopped and
there was an ominous ambiance all about.

The sign gave a cryptic clue.

"When you step into the light, you'll return
to where you were before."

What the heck did that mean?

Our answer became clear as we came to large strips of the checkerboard lit up
completely white before reverting back to checkerboard and the next row....!...yeah,
there was a simple pattern.  The rows
were flashing bright white from left to right in sequence, 1-2-3.

The moment we stepped on a white section--

"What the...!

We were suddenly a 3 or 4 whole squares back from
where we just were.   Ohhhh.  Of course.
These things were a barrier of sort.
Any time we landed on the white light, it would move us backward,
preventing us from going forward.

After a bit of trial and error and zig-zagging at
just the right intervals, we made it to the other side.

Up ahead the checkboard continued...but it began
feeling more like an Excitebike track the way it suddenly dropped and raised at
45 degree angle spots...or maybe it was an optical illusion caused by sections
of track cut away so that it would appear to be rising and falling from a
certain perspective.......wait a minute.
I think this floor is starting to mess with my sense of depth and
dimension.

But maybe it was the mundane lull all around us
that lured us into a comfortable false sense of security.  For none of us were prepared when one of the
bishop-shaped pillars turned out to be an enemy in disguise.

"Ponmon drew near."

We warned about Suzie and they dodged appropriately then retaliated with
diamond projectiles.

"Ponmon listens intently, despite having no
ears."

That was when Ralsei diffused the situation by
using his magic.

"Ralsei sang a soft and entrancing
lullaby!"

Wow.  Goat Wizard can sing.   In a way...I was reminded of Asriel back
home.  I think Mitzi had started to give
him pointers in being a vocalist.

And with that, the Ponmon fell asleep...as did
Suzie.

I almost did as well.

Kris spared one of them.  Ralsei pacified the other.

The road ahead was more of the same behind us
with the slowly flashing white light sections.

But the next room held someone familiar.

"Ha ha ha...
So you've begun to cross the GREAT BOARD... The halfway point to our
castle.  Hmm...impressive.  So it's a shame... You won't make it a step
further!!!  'Cause my guys are about to
smash you into blood!  Lots of
blood!  Splooshing blood!  Very gross and bad!"

Whoah.  Dark.

And I think some of us about jumped when the
sudden bolt of lightning cracked in the background as Lancer suddenly kicked an
empty bucket toward us to emphasis as he laughed maniacally!

"Hey, Purple Girl!  Was that scarier?"

"Why are you asking ME?!"
Suzie was attempting to look surly, but I'm pretty sure she was a step
away from soiling herself.

"Because you're really cool at being
terrifying!  I want to be as scary as
you!"

Okay...I was at a loss.  But not nearly as much of a loss as
Suzie.  That...really caught her by
surprise.

"You...want to be like ME?"

"YEAH!"

A closer look at Lancer made me think he really
had kind of a puppy-looking face...just chalk white underneath that spade mask.

"Well, that's stupid.

...

But the new laugh isn't as awful..."  She admitted.
"And saying you'd turn us into blood is, uh, cool."

The Hell it is!  Stop encouraging his
behavior, you hooligan!

"...what the Hell is up with the bucket,
though?"

"It's to put the blood in."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm not, uh, supposed to make a
mess.  Anyway, thanks for your
feedback!  I'm really feeling
scary!"

"...ummm, no problem, I guess.  Haha.    ...so
are your guys going to attack us, or..."

"...Oh!  Yeah!  ...I was so excited I forgot to bring any
guys."

WHAT.

"But NEXT TIME, it'll be the END
for--"  A pause.  "Hey, I've just been calling you guys,
CLOWNS...Does your team have an OFFICIAL NAME or something...?""

"Oh, Kris!
We should come up with a name!"

"No, we shouldn't."

"Then it's decided!  Everyone puts a
name in the bucket!"

"Alright, everyone's put in their
entries!  Blue person, you can
choose.  Since you look like you don't
care."

It was at that moment my "A.E.O.N.
Sense", for lack of a better way to describe thinking 5th
dimensionally--that thing I do when I couldn't remember which AU something was;
like with my mentors, the Ghostbusters.
Which continuity were they again?
Ahem...I digress.

I foresaw three scenarios, and they went like
"OK!!
And your name is...!  ...
Hmm.  I don't think I'm allowed to say
this one."

"It's PRONOUNCED   The $!$? Squad."

"Woah
I'm not allowed to say Tier-TWO swear words.  Wow . You three's collective dad must be very
cool."

"Er
could we PERHAPS consider a DIFFERENT name?"

I think I need a censor for this dream
sequence...

***The neat paper:***
***"The Legendary Heroes The Herald of Fun and Friendship"***

"Oh
oh!  That's mine! See  I think it's the perfect name...  Because we're all friends  That like to have a lot of fun."

"Okay
first.. . jeez  that's a
mouthful  dude.   Second
what are our enemies gonna think?
That we're gonna be BUDDIES with 'em?
Let's change it to something SHORT ! INTIMIDATING!  Something PUNCHY ! Something BAD-ASS!"

"... like what?"

"Well
uh.. .  Y'know  for starters...  How about...
JUST  uh... The Fun Gang.  Ya know
just  uh  concentrating on the  Fun
part."

"It's perfect!!!"

"Well
see ya  Fun Gang!  I've got to osmose my afternoon
milk!"

\* The power of ~ shines within you.  \*

Okay then...

***The Lancer paper:***

On the inside it also read
"Lancer".  To which I guessed
Lancer would respond  "Wow, who did
that one?  It's really good."  And then a convolution which somehow ended
with the name being "The LANCER Fan Club".  Oh brother...

So which one did Kris choose?

Did their choice really matter at all?
Take a guess and whatever you guessed is probably right.  Moooooving right along...

Proceeding on, more sections of the Great Board
unfolded before us and the patterns were familiar but varied.  By the time we got to something new we were
being crowded out by a mob of Ponmen threatening to overtake us.

But we outdistanced them and managed to talk to the statues in the next
room;  the first resembling a hedgehog-looking
rabite perched on a pair of bellbottom pants?
Whaaaat?

"Woah there, horsie.  Ponmen're scary,  but all they're doin' is following the
King.  Us on the Great Board used to have
our own boss... those'n were peaceful times.
But now, even the boss's been reduced to the King's peon...

The other statue looked like it had a diamond for
a head, a set of choker beads around its neck and was in what could be
described as a matter-of-fact kind of pose...or maybe someone trying to Walk
Like an Egyptian from the 1980's?

"Fear not - we, unlike the simple Ponmen,
possess FULL faculty over our actions.
I, Mr. Society, am far too intelligent to ever bow down to such a tyrant!  ...Unless he asks me.  He's very scary, you see.  What?
You think you have the power to topple that brute???  Yes!
Yes!  Yes!  I'm sure everyone will support you!  Go for it!
Just as long as I don't have to participate!"

Oh brother.
Double-talk much?

And ahead...

"Hohoho... Well STEP on my BOOTS.  If it isn't the <REDACTED>."

Huh?  I was only joking earlier about
needing a censor for my dream sequence.
Our team name didn't REALLY need to be redacted...

"You boys or girls had better turn back
while you can."

"Lancer!  What is it this
time?"

"Hohoho...I'm simply warning you...!  Something EXTREMELY dangerous is lying
ahead!  Hohoho!  It's actually really inconvenient!  I can't go home at all because I'm so
scared!"

Every time Lancer finished a sentence he advanced closer to us.  And...for some reason when he did there was
the sound of an ominous orchestra hit.

"Wh...what is it!?!"  Suzie actually sounded rattle.

Lancer stepped aside and let us pass.  And standing in our way was... C. Round.  Really.
Really?  C. Round.  That was the scary thing?  A puppy-faced red checker chip with legs?

I can't even.....!

Ralsei, answer on my behalf...

"Oh!
Hey, little guy..."

"THAT!?!  That's what you're afraid
of?!"  Suzie's surprise actually
overrode her anger.

"W...wow, purple girl!  You aren't scared!?"

"Heh.
Why would I be?   What's it going
to do?

"Hmm....well, normally--"  Lancer started as the thing walked to the
very end of the Great Board just as the tiles lit up.  And with that something lowered down from the
sky onto its head.  A crown?  Wait...checkboard...checker chip.  When you got to the last move...wasn't that
where the losing player has to "King" the winner?

Moments after landing on top of the C. Round...it
suddenly grew a feeeew sizes with a familiar sound I remember from the archives
of the Mushroom Kingdom data.

And AIYAIYAIYAIYAI!  Those LEGS!

It took a stance toward us, actually shaking the
ground.

"It crushes people to death, I
think."  Lancer finished.

So.  Battle
time.

I wasn't comfortable sitting this one out, so it
was actually four on one.  Yet, why did
that not feel like it was enough?

"K. Round.  Attack: 9.  Defense:
3.  Check?  That's Chess, not Checkers!"

Suzie didn't even wait for Ralsei to warn and
chopped with the axe.

In retaliation, it jumped and stomped and jumped
and stomped a few times, shaking us to the floor.

"K. Round shuffles furiously."

Another chop with the axe and K. Round retaliated
with spark-like diamond sprays....or something like that.

Ralsei wrapped his scarf around himself as Kris
got an idea and suddenly bowed to "his majesty".

In response, K. Round returned the bow several
times. As it did, its crown loosened a little...

"That's it, Kris!  If we can get its crown off, it should turn
back into a little guy...  Suzie, help us
bow at it!"

"Nah.  It's crown will come
off...when I smash this guy into the GROUND!"

"For the love of...!"  I
facepalmed before putting up a magnet barrier around us the moment Suzie
chopped yet again!  And low and behold
that stressed K. Round out, yet again.
But this time it applied Self-Care magic.  Its HP restored and its attack went up as a
result.

"Suzie, stop attacking it!  You're making it stronger!"

"Psh!
And let it think I'm afraid?  No
way!"

"The crown is 15% loose."

Apparently warning it about dodging Suzie's attacks didn't do any good.  It didn't understand.

The three of us (minus Suzie) attempted a deep
bow.  That raised the crown to 35%
loose.  Keep it up, you two!

Another deep bow loosened it to 55%.  But of course that traded off with Suzie
chopping another piece of its HP.

We kept this up, knocking it loose to a factor of
75%.

We were also taking damage from its stops and its
sparks.

"Oww."
I rubbed my head.

It reached a fever pitch at 95% loose.  The next one would decide it.

One more deep bow and sure enough the crown fell
off...and K. Round shrank with an all too familiar pipe noise...huh.

With that... C. Round simply rolled away.  We won and received no XP but 25 dark
dollars.

"We...we did it?!"  Suzie seemed surprised the pacifist method
worked.

"Wow!
You CLOWNS really are heroes!  You
saved the next twenty minutes of my life!!"

"Yeah, yeah, I am pretty great, huh..?"

"Uh, Suzie...?  Not to downplay your contributions,
but...   You...  didn't actually help at all.  You only made everything WORSE by attacking
it.  `If you  had only acted nice in the first
place...  We could have avoided that
entire battle."

You tell her, Goat Wizard.

"Huh?
Are you for REAL?  That thing was
BLOODTHIRSTY!!!   The only thing keeping
it at bay was my AX!"

"And earlier, you terrorized those troops..."

"Those guys were ENEMIES!   They're
FOR terrorizing."

"Yeah!
She's right!"

Not helping, Lancer.

"And before that...you ate an innocent
person's cake..."

"Cakes... are also my enemy."

W.T.H.

"Suzie...whether you like it or not, you're
a hero.  One with power to bring peace to
the future.    Could you please start...
acting like one?"

"Yeah, when you lay it out like that...  I have been acting like a pretty bad hero,
haven't I?

...

Alright, Ralsei.
You got it.  I'll change my
ways.  From now on I won't be such a
rotten hero anymore."

Finally--

"I'll just be one of the  BAD GUYS instead!!!"

"WHAAAAAT?!?"  My jaw
dropped.  "You
unbelievable...!!!"

"R...really?!"  Lancer delighted.  "You're going to be on MY team?"

"Yeah, sounds way easier, honestly."

"Suzie, you can't just--"

"Quiet, Toothpaste Boy!  Suzie is MY
comrade now!"

"Hahahaha, yeah, Toothpaste Boy!"

"We're going to have monogrammed track jackets!"

"Yeah!"

"And sleepovers where we tell each other
secrets!"

"Umm....yeah?"

Getting more than you bargained for, you little traitor?

"Anyway...see you guys NEVER."

"Haha!  If you can even last that
long!"

"Smell you latter, geezer wolf!"

"G-G-G-Geezer wolf?!?"  I was
flustered by something so juvenile?  What
the Hell?!  What the ACTUAL Hell?!

And then the three of us were alone.

"Kris... Perhaps I shouldn't have been so
hard on her."

Sad Goat Wizard was sad.  And that was
making me sad.  Was I...getting drawn
into this?

"...
But I just worry that if Suzie is too eager to fight..  Then... well...  Let's just be kind to her, Kris.  I'm sure Suzie will come around, soon!"

"She doesn't deserve it.  But
okay.  Two wrongs don't make a right
so...what else is there?"  I
shrugged and shook my head.

We headed to the next room where Kris found a
SAVE marker.  And Mr. Elegance and Puzzle
Guy were there.

"Hey, kid.
We managed to fix up this old thingamajig for you.  It's some kind of door.  It can take you anywhere you want to go in
the world! ...as long as that's one of two locations."

Ugh.  That's kind of what a regular door
does.

Strange...this door...it looks...too
familiar.  With the way those rainbow
flames are pouring out from under the gap between the door and the floor--

...waaaaaait.
Where have I see this before...?
And why do I feel like using it will lead to a bad time...?

"Anyhoo, we'll keep working on it...  Anything to help you out, kid."

"Woah there, horsie.  Mr. Society
and Puzzle Guy fixed that door.   Since
it was just the three of us, it should work without any issues.  Anyhow (ha hah) hope'n it helps you deal with
the King!  Now don't tell anyone Mr.
Society helped.  He doesn't want none of
that.  I'm watching ya now... with my
nostrils."

And that was right about when my slumber started
fading and...

"..."

"Commander..."

"Callista."

"You have...been having one very strange ordeal."

"Tell me news not history."

"What you're experiencing...I feel like there is some sort of astral
projective echo somewhere out in time and space.  Your soul hasn't left your body nor has your
mind.  But somehow you're connected to...somewhere
else.  And when you wake it's
like--"

"Like that world pauses.
Yeah...kinda like the flash memory feature in the Virtual Console
service and the recent online gen 3 and gen 4 console emulations of recent
years."

"Your experiences are indeed being conserved, somehow."

"We haven't learned that much more about the mechanics of this
misadventure, though."

"Regarding...the events of your experience.   I'm sorry about--"

"She made her choice."  I
growled looking away and down at the ground.
"Time will tell which of us will regret it."

"How much more of this world do you think
there is?"

"The Great Board was said to be the half-way point.  So...we're past, now.  There's a forest ahead...I think.  And don't forget that Card Castle we're
looking out for.  Plus...that key...it
leaves me with questions."

"Indeed.  Well then.  I take it you don't want to involve
Asriel?"

"And complicate matters even further?
How do I in good conscience involve him in something that I don't
understand myself.  Besides.  No way I'm risking any chance of compromising
our promise."

"I understand."

"This does bring about a question of whether or not I can enter this dream
world at will...or if this was just a fluke."

"For now, give your mind and soul a rest.
It'll unfold in time."

"Yes it will.  It has to.  I now believe I have to see this all
through.  And maybe it'll give me answers
to questions I haven't thought to ask."

I hope that was indeed the case.

## Sub-Entry 323:  "Pit's Birthday Marks the 30th Anniversary of the N-Division UCIAT":

September 9th. Thirty years to the day.  Garfield
Arcade founded the N-Division prototype of the Ultra Crew and its Game Master was chosen.

At the same time in another parallel AU,  VideoLand had suffered 7 years of war under
the siege of Mother Brain and the united forces of Videoland's villains.  And at the darkest of hours, the Prophecy
revealed the powers greater than anything their world had known as it opened
the Ultimate Warp Zone and brought forth from Northridge, California their Game
Master.

In both realities...the one chosen to be Captain
N was Kevin Keene.  While the situation
between our two AU's may have been similar, the details and situations were
unique.

"I never thought we'd actually go through
with this."

History had told of our Captain N's victory and
return home.  The Videoland that Asriel
and I visited.

"it seems only right.  Thirty years
is a special occasion, when you think about it.
A generation or two has gone by since the time of."  Bunnie observed.  "Anniversaries should be observed.  Let we be doomed to repeat the past we chose
to forget."

"Heh.  Age-old advice."

I looked on.

"After all this time...KOMMAND finally
looked down the coordinates and gained access to the Ultimate Warp Zone.  Between them...and us...we're really bringing
it all...them all together."

"What better way to cement this auspicious occasion into this
timeline."  Bunnie mused.

Pit was the first the land in anticipation of
waiting for the invited guests.

"Hey, Pit.
Happy birthday."

By this point we'd gotten beyond the whole "it's not really his
birthday" just a day we set aside to celebrate and occasion near and dear
to his heart.

Pit never got any less overcome with emotion when
we hosted these.

"Commander...everyone....thank you so
much."

"Aww.
Little guy's blushing!"

"Vi, no picking."  Bunnie warned.

"It's okay.
I'm used to it.   I was the little
brother of the team."

Asriel nodded before checking in with me.

"He suspects nothing?"  I whispered.

"Not a thing."  Asriel confirmed.

"It's going to be quite a surprise."  I rubbed my chin.

Across the square, in the park; facing Rock-Afire
Pizza...

"Last wire's soldered."  Odie raised his laboratory goggles.

Garfield gave a thumbs-up.

"No way are we missing out on this
auspicious occasion.  But more
importantly...no way are our honored guest."

"KOMMAND has forwarded the coordinates to each and every one.  And all have been asked to stand by for the
signal."

"On this day...thirty years
ago..."   Garfield prompted as Odie
locked in the first set of coordinates.

"First location is..."

Back at the party...

"Such wonderful gifts, everyone!  Thank you all!"  Pit smiled again.  Then he seemed a little puzzled.  "But I can't help but feel like the
scope of this celebration is larger than usual.
I mean...you didn't have to go through all this trouble for just a
little birthday celebration."

Huh...he really doesn't know.

I kept forgetting Pit's perception of time was
different than mortal begins.  Heck.  I of all people should understand.  It never occurred to him that there was
something special about this time compared to the last shy of three decades
worth.

"How long until he gets suspicious that
there are more guests due here?"
Rotor muttered to me.

"Hopefully after Garfield and Odie manage to
get everyone here.

And sure enough...

"On behalf of our
world...welcome."  Odie extended the
laurel branch.

"I can't believe you actually came."

Their silhouettes emerged as the Ultimate Warp Zone had brought them to their
destination.

"Well then.
Are you ready to join the rest of the arrivals and officially ring in
this auspicious occasion?"

"And party with the best of them?"

A grin from the leader told all.

The countdown to big reveal began with that
moment.

"I just don't know how this day could get
any better.  I know you've all put so
much into this but...I have this strange feeling...I sense that...you're
holding something back."

Asriel and I looked at each other.

The facade of playing dumb and keeping it a
secret was starting to show cracks.  If
they didn't arrive soon, he'd figure it out and the surprise would be ruined.

That was about when the door opened.

"Welcome to Mitzi's Rock-Afire Pizzeria."

"Hmm?  I thought you rented the pizzeria
just for us on this event."  Pit
cocked his head.

"We did.
We rented it for all the guests we invited..."  I said with a smile.

"The rest of the guests just happened to
be...fashionably late."

"Well.  Better late than
never."  Came the familiar voice.

Pit slow turned and recognized the form of.

"You...you were there during the invasion
of.....wait...you resemble...!...it can't be!"

"Oh yes it can-icus."  The
familiar, rhythmic flapping of Kid Icarus' wings brought it up.

And then there was the barking of the dog in the
bandana.

"Wow.
I can't believe we're back here again.
So much happened the last time, I didn't have time to take in how much
it felt a little like home.  Except for
all the people around who aren't human and parts of the city kinda look like
Final Fantasy...."

"Are you...really Kevin Keene?"
Pit asked.  "...you are...but
you're not our universe's Game Master.
He went home a long time ago.
He'd be--"

"Pit, don't overwork your mind on it.
And just appreciate that they're here."  Asriel smiled.

I stepped forward.

"Welcome to our humble home, your
highness."  I bowed a little to
Princess Lana.

"I'm so flattered you thought of us on this day.  Back in Videoland this same day was the day
that Kevin came to our world and the tide finally turned."

"Yes...well I suppose the Prophecy had to run its course and
all."  Simon Belmont.  Downplaying his friendly rival's accomplishments
to fuel his own ego.

"This isn't about you, Simon.  This mega-anniversary is about the entire
N-Team!"  Yup.  Aqua-green Mega Man was here, too.

As was Game Boy.

"You all planned this?"

"And it's STILL not done yet."
I winked and gave my best Nester "star-pointing" pose.  Level 9 is under a rock in the sixth screen
from the left on the top, indeed.

"Commander...what did you do?"

I gave the most smug, most tell-tale grin I could.

"So this is what angels do with their
retirement after teams disband."

I didn't even hear the door open.  But
there she was leaning up against the door frame, arms crossed.

"My...first partner."

"Whoah!  You're Samus
Aran!"  Kevin blurted out.

I thought I saw the briefest moments of jealousy
in Lana's eyes as Kevin looked upon the blond, blue-eyed, slender but athletic
form of Samus Aran.  It was weird just
seeing her in her Zero Suit.

"But...how?"

"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate exhibitions are starting up.  More new-comers.  You won't believe this but there's a Piranha
Plant entered.  And a guy in a mask who
has this ghost thing...think he called it a Persona."

"Oh wow!"  Pit marveled at
it.  "And?"

"And a bird and a bear."

"Banjo and Kazooie?"  Bunnie
raised an eyebrow.  "Huh."

"Also various iterations of that hero from
the Dragon's Quest video world.  And
still more who haven't answered their invites yet.  I've heard rumors of this guy...Bogart or
something--"

"Terry Bogart?"  Bunnie raised
an eyebrow.  "This is getting
interesting."

Kevin and the others looked at each other and shrugged.

"The future is something else."

"Which we agreed on the terms."

"Aww, do we really have to forget-icus?"

"Sorry.  But the rules are the
rules.  Your timeline can't be corrupted
by too much information about the future.
Even possible or theoretical ones.
I can't guarantee your Videoland and your Earth will follow the path of
the Ultraverse, but...in all seriousness,
S.T.C. can't allow the risk.
Selective neuralization when you return to Videoland."

I explained.

"But...until then..."

That was when more of the UltraVerse's N-Division
started showing up.

"Pit!"

"Rock!"

A mutual tacklehug from both.

"It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise, best friend!"

"I guess the more things
mega-change..."

"The more they stay the same-icus."

A momentary pause.

"Even if he is tall and blue."
CN Mega Man crossed his arms.

"And even if he's all spikey-haired and a pretty-boy."    Kid Icarus did the same.

"Well.
What are you standing around here for?
Have a seat and join the group!"

And more arrived.

"So.
You're a Link, too."  CN Link
wrinkled his nose at his counterpart.
"You don't say much do you?"

"I know you're not hassling your counterpart, Mr. Hero!"

"HEY!  Well excuuuuuuuuuuse me,
Princess!"

And a meeting of Light and Wright.

"...and I had to scrap Garbage Man.  He ate too much of my lab."

"It reminds me of my own mishaps when building Bond Man.  I never finished him, though."

And of course there were some things that were
overdue.

"Oooh.
I finally get to try one of those...pizzas you called them, Kevin."

"Even if it won't be a Captain N special."

"Oh yeah.  N for nuts, N for
nectarines--"

Pit and Asriel looked at each other and shrugged.

And of course as more of the town joined in the
celebration, practically packing Rock-Afire Pizzeria to its maximum
occupancy...

There was plenty of nostalgia.

"...and we wiped out TWO Ironknuckles!  Lana was awesome!"

Plenty of mishaps...

"You lost the bet, Simon.  Do the
dare."

\*SMOOCH\*

"Gaaaah!"  Simon ran to the bathrooms to wash his face.

"What is it with Simon and a history of
kissing werewolves?"  Violet mused
as she high-fived Vidian.

"Totally worth it."  Vidian chuckled, shamelessly.

Some head-scratching moments...

"You want me to say what?"  Simon asked before Violet whispered in his
ear.

He cleared his throat and turned to Lana and
proclaimed  "Yoo-hoo!  Princess!
It's Simon Belmont!  I'm here to
be your pimp-daddy!"

Lana arched an eyebrow before she and Kevin
turned to each other and shared a confused look.

Kevin shrugged and shook his head with his eyes
closed.

"Thank you."  Violet waved before heading off.

"HEY!
What was that even all about.

Some laughable moments...

"I will have you know that Antoine
D'Cooliette is no stuffed shirt--"

"But for a guy who falls in the fountain all the time, he's sure a wet
blanket!"  Sally mused as she
crossed her arms with a smirk.

And some details we probably could have gone the
night without knowing.

"So Simon-ius screamed at the top of his
lungs: "Where's my rubber dickie?!"

"We didn't have the mega-heart to tell him
that it wasn't a formal event."

"At least until Duke bit the rear out of it."

I could have gone my entire life without knowing that Antoine and Simon both
wear heart-covered boxers.

"Eheheheh...maybe you shouldn't be telling
them this story, Mega Man...Kid Icarus."

"Payback for the haircut and
shoe-shining?"  I asked.

"Oh yes."

And there was all kinds of celebration.

Duke happily barked as he gave a ride to the
Rabite Trio.

"Say cheese--"

"MAMA MIA!"

I don't think any of us were prepared to be photobombed by--

"Holy schnikees, bro!"  Skeeter
gasped.

"Is that really...?!"

Pit smiled ear to ear.  "They really showed up."  He looked at the familiar brothers in the red
and green overalls, respectively.

Yeah.  I
think we know who they are.

By the time the party finally dispersed it was so
late it was practically early.  Mitzi had
kept the shop open well past closing time.

Garfield made sure everyone got back home--either
to Videoland or back through the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nexus to their
respective times and places.  And
yes.  There was neuralization involved
for the former.

When all was said and done...

"Happy 30 years, N-Division."
I grinned as we took one last full group photo in the highest of
resolutions for the high definition portrait we'd have.

"Commander.
Asriel.  Everyone.  Thank you."

Pit was actually drying his eyes and
sniffling.

"I guess you could say the Angel was touched
by us?"  Violet shrugged.

Ugh.  Dated
reference...but not the worst Vi had ever made.
I'll allow it.

"To another thirty years, Pit."  Asriel one-arm hugged him.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Captain N the Game
Master!

## Sub-Entry 324:  "The Big Guy and Rusty":

Pay close attention to the theme here;
specifically the giant robot not so much implied but said completely straight
out.  Why?  I will say...because this theme will be
revisited down the road.  To preserve
some semblance of surprise, I will not say to what it relates to or how.

Just bear in mind...that this begins a prelude of
sorts.  A prelude, mind you, that will
lead to big changes about to unfold as I look to the horizon and see the light
at the end of these Crossover Wars.   But
also solid advice from one Viewtiful Joe about the definition of plot twist.  There's no resting on your laurels.

That bit of drama done with...yeah.  I'm going to shift gears to match the tone of
this world.

Large
scale and epic...but boy does it play tropes and clichés completely straight
with 1950's sci-fi overtones and bigger and bolder clashes against monumental
threat levels.

Threat levels that even Coop at his most out of
nowhere moments of super dumb luck couldn't scrape victory off of the ground at
the expense of everything but a single frozen slush machine (after destroying
pretty much every convenience store, the factory, and the distribution center
in the process).

I adjusted my glasses.  Yeah.
It's one of those humans only Earths.
Well...mostly humans only if you count Lucy, the talking, genetically enhanced
spider-monkey that sat on the shoulder of Dr. Axel Donovan--the C.E.O of the
very company--I was requested to for a joint research venture.

"I'm flattered you requested my
correspondence for this, Dr. Slate.   But
it seems like Quark Industries has all their ducks in a row.  More than that it seems like you have true
artificial intelligence on lock.  Don't
tell anyone back home, it's still restricted by the Science Community until we
can deem it reliable enough to let trickle into the private sector and
eventually the main stream domestic and industrial settings."

"You give me too much credit, Dr.
Arcade.  There's still much we have to
learn about artificial intelligence.
Especially given the nature of our world."

We both looked to the side of the windows, giving
us a look at the city...windows which something big, slimy, tentacled and
covered in blast marks and the shrapnel of explosive ordinance was being
painstakingly cleaned off and removed by the building window washers.

"Yeah...I'm...starting to get that."
I looked down below at the massive destruction in the surrounding
streets and buildings.  Then at the
titanic form of the massive super robot returning to its aircraft carrier way
out in the harbor on the outskirts of the giant city.

"So.
B-G-Y-11's reputation precedes it.
Rather..."  I slid my gaze to
the side, almost expecting the person in question I DIDN'T want to be let in on
the big secret.

"How did you figure it out?"

"Cobalt/Thorium G power core.
Pretty sure those haven't been used in Technopolis for 50 years.  Based on that, I'm guessing that the Big Guy
has been in service for decades.  And
based on technological evolution on this or most other words?  Yeah.
You're advanced but I know Cold War era technology when I see it.

In an era before the integrated circuit, I'm
having trouble believing that even at THAT size, you would still not be able to
fit enough computer hardware in there to house enough software for an onboard
A.I. to do much more than respond with "Thursday" when prompted for
its primary directives."

"You are as good as they say."

"No.  Violet's the software
genius.  I can build the body, but she'd
be the one to build the mind.  That said,
Doctor...you didn't call me over here to discuss matters with B-G-Y-11.  No...this would be more relevant to his R-E-P-L-A-C-E-M-E-N-T."

And there was the big secret.  Though
big...is only relative.

That was when the sky light opened and who should
drop down but...

"Did you see us out there?!  The Big Guy and me totally kicked that space
creature's butt!"

I looked upon the shiny, orange-haired form of the pint-sized android kid.

"Welcome back, Rusty.  You did well."

"You mean it?!"

"He's a class act, Volt."
Asriel hovered down and hopped off his hoverboard.  "I tagged along and made sure not to get
in the way of the hero in training."

Asriel was only telling a half-truth based on the whole truth.   But only as a means of encouraging our
little robot boy wonder to be all the hero he could be.  The reality was...he was inexperienced and
incredibly naive.

"Just stick with me, Asriel.  I'll show you everything I know about being a
hero!   I learned from the best!  One day I'm going to be as great a robot as
he is!"

I happened to notice Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter
slip into the lab, unnoticed by everyone else.
I gave a nod while Asriel kept Rusty occupied.

And there it was.
The big secret.  Rusty could NEVER
know that underneath all that hardware, the Big Guy was a human pilot strapped
into a giant mech suit.  The truth
was...Rusty was already as good or better a robot than Big Guy.  He could think for himself.  He could feel, emote, make his own
decisions.  Yeah...he was the equivalent
of human.

Even with this unusual setup...it seemed like a
pretty ideal defense against the strange, weird, and otherworldly Avenger-level
threats that constantly rained down on this world.

At least it would be if not for the complications
I had come to know as mixing science...with business.  And as far as business was concerned?  Money talks.

"Uh-oh.
Pucker up."  I muttered to
Slate as I saw the curly-haired boss enter the room with a dour look and a
primate on his shoulder.  "Here
comes the Finger..."  muttered, not
really implying the rude gesture, but making an obscure reference to the fascist
police force from V for Vendetta.

Axel Donovan.
Poster child for the corporate upstart, born with a silver spoon in his
mouth, and handed everything to him on a silver platter without actually
earning the position.  The very
definition of corporate greed and moral cowardice.  Unfortunately he was the guy in charge and
the guy who paid everyone's salary.  I'm
pretty sure even his PhD was dipped in gold.
For that matter...as someone who was in the know of the scientific
community on and off world...I had to ask...what was this guy a doctor of
again?

"Oh boy...he's crossing his arms.  That's not good..."  I groaned.

He cleared his throat deliberately with a scowl
toward Asriel, who quickly stowed his hoverboard, feeling the eyes practically
burn into him.

"Is it just me or is fun outlawed around
here?"

Dwayne's expression wasn't any more thrilled than
my own.  I could tell Dr. Slate was going
to be the path of least resistance in this conversation when trying to defend
us.  Would you dare to even nip the hand
that feeds you let alone bite it out right?
It's not that the guy was intimidating...it's just that I had the same begrudging
vibe from Erika Slate around her boss that I got from Callie Briggs around
Mayor Manx.  You did what you had to
do...but no one said you had to like it.

"I'm only allowing you on this premises out
of protest.  Joint ventures are fruit are
invitations to industrial sabotage."

"I assure you this benchmarketting session is very one-sided.  Quark Industries will hold all the cards on
this one.  Ultra Crew Institute is also
represented by a non-profit organization."

"Spare me the lecture on the Arcade
legacy.   It's called nonprofit because
it doesn't make a profit.  You'd
understand that if you knew what was best for business."

I rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't hurt if he slapped some deodorant
on, too.  He smells like wet
dog."  Lucy taunted.

Okay that was just mean.

I thought I saw Asriel glare for a moment.  I gestured for him to cool it...I'm sure
Destiny would find a way to even the karma imbalance.

"I assure you; Dr. Arcade's credentials are impeccable.  It's absolutely vital for him to collaborate
on this project."  Slate spoke on my
behalf.

"They're really cool!"  Rusty followed up.

"Let me make it clear.  You're on my dime.  So any setbacks will be reflected in an
official conference with the board of trustees.
And if we don't like what that report says, you can expect your rating
at the better business bureau will be rightfully downgraded."

"Oh yes, sir..."  I smoldered
as he left the room.

Once I was sure he was out of even MY hearing
range...

"Idiot."

"You have the patience of a saint, Dr. Slate.  Sorry...little unintended rhyme there."

"I could do without the stress."

"it'll be okay, Dr. Slate!  We just need to show him that the Ultra Crew
is awesome!"

"If you’re suggesting we go rushing into
battle, I'm going to stop you there, Rusty.
Pretty sure none of us have nucleoproton powered weapons or titanium
shell.  And unlike you, we DO have pain
receptors."  I gave a slight tap on
his metal hair with a reverberating clang of metal.

"Not to say we haven't had our fair share of
adventures, partner."  Asriel gave a
wink as he headed over to Lieutenant Hunter.  "So.
As the Big Guy's...chief mechanic.
How'd you say he left the battle field."

"Aside from cleaning the goop off, just a few scratches on the paint and a
few dings to buff out.  The damage that
doesn't just gives him more heroic...battle scars."

Asriel and Dwayne were choosing their words very carefully around Rusty.  All while leaving the conversation with the
Doctor, her creation, and myself so that the two of them could converse man to
goat man about the real story behind the recent battle.

Honestly, as things were, I thought we were in
the clear for any further excitement what with the Big Guy and Rusty wrapping
up their battle with whatever abomination it was they faced outside that we
wouldn't be dragged into anything unexpected for the rest of our time here.

But as always...Madam Fate just couldn't help
herself over taking that as a challenge or a slight against her.  And when she does that...we learn to regret
our feelings of security in a big way.
We pay for it.  Many a time this
was clearly 'open mouth, insert foot'.
And then have a headache in what ensued.

In a mysterious location, whereabouts unknown...

I'm sure Chaopolis would like to think their
little terrorist cult was pretty original.

But that's a pretty bold-faced lie to themselves.  So when another shadow group, granted with
different goals in mind, shares disturbing numbers of similarities and
methods...it's only a matter of time before Newton's Law of Gravitation Force
applies to the concept of two equal and evil entities.  In so many words, gravitation is a force
equal to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square
of the distance between their centers.

In lamens terms, as this applies to
crossovers?  Yeah.  Bad guy meets bad guy.  Enter...Legion Ex Machina.  In Latin, it means:  "Many from the Machine".  They are an enigmatic group of six very
advanced robots who aim to destroy humanity and create a robot-heaven of
"Robotopia".  Their
origin?  Unknown.  But their design and function?  Eerily similar to the Big Guy.  For the longest time, clues to this and their
creator had slowly revealed over the course of time.   And the coincidences leading back to the
lead designer of Big Guy only proved...there ARE no coincidences.

In total, their numbers were six...at least
that's what our intel lead us to believe until an eventual future revelation of
a seventh.

Let's run down who's who.

Number 1 - The leader of the group. He was the
first of the legion to come online and can create complex tactics very quickly.
He and the others would not hesitate to execute one of their own should one of
them be inefficient or defective.

Numbers 2 and 3 - Since they both lacked emotions
they are nearly identical other than their looks. They often agree on the same
things that usually contradicts #1. They are completely loyal to Legion Ex
Machina #1 and would respect him, although they are always seen as equals.

Number 4 -
He is The only one to develop an emotion grid. Legion Ex Machina number
4 has apparently had a number of strange encounters involving switching
protocols with Rusty.  And then later
down the road switching minds, completely.
That's a story I'll have to ask about some other time.

Number 5 -
The first Legion member to meet the Big Guy.  Very similar to Legion Ex Machina #2 and #3.

Number 6 - Also known as Dr. Gilder, #6 was the
only member whose emotion grid was fully intact. However his emotions are
highly exaggerated and are considered by his peers as a weakness. He was sent
to Quark Industries as a spy to gather blue prints and information on various
Quark staff. He was first portrayed as a shy, weak scientist but was soon
revealed as a Legion Ex Machina member. His emotions also changed to a sadistic
and psychopathic killer.

And number 7?
At large.  And unknown.

Before I get too far off topic.  what does that have to do with--

"Allow me to introduce myself.  Dr.
Allouicious Adonis."

...never mind.

"Your correspondence is irrelevant,
organic."

"But my proposition is not.  You
seem to have an...unexpected detriment to your plans, yes?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Would it be your concern if that detriment were to gain additional
alliances that might upgrade a detriment to a full threat to your plans?"

A moment of deliberation.

"I can see I have your attention..."

And in due time...

The call went out to Big Guy and Rusty to deploy.

"What kind of bad guys are we gonna stop
this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Rusty.
By stepping foot on our home turf and waving the flag of war?  They've made a biiig mistake."

"Oooh!
I hope it's some kind of alien space bug that we can give a major beat
down to!"

As the skylight closed, once Rusty had been
deployed and met up with BGY-11...

"Hmm..."  I rubbed my chin and narrowed my eyes.

"I know that look, Volt.  That's the look of someone who feels like
he's trusting his gut when he senses something's wrong."

"I think we may need to step out of think
tank mode and into action team mode.
Call it a hunch."

Asriel nodded and converted the NX Switchboard while I took a page from one
Virgil "Static" Hawkins and borrowed a little piece of disc-shaped
tech from the good Dr. Slate.

"I'll return this as soon as possible, doctor.  With your permission."

"By all means."

Asriel raised an eyebrow.

"Volt?  Does she know
about...?"

I gave a brief smirk, indicating it was okay for Azzy to deactivate the Unitrix
once we were outside.  And once we
were...

I stowed my glasses and morphed, hopping on the
disc and putting my own spin on Static Shock's favorite mode of transportation.

Asriel switched off the Unitrix and we both
jetted after Rusty.

"Level with me.  She knows, doesn't she?"

"You ever ask  yourself how many colleagues
I had while advancing my education and conducting my first space/time
research?"

"She's definitely not on the scientist
blacklist."  Asriel mused.

"So...anyone else?"

"In time...you'll eventually meet them all."

"Still want to see that list of who's \*NOT\* invited to your science
symposia."

"Curiosity is a dangerous thing, Goat
Son."

"Okay.
Serious talk.  What kind of
trouble do you think they're in for?"

"The kind where Chaopolis has been too cooperative for too long.  They haven't rattled our cage since the night
of the Mutant Megamix."

"Felt like we kinda Deus Ex Machina'd that with a simple call to Optimus
Prime."

"Why, Goat Son. Are you calling out our own methods as being too conveniently
out-of-the-hat?"  I jabbed.  "And don't think I didn't notice the
subtle pun you made with the D.E.M. there."

"So you think that's who Adonis contacted, too?"  Asriel narrowed his eyes.

"Good man accessing A.E.O.N. to peek into
this world's rogue's gallery."  I
nodded.  "While Adonis may be random
with what he does and the chaos he sows, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be able to
resist manipulating a hive-mind archetype society.  And then leaving them high and dry when
whatever he provided them in their deal falls flat."

"We're almost on the scene."

"Weapons hot."

To Big Guy' and Rusty's horror.

"Wait a minute!  We already
destroyed all these guys!  How are they
back?!"

"That's not the only thing concerning me.
The question is why?  It goes
against the Legion's M.O.  They dispose
of anything that fails them."

I narrowed my eyes as I overheard the conversation.  This seemed more like a page out of Dr.
Wily's playbook.  Backup clones.

"A.E.O.N.'s got electronic I.D.'s up.
I've got a real ugly rogue's gallery here.  For your approval, meet:

**Argos.** His archived file reads as
follows:  Two robots created by the
Legion. The first was used as a weapon to attack the Legion's enemies. It was
the first encounter with the Legion, and it tried to turn Big Guy and Rusty
over to the Legion's.  They totally
turned him down. Powered by nucleoprotons and destroyed by Rusty when tricked
into taking his overloading powerpack.

The second was a several stories tall version.
This one was so powerful it could take the best Big Guy and Rusty could hit it
with and come out without a scratch. Due to Big Guy and Rusty getting its left
hand, it was missing a hand. Inside the hand was a 500 megawatt Vortex Cannon.
Was sent out to get New Tronic City's Micro Fusion Generator to power a new
assembly line for Legion robots. Was destroyed by Joe who fired the Argo's own
Vortex Cannon into it once Rusty retrieved the firing mechanism in the left
wrist."

And both the small and the large version were
very teamed up.

"**The Eliminator** - A heavily
armed Quark Industries robot that Dr. Gilder/#6 hijacked in an effort to
eliminate Donovan in revenge for the destruction of various robots he had
created for Quark. It was subsequently defeated by Big Guy and the control
drone implanted by Gilder discovered."

"Oh boy."

"**Project Nova** - A large
three-legged robot armed with a powerful energy cannon; it was apparently designed,
and its development intended to be overseen by #4. However, during a mission to
acquire fuel for its cannon, an attempt by Rusty to download information from
the Legion's systems resulted in him and #4 switching some programming. As a
result Rusty drew up schematics for and built his own Nova, which came under
the control of the Legion. It briefly engaged Big Guy but was later taken out
of commission permanently by Rusty after he and #4 swapped their entire
programming set, resulting in them switching bodies temporarily."

"Again I'm going to have to ask for details
on that brain-swap..."  I mused.

"And finally, **Bad Guy** - A
fully robotic clone of Big Guy also known as the BGY-11X. Created to take Big
Guy's place to infiltrate the military and Quark. It fights it out with Big Guy
who proves to be no match for it although both robots take heavy damage in the
fight. It was destroyed when it tried to use a massive cannon-a feature Big Guy
lacks due to its cockpit-to destroy Big Guy and Lt. Hunter fires Big Guy's hand
into the cannon, blocking the shot and causing an explosion that destroys Bad
Guy."

"We're coming up on Rusty's hearing
range.  Cool it on BGY-11's true
nature."

A nod as we got in range.

"Big Guy!
I think I see Asriel and...Dr. Arcade with him?  And flying too?"

"Doctor!  You and your partner
should leave the area.  We got some nasty
kids in need of a spanking and we're about to dish up..."the
Candy"."

"I know!   Something's off about
this!"

"Besides the fact that the Legion suddenly decided to resurrect robots
that have already failed them for no apparent reason?"

"I think there is a reason.  And
some enemies of ours might have a stake in this--"

"Asriel?  You're all...fuzzy!  And your ears got long!  And why do you have horns."

"Eheh...we can explain...later."

"Why is Dr. Arcade a big puppy dog?"

"Be glad you're not here, Jon..."
I muttered.

Bad Guy was first to attack.  A counterattack soon made it very clear what
Adonis had done.

"That's...new...!"

"Are those...the N.E.R.D.'s?"

"I thought that nanotechnology was destroyed."

"Worse."  I narrowed my
eyes.  "That's PicoBoost Virus.  The sister virus to the PicoDrive virus.  It does the same thing to synthetic materials
that the PicoDrive virus nearly did to me!"  I growled.

"Avoid contact with it at all--"  I already saw it reacting with BGY-11's fist.

"Jettison that hand, quick!"  I hollered.

And there went one fist.

"Big Guy!
You've been--"

Don't say it.

"...disarmed!"

"Goat Son.
Don't laugh at that."

Asriel just shrugged and grinned.

"So I guess projectile weapons are out,
too.  That just figures..."

"Let's try Nucleoprotons!"
Rusty pointed and fired off a potent beam of green energy from his
finger.

Argos-1...or rather Argos 1.5 retaliated with a
stronger Nucleoproton blast.

"Oh right...he has Nucleoproton powers,
too."

"We're kinda running out of viable options, here."  Asriel went to evasive maneuvers to avoid the
Eliminator."

Project Nova was even absorbing my best lightning
attacks.

"I think they're moving in for the
kill."  I growled as we were
surrounded.

Asriel's eyes flickered between yellow and
orange.

"Til the very end.  If we go down we take them with
us...somehow.  We can't let the Legion
win this!"

Admittedly I caught myself nearly confusing this
Legion with the theoretical hordes of Fate Wraiths that Gaster had discovered
somewhere deep into the dimensional depths of the CORE.

"YO!
Spark Wolf and Goat Son!"

"Big Guy!  I'm picking up a weird
transmission in my head!"

"I'm getting the same "collect call", too.  Who is this?
Identify yourself!  Friend or foe?"

"Relax.  I'm with the wolf and the
goat out there giving you a hand!  But do
you mind?  Private conversation.  S.T.C. classified material and such.  Gonna need you to turn your com systems off
if you can?  Thaaaanx."

Rusty shrugged and clicked on something in his
ear as Big Guy shut down his communications hub.

"KOMMAND, there's nothing you can say that
you can't share with our partners.  What
gives?"

"You know it's funny Goat Son called you out on convenient McGuffin, because
I'm about to deliver one into your laps riiiiiight abooooout..."

And that was when I saw something bright piercing through the clouds above
us.

"Oh crap...you guys!  Scatter like
your skid plates are on fire!"  I
grabbed Asriel and flew as fast as we could out of there.

Big Guy fired up his rocket jets as Rusty did the
same, leaving our opponents at the epicenter as the shaft of light pierced
through the sky and swallowed up everything at ground zero.

"KOMMAND!
WHAT THE HECK?!?"  I
screamed.  "What was that?!

I watched as we barely escaped the shockwave and the skull-shaped mushroom
cloud.

"You remember when the Justice League
dismantled the Binary Fusion Cannon after that whole incident with Luthor
hacking it to destroy CADMUS headquarters and get them at each other’s throats?"

"I thought that thing was dismantled and melted down for scrap!"

"Yeah, well...I get my hands on the assets and recommissioned it and
combined it with a nice little vaccine I spent the last seven years developing
to work on both the PicoDrive and PicoBoost virus in case Adonis ever used them
again.  So even if the picomachines
SURVIVE ground zero, they're pretty much infected with a cure that it can't
evolve an immunity to."

"Thanks for telling us AHEAD of time.."

"Sooooooo...does that mean we won?"

"Oh yeah.  As sure as the colors of
the red, white and blue wave true, we'll stand and salute Old Glory in
victory."

Really, Hunter.
I'm all for Patriotism, but were you reading these lines off of 1940's
and 50's propaganda films shown classrooms of the day?  Patriotic, yes...but also a little dated.

And so...

"I suppose you weren't a waste of company
resources.  But I still don't like you bench
marketing Quark Industries technology."

"We'll keep our noses clean."

"Right now I wish mine weren't.  Get
a shower, you two.  You smell like wet
dog and a farm animal."  Jenny
sneered.

"Maybe so.
But at least we had the decency to put clothes on."  Asriel grinned.  "But I guess that's something
we...evolved into."

Nice burn, Azzy.

"We'll be in touch, Erika."  I shook Dr. Slate's hand.

"Contact us if you ever need
assistance.  She responded.

"It was great working with you."  Rusty
"We gotta do this again."

"I'm sure the Big Guy would
agree."  Hunter nodded.

I recognized the glance in my direction,
emphasizing the secrecy.

We both waved goodbye as we headed out of the building and caught the first
warp back home.

## Sub-Entry 325:  "The Best 118th Birthday Goat Son Could Ask For":

"...he suspected nothing?"

"Not a thing.  He has no idea.  You're good to go.  Proceed."

"We're on our way to Rock-Afire Pizza,
now."

"He'll be on route.  I've secured the items."

I'd been both planning...looking forward to...and
dreading this at the same time...for a long time.

So here it was.
That day.  That day he was no
longer a kid.

"So.
You really think we can get away with a surprise birthday party?"

"He'll see the surprise party coming.
But he won't see--"

"Yeah.  So.  I guess Kisuke finally kept his end of the
bargain.  It'll be so worth it
when..."

"Yes.  When."

"I guess we begin the countdown to
destiny.  And Destiny is a doozy this
time around."

"Volt.  You know it's up to him
where to go from here.  It can't be
helped."

"If I'm lucky...we can wait another three years.  If not...well...I really don't want that big
a reveal at a time we're still at war.
It's too much complication.  Too
many variables--"

"Too many people to learn the truth."

"Yeah.  And besides...Frisk
hasn't--"

"I know.  But she will."

"Which we'll have to synchronize our
clocks...our timers with them as they--"

"Yeah. It's even more a critical part of the timeline than the one we're
at now."

"That's why we'll be expecting it.
Expecting him.  And expecting even
ONE thing out of place."  I pounded
my fist in my palm.

"We're NOT losing the timeline.  I swear it."  I growled, baring my fangs.

"Yo, Spark Wolf!  You better start counting down from another
timer.  Because he's approaching the
square and by extension, Rock-Afire Pizzeria."

"Places everyone."

Everyone got into positions.

"The package?"

Bunnie cocked an ear toward the back room.

"If all has gone well, package has
arrived.  Now it's up to me to open the
door."

Bunnie headed back.  "We'll
take...that route."

"Ohhh.
To ensure maximum effectiveness.
Sly rabbit, you."

Bunnie smirked.

I signaled KOMMAND to open the gateway to
Karakura town.  It was a quick jump
across time and space and we soon found ourselves in front of the infamous
candy shop in question.

"I'll leave the negotiations to you,
Major."

"To avoid the incident when you were last here?"

"I don't know who's shrewder.
Kisuke or you."  I lowered an
eyebrow.

It didn't take long for a certain, hot-tempered,
unruly brat to confront me; I recognized the feel of the tip of his baseball
bat in my back.

"Jinta."  I said dryly.

"What business do you have with the dirty
old man?"

"Refreshing to see that your demeanor hasn't degraded."  I said as sarcastically as possible.  Reeeeeally wanted to morph back to werewolf
form.   I'd decided not to risk it in
case anyone from the surrounding world of the living happened to catch it.  This town already had enough weird things.

Before Jinta could answer, he was immediately
shut down when Bunnie came up behind the boy and pinched the nerves in his
collarbone, putting the fear of the gods in him.

"We have business with former captain
Urahara.  So unless you want me to
discipline you for bullying Ururu Tsumugiya, I suggest you leave the Commander
alone.

Speaking of the meek, black-haired little girl known
for being consistently melancholy if not a little monotone.  There she was...hefting the multibarreled
shoulder cannon that should be impossible for someone her size and strength to wield.

"Ah!
Ururu-chan.  Jinta was just
greeting us before we conduct business with Urahara-sama.  Is that not right?"

A little more pressure on the shoulder quickly convinced the Jinta to back off
of me.

"I did not mean to keep the two of you from
your chores.  Please return to what you
were doing."

"Yes, Miss Bunnie."

"Grr...fine."

"You have a way with kids, Major.  Even the ones that probably need a good
spanking."

"Let's just pick up the item before we head
to the Rukon District."

Fast-forwarding through the quirky banter and
dealings with Kisuke Urahara...

Bunnie knocked on the door.  It opened and we greeted the occupant.

"It's time."

And so, back at Rock-Afire Pizza...

"He's coming!  He's coming!"  Pit came down from his perch and reported
like the good scout he was.

"Okay!
Places, people!  Let's get this
set up quick!"

We turned the lights out and got into our hiding
positions.

Asriel's car pulled up and parked.

"Heh.  An old-fashioned surprise party.  This probably would have gotten me good when
I was in my single-digits.  Really have
to appreciate the thought, though." Goat Son mused.

"I guess it's their way of welcoming me into
adulthood.  I'll do my best to act surprised."

Asriel headed up to the door before checking the calendar
on his smart phone.

"...One-hundred nine or so years since we
first met...my big day was the day you fell into the underground.   How did we ever become so inseparable in
only a year?  Well.  I'm sure sensei will take me to the Soul
Society later today so we can spend some time together."

A deep sigh.

"Welcome to the rest of your life, Asriel
Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade.  It's only going
to get better from here."

Optimistic as always.

This time, he had a right to be.

He opened the door and walked in.  He could definitely hear our movement and our
attempts to keep quiet.

Okay, we weren't really trying that hard.  But we were trying not to make the surprise
that obvious.

"Surprise!"

The lights when on and we all jumped out.

"Oh golly!
I wasn't expecting this!  What a
complete and total surprise to me!"
Azzy tried to play it cool.

"Wow, we've really outdone
ourselves."  Violet mused, being
just as coy with the banter.

"However will I calm down from all this
excitement?"  Goat Son bantered
back.

Okay.  Time
for us to go in for point and match...because if you haven't figured out?  This was the decoy surprise.

That was when he felt the hand on his shoulder.

"Oh my.
A goat monster seems to have fallen down.  Your name is Asriel, isn't it?  That's a nice name.  My name is...!"

Asriel's eyes widened so much I was actually worried they'd pop out of their
sockets.

"Ch-Ch-Ch..!"

He turned around in a moment that went in slow
motion.

"You should see the look on your face, right
now."

Asriel was completely speechless.

"Am I going to have to snap you out of it
with the creepy face?"

That made him take a step back, completely by reflex."

"Your reaction was totally worth it."
Chara's grin was impressive even for her.  There she was in plain but nice clothes.  Honestly...I never expected her to wear a
dress.  As tomboy-ish as she was the image
of Chara being effeminate in any way had completely escaped me.  But here was the reminder.  Yeah.
She was a young woman.

"CHARAAAAA!!!!"

"Oh no...oh no...here come the
waterworks..."  She rolled her eyes.

Asriel tackle hugged her.

"But...how...you're...you're--"

"Allow me to explain."  Bunnie
put the soul candy back into her hammer space.

"First.
No.  She has not come back to
life.  What you see here is a faux body
called a "gigai".  It's what
full Soul Reapers wear around their soul to interact with the world of the
living."

"Like...a space suit of sorts?"

"Jeeze, you just can't get enough of the stars and the heavens, can you,
Azzy?"  Chara teased.

"Well, it's more like what Captain Atom and
Major Force have to wear...minus the whole being made of pure, explosive energy
thing."  I tried to come up with a
comparison.

"Actually..." Bunnie clarified.  "It's more like how ghosts possess an
object and become corporeal."

"Ohhhh!"  That makes perfect
sense, sensei!"

Huh.  Really should have went for the
Mettaton explanation...minus actually name-dropping him.

"It's only fair, Azzy.  You came to my home  a year ago.
Now I get to come back here.
Though in all honesty...I still feel wary.  I still feel like I'm not...completely
welcome."  Chara looked off to the
side.

"Because of the faker, right?"
Asriel frowned.  "He's stirring
up bad memories and smearing your name."

"Part of it, yeah...but a lot of it...I just feel like--"  Chara felt a presence looming over her
shoulder before turning around.

"Do continue."  Queen Brooke stood in the doorway.

"Queen Brooke!  I didn't expect you to show up."  Asriel rubbed the back of his head,
nervously...before realizing what had escaped him.

I think what was in Chara's eyes right now was
doubt, fear, and guilt.

"I...I guess I knew this day would
come."

"I did not believe this would be the last I had seen of you."  Brooke remained stoic.

"Are you...going to judge me?"

Asriel clutched Chara's arm, worriedly.

"There is no judgement I could give harsher
than your own, Chara Dreemurr.   I see it
in your eyes, and I see it in your soul.
You have paid for your crimes."

"Have I?  I haven't exactly done
much to make amends for what I've done."

"Intention tells me everything.  But
do not believe that you will find redemption so quickly.  It is a building process.  Right now you have not even been issued
your...?"

"Zanpakutou.  It means soul slayer.  It's the weapon of a Soul Reaper.  I...have my doubts about that too.  I feel like it's the only path for me...but
it's hardly ideal.  But maybe it's still
better than I deserve."

"Chara Dreemurr.  This whole
conversation could be considered a test.
I believe you have passed your probation period."

"Well.  If you're sure."

"I am.  Asriel, I wish to speak
privately with your sister for a moment.
I won't keep her long."

"Yes, your majesty."  Asriel
bowed quickly and rejoined the party for a moment; the noise covering up the
conversation as Brooke and Chara stepped outside.

Outside...

"You may now say what you can't in his presence."

"Very well.  If you are sure, your
highness...then I suppose I am only banned from one kingdom now.  At least...I would be if the timeline hadn't
been reset.  The Toriel and Asgore that
were my adopted parents are long gone with the Genocide Timeline.  The ones that I...the Wraith,
rather...controlled like puppets are rolled back and replaced with the new time
line.  The new Monster Bosses of the
Underground wouldn't recognize me."

"You give yourself too little credit.
I believe there will come an opportunity to meet them and they will
recognize a part of you.  At the very
least find something...familiar about you."

"Well.  I guess with that out of the
way.  About my "faker"..."

"Anything you presume might as well be taken factually.  He is truly a scourge and I will see him cast
down to the Pit of Eternal Flames and his soul feasted upon by ever devil in
Gehenna."

Chara sighed.  "Do whatever it takes
to keep Asriel safe from him."

"I will.  However.  When the time comes, you can protect him,
yourself.   But..."

"I know.  I won't be alone in
protecting him.  It's all I've ever wanted;
all I've ever dreamed of since getting this...second...or is it third
chance?  I don't know.  All I know is.......I'm missing my brother's
birthday!"

"Good answer.  Run along now.  And keep your nose clean."

"You going to join us?"

"I will later.  Once I finish up certain affairs to formally
reinstate your..."travel privileges" between the Soul Society and
here.  Let's just say it will be inscribed
into a secret charter, kept off the books, but still law by silent royal
decree."

Chara nodded and headed back in.

"What kept you, sis?"

"Oh.  Things.  Boring things.  Now.
What do I get for the goat that just turned legal?  Granted, it's kind of hard to bring anything
to the World of the Living...and even harder when you're dirt poor--"

"Are you reverse-guilt tripping me on my birthday!  Wow, you have not gotten any less
mischievous."

"And I wear it like a badge."
Chara booped Azzy on the snoot.

"Chara.  Don't worry about it.  You coming here and being here in the
flesh...or reasonable substitute...is more gift than I could ever want."

"Admit it.  It's what you were going
to wish for when you blow out your candles."

"Now if I tell you that, my wish won't come true."

"Yeah.  But your dreams clearly
have."  Chara sighed.

"Hey.
You still have dreams.  They're
still there for you to live out, even if it's in an afterlife."

"Right.
That whole new saying of yours.
What was it again?"

"In Jangese...Yume wa eiendesu."

"Right.  You may eat a tofu...or
something."

"We'll work on your Jangese, sister dearest.  But yeah...it means dreams are forever.  New personal motto, I guess."

"It's nice.
But I hope you didn't throw your old one away."  Chara joked.
"I kinda liked that one."

"Yeah.  Houpu wa kesshite hitori de aruku koto wanai.  That is...hope never walks alone."

"Well now, you two have certainly had some
catch-up.  You ready to really celebrate
this?"

"We're not going to sing happy birthday, are we?  That trope is so overdone."  Chara crossed her arms and stuck up her nose.

"What's wrong with happy
birthday?"  Asriel shrugged.

"Well, they wouldn't let me sing the one
that Master Shake wrote up with Zak Wyld--"

Bunnie thwapped her.  "You swore and
oath not to bring up purple or black listed worlds, Vi.

"Well, that version by Weird Al Yankovic
isn't too terrible."  Chara
suggested.  "So what kind of cake
and ice cream are at this shindig.  If
it's anything other than chocolate--"

"Hey, whose birthday IS this again, Chara?"  Asriel prodded.

"It was worth a try."

A moment of grins then silence before it was addressed.

"So.
One-hundred eighteen.  I guess
that makes you legal now.  Welcome to
adulthood, Asriel.  You got there before
I did."  Chara looked at the ground.

"The grass is greener...at least it feels
like it.  When I think deep about it...it
just feels like my childhood has finally...ended.  And now..."

"Asriel."  I stepped in.  "The good times aren't coming to an
end.  They're just changing.  Yes, as an adult you'll have expanded
responsibilities.  Your live will get
busier.  People will expect more from you.  You may find less time for the things you
enjoy.  You may even outgrow things.  But adulthood isn't an end to the fun.  It isn't going to be working yourself to the
bone while becoming an empty shell of broken hopes and dreams; not if you don't
want it to be.

Life is like this war we're in.  There's two approaches.  Those who can and those who won't.  I know you won't give up on trying to find
the perfect balance the works for you and only you.  I know you're in for an even brighter
future."

"I just see the end of high school coming and...I don't know if I'm ready
to move out and leave Mom and Dad behind.
I have so many memories and so much about Miranda that keeps me tied to
it...but I could easily make new memories and start a new life beyond Fontraile."

Scott and Callista were standing by and listening in...but deciding not to
enter the conversation.

"And that will be your choice, Azzy."

"And you know whatever you decide, we'll be behind you all the
way."  Chara followed up.

"Now for the big question.   What's your poison for the
after-party?"  Violet grinned.  "You're legal, now."

"Sorry, Aunt Vi.  No alcohol for
me."

"Aww come on!  It's a rite of
passage."

"I'm too much like Volt.  Sobriety
now and forever."  He fist-bumped
me.

"Well, if you're not going to..."  Chara's eyes were hidden under her bangs as
she grinned that creepy smile.

"Gaah!
Don't do that!"  Asriel
jumped back.

"I'll show you the best spots in town.  Maybe I can convince Buns to let you try that
sake that Brooke loves so much."

"Do not hold your breath."
Bunnie said flatly.

"Subject change!  Please!"
Asriel and I said in unison.

"Right.
Well.  Let's get to some proper
celebration."  Mitzi said as she
brought over the pizzas.

"Now this is something I hope I never
outgrow any time soon."

"Heh.  Still such a kid, Azzy."

"Like you're acting any more grown up, Chara."

Asriel had outlined some things I'd been worried
about, myself, for a long time.  With
only one more year of being a teenager...though technically he'd passed that
point a hundred years ago...with only one more year of it left, he'd be an
adult in the coming decade.

I'd been wanting to say something profound about
this in Miranda City...in this time period out of all the innumerable ones I've
been to...every moment I've reflected on where and I when my family, friends
and I were at that point.

I've been looking for the right words to say for
eighteen years, now.  But I've never
found them.  Nor have I had the resolve
to say what I wanted to say if I ever found the right words.

Well.  No
sense in regretting the past.   No time
like the present.  As the offspring of
Pink Diamond put it:

Here we are in the future.

And it's bright.

*Happy 4th Anniversary, Undertale! Happy Birthday, PLDN's Asriel Tobias Arcade!*

## Sub-Entry 326: "The Test of Apathy vs. Perseverance in a Clash of Giant Robots and Mechs":

Pop quiz time again.  Remember what I said about a certain theme
that we'd been seeing a lot of lately?
Even as early as that goof from Jersey some 7 or 8 years ago after
Violet took liberties and most recently ones that helped us...dig...our way out
of a tight spot surrounded by endless ocean and of course the recent cross rift
that gave my mentors something to think about.

We'd gone this long without Evil-Chara even
considering that this was an opportunity to take advantage of.

Well...this was probably the closest he'd get to actually taking this city and
everyone in it down.  Need I remind which
two virtues Asriel still lacked?  If you
need a hint, I can tell you which vice was NOT the one that Evil-Chara brought
to the table.

But I was about to get a trip down memory lane
when I thought back to how Chara-Wraith first reunited with Asriel.  And he was not in a good place at the time.

History repeats again.  Goddammit, history repeats again.

When Evil-Chara came to town this time?  He came in a big way.  And for the first time...it seemed he didn't
sacrifice anything to get his reward.  At
least that's what it seemed like on the surface.

But what set THIS attack apart from the other
five?  He finally saw the value of the
old wisdom: strength in numbers.  And
then he coupled that with  size matters.

By that extension, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

However...I'm getting far too ahead of
myself.  The point that lead up to that
was going to suck.  A lot.  For the whole town.

Explosions.
So.  Many.  Explosions.
So many even Michael Bay would ask us to tone it down while looking up
from a Work in Progress script of Transformers 6 that hadn't been green-lighted
yet.

And boy oh boy did he pick a rogue's
gallery.  In case you haven't figured it
out, yet?  Yes.  Evil-Chara digs giant robots...and monsters.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!  Perish, organics!"

Sigma-02.  Yup.  Adonis went so far as to awaken Sigma's giant
form and pull him out of the Worlds Unite incident.  Somehow, despite ACM-002 and ACM-001 not
existing anymore, he was able to reach into Abel City of Mega Man X's timeline
and awaken a residual chronal memory in Sigma's program allowing him to have
total recall of his plan to use the Unity Engines to consume all of the
dimensional energies of all worlds and ascend to a god.

But The Freedom Fighters, Light Family, Maverick
Hunters, and too many heroes from too many Sega Nebula and Capcom Galaxies
banded together to put a stop to it.
However they were too late to stop the time space continuum from
collapsing upon itself.

Spoiler.
Xander Payne hit the reset button by opening a time-space gate back to
the moment the Sigma Virus first entered AMC-002 and arrived on the Lost
Hex...and shot his program, causing it to be deleted again.

Yet, somehow he was back in that form that made
his X7 Final Form look like a flea on the back of a dog.

Gamma.  The
giant robot stolen by Dr. Wily after pretending to reform and work with Dr.
Light.  Who was piloting it now that Dr.
Wily was on the run back on Capcom world?

\* KABOOM \*

Of course.
What's a giant mech army without a Zion mobile suit.  Considering it was blood red in color...I had
a good idea who was piloting it.  Though
why fight for Chara-Wraith was a question I couldn't answer.

The next two were pretty much a duo.  The Ecto-Morphicons controlled by Ivan
Ooze.  Ohhhh boy. Six thousand years of
imprisonment wasn't nearly enough.  And
yet despite the fact that he had met his end after impacting Ryan's Comet,
Adonis found a way to bring him back from the Power Rangers' rogues gallery of
defeated or destroyed enemies.

And they were joined by the T-1,000,000 sent to
us courtesy of SkyNet.  The smallest of
the bunch but easily the most maneuverable and most versatile.  It was like dealing with Chara-Wraith's
stolen shapeshifter form again.  You know
what?  I'm going to treat this and the
previous two as a trio and count all three as one entry.

Number five headache...NBE-1, himself...Megatron.

"I claim this primitive dirt ball in the name of the Decepticons!  Will that, I take my rightful steps to cull
the herd of organic germs on this world!"

Brooke was going to have someone's soul dragged down to Gehenna for this.

But out of all of them?  Evil-Chara had the biggest, baddest and
nastiest mech for himself.  It looked
like a conglomeration of several giant robots I'd seen in the past.  Definitely parts from both Big Duo and Big
Fau from Paradyne City's own Big O.  An
equal number of parts from torn-apart jaegers from Pacific Rim.  Pieces of Mecha-Godzilla tossed into the
mix.  Sections borrowed from both
Cyclopsis from the Power Rangers universe and patchworks from scrapped
Evangelion armor.  And even a little of
King Blue from Viewtiful Joe just to top it all off.

He wasted no time in zeroing in on Asriel and
isolating him from us.

"Wow...you're a BIG time villain,
now!"  Asriel backflipped away as
the punch cratered the street.

"Look around you, Asriel.  This is your swan song.  This is the end of everyone you know and
love."

"Dark.  Darker, and Darker still,
No-Name!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!  IT'S
CHARA!"

"And you stop using her name in vain!
It's a jerk move from a moving jerk!"

"Finally started using insults?  Am I finally getting under your skin,
Azzy?!"

"As if!"  Asriel backflipped
onto the NX Switchboard and dodged the blows left and right.

"That's not going to help you for
long."

Asriel realized he wasn't wrong about that.

Man, oh man.
How'd it get this bad?

"You've inspired me, you little turd!
All this time you've relied on so many friends and family.  While I've stood alone.  Well now I have strength in numbers  And you're the one alone!"

"Really.
What did it cost you this time?"

"Even if it did cost me something, you think I'd tell you?"

"So Adonis switched it up by not taking something from you.  Alright.
I could believe that.  I could
also believe you didn't pay in cash...you just charged it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Better watch the interest on that debt, No-Name.  It'll come back to bite you in the butt!"

More punches, stomps and weapon fire to try to
squash the bug that dared to insult him.

"I'm bringing your corpse back home and
sticking that soul of yours in a bell jar!
A fitting end...considering...!"

If there was any danger of Chara spilling the beans, it was at an all-time high
red flag, this time.

"You're delusional!  You're living in your own world!  Stop it, already!  You're just hurting yourself.  And if you keep on hurting yourself, you're
going to end up breaking yourself!"

"You foolish, naive goat!  How can
you be so clueless to what's really going on?!"

"How can YOU be so clueless as to keep
working for Adonis?"

"Shut up!  Can't you see I'm only
using him the same way he's using me?!"

"You really thing that's the case.
Now which of us is naive?  What
you think you're going to do?  It won't
go the way you think it will!"

"Big and bold talk for someone who's ignoring the fact that he's being
backed into a corner!"

Crap.  That was a valid point.  Asriel was being backed into a corner.  And at this rate, it would be only a matter
of time before that became literal.

Asriel's eyes flared up to neon blue as he turned
to the OGPX suit.

"You're seriously going with the Clone Jutsu
when faced off against a freakin' titan?"

"Dude.  I've faced off against REAL
titans with the Scouts in O.D.M. gear!"

The punches and missiles came in flurries.
But each hit came a microsecond after each clone was out of phase.  The beast's size was working against him.

"HAH!"
Asriel whirled as his eyes blazed yellow and his weapon forged into a
mace that scattered star-burst bombs in a cluster of explosions, blanketing
Chara's mech with ordinances.

"You can't escape!"  The lasers pierced out.

"Pssht.
You've been hanging out with the Maverick, Vile, haven't you?"  Asriel joked.
"Guess I can't expect you to take a...DiVE?"

Somewhere inside the mech, Evil-Chara's eyebrow twitched.

"You...and your damn...PUNS!!!"

Out came the sword...er...make that swords."

"That's how I know you're just the world's
lousiest sibling impersonator.  Chara at
least had a sense of humor."

"Annoying Goat!"

Asriel quick switched back to Integrity and ran
up the blade after a missed swing.

"Take THIS!
DARK MATTER CANNON!"

That on the other hand caught Asriel by surprised
as he was engulphed by the black spheroid.

"Finally, I beat--"

A quick change to Bravery burst the bubble as light beams pierced out of
it.  One orange beam managed to even find
its way down the barrel of the cannon, rupturing its internals.

"You think you're so hot!  I'll you!"

Chara's backup, however, was dealing with us in
ways that threatened to overwhelm.

Chameleon had chosen a blue dragon form, hoping
its electricity would be able to overload his opponent.  Sure enough Evil-Chara wasn't finished with
calling in backup.  And now it looks like
he had the Beast-tector from Mischief Makers on his side as well as the
"The Fairy of Love and Dreams", D'Etoile--the super robot of the
Peach Mountain Shogun.

"I'll make a bowl out of that brat's skull..."

Elsewhere, Prince James was finding his latest
mech pushed to the limits by yet another of Evil-Chara's cronies.  Vanessa perched on top of James' mech,
attempting to snipe with her rail cannon.

And still elsewhere something else had been
brought to our world that didn't belong.
Evil Chara was quick to bring in the Nemesis from GenLock.

When I really got down to it, Adonis' plots were
getting thinner but the scale of them were getting bigger.  Like with the Mutant Megamix, he wa really
scaling up how much crossover he could throw our way.  But the elegance and thought his followers
were putting into it?  Each one was
getting more and more phoned in.  Almost
like the very "bigness" of the attacks were to cover up how little
imagination and creativity he was throwing into it.

"It's sort of like a Michael Bay film out
there, huh, Boss?"  Violet joked.

No comment.

"Violet, you shouldn't be so quick to
judge.  A lot of continuing series tend
to do the same thing when they run long enough.
I mean, not to name-drop but how long have those misadventures in Quahog
and Springfield been going on?  Or a
certain Colorado mountain town?"
Rotor landed from his Thwomp Stomper jump.

"Longer than the ones in Stoolbend and Langley Falls?"  Violet joked back.

"This banter is definitely keeping us on our
toes, but it's not getting us any closer to joining up with Asriel and the
Commander."

"Yeah...hate to say it but Evil-Chara's definitely divided us up pretty
well.  He wants to back Goat Son into a
corner and overwhelm him once his forces regroup."

"Ganging up on Asriel?  Is there no
line he won't cross?!"  Jon
landed."

"If we don't get help soon, we're going to
face early cancelation, ourselves."
Violet sneered.  "Frankly I'd
rather be in another crossover with our favorite ducks.  Especially now that my intel points to
F.O.W.L. beginning to mobilize."

"You'll never get the chance because you're
dealing with me!"

Okay, so it looked like Dr. Wily was going to get his revenge for the Double
Gear incident.  He'd completely rebuild
Gamma and actually thought to weaponize him, this time.

"Definitely salterier than Baldy
McNosehair."  Vi joked.

"You shouldn't bring up the Vortex Lab
director so casually, Rotor scolded.

"Who?
I was talking about Dr. Eggm--"

"Never mind."  Rotor grumbled
moments before Gamma snatched the rabbit and the walrus up.

"Any last words--"

"Just this: pizza-wrapped-ham."

"What is that supposed to--"
Wily was cut off as something grabbed Gamma from behind.

"FIST TO THE FACE!"  And the giant mech went flying, dropping
Rotor and Violet.

"Right on time."  Violet
grinned as she looked up at the form of M.E.G.A.S. XLR.

"Okay!
You come to my friend's town!  You
made a mess of it!  You caused millions
in damages, threatened innocent lives and worst of all...YOU'RE MAKING ME MISS
THE PAY-PER VIEW WRESTLING MATCH!"
Coop challenged.

"Glad to see he has his priorities in
order."  Rotor said dryly.

"Time to put the smackdown on the bad
guy."

"Grrr...you think you can match the genius of Dr. Wily?!  I'll--"

And surprise R.K.O. out of nowhere.

"W-W-wait!  What are you---!!!"

"And I named this one after my favorite hot dog combination!  The HEARTBREAKER!"

There came the elbow drop to Gamma's
sternum.  A move named for Coop dropping
a hotdog into a bucket of butter and drinking the whole thing.   Ugh.
An aptly named move.  How is this
guy still alive?!?

"Time to finish this chump off with the
appropriate level of power."  Coop
said smugly as he adjusted M.E.G.A.S.'s power output, the readout changing to
reflect the setting.

\* First Gear \*

\*Second Gear \*

\* Drive \*

\* Overdrive \*

\* Maximum Overdrive...someone pay Stephen King
royalties, please \*

"Uhh...Coop?"  Jamie said nervously.

\* Super Maximum Overdrive \*

\* Over the Limit \*

\* Whoah, there! \*

\* Okay, Time Out! \*

\* Seriously.
What are you thinking?  \*

\* WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! \*

"Coop!"
Kiva started freaking out a little.

\* STAAAAAAAHP!!! \*

\* YOU'RE GONNA DESTROY US ALL!!! \*

\* GAME OVER, MAN!
GAME OVER!!!! \*

\* OH MY GODS, YOU'RE BREAKING THE INTERNET!  THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE! \*

"One more."  Violet gave a thumbs-up.

With a ratchety click that finally broke the dial
the display stopped at:

\* BEYOND WHAT MICHAEL BAY CONSIDERS OVERKILL!!! \*

Wily's eyebrow twitched as he saw it coming.

"I should have gone with Spiked-Wall
Man......"

The skull-shaped cloud of smoke pretty much told
all.

"I...surrender..."  Wily lay face down, away from his crashed
escape pod.

Elsewhere...

"SEVEN SWELL!!!!"

KOMMAND had even brought in the likes of Eureka
Seven and Renton Thurston.  We were starting
to push them back.  But still no sign of
getting to Goat Son.

Fortunately Asriel had managed to buy some time
and get some breathing room, leaving Chara to search for him.  Unfortunately...

"I recognize your life signature, puny
organic germ.  You've made a powerful
enemy of the Decepticons and now you will feel the wrath of
Megatron!"  Megatron pointed his
fusion cannon to where his sensors had locked on.

"if it's all the same, I'd rather not feel
that wrath.  Don't take this the wrong
way, Megs, but I kinda have a foe I'm already dealing with.  Could you wait your turn and we'll have a
proper rematch another day?"

"You dare insult me with your cowardice?!?"

"Actually...there's something I'd like you
to meet--"

Megatron turned the corner and looked upon the form of--

"We have some unfinished business, Megatron."

Asriel waved as he perched on top of Optimus
Prime's shoulder.

"I hate long good-byes.
Sooooo...buh-bye."  Asriel waved
as Prime's buster rifle pointed and fired.

A short battle later...

"Thanks for the assist, Optimus."

"We're all in this together.  Keep
fighting the good fight, hero."

"You too.  Til' all are one."

Asriel was set down gently where he ran off deeper into town.  It was about that time he ran into Bunnie,
Red, Marcel, and me.

"Glad you could make it to the party, Goat
Son.  But seriously.  It's not looking good!"

The Ecto-Morphicons had flanked the T-One Million.  Three giant-sized shape-shifting beast
creatures made of nanotech-like substance and armed to the teeth.  And it looked like Evil-Chara had somehow
managed to get a telepathic mind-link chip into all three machines and was
controlling it remotely.  This had to be
Dr. Eclipse's doing.  I just had to
wonder how many evil scientists Adonis had swayed by this point.

"It seems he's been looking for a rematch
for a long time."  Bunnie growled as
she was starting to run low on weapon energy and her nanites had been pushed to
their limit.

"Dang...he fried the grind blade,
too."  Red tossed away the weapon.

Those damn machines of his are taking out undead
faster than I can bring them in from De Midian."  Marcel watched dismally as Sarina couldn't
maintain the portal any longer.

"All it takes is for me to kill even one of
you and I'll crack Azzy's confidence.
Then it's a matter of time before I break his spirt completely.  He'll have to submit to save your sorry
hides!"

"You don't know him well, demon."
Bunnie attempted to harness the last sparks of Mojikara.

"Maybe you'll feel differently when I
infiltrate your cybermorphic system with some much more savage nanotech
beasts.  How much will it break you being
my little puppet and forcing you to kill your partners?"

"No...!"  Bunnie braced as Red
started to charge forth and protect her.

One of the Ectomorphicons quickly blasted him
with purple flames.

"OH HELL!  WHY IS IT ALWAYS
FIRE?!?"

The other grabbed Marcel with its tail stinger.

"And
now for YOU!"  The tendrils came for
Bunnie, swarming with nanotech while sprouting countless jacks, plugs, and
electrodes.

Bunnie braced, knowing she couldn't stop them
all.

\*SHIIIIIIIING\*

\*CRACKLE\*

"Huh...what the...?!"

"Dr. Lynx?!"

"Yo, Nikita!  What are you doing
here!"

"Never mind that.  How did you do
that--"

Nikita was grim.

"Doctor?"  Asriel cocked his head.

I on the other hand recognized that what had
happened had far more serious implication than we were prepared for.

"Asriel.  Go."  She warned.

"But--"

"I will not ask again."

I noticed the gradual shift from normal fur to a
silvery mirror metal as well as a change in mass and volume.

"What the Hell...?!"  Red raised an eyebrow.

"All these years...and this is what uncovers
my secret.  So be it."

In that moment it hit me that for decades she
hadn't shown any sign of having a hybrid ability.  But I could tell this was no hybrid
ability.  And Bunnie's expression
confirmed it.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone.  You have forced me to intervene.  How unsightly.  This will bring about irreversible repercussions.
Well then.  Be witness to my
displeasure."

And that's when the extreme shape-shifting began
as Nikita's liquid mercury form went through an impossible number of
permutations, the fabric of reality almost seeming to warp around her immediate
vicinity as she mercilessly attacked the Ecotmorphicons and SkyNet's experimental
Terminator.

By the time she finished, the nanomorph known as
Nikita Lynx quite literally devoured all three, in much the same way I had seen
both Conti and Haruko Haruhari devour and assimilate.

"What the absolute Hell...?!"  Red's jaw hit the ground.

"What...are you...?"  Marcel let slip.

"Doctor."  Bunnie's expression was as stone-faced blank
as a refrigerator door.  But I could see
the questions spiraling in her eyes.

Asriel on the other hand.

"Dr. Lynx...I--"

My glare unfortunately couldn't have been worse-timed.

Nikita turned away...before deconstructing into a
nanite cloud that dispersed to a state unable to be perceived by the naked eye.

Asriel sighed and turned tail and headed off,
hoping to avoid the possibility that Chara would track him down and attack us
in the process.

By this time, Chara's army was falling
apart.  But his mech was as powerful as
ever.  And he eventually did corner Goat
Son...in the same dead-end that Chara-Wraith had cornered him in years ago.

"So.
You know where this is, Azzy?
Adonis said that you'd know it quite well if I managed to trap you in
this spot."

"Not a lot of good memories, if that's what you want to know."  Asriel backed away.

"Just give up.  Or don't...which means I get to grab you and
beat you within an inch of your life.  I
owe Asriel Dreemurr a lifetime of beatings."

Was Evil-Chara so depraved he'd punish an innocent Asriel for what he
considered unforgivable acts by his own Asriel?
And for that matter...what did any Asriel do that was so wrong?  He chose not to be a murderer in so many
AU's, including Undertale Prime.  So
why...why was he taking it this far?!

"You don't have to do this."

"I've heard that CRAP for so long.
It's not because I have to...it's because I WANT to!  The plan is everything!  It will succeed!"

"You're hopelessly brainwashed.
Adonis can't give you want you seek!
He's only going to hurt us both if you keep this up!"

"Hurt?  You don't KNOW what hurt
is!  I've been so damaged for so long, a
naive little prick like you can't possibly understand my pain!"

"Then what?!  What do you want me to
do?!  You won't let me help you!  And you just fighting when I try to stop you
from going down this path!  There's no
other answers!  Just stop."

"I won't stop.  I can't stop.  The only thing left is to press forward.  Listen and listen well, Asriel.  I don't CARE what happens to this world.  I don't CARE what happens to you.  I don't care about a goddamned thing.  I just want to end humans and monsters once
and for all.  Then this world...this
whole universe can be reset! And I can finally know peace!"

"You...?  But that's...that's so
dark.  That's so sad.  Why would you wish for that?  There's too much to live for."

"All I know is apathy.  Now crumble
before the power of apathy and present yourself to be exterminated."

"No, Chara.  I won't do that.  You've pushed me into a corner and put me
into the tightest spots without anyone to call for help.  My hope is dwindling but I won't abandon
it.  In times like this when you're
pushed to the very edge, the difference between the two of us is that you give
up too easily.  Me?  I'm too determined and too stubborn to
quit.

When things are at their darkest?  You find a way out.  You analyze.
You hold onto hope.  You think your
way out of a situation.  And even if you
can't do that...you improvise.  Either
way.  Surrender is not an option.  Do you know why?"

"I don't care!"

"Wrong answer.  What I just
described...was the definition of Perseverance!"  Asriel's eyes lit up bright neon purple as
purple circuit overlays and machinery began to form around him; unpacking and
assembling.

"No!
Not another power!"

But it was true.  Asriel had unlocked Perseverance.  And with it seemed that he had gained the
power to manifest...!

The machine came crashing down.  I had managed to make it to the roof tops in
time to see it.

"Whoah.
What a call back."

I recognized the form of the exo-frame that
snapped around Asriel as the same loading mech I had used years ago, based on
the one used by Ellen Ripley when fighting the Alien Queen.  And this one, too, had plenty of upgrades.

What I was really seeing was like a
conglomeration of Rotor's and Gadget's powers.
I could feel both their influence strongly in them.

"No-Name......just who the HELL do you think
I am?!?"

Okay.
Red-letter date.  Asriel just
dropped the H-word.  I think swearing was
a first for a goat who was hesitant to use the word "butt" in a
sentence and cringed whenever someone mentioned "fart".  Well.
He was eighteen now.  It wasn't
like he was going to stay a clean-cut kid forever.

"Oh no.
You're not going to--"

"Who the Hell do you think I am KIIIIIIIIIICK!"  He sent the machine rocketing up before
plowing both of its feet into the left eye shield of Evil-Chara's mech, causing
damage to Chara's visual sensor array.

"You little--!!!"

"Hands off my beloved family PUUUUNCH!!!"

This one stabbed into a weak spot between plates connecting the neck to the
body, causing sparks and large malfunctions in the gyros.

"You can't hope to beat me with something
so--"

Asriel landed a long ways back before he invoked the Perseverance power again.

"I choose the form...of a GUNDAM!"

"Way to go, Goat Son."  Violet fist-pumped as she landed, recognizing
the Ready Player One moment.

And with that he drew the buster rifle and
leveled it, blasting Chara's mech in the heart of its chest before following up
immediately with the saber slash.

Evil-Chara went flying back but didn't have time
to recover for in that moment, Asriel had managed to slip behind and pick a
different towering mechanical form.  This
one?  The Iron Giant.

"SUPERMAAAAAAN!"  He said as he torpedo charge-punched into
Evil-Chara Mech's back.

And then a jump before his mech form switched out
for of all things...Vehicle Voltron's form.

"No no no no no!  How do you keep coming up with a counter to
everything I've thrown at you?!  It's not
fair!"

"Fair?  Fair is the greatest lie
villains ever tell to themselves before losing."  Asriel shifted forms again, this time to that
of Fortress Maximum of Cybertron's legendary titans.  A two-fisted hammer to the skull was
immediately followed up by another mech switch-out.  This time to the Beast Morpher Power Rangers'
own Ultrazord and laying into Evil-Chara with everything he had.

"How...can you...do that?!?"  Chara's screens were filling up with CAUTION,
WARNING, and DANGER messages.

"From hundreds of hours of watching
Tokusatsu TV series and movies with Aunt Vi.
You'd be surprised how many giant robots I've memorized by now.

Another shift into Servo A.K.A. Gridman.  Then again into Gigantor.  Then again and again and again.  It was like this ability went hand in hand
with the Bravery power...but on a whole other level.  And not only that, Asriel seemed to be able
to switch-out and modify any part of it on the fly.  If he could remember it or imagine it, he
could command an unlimited number of transformations to it.

And that was when he made the switch to Big O.

"In the name of good--"

Yeah, I know what it's supposed to say.

"...in the name of good, YE
GUILTY!"  Asriel let fly with the
massive Hydraulic Punch, exploding the head off the mech while sending the
cockpit flying out of the chest cavity as its back tore open.

"Nooooooooooooooooo!!!"

The cockpit came crashing down in an open area of the town.  Chara struggled to get out, the emergency
eject systems failing.

Before he knew it, the fingers of Asriel's mech wrapped
around the heavy shield and tore it away, exposing Evil-Chara inside.  He quickly scrambled out ad tried to get
away...only to find every last one of us and every last one of our robot or
mech-piloting friends crowded around.

He dropped to his knees and slugged the
ground.

"It's over."  Asriel's voice called down to him.

Without a word, Chara slipped into the Cyber Gate
back to Chaopolis.  This has REALLY hurt
his pride.

Asriel shook his head as he dissolved his powers
and landed on the ground before us.

"Brooke's going to crucify us..."  Rotor panicked over the damage.

"We'll just have to deal with it."  I sighed.
"But that's not the only thing we'll have to address..."  I looked in the direction of UCIAT
headquarters.

Meanwhile...

"I thought this day would never come.  I hoped it would not.  But now...I believe I am at a crossroads.  What to do.
What would you all have me do...?"
Nikita accessed her true lab and disappeared into the liquid metal Cyber
Gate.  Once on the other side.

"Is this a sign that you're already to live
again?"  Nikita looked into the
darkness...slowly but surely the impossibly big area...easily big enough to be
a city...lit up little by little until even the main pyramid structure at the
center came to life.

"We agreed.
We would not rise again if it meant..."  Nikita didn't finish her thought.  "...I only hope and pray this isn't
prelude to those times.

Forgive, me, Sally.   But this goes back far, far before even
Ecotropia.  With any hope or luck...you
will be at my side for this.  I have...much
to answer for..."

But that wasn't the only thing happening at this
moment.

"So."

"Nope.  You don't get to explain
yourself.  Failure is failure.  Reflect on it.  And know this...you've had six chances.  Do you know how many you have left?"

"Grrr..."

"Punishment time."  And the
trap door opened and Evil-Chara dropped and his torture began.

I think this was a sign that things were coming
to a head.  What lie ahead for us when
Chara would come back to seek his revenge this time?  And with only one virtue left?

The answers would come soon.

## Sub-Entry 327: "The Secret of Dr. Nikita Lynx. The Dormant New Lemuranopia Revealed":

Nikita had raised a few eyebrows to put it very
gently.  But she had revealed herself as
something that wasn't Hybrid.  Something
way too familiar when we considered both Prince James and our shapeshifting
friend, Aiden from all that time back.

No.  She
seemed to actually exceed both of their morphing abilities and maybe even
Chara-Wraith's as well.  And despite
this...my gut told me it was something far more familiar than that.  The way she shapeshifted may have been
nothing new.  But the arsenal that she
shapeshifted...that looked far more familiar.
After all...I'd seen that kind of cybermorph before.

I think out of all of us...Bunnie was the most
surprised.  But out of all of us...Sally
was definitely the least.  I think it was
time she came clean about this.

Little did we know just how big a secret Nikita
had been hiding from all of us...even Sally...all these decades.  The shear scope of it?  Was practically impossible.  But she did it.  Not overnight.  Not within a year.  This was real.  This was big.
And this had...ramifications I couldn't even begin to figure out.   The question was...was this something that
the kingdom of Miranda needed to know...?

"Red, maybe we should rethink this."

"And I think she owes us an explanation.
Unless you want to drag Sally out of Technopolis, I don't think we're
going to get answers unless we go right to the source."

"But...no one's found Dr. Lynx's true lab.
And besides...we're trespassing in her sub-lab."

"I've known for a long time her sub-lab is just a decoy lab where all of
the stuff she's finished working on is on display.  Somewhere in this building is a place she
does her real research."

"You can't be okay with this, Volt."

"Honestly...I don't know what to be okay with, anymore."

"But Volt...she save us from the T-1,000,000.

"Yeah...but clearly that wasn't a Hybrid
Ability.  The moment she shapeshifted,
Bunnie couldn't sense her life energy anymore.
Almost like she dropped a facade.
One she's been keeping up for years.
Hell...if she is what I suspect she is, it explains that load of bull
explanation she gave all the way back with our collaboration with
Providence."

"She's our friend.  Isn't that
enough?"

Honestly...this was the first time in ages that Goat Son and I had been at odds
with each other.  That we disagreed on a
matter.

Well.  No
going back now.  We'd already broke into
her sub-lab and were looking around for clues or at least a secret entrance to
her real lab.

But nothing was standing out.

All around us were familiar projects she had been
working on for the last couple of decades.
A number of unfinished Support Units in air-tight capsules.

Modest supercomputers but nothing as elite as the
Quadrumvirate.  Really, Vi had better hardware
and software.  I expected something far
more advanced coming from Nikita.

All in all...to the untrained eye everything in
this room was what you'd expect her lab to look like.  But to the rest of us?  Yeah.
This was a clear case of her holding way back.  This was her working on a budget.  This was......a decoy lab.  One which kept even her friends from knowing
what she was working on.  What she was
REALLY working on.

"Okay.
Answer me this.  What do we do
when we catch up to her?"

I sighed.

"I don't know."  I was wrestling with the Scorpio in me that
did not forgive and forget when it came to betrayal.  I mean...it's not like I was holding a
grudge.  Really.  I mean, technically it wasn't a violation of
trust meant to hurt us.  But
seriously...you think you know someone but...

"Volt.
I'm going to make this real simple.
At what point did Dr. Lynx ever do anything meant to sabotage or inflict
physical, emotional, or mental harm on us?"  He crossed his arms.

"Never."

"Then why punish her just for lying about her identity?"

"I think this hits a little too close to home with the last person under
UCIAT's employ that lied about their intentions and technically kidnapped my
mother."  Red crossed his arms.

"Dude!"
Violet snapped.

"I get it.
Jack Hanos was a big deal."
Asriel dissuaded.  "But he
had his reasons.  And I'm sure Dr. Lynx
has hers."  Asriel defended.

"Either way.
This isn't something we can sweep under the rug."  I frowned.
"Sooner or later the truth has to come out.  Whether it's from her or from Sally."

"Bunnie.  Chime in,
already."  Violet turned to her.

"I am a neutral party here.  Do not involve me in what I understand no
more than the rest of you."

A wise move, honestly.

"What kind of disciplinary action are we
talking if we do catch up with her?"
Violet asked.

"I don't know.  Depends on what we find.  There could be inquiries and tribunals.  Honestly, security has ramped up since
Hanos.  And Sarge has ensured that it'll
only get tighter with more incidents like this."

Asriel sighed as he looked upon Nikita's desk.

He picked up the miniature globe of our planet.

"You know, Volt...Garfield risked his career
and Neo Arcadia's reputation by illegally entering Vorostov, raiding a military
lab making bio-weapons out of Edoropian refugees, shut the place down, and flew
an undisclosed number of refugees out to a secret underground medical facility.

Then some eight years ago, Queen Brooke waived
the rules to allow a certain goat son citizenship in this country."

I face-palmed.

"When did you get so good at debate?"

"I suppose that's what happens when a village creates prodigy."  Asriel replied.  "Hmm?"

He raised an eyebrow as his thumb clicked on something on the globe.

"What's...?"

"A three-dimensional puzzle?"
Goat Son still couldn't resist puzzles.
Papyrus be proud.

Violet had often described Nikita as being a
level 13 intelligence.  So if this puzzle
was her design, there was no one in this room who had any chance of solving--

\*CLICK\*
\*BEEP\*

"What in the name of John Parker
Hammond...?!"  I gasped as the orb
nano-morphed into some spherical machine the likes I'd describe as alien or
beyond futuristic.  And it was lit up
like...well...a pinball machine having a seizure for lack of better
description.

Asriel reluctantly replaced it back into its
holder.

That's when it appeared in the room.  Giant.
Spherical.  Like mercury.  And...something within.

"What...what is this?"

Violet looked it over.

"It's a Cyber Gate.  But one far, far more advanced than anything
I've ever seen."

"Jeeze.
It's big enough for Valerie to go through in her massive dire wolf form
and then some."

"Could this be it...?"

"Wait.
Let's not do anything rash.  We
should think this over before we--"

"GERONIMO!!!"  Violet dove in.

"Violet!!!!"  I screamed.

"Well.
When in doubt, follow the white rabbit down the rabbit hole!"  Red grinned, without an ounce of fear before
following.

"This is really bad idea."  Marcel warned.

He'd only think so until it occurred to him there
might be something worth looting.  He
could always sell it back to Nikita if her story was good enough.  Nikita wasn't exactly described as a likeable
person and Velaska never got along with her so....there was that.

But still...maybe Goat Son had a point.  If I were to think logically instead of how
butthurt I was over another UCIAT lab employee turning out to not be who they
said they were...

"I believe in Dr. Lynx."  Asriel went in next.

"Hmm."
Bunnie entered behind, arms crossed but otherwise giving no indications
if she was for or against this.

I guess...I was the last one through.

"Okay.
I guess we're doing this.
So.  What has she been--"

After a momentary bright light and a sensation I couldn't describe. As my eyes
adjusted...they quickly widened.

"...hiding?!?"

"Whoooooooooh."  Asriel
exclaimed.

"I think the Doctor has outdone
herself."  Red observed.

"Oh man.  I am NEVER going to let
her hear the end of this."  Violet
said with an open grin and a look of being dazzled.  And if she was impressed...

Bunnie raised an eyebrow.

"What is this place...?"  I gasped as the massive city-scape spread
before us.

As soon as I looked at Marcel.

"I know that look."

He had the dollar signs in his eyes...and reasonably so.  We all noticed it before long.

"I've heard of the streets paved with gold
but...not so literally."  Violet
mused.

Sure enough...we'd seen something like this on a
smaller scale.

"It's like El Dorado...what Esteban
discovered...the Mysterious Cities of Gold.
But..."

"Yeah...gold isn't usually etched and embedded with circuit paths and
quantum conduits."  I knelt down and
put a hand to the surface where trillions of light pulses were chasing in
circuit patterns all throughout the dividers and the intricate runes.

"What...language even is this?"  Asriel looked at some of the etchings and
strange calligraphy.

"No language I've ever seen.  And I've read deep into both Ecotropia's
ancient tomes as well as what is claimed to be genuine artifacts of Ancient
Arcadia.  No match among any of
it."  Bunnie crossed her arms.

"How...how....just how?!?"  I managed to gasp.

"I think the question is where did it come
from and how long has it been down here."
Marcel managed to suppress the moment of avarice.

"There isn't a speck of dust
around."  Violet wiped the various
surfaces.  "It's all clean as a
whistle.  In fact..."

Violet lowered her visor and scanned.

"Except for what I touched, there isn't a
single fingerprint around."

"Not even Nikita's?"

"Pssht.  I'm beginning to believe
she doesn't HAVE genuine fingerprints."
Violet waved it off.

"You're thinking that she built
this."  I asked Goat Son
plainly.  "In the decades she spent
with us, she built this from the ground up."

"It's...not unthinkable."
Asriel suggested.  "I mean
when you look at it all...everything looks just like the Solaris...and the
Golden Condor.  And also...there's
this."  Asriel pulled Esteban's
medallion out.  It was reacting to
everything around it.

"That settles it.  This is her tech.  But...if that's true...then why DOES her
technology resemble artifacts like the Solaris and the Golden Condor?"

"We can ask her when we find her."

Reluctantly I agreed to let the group split
up.  Each of us when his or her own
way...that included Asriel.

I think...maybe the two of us felt it was the
right thing while we weren't on the same page about her.

The scientist in me was saying this:  This entire city violates the glass ceiling
we set for technological progress back in Neo Arcadia.  It rushed ahead too far and disregarded too
many limits and restrictions.  And the
more I saw, the more this was confirmed.
There was both gravity era and energy era technology levels here.  I definitely saw servitor robots around.

After a while of exploring around...

"Find anything?"

"Residential area is empty.  And
unfurnished, too."  Red shrugged.

"Nothing in what I think is a commercial
district."  Marcel huffed.  I could tell he was looking for something of
value.  It occurred to him, without
knowing what any of this tech even was, what was the point of selling it if no
one else could likely figure it out, either.
Maybe a handful of silver pieces for the world's shiniest paperweights?

"Industrial sector's pretty impressive.  But nothing's running and there's no manifests
or anything else to tell what any of its meant to make.

"Come to think of it, there's next to no
scents around here."  I noted.  "Not even a sign of food--processed or
natural.  There seemed to be the makings
of bio-domes; possibly hydroponic research areas, but they're spotless and
empty as well.

"It reminds me of one of those City of the
Future things that were made in the 50's and are now abandoned.  But without the dust, cobwebs, and anything
else that suggests it's 20 years old let alone 50 or 60."  Violet raised an eyebrow.

"I guess the main pyramid is the last place
to check."  Asriel shrugged as he
hopped on the NX Switchboard.

"Wow...the board really performs down
here.  It almost feels like it was MADE
to be used in this city."  Asriel
cocked his head.

"You know...most of its build did come from
Nikita.  I just dressed it up a bit, all
paid disclosure."

"I have a feeling Chameleon is missing out down here."  I muttered.

"Well, Tithius isn't.  There's
nothing to eat."  Red wrinkled his
nose.

We climbed the staircase and entered.

"Whoah.
Bright."

"No way Asmirus would come down
here."  Vi prodded.  "Though I gotta say...this is definitely
how you make a foyer."

It was beyond mansion and beyond super skyscraper
inside.

"Well, young padawan.  You ready to upgrade to a bigger
temple?"  Violet joked to Asriel.

"Cute, Aunt Vi.  But this place is
massive.  We're not going to find Dr.
Lynx at this rate."

"Especially since none of us can translate."  Vi crossed her arms and sulked.

Asriel looked toward me.

"Please don't give me that look."

"Volt.  You haven't stopped thinking
about what action to take against her.
I'll condone this is some serious violations and I'm sure Queen Brooke
would have more than a few questions.
But don't we get to hear her side of the story?"

I hesitated for a moment.

"You really championed the debate team
during your senior year, didn't you?"

"National championship."
Asriel replied.  "I had a
good teacher."

Drew was good with that sort of thing.
In fact that's how he made his first impression with a public forum
debate.

Bunnie stopped at what we soon identified as some
kind of elevator.  At least we thought it
was.

As it turned out, it was a teleporter.

"Wha...what?!"  I would have protested how Nikita could have
this technology, but if Sky Vault could beam us anywhere in the world as well
as Dr. Light's satellite network for beaming Mega Man and other robot masters
around the world...then the tech wasn't that original.  But teleportation on this scale and with this
many numbers and this quickly and efficiently?

Searches through the pyramid structure yielded
discoveries that invited more questions.

"Well, everyone?  Don't all answer at once.  What did you find?"  I asked."

"The thing is...none of us are really sure what to say.  I don't think anyone knows what exactly we've
seen. "

"I agree with Marcel.  There's no describing
the indescribable."

"We could be searching for ages and not find anything."

"I guess the last place to go is straight down."  Asriel suggested as he tried to make sense of
the hololyth controls.

Lucky goat.
He got it on the first try.  And
that's how we found Nikita's True Lab.

"Oh."
I started

"My." Violet continued.

"Goddesses."  Asriel finished.

"Duuuuuude."  Red looked at the rows and rows of capsules
containing working support units.

For whatever I had seen in Galvan Enterprises...for
whatever Violet had observed in Mainland...for whatever Technopolis had on its
best days...

This place was trumping them all.  By quantum leaps.  In fact I was sure that this place was filled
with quantum computers.

I whirled in the direction of the heavy steely
crashing and noticed the most red, silver-limbed and headed robot that
looked...familiar.  Vaguely
gorilla-ish.   It was like Guts Man
before Guts Man was Guts Man.  But Asriel
recognized him as--

"Torr?"

That jogged my memory.  One of Rob Simmons' creations.

Elsewhere in the lab I noticed a mostly blue,
taller, lankier robot...consistently changing shape into countless other
unidentifiable machines carrying on assortments of tasks that involved lasers,
microwaves, and other forms of energy, chemical, electronic, and mechanical
manipulation.

"That's Bort!"  Asriel recognized yet another of his
creations...at least...the record showed they were his creations.

In another of the five major sectors of the
vaguely star-shaped lab an orangish, female robot seemed to be cycling through
various elemental abilities to do a variety of tasks--from stress testing
materials to heating and cooling various devices.

At the exact opposite end, a yellow female robot
seemed to be manipulating holograms and illusions.  Each one became more and more convincing,
until it became difficult to tell reality from synthesis.

"Bo and Boo."  Asriel recognized them, too.

And in the last part...a black and silver
robot...rather stocky at that...with a beer-belly...?  Er...yeah.
Ahem...it was literally shoveling scrap parts down its throat.  A waste disposal robot?

I noticed the cables plugged into its back.

It was recycling scrap metal and producing
electricity from it?

"And that's Crunch!  Volt...do you know who they are?"

"I know.  There the--"  I got cut off as we were suddenly approached
my a small, child-like robot with an angry expression.

"Do you have authorization to be down
here?"

"Well...uh...you see--"

"Why suuuuure!"  Violet tried
to lie her way out of it.

"Oh no you don't!"  The robot wasn't buying it.  She quickly turned Violet around and tried
pushing her out the door.

"You're intruders entering private
property!  While I don't have the
authority to detain you!  I can make you
leave!"

"Whoah.  Bossy bot."  Red whispered.

"But, we're looking for our friend!  Maybe you've seen her?"  Asriel tried to negotiate.

"This facility has no time to waste on
friendships!  Now scram!  Get out!
Move it!"

"I know who you are now..."  Asriel scratched his head a bit.  "You're...Ohno!"

"Ono?
That sounds Jangese if I ever heard--"  Violet joked before Bunnie whapped her with a
Tessan Fan.

"Enough."  We all heard the voice in the center of the
room.  "This was bound to
happen.  I did not project it so
soon.  But it would appear to be
time."

Dr. Lynx stepped forward...the garments were
different...and ancient.

"Doctor."  I looked her dead in the eyes.  "You've got explaining to do."

"Indeed."  She closed her eyes
and hung her head.

"Dr. Lynx..."  Asriel started. "I just want to
understand."

"You always did.  You of all people
were the most likely to solve the puzzle of entering this place."

"What is this place?  I have so many
questions."  He followed up.

We all started to ask questions, overlapping each
other and bombarding the doctor with more than she could handle.

A shrill whistle snapped us out of it.

"Best sit down, everyone..."  I recognized that voice.

"Aunt Sally?  What are you doing
here?  I thought you were in
Technopolis."

"I'm between races.  But you're
right.  Sally Acorn is making a number of
guest appearances and doing TV interviews and all that stuff that comes with
fame.  Things that don't require me being
on the track and in my gear."

She tuned to Nikita.

"In other words...a standing created from
the same nanites you're made of...right, Dr. Lynx?"

"If you're going to address her...you might as well call her by her real
name.  I'm sure you of all people know
it, Commander."

A long silence.

"Nicole."  I finally spoke.

"Correct."  Nikita...rather Nicole lifted her head.  I could see the green matrix code filling her
eye-whites.

"So...the rumors of the Royal Portable Mainframe were true.  You weren't deleted, after all."  Bunnie opened her eyes.

"No.
Just...reborn."  Nikita
shapeshifted her hand to mercury.

"Nanoplasma Strain X."  Sally confirmed.  "What was meant to be infused with my
cell structure...gained a life of its own; able to exist without a host body.  Able to make a body on its own.  And with my biometrics, my brain scans and
brainwaves...everything the machine tore from me, it carved into the contents
of that storage tank.  Until it ruptured
and took on a life of its own.  My DNA
and everything about me recombined until it stopped being an "it" and
became a "she"."

"Whoah.  That means...you're beyond
a V.I. and a true A.I.  You're..."

"Something this world doesn't have a name for."

"But something I've seen in comic books and stuff.  You're like Nano from--"

"I'd appreciate you do not draw comparisons to juvenile literature,
Asriel."

That was when Bunnie called her out on one more thing...

"Nicole isn't even your true identity, either.  Is it?"

Nikita shook her head.

"Wait, I'm confused.  Is she Dr. Lynx  or some portable mainframe thing?"  Red asked.
"Now you're saying she's something or someone else?"

"Alright, Doctor.  Who are you
really?"  Marcel put his hands in
his pockets and stared her in the eyes.

"She doesn't know."  Sally looked off to the side.  "She's spent so much time in that pocket
computer body, her past life has...faded."

"But being in this nanomorphic form...things have...awakened."

A dead silence.

Bunnie finally broke the silence.

"Judging by everything we've studied and
from hints you've left every so often that I never picked up on...I can come to
one conclusion.  You are....a
Lemuranopian."

"A say-what-a-what-pian?"  Red
asked.

"Major.
That's just a myth."  I shook
my head.  "You're talking about a
fable."

"Isn't that how Ancient Arcade is described these days?"

"But we have proof.  Proof Ancient
Arcadia existed before Project Exodus tore it apart and re-christened it."

"Lack of evidence is so easily written off
as the way to disprove something ever existed."  Asriel spoke up.  "Just because you don't see it, doesn't
mean it's not there.  After all...we
didn't see this city for years.  We
didn't even know about it.  But it was
here all along."

I decided not to argue.

That was when Red and Violet zeroed in on the countless
capsules in the walls.

"Are these what I think they are?"

Nicole/Nikita nodded.  "Genetic and
mental backups of the lost civilization of Lemuranopia."

"And they're waiting to be revived.
Aren't they?"  Red asked,
narrowing his eyes a little.

I saw Violet begin to scowl.

"You're the last survivor of the old
civilization of Lemuranopia.   This
lab...this city.......it's Noah's Ark.
And you're Noah.  Aren't
you?"

"..."

"You know how I feel about cloning things
back to life.  After all the lectures you
gave me--"

Asriel suddenly placed his hands on Vi's shoulders, looked her in the eyes
before shaking his head...then pointing.

Bunnie's gaze actually widened as she saw it
too.

A drop on the floor.  And then
another.  It was coming from...

"Is...Nikita...Nicole...crying?"  Violet was completely taken by surprise.  Bunnie shushed her before she could follow up
with "I didn't know Nikita COULD cry."

"How much effort has it taken you to reach
this point, old friend."  Sally
comforted.  "You have the quantum
computing power to exceed genius level intelligence, several times over...yet
you never figured out emotions.  You've
tried synthesizing them based on algorithms and A.I. frameworks for so
long...and now they're finally coming back.

"So that's it."  My ears drooped.  "You've decided."

"Decided?"  Asriel asked.

"She has."  Sally nodded.

"Nicole...has decided...NOT to bring her
people back."  Bunnie closed her
eyes and bowed her head.

"But...why?"  Red asked.

"Because...her people were supposed to be
revived in a time after the end of the world...they were meant to restart
it.  At least that's what they hoped
they'd do after the last days...whenever that may be.  But things happened...somehow
Nicole...whoever she was...ended up with her mindset but not her memories
transferred into a powerful bioware processor that ended up in a portable
mainframe.  It was handled down through
the ages; down the Acorn family line...and the rest is history."  Sally answered.

"That doesn't tell us anything."  Marcel
growled.  "Just give us a
straight answer."

"What she's really trying to say is that if
the Lemuranopians were awakened now, they wouldn't blend in with our
culture.  They'd overwrite it.  Like the Gems' home world.  Like Phaaze and its Leviathan Seeds."

Asriel immediately got the picture.

"You mean..."

"Yeah.  The point of bringing back
civilization means that there's no civilization left on the world.   You plant a seed in barren ground...not
clustered in with other plants.  For lack
of a better Lupe metaphor.  And even if
she brought them back, think about it....all the civilizations and species that
have come AFTER their time?"  I
sighed.

I think Red and Marcel were starting to get the
picture.  Violet had long since caught
on.

"The Lemuranopians don't have any of that on
file.  We came after their research came
to an end.  It would get
complicated.  If they kept us alive,
they'd study us the same way we'd study a moth under a microscope.   I don't know...there are too many unknowns
to consider what would happen.  And I'm
sure Nicole is overwhelmed by all of the possibilities...all of what she'd be
expected to do."

"Right now...humans, non-humans...everyone up there is the dominant
species.  We'd only be and invasive one
if reintroduced.  It's better if this
seed stays in its time capsule.  At least
if I'm still around after the Judgement Day...I'll be able to get everyone up
to speed on everything this world had."

"This whole thing has gotten super heavy
duty."  Red shook his head.  "It's a textbook of ethics that's giving
me a headache.

"There's another reason why."
Sally looked off to the side.

"It's because...I have chosen to live for
the present...not for an unknown future."

I has so many echoes of the "Carbons" of Terra; of the Master...of
the Mother System.  Everything I had
learned about Megaman Volnutt/Trigger's world.
Technology that wasn't theirs to begin with.  The same was true for Neo Arcadia and
probably every civilization on this world.
And here we had people who were waiting to become "Carbon"
copies, someday.

Nikita...Nicole...whatever we were going to call
her now...approached.   She slipped her
high-heel sandals off, simply by morphing her feet and legs so they'd fall to
the floor.  She approached me...then
dropped to hands and knees, hanging her head.
She held up her wrists.

"I resign myself to your mercy.  By your laws; try me, convict me, and
sentence me as necessary.  I
have...failed as my people's shepherd."

And she continued to weep.  I know that her nanites were producing the
saline secretions by means of nanochemical recombination and such...but it
seemed...just too real to be the actions of an android.

"Well, best friend?  What's it going to be?"  Asriel asked.

I sighed and hung my own head for a good
moment...before raising it.

"You were right, Asriel.  My father taught me better than this.  Nicole...you're free to go."

Nikita raised her head and looked up at me.

"There will be no punishment.  I'm going to look the other way.  Just as Brooke did for Asriel.  Just as the science community did for
Gadget.  Just as the Arcade Industries
and UCIAT founders did for me.  Just as
Grandpa Giovanni Arcade did for Odie.
Welcome to the family.  Welcome to
our friendship."

"As you wish.  But please...continue
to address me as Dr. Nikita Katherine Lynx.
Nicole is...just an acronym for a computer...and a placeholder for a
name and an identity that has been...dead for a long time."

Echoes of Asriel at the end of the True Pacifist
timeline.

"You're free to return to your lab and
conduct your research as you see fit.
We'll..decide what to do with Neo Lemuranopia...another day."

And so we all followed our way back to the portal
and the rest of the day was...uneventful.

It was just as well.

## Sub-Entry 328:  "Seeing the Past For Myself":

I had giving this thought for years, now.  Ever since Asriel came into my life...I
wanted to know more about the past...his past.

But that ship had sailed.  Hadn't it?
The Genocide Timeline I hadn't even really given a designation to...so
let's just call it UTPR-2012.   Hope
that's not too subtle a reference, but I'm sure the Mayan Calendar implication
is a clear indication of why I assigned this number.  A world might as well have ended with that
number tied to it.

That outdated reference aside (and the movie made
around its controversy)...this timeline was completely eradicated.  I rescued the one flower from a field of
dying weeds.

Then the next timeline to sprout up (sorry,
Flowey) that was unstable was UTPR-3224.
And it was a good surrogate...or so I thought.  In the end I let it slip through my fingers.

Now I was wrestling with the very reasons why I
should even bother returning Asriel to Undertale when the timeline that now existed
was UTPR-3235.  Everyone and everything
in it was a copy of his timeline in some way...but reengineered and
remixed.  And if it wasn't already
altered by Destiny and Fate into this alternate universe iteration, my team's
and my interactions with this world had completely thrown this timeline in a
new direction but with the same end game in sight.

I had to see this through.  We all had to see this through.

Yet...I was compelled to know...where was the
point of origin in all this.

I'd observed countless stable timelines in order
to even become familiar with the background information and briefings I needed
to even embark on the research missions in the unstable timelines in the first
place.  But every last one of them had
the same thing in common.  I could only
observe from the point Frisk arrives in the underground.

I never once observed the events that led to
Monsters being sealed away.  I was never
privy to Chara's arrival in the underground.
And really...the tapes Alphys had in the True Lab only told so
much.  What little I did experience was a
fragment of UTPR-2016's timeline just before its death rasp.  One hundred years may sound like a lot but compared
to the span I had to observe ACM-001 after aliens reformatted the planet with
their bombs?  That was only less than a
tenth of what I had to sit through on the sidelines.

What happened in the beginning?

I'd never be able to answer that for our
Asriel.  But maybe if I knew more about
Flowey/Asriel's past, it might be at least some indication of an echo that
would bring it all together.  At least in
my mental space.  Now that Asriel and
Chara were reunited and the Plan was completely irrelevant...at least to them,
it only made sense to see the beginning.

"You know this won't tell you what you
really want to know."  I said aloud,
while looking into the Delorean's side mirror.

It was true.
I wasn't going to see our Chara's past.
I was going to see Evil-Chara's.
That's how it worked.  UTPR-3235
was the active timeline.  The one
existing int he UltraVerse at this moment.

I had kept the cruise control going as I had the
time machine pretty far up in the clouds and away from any aircraft flight
patterns.  I doubt passenger or military
craft would spot me.  Plus the flux
diffusion through the whole framework would also keep me off of radar and
satellites.  No space administration that
I knew of would detect me.

"Well then.
Let's begin."

I let the autopilot take over for a moment while I opened the case in the front
seat and pulled out a spare SPECTRE Hazard Card.  Then I installed it into the interface on the
dashboard.

I would now reappear outside of space and time
but still existing in my SPECTRE from--both myself and the time machine.  I had to keep the "red zone" part
of UTPR-3235 pristine.  This was non-negotiable.  This was not up for debate.  Even the slightest particle off could impact
anyone's future in the Underground.

Here was where I put my money where my mouth was;
here was where I proved that I knew what I was doing.

"Well.
Point of no return."  I
watched as the speedometer had just hit the 80's...and climbed to double eight.

And in a flash... I reintegrated.

And sure enough I was <REDACTED> years into
the past.

As I confirmed, the barrier did not exist,
yet.  Monsters were still on the
surface.  The war had not yet begun.

"So.
What makes our AU unique?

The question I was asking was in direct response to all the AU's I had observed
which had varying starting points to their timelines.  Some even started before the events of
"Undertale".  By that logic
they all had their own unique genesis to what started the war between humans
and monsters.  But the vast majority of
them had the same thing in common.
Someone had to lose the war and be sealed away.

Of course that was including the AU's where the
roles were flipped, like that one where humans were sealed away and Asriel was
the monster to fall into the underground...can't remember the dimensional designation.
But that was just one example.

I piloted the Delorean toward the surface,
piercing the clouds.  And what a
different world lay beneath.  I could
tell how much progress had been rolled back.
The technological level of Earth had slipped from 2 (as Asmuth would put
it) to 1 pretty easily .  But that was
human progress.  Depending on how much
the Royal Scientist had made this point in his life...well...any speculation
was just that.  Speculation with no hint
how far off I was.

"Speaking of which...where are you, Dr.
Gaster?"

I wasn't really that intent on finding him.
Just curious.

What I did surmise was that if Monsters weren't
trapped in Mount Ebott, yet, then the CORE didn't exist, yet.

Maybe the activation of the core might be the
prelude to the point in the Time Line where the "red zone" began to
come to an end.  Or maybe Frisk really
was the tipping point for his unfinished research into Determination.  I knew Gaster was researching it.  Alphys didn't build the D-T Extractor, after
all.

I could still never get over its goat skull appearance.  Or how much Hyperdeath's special move before
unleashing his True Power resembled it.
It sent the same chills up my spine that Andross' telekinetic amplifier
did when it inhaled all the debris around before unloading.

"Huh...it's been so long since I got this
analytical."

I wasn't kidding.
Back in my original Project Lost Dreemurr logs, I'd made so many
personal lab reports drawing comparisons to everything I'd observed in
Undertale to things that seemed remarkably similar.  Like how the CORE reminded me of what I'd
archived from the Dimension W incident.
How I'd put Frisk's code under the microscope to illustrate just what it
did.  Or even a candid review of some of
my favorite Underground consumables.

Well.  The
world was coming into view.  There was
definitely more forest land and greener--a testament to how mankind's
deforestation would be a looming danger to the planet in years to come.  Seeing it this unspoiled was a sight I wished
I could share with Lupe.

I got as close to the ground as I dared to.  Not that it would make a difference.  I could just simply phase through anything if
I wanted.  But I was superstitious about
monsters with additional abilities...like Sans' eye and his ability to converse
with "the other Sans'es." making him aware of other timelines.  Even Gaster seemed to have a sixth sense
about him I couldn't explain.  If anyone
was sensitive to time anomalies, I didn't want to risk it.

Hell.  I
was still keeping Frisk as a basis for why I needed to play it safe.  Way back then Frisk's unique sixth sense had
revealed my presence; just moments after dueling with Undyne.

"I wonder if Frisk represents the peak of
evolution for the power of human Determination?
I mean...to even outlast Omega Flowey's multiple save
files.....Hyperdeath's last ditch effort to take their HP all the way done to
the very last decimal place...?"

My mind was going a million miles per second with all these questions and no
one around to answer them.  No one around
who COULD answer them.  No one around who
SHOULD answer them.  Again.  No interaction with the past.  Just observe, Volt.

I eventually had to land the Delorean and park it
at a hiding spot.  The fuel tank, the
acid-plate battery, and Mr. Fusion's chamber weren't limitless.  While filling the last one wasn't a problem
and recharging the battery was as simple as using my powers...I was definitely
not in an era that had refined petroleum into usable gasoline.

I parked, locked it down and kept it
cloaked--both in space and time...and obviously from all manner of conventional
perception.  I just hope there wasn't
anyone who could see beyond the veil of the space time continuum, or I was up
the creek.

I went out and explored on foot.

What started as observations for minutes became
hours...then days...then weeks...months.

Yeah.  This
was like one of my Stable Timeline observations.  Not just Undertale but everything from
Inuyasha's feudal era to watching the time before the colonization of Trigun's
own planet Gunsmoke.  I was serious when
I said I'd been contracted by the Council, many a time, to just watch grass
grow.

This was one of my more stimulating
observations.  Over time I was beginning
to record factions within both the human civilizations and the monster civilizations.  Just when I thought I wouldn't see anyone
familiar...

"Well I'll be.  Do my eyes deceive me or is that the Hammer
of Justice himself, Gerson Boom?"

It was the turtle monster, all right.  Dressed a lot differently and moving a little
more spry.  And his eye didn't seem to be
as messed up as it was in the Underground.

I recorded conversations and sure enough it seemed like negotiations with the
humans were steadily breaking down.  And
the one common factor in it all was...the Monsters' ability to take and absorb
human souls.  No one had actually done
it.  But the fear was everything.   The fear was enough.

With this much chaos about to erupt......or
rather once it did, I had a play-by-play blueprint for what would happen next.

Suspicions become arguments.  Arguments
become conflicts where resolutions could not be achieved.  In this heated pressure cooker,
someone--doesn't matter which side--will end up doing something stupid.  That leads to a skirmish that turns
violent.  That leads to protests that
become riots.  The first casualty or
casualties ignite the powder keg.  The
declaration of war becomes official.
Then it's survival of the fittest.

"Goddammit.
This is as bad as watching the Genocide Run play out.  No.
It's actually worse."  I
watched the dust pile up on the battlefield.

I couldn't bring myself to write down details in
these logs.  Peoples'
names...situations...what led to what...granted, I'm sure anyone reading these
logs is dying to know what made our AU's Great War between humans and monsters
unique.  But all I could see was what
made them the same.  And not just within
Undertale AU's...but other worlds...other completely unrelated planets and
situations.

The biggest echo of them all?  The Great War of ACM-001 between the
Overlanders and the Mobians.  The one
that Julian Kintobor led the path to victory against his own kind...then
betrayed the Mobians he'd pledged his loyalty to.  No matter how much I tried to bury my old
assignment in the past, everything just kept stirring up the same echo over and
over.  That echo of a timeline...an
entire universe which rendered itself out of existence in a natural cosmic
phenomenon.  Unfair.  But part of the life of an immortal to see
people, places, and events come...and go.

As time went on, I began to see more familiar
faces or at least ancestors of familiar faces.
Eventually I hit the jackpot with the Dreemurr family.  Fluffy buns himself--looking more prince-ly
than king-ly and recently wedded wife.
As far as I could tell, they were still too young for their first
born.

At least...I thought it was Asgore and
Toriel.  But...maybe it was their
ancestors?  I tried scanning them
but...for some reason the visor wasn't showing anything.

One thing I learned quickly...A.E.O.N. was going
to be no help.  Simply because there was
no data to be accessed.  What I was
exploring really was unknown territory.

"Well this tells me something that should be
obvious.  Of course Asriel and many
others would never have been born on the surface."

So maybe it wasn't such a jackpot.  I guess I'll--

I almost gasped.

"Gaster."  I recognized the complete form of the Royal
Scientist.  Guess he did wear
glasses.  But...still that was this
iteration.  Maybe he looked different in
the previous timeline.  I'd never
know.  No one would.  Maybe Gaster himself didn't even remember.

The one thing that was certain, thus far.

Inevitability came in the day that the war came
to an end with the unconditional surrender of King Dreemurr...somehow STILL
couldn't determine if he was Asgore or an ancestor.  Maybe it was a side effect of the red zone in
the timeline.

What was pretty universal was the human army
ensuring every last surviving monster was led into Mount Ebott.  At least...ever one accounted for.  I could make out the faint scents of a few
that had escaped prying eyes.  How convenient
that this set up our cover stories for the underground.

I looked about and eventually identified the
color-coded mages of the human King's royal court.  Green, cyan, blue, orange, yellow, purple,
and red.  Why was I not surprised?  Seven souls.
Seven attributes.  Seven-fold
barrier.

"I think I may lose my lunch..."  I grimaced as I watched the spell being cast
and the barrier coming into existence.
When the last of the humans had left the area, having decided that this
cursed place was to be forgotten...

"Your barrier isn't so
fool-proof."  I simply walked
through like it was just thin air.  Aside
from the fact that my soul was powerful enough to do so, I was existing outside
of time and space.  Double circumvent, as
it were.

"Now.
Let's see what we'll--"

A moment to realize the folly of my statement.

"Right.  Of course it would be dark
in here."  I waited for the
Dreemurrs to use their fire magic to light the way.

"Hmm.  A little thread-bare...but
familiar."

So given time to get their bearings and time to
set up the various essentials, their monarch named this new
place..."Home".

I sighed.

"That's Asgore alright.  He can't name worth beans."  I folded my arms.

From there the days passed and the exploration
continued.  Most set up in what would
become the RUINS.   I started recognizing
the pillars and stonework as it took shape.
And of course the puzzles that became the door keys to keep the Monsters
safe and out of trouble.

Though I felt...what I was seeing was only the
top level.  I'd had theories that there
was...more underneath the floor.  Other
AU's like that UTPR-Y...or as I called it "Undertale Yellow" seemed
to reveal there was more underground than what was...well...underground.  I'd have to research more on that bat
monster.  But if I was still this far
back in the timeline, that was as much an alternate future as it was an
alternate universe.  Besides...Flowey
didn't even exist.  Asriel hadn't even
been born yet.

So let's jump cut a bit.  I'd been observing Gaster and his research
staff hard at work with those that Asgore had designated as engineers and
builders for the new kingdom.

This gave me a chance to peek at Gaster's notes.

...or so I thought.  Of course the Man that Spoke in Hands wrote
in that language I'd--

"Hello, Megan!"  I slapped the heel of my palm on my forehead
as I quoted Miss Martian of Young Justice.

I dug the same tablet out I had used when I first
met Gaster...and Asriel.  And sure enough
I finally got answers to the innerworkings of the CORE.

Years passed.
Decades.   Centuries.  Who can say?
By this point anyone who HAD seen the sun and the surface probably
completely forgot.

The kingdom flourished once it had electricity,
light, and heat and other modern conveniences.
And the beginning of TV but before the Mettaton era.  This coincided with what Asriel had said
about having TV in the underground in his time.

That was about the time I hit the first
checkpoint--or rather the first of the tapes which would occupy Alphys' True
Lab someday.

Enough time had passed for Gaster and his
research staff to completely reinvent the underground.  I'd estimated it was probably nearing the end
of the 20th century outside the barrier.

It's here where my guilt was at an all-time
high.  As a time traveler, you never
shake off how much of a creep you are watching people sleep...or attempt
to.  Just because the job requires it,
you never feel any less like a peeping tom.
Why, oh why, did I ever let the Council deem this was acceptable and
necessary practice?

Historical accuracy sucks.

"Pssst. Gorey, wake up.

"Mmm? What is it, dear? ... er, and why do
you have that video camera?"

"Shush! I want to get your reaction. Gorey,
dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?"

"Hmmm... Carrots, right?"

"No no no! My favorite vegetable is...
Eda-MOM-e. ... get it???"

Subtle, Toriel.
Anyone else would have figured out what you were trying to tell them.

" ... Go back to bed, dear."

"No no!! Not yet! Hee hee hee. Now, If I
were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?"

"Hmmm... I don't know, honey. What kind of
dog would you be?"

"I would be... A MOMERANIAN."

Yup.
Asriel definitely got his sense of humor from his mother--

"Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this
child. You know, if you keep making jokes like this... One day, you could be...
... a famous MOMedian."

Or...did he?

"... Well, I am going to bed."

"Hey! Come on Tori! That one was
funny!"

"Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you.
Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey."

"... Oh dear, perhaps it is too dark in here
for the video to come out."

I rolled my eyes.

"Well.
It wasn't terrible, Asgore...but points go to Tori."  I shrugged.

Asgore was more clever than I gave him credit for.  But he still couldn't name for beans.

The next several years were something else.  I felt I was meeting Asriel for the first
time.  But it was a one-way meeting.  Plus it wasn't our Asriel.  It was the future flower prince and the one I
still didn't know if I could trust.

I watched his birth with tears in my eyes.

I watched his first steps, feeling pride in my
heart.

I heard his first words with a smile on my face.

I wasn't even a parent, but I'd known
him...well...the other him for short of a decade.  Yeah, I wasn't counting the one-hundred
years.  I'd discovered him after that
century had past.

"Why are you avoiding this, Volt?"  I asked myself the question that was a real
downer.  It was that I knew his
fate.  And the next five tapes would
spell it out.  But first...I needed
something answered that was more pressing.

I headed to the entrance of the RUINS.  It was that date.  A little before the fated hour.

I wall-kicked my way up some quick magnetic
plates I'd formed with my powers and exited the mouth of the mountain.

It was quiet...up until a point when I heard an
angry mob.  And they were chasing
someone.

"And the brat of the hour is about to
arrive."  I narrowed my eyes.

"Get that brat!"

"You'll pay for what you did!"

"Your own parents!  You monster!"

"How much did you burn down, you little
freak!"

"When we catch up to you, we're gonna use
that knife you got to carve a mark of shame into you!  Let everyone know what horrible things you
did!   All without remorse!"

"Kids like you should be b--"
The rest of the saying got drowned out by the overlapping shouts.

I shook my head.
Two wrongs don't make a right but at the same time...Chara would get no
sympathy for the karma he must have racked up with his past deeds.

"Well.
Showtime."  I arc-ed back
down to the flowers below and waited.
And sure enough...

I saw him fall down the mouth of the mountain and
impact the flower bed with an angered, but painful yell.  There were some growls and attempts to fight
back the pain...but eventually he passed out.

"Hello, Evil-Chara."  I glared down at him.

I was feeling the temptation to end him and stop
the game entirely...but that's not what I do.
That's not the shortcut I could ever take.  it would be easy.  That was the problem.  It was TOO easy.  I wasn't the player.  I wasn't going to be a dirty hacker.  I had to allow this.

I twitched my ear and I could hear it from the
mouth of the cavern.

"He's done for."

"Shouldn't we warn the next village over?"

"Warn them about what?  A corpse
that deserved their fate?  What's that Hell
spawn going to do from beyond the grave."

"I'm just saying--"

"Even if he did survive...what's waiting for him in that cave is better
than he deserves.  They'll eat him
alive.   Face facts...Chara is never
coming back to the surface world."

"But what if one of them takes his
soul--"

"You believe that stupid legend?
Our ancestors were very clear that not a single human soul was ever
taken.  I'm starting to think that whole
absorbing souls was just a crock of crap.
But anyway...good riddance to old fairy tales.  Real or not, they deserve to be down
there."

As for Chara?
What's one more demon to add to the pot?
Daylight's burning.   Let's get
back alright.  I'm not going to be stuck
up here when it gets dark."

"Why?
You afraid the monsters that didn't get rounded up centuries ago will
get you?"

"Don' t make me kick your \* FLOWEY CACKLE
\*!!!"

I was beginning to see how devious the Plan was
from the start.  it wasn't his home
village...but the one that hadn't been told of his murderous spree and wave of
terror he had spread through his home village.
That's how he knew his Plan would work.
That's how he knew the villagers would come to fear a monster with the
power of a god.  That's how he would trap
Prince Dreemurr in a situation where he had to fight back...and he couldn't
even do that.

"...It sounds like it came from over
here...  Oh!  You've fallen down, haven't you...  Are you okay?
Here, get up..."

Chara swatted Asriel's hand away.

"Are you sure?"

Even Chara's rudeness went over his head.  He was too pure for this world.

Chara looked up at Asriel.  I could almost see under his bangs...see into
those eyes.

The coldness I was feeling...yeah...that was a
calculating stare.  The stare of someone
weighing their options.

His greeting was lukewarm.  But I could tell he was struggling to
be...nice.

"...Chara, huh?  That's a nice name.  My name is......."

I let out the deepest of sighs.

"...Asriel."  I finished as
I walked away at the point Asriel led the injured Chara back to Asgore
and Toriel's house back in "Home" of the Ruins.  Yeah.
Definitely seemed like a "summer home".

In time I watched Chara be welcomed into the
Dreemurr Family.  I watched him spend
every waking moment possible with Asriel.

And in observing...I saw what no one else did:
deceit.  Chara was quite the
con-artist.  He had wrapped all three of
them around his finger.

I had a feeling if Soul-Reaper Chara saw this,
she wouldn't be able to contain her disgust or her rage.

I was having trouble doing that as it was.

Time continued to go by.  I wasn't sure if it was a year or more but...then
came checkpoint number two.

"Chara, are you ready? Do your creepy face!
AHHHHH!! Hee hee hee! Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on... What!? You're not
gonna do it again...? Come on, quit tricking me! Haha!"

As Chara was turned away, there was no way Asriel
saw the devious grin.

When he wasn't in range of his voice...

"Too easy.
It's disgusting how they accept me.
I guess that makes him some degree of more redeemable than worthless
humans.   You're going to be an excellent
pawn, Asriel.  But..how to get out of
this damn prison and reap my terrible revenge?"

I hovered over him and glowered.  He passed right through me as he chased after
Asriel.

Checkpoint three...and the knot in my stomach was
continuing to tighten.

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera! Ha,
this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for
noooo reason! Hee hee hee. What? Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make
butterscotch pie for Dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter... But we
accidentally put in buttercups instead. Yeah! Those flowers got him really
sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset. I should have laughed it off,
like you did... Um, anyway, where are you going with this? Huh? Turn off the
camera...? OK."

I listened...and grew uneasy as Chara began to
lay the foundation of the plan.  Now I
know why he had Asriel turn the camera off.
This was as good as a confession.
And if Asgore or Toriel ever saw it, then the plan would be for
nothing.  Even if it failed, Chara was
sure it would at least start the spark of war.
Then it was just a matter of Monsters not being above crossing that line
humans crossed so easily.

Bunnie had always warning me that the Jangese
considered the number four practically cursed.
After all, the Jangese word for four was also phonetically the same as
the word for death.

"I... I don't like this idea, Chara. Wh..
what? N-no, I'm not... ... big kids don't cry. Yeah, you're right. No! I'd
never doubt you, Chara. Never! Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone.
I'll go get the flowers."

You had made him an accessory to your own
suicide, you horrible demon.

Checkmark five.
And the final tape.

"Chara...Can you hear me? We want you to
wake up...

"Chara! You have to stay determined! You
can't give up! You are the future of humans and monsters..."

No good.
They were in a coma.  Their death
was imminent.  Even with UCIAT's
science...no...even with Mainland's...Renalia's...or Appra's science medical
knowledge.  There was no curing
death.  While Asgore and Toriel were left
to be tormented by grief and give Asriel his space with his sibling...

" ... Psst... Chara... Please... Wake up...
I don't like this plan anymore. I... I... ... no, I said... I said I'd never
doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... And we'll do it together,
right?"

There was no going back from this point.

From this moment...the moment Chara's soul left
his body...from the moment Asriel decided to go through with it...I knew what
would play out.

I'd see it play out...but stop when our Asriel
was sucked into the Void and thus into the heart of the CORE.

As I watched I could see the heart-shaped entity
rise from the departed child.  I heard
the young goat-like boy utter "I have to keep my promise...for
Chara."  I held my breath, my gaze sharpened,
and I counted the seconds...the milliseconds...the microseconds...and then...

I wanted so much for it to not happen.  But it happened.

Asriel cupped his hands around it.  And brought it to his chest.  I could see his own soul emerge.

And then I saw him pull them into himself...and
the magic began to overflow and pour out.
And then I saw the transformation...I wish I hadn't.  Gods.
I wish I hadn't.

The aura had intensified so much...and I saw his silhouette
grow...I saw the shapeshifting...the morphing.
Every detail became that of the one being I had promised myself would
never return.

The one-soul version of the God of
Hyperdeath.  I'd seen the
six-human-soul-and-every-monster-in-the-kingdom's soul version before.  This one may have been only a seventh that
power level.  But really...even I could
sense the power of a demigod.  And it was
beyond belief.  He could easily slaughter
that village if he wanted.

And with that I also know that control over the
body was now split between Asriel and Chara.
Chara took control of course.

I watched.  I followed.  I followed through the barrier.  I'd thought that Chara would at least allow
Asriel to revel in the surface world for a bit.
But no.  Straight to
business.  Carrying his body to that
village.  The one that if they had only
been warned...maybe it would have turned out differently.

Every step was a countdown.

"Why...why does this have to
be...?"  I was fighting back my own
tears.

And then the fated moment came.  He laid his body in the bed of flowers.  A moment of tranquility.

A moment which was shattered by the screams and
the panic.

All they saw was a monster outside of the
barrier...with the body of a child.  How
could they know what the situation was?
They should have known what the situation was.

There was no use blaming Chara's people for not
informing this village.

With very blow...ever weapon...every shot...I
stood aghast, unable to intervene.  I had
the power to stop this from happening, much as Asriel had the power to smite everyone
in the village.  But as he just took
every attack and didn't fight back...I watched every moment, feeing dirtier and
guiltier by the moment.

So.  He
picked up Chara's body and went back home through the barrier.

I wanted to crumble to dust for what I had no
choice but to do.  I hated myself.  I could change history.  But if I did that?  Lady Destiny would forfeit the game.  Evil would win.  And whatever future came of this...it would
be on my head.   Wisdom and experience had
proven time and time again...even with the best intentions, this would not go
the way I thought I wanted it to.  This
was why we don't cheat the game.  This is
why we struggle.  This is where the
balance comes.  Through tragedy,
eventually good things will come about, but only if we let the natural course
of time allow them to.

"Enjoy your temporary moment, Madam
Fate.  I'm going to see this pain and
misery wiped out when I finally break the game."  I declared.
Yeah.  It was a declaration of
war, too late.  We were still at war,
even now.

I followed Asriel back to the throne room where
he collapsed...and turned to dust, dropping Chara's bleeding body onto the
flowers.  Dust and blood.  Blood and dust.

This was the very moment my heart had completely
broken.  I could bear no more.  But I forced myself to watch the tragedy
continue to unfold.  Even seeing Undyne's
expressing didn't help.

The wailing...the sobbing...the melancholy.  Everyone's hopes and dreams were broken into
millions of tiny shards.

Things only got worse as I watched Asgore address
his people...and his declaration of war on the humans.  I watched Toriel's expression turn to
disgust.

"Hang on.
Both of you.  Just...don't give
up."

That night, Toriel left New Home with Chara's exhumed
corpse, wrapped in a tarp.

From there she disappeared into the ruins and the gates locked behind her.

"Enough.
I know where it goes from here.
Mostly."

I couldn't bring myself to see more of this.
Even though it could tell me how Adonis slithered into UTPR-3235 and
revived Chara...I couldn't stand any more.
Maybe...another day.

I drifted through the Barrier and made my way
back to the Delorean, where I had kept it in total stasis lock.  Outside of time and space, it wouldn't
succumb to oxidation...to chemical age.
To battery life and other processes that would cause it to break down
into nonfunctional.

I got in and set the return coordinates...and
left that infernal time period behind me.

When I returned to town and parked in the UCIAT
garage, Asriel...our Asriel was there to greet me...and quick to tell how much
this mission had cut me deeply.  While he
had no clue where I had been...he stuck by his guns and left me to my privacy.

"Everything is temporary, Volt.  Even bad assignments.  Hey.
The sun will come out tomorrow, like the song goes."  He held a small Taiyoudama in his grasp for a
moment to emphasize before snuffing it out.

"Thanks, Goat Son."  I gave him the longest, most heart-felt hugs
I could manage for the longest time.

"It's all just a bad dream."  That was the last thing he said to me before
heading off.

Yeah.

Just a bad dream.

## Sub-Entry 329: "One and a Half Genie Heroes in Agrabah Against Too Many Pirates":

It was a clerical error in S.T.C.  Really.
This was Dr. Persephone's assignment.
It was her jurisdiction.  So how
did I end up crossing paths with a world so steeped in ancient magic?

More than that...how was it that her assigned territory
had made its way into that world?

"Not that I'm not grateful we ended up some
place warm...but seriously?  I'm not the
one to be handling a world of Arabian Nights...or is it Knights?  Hmm..."

"Easy, Volt.  We'll get this mess
straightened out."

"I get it, Azzy...but really.  Am I
the go-to guy when worlds collide?"

"Hey, you should be proud you get to have so many crossover adventures
with so many unique places and time periods."

"Seems more like a burden with the Council breathing down my neck."

"Don't worry.  I've been researching
various kinds of magic, sorcery and superstition from around the world with
Sarina.  Just because I'm not magic
anymore, doesn't mean I can suddenly become ignorant to it.  Trust me.
I can handle magic for both of us.

So why not just sit back and enjoy the ride  And you know...look up info on our two
separate worlds combining."

I rubbed my temples.

"Okay.
Our current location is a few clicks away from the kingdom of
Agrabah.  A world straight out of 1,001
Arabian--"

"You mean like Ali Baba and the Fourty Thieves, Sinbad and--"

"Yes.  That one."

"Aladdin and the Magic Lamp?"

"Had to say it, huh?"

Asriel grinned.

"And the one that doesn't belong?"

"It appears to be pirate forces belonging to an antagonist named Risky
Boots.  They hail from a world under
Persephone's watch--"

"No way!  We're going to be crossing
over with Shantae?"

"Shan-what now?"  I raised an
eyebrow.

"C'mon.  You know?  The Half-Genie Hero?  Through her magical belly-dances, she can
transform?  Friends with Rotty Tops
and--"

"Okay, okay.  I get it.  I guess I'm deferring to you as knowledgeable
authority."

"Nice!"

"I guess we should seek out whoever's in
charge and warn them.  Persephone passed
along a message indicating that Risky Boots may have crossed paths with a
different world before coming here."

"In other words, she may have partnered up with someone?  Triple crossover!"

"Contain your excitement, Goat Son.
That just makes it more complicated.
Anyway...the fact that I don't know anything about either of these
worlds makes me nervous.  Too many
unknowns to juggle."

Asriel shrugged.  "Don't sweat the
small stuff.  We'll do what we always do
in these situations.  Never give up and
do our best!"

Cookie cutter advice...and yet that doesn't change the fact that it's no less
true than any other trope and cliché we've come across.

"Something else to consider.  We're strangers in a strange land.  And even if we maintain human disguise?  We're going to stick out as odd, unusual or
just plain weird..."

Hold that thought.

"...!"

"So...you're...definitely eating your words
from earlier, right?"

"Rubbing it in, Goat Son?"

"Just calling it as I see it."

"Well that answers my question whether it was Williams or
Smith."

"You just had to tag along, didn't you,
Violet?"

"Hey, Aunt Vi."

"What, Commander?  Thought I'd lead off strong with a good
one-liner."

I facepalmed.  But she didn't give me
chance to protest.

"Soooo.  We going to address the
big, blue, shapeshifting elephant in the room?"

"You mean Jinn."  I crossed my
arms.

"Actually, I think he prefers being called
Genie."

"Right.
But the fact that he's a...how did you put it again, Vi?"

"Semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic powered being?"

"Right.  That's the least of my
concerns.  There's THIS little
twist."

I pointed over to the purple-haired, pony-tailed,
impossibly hourglass-figured form of the girl I the gold tiara and arm guards,
red parachute pants, pointy shoes, red bikini top, and gold hoop earrings.  The ears were kinda elf-ish, too.

And she was being...entertained for lack of
better word by the blue genie in question...who, yeah...was sounding very Robin
Williams-ish.

"Asriel...correct me if I'm wrong...but does
Genie have a crush on....Shantae?"

"Oh my...!"  Asriel blinked after a few moments of
deer-in-headlights.

And maybe it wasn't my imagination...but there
was no sign that she was shutting him down, either...

"This would be that complication you
mentioned earlier?"

"Oh yeah.  Sometimes it's not the
villains that throw you for a loop...but unexpected situations among heroes and
bystanders."

That was when the Royal Guard arrived and...suffice to say their rather large
captain...or...whatever the appropriate rank was....was intent on crowding us
out and finding just one excuse to put us in the dungeon.

"Volt...?"

"Just don't say it--"

Leave it to Destiny to throw us a bone.
Not to mention the cavalry.
Enter...the hero.

"There you are.  The Sultan's GUESTS...should not keep the
Ruler of Agrabah waiting!"

Black-haired, fast-talking, and definitely a
con-artist that I'm sure would be Marcel in another lifetime.  Wearing an open vest; white, flaring
parachute...garment with a patch stitched to it, and a fez.  And barefoot.
And in the company of a small monkey.

"Psst.
Volt!  That's him!  Just like the 1001 Arabian Tales
described--"

"Him?"

"You know?  Rub the lamp, three
wishes, magic carpet?"

"You've got to be kidding me..."
I muttered as I was hurriedly rushed into the throne room with Azzy.

"Why'd you help us out?"  Asriel asked after we were out of range of
the fuming guard.

"You owe me an explanation.  And
maybe you can tell me who's got Genie acting weird."

"It's a long story.  You and anyone
you trust in the Royal Court should probably hear what we have to
say."  Asriel picked up the ball.

One, long and unbelievable explanation later...

"Oh my!"  The Sultan was rather...smallish...and a surprisingly
naive man-child in personality.  And
while we had his attention, I think it was his daughter, Jasmine who was giving
the situation the gravity it merited.

"You mean you believe us?"  I scratched my head.

"I'd like to think Raja is a good judge of character."  The princess replied as she watched Asriel
give the oversized tiger belly rubs.

"I've had the practice with big cats at Lupe's
nature preserve.  They can sense someone
with a good heart, right?"

"Still.  What you're telling us is
that enemies are coming to invade but you're not sure what their plan
is?"  Aladdin questioned.

"Bah!
It sounds as fishy as this kid's breath!"  the red-feathered form of the parrot, Iago
brushed it off.

"Huh?
Why does this bird sound like Gilbert Gottfried?"

"Never heard of him!"  Iago
held up a wing in a "talk to the hand" gesture.

Somehow....this feels like a meta joke.

"And this person with Genie is a--?"

"Half-genie.  Shantae.  Don't worry.
She's pretty awesome."

"You just met her, Goat Son."

"Goat son?"

"Strange nickname for your friend."

"Volt...maybe we shouldn't bother with the human disguise on this
world.  Too many things that suggest it
may have seen more than its fair share of things that aren't exactly
human."  Asriel questioned.

"Your call, Azzy."

Asriel switched off the Unitrix as I demorphed.

"Ohhhhhh...now it makes sense."  Aladdin rubbed his chin, looking off to the
side.

Meanwhile Iago was in a private conversation with Abu, the monkey.

"You know what I'm thinking, monkey
boy?  I'll be their pockets are deep with
stuff that's worth a small fortune on the black market."

Abu chittered, scolding accusingly.

"What do you mean we should mind our own
business?!  This is a golden
opportunity--"

"I agree with the simian.  Don't
touch what doesn't belong to you."
Asriel looked over his shoulder, eyes turning yellow.

"Wait...you understand what he's--"

"Also, he's right.  You're being a
bit feather-brained."

"Now, just a minute!"

I was sure I heard Raja laugh...or whatever the tiger equivalent was.

"You stay out of this, furball!"

Brave little bird talking back to the beast that
could swallow him in a single gulp.

At that moment Bunnie BAMFED into existence.

"Scouting report complete.  The enemy most certainly has help.  They attempted a partnership with one of this
world's villains, but they double-crossed him."

"Villain?  Which one?"  Aladdin asked.

Elsewhere in the ruins of the workshop of one
mechanical genius named Mechanicles...

A moan as he climbed unceremoniously out of the pile of gears and scrap.  Back to the drawing board it would seem?

Back at the palace...

"I'm certain they have problem relieved him
of some of his possessions."

"They could have dangerous weapons and machinations under their
control."  Jasmine pondered.  Princess was a sharp cookie.  Definitely not the damsel in distress
archetype.  This girl's got spunk.  Though...why she was hanging out with a
street rat like Aladdin?

Come to think of it...I hadn't thought to
download information about this world off of A.E.O.N. yet.  How slip shot of me.

One catchup later...

"So they're definitely headed toward
Agrabah."

"Though how they're going to get here?
I mean there's nothing out there but sand."  Jasmine questioned.

"Oh, they'll find a way."  Asriel assured.

That was when Genie and Shantae entered--one in a poof of blue smoke, the other
running in like wild fire.

"Al, I think we got company!  In
stereo, even!"

Stereo?

We rushed out of the palace and say both pirate ships on the horizon, sailing
on... a self-contained wave?  It was like
the ocean had come with them.

"I recognize the first ship, but who's the
other one?"  Asriel raised his visor
after taking it out of binocular mode.

"Oh crud..."  I muttered.
"It looks like Risky Boots found her way to Neverland.  That's Captain James Hook."

I recognized the black-hearted pirate with the
hook hand.  Yeah...I was familiar with
the world colloquially known as  Peter
Pan and the Pirates.  Rather, Neverland
as it was known as.

"Let's not let this get back to Violet.  Pretty sure Glitter won't forgive us that she
didn't get to meet Tinkerbell."

Just our luck that it wasn't the Disney universe Captain Hook.   No.
This was the Fox Network version.
Darker.  Dramatic.

Oh boy.

"C'mon.
Let's intercept them before the ram the city!"

"I'm guessing Risky promised to split the royal treasury 50/50."

"If there's one thing you can't trust a pirate on...it's sharing
equally."  I grumbled.

"Right.
Let's go!"  Asriel unfolded
the NX-Board.

"Wait, shouldn't we--"  I started.

"I think they've got their own ride."
Asriel pointed as Aladdin gave a loud whistle.  And low and behold an ornate carpet actually
flew into the room...almost like it had a life and mind of its own.

Aladdin pulled Jasmine and Abu onto the carpet.

"Wait for us!"  Shantae hollered after them.

I blinked for a moment before KOMMAND's hologram
projected from my bracer.

"Don't be glum."  She shrugged as she held up her iPod.  "We have jams--"

"We're not doing that joke."  I
brushed away the hologram, as if I thought that would do any good.

"But...so many...jams!"

"KOMMAND.  Move.  Away.
From the jams."  I grumbled
before electrokinetically forcing my bracer's holo-projector and com link to
shut down.

"Spoilsport!"  her image cut out.

I hurried after them before bumping into
Shantae.

"I thought you would have already caught up to them by now."

"Yeah, well...y'know...I was thinking that maybe I should be calling in reinforcements....at
least get some advice from my uncle."

A call for backup?  All the way to Sequin Land?

I'd already met the acquaintance of Rotty Tops...and vowed NEVER to let her
show up anywhere near Chameleon on the grounds I'd forever earn his wrath.  Still a grudge against the undead.

"Well.
If you think you can turn to some kind of help, I'm all for it.  But you know...maybe you have a point.  Maybe we do need some reinforcements..."

So I put in a call to S.T.C. and had Dr.
Persephone contact some recent allies of ours--first on Mer...then to somewhere
near the Grand Line...and finally to Neverland itself.  After all, it was only fair that their hero
come and collect their trash.

And sure enough, KOMMAND did deliver.  But she also decided to throw in some twists
I wasn't ready for.

"...you called in the Megaforce
Rangers."  I looked up at the flying
pirate ship zord.

"Of course you did.

Maybe this was more of a Pirate-pocoypse than the
previous encounter with the Pirates of Dark Water.

And of course meetings went about as well as I
expected them to when the crossovers hit an all-time high.

At some point during our misadventure, our
Half-Genie Hero had used her transformation magic to use her monkey
transformation...which got Abu's attention...and thusly Genie's ire.

"Heeeeey, I know you're not making eyes with
the girl I just met."

Which was promptly answered with angry chittering from the monkey.

At another point, Iago got into a beef with Niddler.

"As a bird I would be obligated to respect a fellow avian.  But you had to go and be half monkey,
too!"

"And you look small enough to be a
snack.  And guess who HASN'T eaten in a
while."

"Hey now...isn't that like...y'know--"

"The rabbit told me chicken wings are a delicacy.  I'm sure parrot isn't too far off."

Oh brother.  Fast forward to
confrontations, already.

"Do you know who you are dealing with,
street rat?"

"No.  But I'm sure it would
be...handy for you to give me a hint!"

"Oooh!  Good one, Al."  Genie cheered on.

"I'm with you!"  Ren prepared, blade in hand.

"Your mockery only increases my ire!  I will keelhaul you, boy!"

And Risky Boots had unknowingly brought the
Pirate's Curse back in a big way as the remains of Jaffar's lamp provided the
spark to revive the Pirate Master in all of his giant skeletal wraith infamy.

"You're crazy if you think we can take that
down--"  Ioz warned.

"Heh.  I'm gonna knock the crap out
of it."  Luffy cracked his knuckles.

"That's the spirit!  Let's have us an adventure he won't
forget!"  Peter Pan pointed his own
cutlass.

"Good to work with you again, Tula."

"As is to work with you again, Lupe."

Suffice to say it only became more
convoluted.  But even that had a
threshold before everything eventually worked out.

"You haven't seen the last of us, Peter
Pan!"

"But this world has, old man!"

And so the ship sailed back into the gateway.

"Should never have trusted that
scum."  Risky pouted before turning
to Shantae.  "This changes nothing
between us.  I'm not going to become a
goody two-shoes.  We just happened to
have--"

"A common enemy.  Yeah, I get
it.  We did this song and...dance
before."  The half-genie couldn't
resist a little hip shake.

"Too soon."  Iago complained.

"Ooooh.
Now those hips don't lie."  I
could practically hear Genie pant.

I shook my head.

"C'mon.
Let’s get things cleaned up around here before KOMMAND contacts us and
asks something stupid like--"

And KOMMAND's image appeared, in yet another cosplay.  Looks like she borrowed one of the costumes
off the set of the Masked Singer.

"So.  Quick poll.  Williams or Smith?"

"KOMMAND, my KOMMAND!  Let's rap a
little more about that some time!"
Genie quickly zeroed in on the conversation.

"Violet, can you not bombard us with old
memes?"

"Oh no.  I'm digging out memes that
are plenty na-nuu na-nuuuuu!"

Asriel snickered.

"Dammit, Vi."  I facepalmed.

Asriel gladly shook hands with Aladdin.  "Well, we saved Agrabah.  And it's thanks to teamwork and phenomenal
cosmic power."

"Hey heeeey!  SEMI-phenomenal,
NEARLY-cosmic power!"  Genie
corrected.

Laughter all around.

"C'mon.
Let's go home, team.  And don't
forget to shake the sand out of your sandals, everyone."

This was nice.
Hopefully we'd get another chance to tell another tale of another
Arabian Nights.

## Sub-Entry 330:  "The Greatest Thief in Two Worlds?  Carmen Sandiego vs.  Lupin III":

Bunnie approached the man in the samurai
robes.  His arms were crossed, and eyes
closed.  His expression?  Dour.
Hers was equally stoic.

Goemon Ishikawa.
Thirteenth generation samurai.
Descended from the legendary troublemaker and sharing a name with another
Goemon Ishikawa in our own Konami galaxy in the flower city known as Oedo.  The things he did with his blade were
downright impossible; like cutting entire cars apart with a single slash.

Uncrossing his arms, the man turned to Bunnie and
opened his eyes.

Both shared a bow of respect.

"Ishikawa Goemon."

"Rabbotou Bunnie."

A moment of silence.

"He'll see you, now."

Bunnie grunted in response before turning an
opening the car door for its passengers.

Out stepped Gadget Hackwrench.  Spritely as ever.  Definitely not the first person I would have
asked on this mission.

Then Marcel Gilneas.  Might as well have someone with expertise in
THIS infamous field.

Next up were Ivy and Zack from the Acme Detective
Agency. Ohhhhhh boy, this was a bad idea.

Next up was Violet.   Honestly?
Not my idea for her to tag along.
The group was already cumbersome and by this point overshadowing the
group we were meeting with.

Finally there was us.  Asriel and myself.

So where were we?
A run-down shake in a shady part of town, off world, that wouldn't draw
any attention.

If I told you this adventure would boil down to a
clash between the two greatest master thieves on two different worlds, would
you believe this was where one of them was making residence?  Well...don't judge on appearance--

"GRRR!  What do I look like?!  An ATM?!
In case you haven't noticed things are a little tight around here!"

"Do you expect me to keep doing all these favors out of the goodness of my
heart?!"

"Your toothache suddenly got better!"

"Maybe you've forgotten how much you owe ME over the years!"

"Oh jeeze, Fuji-cakes!  Not you,
too!"

...don't judge on appearance or demeanor.
As tempting as it is."

I sighed and facepalmed before Goemon allowed us
entry.

To the left in a dark suit and hat that fell between 20's mobster and private
eye was our contact's right-hand man and hired gun--the notorious Daisuke
Jigen.  A drinker and a smoker.  He was already in a foul mood.  And not just because I had put my foot down
about the no-smoking rule if we were going to meet.

To the right, arms crossed, nose in the air, and
back turned toward the man of the hour in a snooty, stand-offish pout was the
on-again-off-again main squeeze of our contact.
Beautiful Fujiko Mine.  Mistress
of disguise, able to wrap any target around her finger for information, and
master of many talents putting her on equal footing with our contact.  And definitely not to be trusted.  Take your eyes off her and she'll split and
run with more than her fair share.

In the corner of the room was a new face to the
group and whom I deemed as not an official part of Lupin's crew, but she
definitely crossed paths with Lupin and company in some sort of misadventure
too big to be believed.  Violet had got
into  back-hacking back-and-forth with
her, finding her to be on par with her level of programming prowess.  Rare for her to meet her match.  But sure enough, the rabbit princess came up
with name--Ami Anan.  When I sounded her
last name out, I couldn't help but feel like it was a play on "anon"
as in anonymous.  As in a ghost in
cyberspace.   Currently she seemed to be
net-diving with a custom laptop.  That
earpiece device though.  I had the
sneaking suspicion she had access to a system much more powerful if she could
go toe-to-toe with Vi in cyberspace.

And there at the center of it all in a blue
jacket with a shirt and tie; and possessing what I'd describe as a monkey
face.  As he currently was...it was not
easy to believe he sported a brainpower of 300 and had the title of greatest
thief in the world.  Described as a
"foreigner" descended from Japan's legendary Arsene Lupin--the Thief
among Thieves.

I cleared my throat loudly.

"Huh?
Hey, Lupin...there's no way these could be our contacts.  A lab coat and a high school kid and a
rag-tag motley crew."

"Excuse me?!"  Ivy
snapped.  "Don't lump us in with the
rest of them.  I'm only here under
protest."

"Aww come on, sis.  The UCIAT are
great!  The Chief personally selected
them to assist with this mission."

"He could have at least assigned actual ACME detectives to us instead of
the glorified tank!"

"Sounds like our contacts have as much disunity as our little
gang."  Fujiko sneered.

"Depends if anyone in their group has ever
stabbed another in the back."  Jigen
sniped.

"This whole discussion is counterproductive."  Goemon interjected, offhandedly.

"May I?"  Marcel rolled his eyes.

"By all means."  Asriel waved him over.

Marcel headed over to Lupin, who was about to
lose it. I couldn't make out the conversation.
I'm sure whatever he was negotiating was brilliant.  It would most certainly get control of the
situation--

\*BANG\*

"Dude!
What the Hell?!  How did you get
shoot a gun to get everyone's attention out of that?!"  Marcel shouted.

"Will you relax.  It was blank.
I had some left over from the last time I needed to pull a bluff."

"Seriously?!  What the Hell--"

"Your way was too slow.
Besides.  it worked didn't
it?"

"I have having a VERY hard time believing
you're as great a thief as you claim you are!"

"Now that's just rude.  And if you're thinking about testing my
skills I don't jump through hoops just to prove my reputation.  A professional artist like myself has nothing
to prove by demonstrating his craft on a whim.
By the way, you'll be a bit disappointed if you open that."

"Damn.
He made us, Josquin."

The drake slime coughed up the wallet into Marcel's hand.  Sure enough a little card on a spring popped
out.  On it was a caricature of Lupin
giving a trollface with a peace symbol.
Beyond that, sure enough...Lupin was quite broke.

"I know you're holding back so no need to
prove it with amateur level parlor tricks."

Marcel tented his hands.

"Challenge accepted.  You won't see it coming."

Lupin chuckled a bit.  "Now that's
the proper attitude."

I slow turned to Asriel.   Oh yeah.
He totally knew this would happen.

"Okay, we're listening, boss man."

The option to retract my earlier statement is long overdue.

"Can we get to the point already?"  I growled, tempted to morph.

"Well, since we've kept the good doctor
waiting, might as well get straight to the point.  What we have here...is a declaration of
war."

That shut everyone up very quickly.

"That's a pretty bold statement to make, Lupin."

"What do you mean by--"

Lupin held up what looked like a business card...no...this was more like a
calling card.  The kind lefty by--

Ivy stood up, slamming both palms down on the
makeshift table.

"Carmen!"  She snapped.

"You remember that little job we pulled a
couple months ago."

"I remember.  An unusually easy
heist for us."

"The payoff wasn't that great, but small victories keep our pockets
lined.  At least they would if we all
only took our fair share--"

"What are you saying?"  Fujiko
wrinkled her nose.

"Not the time, you two."  Marcel
snapped.

"Seems we stepped on the toes of competition
we didn't know we had.  Or rather someone
who doesn't belong in our neck of the woods."

"And that's where ACME and UCIAT come in."  I put my hands on my hips.

"Well, in retaliation, she snatched up this
month's score.  I had my eye on a certain
valuable artifact for a while now, you see."

"Yup.  Carmen does enjoy a
challenge."  Zack shrugged.

"And that's why we don't even have enough
for candy cigarettes, let alone real ones."  Jigen growled, still incensed about the
no-smoking policy.

"My reputation as the greatest thief in the
world is on the line.  And I'm not about
to hand it over to some off-worlder.
Frankly I'm dubious about working with off-world detectives on this,
but--"

"Is that an admission that you're in over your head?"  Goemon asked rather frankly.

"Ouch.
You wound me, old friend.  I'm
just thinking practically."

The heck he was.  Those flushed cheeks
were telling a different story.  That was
the look of a man with wounded pride and frustration fueling it.

"So what's the plan?"

"I have no interest in your petty grudge, Lupin."

"What you REALLY mean to say, Miss Mine is that you have no interest in a
grudge that doesn't have a payoff."
Marcel mused with a smirk.

"And a point goes to the promising
rookie."

Marcel scoffed.  "I'm going to take
that as a slight on my skill."

"Respect in due time."

"So what's the plan?"

"The basic play is that we trap our
red-coated, fedoraed vixen onto ACME's doorstep.  But if you want details..."

And beyond closed doors we discussed things.

Eventually...

Goemon and Bunnie remained on standby in the
shadows.

"It goes without saying but I intend to keep
this partnership strictly business and respectful."  Bunnie assured.

"I can tell by your blade you are a noble
warrior.  I need not question your
motivations.  Rest assured I will not
betray you.  However, understand my
loyalties lie with Lupin."

"If it comes down to it, I will look the
other way."

And...

"Grrr...why did I have to get stuck with the
kid."

"You're not mad at me, are you, Mr. Jigen?"

"Tch...listen, kid--"

"Gadget."
/
"I know we were assigned based on our skill sets...but around you, I feel
like someone's parent or uncle."

"I promise I won't get in the way!
Really!"

Jigen pulled the brim of his hat further down
over his eyes.

And still..

"Hmmph.
Of all people, I get stuck with the detective."

"This is no picnic for me, either, sister.
If it were in my jurisdiction, you'd be behind bars."

That made Fujiko chuckle a little.
"You're like the female version of Zenigata, aren't you?  No wonder why Lupin's okay with having you
tag along."

"If you’re trying to get under my skin, it won't work!  I would think a woman of your age would know
better than to--"

"You shouldn't make assumptions about a girl's age, little private
eye.  You might find yourself outclassed
by experience.  I mean...that is why this
Carmen Sandiego keeps escaping you, isn't it?"

"Why you...!"

Oh boy.
Cut away to someone else.

"Wow, you've definitely taken the top prize
for most introvert."  Violet mused.

"Your observation, while astute, has no
bearing on this situation."  Ami
brushed it off, her voice rather monotone in the delivery.

"I think what she's really saying is, you
gotta lighten up a little.  We brainy
people gotta stick together, right?"
Zack rolled around on his skateboard.

"Your habitual practice of localized locomotion
seems like it would be a distraction."

"If you're saying my skate boarding’s
bothering you."

"I think jet pack trumps skateboard."

"Easy for a rich girl to say."

And the banter went on.

Which left Goat Son, Marcel, Lupin and me at
practically ground zero, ready to spring the trap.

However...

"Huh?
A decoy?!"  Lupin seemed a
little ticked.  Rightfully so, as he
yanked off the fedora on the mannequin.

"Wait.
What's this?"  Marcel picked
the pockets and found a clue.

"Marcel, hold that up to the light.  I'm going to send a high definition image to
Ami and the tech support.

After a bit of analysis.

"This is definitely a Carmen
clue."  Ivy glared at the item.  "But what's it mean?"

"I can answer that."  Bunnie
appeared with Goemon.  "On my world
it's Jangese but here it's Japanese.
Specifically it's a game piece from a shogi set."

"Now this is getting interesting."
Lupin rubbed his chin.  "If I
didn't know better I'd say she wants to get caught."

"You're not that far off.  But she's
not going to surrender.  She has a habit
of getting away even after recover whatever her primary target is."

"Like some sort of game?"
Fujiko's voice came over the com.

"All that for a wild goose chase."
Jigen's voice came over his com set.

"The race isn't over, Davey."
Violet chuckled.

"Hey!  Where do you get off giving
me a nickname like that?!"  He roared.

"She does this to everyone.  Don't take it personally."  I crossed my arms as observed from the surveillance
van.

"I do know where this clue is going to lead
us.  And if I were a bettering woman, I'd
wager Goemon knows where I mean."

Goemon shifted his gaze to Bunnie, briefly.

"And we're going to have to get there
without the C-5 tunnel."

"Not...necessarily."  Vi
sheepishly grinned as Zack kind of rubbed the back of his head.

"Little brother...what did you
do?"  Ivy glared, hands on hips.

And so...

"Guys?
Carmen left us some company!"

"Agents of V.I.L.E. I presume?"

"Worse than that the C-5 split us all up and
not one of us landed at the target."

"It seems that conflict is unavoidable."  Goemon lifted the hilt of his sword out of
his scabbard with his thumb as Bunnie did the same.

"Might as well get in some target
practice."  Jigen said as he drew
his hand gun and shot to disarm or wound, taking out a lot of agents' weapons
in the process.

"C'mon.
You guys aren't even carrying real guns.
How are any of you a challenge--"

That was when he whirled at the sound of several blasts going off.

"Wha...?!"

Gadget let her armaments cool down.

"How'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"I don't know.  No one really taught
me."  Gadget rested the makeshift
crossbow laser, upside-down, over her shoulder, squeezing off a final shot and
taking out a sniper in the roof.

"Heh.
Guess I was wrong about you, kid."
A momentary grin.

And of course...

A pair of simultaneous jump-kicks felled the last
of the agents ganging up on Fujiko and Ivy.

"Not bad for a brat."

"Coming from a middle-aged crook, I'll take that as a compliment."

This of course led to another Carmen clue and a
chase around the world.  This happened a
couple more times until...

The spotlights centered on the lady of the hour,
Carmen Sandiego.  She gave a smug grin as
she tipped her fedora toward us.

"So.
We finally caught up with my competition.  Have to say you're easy on the eyes."

"Flatterer."  Carmen nonchalantly
held onto the landing gear of the chopper in the air.

"Give up, Carmen!  We've got you surrounded!"  Ivy had wasted no time in getting top side
with us.

"You know I can't let you walk away from the
prize."  Lupin trained his weapon on
her.  "I'd say this game of cat and
mouse is about over."

"On the contrary.  It's about to go
for another round."  She mused as
the doorway to the rooftop was suddenly kicked up and a single name was
bellowed at the top of the kicker's lungs.

"LUPIIIIIIIIN!!!!"

"Aww jeeze.  Really?  You had to go and bring Pops in on
this?"  Lupin shrugged with a
disappointed look.

"It's over, Lupin!  You and your entire gang are going away for a
long time!"  Inspector Koichi
Zenigata of Interpol.  Hot-tempered,
hot-blooded, and just overall hot-under-the-collar when it came to his
obsession--catching Lupin the Third and slapping the cuffs on him.  Not that would make a difference as Lupin
could easily slip out of a pair of handcuffs with no problem.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery.  You did, after all, send my
favorite ACME detectives after me.  So I
returned the favor."

The helicopter began to lift off.  "I can have my cake and eat it too.  And the title of greatest thief on two worlds
is quite the delicious icing."

Carmen climbed into the chopper.

"I believe we'll be leaving now--"

"We will be."

"But it won't be back to V.I.L.E. headquarters."

Marcel mused as Violet and Asriel had taken over
the pilot and co-pilot controls.

"Well now.
Isn't this a surprise."

"Not half as surprising as a slight of hand and retrieving this little
gem."  Marcel held the priceless
artifact.

"Don't take it personally.  But like Mr. Lupin says...there's no honor
among thieves."

"And no escape, either."  Violet held up the handcuffs as Asriel took
over the controls.

"I wouldn't say that."  Carmen tipped her hat again as the floor
underneath her suddenly opened up and she plummeted straight down...before the
jet glider wings unfolded from her hidden backpack.

"Huh."

"Yup..  She's got a
budget."  Violet shrugged as the
secret escape door closed back up.

"She's getting away!"  Ivy tightened her fists.

"She got away."  Zack put his hand on his sister's
shoulder.  "But at least we returned
what she stole."

Carmen gave a smug salute to Lupin as he smirked
back.

"Guess I get to keep the title after
all."  He mused as Carmen vanished
into the cyber gate.

"Stop!
Stay where you are, Lupin!  I'm
bringing you in!  And the rest of you are
under arrest for aiding and abetting!"

"Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Cherish these reunions of ours, Pops, while you still can!  You're getting up there in years!"

"WHY YOU--!"

"Heheheheh..."  Lupin took a
leap off the roof before firing his watch's grappling hook and swinging his way
down until he was able to land in a get-away car that the rest of his crew had
secured.

Later on Marcel managed to get his hands on the
reward for the artifact...while also leaving a fake in its place.  Double deal?
Double payoff.

At least it would have been if...

"Hope he likes apples.  I got his
big score and the reward money in one swoop.
How bout' them apples?"
Marcel mused as he petted Josquin.

Marcel held up the priceless artifact.   It would be easy for him to sell this sucker
on any world for a steep price.

"And add that to--"

The briefcase with the reward money was opened...but...!

"To Marcel.  Let's call this one a
draw, shall we?  - Lupin III."

Marcel shook his head and chuckled.

"For now."

The rest of us just shrugged.

CRYPTOSMASHER LOGOFF

END TRANSMISSION...

PLDN Chapter 34

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