//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: American Fox // by madhat886 //------------------------------// ! Spookhouse the department of the strange and other worlds protection agency of the United States of America. Opening their doors 2 years ago, the brave men and women who work for the department search and record any strange sightings around the country. Every government office throughout the country pay bounties on any alive or dead creature or object found. With more money for those who bring in creatures alive. Within a few months creatures and items were ship by train to the main branch of Spookhouse. Where they would be look over and if they're the real thing the bounties would be paid. At his desk, Naruto the top field agent for Spookhouse was busy filing away paperwork for some of the newer collection that have been found. The group has grown since they started searching for more beings like him and Kurama who came from other worlds. Some members are beings from other worlds who found themselves on this world and having no place to go decided to work for Spookhouse. With their help the file room was filled with information and some of the items, ranging from objects and machines found out what they are and what they do. The magical items were useless in this world but the machines ones and others that were powered by some other kind of energy still works. Naruto look up from his paperwork as Tik-Tok came inside. He's a round-bodied mechanical man made of copper, that runs on clockwork springs which periodically need to be wound, like a wind-up toy or mechanical clock. And he speaks with his mustache which many are still wondering how that works. He was made to be the entire army of the land he came from, which many wonder if Tik-Tok is really that powerful in his world or it's just that peaceful. He was wound down when he was found in the middle of a corn field, he had no idea how he got there. He now serves as a guard at Spookhouse looking after the objects in the vault as some of them are deadly to flesh and blood beings while he's immune. While their mission is to secure and contain objects and beings from other worlds. They also judge if the being is dangerous or not, if not many end up working with the government. Once news spread out of other world beings freely working with the USA government, beings from other parts of the world began coming to the US. Many countries did have agencies like Spookhouse. But their mission was one of killing and destroying anything that was found. As many orders were started by the church or other faiths. Who saw the beings and objects from other words as the works of the devil and went against everything their faiths stood for. So now the US is quickly advancing as the other beings from different worlds shared their knowledge with people who are willing to work with them. And not just kill them and destroy their works because of faith. The governments of other countries seeing how advance the United States is becoming thanks to the knowledge the beings from other worlds are giving them, are now trying to reverse centuries of senseless bloodshed. Many beings from other worlds saw the United States as the promise land where they wouldn't be hunted down and killed or be lock up till they died. And the other countries can only look on as the very beings they have long hunted and killed, kick started an entire technological revolution. Of course once they reach the US they found it wasn't as they pictured it. And the people there weren't as welcoming as some saw them as monsters. But the government was giving them protection and they had gotten use to a giant talking fox, but the old guard are still there set in their ways. But T.R. just butted head head against theirs and his head is made of harder stuff. And with all the advancements being made, there is much money being made as well and cold hard cash made many change their minds or at least kept it to themselves. There is also the royal family of America that help in getting the idea of out worlders just being different people coming to live together in one place. Empress Norton had toured around the country a few years ago to campaign for her election as empress of America. Which just made her empress in name only but with her power to make copies of herself each with a different personality and abilities, helping out where they can all over the country got people to love her. It was during that tour around the country that Naruto first met Sunset Shimmer Norton, the young daughter of Barbie Norton. Besides her orange skin, Sunset looked to be like any other girl, but she also has the power to move things with her mind. Naruto had seen her lift things that would had taken a work crew weeks just to move like they were just toy building blocks. During the tour around the country Sunset would help at big building projects, lifting heavy building parts and holding them in place for the workers to weld, or bolt it into place. Cutting the time and cost of the building project. The royal family won the election, getting enough votes for them to be the official royal family of the United States. Empress Norton backed people in power that help get laws pass to help out worlders which she also used to press for equal rights. She also been using her wealth to improve things and investing into things that help raise the standard of life for everyone. "Naruto team 2 has come back and the mission went well, they found the being who is behind the legend of the golem," Tik-Tok said getting Naruto’s attention. "Good, I'll go and see them and meet the new recruit," Naruto said getting up from his desk. As they walk to the hanger of the base, built for the new aircraft that came with team 2. A crash cause them to stop and see what's going on in one of the rooms. Inside the room they saw a small gremlin like creature and a small girl with blue skin, both are fighting over a mushroom. The mushroom in question was found in the backyard of a house in New York. It's a strange mushroom with a yellow and brown spot cap, and a white stem with a face on it. It gives off a bright light at night and produces yellow flasks from it's cap that can be made into oil that can be use as fuel. Spores have been collected by mushroom farmers growing more of them, which surprisingly is very easy as the mushroom seem to want to be farm and be used. The first mushroom is being used as a lamp in the office, which is how they're being sold as after it was found they're harmless. As for the two fighting over the mushroom, the first is Giblet, a small gremlin like creature who was found in a steel mill. His race are called minions who served the Overlord. He was the Forge Master before he ended up in this world. He now helps out in the tool shop. The girl is Sarah who looks like a human child save for that she has big bright eyes yellow in color and pale blue skin. She calls herself a Godling. She was found living in a swamp down south. She now helps out in dealing with creatures and plants. She's older then she looks and while in her world was a magical being. But in this world her powers are gone and she says she feels weak in this world not as strong as she should be even without her magic. Giblet who is also from a magical world also says he feels weaker too. All the beings who came from magical worlds all agreed on that while in this world they're weaker then they should be. (1) "What are you two doing?" Naruto ask them getting their attention. "I want to see what happens if Fanny eats this mushroom," Sarah said. "And, I don't want that pig rabbit eating my light," Giblet said. "No you can't feed the mushroom to Fanny Sarah you don't know what will happen," Naruto said. "And it be a waste of a good light mushroom." "Fine," Sarah said as she left the room followed by her pet Fanny who came out from under a table. Fanny is a small animal that resemble a cross between a rabbit and a pig. It's small, hairless, nearly blind with a pointed snout for digging. So far it's shown to be harmless and docile omnivore. It was found with a large group of its kind in an old mine. They are now being farmed as they breed quickly and grow fast. While some like Fanny are made into pets as they're easily tamed. Reaching the hanger Naruto said team 2 standing around talking with the base commander general Conner. He was part of the Rough Riders and stayed in the army and rising to the ranks of general. T.R. who knew what kind of man he is made him into the base commander. As he's reasonable and younger then the other general who could have joined. Seeing that young blood is needed for the new agency not some old man who is set in his ways. Team 2 is made up of the crew of an alien ship that crash landed on Earth. Their ship while repaired as best as it could be with the tools on hand, could fly but not into space. They joined with Spookhouse as they had no way of calling for help or flying back where they came from. They said they were fleeing from an evil space empire using a hyper drive that goes faster then the speed of light, when a shot from an enemy ship hit it. Causing them to end up on Earth somehow. The star maps they have don't match to the stars around Earth. The leader of the team is, Talpan Cannm is an alien from a race called the Herglics who evolved from water dwelling mammals. He stands around 10 feet tall and extremely wide with smooth hairless black skin. He breathes from a blowhole on the top of his head. He's much stronger then a human and able to survive underwater for a max of 2 hours before he needs to go up for air. Velmwala Yamean or just Velma is a near-human race called Zeltrons. She looks human but for her skin with is a light red and blue hair. Her kind produce a potent pheromone that enhance her already attractiveness and like ability to others. She also has limited telepathic ability that allows her to project emotions onto others and allow her to read and even feel emotions of others. Both of them are from an order called Jedi an order of knights that serve to protect and maintain order. They use the power of the Force, which has many uses as levitation and mind tricks. They also use it to make themselves stronger and faster, along with making their senses stronger allowing them to sense what's going to happen before it happens. They're also armed with an energy weapon called a lightsaber, a weapon with the blade of plasma that can cut through just about anything. Talpan being of immense stature uses what's called a lightclub, that creates a blade of three meters in length. While Velma uses a pair of standard lightsabers. The rest of the 4 members of the team are the crew of the starship they became apart of after the empire took over. Both of them stayed together after most of their order were slaughtered. They went into hiding and became smugglers doing all kinds of jobs mostly helping with the rebels factions against the empire. Nueal Balea is a Vurks a tall reptilian humanoid with bulbous dark eyes, sweeping head crest and gray-green, leathery skin. She is able to breathe both water and air. She's the mechanic of the ship and helps in the workshop with the machines that are brought in. Sual Pong the pilot of the ship and is a Besalisks a muilt-armed race. He has four arms and a prominent crest on his head. The females of his kind can have as many as eight arms. He's tall and bulky with a hearty metabolism. He's also a former soldier who's skilled in firearms, he helps in working out how the energy and other high tech weapons found work. Luma Duan is a Night-Soarer a race of blue skin species with large wings extended from their rib cages and arms making them capable of independent flight like a bat. With him able to fly under his own power he's a big help in missions that needed someone to go in fast and get out before anyone knows what happen. They also brought a robot called a driod to them. It's an astromech driod with a translator instead of the clicks and bleeps most models use to communicate with. It helps in the upkeep of the ship and helps in translations with beings from other worlds. It’s name is DR5. And the new recruit is a man made out of stone. "Naruto there you are," Conner said greeting him. "Let me introduce you to Hardrock." "Hello Hardrock," Naruto greeted the newest member of Spookhouse. "Greetings," Hardrock said. "Welcome to Spookhouse," Naruto said reaching out with his hand which Hardrock took in his and they shook hands. ! Across the Sea - In an old manor in the English country side is the HQ of Torchwood. Torchwood is like their American counterpart but unlike the newer agency they deal with beings and objects from other worlds the old way. By killing the beings and destroying the objects, as they followed the old code, with only some beings and objects kept to help them in their mission to kill and destroy. But seeing how the American's embracing the beings and objects from other worlds and learning from them, is quickly making them very advance in technology. The English government has ordered Torchwood to follow the American example which other countries also are doing. In his office the leader of Torchwood only known as M sat behind his desk. He didn't like the change in orders in dealing with creatures and objects from other worlds. But seeing how the American's are becoming more powerful thanks to how they deal with theirs, it can't be help. But of course with the beings that are already here and in hiding from them, aren't willingly to help them now. From the reports almost all of them have fled to America sometimes getting on board American ships so that the captain's would take them. As the American government gives out rewards for crews who help beings from others worlds and bringing them to America. There's now an underground railroad in shipping creatures of other worlds to American here and other countries who up to Spookhouse had been hunting and killing them. With the damage long been done agencies like theirs are now searching for new comers who just got to this world. His door open as Ms. Poppins enters with her report on her mission to Scotland. She carried that umbrella with the penguin head that she's always seen with. Turns out that she found a case of those umbrella with the penguin heads, all of them look like ordinary umbrellas but each one has a hidden device built in them. They range from hidden blades, firearms, to a strange one that has spinning blades on top that allows her to fly. Her umbrellas have been studied to improve on their weapons. "I have my report on the castle that appeared out of nowhere," Ms. Poppins said handing him her report. "Alright go ahead," M said as he looks over the report as she told him what she saw on her mission. "The army had already surrounded the area by the time, I got there. The school appears to be a magic school. It seems something cause it to be transported to our world which at that time there was a magic battle going on between two different groups. The castle is in ruins as the castle was built on top of a large network of caves and tunnels which were strengthen by magic to keep the castle collapsing. Combine with how the castle was built which from what we found by pictures and photos of the castle could have only been held up by magic. Once here it all just collapses onto itself killing almost those who were on it or inside. When the army got there they found only a few survivors. Some human and some non-humans," Ms. Poppins stated. "And what is the value of this magic school?" M ask. "Very little besides the fact that some of the surviving humans appear to be from a world like ours but the timeline of their world is ahead of ours. They can give the researchers ideas of how some of what they call the muggle world of theirs works. Those who are magic born on the other hand are completely useless as they were born and raise to pretend that the non magical world doesn't matter to them. Now in our world all their magical skills are now useless. As for the potions that weren't destroyed are now all but poison. One of the survivors a teacher tried a healing potion she had made but ended up killing her. Without magic the potions are now mostly poisons or something else, hard to say as they're still be tested to see if any are useful. The only good thing we can get out of them is some good PR showing that we're helping beings from other worlds now. The non-humans also could prove useful in learning about non-humans. The Deatheaters as they’re called the group of evil magic users have all been executed on the spot. Don’t need any of them running around," Ms. Poppins said. "Very well. The army can handle helping with the humans while we'll handle the non-humans," M said. "I would also like to screen the surviving children. There is room in the Boarding House," Ms. Poppins said. "Yes the school you setup to handle children who end up in other worlds," M said. "It might be small now but children from other worlds who find themselves here or children who went to and come back, need someone to properly teach them manners. And once they're properly raised to be proper adults they can be useful agents," Ms. Poppins said. "Well you did good work with Ms. Liddell," M said. "Go and see which of the children need needs a nanny." "I do my best," Ms. Poppins said. "The American's have a head start on us. We need to make sure they don't get too far for us to catch up," M said. "We just have to have proper manners in dealing with the beings who find themselves here," Ms. Poppins said taking her leave. !