The Path of Hum Drum Part 4 – The Swordwoman and the Detective
Ken and Trot were in science class, experimenting some new mixtures of different chemicals together.
"You know something Trot?" Ken began. "Without Dr. Hoofenshmirtz, science class is really enjoyable."
"I agree," Trot Summers replied, while examining the formulas written in the textbook. "And furthermore, this substitute teacher, Dr. Whooves, is much more enjoyable to have for this class period!"
Ken nodded in agreement as they both turn their attention to their substitute teacher, who is a well-mannered, British man in his 30s, styling in a coffee brown jacket with matching pants, a white dress shirt underneath, and a green bow tie around the neck.
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” A girl said in agreement.
In appearance, the girl has curly pastel hair with purple, pink and blue highlights, which is held up by a hairpin shaped like a beaker, hanging lovingly over her blue eyes.
For attires, she wears purple tank top with light pink stripes that ran along the hemline, above her chest, long jeans, held up by a belt, and dark gray shoots.
“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced! I’m Nova Potts!” The girl greeted, holding her hand out to both Ken and Trot.
“Hi Nova Potts,” Trot replied, returning the handshake. “I’m Trot Summers. And I believe you know my friend, Ken Heathspike?”
“Hi,” Ken waved.
“I might’ve seen him now and then,” Nova replied as she exchanges handshakes with the two. “Anyway, did either of you hear what happened to Dr.H? I heard he was arrested and sent to an asylum for mentally disabled people.”
“Really?” Trot giggled, feigning surprise. “You don’t say.”
“Gee, I wonder what could’ve happened to him,” Ken wondered, while secretly knowing what really happened.
“Well, from what the police have told us,” Nova began. “He was found in a boat load of crabs, with his whole stomach flooded with salt water. And they found a large tunneling machine beneath his auto-repair shop too...pretty suspicious if you ask me.”
“Don’t have to tell us twice,” Ken replied, with Trot nodding in agreement.
However, in secret, both Ken and Trot knew the real reason behind Dr. H’s arrest. But for the rest of their classes, they decided to keep quiet and act as if they knew nothing.
But all the same, Ken and Trot couldn’t help but exchange loving glances with each other.
For the rest of the day, after his class in chemistry with Trot Summers, all Ken could think about was the leader of the Power Princesses and the kiss she had given him earlier that morning.
This didn’t go unnoticed for the rest of the Power Princesses, who would often notice the dreamy and dazed look Ken has in his eyes. In gym class, he was casually doing ab crunches, hanging on a rail, without even knowing.
“Uh...Yo Ken!” Aurora waved her hand in front of his face. “You alright there?”
“Never better, Masked Matter~” Ken sighed in a loving daze.
This made both Aurora and Dallas’s to stare, slack jawed at the boy’s response.
“Uh, Ken!” Dallas shouted, snapping her fingers in front of Ken, snapping him out of his daze. “Wake up!”
“Hmmm?!” Ken exclaimed, fully startled and awake from his daydream. “Who? What? When?!” He turned and looked to see Aurora and Dallas standing in front of him, tapping their feet. “Oh! Hey girls! What’re you doing hanging upside down like bats?”
“We’re not hanging upside down,” Aurora replied. “You are!”
“What?!" Ken looked up at his legs to see he was indeed hanging on a bar. "OH! AAAAAHHHH!!” Ken yelped as he fell off the rail and landed on his head. “Ow!”
“Ooh! I’ll bet that’s smart...” Aurora cringed.
"Are ya alright, Ken?" Dallas asked.
Ken was too busy seeing stars to respond.
"Aw! The poor putty tat fell down," A mean voice grumbled, to which Aurora and Dallas rolled their eyes as they turned around to see the two bullies, Brick and Boomer.
"Hi girls," Brick flirted with the two alien girls. "How about you all ditch this loser and join me and Boomer?"
"Yeah!" Boomer laughed. "C'mon! Join us! We'll play nice."
"Get lost creeps," Aurora spatted.
At first, Boomer was the first to comply, only for Brick to pull him back. The heavyset bully shook his head at his lanky comrade for giving up too soon.
“What’s the matter?” Brick questioned. “We’re not good enough for ya?”
“Why don’t y’all make like a tree and get lost?” Dallas spatted.
“Uh, Dallas?” Ken began as he got up, whispers into Dallas’s ears, and corrected the girl’s incorrect metaphor.
“Ah mean, leave!” Dallas repeated. “Make like a tree and leave. That’s what I meant to say.”
“Oh yeah?” Brick challenged. “Why don’t you make me?”
“Yeah! Make me!” Boomer joined in.
“Look guys,” Ken shook his head. “Trust me. You really don’t want to do this... just walk away before either of you guys get hurt.”
“Oh! You hear that, Boomer?” Brick asked. “The comic geek wants to be a fighter!”
Aurora turned to Ken and patted him on the shoulder, “It’s okay, Ken. We got this.”
“Oh really?” Brick asked, as he and Boomer got ready. “Let’s show ‘em our karate moves, Boomer! C’mere! AAAAARRRRRRREGGGGGHHHHH!!!!”
“HI-YAH!!!”
Ken quickly stepped to the side and watched as Aurora and Dallas skillfully flipped the two bullies, into the air, onto two large mattresses, where they landed with a big crash.
Their classmates all clapped wildly for the girls’ performances, while also laughing their hearts out at the bullies’ humiliation.
“Next time you creeps pick on Ken again, we won’t be so friendly than we are today!” Aurora threatened, as she and Dallas resume their exercises.
Ken just stared, dumbfounded, at the two bullies, then back at the girls. He felt his heart beating rapidly, from the adrenaline and the admiration of the strength both Aurora and Dallas had displayed with the two beaten bullies. The boy was left in a daze; barely thinking straight, and felt himself feeling more entranced than he was towards Trot Summers earlier that morning.
“C’mon, Ken!” Dallas called, snapping Ken out of his daze.
The boy quickly shook his head to clear away the feelings he was feeling, before he caught up to Aurora and Dallas.
Aurora couldn't help but look at Ken with concern, "Hey, uh Marvel?" Aurora began.
"What is it, Zapp?" Dallas asked.
"Ken's acting a little weird today," The swordswoman commented. "He's got it real bad, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Dallas nodded. "Wonder what happened between him and Twilight Novastar?"
"I don't know," Aurora replied. "But after gym class is over, she's got some answering to do."
After P.E. class, all of the Power Princesses in disguises were having a class of Study Hall, in the school library.
The six alien girls found a secluded spot in a corner where the five girls could have a private meeting with their leader.
"So Trot," Aurora began. "What's going on between you and Ken, hmmm?"
"What?!" Trot exclaimed with her face blushing a shade of red. "What are you–What do you mean? What's the matter? Is something the matter? I don't see any problem," She stammered.
"Well, for one thing, you're stammering," Dallas replied. "That normally doesn't happen too often unless you meet some other cute Harmonian, like that Flash Sentry guy back when on Harmonus."
"Hey, Flash Sentry isn't some–" Trot caught herself, before she blushes and giggled, "Um, I mean–That's nonsense! Besides, this has nothing to do with Ken. And there's nothing going on between me and Ken. He's just an apprentice."
"Hey Ken!" Mary suddenly greeted, with a smile and a wave of her hands.
"Ken?! Where? Where?" Trot asked, sounding too excited, which she realized too late. "Uh, I mean–I thought Ken would be here and I...I..."
"Admit it, Twilight," Aurora smirked, with the rest of the Power Princesses sharing interests. "Something's going on between you and Ken. Isn't there?"
"...There's nothing going on between the two of us!" Trot repeated. "Look, Ken's a great guy, don't get me wrong. I just admire how optimistic he can be and he was also very kind last night. He is, as the earthlings would call, a gentleman."
"You don't say!" Green Gardener said with peaked interest.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Mary Allen commented.
"So...about Ken," Dallas Queen began. "What else is he like?"
"Yeah, like has he been showing any progress with his training?" Aurora asked.
"And more importantly, who gets to go out with him next?" Mary asked.
"Well that's-Wait, what?" Trot exclaimed in bewilderment, with her fellow defenders following. "What do you mean 'who gets to go out with him next?'"
"Oh, c'mon Trot," The speedy girl smirk. "You can't possibly be keeping Ken all to yourself, are you?"
"I'm not keeping anyone!" Trot blushed in response.
"Relax, Trot. I was only teasing you," Mary giggled. "Anyway, about Ken, how has he been doing?"
"Well, yesterday, he was a big help in arresting Dr. H, and foiling his evil scheme to rob the banks from underground," Trot relayed. "Afterwards, he and I were helping Mrs. Kisara in promoting Kirin's Care. But besides all that, Ken has been showing some improvements in his abilities, so he's definitely got the makings of a defender."
"Sounds promising!" Dallas commented.
"Definitely!" Spruce added.
"Really?" Aurora asked, before she announces, "I'll be the judge of that, after school, when I take him on patrol with me."
"WHAT?!" The rest of the girls exclaimed.
"Why do you get to take him on patrol?" Dallas frowned.
"Because I said so," Aurora gave a smug grin, crossing her arms proudly.
"That's not fair!" Mary pouted. "What if I wanted to go on patrol with him next?"
"Um...I can take the next patrol with Ken," Spruce said quietly.
"Ha! Such ill-manners!" Green scowled. "Nothing becoming of a proper lady, like myself. Why dear Ken would–"
"Oh put an apple in it ya hoity-toity drama queen!" Dallas spatted, which Green didn't took too well.
"Why you–!"
Before long, the five girls proceeded to argue amongst themselves, with Trot struggling to break up the squabble.
"Girls! Please! Calm down! Stop!" Trot strained to settle the dispute. "We're in school! Knock it off!"
"What's going on here?" A voice asked, to which the six girls turned to see Phoenix Dawn standing behind a corner of a bookshelf. "Some of the other students and me can hear you all the way from the other side of the library..."
"Sorry Phoenix," Trot apologizes on behalf of her friends. "We...um...we're kinda..."
Dallas walked besides Trot and puts a hand on her leader's shoulder, setting the leader's mind at ease, "We're just having some trouble deciding. Nothin' for ya to be concerned off, Phoenix," The strong girl reassured.
"Well, whatever it is, maybe I could help you girls decide in a more 'civilized' and 'quiet' way?" Phoenix offered, with a seemingly mischievous smirk and an arched eyebrow.
The six girls all turned to look at each other, before they turned back to Phoenix Dawn, "There's this...guy we all wanted to get closer to," Dallas answered.
"But we don't know who gets to go first and second, or third," Mary added.
"Ah, boy troubles, huh?" Phoenix nodded in acknowledgement.
"So pray tell, what do you have in mind to resolve this problem?" Trot asked.
"First, I'm gonna need some thin pieces of papers, from shortest to longest," Phoenix instructed.
In response, Trot pulls out a page from her notebook and cuts off a corner piece into five thin strips, measuring them from shortest to longest.
Trot then handed the pieces to Phoenix, "Okay, now what?" She asked.
"Now, whoever gets shortest piece of paper gets to go with the boy first," Phoenix explained. "Sounds fair to you girls?"
The alien girls in disguise all exchanged random agreements, before they turned back to Phoenix.
"Let's do this," Aurora nodded.
"Alright, since you're so eager, how about you go first, Aurora?" Phoenix said, holding her hand to the lightning girl, who pulls out a strip of paper.
Phoenix then proceeds to hold her bundle of paper strips with the rest of the girls present, until all of the strips were drawn.
Later, in the school cafeteria, Ken was carrying his food tray out and was looking for a table to eat at. Thankfully, he didn't have to look too far.
"Ken! Ken!" Gwen called out, waving her hand up, above the sea of students. "Over here!"
With that, Ken made his way to the table, where he also finds his second childhood friend, Thor Axel, sitting at the table with Gwen.
"Hi Gwen!" Ken greeted. "Hey Thor! How've you guys been?"
"So far, I'm having a good day," Thor replied. "But I think Gwen here has a big news she wants to tell you!"
"Really? What's the big news, Gwen?" Ken asked the excited girl.
"I got a job at Daily Mendacium!" Gwen announced happily. "Well, it's more of a part-time job, but still, after my sister, Gwonda, puts in a good word for me and helped me with my resume and everything, I got the job! Now you're looking at the Jr. Journalist of the Daily Mendacium!"
"Wow, that's great, Gwen!" Ken smiled happily for his friend, shaking her hands. "Congrats on getting the job! So when are you starting?"
"I'm going to start next Monday morning," Gwen replied. "And my first assignment would be to find out more on Maretropolis's new superheroes, the Power Princesses and that new wonder boy of theirs, Hum Drum."
Ken couldn't help but nervously stiffen up at the last part, "Really?" He asked rhetorically. "You don't say..."
"Yeah, ever since they came to town, it's all everyone's been talking about," Gwen commented. "It's all over the news media. Even the mayor is willing to give up a huge reward for anyone who could prove the identities of the Power Princesses and the boy wonder, Hum Drum."
"Mayor Verko?" Thorax scoffed. "That'd be the first. That guy's a lousy cheapskate. It's probably just another scam in an attempt to run these heroes out of the city. My brother Pharynx told me about it. It's a classic 'I Lied' trope. They make a promise they don't intend to keep, just so they can get what they want."
"...Fascinating," Ken replied, before he thought nervously, 'This could mean big trouble for me and the girls...'
Speaking of whom, the said alien girls-in-disguise suddenly arrived at the table the three friends were sitting.
"HIYA Ken!" Mary Allen loudly greeted, startling Ken and his two best friends.
"Oh, hi Mary!" Ken returned the greeting as he acknowledges all six girls. "Hey girls!"
"We almost couldn't find you in this cafeteria, Sugarcube ," Dallas commented as she and the girls took their seats.
"Hmph," Gwen pouted, her excited bubbly expression suddenly turning sour.
"Oh, hello!" Green Gardener greeted the girl. "Gwen, was it? How are you darling?"
"I'm alright, I guess," Gwen replied, still with the sudden aloof tone.
"Gwen just got a new job at the Daily Mendacium!" Ken announced on Gwen's behalf. "Isn't that...exciting?"
"Really?" Trot and the rest of her friends all turned towards the new journalist. "That's amazing! Congratulation, Gwen!"
"Yay!" Spruce cheered quietly.
This made the girl seem less upset. That is, until she notices Ken whispering something to Trot.
"There's something we need to talk about," Ken whispered. "It's urgent."
This made Gwen rather suspicious.
Eventually, school was over and everyone were all pouring out of the building.
Ken was walking down the steps, where he sees the Power Princesses all waiting for him at the bottom.
“Ken!” Trot waved to him. “Ken! Over here!”
“Hey!” Ken returned the greeting, sliding down the rail to meet up with his alien friends. “Hiya girls! So...about what I said...”
"Of course, Ken," Trot nodded in understanding, before she suggested, "But how about somewhere, private? Say...the park?"
Realizing where Trot was getting at, Ken nodded in understanding, "Let's go."
With that, both boy and girls took their leave.
Shortly after they left, Gwen and Thor exited from the school and were walking down the steps, looking for Ken.
"Ken? Ken?" Gwen called out. "Where could he be?" She asked Thor, who shrugged in response.
"I'm guessing he's already left with those new girl friends of his?" Thor guessed, much to Gwen's annoyance.
Later at the park, inside the Power Princesses' crashed spaceship, Ken informed the alien super heroines the terrible news about the mayor.
"What?!" Aurora exclaimed, in outrage. "The mayor's offering a huge reward to whoever exposes our secret identity?!"
"And it gets worse," Ken frowned. "My friend Gwen is on the case, now that she's Jr. Journalist for the Daily Mendacium..."
"But...she wouldn't...rat you out, right?" Mary asked. "You didn't tell her you are...y'know, Hum Drum, right?"
"What? No! No, no, if I did, she would freak out," Ken shook his head. "And when she freaks out, then Thorax will freak out, and then I would freak out, and my parents will freak out."
"Good point," Mary replied.
"That and it's imperative that we are to keep our identities a secret, if we are to continue our duties as defenders of this city," Trot stated.
"Yeah, but in the meantime, how about we try to be more careful about our...secret identities?" Ken suggested. "If Gwen's all eager to find us out, then just who knows how many more are out there, in the city, watching our every move."
"Goodness!" Spruce Spanner quivered. "I feel...I feel...I don't think I'll ever feel safe just to be in the restroom..."
"Sorry, Spruce," Ken frowned. "Should've picked a better analogy..."
"Still, you made your point, Ken," Trot said in acknowledgement. "We must exercise extra precautions. Otherwise, we might end up attracting more unwanted attentions. And that would be a disaster..."
The whole team nodded in agreement. They must be more careful.
"Anyway, with that out of the way," Ken began. "What's the agenda now? Where are we patrolling?"
With a smirk, Aurora was the first to step forward, "I'm glad you asked, Ken..." She grinned, along with Mary Allen.
Later during the patrol
After they've changed into their respective costumes, Hum Drum was racing across the rooftops, with Zapp zipping across the electric wires, and Fili-Second racing through the streets below.
"Huh, so you and Fili-Second, today?" Hum Drum asked, as he leapt off a rooftop and rolls across another to break his fall. "Why? Anything super important that's got Tr–Masked Matter Horn occupied today?"
"Nah, we just wanted to get to know ya more, Hum Drum," Zapp replied via the comm links. "Besides, we've never seen Trot so...happy today. We were wondering what exactly did you do to make her like that."
"So we all draw straws for it, too!" Fili-Second added, referring to the earlier agreement they had, courtesy of Phoenix Dawn.
"Really?" Ken asked, as he continued to run across rooftops. "Hmmm. Okay. So, remind me again, what's our patrol for today?"
"Masked Matter-Horn's got the north district," Zapp explained. "Mistress Marvelous's got the east. Saddle Rager and Radiance's got the south. Which leaves the west to me."
"And I've got the entire city covered with my super speed!" Fili-Second smiled. "And we just do like we always do. Keep a sharp eye and ear out for crimes."
"Roger that," Hum Drum replied as he resumes his patrol with two of his new friends.
Just then, a voice from the police comm links sounded off in Hum Drum's built-in communicator on his wrist.
"All units, reports of a mugging!" A police dispatch shouted on the radio. "Suspects possibly Fire Devils! Location is in the vicinity of Maretropolis Westside, on Brony Avenue!"
"Girls!" Ken shouted. "There's a–"
"Yeah, we heard it too, Ken!" Zapp replied, having heard the whole thing on her comm. "How far is it?"
"Not too far," Ken answered, pointing in a specific direction. "It's that way! Quickly! Follow me!"
With that, Ken guided the two alien girls to the reported crime scene, where they quickly discovered a pack of bikers, surrounding a person.
"So these must be the Fire Devils..." Zapp asked, observing and noting the bikers sporting leather jackets with fiery insignias of a skull, with horns like those of a devil, sharp teeth of a vampire, and fires blazing through the empty sockets.
"Yeah, these guys are bad news," Ken replied. "They make the Diamond Dogs look like puppies. And their top dog is a man named Lavan who's got one hell of a grocery list of crimes from looting, illegal races, and all bunch of other stuff. So we need to take these guys out, and fast!"
With that, both Ken and Zapp leapt down from their perch, though Ken landed rather awkwardly and clumsily, when he tripped and fell on his face, but he quickly got back up and assumed a fighting stance, wielding his extendable metal rod.
Whipping from her back, Zapp unsheathed her sword, which crackles with electric pulses.
"What the hell?!" One of the Fire Devil bikers exclaimed. "What are they supposed to be?"
"Doesn't matter!" Another exclaimed. "KILL THEM!!!"
With that, the bikers all kicked the peddles, causing their bikes to roar to life, with their tires squealing. Many of the bikers were swinging baseball bats, metal pipes, and steel chains in the air as they charged towards Ken and Zapp, who all sprang into battle.
Ken used his metal rode to pole-vault himself at a speeding biker, landing a kick to the chest, knocking the thug off his bike. Zapp swings her sword to parry and block a biker using a pipe to attack.
"Yo, Fili-Second!" Zapp shouted through her comm. "Where are ya? The party's gettin' started without ya!"
"I'll be there soon!" Fili-Second answered. "Just needed to do some quick shopping until I get there."
"Shopping?!" Zapp exclaimed, while blocking an attack, electrocuting a thug in the process.
"Now's a bad time for you to go shopping, Filly!" Ken said, as he frantically swings his metal rod around, trying to fight off several of the bikers surrounding him. "Whatever you're shopping for, it can wait! We need you here now!"
"Hang on! I'll be there soon!" Filly replied via the comm. "This'll only take a second. I just need...uh, does anyone have a dime on them?"
With an exasperated grunt, Ken and Zapp turned off the comm links as they resume their focus on the battle.
Many of the bikers were driving circles around Zapp and Hum Drum, with some of the bikers pulling out their guns and fired bullets at the heroes.
"Keep your head down, Ken!" Zapp shouted, as she stood defensively over the boy, and immediately swings her sword around herself and Ken, deflecting and blocking many of the bullets being fired at them.
Once the bikers have run out of bullets, they proceeded to reload, which the heroes immediately seized the opportunity to fight back. Ken reached into his utility built, before pulling out a grappling hook, which he fired at a thug, pulling him off his bike and hits him on the head with his metal rod.
"AAAH!!" Ken yelped as he was picked up by the back of his collar, and finds himself staring face-to-face with a thug.
"Hey guys! Check it out!" The thug scoffed. "Either this is just a kid, or he's got a stung growth!" With that, the thugs all broke out laughing, before they got electrocuted, courtesy of Zapp and her lightning sword.
End of Fight
"That's my friend you're holding there!" Zapp scowled, before with a twirl, she sheathed her sword away. "You okay, Ken?"
"I'm okay," Ken replied, before turning to the person they saved, who appeared to have tan skin, Muslim wearing hijab. "Hey! The fight's over. Are you alright?" He asked the civilian.
"I'm okay," The person answered, in a thick Australian accent. "I-I can't thank you all enough!"
"Don't mention it," Zapp smiled. "We're just happy we could make it in time," At that moment, Fili-Second arrived, with a grocery bag of assorted items. "Unlike one of us."
"Hey everyone!" Fili-Second chirped. "What did I miss?"
After the police arrived to escort the civilian, named Leila, home, and to arrest all of the bikers beaten on the scene, Ken was later sitting on the rooftop of a building, with Zapp and Fili-Second.
"Did you know that potatoes can be used as batteries?" Fili-Second asked, eagerly and excitedly, while examining a potato she had purchased. "Just imagine how much chemicals can be converted into electric energy with hundreds of these little veggies!"
Ken and Zapp both looked at Fili-Second in disbelief, "That's what you've been shopping for?" Ken asked. "We were fighting some thugs to save someone's life, while you went out grocery shopping for potatoes?"
"Not just potatoes," Fili-Second smiled, as she showed off several items, from a box of sugar to a bottle of vinegar. "A lot of other cool stuffs!"
Again, both Ken and Zapp were at a disbelief, "And cool how?"
"Nova Potts says that there's a recipe for every DIY Science, if you know the right ingredient for it!" Mary chirped. "Which is why I went shopping today! I'm gonna make myself my own chemistry sets of DIY recipes to make some even more awesome DIY Science experiment!"
With that, the hyperactive girl dons up a goggle and proceeds to fiddle with some of the materials she had purchased.
"Uh huh, you do that," Ken said to the girl, before he turned to Zapp. "But at least we were awesome out there today. And we got the job done."
"Sure are," Zapp nodded. "Although, you still need some more work on your combat training."
"Yeah, you're right," Ken admitted. "I definitely need some work on my landing and...maybe a way to escape and protect myself would be a plus."
"Yeah, like that bug on your chest that's about to attack you," Zapp pointed, which Ken followed, and gets a dope slap. "HA! Gotcha!"
"Oh, very funny, Zapp," Ken rubbed his nose.
"But seriously, you're gettin' there," Zapp playfully punches Ken on the shoulder. "Besides, didn't you say your parents enrolled you in a karate school?"
"Yeah, I...I mean, I do a bit of karate, now and then, not all the time, unfortunately," Ken frowned.
"Why? What happened?" Zapp asked, wanting to know more. "Were the classes getting too...how do you say? Costly?"
"No, it's not that," Ken shook his head. "It's not something I'm proud of, and it might've involved this street gang who used to be my friends...or I thought they were my friends..."
Zapp sat down, looking solemn at Ken, "I'm listening."
Taking a deep breath, Ken let out a sigh, "Before I met you girls, my mom and dad enrolled me in this karate school, so that I can learn how to protect myself, since Maretropolis was crowded with gangsters, and its even too dangerous to get to school on a school bus."
"Yikes," Zapp cringed. "This city was that bad then?"
"You don't know the half of it," Ken rolled his eyes. "Ever since Verko came into power in the mayor's office, it's like crime rate went up to 11. But anyway, I was enrolled in this karate school, where I happen to meet these guys named Garble, Clump, and Fume. They looked cool and they seemed alright with me, so we started to hang out after class. We even sparred a bit in a nearby junkyard, just a bunch of dudes hanging out and showing off karate, having a good time you know?"
"They sound like cool guys," Zapp commented. "But what happened?"
"Garble suddenly became more and more obsessed with joining a gang of mobsters," Ken frowned. "He was coordinating some spots for attacks, places to loot, all that bunch of other stuffs I can't help with. And it turns out, our late sensei was in league with this..." Ken hesitated for a moment, until he sighed, "Anyway, I left the karate school and...I may have tipped them off to my dad, and they were arrested. The karate school was closed down and...that was the last time I ever saw of Garble and...the gang."
"Omg, I...I'm sorry that happened to you, Ken," Zapp frowned in sympathy. "Must be hard to...lose a friend like that, huh?"
Ken shook his head, "I'm not even sure if we really were friends back then. To Garble, it's always about proving yourself to the team and showing your worth. And...no matter how hard I try, I'm always...second best to him."
Nodding in sympathy, Zapp unsheathed her sword and looks at her reflection on the blade.
"I know how that felt," Zapp said in sympathy. "Back on Harmonus, before serving as Captain of the Guards to Queen Celestia, I...I was a princess from my kingdom."
This peaked Ken's interest as he turned to look at Zapp, "You...a princess?"
"You better believe it kid," Zapp replied. "But back in my kingdom, nobody took me too seriously. To them, I'm just a princess who is next in line for the throne and that I should just...be more 'lady-like.' But I didn't want that! I mean, sure, okay. I'm alright with leading my kingdom, but if I am going to be a leader, I just wanted to be myself, y'know? Not some...some...someone who 'dresses in style' and 'smile and wave' and all that. I want to be tough and cool about it!"
"I can see that," Ken commented. "So how did it happen? What did you do?"
"One night, I snuck into my father's old war chamber and took the sword, Thunderer, of its hilt" Zapp gestured to the said sword.
"Thunderer? That sword has a name?"
"Yeah, and a history to go with it. But that's a story for another time," Getting back on topic, Zapp cleared her throat. "So with me and Thunderer, I left my kingdom behind and presented myself to Queen Celestia, asking for her permission to join the Harmonus Defenders and help train her royal guards. It wasn't easy to convince her, but after a few trials and several demonstrations of my skills with Thunderer, I got the part."
"That's awesome, Zapp!" Ken smiled. "I bet your parents were proud of you, aren't they?"
"Uh...no," Zapp frowned sadly, much to Ken's shock. "They weren't. Turns out, by stealing Thunderer and running away from my kingdom has...branded me a traitor and an outcast. And let me tell you...I've never seen my parents more sad and heartbroken in all my life. I mean, if dad didn't die of heartbreak then I...I hope he's in a better place, with mom," Zapp looked over to Ken, who could only look down sadly at himself and this newfound knowledge he learned. "The reason I'm telling you this, Ken, is because...if you want to prove yourself to someone, or something, don't do what I would do. Because...in life, there's always a price to pay, and you just might regret it."
Ken slowly looked back up at Zapp and nodded. He was about to say something, when the comm on his wrist suddenly blared, with another report from the police dispatch.
"All unites! Pursuit in progress! Backup requested! West district of Maretropolis!"
"Purusit in progress?" Ken's eyes widened in realization. "That means there's a stolen vehicle! The police are chasing after the crooks!"
"Lucky for them, we're the backup!" Zapp smirked as she got up with Thunderer sparking to life. "Let's go and show 'em what we're made of, eh?"
"Ooh! Mind if I tag along?" Fili-Second chirped. "This will be the perfect field test for my latest BREAKTHROUGH!"
The sound of a police siren was blaring in the air, as all the civilians cleared away from the streets to avoid being run over, as a police car chases after a red car.
"Your vehicle is unregistered!" A police officer shouted through a megaphone at the cops. "You have no license! Pull over!"
"We're citizens of the earth!" A thug countered as he struggles to fire shots at the chasing police. "Your laws don't apply!"
"Ugh! That's freakin' ridiculous..." The officer groaned. "Just pull over you nut jobs!"
Up in the air, Zapp was surfing on bolts of lightnings as she gave chase after the car.
"YOU HEARD THE OFFICERS!!!" Zapp called. "Pull over and you won't get hurt!"
But the thugs weren't listening. Following behind, almost out of breath, Hum Drum was struggling keeping up after Aurora, with Mary Allen following behind.
"It's...it's no use, can't... keep up..." Ken panted heavily. "Shouldn't have eaten that bean burrito for lunch. Phew!" With that, Ken collapses on the ground, covered in sweats.
"C'mon, Ken! Get up!" Fili-Second chirped, helping the boy up. "Now's not the time to be lying down! Besides, I've got just the thing that can help ya!" With that, Fili-Second quickly went to work, taking the boy's boots off, and replaced them with roller blades.
"Uh, Fili?" Hum Drum asked, unsure of the rollerblades. "What're you doing?" He asked, watching as Fili reaches into her poofy hair and pulls out a pair of soda bottles, filled with a sugary substance, and duct tapes. "What's that?"
In a pink blur, Fili-Second straps the bottles onto the roller blades, before she pulls the caps off, and lights a match.
"Fire in the hole!" Fili said, as she lights up the substances on the boy's rollerblades.
Hum Drum's eyes widened in shock, when he sees the substances sparkling and blowing up smoke.
"WAIT!" But too late. In a the blink of an eye, Hum Drum took off at the speed of a rocket. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
The boy screamed at the top of his lungs as he speeds through the car filled streets, racing pass cars, blasting through headlights, startling random pedestrians, even outrunning Zapp.
"What the what?!" Zapp exclaimed.
"What was that?!" The dumbfounded police officers asked, watching as Hum Drum speeds up to the runaway car, and he ends up on the hood of the car, startling the driver.
"AAAAHH!!!" The driver exclaimed. "What the hell?"
"Ahem!" Hum Drum cleared his throat. "Halt in the name of the law!"
"Hey! Get off the hood kid! I can't see!" The driver grunted, as he strains to look over the young superhero in training, while also keeping the pedal to the metal, in his frantic attempt to escape the police.
The sticky paddings on Hum Drum's glove kept the young boy wonder from flying off of the car, but the last place he wanted to be was on the hood. Especially when the car is speeding out of control, blindly swerving off course, and nearly running over a few bystanders, if not for the quick thinking of Zapp and Fili-Second.
"AAAAH!!! LOOK OUT!!!!" Hum Drum screamed at the top of his lungs, warning several screaming bystanders to get out of the way.
Fili-Second quickly saved an old lady on crutches, a mother pushing a baby's stroller, and the baby himself, from being run down by the car.
"Got you!" Fili-Second shouted, before she zipped over to save a blindman. "Got you!"
"Get off of me you hoodlum!" The blindman shouted, viciously attacking Fili-Second with his cane.
"STOP THE CAR!!!" Hum Drum pleaded. "JUST HIT THE BRAKE!!!"
"Hold on, Hum Drum!" Zapp shouted. "HOLD ON!!!"
"I AM HOLDING ON!!!" The boy shouted.
Zapp was surfing on a lightning bolt, determine to get close enough to slice the car's tires to stop it, but at the same time, she was making sure it doesn't swerve off course and crashing into any other vehicles, or any bystanders. The car nearly swerved into an incoming truck, had Zapp not intervene and pushed it away with a swing of her sword.
One of the thugs in the passengers seat tried to shoot the flying swordswoman down, only to have his gun snatched away by Fili-Second.
"No, no, mister! That ain't nice!" Mary scolded the gunman, before she tossed the gun away, and quickly helped Ken off the hood. "Are you okay, Ken?"
"Yeah. Just glad I'm not on the front," Ken sighed, before he coughed. "But I think a swallowed a bug."
With Ken off of the car, Zapp quickly took over, thrusting Thunderer down into the hood of the car, piercing through the junction box, short-circuiting the entire engine of the car, causing it to blow a fuse and forcing it to come to complete stop.
"No!" The thugs screamed in dismay, trying and failing to get the car to start running again. "No, no, no, NO!"
The doors was pried open as Zapp pulls the driver out, "Oh yes!" She grinned, cackling Thunderer in a threatening manner at the scared driver.
The other thugs attempted to get away, only to be stopped by Fili-Second and Hum Drum.
"Going somewhere?" Hum Drum crossed his arms, as he and Fili-Second held up some handcuffs, just as the police officers arrived to take the criminals away.
"I don't care what anybody says," One of the officers commented. "These Power Princesses and the Wonder Boy of theirs are alright by me."
An hour later, after foiling a crime heist and keeping the civilians safe, no other criminal activities have been reported. With that, Ken and the two Power Princesses had changed into their civilian outfits and walked into the mall for some well deserved down time, at a burger store.
"Phew! After that crash course of a race, I definitely needed this," Ken sighed, as he took a bite out of his cheeseburger.
"Yep, you said it, Ken," Aurora agreed, while drinking a cup of soda. "Though this place isn't as...um, big or daring than from back home, it's just as exciting as it is awesome."
"Yeah!" Mary Allen chirped, as she horks down several ketchup covered french fries. "MMMmmmfff mfff mff huff huff! (That was fun watching you speeding away on the roller blades and getting stuck on the hood of that car! And how we all started saving the people from crashing into that car!)"
Ken and Aurora both look at Mary in confusion, and in disgust, "Yeah, whatever you're saying, Mary..." Ken frowned. "Though, maybe give me a heads up before you...light up whatever you just lit back there," He whispered.
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Mary Allen gave a thumbs up, after she swallowed down her fries.
"Still, I have to admit, that was some dope DIY stuff you just pulled off there," Ken smiled. "How'd you learn to make rocket fuel out of sugar?"
"Oh it's easy!" Mary grinned. "You just mix the potassium nitrate together with sugar, then heat them up, and–"
"Uh, how about you just show them to me at a later time," Ken suggested, almost feeling like his brain was on the verge of exploding.
"Ok!" Mary chirped.
"Though, how exactly did you know which is which? I mean, no offense, but I thought all of the brainwork is more of Trot's department."
"Well, Trot maybe all big on the thinking, the strategic, culture, and a whole bunch of other stuffs," Mary began. "but something like chemical smells and tastes are all in my department," She boasted. "Have I ever told you that I was good detective from where I come from?"
Ken nearly dropped his burger in surprise at the revelation, "You were a detective?" Mary nodded in response. "But...didn't you once told me you were a court jester of Queen Celestia?" He asked, while making sure his voice was low.
"Well, I may be a party animal and I served as a part-time party hostess and entertainer," Mary began. "But when I'm not a party animal, I'm a professional as a detective. I even had my own detective agency!"
"It's true," Aurora vouched. "She does."
Ken simply shook his head in amazement, "Wow, you girls are full of surprises."
"You're full of surprises yourself too, Ken!" Mary smiled.
"Yeah," Aurora added. "Heh, I'm glad to have met a guy like you."
"Me too!" Mary chirped.
This made Ken's face blush a burning shade of red, and his heart beating faster and stronger than it was, this morning. In a way, he felt just as giddy than the way he felt towards Trot Summers.
Meanwhile, evil was at work at StormWatch Tower, as the Storm King continues to oversee production of a new equipment for unknown, but certainly villainous purpose.
Suddenly, his phone rang, to which the self-esteemed and maniacal kingpin answered, "Ah, Verko. Any progress so far?"
"I'm still investigating on the whereabouts and the identities of these Power Princesses and their boy wonder, sir," Verko confirmed on the phone. "But I've received some information from the police that I believe you should know."
"This had better be good then."
"Trust me, sir. You will find some good use to it. I'm sending you the data of the high voltage the police have recorded, regarding the Power Princess known as...Zapp, with two 'P's."
The Storm King looked up on a monitor screen to see the data sent to him by the mayor. Needless to say, the Storm King was shocked at what he was seeing.
"Are you playing a trick on me, Verko?" The Storm King asked. "Because if you are, then I'm warning you..."
"No tricks, sir!" Verko reassured. "The high voltage that was left behind at the scene of the latest car heist are off the chart! it's like nothing we've ever succeeding in coming close to! I figured that maybe you could have your engineers rig a tracking system for this high level of energy?"
"Hmmm, I'll be the judge of that," The Storm King pondered, before he grins, "But do you have any idea how much money that would cost me and my engineers to produce some kind of tracking device for such a thing?"
"I...not my area of expertise, I'm afraid."
"WELL FIND OUT!!!" The Storm King exploded in a fit of rage. "I don't like to pay overtime, and I want this to be dealt with SOON!" With that, the Storm King hangs up the call, as he slumped. "Ugh, amateurs...I've spent years clawing my way up to the top, and all of a sudden...some new Princesses in town think they can just waltz into my town and steal my thunder?"
But then, the Storm King had an epiphany.
"Wait a minute! That's it! As the old same goes, I have to fight thunder with THUNDER! I have to make a phone call."
Cameo: sunset-starlight's OC: Leila
Tan skin. Muslim wearing the hijab. Australian accent. Kinda thick.
Sugar Rocket Fuels
— Used by Fili-Second to blast Hum Drum after a carjacked vehicle.
Kids! Don't try this without an adult supervision. The DIY science Fili-Second used to speed Ken away.
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Thunder with thunder. Hmm...
Something fishy is going on, and it's not someone's laundry this time
Excellent work. Like how Potion Nova was included, and now all the girls wanna get to know Ken better. And I figured Verko was working for someone behind the scenes. Whoever the Storm King plans on bringing in could be trouble for the team
Hahaha it was funny the battle, keep doing the good job
10765132
The heroes really need to expose Mayor Verko
I can't believe I'm a few weeks late and now one chapter behind. Oh well, at least the next one is ready to go for me and the fact that, Zapp was actually a princess back in her Homeland before becoming a hero was quite the shock and so awesome at the same time.
Great " Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" reference.