> The Power Princesses
>  by Phantom-Dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Life and Time of Ken Heathespike
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far, far away in a distant galaxy, a battle between good and evil rages across the cosmos.

There was a planet called Harmonus. The people of this world have lived in peace and prosperity for many eons, under the protection of not only their benevolent queen Celestia but also their greatest defenders, the Harmonus Defenders.

All that changed, when the evil warlord – Sombra – led an ambitious and ruthless campaign to capture the Power Princesses and to make himself emperor of the galaxy.

The war was long and bloody. The planet was consumed by death and destruction, making it nearly uninhabitable to live. Many Harmonians fled in ships to find a new home amongst the stars and to warn other planets of Sombra. Queen Celestia has even lost her dear younger sister in the war, though there some who said that she was taken not killed but there were no solid evidence to back this statement up.

Refusing to let their powers be used for evil, by orders of the queen, the six princesses fled in a ship as well and escaped to the farthest reaches of the universe – Earth. But Sombra refused to let them escape so easily.

As the defenders escaped towards Earth, Sombra and his entire army, the shadowlings, creatures created by a cold and cruel scientist named Skektek, closed in on their ship. The defenders' ship was weakening, but once again, they were saved by the courage and the will of their beloved queen.

"You may have taken my sister but will never get the Harmonus Defenders, Sombra!" Queen Celestia said defiantly, as power began surging though her body, she started to glow brightly. A pair of ethereal wings sprouted from her back. She took a deep breath, "Luna, I will see you soon.." She whispered before thrusting herself into the evil conqueror's entire fleet and imploded.

Queen Celestia had given her life to save the Harmonus Defenders. Though she had succeeded in destroying many of Sombra's army, Harmonus is still a wasteland, though Sombra hardly cares about that as there are other planets he could conquer. No, he was mad because not only did he lost nearly two thirds of his army, but he has lost the defenders as well. And he swore that he will find them, if it's the last thing he'll ever do.






Cast
Spike as Ken Heathspike a.k.a Hum Drum
Twilight Sparkle as Trot Summers a.k.a. the Masked Matter-Horn
Rainbow Dash as Aurora a.k.a Zap
Rarity as Green Gardener a.k.a Radiance
Pinkie Pie as Marey Allen a.k.a Fili-Second
Applejack as Dallas Queen a.k.a Mistress Marvelous
Fluttershy as Spruce Spanner a.k.a Saddle Ranger








The Power Princesses







It was a dark night, in the crime ridden city of Mare-Tropolis. Just the kind of night for the criminal element to plot their diabolical schemes for crimes.

But no matter! For anytime, anyplace, any day, evildoers will beware for the hero of heroes. The champion of Mare-Tropolis; the defender of the weak and innocent; guardian of righteousness; Dragonfire!

With his incredible mastery of the martial arts, his powers of super speed, combustion, invisibility, and astral projection, there’s no evil who can stop this dragon powerhouse!

Even the Justice Leagues and the Avengers would be willing to bow in respect to this great hero.

But despite all the fame and fortune at his disposal. One thing remains missing from his awesome life. And that's-

"KEN!!" A voice shouted.

Turning to his left, Dragonfire was perplexed to see Superman telling him, "Get up!"

"You'll be late for school!" Iron Man finished.

"What?" before long, the dragon’s whole world was engulfed in darkness, before he wakes up to reality.





Reality
Post Malone, Swae Lee - Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)


The sun was rising over the horizon, climbing over the peaks of Maretropolis’s tallest buildings.

The sun’s morning ray soon found its way into a room, where a young boy, roughly the age of fourteen, was getting himself ready for another day at school.

The boy has messy curls of coffee brown hairs, with matching eyes. For attires, he was wearing a red t-shirt with the symbol of a griffin on the front, a pair of blue jean shorts held up by a brown belt, and dark blue sneakers.

”That’s me,” a voice narrated. “Name’s Ken Heathspike. I live in Maretropolis with my mom and dad. But besides that, I’m just a normal guy, with a normal life. And today is the start of the new school year for me at Maretropolis High, as a freshman.”

After one last check in the mirror, in which he flashes a confident grin to himself in the reflection, the boy had a quick breakfast of toasts with jams, before he was out the front door. He stopped when realized something, "Has anyone seen my backpack?" he then hears a bark and turns to see a Dalmatian holding the top part of said backpack with her teeth. Ken smiled, "Thanks Delilah, you're a life saver." He said as he takes the backpack and gives Delilah a pat on the head.

“Bye mom! Bye dad! Love you both!” Ken said, as he took off running to catch the bus.

“Have a good day sweetie!” His mom called out.

"Watch yourself out there son!" His dad added.





Ken was panting heavily by the time he caught up to the bus. Tired, but triumphant, he took a seat on the bus, where he pulled out a comic book to read.

”It may not seem like it, for now, but Maretropolis is definitely one of the biggest crime ridden cities on the planet,” Ken narrated. ”I’m just lucky to be alive with both of my parents, but that doesn’t make the state of this city any better.”

“There’s just so many criminal activities running loose, and just not enough cops to deal with it. All the more reason why my parents had me enrolled in a karate school, since I did have my fair shares of being involved in some street fights with a few gangsters.” Ken chuckled to himself, before he continues, ”Kinda like my hero, Bruce Lee, when he was about my age, and back when he was....alive.”

Ken turned the page of his comic book as he continued, “Anyway, with all the crimes in this city we had to endure, I tend to lose myself in the comics of superheroes to take my mind off of things. A little peace of mind, if you will. That, and some friends I can count on.”

The bus finally arrived at the front of the school, Maretropolis High. With a release of steam, the bus doors swung open, to let its passengers disembark. Ken was the last person to get off the bus. Breathing in the fresh air of his new school, he knew he had just taken the first step to writing the next chapter of his life, in high school.

"In the words of the wise Lao-Tzu," Ken began. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."





For his first class of the day, Ken has science class, with an eccentric teacher by the name of Dr. Hoofensmirtz.

Dr. Hoofensmirtz is a tall, lanky man with unkempt, wild brown hair, dark green eyes, and wears a white lab coat, over a black turtleneck sweater, with green pants, and brown shoes. He talks in a caricature of a German accent.

"For your first assignment, you will all be doing research on each of the scientific elements I have assigned to each and every one of you!" Hoofensmirtz lectured.

Ken looked down at his element, to find it reads, "Zinc?"

"Yes. Zinc, Mr. Heathespike!" Hoofensmirtz began. "You've got a problem with that?"

"No, no problem at all. It's just....zinc? I can't say I'm familiar with that."

"Oh, you should never EVER overlook the benefits of what little elements, such as zinc could do my young student. Why if you had been paying close attentions to your everyday medical products, including sunblocks, you would've known that everything is built on zinc! You see?" turning his back on the students, he muttered to himself, "but I can just imagine all the possible evil ways I can use with zinc to rule the world," he silently cackled to himself.





"Man that guy is crazy," Ken sighed in relief, happy to at last be over with science.

"Tell me about. At least he isn't like our last science teacher, Professor Flintheart," a voice commented, to which Ken turns around to see a freshman boy about his age. In appearance, the boy has vivid opal eyes, with dark black hair. His attires are a black jacket over a gray shirt, with the printed image of a beetle at the front, blue cargo pants, gray socks and black tennis shoes. To many, he's Thor Axel but to his friends, he's-

"Thorax!" Ken yelled happy to see his best friend, "Glad to see you man!"

"Same here, Ken." Thor said as they did their secret handshake.

"Nice to know that we're both gonna suffer high school together." Ken joked.

"I hear that. C'mon we better get to our next class." Thor said.

With that, the two happily reunited besties walked together, down the halls before arriving at their next class, which is drama. Thor's favorite kind of class and in his field of expertise. The two boys both found a couple of seats next to one another, just as the teacher came into the classroom.

In appearance, the teacher is a tall, intimidating, yet voluptuous woman with long jet black hair with streaks of dark cerulean over her piercing green eyes. Her attires are a black suit with a green shirt underneath, dark gray stockings and black high heels.

"Well good morning class," the woman began in a menacing tone that sounded as bone chilling as the ice. "Welcome to Drama Class. I am your instructor, Ms. Chris Saline. Now for those of you with the faint of heart, let me give you some words of inspirations of my own."

The students all dug themselves deeper in their seats, as they braced themselves for what the teacher was about to say.

"I have a feeling the main reason you're all in this class, is because you are the best actors in town. Well, let me hit you all with reality's harshest truth. I've seen better!" the teacher said loudly, startling the students in the room. "If you're truly the best actors you claim yourself to be, then you would already be singing and dancing in Broadway by now. But of course, this is why I have my classes, to make the great students I have become greater. Not to make mediocre students less mediocre. For starters, I recommend you purchase a mask for yourselves and practicing talking to yourselves in a mirror. It will help for you to get the feel that you are talking to a different person as the said different person."





When drama class was over, both Ken and Thor were walking out of the class, stricken with fear and trembling with wide eyes, "Okay, that lady is a bombshell!" Ken moaned in fright. "And by bombshell. She's the queen of fear!"

"She makes the Queen of Hearts look nice and friendly," Thor added, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I take back what I said earlier; really, REALLY, miss Professor Flintheart right now."

Shaking his head to clear away the trauma, slapping himself back to his senses, Ken puts on a determined face with his confidence restored, as he turns to Thor, "Okay, c'mon Thor! Get your game face on!" he said. "Let's not let Ms. Saline get to us! Remember, it's still the first day of school! If we do it right, then as the year progresses, she'll soften up to us. And we'll show her we're no pushovers."

However, Ken wasn't looking where he was going, when he was hit in the face, by a locker door.

BANG!

"AAAH!!" Ken wailed, falling to the floor from the impact.

"Whoa, Ken! You okay?" Thor asked.

"Omigosh!! Are you alright?" the student asked, immediately getting down to help Ken up.

"Yeah, I'll live," the boy looked up, and was immediately lost in the moderate eyes of a girl, who appears to be the age of a junior or senior, with brilliant red hairs, with streaks of yellow, stylized in a long flow of curls, with one distinct curly bang hanging over her head. Her attires are a black leather jacket with jewels encrusted on the collars, over a purple shirt with a blazing print of a phoenix, an orange miniskirt with yellow-purple stripes on the left side, purple stockings, beneath a pair of black boots with purple flames at the toes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," the girl apologized.

"No, no, it was my fault," Ken replied, while rubbing his smarten chin. "I should've looked where I was going."

"Well, either way, I hope you have a nice day," with that, the girl took her leave, disappearing among the crowd of students.

"Well, she seems like a nice girl," Thor complimented.

"Oh yeah," Ken nodded in response.

"That's Phoenix Dawn!" a passing male student whispered. "She's the daughter of philanthropist, Rain Shine. The founder of the homeless shelter, Kirin's Care. So of course she's nice."

"Kirin's Care?" Ken asked, before it dawned on him. "Oh yeah! My mom works part-time at that shelter. She raises money for the charity they run, with her flower shop. Same with my cousins. In fact, my cousin Megan once worked part-time there, operating the cafeteria before she opened up her resteraunt."

"Oh yeah, good ol'Meg," Thor nodded. "And speaking of which, I'm starving. Let's get to lunch."





The two boys made it to the school's wide opened cafeteria, where they got their tray of foods, and were on the search for a vacant table for the both of them. However, almost half of them were filled up.

It wasn't long when a voice called out for the boys, "Hey Ken! Thor! Over here!" the two quickly turned in the direction of the voice, to see a table, being seated by a single freshman girl.

"Gwen!" Ken called out happily, as he and Thor took their seats with the girl.

In appearance, Gwen has moderate turquoise eyes with her hair dyed light cyanish gray and tied in a small bun on the back of her head, by a light blue band. For attires, she wears an arctic bluish gray jacket over a white shirt, a dark azureish gray jean shorts, and yellow shoes.

"Wow it's great to have two familiar faces, all on the first day of school," Ken smiled.

"Yeah," 

"How've you been, Gwen?"

"I'm having the best first day as a freshman!" Gwen exclaimed happily. "I'm already liking my new teachers, Ms. Cherry Lee from Study Hall and Ms. Rain Shine from Japanese!"

Ken and Thor both muttered, "Lucky for you, Gwen. Glad you're not stuck with some of the works we've got."

"How so?" the girl asked.

"Our science teacher, Dr. Hoofenshmirtz is looney," Ken commented.

"And don't get me started on our drama teacher, Chris Saline," Thor shuddered. "She's Scary with a capital S."

Gwen looked skeptic, "You sure you guys aren't exaggerating just a tiny bit?" she asked. "I mean, it's not like they're Miss Fiona Bloom, or anything."

"No way, we're–wait, who?" Ken and Thor asked. "Who's Fiona Bloom?"

"She's the CEO of Bloom's Shampoo Inc." Gwen explained. "Though, from what my friend, Sally Saddles told me, she's bad news."




Speaking of whom, somewhere in Maretropolis is a factory owned by the hair-care product company Hair Bloom. Overseeing the products at the factory is the CEO herself, Fiona Bloom.

In appearance, Fiona Bloom was a tall woman with light cornflower blue hair and matching eyes, and wore a dark gray business suit, over a pink blouse.

"What's the word on that next batch of shampoo?" Fiona asked one of her employees. "It has to be ready in time for the upcoming shoot with famous supermodel, Flower Knight."

"It'll be ready, Ms. Bloom," one of the staffs reported. In appearance, she appeared to be a woman in her late 20s, with moderate rose hair, tied up in a bun, and freckles that framed her moderate indigo eyes. "Just give us some times."

"We've been over this for months now!" the impatient business woman scowled. "You should have it ready! What's taking so–"

"Is there a problem, Ms. Bloom?" the woman and her employee both jumped, startled by the voice, before they turned to see their important guests.

One is a man with a neatly combed azure blue hair, matching mustache, dressed in a business suit, complete with a monocle and a bowler hat. His name tag reads Sir Francis.

Standing besides him are a man and a woman, both dressed in the same business attires he wears. The man's name tag reads Jetson Flynn, while the woman's reads Upanova Flynn.

"Ah, Sir Francis, Mr. and Mrs. Flynn," Bloom greeted as she composed herself. "Always a pleasure to have our board of directors pay us a little visit."

"It would seem we've come at a bad time," Sir Francis began solemnly, while cleaning his monocle. "But if it's all the same to you, we would like to see the progress report on the next brand of shampoos."

"Especially when this is for the next upcoming shooting with the lovely, Flower Knight, as you would recall," Jetson stated.

"Obviously, the last thing we need for the poor darling would be a disaster that leaves her with a cracked skin, and split-ends," Upanova added. "Why that'd be the last thing we wanted."

"And we completely understand that," the staff said, as she walks alongside the directors, with Fiona trailing dangerously close behind. "And the results we currently is this. With the addition of that chemical content we've received from our close partner, ZeChemical Enterprise, our shampoo formula has the potent of increasing hair buoyancy and softness for up to 800%!"

"Hmmm," Francis pondered, stroking his mustache. "That does sound promising. But just to be safe, any side affects?"

The staff's expression turned solemn, preparing to answer to her superior, when Fiona quickly intervened, "It was just a small setback, but I assure you, all the tests since then have been successful," the CEO said in defense, which was unsuccessful, as Sir Francis narrowed his eyes in skepticism.

"And in the test that went wrong? What were the side-effects?" he asked, directly to the staff.

"I was afraid to answer to you straight, sir," the staff began. "But unfortunately, there's been signs of unpredictable growth in hairs, risks of skin diseases, and if it goes unchecked, might even risk in baldness."

Fiona Bloom was not pleased with one of her employee for giving such bad news to their superiors, "Oh my," Sir Francis muttered, along with Jetson and Upanova. "And what would you recommend?"

Again, Fiona interrupted, "With the exception of Ms. Sweets, the rest of the faculty has certified the shampoo ready for the upcoming shoot with Ms. Knight."

"Ms. Sweets?" Sir Francis asked, turning his attention to the staff, now identified to be Ms. Sweets.

Taking in a slow deep breath, Ms. Sweets answered in her honest opinion, "We have to take the whole line back to formula." with that, the boards' faces turned sour, while Fiona glared venomously at her worker.

"Back to formula?" Fiona twitched.

"Ms. Bloom!" Sir Francis began. "I'm going to be frank with you, madam. I've never been a big supporter of the kind of work ethics you put in running this entire operation. And we have our predecessor, one Ms. Kerfluffle, to thank for that. My dear Flower Knight's shooting will be in two weeks, and if your next batch of shampoo isn't finished by then," the man looked sternly. "I'm going to have to pull your fundings, and give it to Ms. Kerfluffle. And the next shooting will be advertising her new line of dresses, instead."




Back at Maretropolis High, the school had come to an ending. The students came pouring out of the school, glad to be free of school and eager to get on with the rest of their days.

Ken and Thor were later walking back to the former's house, while Gwen was off for a job she had applied for, as a mail courier.

Familia - Nicki Minaj · Anuel AA · Bantu

On their way home, the duo notice the news playing on a large TV in front of a electronics store, so they stopped and listened.

""Greetings I am Sam T. Eagle and I shall now bring you on the current update of the crimewave that's been plaguing our beloved city," The anchorman began, "Last night, a major jewelry store was robbed, It's most precious gems taken including the Fabulous Baseball Diamond. Investigators believe that it is the work of the infamous cat burglar, Night Owl! Next, a turf war broke out between the Longclaw Clan and the Westtails which was put to a halt thanks to the valiant efforts of Captain Heathespike and Lieutenant Armor."

Ken smiled at this, "Way to go pops."

"Lastly," The anchorman continued, "A new gang has appeared calling themselves the Niriks, having already set a foothold within Chinatown. Just who are these mysterious hooligans? Nobody knows but they mean serious business. More of this as it develops."

"Chinatown huh?" Thor said, "That's between the territories of the Fire Devils and the Diamond Dogs."

"Yeah." Ken said somberly.

"You alright dude?" Thor asked.

"I just wish I could do something about all this you know?" Ken replied, "My dad and the MPD can only do so much. No thanks to the 'budget cuts' our poor excuse of a mayor placed on them."

"I know how you feel man but it's best not to dwell on it." Thor said, "Your only one person."

Ken sighed, "Your right Thor. C'mon, lets just head to my place," with that, the two boys were on their way, while passing by a man in his 30s, wearing a black and white checkerboard style vest, and images of three dice printed on the pocket of his jeans.

Ken and Thor later arrived at Ken's house, "I'm glad you could join us for dinner, Thor," Ken said. "And I think my cousins, the Williams siblings, will be happy to see you again."

Upon opening the front door, the two were greeted by 19 year old woman, and a little girl who appears to be at the age of 12.

"Hey Ken!" the woman greeted Ken. "Hey Thor." In appearance she has blue eyes and thick blonde hair tied in a ponytail which flows down her back and just past her waist, to the seat of her jeans. For attires she wears blue jeans and an orange short-sleeved shirt, with brown boots plus a matching vest and belt.

"Hey Meg!" Ken greeted the woman, as he runs up and the two embraced each other in a loving hug. "Hey Molly." he said to the little girl.

"Yo." Was all she replied. In appearance she has brown eyes and bright blond hair which is tied in a double ponytail. For attire, she wears a grey shirt, pink sweats with hearts on them, and blue shoes.

Suddenly, they all hear a bark and they see Delilah walking towards them. Ken smiles, "Hey girl, yes I'm home." He said as he kneeled down and gave her a belly rub.

While Ken was doing that, Megan turned to Thor, "So Thorax, how was your summer trip to Japan, with your mother and brother?" She asked him.

"It was great!" Thor replied, "We got a tour around Tokyo, checked out Mount Fuji, and went to this really weird festival. I'd talk about it but we're about to eat and Molly's right here." He finished.

Unamused, Molly just crosses her arms and said, "Let me guess, the Honen Matsuri?"

Thor's eyes widen, "How did-?"

"Internet." she replied.

"Right." Thor said scratching the back of his head.

After Ken was done giving Delilah her belly rub, he got and looked around, seeing his cousins were short on one more, “Say, where’s Danny?” he asked.

“Where else? In the basement, like always,” Molly rolled her eyes.





Erectin' a River


Ken and Thor entered the basement to see Danny working on something. He looked two years older than the two. In appearance he has medium length reddish brown hair and blue eyes. For attires, he wore a dark green shirt, light blue overalls, brown gloves and sneakers, a baseball cap which he has on backwards, and a pair of goggles on his forehead.

"Yo Danny!" Ken called out.

Danny looked up and smiled when he saw Ken and Thor, "Cuz, Thor what's up?"

"Just seeing what you're doing down here and to let you know that dinner is almost done." Ken replied. He then looks at the machine his cousin was building. In appearance, it looked like one of those coffee making vendors, "So...what are you building this time?"

"I'm glad you asked." Danny replied with a smirk, "I'm making a vendor that crushes and liquifies a lot of bugs so that we can drink them."

Ken and Thor looked at Danny for a good minute, then to each other, then back at Danny again, "Bug juice," Thor spoke up, "You’re making a machine that makes bug juice?" he said starting to feel nauseous.

"What? In some parts of the world people eat bugs."

"That doesn't make us feel better cuz." Ken said feeling a little queezy himself.

"Oh don't be a couple of babies," Danny said, "By the time I'm done with this it won't even taste like spiders and insects." He finished as grabbed a wrench and tried to turn a bolt on a pipe. But just as he did that however, a barrage of green liquid and dead bugs started spraying into his face and mouth. Ken and Thor grabbed him to get out of the way.

After the spraying died down, Danny rushed to a bucket and puked in it. After that he said, "Aw, geez."

"You gonna be alright there Dan?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, more or less. It's gonna take awhile to get the taste of beetles and centipedes out of my mouth but I think I'll be fine." Danny answered. he then walked over to a mini fridge and brought out a bottle of mountain dew and took a swig from it.

That was then they heard Molly from above, "Hey nimrods, it's time for dinner!" She said.

"Well we better head up. You eating with us tonight Thor?" Danny asked.

"Sure am." He answered.

"Cool, so any one knows what we're having tonight?"

"Squid Ink pasta and garlic bread." Ken answered, and was suddenly tackled by his cousin.

"WHAT?!" Danny exclaimed in outrage. "You expect me to eat spaghetti with ink in it?!"

"Hey, take it easy there, Dan!" Thor said, struggling to pry the boy off. "It's just a spaghetti al nero de seppia! It's just a spaghetti made with squid ink to look black."

"Oh, well then," after calming down, along with help Ken up, dusting him off, Danny composed himself as he spoke in a mock Italian accent. "Let's-a go then! I'm-a hungry for-a some mean-a spaghetti!"

"Oh brother," Molly rolled her eyes.

As the kids walked up from the basement, they are approached by a women in her early forties. An appearance, she has Purple, white and pink hair and green eyes. For attire, she wore a purple shirt, light blue jeans, a white apron and black shoes. She is Wysteria Heathespike, Ken's mother.

"Bad news sweetie" Wysteria said to Ken, "I just got a call from your father and-" 

"Let me guess," Ken chimed in, "He's pulling another all-nighter and won't be joining us for dinner."

"Sorry sweetie." Wysteria sighed.

"Don't be, I completely understand." Ken said a little sad by this. This wasn't the first time that this happened with the MPD being dangerously understaffed most of the time though his father always made up for this like taking him out fishing or going to the movies. Still, Ken does worry about his father when something like this happens as it also means he's on a big case right now.





Later


"I'm gonna take Delilah out for a walk." Ken said as he put her on a leash.

"Ok honey, just be careful." Wysteria called out. "And don't forget that it's a school night, so don't stay out too late."

“Don't worry mom, I'll keep it in mind! Bye!” Ken waved, before he left through the door, with Delilah on the leash.

The sun was barely shining over the horizon of the city, as it had just set. All of the city’s lights were starting to come to life, as Ken and Delilah walked through the big city.

At last, the two arrived in Maretropolis Central Park, which was empty at the time. Meaning the two had the whole park all to themselves.

Ken unhooked Delilah off her leash and took out her favorite ball from his pocket. Then he played a few rounds of fetch with her.

Delilah ran fast as a blur of white and black, while chasing after the ball, before she returned it to Ken, wagging her tail happily.

“Good girl, Delilah!” Ken complimented the dog, stroking her head and chin lovingly, when the Dalmatian suddenly looked up and barked loudly in alarm. “Whoa, easy Delilah. What’s gotten—“ that was when Ken noticed the area around him and the dog grew brighter and brighter.

Ken quickly turned his head and looked up to see a blazing ball of fire flying overhead.

“Hit the deck!” Ken shouted, tackling his dog to the ground as the comet flew past them and crashed somewhere in the park.

After that near death experience was over, Ken and Delilah slowly regained their breathing as they got back on their feet, “What was that?! A satellite?” Delilah barked in response, as if voicing her skepticism. “You’re right. It’s too big. C’mon, let’s go check it out,” with that, Ken and Delilah both took off running to investigate what it was.





Upon arriving at the park, both Ken and Delilah were shocked to see a large smoldering crater imprinted in the ground. Taking precautions for a closer look, Ken picked up a large stick as he slowly walks towards the crater, to find what can only be described as an unidentified flying object. Or in this case, an unidentified crashed flying object.

"What in the world?" before Ken could do anything, there was a flash of light that shines on the ship, outlining the frames of a door, before it opens up to reveal a group of six beautiful girls.

The first girl has dark sapphire blue hair, with a long bang stylized in the shape of a fan that hangs to the side of her head, with moderate purple and brilliant raspberry streaks. She wears a an indigo dress with light lavender elbow length gloves and boots that have purple rings with symbols of pink stars on the wrists and ankles, cornflower blue wrapped off-the-shoulders sleeves that connects to a long cape, secured by a single purple gemstone at the center of her chest, a mask that matches the color of her dress, which comes with goggles that framed her beautiful lavender eyes, a patch of cornflower blue that points down, meeting a purple gem at the bottom of her forehead, where what appeared to be a horn protruding.

The second girl has poofy, bouncy pink hair with the bangs stylized in the shape of a lightning bolt and baby blue eyes. Her outfit is a skin-tight white bodysuit with purple lightning bolts around her arms, thighs, feet, before they all meet at the center of her chest, while outlining her breasts.

The third girl has long spiky hair of multicolors and piercing raspberry eyes, that looked as if they're pulsing with electrical currents. Her attires are a black bodysuit with white trimmings in the shape of thunderbolts, matching boots and gloves, and a headgear that's best described as similar to Wonder Woman's helm from Injustice. Behind her back, hanging by a scabbard that wraps around her torso appears to be a sword, pulsing with electricity.

The fourth girl has a beautiful moderate indigo hair that is don up in graceful curls, encrusted with pink gemstones. She wears a dark blue leotard, with long sleeves and gloves attached, decorated with baby blue diamonds around the abdomen and arm, matching boots, and a mask that framed her dazzling sapphire blue eyes. She wears a pair of glowing pink bracelets on her wrists.

The fifth girl has a muscular, but agile build, and from the looks of her hair is a blonde. She wears a red jacket over a lime green leotard with red leggings, and black boots. She also wears a utility belt, where a golden lasso is hanging off of one side, along with a pair of boomerangs. Her black mask frames her emerald green eyes and her hair is wrapped up in a long green ribbon.

Lastly, the sixth has a long flowing pink hair, wears a green aquamarine suit with pink frills at the neckline beneath a dark purple wrapped off-the-shoulder sleeves, with pink bead bracelets decorated with yellow butterflies at the top, and a purple mask that frames her moderate cyan eyes.

"Greetings, earthling," the first girl greeted. "We come in peace. Please put your weapon down on the ground."

"W-Who are you?" Ken asked, after he finally found his voice.
> The Defenders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wh-Wh-Who are you guys?!" Ken asked.

"Please, at ease,” the leader held her hands up in defense. “We mean you no harm—“

“Stay back!” Ken stammered, swinging his stick at the girl, with Delilah barking loudly. “Don’t come near me!”

“Hey, hey!” the multicolored hair girl shouted, leaping into action, unsheathing her sword, which resembles the Japanese traditional katana, crackling with electric auras. "Lightning strikes twice. You hurt my friends, and I'll make your life flash twice!"

"Zap!" the blonde girl berated as she quickly snatched the girl's sword away from her hand, with the use of a golden lasso. "What've we talked about antagonizing the Earthlings?"

"Well he started it," the multicolored girl, identified to be Zapp argued.

"Well you came down to Earth in a blazing ball of fire!" Ken spatted. "How was I supposed to know you're not invaders?!"

"Touché."

The first girl quickly cleared her throat as she began, "Anyway, I believe the first order of business is introducing ourselves," with that, she began. "We are the Harmonian Defenders. I am the leader, Princess Twilight Star Nova the Masked Matter-Horn. These are my friends, Zapp, Mistress Marvelous, Saddle Rager, Radiance, and Fili-Second," she said, introducing and directing both Ken and Delilah's attentions to the respective girls. "Please you must forgive us for our intrusions. We meant no disrespect, and certainly have no intentions to invade your home world."

"Then, what brings you here?" Ken asked, lowering his stick down.

"We were sent here, by orders of our......our queen," Mistress Marvelous muttered at the last part, to which the girls all looked down, saddened at the mention of their queen.

Judging from the change of mood in the tone, the atmosphere, and the saddened expression on their faces, Ken could tell that something terrible must've happened to their queen. Looking down to his Dalmatian, Ken watched as Delilah whimpered sympathetically as she runs up to the girl with smooth pink hair, Saddle Rager, and gently kissed her hands, much to the girl's enjoyment.

"Aw, what a sweet little girl you are," Saddle Rager cooed as she lovingly stroked the dog's cheeks. "Yes you are~"

"Her name's Delilah, by the way," Ken introduced his dog, before he realized he didn't introduce his name to the girls. "Oh! Name's Ken Heathespike, by the way. But you can just call me, Ken."

"A pleasure to meet you, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn returned the greeting.

Suddenly, the wails of a police sirens rang from outside the park, "What is that?!" Zapp asked, holding her sword up, cracking with lightning, ready for action. "Are we under attack?"

"In a way, yes," Ken replied, before his eyes widened with worry. "Dad!" with that, both he and Delilah took off running in the direction of the siren's wail.

Sensing trouble, the Defenders all turned to exchange looks before they all ran after Ken to see what is up.





Ken panted heavily, nearly out of breath as he and Delilah arrived on the latest crime scene, to find Maretropolis National Bank under heavy fire, swarmed with about five to six police cars, which isn't enough for backup, given to the danger the criminal elements possess.

"Oh no! An armed robbery!" Ken exclaimed, just as the defenders arrived to join him.

"An armed robbery?" Fili-Seconds asked, startling both Ken and Delilah.

"How'd you get so–" before Ken could finish his sentence, another explosion pierced the air and the friends turned their attention back to the scene, to see an armored truck driving in, paving through the police cars, as a group of vicious dog mask wearing crooks appeared, hauling in their latest steals.

"The Diamond Dogs!" Ken scowled. "These guys are bad news!"

"The Diamond Dogs?" the Masked Matter-Horn asked, while observing the dog masked criminals. "Those are your world's villains then?"

"Yeah."

“Then I take it those are your law enforcers?” Masked Matter-Horn deduced, pointing at the uniformed officers who were hiding behind their white colored vehicles to avoid the gunshots.

“Yeah. The Maretropolis Police Department,” Ken replied. “But they’re a little understaffed and their chief is my dad.”

“That’s your father?!” Zap asked, pointing at a tall man, who was holding a megaphone in one hand.

In appearance, Ken's old man appeared to be in his early 40s, dressed in a police officer's uniform. In appearance he has dark pink hair and light blue eyes.

"STOP!" Ken's father shouted through his megaphone. "By order of the MPD! You are to surrender–AH!" the man immediately ducked his head down, just as a missile was shot over his head and blew up a nearby vehicle.

"DAD!" Ken shouted, watching as the Diamond Dogs finished hauling in their loots into their truck and quickly burned rubber.

Seeing how dire the situation was, the Defenders knew they have to act now.

"Defenders! GO!" with that, the girls all leapt into action, with both Zapp and Fili-Seconds eagerly leading the fray.

In a blur of pink lights, Fili-Seconds intercepted the truck, startling the driver, while Zapp stomped her foot on the ground, kicking herself into the air, and was seen surfing in the air on a bolt of lightning, with her sword unsheathed and slashed the tires, causing the truck to turn and roll onto its side. Thankfully, the Masked Matter-Horn was able to shoot several beams from the horn on her head, creating a wall of ice to prevent the truck from destroying the surrounding areas and civilians. The Diamond Dogs wearily exited the truck, where one of them finds himself ensnared by a golden rope and was pulled off his feet, dangling in the air, courtesy of Mistress Marvelous. The remaining Diamond Dogs quickly pulled out their guns, opening fires on the defenders, only for Radiance to hold her hands out, and her bracelets blinked in shimmering pink lights, conjuring up a large wall of crystals, protecting herself, her fellow defenders, and the civilians from the bullets.

"Peek-a-boo!" Fili-Seconds shouted, startling the Diamond Dogs into dropping their guns, before both she and Zapp apprehended the thugs, with Mistress Marvelous, Radiance, and Masked Matter-Horn cuffing their hands tightly.

Just then, the sirens of the police wailed, alerting the defenders into taking their leave, just as the police and Ken's father arrived.

"Is everyone alright?" Captain Heathspike asked.

"Yes sir," Lieutenant Armor confirmed. "All of our forces are just a little shaken up. What should we put down in our report?"

"Hmm," the captain pondered. "I don't know what to make of it. Lightning? Weird sparkling lights? Energy beams? The mayor would say we should lay off the donuts."





Meanwhile, both Ken and the girls returned to the park, at the ruins of the Defender's ship where they could talk.

"Wow, how did you girls do that?!" Ken asked in excitement from what he and Delilah had just seen.

"Well, we're not called 'defenders' for nothing, duh!" Fili-Seconds giggled.

"What Fili-Seconds mean is, those are our special powers," Masked Matter-Horn enlightened. "As you've just seen, Zapp has the power to control electricity with her sword."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Zapp asked, spinning her sword, before she sheathes it into her scabbard.

"This lasso of mine isn't just for show," Mistress Marvelous smirked. "I can control it physically and mentally," as a demonstration, the girl released the rope from both her hands and lets it slithered around on the ground, as if it was a snake.

"Cool," Ken smiled.

"I'm fast!" Fili-Seconds stated.

"You think that's marvelous?" Radiance began. "My accessories isn't just for show too. For you see, with these bracelets of mine, I can create energy constructs of any objects with my thoughts."

"Huh, kinda like Green Lantern's ring," Ken nodded in understanding.

"Who?" Radiance asked.

"Uh, never mind," turning to the Masked Matter-Horn, Ken asked, "Let me guess. You have the power to create ice beams?"

"Not just ice beams," the leader explained. "I can also conjure up a variety of energy beams, from fires to electrical currents."

"But ice is more her speciality! She just has to let it go!" Fili-Seconds chirped.

Turning to the last of the defenders, Ken asked Saddle Rager, "So if I may, what's your power, Saddle Rager?"

"Ooh, it's not so.... good," the girl whimpered. "And I'd rather you don't get to see it."

"It's okay, I'm open to know what it is."

"The thing is....I...I....I turn into a monster when I get upset."

"What?"

"I turn into a monster when I get upset." the girl repeated.

"What?"

"She says she turns into a hulking beast when she gets angry," Zapp answered on her friend's behalf.

"WHAT?! For real?!" Ken asked, to which the shy girl nodded in confirmation. "No way! You girls are awesome! You could be superheroes!” Ken commented.

"Superheroes?" Saddle Rager asked, unsure of what the boy meant.

"Yeah! You could fight crime! You could help my dad!" Ken continued enthusiastically. "You can help rid this city of all the crimes that's been happening! You could–"

"Hey, as much as I'd like to keep these conversations going, or chat, or whatever it is you earthlings do as a social past time, but if it's not too much to ask, where should we stay?" Zapp asked.

"Oh right," Ken chuckled, blushing sheepishly, before he turned and noticed his dog was missing. "Hey! Where's Delilah?"





While Ken was busy talking with the defenders, Delilah had let herself into the ship, sniffing and inspecting the downed spacecraft.

As Delilah was sniffing around the girls' ship, she finds a large laser like device. She goes to inspect it but when she starts sniffing at it, she accidently placed one of her front paws on the button of the laser. The device turns on immediately and aims right at the Dalmatian. Before Delilah has any chance to get away, the laser fires at her.

Ken and the girls hear a howl of pain, they turn to see Delilah getting zapped by a laser. Ken's eyes widen in horror, "DELILAH!!!!" He screamed as he rushed to aid his canine companion. As soon as he got there, the laser died down and Delilah collapsed on the ground. Ken picked her up, "Oh god, Delilah are you ok?!"

"I...think so." Came a female voice with a British accent.

Ken's eyes widen at this as the voice came from his own dog, "Delilah did...did you just talked???"





Elsewhere
All It Takes Is One Bad Day


"COME ON PEOPLE!" Fiona ordered. "Hurry up!"

"Ms. Bloom, please," Ms. Sweets begged her employer. "We're working as fast as we can. Just give us two weeks and we'll..."

"Two weeks and we would've lost the contract," Fiona scowled. "And my entire line of cosmetic predicts would've been shut down, and we'll all be out of the job." Turning to the employee, Fiona scowled, "This is your fault, Sweets. If you had just keep your MOUTH SHUT then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I'm only doing my job!"

"A fine job of it. I should have you fired right now!"

Ms. Sweets looked up, quivering with fright, under the intensive glare of her employer, "Make that two of us!" a strong assertive voice stated, as a man dressed in the same uniform as Sweet's came to the woman's defense, followed by several more.

"Excuse me?!" Fiona snarled in outrage.

"This is not what we signed up for!" the man frowned. "I'd say the main reason we're all in this rut together is because of your poor management skills!" with that, several more of the employees all joined in the protest. "We've worked ourselves to the bones, day and night, without getting any time off for our loved ones at home, while you were out hitting on some men at the bar! Well guess what? We quit!"

"WE ALL QUIT!" the entire employees joined in.

Shocked, if not miffed at the rebellion of her entire work staffs, Fiona Bloom huffed in response, "Fine! Go! Clean your lockers and GET OUT OF MY FACILITY!" without another word, all of the employees took their leave, while Sweets gave Fiona one last look of sympathy.





After she was done cleaning up her lockers and hanging up her uniform, Sweets was the last one to leave the facility, when she looked up and saw Fiona Bloom, leaning on the rails of a bridge that hangs above a huge vat of green experimental chemicals. But what she saw next will haunt her forever.

Fiona Bloom was smoking on a cigarette, when suddenly the railings broke and gave away beneath her.

"Ms. Bloom!!" Sweets shouted towards the screaming woman, who quickly held onto an electrical cord, beneath the platform for dear life.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!!" Fiona screamed desperately, holding on the cord for dear life.

"Ms. Bloom, hold on! I'm coming!" Ms. Sweet shouted, dropping her belongings as she rushed up a set of stairs to her former employer's rescue.

But it was too late. Before they knew it, the electric cord broke, creating a spark of electricity that blinded Fiona, causing her to loose her grip and she plunged into the vat below, with the down wire, electrocuting her.

"FIONA!" Sweets shouted, looking down into the vat in grievance for the seemingly demise of her former boss.

Suddenly, a hand burst out from the liquids, together with what appeared to be green tentacles that all slithered in the air, as if they are snakes. Before long, out of the vat emerged Fiona Bloom, as a new woman, twisted with the electricities that cackled around her from the down wire. Her once blue eyes burned wildly of brilliant green and blazing red pupils, and her hairs were dyed green from the shampoo. Turns out, the tentacles are Fiona's hair, that have grown at an alarming rate, longer than the woman's entire body.

"Hello, Sweets," Fiona snarled. "Back to formula?" she chuckled, which quickly turned into a maniacal laughter with every seconds, echoing throughout the facility, much to the horror of Sweets.
> Getting Settled
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last time, after his first day of school where he reunites with his friends, Ken Heathspike was walking his dog, Delilah, when a downed spacecraft suddenly crash landed in the center of Maretropolis Park. There, both Ken and Delilah were in for a shocking discovery to find six new girls, the Harmonian Defenders. To further the shock, each girls have demonstrated to have six unique special powers, when they stopped an armored robbery and foiled the attempts of the Diamond Dogs. Then as if things couldn't get any weirder, Delilah had an accident within the girls' spaceship and gained the ability to talk!

What will become of Ken and his new friends? Let's find out.





"Delilah?!" Ken exclaimed, as he was just getting over his bewilderment at what became of his dog. "Did you just talked?!"

"What?!" Delilah responded in equal shock. "Y-You...can understand me now?!"

"Girls?!" Ken asked, turning to the defenders. "What just happened?

Walking over to the control panel, Masked Matter-Horn typed in several alien texts, before the screen displays the analysis and the readings of the ray that had shot Delilah earlier, "Ah-ha! It appears Delilah's been hit with this new form of technology I've been developing," Masked Matter-Horn explained. "I've never had the chance to test it on actual living beings, so I didn't take into account of the side effects it would have. Though, from the looks of it, Delilah's been given the ability to speak your language!"

"Whoa, really?!" Ken asked, before he looked back at his dog who shared his fascination.

"Fascinating," Delilah barked.

"So what now?" the boy asked.

"Well, if you want, I suppose I could try to reverse engineer the effect on Delilah and return her to normal," Masked Matter-Horn offered.

"Oh, but I rather like this ability I have acquired!" Delilah voiced her protest. "Now whenever Ken wanted me to speak, I speak!"

"Yeah, but I doubt anyone would react so well about a talking dog," Ken said as he whispers into Delilah's ear, "You want to risk going to the vet and being gruesomely dissected just to figure out how you can talk?" with that, Delilah whimpered in fright, but understood where her owner was getting at.

Turning his attention back to the girls, Ken watched to see Masked Matter-Horn was typing in several more alien commands, "Good! Camouflage is still functioning. Which means we can hide the ship before anymore unwanted visitors sees themselves inside," Masked Matter-Horn, while gesturing towards Delilah, who blew a raspberry in response. "Unfortunately, the ship's under heavy damage. Most of its motor functions are not responding. We can't fly and leave the planet. The ship is no good for a sleeping quarter," Masked Matter-Horn frowned. "Not with the state it's in."

"So what do we do now?" Saddle Rager asked. "We can't just camp out here in the park, in the cold dark, can we?"

As the girls begin to converse amongst themselves, Delilah perked up with an idea, "Psst, Ken!" Delilah tugged at her boy's shirt, getting his attention.

"What is it Delilah?" Ken asked, lowering his ear close to what his dog had to say.




Later

"I must say, it's awfully generous of you two to let us sleep in your abode!" Masked Matter-Horn smiled lovingly as she and her friends followed the boy and his dog.

"Any friends of Ken and I are family to Ken and I," Delilah said welcomely.

"Though, if you girls could do us both a favor and keep it down," Ken said cautiously. "I'm not so sure how mom and dad would react meeting you girls, and I don't think they're too big on me having six new girls over at my house," the boy shook his head in frustration, "It's always the same with dad. Whenever I brought up girls, he's always starting with these talks about puberty and everything, it's tiring!"

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Delilah barked.

"You're different, Delilah! You're family! Just....quiet."

At last, the friends finally arrived at the house, to see some of the lights were turned on.

"Okay Delilah," Ken whispered. "You go through the dog door first, and let the girls in through the backdoor, and I'll take the front door in case mom is home."

"Affirmative," Delilah nodded in confirmation, as she took the girls around back, while Ken was left at the front door, composing himself, ready to act like nothing unusual has happened to him, before turning the knob and entered the house.

"Mom? I'm home!" Ken called out. "Mom?" the boy searched the house for a little bit to find that his folks have left the place all to himself, Delilah, and their new friends.

Speaking of whom, it wasn't long before Delilah and the Harmonus Defenders came into the living room to rendezvous with Ken, "It appears mom and dad are gone for the night," Delilah spoke.

"Yeah, looks that way. And it looks my cousins have gone back to their place," Ken nodded, before he turned to look at the Harmonus Defenders, "Well, it ain't much, but it's home. Mi casa es su casa."

"¡Gracias Ken por su generosa hospitalidad! Por eso, siempre estaremos en deuda contigo." Masked Matter Horn spoke in fluent Spanish.

"Impressive!" Delilah exclaimed.

"Yeah! That's pretty cool!" the boy exclaimed, before he frowned, "I actually don't speak Spanish."

With a giggle, Matter Horn explained in English, "I said thank you for your generous hospitality, Ken. For that, we are forever in your debt."

"Ahem!" Delilah cleared her throat.

"And of course, you too, Delilah!" Saddle Rager giggled, kneeling down and stroked the Dalmatian lovingly.

"Hmm," Radiance marveled as she and her friends decided to have a look around of the house's interior. "You have such a nice place here, Ken," the fashionable girl mused.

"No kidding," Zapp said in agreement. "I could actually move in here."

Ken blushed at that comment, before he chuckled, "Really? You don't say," just then, Delilah's ears perked up.

"Uh oh!" the dog walked up to the front door, and looked through the windows that confirmed both hers and Ken's dismay.

"Oh shit! My parents are here!" Ken exclaimed frantically. "Girls! You have to...what the?" when Ken turned to look at the defenders, he was flabbergasted to see they were gone, as if they've disappeared out of thin air.

Just then, the front door opened up and stepped in was Ken's father, "Ken! Where've you–" before the police captain could finished, Ken tackled his old man in a death gripping hug. "Whoa, whoa, hey. It's okay." dropping his stern and commanding demeanor, losing himself to the father inside of him, the police captain gently coaxed his frightened son.

Just then, his mother came up from behind, "Ken! Oh thank goodness you're alright!" she said, pulling her son in for a loving embrace. "You had us worried! You weren't home and it was past your curfew!"

"Yeah, mom, I know, I know," Ken replied. "I was in the park with Delilah, when...uh," the boy hesitated as he tried to come up a good cover story for what really happened to him and his dog. "Wow, I'm bushed," he faked yawning. "I'm going to crash now," he said, walking up the stairs to his bedroom with Delilah following.

"Good call, Ken," Kenbroath nodded to his son. "It's still a school night, and you have a full commitment tomorrow."

"Yeah. See ya in the morning pops," Ken said. "Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight sweetie," Wysteria replied to her son.

Walking fast, while keeping their composures the best they can to appear normal, Ken and Delilah finally made it back to the boy's room, walking in and closing the door behind them, "Phew," Ken breathed a sigh of relief as he retired to his bed, kicking his shoes off.

"Hey Ken!" Ken jumped up, startled by the sudden greeting, turning around to face the girls.

“What’re you girls doing here?!” Ken asked.

“You told us to hide, so we hide,” Fili-second answered.

“In my bedroom?!”

“What’s the big deal? You’ve got some neat stuffs up here,” Zap said, while playing one of the boy’s video games. “C'mon, c'mon! DIE YOU ZOMBIE FIEND! DIE! DIE!!!” the girl snarled, pressing the button rapidly to shoot at all the incoming zombie hoards in the game, not realizing the pressure she was putting on the game with her electric powers, until it overloaded and the TV blew up. "Yeah! Take that!" Zapp cheered, much to Ken's horror.

"Ah! My game!" Ken shrieked.

"What was that?" Ken's mother called out. "Ken? Are you alright up there?"

"Y-Yeah!" Ken called out, struggling to come up with another excuse to cover for the girls. "Delilah was just being a naughty dog!" miffed, Delilah blew a raspberry at her owner.





"There. Good as new," Masked Matter-Horn said, after she successfully restored the TV to its former glory.

For a test drive, Ken turned on his video game console to find his achievements and scores are still there, "Phew, that's a relief," the boy sighed.

"Sorry again about your game, Ken," Zapp apologized. "Sometimes, I don't know my own strength."

"Yeah, well with 'great powers comes great responsibilities,' you know," Ken quoted. "Words to live by."

"Those are the words of Ben Parker!" Matter-Horn smiled.

"What?" Ken and Delilah looked up at the girl in surprise. "You've read Spider–Man?"

"Yeah, she's quite the fast reader," Mistress Marvelous smirked. "That and we've been reading most of your comic books while you were downstairs with yer folks."

"I'm liking this Pete 'Spidey' Parker guy!" Fili-Second said, while hanging upside down and reading a comic issue of Spider–Man. "Uh oh! Watch out! Here comes the rhino!"

"He's good," Zapp nodded. "But he's no Shazam."

"I like this Wonder Woman," Marvelous commented. "She's my kinda gal."

Ken turns to Delilah and whispered, "The kids back in school will never believe me when I say alien girls are in my room and they're enjoying Marvel and DC superheroes."

"So long as they don't go Brightburn on us, then I'd believe it," Delilah replied.

"Wow, these guys are awesome!" Zapp smiled with excitement. "They're all like us, or we're all like them!"

Ken nodded in agreement, before he was hit with an epiphany, "Actually, that's not a bad idea!" he said. "You girls are exactly like these heroes! Maybe even better! Better yet, while you're staying here, you could be real superheroes to the city!"

"Really?" the defenders asked.

"Yeah!" Ken smiled with excitement. "Why didn't I think of this before? You girls are a sign for our prayers! You can help my dad and the police! You can patrol the city, fight crimes, clean up Maretropolis and save many innocent lives!"

The girls all exchanged glances with one another, before Masked Matter-Horn stepped forward, "Ken, as much as we admire your optimism and all, but we couldn't really...I mean, we'd love to help, but wouldn't it be like taking away all the works of your city's finest and going against all their work ethics?"

"Well, not with all the 'cutbacks' the city's good for nothing mayor had to make," Ken muttered. "And on top of that, this city is just teeming with criminal organizations that are setting up shops, with the police department being heavily understaffed. I want to change all that."

Masked Matter-Horn pondered, "He's got a good point," Mistress began. "I mean, that's why we're defenders, isn't it? To use our powers for the good of the people we serve."

"Well, the people we used to serve," Masked Matter-Horn sighed in grievance.

"Even so, we should at least use our skills for the benefit of this world while we're here, right?" Zapp asked.

"Indubitably!" Radiance followed.

"Oh yeah!" Fili-Second added.

"Definitely!" Saddle Rager joined in.

"So what do you say, Matter-Horn?" Ken asked.

Matter-Horn tapped her chin as she thought about it, "Well, Queen Celestia would've wanted us to do it." with a shrug, the leader of the girls nodded, "Alright. We'll do it."

"YEAH!" the five other girls cheered.

"Ken? What's all that noise?" Ken's father asked.

"Sorry dad!" Ken replied. "Just watching a movie with Delilah here," he chuckled nervously, hoping his old man would buy that.

"Well turn the volume low, son. Remember, it's still a school night."

"Yeah pops," turning back to the girls, Ken shushes, "Listen girls, if we're planning on having you stay here, then you got to be more quiet. We can't run the risk of having mom and pop, or any unwanted attentions discovering you all in here."

"Of course, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn complied. "We'll try our best."

"Alright," wanting to get out of the awkward moment and back to the subject at hand, Ken started, "So now that we've established my house being your temporary base of operation, next is coming up with a name for the team."

"But we've already got a name for our team," Fili-Second started. "We're the Harmonian Defenders!"

"Nah, something more closer to Earth. Like the...the Power Princess!" Ken coined. "Yeah! The Power Princesses! How does that sound?"

The girls all exchanged looks with one another, unsure of what to make of that name, and how they should respond to the young earthling's suggestion. This is definitely the start of an exciting adventurous story.
> My Classmates Are Super Girls From Outer Space
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, in a dark room with dimly lit light, a tall, bulky man, with eerie ice cold blue eyes that pierced the darkness, was drinking a cup of tea, with Rover Mugshot, leader of the Diamond Dogs, sitting in front of him to deliver an unpleasant report.

"So you didn't get the money." The figure grumbled.

"N-No boss, w-we didn't." the frightened man cowered before the shady figure. "I...I uh...my men...we were attacked!" he stumbled on his words. "And we uh...we lost the money in the armored truck. But it wasn't our fault! Really. We–"

"Ok, I think that's enough." The figure ordered casually, silencing the man. The figure then got up and sat in front of the desk, he then gestured Rover to do the same. With a gulp, he complies and sat right to the figure, "Look Rover," The figure began, "Shit happens right? I mean we all screw up every now and then. It's what makes us human."

"I-I suppose." Rover said nervously.

"Don't tell anyone about this but this one time, When I was trying to get the Fire Devils into my payroll, I sent Tempest to try to 'persuade' their boss to come work for me. Sadly that didn't happen, Lavan managed ripped one her of arms out." The figure began to chuckle, "Oh man, you should have seen her after that. She was ranting and raving about it for a whole week."

"I guess she was pretty upset about it huh boss?" Rover chuckled nervously.

"Oh, she was beyond pissed, beat any poor bastard nearly to death just for looking at her funny, even I kept my distance from her for a good while." The figure began to laugh, "I remember this one time, when one of the new guys tried to make his move on her, she kicked him right in the meatballs seven times. Poor guy couldn't walk straight for nearly a month."

Rover himself began to laugh, "That is pretty funny boss."

"I know right? This other time when she ordered a caramel vanilla latte but the dumbass got the order wrong and gave her decaf instead. So, she took a big pan of boiling water and dumped in the guy's pants!"

Rover laughed really hard at that, "Oh man, that must have been a bitch for the poor dude."

"You have no idea. His scream man, it reminded me of one of those Tom & Jerry cartoons." The figure said. Both of them continued to laugh until...

BANG!!!

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! MY AAAAAAAAASSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!" Rover yelled as he fell on the floor, clutching his left butt cheek.

The figure reveals that he was holding a magnum this whole time, "Let this be a reminder that your next screw up will be your last, are we crystal?" The figure asked in dark tone.

Shaking, Rover nodded his head.

"Great!" The figure said, returning to his cheery tone. He then pressed a button and two men wearing body armor entered, "Escort Mr. Mugshot to the infirmary room. He had a little accident." The guards nodded and picked the man up. As they were about to leave the office, the figure called out, "Oh and Rover, One more thing. What we talked in here stays in here okay? Unless you want Tempest knocking at your door." Rover just nodded and left with the guards. The figure smiled, "Our talks are nice."





Once again, Ken Heathspike was dreaming that he was once again the superhero, Dragonfire. In his dream, the young superhero was flying through the city of Maretropolis, having sworn to defend it from danger and villainy.

Just then, there was an explosion from the harbor and Dragonfire flew down to investigate the commotion.

Upon arriving, he saw that the harbor was engulfed in flames. Dragonfire activated some water sprays on his wrists in order to put the fires out. But to his surprise, the fires and the smokes all swirled around before they took the appearance of a tall, gangly looking demonic creature with menacing red eyes and twisted horns atop of its head.

The very sight of the creature struck fear into Dragonfire’s heart as if he was looking at a bogeyman of some sort. Still, he remained undeterred.

With a thrust of his legs, Dragonfire leapt forward and fought the demon. Billows of smokes filled the air, fire rained from the sky, as Dragonfire clashes his claws with this fiendish monstrosity. The superhero fought bravely. Unfortunately, it was not to last, when the demon snapped his fingers, opening a portal to summon several dark tentacles that all grabbed Dragonfire by the throat, threatening to suffocate the life out of him.

"AAH!!" Ken exclaimed, waking up in fright, panting heavily, before he regains his composure to find himself safely back in bed. "Whoa, it's just a dream," He said to himself, as he slowly eased his rapid breathing, when his eyes snapped open once again, as he remembered yesterday's episode. "Girls? Girls! Are you awake?" He asked, searching around the bedroom and was perplexed to see that it was just him, and no one else was ever in the room with him. "What the–but I...I...they...was it all just a dream?"

"Ken! Wake up!" Mr. Heathespike called from outside the door. "You're gonna be late son!"

"Okay dad, I'm coming!" without wasting another second, Ken got out of bed, cleaned himself up, and got dressed before he was about to exit the door when Delilah stopped him, carrying his backpack. "Oh, thanks again, Delilah! See ya later."

"Have a nice day at school, Ken!" Delilah barked, which took Ken by surprise.

"Delilah?!" Ken gasped, turning around, "Did you–" But before the boy could ask, the door already closed itself. Shaking his head, Ken resumes his trip to the bus stop, where he got on board and sets his sight on a new day at school.





At last, the bus arrived at Maretropolis High, where Ken followed the rest of his schoolmates as walked across the campus to the building.

"Hello Ken!" A voice greeted, to which the boy turned around to face a girl, who appeared to be a junior or a senior, judging from her height and age.

In appearance, the girl has a long moderate sapphire blue hair with moderate violet and brilliant rose streaks tied in a ponytail, with a pair of thick black glasses framing her beautiful moderate violet eyes. Her attires are a light blue buttoned shirt, with a pink bowtie around the collar, matching zipped-up vest worn over her shirt, dark purple frilly skirt decorated with stars, knee high baby blue socks, and dark purple shoes.

"Uh...hello," the boy greeted. "Have we met?"

The girl could only giggle before she reveals, "It's me. Masked Matter-Horn."

"What?!" Ken exclaimed in surprise, stopping in the hall as he turns to the girl and asked, "What are you doing here? Of all–"

"I just thought that since the girls and I will be staying on Earth for quite some time, then the most logical thing we should do is to accustom ourselves with Earth's culture and society, by enrolling ourselves into your school," The Masked Matter-Horn explained. "You know, to better get acquainted with the people of this city, whom we'll be protecting in our ongoing battle for harmony."

"Sounds like a plan," Ken replied, before he looks around. "So are any of the other girls?"

"Oh they'll be attending some classes with us, I assure you," The alien girl replied, before she added. "I believe my class for first period is robotics with you. Oh! And just to let you know, you will refer to me as Trots Summers, while we're in class together."

"Trots Summers?" Ken asked, before he decided to let the name sink in. "It's got a nice to ring to it. Well, Miss Summers, shall we?" He asked, offering the girl his hand.

Trots couldn't help but giggle in response to Ken's gesture, "Let's shall," She answered, holding his hand and the two walked together to class.

As they were walking down together, however, many of the students all shot them passing glances. Many of the male students were enamored at Trots Summers's appearance, and envious of Ken.





Robotics class


"Hmmm," Trots commented as she observed and analyzes most of the technology equipments that laid scattered around the class. "Primitive. Far from advance. A bit 2 lightyears behind Harmonian's technology, but nothing I can't work with."

"Sorry you feel that way, Trots," Ken said to the girl, as the two were seated at his desk in the class. Ken was currently working on a robotic arm, designed to move, turn, and function like that of an average person's arm.

"But bear with us, we're doing the best we can to get to your level of technology," Ken added, as he turns to his computer to type in some codes.

"So what exactly are you designing, Ken?" Trots asked.

"I'm trying to advance the technology in robotic arms," The boy answered. "Actually, I'm aiming towards combat equipments. What, with all these crimes going around the city, and with the way my dad's police force is heavily understaffed and all, if I can succeed, this can enhance crimefighting on a great level. It could even protect my dad from bullets. Not even a rocket launcher can hurt him."

"That's aiming a little high, don't you think?" Trots commented in amusement. "You sure you can manage that?"

"Ha! Don't bother," A random classmate scoffed. "Typical Ken, stuck in his own little world of DC and Marvels. Nerd."

"Says the guy who thinks lightsabers are possible!" Ken spatted back, before he resumes his work.

Trots looked back at Ken and could see the look of determination in his eyes, fueled by his love for his father, his city, and his friends. Though his goal seemed too high if not far-fetched or impossible, she can tell it's all out of love.

"Here Ken, let me have a look," Trots Summers said, as she took control of the computer and looked at the codings written on the screen. "You've got the codings right, but if you want real success, you should lower some of these power settings to lower the voltage. Less chance of an overload, makes it lesser probability that your techs won't glitch out."

'Wow, it's like having Tony Stark as a classmate,' Ken commented mentally. 'Or at least someone who's as smart as him.'

As Trots and Ken continue to work on Ken's project throughout most of the class, Trots cast her wandering gaze at the entire workspace of the classroom, before she sets her sight on one particular classmate, "Hey, who's that girl?" Trots asked.

In appearance, the girl has a long ruffled pale light grayish olive with streaks of light tangelo hair, tied in a ponytail by a red band, fiery brilliant gamboge eyes, and wore a light cerise turtleneck sweater, dark black jeans, with white boots, and wears an emerald ring on her left ring finger.

"That's Aurelia Lightbringer," Ken answered. "From what I heard, she's the daughter of billionaire, Luthor Lightbringer, and has an impressive IQ of 200."

"Hmmm, that is impressive, even by earthlings intelligence standard," Trots looked again at the girl, and couldn't help but noted how isolated she looked from the class. "She seems kinda lonely," Trots noted.

"She prefers it that way," Ken said.

"Really?" Trots asked, before she looked solemnly at the girl, almost as if she reminded the Harmonian of a troubled past. Getting up from her seats, Trots went over to introduce herself to the girl.

"Hi there!" Startled from the loud outburst, Aurelia turned her attention to see Trots Summers walking up to her, "I'm Trots Summers. I'm new here. Ken told me about you and I wanted to meet you!" Trots smiled, holding her hand out for the girl to shake.

Aurelia looked hesitant at the strange new girl's hand, before looking up at its owner, before she shook her hand, "Pleased to meet you," Aurelia greeted. "Since you're new here, let me have the pleasure to give you the quick rundown on how it works around here."

"Great!" Trots smiled gleefully, "Because I–"

"Rule 1: Nobody but my friends call me Aurelia," Aurelia interrupted. "We don't know each other yet, so until we find common grounds, you will refer to me as Lightbringer, or Ms. Lightbringer, if you'll please. Rule 2: Keep yourself at least 10 ft away from my workspace. I'm currently working on a very important breakthrough, and my genius doesn't have enough room for any interruptions, especially from newbies. Rule 3: Don't get in my way. Got it?"

Miffed by the girl's attitude, Trots Summers pouted before she took her leave and returned to Ken, "The nerve of that girl..." She scowled, before she repeated in disgust, "My genius doesn't have enough room for any interruptions... And just when I was about to offer her a knowledge worth of ten cosmos!"

"Don't let her get to ya, Trots," Ken coaxed. "She may be the smartest girl on campus. But she has absolutely no idea what she's missing out on."

"Perhaps," The alien girl sighed, calming herself, before resuming her attention back on Ken's lab project. "Now then, where were we?"





After Robotics Class, Ken left for P.E. Class in his next period, while Trots Summers headed off for her next class, which unfortunately for her is also the same class with Aurelia.

"Yo, Ken!" A voice spoke up, revealing himself to be none other than Thor.

"Hey Thor!" Ken greeted with a smile. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Thor replied. "Though, did you know we've got some new students in our school now?"

"What?"

"Yeah. Two new girls were in my last class. One of them's hyper and got a really bouncy pink hair, and the other one has multicolored hair and talks in a deep raspy voice."

"You don't say, you don't say," Ken replied, while knowing exactly whom Thor was describing.





P.E.


At last, the boys arrived at the gymnasium. Both Ken and Thor went to the locker where they got themselves changed into their sports uniform. Then they walked back out to meet the rest of their classmates, and two new ones.

"Ken! Ken!" Ken turned his head to see two familiar faces – one being Zapp and the other belonging to Mistress Marevulous.

"Oh! Uh, hi-ya girls," Ken greeted, while Thor looked surprise.

"Ken?!" Asked Thor. "You know these girls?"

"Um, uh yeah!" Ken smiled nervously as he tried to come up a good excuse. "These girls. They're...um–"

"Pen pals," Marevulous added.

"Pen pals!" Ken nodded. "Yeah, they're long distant friends of mine. They're...they're...their names are–"

"I'm Aurora," Zapp answered.

"And I'm Dallas Queen," Mistress Marevulous finished. "Nice to meet ya."

"Oh, nice to meet you both," Thor nodded as he shakes hands with Dallas Queen. "Whoa, you're strong," He commented at the firm grip from the girl's hand. Thor turned to Aurora, "You, I know from my last class with a pink friend of yours."

"You mean Mary Allen," Aurora noted, before she held her hand out. "Anyway, nice to meet you! Any friend of Ken is a friend of mine!"

"Likewise!" Thor smiled, as he grabbed her hand but received a shocking jolt. "Yow!"

"Oh, sorry about that," Aurora smiled sheepishly.

After the introduction were said and done, class began with the students doing their usual warm-ups at random stations around the gym, before moving onto the next and so on.

Ken was doing 20 push-ups at one station, when Aurora and Dallas came up beside him, "Betcha I'll doing 20 push-ups before you Dallas!" Aurora challenged.

"If you don't fall asleep first!" Dallas replied, as the two girls proceeded to do push-ups as fast as they could to beat each other.

Once they were done, Aurora turned to Ken and asked, "So Ken? Who won? It was me, wasn't it?"

"No! It's got to be me, right Ken?" Dallas asked pleadingly.

"Uh...you were both moving so fast," Ken answered. "And you both finished so soon, so...it's a tie?"

"A tie?!" The two girls exclaimed in outrage.

"Impossible! There's no way I could've been slowing down for her!" Aurora exclaimed. "You must've miscounted."

"Sorry, Aurora, but I only believe what I see," Ken shrugged his shoulders.

"How about another challenge then?" Dallas pointed to the next station. "First one to do 30 sit-ups, wins!"

"You're on!" With that, the two girls raced to the next station to do their next exercise before they went to the next station and continued their friendly competition.

"Wow, competitive aren't they?" Thor asked, when he came up to Ken's side.

Ken simply nodded in agreement.

For the rest of P.E., the whole class continued to do more exercises from running laps and playing a game of dodgeball. Luckily for Ken, both Dallas and Aurora were on his side of the game.

"Take this!" Ken grunted as he hurled a ball at one of his opponents, who shielded himself with another person. "Whoa!" the boy shouted, ducking his head to avoid an incoming ball.

"Watch yourself there, sugarcube," Dallas said, as she hurled another ball at one of her assailants, striking him in the stomach.

"HI-YAH!" Aurora screamed, as she threw a fast ball at another of her opponents, hitting him in between the legs, causing him to let out a high-pitch squeal of agony.

"Ooh," Ken cringed. "I'd hate to be that guy." But when Ken turned and looked, his eyes drooped in annoyance as he moaned, "Oh, not these jokers again."

"Hello Heathespike!" Two mean looking boys sneered. In appearance, one boy is lanky and has greenish aquamarine hair, and the other is large and bulky with orange hair.

"Today's the day we're gonna get you good!" The large boy snickered menacingly.

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Brick!" The lanky boy said as he eagerly bounces a ball in his hand. "Nobody makes a fool out of Brick and Boomer and gets away with it!"

"Look guys," Ken began. "I told you before. I'm sorry about the garlic powder, I–YIPE!" Ken immediately ducked his head down, avoiding the ball that was lobbed at him.

"I still smell like garlic, no thanks to you!" Brick scowled, as he threw another ball after his adversary. "How was I suppose to hit on ladies when I smell like one of the Garbage Pail Kids?!"

"To be honest, you're not the most eligible bachelor around, Brick!" Ken said as he jumped to avoid a ball. "Also, have you tried tomato juice?"

"That only works on skunks!" Brick shouted angrily.

"Well then you never know unless you try! AH!!" Brick and Boomer continued to throw their balls at Ken, who kept on running to avoid the shots.

"Stop moving!" Boomer grunted in frustration.

"If you asked nicely, maybe!" Ken replied. "AAAAHHHH!!" He screamed, as he continued to run for dear life, running around in blind fear, escaping from the balls being lobbed at him.

"Wow, look at him go!" Aurora smiled as she and Dallas watched Ken running in admiration.

"He's not too shabby. He's got some mad skills!" Dallas noted, as they watched Ken backed up against a wall, ducking, jumping, moving his hip to the sides, and somehow contorting his body like that of a cartoon, narrowly avoiding several projectiles thrown at him.

"Dance Heathespike!" Brick shouted, throwing more balls at his hated rival. "Dance!"

Brick threw another ball at Ken, who quickly picked up a discarded ball to shield himself from the other. Upon hitting Ken's ball shield, Brick's ball bounced off, returning back to the huge boy, who failed to react in time as he got hit on the stomach, which then ricochet off onto Boomer, hitting him in the chest and knocking them both off their feet.

"Oops," Ken muttered. "Did I do that?"

TWEET!

The gym teacher had blown his whistle, ending the game and class, "Alright, that's game!" He shouted. "Now I want you all to head for the lockers and get yourselves decent for your next class."

With that, the students all started heading off to the locker room, while Ken tagged behind with Aurora and Dallas, "Phew, what a game," Ken sighed.

"Are you kidding me?" Aurora smiled. "It was awesome! I never knew your games here are so epic! I've never felt so alive!"

"Same here," Dallas added. "Also, you're not so bad yourself there, Ken. You've got some mad skills."

"What? Oh that?" Ken blushed. "Nah, I was just dumb luck, that's all."

"No way," Aurora shook her head. "The way you run like that and the way you dodged those balls are definitely the makings of a strong fighter."

"And don't forget how ya manage to deflect that large boy's ball back to him and his friend," Dallas chuckled. "You did it so well that ya almost convinced me you were a coward."

Ken wasn't so sure whether to take Dallas's comment as a compliment or an insult. He simply shrugged and said, "Well, either way, we do make a great team, am I right?" He asked, holding his hand up for a high five.

"Oh yeah! Great team!" Aurora smiled, smacking her hand against Ken's and sending a thousand volt of electricity through him upon impact.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Ken screamed in anguish from the electric shock that fried him.

There he sat on the gym floor, completely singed by the electricities, with his hairs standing on end, while Aurora and Dallas looked at him in concern.

"Oops," Aurora chuckled sheepishly.

"Uh, you okay there, Ken?" Dallas asked.

"I like french fries," Ken babbled, before he fainted.





Drama Class


After Ken fully recovered himself from his recent near death experience, courtesy of Aurora, he later got changed into his outfit and was making his way to his next class in Drama. On his way, he was accompanied by Aurora and Dallas, who made sure he made it to class.

Both girls had changed into their own casual attires, with Aurora's being a dark blue jacket with yellow stripes along the sleeve, over a white t-shirt with a navy blue stripe along the hem, dark blue tight pants with rainbow-colored lightning bolts patterns printed all over her legs, while Dallas Queen's attire was a simple white silk shirt with green patches on the shoulders, a mini jean skirt with pockets at the side, a brown belt with the buckle shaped like an apple, brown cowgirl boots decorated with apples. For the finishing touch, she also wore a stetson hat.

"You gonna be okay there, Ken?" Dallas asked.

"I think so," Ken muttered, as proceeded to look at his fingers, clutching them into a fist and opening them up, before he moved his index finger around, making sure he could still follow it. "Yep. I'll live."

"Sorry again about that shock I gave ya, Ken," Aurora apologized sheepishly. "I don't know my own strength."

"Well, anyway, I'll see you around," Ken waved as he went to class while the girls went to their next classes.

Upon walking into class, Ken took a seat next to where his friend, Thor, would be on the left, when a voice spoke up, "Oh, Ken! How wonderful to see you darling!" Ken looked up, to see Radiance, walking into class, with her hair done up in elegant curls, light blue eyeshadows painted over her beautiful blue eyes. Her outfit consists a light blue fleecy shirt, a purple skirt with three blue diamonds on it, a purple belt on her waist with two blue crescent moons decorated at the front, gold bracelets on her wrists, purple boots with fuzzy fabrics at the top, each adorned with a diamond.

All the boys, along with Ken, couldn't help but be captivated by her appearance, "Radiance?" He whispered. "Is that you?"

"Why yes it is, Ken," Radiance giggled, before she whispered. "But it you'll please, I believe my covert name is Green Gardener."

"Green Gardener?" The boy asked, bewildered by her name.

"Eh, Fili-Second coined it, so it'll have to do, I'm afraid," The girl shrugged, before she looked down at the empty seat besides Ken, on his right. "Is anyone sitting here?"

"Nope, not at all," Ken shook his head, his hearts beating rapidly in arousal as the beautiful girl sat down beside him.

"So what are we learning in class today, Ken?" She asked.

"For now, we're just watching some classic films and watching performances done by previous actors," Ken explained. "That way we could take notes and learn how acting is all done in the most dramatic and glamorous effective way."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Green smiled, before she whispered, "Did I ever once told you that I was quite the diva from where I'm from? I may be a Harmonus Defender, but before then, I was born with the makings of an actress!"

"You don't say," Ken noted.

By the time Thor came and took his seat besides Ken on his left, the teacher, Chris Salline began the class by having them watch an old movie called Midnight Castle. At first, the movie began with the introduction of a young science student who was working with his eccentric science teacher to perfect an experiment that would give them complete manipulation over the earth. Unfortunately, the experiment failed and it resulted in the student becoming the murderous monster dubbed as Smudge.

“Whoa! That was unexpected!” Ken commented.

“I know right?!” Thor fanboys excitedly. “That Smudge guy was scary! And it's all thanks to Rob Pearlman. The producers of the upcoming remake are uncultured for not casting him again.”

“Whoa, Rob Pearlman?” Ken asked. “As in the Rob Pearlman you’ve had a man crush for since you were eleven, who starred in several blockbuster movies?”

“The one and only!” Thor smiled excitedly.

"Hmm, do tell, what of this  Rob Pearlman?" Green Gardner asked. "What is he like?"

"He's frigging awesome!" Thor Replied.

"Oh lord, here we go..." Ken muttered.

"When he was younger, he stared in a lot of B-movies such as this Midnight Castle being his very first. Heck, you could say that the movie was his big break. He worked his way to the top and played in a lot of bigger hits like Wild War, Darkworld, I'm A Mad Man, Love Me, You Bitch: The Movie though he barely talks about that one, and many more. He was nominated for the Oscars over a dozen times and even won several of them." Thor explained.

"How fascinating." Green said, taking some interest on what Thor said.

Just then, they hear someone clear their throat. They turn to see Chris Saline with an annoyed look on her face, "Mr. Axle, if you're quite done with your lecture, can we continue on the class?"

Thor chuckled nervously, "R-Right, sorry Miss Saline."





Cooking Class


Later, after Drama Class, Ken made it to his last class, Cooking Class. There he meets both Fili-Second and Saddle Ranger.

"Hi Ken!" Fili-Second waved her hand happily. "Over here!"

Ken walked over and took a seat besides the hyperactive girl and her quiet friend.

In appearance, Fili-Second wore a white sleeveless top with blue outlines, frilly pink themed skirt, with white stockings and blue high-heels with pink frames. As for Saddle Ranger, her attires are a greenish blue dress, with pink shoulder straps, translucent light green sleeves, a purple belt around her waist with a pink butterfly emblem on the front, and knee-high pink sandles.

"So, who might you girls be?" Ken asked. "I've already met your other friends, 'Trot Summers, Aurora, Dallas Queen, and Green Gardner,'" The boy listed. "So you must be–"

"I'm Mary Allen!" Fili-Second pointed to herself. "That's me! And this is Spruce Spanner."

"Mary Allen and Spruce Spanner?" Ken asked, as the two names reminded him of Barry Allen (the Flash) and Bruce Banner (Hulk). "Huh, nice names."

Afterwards, when class started, the three began their first attempt at baking a pizza ball. 


Pizza Ball from the Eric Andre Show


"Well, here goes nothing," Ken said, as he started by making the dough, before he spins it and throws it up in the air like how all pizzas are being made.

"Hey! That looks like fun!" Mary smiled in delight, as she took a dough and proceeds to spin it the same way Ken was doing. "Hey look at me! No hands!" She giggled, using one of her hairs to spin it in the air, much to Ken's shock and Spruce's alarm.

"Fili-I mean, Mary!" Spruce began quietly. "What're you doing? You want to attract some unwanted attentions?" She berated as she took the dough away.

"Aw, but I was just having some fun!" Mary whined.

"Uh no offense Mary, but I have to agree with Spruce here," Ken began. "I don't think most of us 'earthlings' are accustomed to seeing a random girl making pizzas with her hair. Remember, you're supposed to act natural?"

"Okay," Mary pouted before she and her partners resumed cooking and baking their pizza ball.

By the time class was just about done, the three all looked in their oven to see all of their hard works have paid off.

"Wow!" Ken smiled in admiration, as he puts on some oven mitts and carefully pulled the pizza ball in its glassy domes out. "I can't believe we actually pulled it off!" Unfortunately, Ken spoke too soon, when he took the top glass bowl off, and the pizza ball suddenly exploded, splattering its cheesy content all over Ken.

"Whoops!" Mary Allen giggled. "I guess I skipped the part where I'm supposed to flour the bowl to prevent it from exploding."

"Ken?" Spruce Spanner turned her head to look around. "Ken? Where did you go?"

"Mmmmm-mmmmmm-mmmmph!" a muffled voice called out, to which the girls turns their heads to see the boy, encased in a cocoon of cheese and pepperoni.

“Whoa, what happened to you there?” A voice giggled, revealing herself to be Phoenix Dawn. “Seems like you’re in a sticky situation.”





"Phew," Ken breathed a sigh of relief, after he was freed from his cheesy cocoon. "Glad to be out of there. I like pepperoni pizza, just not when it's all over me."

"Sorry again, Ken," Mary apologized with a sheepish giggle, while she and the rest of her friends helped to clean up her mess, with Phoenix Dawn joining them.

"Anyway, thanks again for helping us," Trots Summers said to Phoenix. "I'm sorry if we had taken most of your time this afternoon."

"Oh it's okay," The girl shook her head in reassurance. "I'm not too busy later anyway. I'm just glad I could be of some help. I hope this makes up for hitting you with the locker by accident, Ken," Phoenix smiled apologetically, referring to the incident yesterday.

"Oh, no hard feelings," Ken replied reassuringly.

"I like you girl!" Mary Allen chirped happily. "Can we be friends?" She asked, holding her hand out.

Phoenix looked at the hyperactive girl, finding her strange at first, before she shrugged and shook hands with her, "Sure," She said. "Mother would've wanted me to anyway. I'm Phoenix Dawn. And you are?"

"I'm Mary Allen!" Mary smiled, before she went to introduce the rest of her friends, "And these are my friends, Spruce Spanner, Trots Summers, Aurora, Dallas Queen, and Green Gardener," The rest of the alien girls in earthling clothings all exchanged random greetings.

"Pleased to meet you all," Phoenix smiled, before her phone rang and she took it out of her pocket to see who was calling her. "Oh dear. Looks like some more troubles at work. Gotta go."

"Oh you work?" Trots asked curiously. "Where do you work at? We can take you there and make up for lost times."

"No, no, it's fine," Phoenix replied. "I work at Kirin's Care with my mom and some of her employees. It's not too far away. I can make it."

"Are you sure?" Aurora asked, as she came running up to the girl's side.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," Phoenix smiled before she was on her way. "Anyway, I think I'll see you girls around."

"Okay, see ya," Aurora called, before she turned over to Trots. "She seems like a nice girl."

Trots nodded in agreement, "I'll say." She smiled. "So much better than that Aurelia girl."




Somewhere

In a mysterious room, where sparks were flying and gears were turning is a secret tech laboratory.

The engineers were all at work, making brand new pieces of technology and breakthroughs that have the potentials of changing the world.

Overseeing the entire production is a tall woman with a scarlet mohawk, a large scar that runs across her right eye, dressed in a black trench coat, and a bionic arm.

She was watching the engineers working on a particular project, when the comm link on her arm beeped, to which she responded by clicking a button to answer.

“Yes?”

"What's the progress on project Sharknado?" A voice asked.

"We're on schedule, sir," the woman answered. "Our tech teams have powered up the turbo engine for the jaw mechanism, giving it the accurate jaw powers of an average Great White Shark. And our intern, Aurelia, has done a remarkable job of programming the AI to automatically recognize its designated driver and obey their commands.”

“Uh huh, so I take it then it’s almost done then?” The voice asked.

“Progressively, Mr. King,” The woman answered. “In a few more weeks, give or take, our scientists will have it up and ready for your command.”

“I’ll hold you to your words then, Tempest,” The voice replied, before he turns off his communication.

Inside his office, the owner of the voice is revealed to be the man who had shot Rover in the butt. He was having sushi, during his entire conversation on the status of Project: Sharknado.

Standing by his side, serving him sushi, appeared to be a Japanese maid. Little did he know, however, she was a spy and she had heard everything regarding Sharknado.
> Sightseeing the City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After cleaning up the mess that Mary and Spruce had made in the cooking class, Ken and his six alien friends left the school and into the city.

“Phew, I thought we’d never leave,” Ken sighed.

“Again, sorry about the Pizza Ball there, Ken,” Mary apologized. "Though, on the bright side, you do smell really good, I could just eat you up!"

Ken instantly froze up as he turns around to see the hungry eyes on Mary's face, as she leans closer to Ken, with Trots, Dallas, and Aurora holding her back, "Oh no, no, no, no!" Ken protested, holding his hands up in defense. "Please don't eat me! No need for that!"

Mary giggled, "Oh Ken. I was only teasing you!" She smiled. "Harmonians don't eat earthlings. But I do love the smell of dairies in cheese, cakes, cupcakes, yogurts, and ice cream!" She licked her lips and rubbed her stomach, "Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it."

Ken smiled in relief, before he did a double take, "You girls like ice creams?"

"Sure do!" Mary confirmed. "Back on Harmonus, we have the best ice cream shops in the entire universe!"

"You mean had," Trots frowned miserably, which quickly got the rest of the girls to sympathize with their team leader's grievance.

Thinking fast, Ken snapped his fingers as he thought of a way to cheer his new friends up, "Well, if you girls think your home planet's ice creams are good, then you haven't tried some ours on Earth yet! C'mon! My treat!" He said as he lead the girls on.





"Mmmmm! This is so good!" Mary moaned in delight as she eats a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Trots was having a vanilla-strawberry swirl, with Aurora having a Superman ice cream, Dallas a caramel pecan flavor, Green Gardener a mousse chocolate flavored, Spruce a mango flavored variety, and Ken himself was enjoying a Spiderman ice cream.

"Wow, these are sure dang tasty!" Dallas commented as she continues to wolf down her ice cream.

"They're no Harmonian ice cream," Aurora said, while licking her Superman ice cream. "But they're delicious."

"Didn't I tell you, or didn't I tell you?" Ken smiled.

"Thanks again for treating us to this sweet delicacy, Ken," Trots thanked the boy as she walked up to look at the ice cream flavors they have on display, "I also couldn't help but notice that most of your ice creams are named after your superheroes. You've got Superman, Spiderman, Batman, even an Iron Man ice cream."

"And don't forget some of the ladies too!" Mary pointed. "Look! Wonder Woman's here, with Scarlet Witch, Supergirl, and Batgirl! Every flavor to match the colors of every superheroes!"

"And bad guys," Ken pointed to one of the ice cream buckets, labeled the Joker. "But who knows, maybe one of these days, you girls might end up having your names on these ice creams too!"

The Power Princesses couldn't help but laugh at Ken's joke, "Won't that be the day," Dallas chuckled.

"But if we're gonna be staying here," Trots began. "Protecting your city and help with your local law enforcements, then first thing's first. We need to familiarize ourselves with the place. That way, we can determine where we can set up our patrol routes and stakeouts, in case there is trouble."

"And we'll also need to learn more about your world's culture," Mary added. "Not to mention your lifestyle, your technologies, and your pop cultures."

Ken nodded in understanding, before he snapped his finger, "I know just the place to begin!"





Their first step was at the library, "There's nothing like a library to go find the informations you need," Ken said. "And there's no other library like Maretropolis's Public Library. This place's got everything, from fictions to non-fictions, even a few comics and picture books in the kids' section."

"It sounds wonderful," Trots Summers smiled happily, as Ken guided the Power Princesses to find a table, where they could read some books.

Aurora was reading a book titled Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone and finds herself drawn into the book with every page from Chapter 1, Trots Summers was reading a book of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone, Spruce Spanner was reading books on Earth's wildlife and was very much enchanted with the animals.

"Mmmm, these sound tasty already," Dallas Queen commented, when she happened to check out a cookbook.

"Ooh, these look marvelous," Green Gardener marveled, while looking through a magazine on fashions.

"These look so much fun!" Mary Allen squealed in delight, while reading a Dr. Seuss book. "Oh, I'd love to try out these green eggs and ham, if Guy-Am-I doesn't want them."

Meanwhile, Ken was looking through some books in the romance section when he happened on one that catches his attention.

“The Girls of My Life by Wildcard25,” Ken read. “Sounds interesting.” With that, Ken took the book out from the shelf and he finds himself a chair to sit in to read.

After what felt like thirty minutes, Ken finds himself lost into the book, captivated by the romance, enjoying the joys and laughters the story provided, while moved to tear by the inner struggles.

“Hello Ken!” Trots greeted. “What were you reading?”

“This amazing romance novel called The Girls of my Life, written by this Wildcard guy,” Ken replied. “So it’s about this boy named Spike Drake who moved into a city called Canterlot, with his parents and he immediately befriended six girls and they became best friends. And ten years later, when they all grew up into teenagers, their friendship blossomed into love. And that’s how the trouble got started. The girls are madly in love with Spike and each of them wanted him all to themselves. So whenever they’re hanging out together, they always get into petty arguments that needed to be settled quickly, or else it will ruin their friendship.”

“Wow, for real?” Trots asked in amazement albeit skeptical. “I’ve seen lots of friendship problems before, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Well, like they say. People do crazy things when they’re in love.”

Trots couldn’t help but giggle in agreement, before she asked, "Mind if I read it with you?"

"Sure," He said as Trots took a seat next to him and they both read the story together.





After 30 minutes of reading and checking some books, Ken and the girls walked up to the librarian desk to check out the books they wanted to take home. The friends were about to leave the library, when they ran into troubles.

“Well, well, well,” A gruff voice grumble, revealing himself to be Brick. “What have we here? Aw, it’s Ken hanging out with his girlfriend, Barbie!”

“And not just Barbie,” Boomer added. “There’s six of them!”

“Huh, I never knew you guys liked to play with Barbie dolls,” Ken said in a snappy comeback. 

"No we don't," Brick grumbled.

"Really?" Boomer asked. "Because your mom said you'd talk to your sister's Barbie doll as if she was a real girl–" In response, Boomer was bonked on the head by Brick.

"Quiet, Boomer!"

“Wait a minute," Ken began, after he did a double take. "What'd you mean by ‘girlfriend?’ You guys think there’s something going between all six of us or something? I mean granted, they are girls, and they are my friends. But we’re just friends, y’know? Except that only goes to show what you guys know, because we just met.”

Annoyed, Brick frowned as he talked down to Ken, “You talk too much. Shut up!”

Next thing the two bullies knew, something grabbed them from behind and forced them to hit their heads together, knocking them out cold.

Slithering from underneath the downed bullies is Dallas’s lasso.

Ken turned to Dallas to see she was smiling and winking with a thumbs up, "Alright Dallas!" Ken smiled, giving the girl a thumb's up.





Next stop was at an arcade, where Ken got the Princesses the tokens to play the games there.

"I LOVE GAMES AND THESE LOOK SO MUCH FUN!" Mary Allen squealed, before she was a blur of pink, cheering, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YESSSSSSS!!!!"

"That girl's on a whole new level of crazy," Dallas sighed, and gave chase to restrain her hyperactive friend. "I'd better go and get her under control before she wrecks something."

"Well I'm game!" Aurora smiled eagerly, turning her eyes to a basketball hoop. "Ooh!! Basketballs!" With that, she zipped off to play the game.

"Well, I think I'll just go and find a seat to catch some readings on Earth's culture," Trots said as she went off to a table.

"I'll join you, darling," Green said, joining her fellow defender.

Spruce turned her attention to see a Whack-a-mole stand, "Aw! Look at those cute little moles!" Spruce cooed as she went over to pet the little critters that pop their heads from the hole.

Seeing he was all by his lonesome, Ken got onto a dance game, selecting a song, and the game begins.


Roses are Red — Aqua


At the song started off with a slow steady rhythm, so Ken simply bopped himself up and down on his feet, while tapping his hand on his hip to following the song. Then, when the song started to turn more upbeat with the increasing tempos, the boy felt himself moving and grooving with the music as its mesmerizing spell took over him.

On the game screen, dancing arrows pointing to the left, the right, up, and down were all scrolling across an outline of a virtual dancer who was moving in-sync with Ken. Ken was doing some classic dance moves, which includes the famous Pop and Lock, the Moonwalk, and the Spongebob.

While Ken was dancing, Mary Allen, Aurora, Spruce, and Dallas all couldn't help but watch with love in their eyes.

"Wow, look at him go!" Aurora marveled in admiration of their earthling friend.

"Go Ken go!" Spruce cheered quietly.

"I didn't know he could dance like that," Dallas smirked.

"What's going on?" Trots asked when she and Green joined the group, seeing why they were crowding around Ken so much.

Once the two princesses looked up and saw Ken dancing, they immediately find themselves captivated by Ken's dance moves as he ranks up some scores. At the end of the game, Ken did an impressive front split and was met with a loud round of applause from the girls.

Startled, Ken turned his head to see the Power Princesses smiling and clapping their hands at his performance, "Oh, hey girls," Ken blushed. "So...did you all have fun?"

"Sure did!" Mary smiled. "But it was more fun to see you having fun!"

"Great...now can someone please help me get up?" The boy groaned, clutching to his smartened thighs. "I'm kinda stuck."





After playing the games, and Ken recovering from his sore legs, the gang took their leave, while taking with them the souvenirs they had won for the day.

Mary was snuggling up against a small plush alligator, "This is the cutest little alligator I've ever met!" Mary cooed. "He's so cute! Thank you for buying him for me, Ken!" Out of impulse, Mary gave Ken a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Aw, hehehe," Ken blushed sheepishly, as he brushed Mary off, while the rest of the girls looked rather surprised at Mary's bold move in public.

Ken was later showing the girls a skatepark, which got Aurora interested. While there, Green Gardener’s attentions wandered elsewhere to a fashion store, where she sees the latest fashions on display.

"Oh my goodness!" Green Gardener said in awe.

This didn't go unnoticed for Ken, when he turned around to see what had enchanted Green Gardener and captured her fancy.

"Do you like them?" Ken asked.

"Like them? I absolutely adore them!" Green Gardener swooned. "Back on Harmonus, believe it or not, but I was the reigning fashionista of the whole galaxy. Why I was crowned Miss Galaxy for five years straight."

Ken couldn't help but smile, lovingly and in agreement, "I can see it to believe it," He sighed.

"And of course, I'm always open to all sorts of fashion trends from other planets, including Earth's. So while I'm here, I might as well," With that, Green Gardener proceeded to walk into the story, but stopped just momentarily as she turned to look at Ken, "Would you care to join me, Ken Heathspike? It'd be rude to leave a lady unescorted, you know."

Ken blushed a shade of pink as he stammered, "Uh, o-o-of course! I mean, no! I-I-I-I mean...I'd be happy to escort you...m'lady," He said as he followed Green into the store and they looked at all the clothings and accessories that were in store.

"Ooh, this is marvelous!" Green swooned, when she checked a sparkling jacket, before moving onto a leather jacket with sparkling jewelries sown onto it in the most intricate manner. "My, this does bring out the shines to it! Oh!" The girl then went to inspect a pair of sapphire earrings, "Oh, these jewels simply speak to me!"

Later, after picking out some clothes to try on, both Ken and Green went in the back for the girl to get changed, while Ken sat outside, waiting and anticipating for when she comes out.

"Oh Ken~" Green Gardener sing-songed, walking out to show she was dressed in a flowing yellow cream summer dress, decorated with ribbons of flowers at the hem of her skirt, and a matching straw hat.

"Whoa!" Ken gasped, enamored at her appearance.

Seeing his reaction, Green Gardener giggled, "What do you think, Ken?" She asked, while shooting a flirting gaze at him. "Do you like it?"

"Oh yeah~" Ken said, captivated by her beauty.

Soon, Green went back behind the curtains, before she came back out, singing, "Ta-da~" She revealed herself to be wearing a dark blue sparkling tight that hugged her curvaceous figure, decorated with sapphire jewels at the bottom of her pants, matching gloves and high heels.

Later, Green Gardener came out, dressed in purple sailor suit with pink highlights, an indigo checkered skirt, with a lavender necktie, white knee socks and black Mary Jane shoes, giving herself the appearance of a Japanese school girl.

"Wow~"

Meanwhile, the rest of the Power Princesses were perplexed to find that both Ken and Green Gardener were nowhere to be seen. Though it didn't took long for them to find their fashionable friend, with their earthling guide, inside the fashion store. To further their surprise, they watched as Green Gardener gave a private fashion show to Ken, as she presented herself to him in multitude of colorful clothes.

At one point, Green Gardener was wearing a multi-shade-of-blue dress consisting of a powder-blue blouse with long sleeves, a midnight-blue bodice, and a cobalt-blue foot-length skirt, along with black heels. She was also wearing a big royal blue bow in her hair. Another time, she wore a timber wolf wrist-length blouse with light blue vertical linings, a pinafore dress consisting of both a light gray bodice with green linings, vertical gray hairlines, and four green buttons placed vertically on the bodice with black hairline laces attached, a dark gray skirt with a light gray lining, crimson, green, and lavender flower prints all around on it, and lavender, green, and olive drab bush-like prints between each flower prints. She also dons a white petticoat, a pair of matching heeled leather boots with gold linings and brown soles. She even wore a maid's outfit which consisted of a dark brown bodice with light aquamarine long sleeves, a brown knee-length skirt, with black ballet flats.

Finally, she came to the last dress, “How do I look?” Green Gardener asked, when she stepped out from the curtain, wearing a sparkling purple dress with an open back that hugs her voluptuous figure.

Ken was too lovestruck for words as he finds himself captivated by her spell.

“You look beautiful,” A voice spoke up, startling both Ken and Green to look and see it was their friends. "And you two are certainly enjoying this much, aren't you?" Trots grinned, crossing her arms as she and her fellow defenders smirked mischievously, while Ken and Green could only blush in embarrassment.

Then, in the corner of her eyes, Green Gardener noticed one of the store's staff members hauling away a rack of beautiful clothes.

"Oh my? What are those?" Green Gardener asked, walking up to the staff who was hauling the accessories and clothes away. "Where are they going?"

"To storage," The staff grumbled. "Deep deep storage."

"But these fabrics are simply divine! They cannot be locked away!"

"Oh yes they are ma'm. These are the works of Suri Polomare, and I wouldn't be caught dead wearing one of her wardrobes if I were you." He replied as he left with the stuff.

Green raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

"I can answer that," Ken said as he approached her, "Suri Polomare was once a famous fashion designer who fell from grace and has since then turn to a life of crime."

Green's eyes widen, "My goodness, what happened?"

"Well from what my dad told me, she had a really bad habit of plagiarizing other people's hard work and pass it off as her own. Some of the higher ups from the fashion industry had began to connect the dots and after investigating, she was kicked out of the fashion business and got pretty much blacklisted across the entire west coast." Ken explained.

"How scandalous." Green said, appalled by Suri's actions.

"There's more," Ken continued, "Shortly after that, she began to call herself High Heel and formed the Fashionistas gang, people who either had a similar background to hers or takes style way too seriously. When they aren't trying to steal the latest fashion trends, they would go into violent turf wars with either the Fire Devils or the Reapers."





Their last stop of the day was an animal shelter, which got Spruce’s attention and she insisted on checking the place out.

“Oh my!” Spruce squealed in delight. “Look at all these cute little earth creatures!” She cooed, admiring and playing with all the cute bunnies and hamsters in their cages, to stroking and tickling some of the kittens' tummies, and barking along with the puppies.

Ken couldn't help but smile at the cute sight of the girl bonding with almost all of the animals in the shelter, "You must really love animals, don't you, Spruce?" He asked.

"Oh yes, of course!" Spruce smiled. "Back on Harmonus, I was the leading scientist on medics. I made it my life goal to find the perfect miracle drug that can cure the diseases in all living creatures!"

"Whoa, really?" Ken asked in fascination. "That sounds ambitious and a tall order."

"It is, it is," Spruce nodded in agreement. "But for the good of all living creatures, I just have to do it! Especially for all these cute little animals," With that, Spruce continued to cuddle some more with the puppies, who all barked and wagged their tails happily, showing their returned affections for the girl.

The cute sight between Spruce and the animals made Ken smile to see her happy and affectionate.





The seven friends were heading back to the Heathspike residence, when they happened to pass a statue of a horse-like creature staring intensively at a vast ocean of large trees. In appearance, the horse has a unicorn-like horn on its head and also has pegasus-like wings.

"Whoa, hey take a gander at this!" Dallas said as she and the girls all marveled at the statue.

"Fascinating!" Trots said in agreement.

"That's the statue of Maretropolis's Guardian Spirit, the Alicorn," Ken lectured. "Long ago, when the first settlers came to this land to build a town, there were numerous stories about strange phenomenons of Blackwater Woods," He pointed to the forest before them.

"What kind of strange phenomenons?" Trots asked.

"I'm not big on telling ghost stories, or anything," The boy replied, scratching his head, "But there were a lot of stories saying that hikers going missing in the woods, disappearing without a trace, or a disembodied voice calling out to you, even though there's no one there, mysterious lights that roam the forest like that of a living creature, those sort of things."

"Fascinating," The lead Power Princess said in astonishment. "But what do they have to do with the statue?"

"Well, the founders of Maretropolis were approached by an old man, who claimed that the strange happenings were the cause of an unholy evil that lurks within the forest. So he carved this alicorn statue to keep whatever's lurking there at bay, and as long as the statue keeps standing, then the evils of Blackwater Woods will never set foot in this city."

"Wow!" Mary Allen said in amazement. "That sounds like quite the story!"

"Yeah, the alicorn statue can keep the evil spirits of the wood at bay," Ken said, before he muttered, "Too bad it can't stop crimes in our city."
> Dinner and a Sleepover with Supergirls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


MPD – Maretropolis Police Department


"No excuses!" Kenbroath yelled into the phone, sitting at his desk, before he resumes giving orders to his fellow officers, "I need you to find a lead on the Night Owl before she pulls off another heist! And double all patrols–" Just then, in the corner of his eyes, the Police Captain's turned his attentions towards Ken and his new girl friends who appeared at the entrance of his office.

"I gotta go," The Captain said. "GET ME RESULTS!" With that, he puts the phone down, losing his stern demeanor and spoke in a loving father's tone, "Hey Sport. What're you doing here? And who're these lovely ladies with you?"

"Just some new friends I've made today," Ken introduced. "This is Trots Summers. That's Dallas Queen, Spruce Spanner, Mary Allen, Aurora, and Green Gardner." The girls quickly exchanged greetings with the chief, "They've recently just moved into the city, so I'm giving them a tour of the place and I thought it'd be nice if they could meet you dad, being the Chief of Police and everything."

"Well then, welcome to Maretropolis," Kenbroath smiled, as he shook hands with the girls. "I hope my son's been treating you alright."

"Oh your son is quite the gentleman," Green Gardener smiled.

"You certainly know how to raise him well," Dallas smirked.

Kenbroath chuckled heartedly, "That's my boy for ya," His smiled turned to a frown as he resumed his stern demeanor. "But I'm afraid your visit here will have to be cut short. It's a mad house here!"

"Yeah, solving crimes, putting away perps, that sort of thing," Ken guessed.

"I wished," The man frowned as he took a quick sip of coffee from his mug. "We just got another report that a rare, priceless gem has been stolen from a jewelry store, by the Night Owl. That's the fifth heist this week. And we've got reports of criminal activities from one of Lavan's Fire Devils. We've got to stop them and fast!"

"Let's hope so," Ken nodded. "Hey! If we're lucky, maybe you and your police officers will get another help from some superheroes!" He said, while secretly gesturing to the girls.

Kenbroath simply shook his head, "This is real life, Ken," He frowned. "It's nothing like Superman or Batman. I'm sorry, but that's the truth." 

"Then how do you explain the failed armored robbery from the Diamond Dogs?" Ken asked. "It's all over the news that the armored truck was stop by a lightning bolt that acted as if it was alive."

"Hmm," The man scratched his chin, as he shook his head. "I honestly don't know about that. But whatever it was, I'm not a 100% certain that that's something similar to some of your superhero comics. Anyway, it's getting late. Why don't you all head home. It's been nice meeting you all."

"Okay, see ya pops!" Ken waved good-bye as he and the girls left the building.

"Your dad's a great man, Ken," Aurora said.

"What can I say? He's a great dad," Ken smiled. "Though, I just hope you girls could make life a bit easier for him, what with the police understaffed and everything."

"Gosh, why's that?" Mary asked. "Is it something they ate? Was it the donuts?"

"Uh...not really," The boy muttered. "You could say the mayor was more invested in his own piece of the pie."

"Ooh, that sounds yummy!" The hyperactive girl licked her mouth hungrily. "So what? The mayor has a really delicious pie that he doesn't like sharing?"

"I believe Ken was referring to the 'pie chart' that legitimate business plan earthlings used to conduct surveys or to keep track of investments," Trots stated. "So you're saying the mayor's been investing more moneys in other affairs, rather than assisting your law enforcers to fight crimes?" The leader asked Ken.

"Afraid so," Ken frowned. "I don't remember why we ever voted that guy for election. From what I heard, he's a real cheapskate. He once opened up an amusement park that has little to no safety procedures, and he manages to get away being held responsible for some casualties by putting up signs that reads 'NO REFUNDS!'"

The Power Princesses all gasped in shock, "Why, that's not very nice!" Spruce said in disgust. "That man is a great big jerk!" She hissed, and for a brief second, Ken was certain he saw a red color flashing in Spruce's eyes.

"Why I ought to give that mayor a piece of mah mind!" Dallas stomped her foot.

"Whoa, calm down girls," Ken coaxed the two angry seething alien girls. "Calm down, you'll get your chance someday, I'm sure. But right now, let's just head home."

With that, the girls all nodded in agreement as they followed their earthling friend back to his place.





Heathespike Residence


The sun was barely over the horizon by the time Ken and the Power Princesses arrived, "Hello? Mom?" Ken called. "Looks like mom's still at work. So I guess it's just us then."

"Hello Ken!" A voice greeted, revealing herself to be Delilah, "Hello Power Princesses! Welcome home!"

"Hey Delilah!" Ken smiled as he got down to his knee and affectionately petted his talking Dalmatian, all the while thinking, 'I don't think I'll ever get used to the fact that my dog's talking.'

Later, Ken went into the kitchen to fill Delilah's bowl with her foods. Afterwards, Ken walked to a large table in the living room, where he got out his textbooks and notes, with which he proceeds to do his homeworks.

"Watchya doin' there, Ken?" Mary Allen asked, as she zipped up to the boy's side to see what he was doing.

"Doing my homeworks," Ken replied. "Same as you should be doing."

"Ken's right," Trots Summers said, as she proceeds to levitate her assignments from her backpack. "Since we've officially enrolled ourselves as students in Ken's school, then it's logical for us to do some studies."

The rest of the alien girls weren't so keen on the notion at first, but they all got out their notes and assignments from their backpacks and studied with their earthling host. Though, out of all the girls in the room, Ken was astonished at how much of a fast learner Trots Summers is, in only a single day. Her intelligence was astonishing with the way she was able to record all of the correct answers in calculus, to quickly memorizing the names of every states in the U.S.A. and their capitals, as well as the states of other continents and so on.

The friends proceeded to study together. During their study session, Ken decided to strike up conversation, "So, girls," He began. "Any ideas on a 'base of operation' yet?"

Before the girls could answer, Delilah came running into the room, "Ken! Power Princesses!" Delilah barked in alarm. "Mom is home!"

"Okay girls, you know what to do," Ken said to the alien heroines. "Remember, act natural."

With that, the heroes all composed themselves to make themselves appear presentable to the young man's mother, "Hi mom!"

"Oh, hello Ken," Wysteria greeted her son, before she turned her attention to the girls. "Oh! You didn't tell me you were having guests. Who are these lovely ladies?"

"They're my new classmates!" Ken answered, as he proceeds to introduce the girls, "That's Trots Summers. This is Green Gardener. Dallas Queen. Aurora. Spruce Spanner. And that's Mary Allen."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Heathespike," Trots Summer greeted, with the other girls following as they exchange greetings to the woman.

"Oh, pleasure's all mine," Wysteria smiled. "I trust that my son has been treating you all so well?"

"Oh yes, indeed he has!" Green Gardener smiled. "Ken has been such a gentleman to us, showing us around the city and even letting us come over to your house to study!"

"Oh, that's sweet of you, Ken!" Wysteria complimented, much to Ken's embarrassment as he blushes a shade of pink. "In that case, why don't you all stay for dinner? My husband will be home soon from work and–"

"Oh that's quite alright, Mrs. Heathespike," Dallas said. "In fact, we've already been acquainted with yer husband and Ken's father."

"Oh have you now?"

"Absolutely," Trots vouched. "We came and visited him at the MPD station. He's very busy."

"A real family man!" Dallas added.

"That's why I married him," Wysteria smiled lovingly, before it turned sad. "If only he didn't have to work so hard, we could be together more."

Ken nodded in agreement, with the girls looking sad as they empathize with both son and mom.

Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Wysteria shook her head, as her smile resumes, "Anyway, what would you girls like to eat?"





After dinner was over, the girls took their leave.

"We've had a wonderful meal tonight, Mrs. Heathespike," Spruce Spanner said. "I just couldn't get enough of your beyond burgers! It is absolutely to die for!"

"Why thank you, Spruce!" Wysteria chuckled. "I'm just happy you could enjoy the meal."

"The dessert was nice too!" Mary smiled. "Your strawberry shortcake was so creamy and good in all the right place!"

"Anyway, thanks again for the meal, Mrs. Heathespike," Dallas said as she bid the woman good-bye. "But I think it's time for us to go home now," She said, as she and her comrades secretly shared winks with one another.

"Will you girls be alright?" Ken asked. "I..I mean, with the city so dark and all and with the–There are criminals afoot and I wouldn't want you to get hurt...." He clarified awkwardly.

"Of course, darling!" Green Gardener smiled, sending Ken a secret wink his way. "We'll be alright."

"Goodnight, Ken!" Trots Summer waved, while she and each of the girls sent Ken secret winks his way.

"Night girls," Ken waved his hand, before he sighed, "Aren't they great, mom?"

"They're quite the nice bunch," Wysteria nodded in agreement.

"Woof-woof!" Delilah barked in agreement.

Ken then stretched his arms out, yawning before he turns around and walked up the stairs, "Well, good-night mom," Said the boy, as he went into his room to pick out a set of pajamas, before he went into the bathroom to get himself washed up for bed.

Later, after Ken got changed into his pajamas, he walked up to his bed and got underneath the cover and was out like a bulb. Little did he know, however, he was not alone. When Ken was in the bathroom to get changed, the Power Princesses had snuck back into Ken's room, through a window, courtesy of Trots Summer's telekinesis.

Once inside, the Power Princesses hid themselves in the room. Trots was hiding inside a closet with Spruce, with Aurora and Dallas hiding under the bed, which leaves Mary Allen and Green Gardener hiding beneath his blanket, which the boy was too sleepy to notice.

"Can we come out now?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah," Trots Summer confirmed, as she and most of the girls came out of hiding.

"How about next time, you hide under someone else's bed, and I'll just be up on the ceiling, okay?" Aurora scowled to Dallas, who rolled her eyes.

"Ya didn't have to hide with me, y'know," Dallas frowned.

"Girls! Shhhh!" Spruce shushed her two friends. "You will wake Ken up! The poor dear is exhausted."

"No duh!" Mary mocked, before she smiled. "Although, can you blame him for looking so cute when he's asleep? He's like a tiny little earthling plushie that you could smother yourself to bed with!"

"Filli-Second! Control yourself!" Green Gardener berated the pink girl. "Remember, he's our host, and we are his guests. We must treat him with absolute respect in his own abode."

Suddenly, Ken turned in his sleep and he unknowingly wrapped his arms around Green Gardener, pulling her close for a hug, having mistaken her for a large pillow. To further the softness, he pulled her closer so that his cheek was smothered against her chest.

"Oh! Oh my!" Green exclaimed quietly, along with her friends who were just as surprised.

"Ooh, getting bold there, huh Radiance?" Mary bounced her eyebrows mischievously. 

"What?! Don't be ridiculous!" Green replied with her face flustering a shade of pink. "It was all so sudden!"

"Mmm-hmmm," Mary continued to smirk mischievously, before she grins, "Then you won't mind if I snuggle with him from behind, don't you?" She asked, as she spoons Ken.

"Filli-Second! Remove yourself from him at once!" Green Gardener protested.

"Why don't you make me with those fancy bracelets of yours?" Mary grinned.

"Will you two knock it off?!" Dallas hissed.

*SNORT*

The sound of Ken snorting brought the girls' attentions back to the sleeping boy as he smacked his lips together, before he resumes sleeping, snuggling himself into Green Gardener's chest, while placing one of his hands on one of Mary's hands. Smiling in his sleep, he embraced both Green Gardener and Mary Allen, without evening knowing he was actually cuddling with them.

"Aw, look at how sweet and innocent he is~" Spruce cooed motherly. "I could just snuggle up to him right now!"

"Uh, Spruce? I'm not so sure if..." Trots whispered, watching as the kind girl crawls onto the bed and gently drops herself onto Ken.

"Well, we didn't exactly sneak into Ken's room for nothing," Dallas shrugged her shoulders as she decided to join both girls and boy in bed. "We need a place to sleep, so might as well."

"I hate to say it, but Marvelous's got a point," Aurora shrugged, as she decided to join in bed with the others. "Besides, no way I'm sleeping on the floor again." With that, the multicolored girl got into bed and was out like a bulb.

Trots Summer was the last to join in bed with her friends. She contemplated on whether or not to join in bed, with her friends, and Ken.




The Next Morning

"Ken...Oh Ken..." A soothing voice called, to which the young boy slowly opened his eyes up to see a blur of multicolors, burning brightly by the morning sunlight.

"Huh?" Ken rubbed his eyes, clearing his vision up to see the smiling faces of the Power Princesses, crowding around him, on bed. "Oh! Morning girls," Ken yawned casually, before his eyes burst open in alarm, and he was fully awake. "Girls?!" He exclaimed, turning his head to see Mary cuddling up to him on his left, with Green Gardener on his right.

"Morning Ken," Green greeted. "Did you have a pleasant sleep?"

"Uh, yeah," Ken replied, blushing a shade of pink. "When did you girls get here?"

"Just last night," Trots replied. "After we 'left', we snuck back into your room, through a window. And before you came to your room, we hid ourselves so you wouldn't know we were here."

"You...you hid yourself?!" Ken asked, further bewildered. "In my room?!"

"Yup!" Mary confirmed. "Me and Radiance hid in your bed. Marvelous and Zapp were under your bed. Spruce and Trots were hiding in your closet. And then we snuggled up to you, while you were asleep!" Mary smiled happily at the end.

"You...You...YOU WHAT?!!"

"Don't look so alarm, Ken," Trots waved her hands in assurance. "We just wanted to spend the night with you."

"Yeah, it's not like we have other places to sleep," Aurora added bluntly. "And it's not like we have the money of your planet to rent a room, or anything."

"Oh, right," Ken nodded in understanding. "Still, sneaking into my room, at night, while I'm asleep, that's a little creepy, even for you girls."

"We're sorry," The Power Princesses apologized.

"But for you girls, I'll let it slide," Ken shrugged as he smiled forgivingly to the alien girls. "Besides, you're all my guests, and your guide to Earthling ways. What kind of a host am I, if I let my guests sleep out on the street, huh?"

"We know you would never do that to us," Dallas said.

"So! Before anything more awkward happens," Ken began. "Can you all please get off of me?"

"Oh, sure, Ken!" 

With that, the girls all let Ken up as he walks into the bathroom to brush his teeth, comb his hair, before he puts on a new set of clothes and he came out as a new guy. Upon walking out, he walked back into his room to see the Power Princesses were still there.

"You look splendid, darling!" Green commented.

"Thanks," Ken replied.

"Ken!" Wysteria called from downstairs. "Breakfast! Get it while it's hot!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ken answered his mother. "I'm coming mom!" He turned to the Power Princesses to see them leaving through the window. "I'll see you girls again at school, right?"

"Of course, Ken," Trots replied as she was the last to leave the room. "We'll see you there."

"Great! See ya!" He waved, watching as the girls were all surrounded in Trots's telekinesis, gently floating down to the ground, before they left, unnoticed.

After that, Ken pulled the window down, picked up his backpack and ran down the stairs.
> The Mane-Iac Strikes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Revolution Comes Around (From "No straight Roads")


"Greetings, this is Sam T. Eagle giving you the latest updates on the affairs of Maretropolis, Washington. Strange happenings have been going on in our beloved city as of late. In the past several days, mysterious figures having popping across the city putting stop to criminals wherever they can. From foiling jewel heists, catching car thieves, and rescuing kidnapped victims. Just who are these individuals? No one knows but we have some eyewitness accounts that might help us in this endeavor."

“She was awesome!" Said a girl who was around Ken's age. In appearance, she has moderate cerise hair that is don in style like that of a punk rockstar, and wears a light gray zipped up jacket with turquoise hems on the sleeves and bottom of the jacket, matching boots, green cargo pants, and wears a turquoise wristband with white stripe on the left hand. "She was as fast as lightning, and she was carrying that awesome sword! She sure gave those Westtails what for!”

Then it cuts to a young man, in appearance he has a messy long blonde hair tied up in a bun, with grayish cerise eyes. For attires, he wears a brown hippie vest, with worn blue jean, and brown shoes. “Well, I’m not one to stretch the truth, but I saw it with my own eyes, that little lady in the tightest tights I ever saw, all sparkly and shocking just to amaze moi.”

Next up is an old lady “My eyes may not be what they used to be, but low and behold when I first saw that little lady with a golden rope. She saved me, my daughter in law and my grandkids from those awful Wind Shadows.”

And lastly, is a couple in baking outfits. “We could’ve sworn, we had cupcakes here. But in just a second, there was a blur of pink and they’re gone, with a few coins and dollars in their places.”

We then cut back to Sam, "Hmmm, very interesting. Who ever these figures are, they seem to be cleaning up the city of criminals. Have our prayers finally have been answered? Only time will tell. In other news, The Niriks seem to want to expand their territory as they've viscously attacked the Diamond Dogs the last couple days but interestingly, they've left the Fire Devils alone so far. More on this as it develops."





One Week Later


Familia (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) · Nicki Minaj · Anuel AA · Bantu


It was Saturday afternoon and Ken was walking with Delilah, heading over to a certain restaurant to grab some lunch. Both his parents are at work and his friends are doing their own thing. Thor, along with his mom and bro, were out of town, visiting some relatives in Olympia for the weekend and Gwen is currently hanging out with her older sister, Gwonda. Ken doesn't know what his gal pals from outer space were doing but he felt it was best not to bother them right now.

However, he hears someone calling out his name, "Hey Ken!" He turns to see said alien girls heading his way.

"Girls!" Ken exclaimed, as he and Delilah stopped to greet them. "What're you doing here? I thought you were out patro-uh, I mean, going out to see the city."

"We were," Mary Allen replied. "But we kinda got lost." She finished sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"But thank Bonnie and Faust we found you," Trots Summer smiled. "I figured for the rest of the day, we'll just stick with you, considering you're our only guide and all." She hesitated for a second before adding, "And... we want to know a little more about you."

Ken blushed, "Oh... well then, any.. particular reason?" he asked.

"Well since your our only guide on this planet, It'd be pretty rude of us NOT getting to know ya." Dallas replied.

"Well, I'm off to grab some grub. Wanna come? We could talk there." Ken said.

the girls thought about it for a moment, "Well we are a little hungry ourselves so why not." Trot said.

"Great! I know just the place." Ken said as he and Delilah leads them to their destination.





"Whelp, here we are." Ken said as they stopped in front of a restaurant with a big label on top that says 'BUCKING BRONCO'.

"Interesting and you said your oldest cousin runs it?" Trots asked.

"Yep, it wasn't easy but she managed to pull it off." Ken replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's grab something to bite!" Aurora said, excited to try out the food here.

The others nodded and headed inside. Before Ken and Trots entered the establishment, the latter turns to him, "Don't worry about paying our meals, we got it covered."

"Well, if you say so. Oh Trots one more thing, whatever you do, do NOT bring up Aurelia around my cousin Danny. Cause if you do, he'll go into a two hour rant about her, if we're lucky." Ken said.

"Why?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.

"They have a bit of a rivalry going on and more or less hate each others guts." He replied.

"Duly noted." Trots said as they made their way inside.


Black Velvet · Alannah Myles


The inside of the restaurant felt lively, despite it not being very busy. The décor gives the place a somewhat country style feel to it.

Dallas blew a whistle, "Boy howdy, I like this place already." She said.

Megan has just finished tending to some customers when she noticed her cousin and approached him "Hey Ken!", She then noticed the girls, "Oh, you didn't tell me you were bringing friends."

"Yeah, sorry about that Meg. It was kinda sudden." Ken explained, "Well anyway, these are some friends I made at school."

"I see, so you girls are schoolmates of my cousin?" Megan asked.

"Yes we are, I'm Trots Summers."

"And I'm Mary Allen."

"Dallas Queen's the name."

"Mine's Aurora."

"Green Gardener, darling."

"Spruce Spanner..."

"Interesting names," Megan commented, which she lets it slide, "Right this way," She directed Ken and the girls to an empty round table, in a corner of the facility.

After they all took their seats with Delilah sitting on a large pillow near Ken, Megan brought out a piece of paper and asked, "So to start off, what would you like to drink?"

"I'll have my usual, cherry coke." Ken answered.

"Diet coke for me please." Trots said.

"I'll have some lemon tea." Green said

"Hit me with some mountain dew." Aurora spoke up

"Apple juice fer me." Dallas said.

"Hit me with some milk." Mary said.

"And I'll just have some water." Spruce said.

"Alrighty then, I'll be back with your beverages." Megan said as she took her leave.

After going through their menus, they finally decided what the wanted. Just in time to as Meg came back with their drinks and a bowl of water for Delilah, "There you guys go. So, you all ready to order?"

"That we are, I shall have a Krabby Patty with regular fries on the side." Trots answered.

"I'll have all three versions of your Bagel Sandwiches, darling. That way, I'll now which one I like most." Green said.

"Hit me with one of your Ribwhiches, Sugarcube. Oh, and some seasoned fries with it too." Dallas said.

"I'll have a Caprese Salad, please." Spruce said

"I shall have an Egg Sandwich but not too much hot sauce though. I wanna taste that cheese." Mary said, mouth drooling, "Along with some BBQ chips if you don't mind."

"Slap me with a couple of Chili Dogs." Aurora said.

"Alrighty then, and for you Ken?" She asked her cousin.

"You know Meg, I'm feeling a little adventurous today. Hit me with a Bone Broth with a side of texas toast." Ken answered.

"Ok then," Meg said as she finished up their order, "You guys might have to wait a bit though."

"That's fine Meg, with Danny and Capper's cooking, it'll be worth it." Ken assured her.

After Megan takes their leave, the seven began chatting amongst themselves, "Your cousin seems rather nice, Ken." Trots pointed out.

"Yeah she is." Ken said.

"So what's her story anyway?" Aurora asked, "Isn't she kinda young to run a diner by herself? Where the heck are her parents?"

Ken sighed, "Her parents... were killed in an animal attack seven years ago."

The girls gasped at this, "Oh, well... sorry for bringing it up." Aurora said, scratching the back of her head.

"It's all right you didn't know." Ken assured her, "We were all pretty broken up about it, especially my mom. She lost her younger brother that day."

"By the goddesses." Trots said.

"My parents took Megan and her little brother and sister in after that, until Meg was old enough to get her own place which isn't too far from where we live." Ken continued.

"Um, if it isn't a sore subject Ken but you said their parents were killed in an animal attack," Spruce spoke up, "What kind of animal exactly?"

He sighed, "That's the problem, we don't know. Their bodies were found one day near Blackwater Woods, they were torn apart like scratching posts and the claw marks on them didn't match any known animal."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes until Trots decided to change the subject, "So Ken... I can't help but notice that you and your father's names are almost similar."

"Oh, well that's because my full name is Kenbroath Kilspotten Heathspike The Fourth, my dad is the third." Ken explained.

"I see," Trots said, "So... does your dad have any brothers and/or sisters of his own?" She asked.

"Pffft, does my pop have any siblings of his own? How bout six," Ken answered as he pulls out his phone. He then shows the girls a picture of a grizzled looking man. In appearance, the man looked somewhere between his late thirties or early forties with blazing red medium length hair with orange streaks and red eyes. For attires, he wears a biker vest over a black shirt with a Motorhead logo on the front, black jeans, and dark grey Velcro shoes with flame patterns on them, "This is my uncle, Fiery Heathspike," Ken began to explain, "He and my dad don't always see eye to eye, but they love each other unconditionally. He owns a small pub called the 'Dragon's Lair' in Olympia. He also has a bit of a short fuse so try not to get on his bad side."

Ken then swap pictures to show a picture of another man standing in the middle of a kitchen while crossing his arms and sporting a confident smirk. In appearance, he had greyish brown hair and light brown eyes. His attire is a light blue shirt, grey jeans and brown sneakers, "This is my uncle Smokey, he owns a pizza joint in Seattle. His well known recipe is the BBQ veggie pizza. Though I recommend you girls not take cooking lessons from him lest you want him to go Gordan Ramsey on you."

The girls looked at him with puzzled looks, "Who?" Trots asked.

"Er, I'll explain later." He said as he switched pictures to yet another man. This one has yellow hair with blues highlights and light green eyes. He wore a lab coat and shirt, black pants and shoes, "This is my uncle Flash. He is, or used to be, an inventor who worked on robotics until... an incident happened and he has semi-retired. Now he only does tutoring." 

The next picture Ken shows them is a woman sitting near a piano with a smile that rivals Mary's. In appearance, the woman has blue hair with light pink streaks and yellow eyes. For attire, she wore a dark purple shirt with musical notes on it, black pants, and red shoes, "This is my aunt Prickles. She's the youngest of my dad's sibs and is full of energy. She's with a jazz band in San Francisco and is currently touring across the country right now."

Ken switches pictures yet again to show a man with dark yellow hair with orange streak on the side and bright blue, tired-looking eyes. For attire he wore a light blues jacket over a red buttoned shirt, green sweats, and white tennis shoes, "This is my uncle Sparks. He was quite the troublemaker when he was younger and when he got older... well, let's just say he made some poor life choices and got himself in jail. He's in rehab right now and is trying to improve himself but only time will tell if he sticks to it."

The last picture Ken shows them was a picture of a woman in her late thirties. Her hair color and style was almost similar to Green's but with Persian bluish gray streaks and deep blue eyes. Her attire is a dark green dress, a pink scarf, and red heels, "This is my aunt Spiny. She runs a boutique in Seattle. She was the one who gave me Delilah as a Christmas present four years ago when she was still a pup." Said Dalmatian licked Ken's cheek on that last part who in turn gave her a pat on the head.

"You say your aunt runs a boutique?" Green spoke up, "Does she take apprentices?" 

"Sorry to disappoint you Green, but no," Ken answered. "Not after what happened to her last apprentice, Suri Polomare."

"Oh."

"Yeah, try not to bring it up around her ok? It's kinda of a sore subject for her," He advised.

At last, Megan returned with the meals the friends had ordered. Ken took a sip of his bone broth, savoring in the warm and juicy meaty beverage.

"Mmmm-mmm," Ken said in content, before he turned to see how his alien friends react to the meals they ordered.

"Wow!" Trots exclaimed, after she took a bite of her Krabby Patty and fries. "This burger is to die for! And these fries are great!"

"Are you kidding me?" Aurora scoffed as she wolfs down into her chili dog. "This chili dog just woke up my taste buds! I feel like I can roll into a ball or something."

"WHERE'VE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!!!" Mary moaned as she proceeds to wolf down into her egg sandwich and all of her BBQ chips.

"Fili-Uh, Mary Allen! Table manners!" Trots scolded.

"Whoo-wheee!" Dallas Queen exclaimed. "This Ribwhich sure is dang good!"

"Well, these bagel sandwiches are simply divine!" Green exclaimed.

"Wow, this Caprese Salad is yummy!" Spruce Spanner smiled as she happily dines into the salad. "And the work your cousin did on the mozzarella cheese is delicious! It's like she knows how to melt the cheese just right!"

"Well, Megan is quite the cook," Ken smiled. "She knows what goes into cooking, what recipes to put it, and what her customers want, and how to deliver."

With that, the friends were all enjoying their meal, when suddenly the loud sound of police siren was heard blaring throughout the city, to which Ken and the girls looked out to see a squadron of police cars racing down the streets.

"Looks like someone called the calvary," Aurora commented.

"Hey! It's my dad!" Ken exclaimed, watching his old man leading the charge. "Girls, we gotta go!" With that, Ken quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out some money and slapped it on the table as he and the Power Princess quickly left the restaurant.

"Whoa!" Megan shouted, watching the teens leaving the building in haste. "Where's the fire?"





Several Minutes earlier


A fashion show was taking place at a large building in the center of Maretropolis. A large gathering of people, with journalists and critiques in the crowd, were all seated and took pictures of the beautiful supermodels strutting their way on the catwalk.

"Here she is folks!" The announcer said, as the last supermodel walked onto the stage. "Our main attraction, the one and only, Flower Knight!"

The crowd all applauded as a young beautiful lady, roughly college-aged, walked onto stage, with a confident smile. In appearance, she has pale, light grayish violet eyes with matching eyeshadows, light pink hair with white streaks that is curled elegantly to the side and held up by a purple hairpin with a gold emblem of the symbol fleur-de-lis. The dress she was wearing is a single-shoulder light purple wrap dress that flares out about knee length.

Amidst the crowd are the former Board of Directors to the company Hair Bloom, Sir Francis, Jetson and Upanova Flynn. The fashion show was kicked into high sensation, when suddenly, the lights went out.

"I say," Sir Francis exclaimed, as he took his monocle off. "What's the meaning of this?"

As if answering his question, a loud cackle was heard, before there was a sudden explosion and the entire building shook. The glass rooftop shattered into millions of shards above the frighten people and fashion models who all scattered, desperately trying to escape the chaos.

Then, appearing above the frightened people, was the woman formerly known was Fiona Blooms, still as insane as ever, and sporting a new look to go along with her literal wild hair. She now wears a dark purple jumpsuit with yellow edges along the neckline, the elbows, and knees, where she wears black leather gloves and boots.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Main attraction, you say?!" She cackled. "Ha ha ha ha! You haven't seen perfections yet you foals! Let's get hairy!!! Mwah ha ha ha ha ha!!!" With another maniacal laugh, Fiona hurled several more bombs at the people.

In appearance, her bombs resembled spray cans, which exploded upon impact, coating their victims in coats of chemicals that made their formal business wear stiff and tight, freezing them in place, like they were statues. When she's not throwing bombs, Fiona's wild and slithering hair would lunge forward to trip some of the escaping people, or ensnare and throw them to the side.

Today, however, she was directing all of her newfound abilities onto the people who made her go out of business.

"Out am I?" She cackled at her former Board of Directors, as she hurled a bomb towards them.

It was at that moment that security guard called into his radio, alerting the MPD, "Mayday! Mayday! We're under attack! We need backup!"

During the chaos, the supermodel, Flower Knight had tripped, after breaking her high heel, "AH!" She screamed, falling to the ground. "My ankle! Help!"

Just then, the villainess arrived and towers over the supermodel, Flower Knight, "Hello dearie," She cackled.

Flower Knight shrieked in horror, when someone suddenly shouted, "Look! Our heroes!"


Fire Force - "Mayday" (FULL Opening) | AmaLee Ver


With that, everyone all looked up and turned their heads to see a team of six, seemingly teenage, high school girls, each don up in flashy superhero costumes.

"Stop right there, villain!" Masked Matter-horn shouted.

In the blink of an eye, Zapp sprinted forward in a crack of lightning, "HI-YAH!!" Zapp screamed, landing a powerful strong kick to the villainess's head, sending her flying across the room and into a wall.

Zapp then unsheathes her sword, giving it a couple of spins, cracking the electricities in the air, ready to slash the blade at the villain.

"ZAPP!!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted. "The ceiling!"

Zapp looked up to see the ceiling was crumbling, with falling chunks of the bricks and electric lights falling down on the people. Reacting fast, Zapp kicked herself into the air, surfing on a bolt of lightning as she flies in the air, slashing her sword to break some of the falling debris, so they wouldn't crush any of the people below.

As an added measure of protection, Radiance joined in, projecting several purple energy shields, which she used to protect the people from the falling debris.

A journalist with blond hair and brilliant violet eyes that are framed by white glasses was close to being crushed by a falling pillar, had Mistress Marvelous not lassoed him with her golden rope and pulled him away.

"Watch yerself, sir!" Marvelous said before she leapt away, leaving a smitten journalist behind.

Fili-Second was zipping throughout the building, rescuing the fashion models and several other people who were injured in the chaos, before bringing them outside, to Saddle Rager, who applied medical aid.

Lastly, Masked Matter-Horn was using her telekinesis to catch some of the falling debris.

In the meantime, Ken Heathespike and Delilah were watching from a safe distance, behind a car, and outside of a costume shop.

"Alright, girls!" Ken whooped, cheering his alien girl friends on.

"Who are those girls?" A young man with light blue hair, and green eyes asked.

"They're the Power Princesses!" Ken answered.

"Power Princesses?" A young woman with brown hair and a light blue buret asked, before she cheered, "Go Power Princesses!"

During the chaos, after recovering from her shock, by Zapp's attack, the villainess stood up, to find herself confronted by the police, "Hold it right there!" An officer barked, holding his hand up to the villain.

"I surrender!" She mocked, holding her hands up.

"DAD! LOOK OUT!" Ken shouted, but it was too late.

Without warning, the villainess's hair sprang to life, whipping and lashing out at the officers like snakes, ensnaring them and constricting them, as she threw her fists and legs to kick and punch the officers.

"LET THEM GO!" Zapp roared, as she surfs through the air on a lightning bolt, lunging towards the villain.

In response, the villainess tosses the officers, including Ken's father, at her sword wielding assailant. Zap quickly makes sharp turns, evading the thrown officers, being careful not to slice either of them with her sword, especially with Ken's dad, while Radiance quickly conjures up a large net, the officers.

Zapp finally confronted the villainess, raising her sword up, she proceeds to slice her blade across the villain's head, only for her hair to catch the sharp blade, before they made impact.

"Not bad!" The maniac villain scoffed, before she punches Zapp away, "BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH, EITHER!!"

"AAAAAH!!!" Zapp screamed as she flew away and crashes into the costume shop, close to where Ken and Delilah were hiding.

"ZAPP!!!" Ken shouted, before he cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, ahem. Are you alright there, miss?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zapp mumbled, before she got back up on her feet and flies out of the shop and back into the fray.

Ken was about to resume watching the fight going on, when he looked and noticed a Robin the Boy Wonder costume on the floor. This gave him an idea.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!" Fiona cackled, as she and the Power Princesses continue to fight.

Fili-Second was running circles in a blur of pink around the villainess, who simply stuck a strand of her wild hair out, tripping the speedy heroine.

"WHOOOOOOAAAAA!!!!" Fili screamed, flying off her feet and crashing into a wall.

"Get a haircut you...you ruffian!" Radiance shouted, conjuring up a purple energy in the shape of a large scissor, which she opened and close threateningly at the hairy villainess.

Unfazed, Fiona's hair picked up a large chunk of the stone debris and puts it in between the cutting blades, causing them to be bent.

"Rocks beat scissors!" Fiona smirked. "Now I beat YOU!!" With a kick of her legs, Fiona leapt forward and threw a punch at Radiance, followed by a kick, and a snare of her hair, threatening to constrict the life out of the heroine.

Suddenly, a golden lasso roped itself around the villainess, courtesy of Mistress Marvelous, "Gotcha!" The lasso wielding heroine shouted, before she was picked up, off her feet and was bounced around like a yo-yo, and was tossed to the side, crashing into Zapp.

"Oh! Oh dear goodness!" Saddle Rager whimpered.

"Saddle Rager!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted. "We could really use your help here."

"Need an extra hand? Or two?" A voice asked, to which the girls and some of the people turned to see a teenage boy, dressed up as Robin.

"Ken?" Masked Matter-Horn asked incredulously.

"No!" Clearing his throat, Ken coughed as he talked in a deeper voice, "Who is this Ken? I am Wonder Boy!"

"HELP!" Flower wailed. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"

"Flower!" Ken shouted as he crawls beneath the debris, making his way to the injured supermodel, carefully moving the debris out of the way to save her. "Don't worry! We're here to save you," Unfortunately, the young boy's voice were eaten when he was suddenly ensnared by the leg and was brought up to the hairy villainess.

"Well, well, well," She grinned menacingly. "What have we here?"

"Put me down, you-you-you–" Out of impulse, Ken threw his fists out, slapping the villainess across the face.

In response, the villainess retaliated by whipping and thrashing the Wonder Boy around the room, "OOF!!" Ken grunted. "Ow! Oh! Ooh, that hurts!"

"Time to teach you some manners and respects, kid!" Fiona spatted.

Just when she was close to finishing him off, Ken shouted, "Fili-Second! Pizza grenade!"

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Reaching into her hair, which acts as her pocket dimension, Fili-Second pulls out one of the failed Pizza Balls, and shouts, "TIME TO DELIVER A PIZZA-BALL!!!" As she hurls it at the villain.

"Time to what–" Before she knew it, the Pizza grenade exploded mozzarella cheesy and pepperoni bits into her face, blinding her. "AH! I'M BLINDED BY PIZZA!" She groaned, dropping Ken to the floor.

Ken then turned to Dallas, "Mistress Marvelous! Hogtie her!" With that, the lasso wielding heroine caught the villainess by the legs, before she mustered her whole superhuman strength and spun the villain around, until at the last second, she mentally commanded her lasso to release its hold, releasing the villain, flinging her across the city.

"THIS ISN'T OVER YOU BRATS!!!" The villainess screams as she flies off into the distance.

With the villainess gone, the heroes all turned to the frightened supermodel, Flower Knight, and they helped her up her feet. Furthermore, Sir Francis and his fellow board of directors were found, frozen, but alive, and were escorted to an ambulance.

"Merci!" Flower Knight thanked the heroines and boy. "You've all saved my life!"

"We're just glad that you're okay," Masked Matter-Horn said, as she turns to her fellow heroines and Ken. "Anyway, we'll be leaving now."

"But wait!" Flower Knight stopped the heroes. "Who are you? What are your names?"

"They're the Power Princesses!" The blue haired man from earlier answered, as he leads the rest of the surrounding civilians to cheer their new superheroines.

Flower then turned to Ken and asked, "And what's your name?" Flower asked. "Who are you?"

"I am called Wonder Boy!" Ken answered, doing a superhero pose, while his Power Princess friends rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, how original," Delilah snarked, which nobody took notice of.

"Can we be excused?" Masked Matter-Horn began. "We need to have a talk with Wonder Boy here."

"Oui," Flower nodded, as she watches with newfound admiration of the heroes taking their leave, along with the people.
> The Power Apprentice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is Sam T. Eagle, with another breaking news regarding the recent events happening in our crime ridden city, Maretropolis. Today, in downtown, an attack occurred at a fashion show, threatening the lives of millions, including the lovely supermodel, Flower Knight. Have reports coming in from eyewitnesses, stating that the attacks was conducted by some madwoman with large strands of green hair, moving like a mass of living snakes.”

"You could say that she's our Maretropolis Medusa, isn't she, Sam?" An anchor woman asked.

"Tsk! Tell me about it, Tara," Sam scoffed. "Thankfully, though, more lives would've been lost to this hairy maniac if hadn't been–Wait a minute! Mane-iac! That's gold! Trademark that!" After a moment of composing himself, Sam T. Eagle resumes his news broadcast. "As I was saying, this hairy criminal, as we are now referring to her as the Mane-iac would've gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for this team of superheroes, whom everyone are now calling, the Power Princesses!"

"But what about that young man there, Sam?" Tara asked. "He looks to be more of a Robin than a princess. Excuse me, sir?" 

The anchorwoman called to a young man with light blue hair, and green eyes, wearing a black and white checkerboard patterned vest, red sneakers, blue jeans, and yellow shirt with an eight ball on it, and a necklace of three dice.

"Pray tell, do you have anything to say about the Power Princesses and this boy with them?" She asked.

"Well, I don't know what else to tell ya, besides the fact that these princesses have powers," The man replied. "One of them can shoot lightning blasts, another just zips off in a blur of pink. Y'know, the usual kind you see in superhero comics and movies."

"Uh-huh," Tara nodded, as she speaks into the microphone. "And about the boy, what can you tell us about him?"

"You mean, the Wonder Boy?" In response, the man cringed, making a hiss through his teeth, before he commented, "The kid's gonna get himself killed, you know? He looks rather out of place, dressing up as Robin, and blindly confronting that crazy lady like that."

"And there you have it, Sam!" Tara reported. "The plan was foiled by the Power Princesses and this boy called the Wonder Boy. Back to you, Sam."





Meanwhile, somewhere in Maretropolis


“Are you that crazy?!” Aurora exclaimed, as she and the Power Princesses all looked at Ken with disapproving looks. “Do you even have any idea what you were doing back there? You could’ve been killed!!”

“... I know, I know,” Ken nodded sadly. “I get that now. And I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” Dallas shook her head. “What if someone died? Different story, that’s on you. And if you died, I’m afraid to think that that’s on us. And we don’t need that on our conscience now, do we? Especially how would we explain it to yer folks? Did you ever think about that?”

Ken looked up at the Power Princesses with saddened expression, “I just wanted to help out, for once,” He said. “I wanted to grow to be like my dad. Always standing out front, protecting and serving the people. I’m tired of standing out on the sideline all the time, not being able to do anything to help.”

“You can help by sticking to what you’re good at, and not trying to be someone or something you’re not,” Trots Summers said. “Being a hero doesn’t mean throwing yourself blindly in danger. It means helping people and doing the right thing in your own special way.”

“Easy for you to say!” Ken replied. “You’ve all got powers! You can fly, and fight, and you know, shoot bolts of lightning and stuff. Me? I’m just a normal guy. I don’t have any special powers or abilities that’s worth of a superhero.”

The Power Princesses were all silent for a moment, before Mary broke the silence, “You make a great coordinator,” She said. “We wouldn’t have defeated that crazy hair lady if you hadn’t told me to throw that pizza grenade!”

“Or when ya told me to hogtie her and hurled her halfway across the city,” Dallas added. “That’s something special about ya. And besides, ya did kinda helped us win in the end.”

“Yeah,” Ken nodded. “Yeah! I guess I did helped save the day after all!”

“Whoa, steady there, Ken,” Trots ordered. “Remember you’re still just a normal person, by Earthling standard. Besides, this is just one victory. There’ll be inevitably more difficult battles to come.”

“I’m afraid Trots is right, Sugarcube,” Dallas said. “We’re bound to be facing more difficult challenges soon. Unless...” She scratches her chin and pondered. “Unless...”

“Unless what?” Zapp asked.

“Huddle!” Dallas said, directing Ken away as she and the Power Princesses all huddled together, to have a private talk.

“I’m thinking, what if we could take Ken in and train him as our apprentice?” Dallas suggested.

“You sure about that, Dallas?” Trots asked. “No offense, but Ken doesn’t actually have the chops for it.”

“I’m sure he’ll do fine,” Dallas replied. “He just needs some guidance, that’s all. Don’t forget the way he manages to hold his own in that game of dodgeball.”

“Dallas is right,” Zapp nodded. “Ken’s got potential.”

“But are you sure about this?” Spruce asked. “I wouldn’t want him to get hurt because of us.”

“Then as long as we’re there beside him, we’ll never let anything bad happen to him,” Dallas suggested. “Besides, maybe someday, when we’re not here anymore, he can handle things as his own hero, and probably teach what we’ve taught him to the next generation of heroes.”

With that, the Power Princesses all exchange agreements, until only Trots was left to voice her approval or disapproval.

The leading heroine blew a strand of her hair, “I just hope we don’t regret it,” She said, before they broke apart and turned to Ken. “So, Ken. After much deliberation, we’ve decided to take you as our apprentice.”

“Whoa, really?!” Ken asked, excitedly.

“Really?” Delilah asked.

“Uh, really,” Trots confirmed.

“Oh! Thank you, my princesses!” Ken bowed his head gratefully. “Thank you! I promise, you won’t be disappointed. I’ll do my very best! What’s my first agenda? What do you need me to do? Just say the word and I’ll get it done!”

“Well first off, change your name, Wonder Boy to something else,” Aurora suggested. 

“What?” Ken asked in dismay. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It just sounds rather bland,” Dallas shook her head. “Ya need something snappy. Something that really makes a statement.”

“Something that’s more original,” Trots added.

“Okay,” Ken pondered, before he said, “How about, Dragonfire?”

“Dragonfire?” Trots asked. “You don’t look like a Dragonfire, unfortunately.”

“Not yet~” Mary sang.

“Then how about The Power Knight Of Maretropolis?”

“Too long,” Radiance shook her head, with the rest of the girls shaking along in agreement. “And rather long-winded.“

“Wait! I got it!” Mary bounced excitedly. “Hum Drum!”

“Hum Drum?” Ken asked, unsure what it meant. “Why?”

“Eh, I has a nice ring to it,” Mary shrugged. “And because it gives bad guys the message that you’re the underdog and our sidekick in training.”

“Oh, okay,” Ken nodded in approval, before he did a double take. “Wait! Underdog?!”

“As in like that old cartoon from the 60s?” Delilah asked.

However, the Power Princesses ignored the questions, “Then it’s settled,” Trots said. “From this day on, you will be known as Hum Drum.”

Ken shrugged, “Then it’s official. I am Hum Drum.”

“Now about your suit...” Green began. “Oh! I've got it! I have an idea!”

"Hmmm?" Everyone pondered.





Later that afternoon


Ken was waiting outside a room, in the Power Princesses' crashed spaceship, with Delilah and the princesses, minus Radiance.

"So, what's Green doing in there?" Ken asked.

"I have no idea," Mistress Marvelous answered. "But whatever it is, and knowing the gal, she's probably gonna present it with some dramatic effects."

Then, as if on cue, the doors burst open with a flash of light and Radiance appeared, hollering, "TA-DA~"

"Told ya."

“So Green,” Ken began. “What’s up? What were you up to in there?”

“Well, now then you’ve officially become our apprentice, then the first order of business is to give you a new suit,” The girl explained.

“A new suit?” With that, Ken and the girls walked into the room, to see his brand new suit on display, inside of a glass container. “This is my new suit?!” He exclaimed.

In appearance, it looked almost like the Halloween Robin costume he was wearing, but with a few exceptions and modifications.

The black face mask is equipped with glass lenses, and the cape was changed from golden yellow to crimson red, clipped around the neck by a yellow pin, with small pockets sewn on the inside. The jumpsuit was colored olive green with purple paddings along the elbow, chest, and hip. Dark blue gloves, boots, and a belt tied at the waist, with a yellow buckle with an emerald in the center.

“Wow! Oh my goodness!” Ken smiles excitedly, pressing his face against the container. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! My very own superhero costume!”

“Actually, you’re more of a super apprentice,” Masked Matter-Horn stated.

“Whatever! I’m so in love with this suit! It’s like it’s asking me to put it on right now!”

“And so you can!” With that, Radiance presses a button, in which Ken suddenly finds himself spinning into a tornado as the suit was sucked from its container and dons itself on him, transforming the earthling boy into Hum Drum.

“Whoa! Cool!” Hum Drum exclaimed, as he checks himself out, getting adjusted to the HUD (heads-up display) projected on his lens, and doing a few stretches. “Though, a little tight, down below. But thanks! Now I feel like I’m part of the team!”

“Not yet,” Masked Matter-Horn shook her head. “First, please kneel on one knee. Left or right, it doesn’t matter.” Hum Drum complies as he kneels down on the floor and bowed his head. Trots walked over to a glass container where a greatsword with a golden hilt is placed. She looks at the blade for a good second before taking it out of its case. She then approaches Ken, “By the power vested in me, I, Princess Nova Star hereby dub thee, Hum Drum, Harmonus apprentice,” Masked Matter-Horn stated, tapping the sword on both of the boy’s shoulders. “You may rise up.”

“Wow!” Hum Drum gasped. “Me, your apprentice! I wish I can tell mom and dad about this!” The boy’s excitement quickly dissipated when he remembered. “Oh no! I can’t! The most important rule for all superheroes. It’s never reveal their secret identity, even to their family members. Otherwise, there’ll be consequences.”

“But hey, it’s all part of the excitement in adventure, right?” Zapp smirked. “Now, let me ask you one final question, Hum Drum. Are you ready to begin?”

“Hell yeah!” Hum Drum pumped his fist excitedly. “Let’s go save some lives! Excelsior!”

“Ahem,” Delilah cleared her throat. “Any chance I could have some accessories, such as this to make a statement?”

“Ooh, I’m terribly sorry, Delilah,” Green apologized. “But I didn’t exactly thought of a costume for you to wear.

Miffed, the Dalmatian blew a raspberry.





Town Hall | Mayor's Office
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath OST (HD) - 12. The Phone Conversation


Sitting in his office chair, at his desk and watching the news broadcast on a large flatscreen TV was the mayor of Maretropolis.

In appearance, the mayor appeared to be in his 40s, with pale skin, a chubby body shape, and balding. His attires are a suit with dark brown bow tie, matching jacket over a lighter brown vest, black pants and shoes. On his desk, sat a large top hat with red ribbon.

“Power Princesses?” The mayor scoffed, when suddenly his phone rang. “Mayor Verko,” The man answered. “Who is this?”

“Verko,” A familiar voice called. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Oh, Mr. The Storm King,” The mayor nervously answered, before he composed himself. “I...I presume you’re referring to what happened in downtown? Yes. I saw it. It’s all over the news, sir.”

“Oh, good! Care to explain the meaning of this?” The Storm King asked in a venomous tone.

“Explain? What exactly do I have to explain about, sir?” Mayor Verko asked.

“I was just curious, since you practically run this city. Then you’d obviously know everything that goes on this town. So you must know something about these Power Princesses. And it just so happens a few nights ago, my ‘associates‘, the Diamond Dogs, had a failed bank robbery because of these supposed superheroes. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

“Now I’ve got some questions and you’re going to answer them, Verko,” The mayor gulped as the Storm King continues, “Like where did they come from? What kind of fancy gadgets do they have to pull off all those fancy special effects? And who’s running this ‘superheroes’ operation of theirs? Know anything?”

“I-I-I‘m afraid I don’t know sir,” Mayor Verko answered. “But I’ll look into it and find out. The MPD’s might have a lead, since they were there. I’ll start by having a talk with the Chief of Police, sir. He could at least help with finding who these Power Princesses are.”

“See that you do, Verko. The last thing we need is a team of do-gooders getting in my way, or even some upstart thinking she is top dog in my city.”

“Understood, sir,” Verko was about to hang up, when the Storm King stopped him.

“Remember Verko, I built this town,” The Storm King threatened. “I built your city. And you’re in power, because of me. If anything goes wrong in my city, you’ll be the one to answer it. You hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” The mayor confirmed.
> The Path of Hum Drum Part 1 – The New Boy Wonder
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, it was a Sunday, when Ken woke up at the first ray of sunlight piercing into his bedroom, through his window, shining across his face.


BTS (방탄소년단) '작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv) (feat. Halsey)


“Yeah!” Ken shouted as he excitedly leapt out of bed, got himself cleaned up, dressing himself in fresh new clothes, picks up his backpack, races down the stair, and had a quick breakfast.

His mother, Wysteria, couldn’t help but be amazed, “Why Ken,” She smirked. “You seem very excited to wake up this early.”

“Today’s a big day for me, mom!” Ken replied as he excitedly eats his breakfast. “Got lots of stuff to do with my friends. So much to do, so little time!”

“Really? Well, you could at least just take small bites so you wouldn’t run the risk of getting sick.”

But Ken didn’t listen. He was much too excited. After he finishes the last bit of his bacon, Ken picked up his backpack and was on his way out, on his skateboard.

“Gotta run! Bye mom!” Ken shouted.

“Have a good day sweetie,” Wysteria waved.





With the enthusiastic smile still on his face, Ken skated down the street, until he arrived at the park. There, Ken found a secluded and hidden area within the trees, where he changed out of his normal clothes, before donning up his new suit.

Then, after tucking his other clothes away in his backpack, making sure it’s well hidden, the young boy emerges from the thickets as the Harmonus Apprentice, Hum Drum.

Hum Drum did a few stretches with his arms and legs to get himself adjusted to his new suit.

“Okay,” Hum Drum sighed. “Hum Drum reporting for duty.”

“Hiya, Hum Drum!” A voice greeted, revealing herself to be Fili-Second.

Soon, the rest of the Power Princesses arrived, “Okay, Hum Drum,” Zapp greeted. “First question: Are you ready?”

“Heck yeah! I’m totally ready!” Hum Drum answered enthusiastically. “What’s my first lesson?”

“First lesson is getting adjusted to your suit,” Zapp lectured. “Remember, that thing doesn’t make you the hero. It’s the hero who wears the suit.”

“Okay. And second lesson?”

“Teaching ya how to fight,” Mistress Marvelous confirmed. “Let’s get started.”





Later, the super alien girls and their new apprentice were inside their crashed spaceship. Inside a training simulator.

“Okay, move your hands and do exactly as I do,” Fili-Second instructed, as she touches her head, shoulder, knees, and toes, with Hum Drum following along.

“Why? What does this do?” Asked Hum Drum. 

“It helps to warm up your reflexes,” Fili-Second answered, as she and Hum Drum continued with their warmups until it came to an end.

“Alright, Ken, Listen up,” Masked Matter-Horn began. “This suit is very powerful, especially by Earthling standard. So pay attention, because it’s very important. First, look at your hands.“

Hum Drum looked at his gloved hands, seeing each of his fingers has a heads-up display, courtesy of the augmented reality projected from his goggles.

“Wow, just looking at my own hands excites me already!” He said excitedly. “Now I know how Spidey felt about getting his new suit from Iron Man in Civil Wars.”

“Ken, are you listening?” Matter-Horn asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Hum Drum replied. “Go on. What about my hands?”

“You see the HUD your goggles are projecting around your gloves?” The supergirl asked. “Those are the list of options you can do with your gloves. For starters, I recommend you tap your index finger with your thumb.”

Ken did just that, which activates his gloves to have sticky paddings on the palm.

“Now go over to that wall and try climbing up.”

Ken did just that, which furthers his fascination as he finds himself climbing along the wall, up to the ceiling, as if he was Spider-Man himself.

“Wow, this is amazing!” Hum Drum exclaimed happily. “It’s like being Spider-Man, but without the Spidey sense and the whole web shooting!” After climbing back down to the floor, Ken asked, “So what else can I do with my fingers?”

“Tap your middle finger for the retractable blades we’ve installed into your gloves,” Masked Matter-Horn instructed.

Hum Drum did just that, and was awestruck to see sharp dog-like claws jutting from his fingertips.

“Whoa!!” The boy gasped.

“Hey, Ken!” Fili-Second called. “There’s a call for you on your ring finger!”

“A call?” Hum Drum asked, tapping on his ring finger, causing his glove to vibrate, like a telephone, before a screen was projected on his wrist, displaying sound waves and a picture of Mary Allen.

“Oh! Ring as in a phone ringing!” Hum Drum laughed along with Fili, getting the joke. “I get it.”

“Now press your pinky finger to deactivate your glove’s entire functions,” Masked Matter-Horn instructed.

Hum Drum did just that, “Wow, this suit’s gloves is kinda cool!” Hum Drum commented. “So what else?”

Later, the Power Princesses helped Hum Drum go over more of his suit’s functions.

“Click your heels together to activate the spring-jump of your boots!” Radiance lectured, which Hum Drum complies and finds himself bouncing all over the room.

“Whoo-hoo! Super jump!” Hum Drum whooped.

“Hold your cape out so you can glide or float your way down,” Zapp advised, and Hum Drum did just that.

“Whoa!” Ken exclaimed. “This could really come in handy sometime.”

“And just in case for any bare essentials,” Radiance began. “I’ve also packed your utility belt with some of the handy gadgets, in case the situation calls for them.”

Hum Drum reaches into his belt, pulling out an array of handcuffs, an extendable metal rod, and a Line Launcher — much like the one Batman uses to fire wires and zips across large gaps.

“Awesome!” Hum Drum gasped.

“Alright,” Mistress Marvelous stepped forward. “Now that you’re caught up with the basics of your suit, it’s time to put them all to good use in a fight. Put ‘em up, Hum Drum.”

“Are you serious?” Hum Drum gasped.

“Yup. Now put ‘em up.”

Fighting is Magic — Applejack Stage

“First off, breathe slow, breathe deep, and don’t let the adrenaline get to ya,” The supergirl lectures. “Keep yer hips square to yer opponent.”

“Got it,” Hum Drum followed.

"And as I recall, you took a karate class, right?" Mistress Marvelous asked. "Well now let's see you put it to some use."

"I'm only a yellow belt, so...just goes easy on me, please?"

"I'll try."

With that, the two began sparring with Ken throwing some of the basic martial art moves he was taught. He threw a quick punch, followed by a front kick, which flowed into a side kick, and a roundhouse kick.

Mistress Marvelous skillfully blocked and deflected all of Hum Drum’s attacks, up until the boy was out of breath.

“Okay, so you can at least fight,” Mistress Marvelous said. “Now let’s see how good ya are at defending yourself. Ready?”

Without giving Hum Drum a chance to reply, Mistress Marvelous threw a quick punch, catching Hum Drum off guard, and sent him flying off his feet, before he landed in the floor.

“Oh!” Hum Drum grunted. “Ow! Hey! I wasn’t ready!”

“What did ya expect? Someone to shout ‘begin?‘“ Zapp asked rhetorically. “That’s not gonna happen in a real fight, Wonder Boy!”

“Zapp’s right,” Mistress Marvelous sighed, shaking her head, as she helped Ken up to his feet. “These crooks and criminals are going to fight dirty. So ya need to be on high alert, all the time.”

“Yeah, my rib’s kinda absorbed that lesson already,” Hum Drum nodded in acknowledgment.

“Now, let’s go again,” Mistress Marvelous said, as the two resume their training.

As Marvelous had advised, Hum made sure to keep his guards up. Whenever he wasn’t throwing his own attacks, he made sure to anticipate some of the girl’s attacks, to evade, block, and counterattack.

However, while he managed to evade a few, he wasn’t strong enough to block some of Marvelous’s other attacks, causing him to fall, with bumps and bruises he’s certain to have in the next coming days.

Nevertheless, even after being knocked down several times by Mistress, Hum Drum manages to get back up to continue the fight. And each time he got up, the more he improved in his agility and reflexes.


End of Music


“Wow!” Hum Drum exclaimed. “I think that karate class is starting to pay off.”

“You’ve got skills, Ken,” Mistress Marvelous complimented. “But yer not a full fledged Harmonus Defender yet. You have a lot to learn, until you’re good on yer own.”

“Yeah, I know,” Hum Drum nodded. “But I’m not worried. As long as we’re together, we can handle anything!”





For the rest of the week, after school and after he was done with his homework, Ken would resume his training with the Power Princesses, to get himself familiar with his suit’s mechanisms and to improve in his fighting skills.

With each training, Ken’s skills as Hum Drum continues to grow with every passing days. The young earthling teenager was on his way of becoming his city’s very own superhero.




A Week Later

After another day of school, hanging with his alien girls in disguise, and the usual trouble he got from the two bullies, Brick and Boomers, Ken was never more than happy to be out of school.

After he got most of his school assignments done, Ken ran to the park, close to the Power Princesses’s hiding spot, and changed into his suit.

“Finally!” Hum Drum sighed happily.

Then, with a click of his heels, Hum Drum activates his boots’ spring jump mechanisms, and he super-jumped away.


Ramones-Blitzkrieg Bop


For his first agenda of the day, Hum Drum decided to jump around the city, patrolling the streets to monitor the criminal activities that were going on, and to answer any calls for help.

He was gliding across the streets, when an old lady was heard screaming, “Help! Somebody help! My baby is stuck in the tree!” She screamed, desperately calling someone to rescue her baby. A little tuxedo kitten.

“Don’t worry, ma’m!” Hum Drum declared as he jumps to the rescue. The boy climbed up the tree, until he was at the same branch the Kitty was on. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” He called to the kitten.

Then, unexpectedly, the kitten jumped onto Hum Drum’s face, screeching and yowling wildly.

“AH! Omigosh!!” Hum Drum wailed, as he lost his footing, and he fell down the tree branches, until he was hanging upside down, by the leg, with the kitten still hanging onto his cape.

“Oh! Thank goodness!” The old woman thanked the young hero-in-training, as she cradled her kitten lovingly.

“Happy to be of service,” Hum Drum moaned. “Now can someone please get me down?”

After Hum Drum was freed from the tree, he was doing parkour, jumping across rooftops and flying pass a large billboard with an image of a woman with red hair, freckle face, dressed in a red hoodie and black pants, with words in a speech bubble that reads: "The Voice!"

Later, he stopped to catch his breath, near a water tower.

“Hey!” A voice called out, which Ken turned to see two men getting hot dogs.

One of them was wearing cyan headphones, with blue hairs and the tips colored red, wearing a white shirt that has the picture of a tombstone wearing headphones, blue jeans and red shoes. The other man, carrying a boombox, appears to be about the first man's age, with scruffy green hair with yellow-green stripes, wearing a light yellow shirt that has the picture of a flaming toaster, jeans, and black shoes.

“You’re that Wonder Boy with the Power Princesses, right?” The man wearing headphones asked.

“Call me, Hum Drum!” The young hero-in-training shouted.

“Okay, Hum Drum. Do a flip!” Hum Drum complies, managing to do a single backflip. “Yeah!”

“Not bad!” The man carrying the boombox complimented.

With another holler, Hum Drum leapt off the roof and resumes his hero work. 

On the way, he happened to meet a young woman with dark red hair, glasses that frames her matching red eyes, and dressed in dark gothic clothes. She is a bestselling author, by the pen name CW. She was lost, on her way to an author reading, where she will be reading her latest book. So Hum Drum helped her out by pointing her in the right directions to the reading.

After helping the lost author on her way, the next thing Ken did was practicing some of his karate skills he learned from his class.

Later, a man appeared to be breaking into a car, when Hum Drum happened along and attacked him, pinning him down, activating the car’s alarm, and handcuffed him to a tree.

“Stealing cars is bad!” Hum Drum scolded.

“It’s my car, dumbass!” The man countered.

“Hey!” Another man joined in the argument. “That’s not your car! That’s his!”

“I’m sorry!” Him Drum apologized. “I thought he was a car thief!”

“Yo! Do you mind?” A young man with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark gray jacket with an image of a dark gray griffin with pointy ears, dark blue accents and yellow eyes, dark blue jeans, and white shoes exclaimed. “My friend and I we’re in the middle of making a homage to Michael Jackson’s The Thriller!”

“Hey! Shut that off!” A woman shouted, demanding the car’s alarm to be turned off.

“Don’t make me come down there, punk!” A random old man shouted.

Later, after clearing up the misunderstanding and making a quick escape from the awkward scene, Ken was resuming his patrol, when he happens to pass a senior high school girl, sunbathing, in a string bikini and singing:

Da Da dum doodle dee

Da doodle doodle dee

It's not pretty being me

Da doodle doodle dee

Da doodle doodle dee

Da doodle doodle dee

“Huh?!” Hum Drum gasped, taken by her beauty, not looking where he was going and crashes into a billboard.

*BOOM*

“OOOH!!!” Hum Drum grunted, before he moaned. “I’m okay...”




Later

Ken was sitting atop of a building, enjoying the breathtaking view of the city at sunset.

The young hero was reading some of his favorite comics to pass the time and to find inspirations. Though, the comics he seemed to be most invested in were the comics of the heroines, including Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz), Zatanna, and Bumblebee.

“Wow, this Lauren Faust author knows how to write a story for these babes!” Hum Drum commented, before he reaches out for another book to read.

“And now, tonight’s pièce de résistance!” Hum Drum declared as he reads the next comic, written by one Pia-Sama.
> The Path of Hum Drum Part 2 – Missing Sister
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Whoo-hoo!” Ken hollered. “Oh I wish my family were here to see this! Mom, dad, cousin Megan, Molly, and Danny, uncles and aunts, and—Oh!”

Hum Drum stopped jumping across the rooftop, managing to deactivate the springs by landing on his toes.

The young hero gazes down from the roof, adjusting his goggles to enhance his vision, zooming in on the park, and a woman in her late 30s, being stalked by a strange man in dark clothes.

Sensing danger, Hum Drum activated the communicator on his wrist, “Power Princesses!” He said. “Power Princesses! Do you read me?”

“Dallas here,” Mistress Marvelous confirmed. “What’s going on, Ken?”

“There’s a dangerous looking guy, stalking a woman in the park,” Hum Drum answered. “I’m gonna follow and keep an eye on the man. But I’m gonna need you and anyone else to come quick!”

“On my way, Sugarcube,” Mistress replied. “Don’t do anything crazy until I get there.”

After the call was made, Hum Drum leapt into actions, unfolding his capes out to glide across the street and into the park. The boy quietly landed behind some bushes, rolling across the grass, being careful not to alert the man.

Tapping on the side of his face mask’s lenses, Hum Drum activates an x-ray vision, enabling him to see the man was carrying a knife and a gun in the pouch of his hoodie. Without a doubt, the man is armed and dangerous.

“Hey!” The man shouted to the woman, before brandishing his knife and gun, threatening her, “Give me your purse!”

The woman was so frightened, she could hardly move to escape, or even resist. She was at the mercy of the man.

“Hey!” Hum Drum shouted, making himself known. “Leave her alone!”

“Get lost kid!” The man spatted. “I think I hear your mommy calling.”

“Well, that’s my mom you’re threatening!” Hum Drum mentally berated himself for that comeback. ‘Smooth! Real smooth, Hum Drum. Just be glad your real mother never knows about this.‘

Getting back to the task at hand, Hum Drum resumes talking down at the thug, “Look! Just walk away, and there won’t be any trouble!”

“Oh, there won’t be any trouble at all,” The thug grinned menacingly from under his hood. “Because you’re the one who’s gonna die!”

The thug was about to pull the trigger on his gun, when he was suddenly lifted off the ground, dangling in the air, with his leg held up by a familiar golden lasso.

Both Hum Drum and the woman he saved looked over to see Mistress Marvelous had arrived.

“Howdy, Hum Drum,” Mistress Marvelous greeted. “How’s your mom?”

In response, Hum Drum let out a sheepish chuckle, with his cheeks burning a shade of red from embarrassment.

Later, the police arrived to arrest the man for stalking and attempted murder.

In the meantime, Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous both checked on the woman to make sure she was alright.

“So, uh, how are you doing madam?” Hum Drum stammered. “Doing alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” The woman replied. “Thank you both for saving me.”

Hum Drum’s eyes widen once he got a closer look at the woman.

In appearance, she has pale white blonde hair, over her sea blue eyes. Her attires are a hot pink jacket over a red scarlet blouse, dark blue jeans, and black Mary Jane heels. 

“Though, I’m afraid I don’t remember having a superhero for a son,” She said. “In fact, I don’t recall ever having a son.”

“Oh, well, ya see,” Mistress Marvelous began on Ken’s behalf. “He’s actually an apprentice of me and my friends, so...he often says some of the weirdest things.”

“Uh, yeah,” Hum Drum grumbled. “Sorry about that. Small error on my part.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” The woman smiled, before looking with piqued interests at Hum Drum. “Although, you do sounded terribly familiar,” The missus commented. “Do I know you?”

“What?” Coughing and clearing his throat, Hum Drum made his voice sound deeper. “I...I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss Kisara.”

“What?! How did you know—“

“Uh, I think I hear someone else calling for help,” Mistress Marvelous stammered, struggling to lie as she and Hum Drum awkwardly make their escape. “It must be this Kisara, Hum Drum was mentioning.”

“Uh, yeah! Yeah! That’s right,” Hum Drum agreed, as he and Mistress Marvelous take their leave. “Anyway, take care of yourself ma’m! Have a nice day! Bye now!”

With that, the two heroes took their leave, while the woman, identified as Kisara, was left dumbfounded.

“What odd heroes,” She commented.





Later that afternoon, after changing out of his suit, and recovering from his early embarrassment, Ken was back in his room, rummaging through his belongings, until he found what he was looking for. A photo album.

Turning the pages, Ken search through all his collected memories, before he stopped at what he was looking for.

There, in the photo, smiling brightly is the woman, Kisara herself. Standing at her waist, hugging each other and holding up two fingers is a girl, at the age of 8, smiling and hugging a younger Ken, when he was at the age of 5.

Ken runs his fingers across the photo, looking longingly at the girl.

“Kara...” He muttered.





Flashback


A young Ken was playing with chalks on the sidewalk, drawing pictures of mighty dragons, fighting knights on horseback, charging hard into battle with spears.

Suddenly, two large boys came and smashed his chalks, before smothering his drawings.

“Hey!” Young Ken screamed in protest. “What did you do that for? That hurts my feelings!”

“Aw, what are you gonna do about it, huh?” The first boy spatted. “Throw a tantrum?”

“I think he’s gonna go tell mommy on us!” The other boy laughed.

Next thing the two big boys knew, they were grabbed by the ears and pulled to each other, slamming their heads together.

“D’oh!” They groaned, before they were tossed to the side.

Stepping forward and holding her hand out was an older girl, with a positive and caring aura around her.

“Hey Ken,” She greeted him. “What you drawing there?”

“It’s...it’s a dragon,” Ken answered. “Or it was...”

“Really? A dragon?” She asked, squatting  down for a closer look. “Wow, he looks likes he’s had a really big fight.”

“Well, he’s defending his cave, because it holds a lot of his treasures, and this knight wants to kill him to get all of it.”

“Then he’s gonna need help,” The girl smirked. “Lots and lots of help then.”

“Help? Who’s going to help a dragon like him?”

“Maybe his bestest friend and big sister...like ME! ROAR!!!” The girl playfully roared, as she catches him in a tickle, and Ken fall on his back, laughing happily from her attack.





Present


“It’s been three years now,” Ken frowned sadly. “Where’ve you been?”

“Ken?” A voice spoke up, revealing herself to be Trots Summers. “Is everything alright? What’s wrong?”

“I...I’m missing a friend,” Ken frowned.

“Want to talk about it?” Trots asked, taking a seat beside Ken.

“Her name is Kara Dragonheart,” Ken said nostalgically. “She was one of my best friends, before Gwen and Thor. In fact, she was more than my friend. She was like the big sister I never had. Strong, brave, but also kind and caring, in her own angst tough girl way,” Ken chuckled.

"She sounds like a great girl," Trots smiled, before it turned to a frown of concern. “So what happened to her?”

“I...I wished I knew,” Ken frowned. “I was only 11 when she was up and vanished. I asked her mom about it, but she doesn’t know. She only said that she remembered seeing Kara to bed. But by morning, she was gone. Vanished without a trace."

“And she’s still missing?”

“Yes,” Ken nodded grimly.

“And...is anyone still looking for her?”

“We’ve looked everywhere. The city, the suburbs, even in Blackwater Woods,” Ken shook his head as he concluded, “But nothing. We never found her, and...” The boy hesitated, before he covered his eyes. “Anyway, after so many dead ends, most of us just...moved on, thinking she's gone for good. But...I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. A part of me wants to forget her and move on...but another just keeps telling me that she's alive, and that she's lost...somewhere, and..." Ken shook his head, grunting in frustration. "I know, it's crazy. But that's honestly how I feel..."

Trot shook her head as she pulls Ken close, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting hug. Ken returned the hug.
> The Path of Hum Drum Part 3 – The Leader
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a Saturday morning in Maretropolis, when Trot Summers was sitting in the dining room of the Heathspike’s resident, doing some reading on the histories and the lore of Maretropolis.

“Wow, this is a fascinating read,” Trot commented. “This city started out as a small port town, when...”

“Hey Trot!” Ken greeted the girl, as he and Delilah walked into the room. “Whatcha doing? I thought you were out doing a patrol of the city with the girls.”

“Oh, they are,” Trot confirmed. “I was just catching up on some reading on the history of your city. For instance, the city started out as a small port town called Fortuna, before a huge gem mine was discovered, and by 1947, it officially became a bustling city and was renamed Maretropolis!”

“Yeah, Maretropolis has quite the history,” Ken nodded, while secretly thinking, ‘Then again, I’m not much of a historic person.’

“Oh my!” Trot commented, when she happens upon a section of the history book that caught her attention. “It says here that in the 1920s, a man of Roman-Italian descendant named Don Thrace rose to power and founded the Thracian Family.“

“Oh, the Thracians, they’re some of the worse crooks in history, next to Jesse James and Al Capone,” Ken rolled his eyes. “In fact, that’s how Maretropolis’s trouble with the criminals got started.“

“I’m not surprised,” Trot agreed. “With so many resources, it opens up hundreds of opportunities to set up shop, even for the criminal elements. There’s a long list of past infamous crime bosses, corrupt police officers, and criminal syndicates. Something like this we’d never have on Harmonus.”

“Well, unfortunately, I doubt every single planets have the same type of judicial law, or jurisdiction from you guys come from.”

“But pray tell,” Delilah began. “How did you dealt with your criminals? By that, I mean how did you enforce the laws?”

Trot looked away for a brief moment, still saddened at the thought of her destroyed home planet.

Still, she answered the Dalmatian’s question to the best of her abilities, “Back on Harmonus, we don’t usually have many criminals who committed such heinous crimes, let alone murder. And even if someone did committed such a crime, then it's punishable by a one way trip into Harmonus's sun."

"Wh-what?! A one way trip into the sun?!" Ken exclaimed. "But...that's like...a death sentence!"

"That's the point."

"Wow, eesh, I think I get the idea of how you enforce your laws then," Ken shuddered. "Kinda make Gort look like an upstanding officer of the law..." He said, making a pop culture reference to the 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.

"Who's Gort?" Trots asked.

"Uh...just a...robot...from a Sci-Fi movie," answered Ken.

"Oh..."

Wanting to drop the subject and move on with their day, Trots began, "Anyway, the day's still young and I'm thinking about doing some patrolling on the south of the city," Trots stood up from the chair and was on her way out the door, when she stopped and turned to Ken and Delilah, "Want to come?"




Once again, Ken dons up his suit as Hum Drum and was jumping around town, following Masked Matter-Horn, leading their patrol. Delilah, meanwhile, was running after the two heroes on foot, in the streets.

"Humans," Delilah panted to herself. "Can't they ever slow down for some good dogs?"

"Whoo-hoo!" Hum Drum hollered as he leapt in the air and did a front flip...or at least attempted one. "AAAH!!!"

"Whoa!" Masked Matter-Horn quickly caught the boy, moments away from crashing and breaking his neck. "Careful there, Ken!"

"Hum Drum!" Hum Drum quickly shouted, for fear someone might've heard him call.

"I mean, Hum Drum!" The alien girl corrected herself. "Be careful! You're still just a fledgling. You could hurt yourself!"

"Sorry about that, Masked Matter-Horn," The young hero in training apologized. "Being a hero's really exciting to me and...I feel so alive. You know?"

"I completely respect that, Hum Drum," Masked Matter-Horn replied. "But still, you have to be more careful and not do anything reckless."

"I hear you, Matter-Horn, and I promise, I'll exercise better caution next time."

"For everyone's sake, you had better," Masked Matter-Horn resumed their patrol, with Ken following closely behind.

"Hold up!" Delilah barked, much to the bewilderments of a few citizens who took notice.

In the meantime, Hum Drum and the Masked Matter-Horn were continuing with their patrol, when something caught Hum Drum’s attention.

“Hey!” He pointed, down an alley. “Is that our science teacher, Dr. Hoofensmirtz?”

Masked Matter-Horn looked to the man Hum Drum was pointing.

“It is Dr. Hoofensmirtz!” She confirmed.

The said evil minded man himself was carrying a large brown sack, over his back, as he walks down the alley, while looking behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed. However, he had failed to notice that his actions were spotted by the two superheroes.

“Wonder what he’s up to...” With a touch to the side of his mask, Hum Drum’s eye lens started scanning and analyzed the contents the man was carrying in his bag.

His eye lenses quickly confirmed the contents to be large robotic parts of a huge drill.

“What the what?” Hum Drum exclaimed. “If my lenses are seeing right, he’s carrying a large drill. But what could he be drilling for around here? There’s hardly any oils to be found in the city... unless he’s found another gem mine...”

“Let’s follow him quietly and see what he’s up to,” Masked Matter-Horn said.

The alien girl silently floating down from her perch, with her telekinesis, while Hum Drum  followed, gliding down with the aid of his cape.

“Wow! I’m totally in love with this suit!” Ken geeked out. “I can just imagine myself as Batman and Robin.”

“Focus, Ken,” Masked Matter-Horn reminded the boy as they begin their stealth mission to follow the mad doctor.

Not too far behind, Ken’s talking dog, Delilah soon caught up, and was panting heavily out of breath.

She looked up to see that both her owner and his new alien friend were already in the move.

Too tired and exhausted from all the running, Delilah let out an exasperated sigh and plopped to the ground.





“Okay Dr. Hoofensmirtz,” Hum Drum said to himself. “What is it you’re up to?”

The young teenage boy navigated his way through the alleyways, as he tailed his mad teacher. Meanwhile, Masked Matter-Horn went topside; searching across the rooftops.

“I’m going to see where the doctor is heading to from up here,” Masked Matter-Horn said, via the communicator on Hum Drum’s wrist. “You keep following the doctor on your end. Keep me posted.”

“Got it, Trots,” Hum Drum replied, before he clicked his communicator off to resume his pursuit.

Hum Drum kept following the evil minded doctor close, while also making sure to keep his distance so as to not alert the mad man.

As for Hoofensmirtz, the man was walking down the alleyways, when he took another glance behind his back.

Luckily, Hum Drum has rolled to the side of a large dumpster to avoid being seen. The young hero in training waited until Hoofensmirtz resumed his walk, before Hum Drum could resume following after the man.

At last, Hum Drum soon arrived at a dock, where large ships were mooring, with large crates lined up around the yards.

Hum Drum searches across the yard, until he spotted Hoofensmirtz walking into a large warehouse, with a large sign that reads: “Hoofensmirtz’s Auto-Repair Warehouse.”

“He’s got his own auto-repair shop, at a dock?“ With a touch of his ring finger, Hum Drum activates the communicator on his wrist and clicked on Masked Matter-Horn’s icon. 

“Hey! Trots? Can you hear me?”

“I can hear you, Ken,” Masked Matter-Horn confirmed. “What’s happening?”

“I’ve followed Dr. H to the dock. He’s in a warehouse, but he’s labeled it as an auto repair shop. It’s rather suspicious since he’s a scientist and I don’t think repairing automobiles is part of scientist’s criteria. Is it?”

“I may not have lived on earth for so long, Ken. But I’ve read one of your elder’s philosophy that it’s unwise to judge a book by its cover. That and there’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Masked Matter-Horn lectured.

“What?”

“Well, that and everyone has to have a hobby...either way, you’d better check it out and see what he’s up to. I’ll keep a lookout from out here. But remember Ken. Don’t try and engage in any physical violence.” Masked Matter-Horn advised. “If Dr. Hoofensmirtz is doing anything serious or dangerous, just wait until I get there.”

Hum Drum let out a sigh, before he reluctantly complied, “Aright, Trots. I won’t,” He switched his communicator off. “But it doesn’t mean I can’t...”

While remaining unseen, Hum Drum made his way towards the warehouse, by hitching a ride on the back of a passing truck’s cargo, climbing on top, before he ran across the crates that have been set up, around the wharf.

Then, once he saw he was close enough, Hum Drum leapt off to spread his cape out, enabling him to glide. With a tap of his index finger, he activated the sticky pads on his gloves and boots, and he literally sticks the landing on the side of the warehouse. From there, Hum Drum proceeded to climb along the walls, searching for an opening, be it a window or a vent.

It didn’t take long for Hum Drum to find an open window at the top of the roof, where he was able to crawl through and entered the building.

Inside the warehouse, there was a large truck, with all four of its wheels missing, and its motor disassembled. On the right wall, appeared to be a tool board where an array of various tools were hanging above a workbench, with tires and parts of motorcycles and tanks of gasolines next to it. At the wall, in front of Hum Drum is where the roll-up door is located, with a simple door on the right of the interior, where several locks were in place.

"Eh, what's up doc?" Hum Drum greeted to the empty building. "Oh, that's a corny joke. But I thought it was good."

After he detached himself from the ceiling, Hum Drum landed on the floor to begin his investigation.

“Okay...well, looks almost like your average run of the mill, auto repair shop,” The boy walked around the truck, looking at it up and down. “Dr. H’s either in the middle of restoring a client’s truck, or he’s trying to convert it into a monster truck... hmm...”

Turning to the tool board, Hum Drum walked over to inspect some of the tools.

“Kinda cliche,” Hum Drum commented. “But it’s not like I haven’t seen this in a million movies.”

The boy proceeded to take some of the tools off, until he came across a wrench that stayed in place, turning to the left, making some gears to click in place.

This activated a hidden elevator to pull up, lifting the truck off the floor, and a door opens up.

“No way!” Hum Drum exclaimed, as he tapped on his eye lenses, activating a built-in camera, before he talks to Masked Matter-Horn on his communicator. “Trots! It’s Ken again! You better come and check this out! I found a secret elevator, and I think it’s where Dr. H is.”

“I’m on my way, Ken,” Masked Matter-Horn said. “Stay right where you are.”

Hum Drum nodded as he complied, turning his communicator off and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs and waited for Masked Matter-Horn to arrive.

It was at that moment, Hum Drum remembered something, or someone.

“Delilah!”





Meanwhile, back with Delilah


The Dalmatian was napping on the floor for what felt like an hour, until she woke up with a yawn and stretched her legs.

“Oh! I’m not as spry as I used to be when I was just a pup,” Delilah muttered, before she looked around. “Now, I’d better go and find Ken and Trots.”

With a sniff of her nose, Delilah caught whiff of her owner’s scent and followed down the alley, before she arrives at the dock.

And just in time.





A Few Moments earlier


“Delilah!” Hum Drum exclaimed, remembering he and Masked Matter-Horn had left the Dalmatian in the city. “Aw, I hope she’s alright after leaving her like that.”

Just then, Masked Matter-Horn arrived into the warehouse via the window in the ceiling.

“Good work, Hum Drum,” Masked Matter-Horn said. “Now let’s see what the doc is up to.”

The two heroes entered the elevator as it took them down into an underground cavern, with old rusty railroad tracks, pickaxes lying in the ground, and oil lamps hanging on the walls.

“Looks like an old gem mine,” Hum Drum noted. “Except there are no gemstones or seven dwarves singing and mining for them.”

“From the looks of it, I’d say this place closed down after the resources dried up,” Masked Matter-Horn said.

“That’s how they get ya. And since then, crimes began to stir up with a lot of desperate folks going after one another, just to survive...”

The two kept on walking through the tunnels, when Masked Matter-Horn noticed something amiss.

“Wait, Hum Drum!” She holds her hand out. “Stand back.”

She got down on the floor, focusing her mentality to project a horn which sprayed a fine mist of snow to reveal lasers that bounced the walls and crossing over the floor.

“Whoa! Good job spotting that,” Hum Drum  complimented.

“First thing you gotta know about criminals, they’re always going to set up traps,” Masked Matter Horn lectured. “So be careful.” With that, she turned the mist into ice to freeze the wall and disable the laser beams.

“Duly noted,” Hum Drum followed Masked Matter Horn, until they came to the end of the tunnel and saw flashes of sparks coming from a doorway.

“There he is!” Hum Drum pointed, as he and Masked Matter-Horn both put their backs against the walls.

They slowly inched their heads to see what Dr. Hoofenshmirtz was up to.

They can see the doctor was wearing a mask, for protection as he held up a pair of tools to install something, sending sparks flying.

The two heroes looked up and were shocked to see a large drilling machine that’s about as big as a ship with giant tracks. It has two large drills mounted on both the front and end, with more drills equipped along the sides.

“What is that machine?” Hum Drum asked. “And what’s he going to do with it?”

“I can answer that my young inquisitive meddler,” The doctor answered, surprising both heroes as they revealed themselves.

“How long have you known we were here?” Masked Matter-Horn asked, as she and Hum Drum got into fighting stances.

“When somebody entered my private elevator and triggered my silent alarm,” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz gloated as he proceeded to press a button, on a nearby control panel, which triggered a cage to fall in.

“Look out!” Masked Matter-Horn shouted, shoving Hum Drum out of the way, as the cage trapped her.

“Matter-Horn!” Hum Drum shouted, as he activated his gloves retractable claws in an attempt to slice the bars.

“Don’t bother, these bars are made of pure titanium,” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz rolled his eyes. “They’re one of the strongest piece of metals on Earth.”

“What are you up to, Hoofenshmirtz?” Masked Matter-Horn asked. “What are you going to do with that machine?”

“Well, I’ll tell you. As you may have already noticed, this gem mine that I bought a few months back is dried up! You can’t find another trace of those beautiful gem stones for a mile! So then I decided, why mine for gems when I can dig for gold with this! My Evil Gold Digger-Inator! I plan to use this machine to tunnel underneath all the banks in Maretropolis! And then my machine will suck up all the banks dry of money!”

Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn were shocked at the revelation.

“That’s...that’s outrageous!” Masked Matter-Horn announced as she struggles to break free.

“Oh please, beggars can’t be choosers,” The doctor mocked. “You’re probably about to ask me why? What would I have to gain from all that? Well, to put it simply, I’m an evil genius who is out to take over the world. But in order to do that, I needed to have money. Lots and lots of money! Because, c’mon, when you’re scheming to take over the world, this kind of project don’t come cheap. It’s always about investments, insurance, and paying for henchmen, and I—“

While the doctor was busy with his ranting, Masked Matter-Horn called out to Hum Drum.

“Pssst! Hum Drum! Over here!”

The boy quickly went over to the super alien girl.

“Don’t worry, Trot,” He whispered, and begins to dig the floor. “I’ll have you out in a sec.”

“I can get myself out,” Masked Matter-Horn reassured. “But you got to stop him and that machine of his before he robs the banks. Here’s—”

“I’m on it!” Hum Drum said as he jumped away without hearing what the girl was going to say.

“No! Wait! Hum Drum! DON’T—“

But it was too late. With a thrust of his legs, Hum Drum kicked Dr. Hoofenshmirtz in the face, knocking the mad doctor into the control panel, pressing a button that started up the machine.

“What have you done?!” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz exclaimed. “You started up my machine! I haven’t even set up the coordinates for the banks!”

“Then it means your machine ain’t going anywhere,” Hum Drum said as he throws the doctor to the ground. “Too bad the same can’t be said for you. Now release Masked Matter-Horn at once!”

“We have bigger problems than you and your superhero girlfriend,” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz pointed. “Look behind you!”

Hum Drum turned around to see the machine was tunneling through the cavern walls, to the right.

“The machine is going to tunnel its way to the shorelines!” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz explained. “Once it reaches the ocean, the entire cavern will be flooded, and half of the city will fall!”

“Then how do we stop it?” Hum Drum asked. “Where’s the stop button?”

“It’s inside the cockpit. But you’ll never make it in time!”

“Not if we had anything to say about it,” Masked Matter Horn said, as she stood outside of the cage, close to where some bars were melted and pulled apart, courtesy of her energy horn glowing red hot.

“How did you get out?!” Dr. Hoofenshmirtz exclaimed in alarm.

“You’re right. Titanium is a strong metal, with a melting point of 3,034°F (1,668°C),” Masked Matter-Horn stated, before her energy horn turns blue. “And as the police would say. FREEZE!” She said as she blasted a strong ray of cryogenic air that freezes the mad doctor, except for his head and hands, into a coat of ice.

“CURSE YOU MASKED MATTER HORN!!!” Hoofenshmirtz bellowed in outrage.

“Come on, Hum Drum!” Masked Matter m-Horn took the lead. “We’ve got to stop that machine!”

The two heroes chased after the tunneling machine. For a machine its size, it was moving surprisingly fast. Rocks and gravels were flying from the treads and flying towards both Masked Matter-Horn and Hum Drum, with several rocks coming loose and falling from the ceilings. Some nearly crushed the heroes.

"WHOA!" Hum Drum shouted, just as a stalactite came falling down and nearly crushed him.

Thankfully, Masked Matter-Horn saved him with a quick blast of telekinesis that stopped the large stone from falling on top of him.

"Phew, thanks for the save, Trot!" Hum Drum thanked the super girl.

"Anytime, Ken!" Looking back, she could see that it was futile to chase after the machine on foot. "Hold on tight, Hum Drum," She said, grasping the boy by the hand and strained as she focuses on her telekinesis to fly herself and Hum Drum after the machine.

Once they were onboard the runaway machine, Hum Drum activated his gloves sticky pads to latch himself onto the machine. He watched as Masked Matter-Horn focuses her powers to once again project an energy horn to fire a thin line of fires to cut through the metal. Ken couldn't help but notice how stressed and strain the exertion was getting to her.

"Trot? Are you okay?" Hum Drum asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," Masked Matter-Horn replied, as she opened the way for both her and Hum Drum to enter. "We have to shut this thing down and fast!"

Together, the two heroes entered the cockpit of the machine and looked to see a large screen projecting a map, with a beeping dot that indicates their current position nearing the shorelines.

"We're running out of time!" Hum Drum ran up to the panels, looking at an array of buttons and switches. "C'mon, stop button. Where are you?"

"It's not going to answer you, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn said as she walked up to his right. "Now let's see. If I know your world's technology, the stop button should like like...A-ha!" She exclaimed, setting her sight on a flashing red button, in a black-yellow stripe square, with labels that reads: Emergency Stop. 

Flipping the cover up, Masked Matter Horn slammed her fist on the button, just as the machine made contact with the wall between the tunnels and the ocean. Some of the waters suddenly broke through, followed by another, until the wall burst open to let a flood of waters to break through.

Masked Matter-Horn quickly flew herself and Hum Drum ahead of the flood, before she blasted a freezing air of ice to freeze the waters in place.

"Disaster averted," Masked Matter-Horn sighed in relief.

“Now let’s go and arrest Dr. H and—Hey! Where’d he go?” Ken asked, pointing to a puddle of water, where the mad doctor in ice once stood.





After the ice had melted, Hoofenshmirtz made his escape up the elevator and into his auto-repair shop.

“So long suckers!” Hoofenshmirtz gloated. “You’ll never capture me! Dr. Heinz Hoofenshmirtz!” But the doctor spoke too soon, when he heard a growl and looked down to see Delilah, growling and barking at him.

“Uh hehe, nice doggy!” The doctor chuckled nervously. “Good doggy! Down boy!”

“I’m a girl you bloody moron,” Delilah muttered.

“WHA—YOU TALK?!” Hoofenshmirtz exclaimed in alarm, as he backed away in fright, tripping over some fishnets and ended up falling off a pier, onto a boat, with a cage full of crabs.

“OW! Oh! OH!” The mad doctor bellowed in pain, as he fell at the mercy of the crabs. “CURSE YOU, TALKING DOG!!”

Delilah simply watched in enjoyment, just as Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn arrived.

“Delilah!” Hum Drum called out to his dog, who happily came running up to him. “Hey old girl! How’ve you been?”

“I’m doing just as well,” Delilah answered. “Though it looks like I came in just in time to, from the looks of it,” She pointed to the doctor being pinched continuously by the crabs.

After notifying the authorities, the police arrived, with some medics to take Hoofenshmirtz away.

“I was attacked, by a talking dog!” Hoofenshmirtz ranted. “It...it jumped on me and pushed me into that boat of crabs!”

But the mad doctor’s words fell on deaf ears as he was out into the ambulance and was driven away to be checked on.

“Well he be okay?” Captain Heathspike asked a doctor.

“After he’s done getting acquainted with those crabs, we’ll see about pumping some of the sea waters out of him,” The doctor answered. “I’m getting the impression this guy’s had too much...”

Soon, the ambulance drove away, leaving the captain alone to talk to one of his fellow officers.

“Lieutenant Shining Armor,” Heathspike called. “What have you got?”

“Sir! After checking out the warehouse, our anonymous tip has been proven valid.”

“You mean there’s actually an underground lair?”

“Oh it just gets better sir. There’s a large tunneling machine beneath us. And whoever stopped it did us favor. It could’ve brought down half the city!”




After defeating Dr. Hoofenshmirtz and foiling his plan to rob the banks, Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn had changed back into their civilian outfits as Ken Heathspike and Trot Summers.

Ken and Trot later took Delilah to an ice cream shop, where the two young teenage heroes have chocolate fudge sundaes, while Delilah was eating a special cookie with cream flavors the shop owners made specifically for dogs.

In the meantime, Trot was doing some reading on a book, regarding the nearby infamous woodlands, Blackwater Woods.


Legend of Blackwater Woods




Also known as ‘Bloodbath Woods’ or ‘The Devil’s Forest’, there were many stories of supernatural and paranormal that explains the disappearances over the years.

Some say that deep in the heart of the woodlands is a large gem mine, that is guarded by the vicious natives who inhabit the forest. Others say that the woodlands was once the location of a town of criminals, until they mysteriously disappeared, and their vengeful spirits haunt the woodlands.

A well-known story regarding Blackwater Woods is that it was home to a tribe of goat men, who were once people that were horribly mutated by a cult that called itself the Sons of Tambleon.

The woods is also home to many monsters from North American folklore as well such as Gumberoos, Snallygastors, and the like.

The forest has also been confirmed to have quicksands, where many lives have been lost.

Whatever the stories may be, Blackwater Woods is considered a forbidden place, where not even the bravest would venture.



"Yeah, that forest is a seriously messed up place," Ken shuddered. "One time, when I was nine years old, both me and Thor were dared to go into that place by his older brother, Phineas. We barely lasted half an hour, when we were almost jumped on by...something..."

This piqued Trot's interest and she started to ask, "What kind of something?"

"I...I don't know," Ken shuddered. "Whatever it was, me and Thor never got a good look at it. We were just glad to be out of there in one piece."

Understanding this topic was frightening for Ken and that it's best not to question him further, Trot simply nodded and resumed her reading.

"Come to Kirin's Care!" A woman's voice spoke up, to which both Ken and Trot look up to see it was Kisara, who was holding out flyers. "Kirin's Care needs more volunteers."

"Hey, Ken?" Trot began. "Is that the Kisara woman you've once talked about the other day?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's her alright," Ken confirmed. "She rarely comes out in public for three years since her daughter disappeared. So seeing her again is a sight for sore eyes, y'know?" 

Ken and Trot continued to watch as the sad woman proceeds to hand out flyers to passing folks.

"It seems she has her hands full," Trot closes her book and got up from her seat. "Come on, Ken. As you say, let's give her a hand."

Both Ken and Trot walked up to Kisara and greeted, "Hey Miss Kisara!" Ken greeted. "Long time no see!"

"Hmm? Oh, Ken! It's nice to see you again!" Kisara greeted kindly. "And you as well, Delilah!" She greeted the Dalmatian with a loving scratch by the ear, before turning to Trot, "Who's this lovely lady with you?"

"This is my new friend, Trot Summers."

"Greetings and salutations, madam," Trot greeted politely, and held her hand out for a handshake. "So nice to meet you!"

"A pleasure to meet you too!" Kisara returns the handshake, which causes most of the flyers to fly out of her hands. "Oh! Oh dear! No!" The woman struggled to reclaim most of the loose flyers, but they were already carried away by the wind.

"We'll get 'em!" Ken said as he and Delilah chased after the flyers, managing to catch a few. "Sorry Miss Kisara. But this is all we could catch."

"That's fine, Ken," Kisara sighed, looking and feeling more miserable. "I'll just have to hand out these other flyers I still have..."

Feeling sorry and saddened for the woman, Ken and Trot quickly ran over to take some of the flyers from Kisara.

"We can help you with those," Ken offered, as he, Trot, and Delilah proceeded to take some loads off of Kisara's hands and handed the flyers out to numerous people.

Once they've finished handing out the last flyer, the two teens and dog returned to Kisara and report to her the good news.

"Goodness gracious!" Kisara exclaimed. "You actually sold every single flyers, in less than an hour?"

"Surprised?" Ken smiled.

"Well, you know what they say! Divide and conquer," Trot said.

"Indubitably!" Delilah barked, before quickly remembering that she was in public.

"Who said that?" Kisara asked, looking to the left and right for the source of the voice.

"Uh, ruff, ruff, ruff!" Delilah barked to deter any suspicions away from her.

"Uh, I...I said it's indubitably correct," Trot Summers giggled sheepishly.

Kisara decided to shrug it off and expresses her gratitude, "Well, I don't know how I could thank you all for your help. I wish there was some way of repaying you."

"You don't have to repay us anything, Miss Kisara," Ken waved his hand in reassurance. "We're just glad to be of–"

"Oh! I know!" Kisara snapped her fingers. "Let me treat you all to Kirin's Care's delectable noodle soup," Kisara offered. "On the house."





Kirin's Care


Ken, Trot, and Delilah followed Kisara to a three-story building that is roughly about the size of a typical office building. The three walked up a flight of steps before arriving at the entrance of three pairs of double doors at the top. Upon walking in, the two heroes and dog were greeted to a sight of cozy and welcoming interior decorations, giving the building a warm, welcoming hospitable environment.

"Wow! Nice spread you got here!" Ken commented, as he and his friends followed Kisara into the building.

"Why thank you, Ken," Kisara smiled. "Mrs. Rain Shine took it upon herself to make this building as welcoming as it can be for all the poor and homeless in the city. Bless her soul."

"Oh yes, indeed ma'm," Trot replied in agreement, looking at all the welcoming appeals of the building.

In some odd ways, it sort of reminded her of her destroyed home, Harmonus. 

As they kept walking through the hallway, Ken, Trot, and Delilah looked up to see a large sign that reads:




Kirin's Care




A shelter home for the homeless, the poor, and the needy




On the right, close to the entrance the heroes had entered appeared to be the front desk, where a staff member was checking in some of the people who were looking forward to staying in at the shelter. As the three heroes continued following Kisara through the building, they eventually came passing through a large room that used to be a gymnasium of a basketball court.

Everywhere in the gym, they could see it was packed with beds, sleeping bags, chairs, and tables for all of the people who had nowhere to go in the city. On the other side of the gym, there sat three rows of chairs, surrounding a large flat-screen TV, perched atop of a wall, where most of the people would go to watch.

As Ken, Delilah, and Trot look around, they heard someone calling out to them, "Hey Ken! Trot! What brings you two here?"

They turn to see Thor approaching them.

"Oh, hey Thor. We bumped into Miss Kisara and thought we help her with the flyers before deciding to check this place out ourselves." Ken replied, "What are you doing here?"

Thor shrugs and answered, "My mom volunteered to help these people out and brought me and my brother along. 'To build character' she said. Turns out, she and miss Rain Shine are old friends who go way back."

"I see, so where are they?" Trot asked.

"They're both in the kitchen right now, with mom making her Memory Lane Pastry." Thor answered pointing his thumb at where they are.

Trot, along with Ken and Delilah, looked to where Thor was pointing to see a woman and a young man working in the kitchen. In appearance, the woman, Aki Axel, has moderate tangelo hair and moderate gold eyes. For attire, she wore a light goldish gray shirt with a picture of a kirin on it, a jacket that's grayish apple green, light opal jeans, and dark and moderate crimson shoes.

The young man, Phineas Axel, looked somewhere around eighteen with black hair with deep crimson streaks and moderate blue eyes. For attire, he wore a very dark gray shirt, dark cyan jacket with a picture of a scorpion on the back, grayish blue jeans, and dark blue violet shoes.

"I'm surprised your brother is working in the kitchen." Ken commented.

"Yeah, he wanted to do guard duty but mom and miss Rain Shine were worried that he might make the people here a little intimated and scare them away." Thor said.

"Knowing your brother, that was probably a good call." Ken said. He knew Phineas had a very bad habit at picking fights.

Thor then notices his mother gesturing him to come over, "Gotta go guys But I'll talk later." He said as he heads back to the kitchen.

"The cafe is this way," Kisara guided her guests into the said cafe, where some of the homeless were getting their meals.

Kisara went ahead to order some food for herself and her guests. In the meantime, Ken, Trot, and Delilah went over to a table, when a familiar voice greeted them.

"Ken? Trot?" The two friends turned their head to the left to see it was none other than Phoenix Dawn.

"Hey Phoenix!" Ken greeted.

"Oh! 驚いた！What a surprise!" Phoenix exclaimed. "What brings you both here to Kirin's Care?"

"She did!" Trot pointed. "She invited us to come down here after we helped her pass out some flyers."

"Oh! How thoughtful of you two," Phoenix complimented, before Delilah barked to get some attention. "Oh! Who's this beautiful doggy?"

"This is Delilah," Ken introduced the dog. "She's the family dog. And she also helped us spread the flyers for Kisara there."

"Aw, that's a good dog!" Phoenix smiled, as she reached her head to scratch the dog affectionately behind the ear.

Just then, Kisara came back, carrying a tray of three bowls of noodle soups.

"Oh! Hello, Miss Dawn!" Kisara greeted the fiery girl. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Kisara," Phoenix bowed her head respectfully. "Ken and Trot were just telling me how they were helping you pass out some flyers."

"Yes, they were big help!" Kisara smiled, causing both Ken and Trot to blush. "Oh! And so did their dog, Delilah too!"

"Well, I'll leave you three alone to enjoy your meal together then," Phoenix said as she took her leave. "さよなら(Good-bye)."

"Bye, Phoenix!" Ken waved, along with Trot and Kisara as the fiery girl took her leave.

Soon, both Ken and Trot resumed having their meal with Kisara, while Delilah was given a dog bowl of noodles of her own.

While having their meal, Ken decided to strike up conversation.

"So, uh...Kisara?" He began. "Just curious, when did you started working here? I hope it's not a touchy subject, but I haven't seen you in ages, so it’s kinda a surprise to see you out and about, y’know?"

"I understand, Ken," Kisara nodded sadly. "I...I’m afraid I suppose I haven’t realized how... I just thought it felt nice to get out once in awhile...meet some new people and...”

Ken reached his hand out, gently stroking the sad woman’s, “I’m sorry...” He took a heavy deep breath. “I miss Kara too...”

In response, Kisara gently stroked Ken’s hand in return.

Trot couldn’t help but sympathize with the young hero-in-training and woman.

“Excuse me, but Kisara, ma’m?” Trot began. “I was just wondering, what was Kara like? Ken’s told me that she was a special friend, but what was she like as a daughter to you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Kisara slowly nodded her head as she slowly complied to answer, “Oh she was one tough firecracker, and a handful,” The woman chuckled in nostalgia. “She was as brave and stubborn as her father. But I still love her to pieces, like every mother would for their children.” The woman’s nostalgia turned to sorrow, “I still can’t believe that she would just up and...run away like that. What did I do wrong?”

“I’m sure you didn’t mean for any of it to happen,” Ken comforted the woman. “But then...what brings you here?”

After another deep breath to regain her composure, Kisara answered, “After about three years since my daughter disappeared, I found an ad about Kirin’s Care in need of volunteers. So, I took the offer and applied for a position here. I guess, I missed being a mom and I wanted to have that again.”

Ken and his friends all nodded their heads in agreement and understanding. Though, Trot herself seemed to be just as troubled.




Later that night

After he got himself cleaned up and ready for bed, Ken walked into his bedroom to see, as usual, the Power Princesses were all sleeping across the floors. All except for their leader, who was sitting and huddling to herself on the bed.

“Trot?” Ken asked, as he walked up to the girl. “Why aren’t you...” He quickly went silent when Trot turned to look at him, and he noticed the tear stains from her eyes. “Trot? W-What’s wrong?”

The boy walked over to the bed, while also being extra careful not to step on one of the sleeping girls. He then sat down, next to the troubled alien girl.

“I... I miss my home,” Trot wept. “Please, forgive me for my...grievances, Ken. It’s just... I can’t help but think about my queen, the planet my fellow defenders and I had left behind. Sometimes, I just can’t help but feel so...insignificant and...alone in the universe.”

“Trot...”

“What kind of a Princess am I, if I couldn’t help my Queen? What good as a defender am I if I can’t even protect my planet and my people from destruction?”

“Trot, please...”

“I would give almost anything to have that life back...”

Hearing that last part made Ken see a reflection of Kisara in Trot Summers. The amount of sorrow the two were experiencing seems immeasurable.

Trying to console the girl the best he could, Ken did the only thing he could think of.

“Trot...” Ken helped wipe her tears clean off her face. “You don’t have to feel lonely. I’m sure your queen wouldn’t want to see you like this. She gave her life to save yours and your friends. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain. And I’m here for you, no matter what. We can get through this together, Trot. So please, for me, be the hero and the defender I know you are.”

Trot looked at Ken, feeling encouraged by his words and his faith. Even after expressing her sadness and letting her fragility show, it amazed her to see that Ken’s devotion to her remains unscathed.

Nevertheless, the boy was right. Both he and Trot’s fellow defenders needed a leader. And the Masked Matter-Horn is their leader.

Trot solemnly nodded in agreement as she looked at Ken with a sad smile.

“You’re right, Ken,” She nodded. “Queen Celestia would never want to see me like this... I have to be strong, for her and my defenders. Thank you for reminding me that, Ken.”

“It’s what I’m here for,” Ken said before he let out a yawn. “Phew! I think it’s time for us to get some sleep now.”

“Indeed,” Trot nodded. “It’s as you earthlings say...’time to hit the haystack,’ right?”

“It’s ‘time to hit the hay,’ but close enough,” Ken shrugged, pulling the blanket over himself. “See you in the morning, Trot.”

“Good night, Ken,” Trot replied, before she decided to spoon him. “Is it okay if I hold you like this, while I sleep?”

In the darkness, Ken blushed a bright shade of red and stammered, “Uh, sure. Go ahead, Trot. Whatever you need to sleep.”




After the weekends

Ken was walking back to school, where he happened to regroup with five of his alien super heroines in disguises.

“Yo, Ken!” Aurora greeted. “Good morning!”

“Hiya girls!” Ken returned the greeting, before noticing the group was short on one more. “Where’s Trot?”

“Here I am!” Trot greeted, running up to the boy and giving him a kiss on the cheek, much to the shock of every students who saw it.

“Hey Trot!” Ken greeted, blushing from the kiss he received.

“Hello Ken! I hope I’m not too late,” Trot giggled.

“Uh, not at all. In fact, we’re still early for classes.”

“Great! Then let’s go!” She said, eagerly linking her arm around Ken and dragged him away.

At first, the rest of the superheroes in disguises were at a loss for words, until Aurora broke the ice, “What just happened?”
> 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!"


Rainbow Dash – Fighting is Magic/Pinkie Pie – Fighting is Magic


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."





The Mall
I Wanna Go (feat. K.O. the Legend)


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."
> The Path of Hum Drum Part 5 – The Scientist and The Ranger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost night time and a young girl was running for dear life in the back alleyway of Maretropolis. She sees a dumpster and stops to climb in it, hoping to hide from them. 

From her hiding spot, she hears several footsteps approaching. The girl stayed completely silent when she heard one of them talk, “Have… you… found… her… yet?” Said a voice that sounded growley and barely human.

“No…” Said another.

“Keep… looking… She… couldn’t… have… gotten… far.” Commanded the other voice.

The girl then hears the footsteps getting further away but stayed right where she was until she could no longer hear them. The girl then takes a peak from the dumpster and sees no one.

Using this opportunity, she decides to jump out and escape. But, she only made it as far as a few steps as someone grabbed her wrist and covered her mouth before getting dragged away.





The next day, after school, in the Chemistry class, Ken was hanging out with Spruce Spanner and Nova Potts, who was showing off some neat chemical reactions.

All three classmates were wearing safety goggles and gloves as they watched a chemical reaction, made possible by mixing a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide, mixed together with dish soap, food coloring, and a drop of potassium iodide.

“Whoa!” Ken exclaimed, watching as the result ends up spraying colorful foamy contents out of the flask.

“Check it out!” Nova smiled enthusiastically. “Funny elephant toothpaste!”

“Oh my!” Spruce exclaimed. “Do elephants clean their teeth with this?”

Nova couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh no..." She chortled. "Elephants don't clean their teeth with this. We just call it 'elephant toothpaste' because it looks like a big toothpaste, and it's big enough for a grown elephant."

"Oh," Spruce nodded in acknowledgement. "Still, it looks clean and beautiful to watch."

"And it's definitely something my cousin, Danny, would like," Ken commented, while thinking to himself, 'Just think of the kind of crazy invention he might come up with this.'

After about another half an hour of chemical reactions experiments, the three friends proceeded to clean up the room and put the equipment and chemicals away in their proper place. All three friends were leaving the school, where they happened to meet Dallas and Phoenix at the bottom of the steps.

"Howdy Ken," Dallas greeted. "Howdy Spruce! Did y'all have fun with Nova?"

"Definitely!" Spruce Spanner smiled. "She showed us a neat chemical reaction called a 'Funny Elephant Toothpaste!' And they were so colorful, I can't wait to show it off to some of my elephant friends at the zoo!"

"...Elephant friends?" Phoenix Dawn asked.

"She works part-time as a zookeeper assistant at the zoo," Ken explained to Phoenix, who nodded in acknowledgement. "So...how are things at Kirin's Care, Phoenix?"

"Everything's good as usual," Phoenix sighed. "But it pays to have more help. Maybe if Mayor Verko wasn't being such a asshole towards the Power Princesses and Hum Drum, we'd get a lot of help from them..." The fiery girl commented with a hint of disdain in her tone.

Spruce, Dallas, and Ken couldn't help but exchange looks with each other, feeling sorry for the girl.

"Well, anyway, I should be going to help mom," Phoenix bowed her head, before she took her leave.

"Hey, Phoenix!" Ken called out to the girl. "If you ever need help, just say the word! We'll help you!"

"はい(Yes)," Phoenix nodded. "I know I can count on you. じゃあまたね (See you later)."

With a wave of her hand, Phoenix took her leave, with Ken, Dallas, and Spruce waving her off.

"She seems like a really nice girl," Dallas Queen commented.

"What'd you expect?" Nova asked. "Her mom's a philanthropist, she's an angel! Phoenix would always go on and on how she wanted to devote her life to helping others, so they wouldn't feel forgotten or left behind."

"Sounds like a noble cause," Spruce commented.

"Although, sometimes...she just seems sad," Nova added. "Though, I can't seem to put my finger on it..." Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Nova too took her leave. "Anyway, I should be getting home. See you around, my friends!"

"See ya, Nova!" Ken and his friends waved.

Later, Ken and two of his new alien friends were at the Heathespike residence, where they were treated to another visit from Ken's cousins, Megan, Danny, and Molly.

Dallas got to talking with Megan, while Ken and Spruce were in the basements, showing off the latest DIY experiment to Danny.

"Whoa, ho-ho!" Danny exclaimed in surprise, watching the chemical reaction explode into strings of foamy, colorful substances. "This is so cool!"

"Definitely!" Spruce smiled. "Though, I wonder what the elephants at the zoo might think about this new toothpaste of theirs."

"I wouldn't know about that," Danny chuckled, before he pondered. "Although, I think I've got a few new ideas I'd like to try out with this."

"I'd expect nothing less, Danny," Ken chuckled nervously, as he and Spruce took their leave. "Just...don't make a mess of things, like last time. Okay?"

Danny glared at his cousin. "Oh come on! It was only that one time and I’ve gotten better!”

Kn glared back at Danny. “Oh really? I suppose you’ve gotten better after the soda soap incident last month as well?” This caused Danny to turn away and rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“Soda soap incident?” Spruce asked

“Long story.” Ken replied.

Upon walking back up into the main hallway, Ken and Spruce were greeted with a welcoming bark from Delilah, the family's dalmatian.

"Hey Delilah!" Ken smiled as he got down to affectionately pet his dog's ears. "Have you been a good girl today? Who's a good girl?"

Just then, both Dallas and Megan came walking in, laughing and hitting it off with each other.

"I gotta say, Megan, for being young, yer my kinda businesswoman!" Dallas smiled. "I gotta get the recipe for that Ribwich of yers, and all those other good stuffs."

"Think you can remember it all?" Megan asked.

"They don't call me, the Cooking Queen for nothing!"

"Nice to see you two are getting along," Ken commented, making him, Spruce, and Delilah's presence known.

"Well, we country gals gotta stick together," Dallas smiled, just as her phone went off. "Uh oh." The alien girl moaned, when she sees that it's time for her and Spruce's patrol around the city.

"What is it?" Megan asked.

"Uh...trouble across town," Dallas replied as she walked over to take both Spruce and Ken by the hands. "Listen, I'm sorry for cutting our conversation short, Meg. But I've got, uh...trouble at home, and I'm...me and Spruce will have to borrow Ken for awhile, to show us the place."

"Oh. Sure, okay," Megan nodded in understanding. "Just go and do what you need to get done."

"Great. C'mon you two," Dallas said, dragging Spruce and Ken along. "Let's go y'all."

"Oh, Ken!" Megan remembered, holding up a dog leash for the boy. "Don't forget, it's time for Delilah's afternoon walk."

"Got it," Ken nodded as he took the leash and latched it onto Delilah's collar. "C'mon, Delilah! Let's go!"

With that, the four all made a hasty run out the front door, passing by Molly.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Molly asked.

Once again, Ken dons up his Hum Drum costume, as he goes on another patrol. This time, with Saddle Rager and Mistress Marvelous.

"Ok, so what's the agenda, girls?" Hum Drum asked, as he perched atop a bench in the park, with Spruce and Dallas at his sides, including Delilah.

"Well, I've been talking to a lot of people today," Dallas began. "The firefighters's dog, Doug, just went missing."

"So I think we should work on finding that poor dog," Spruce suggested.

"Copy that," Ken nodded, before he turned to Delilah. "So, Delilah. You up for this girl?"

"Help to find my fellow canines?" Delilah barked with a wag of her tail. "It'd be my pleasure."

With that, the three heroes and their dog friend made their first stop at the fire station, where they met up with the firefighters.

"Hello there, firefighters," Dallas greeted.

"Huh? Oh!" The Fire Chief exclaimed. "You're the Power Princesses!"

"And don't forget me, Hum Drum the Boy Wonder!" Hum Drum declared, before Delilah pulled on his cape. "And this is my dog, Delilah."

The Fire Chief gave Ken a deadpan look, "Right..." He then turned back to look at both Spruce and Dallas. "Anyway, what brings you fine heroes here?"

"Well, Mr. Chief," Saddle Rager began. "Word is...you have a missing dog...problem?"

"Oh! Yes! You mean, Doug, our mascot!" The Fire Chief nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. It's not like the old mutt to just up and vanish into thin air. He was here this morning, when I went out to give him breakfast. But at about lunch, he was gone."

"Well, not to worry mister," Dallas assured the fire chief. "We're all over it."

With that, the heroes begin surveying the layout of the fire station, searching for any traces of Doug.

"The Fire Chief did say Doug was here for his breakfast," Spruce began. "Maybe we can find a trace of him, in his bowl or something..."

"Worth a shot," Ken replied as he and the heroes both went over to inspect a half empty bowl of dog foods. "Hmmm, he's definitely eaten here. Now the question is, where did he go after a big meal?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Delilah whispered, as she walked over and sniffed what was left of Doug's breakfast. "Hmm, he's got good tastes...Bacon, with a side twist of pulled pork. Oh! Sausage. I got him!" She pointed her nose off in a direction, where she proceeded to sniff the air, following the scent. "He went this way."

Ken and the two Power Princesses followed Delilah into the streets of Manehattan, following the scent of the missing dog they're searching for, passing by the people along the way.

"Excuse us," Hum Drum would call out to the people. "Coming through! Important hero work."

"Marry me, Power Princesses!" One of the random dudes would call out to the girls, which annoyed Ken.

"I didn't know the Power Princesses or Hum Drum have a dog," One of the citizens commented.

"Maybe they're just borrowing it," Another citizen would say. "I think it belongs to the firefighters..."

Eventually, the girls and Ken's search lead them to a tree, where a squirrel happened to take up residence.

"Squirrel!" Delilah barked excitedly.

"Focus Delilah," Ken ordered his dog. "Hmmm. Doug was just chasing a squirrel. Ain't that like a dog?" Annoyed, Delilah blew a raspberry at Ken.

"Still, he can't have gone too far," Spruce commented. "Could he?"

"We won't know for sure, 'til we find him," Dallas replied. "Where to next?"

Delilah proceeded to sniff the surrounding area, before she picked up Doug's scent again. The heroes followed the trail into an alleyway.

"Ew! This place stinks!" Ken coughed, pinching his nose.

"That, or it could be that," Dallas pointed to a pile of dog poop. "As you earthlings would say. Pee-yew!"

"No kidding," Ken moaned.

"But, it looks fresh," Spruce inspected. "We're on the right trail."

With that, the heroes continued following the trail, until they arrived outside of a door, of a large building.

"There!" Delilah barked. "He went in there." 

"Why would Doug want to come here in the first place?" Spruce asked curiously.

"We'll know when we find him and ask," Ken replied as he and his friends opened the door and walked inside.

Upon walking into the building, the heroes could see that the lightings were dim, and the walls were stacked with mechanical engines, railings, and large crates.

Hum Drum blew a whistle, "Here boy," He called out to the missing dog. "Doug? Where are you?"

Suddenly, Delilah's ears perked up, "Wait!" She exclaimed, shushing her owner and the alien girls. "I hear some people, in here."

"Oh my," Spruce exclaimed. "Who could be working here?"

"Probably some workmen," Ken deduced. "Judging by the look of this place, I think it's a warehouse. And they're probably just taking care of storing some goods."

"Hold on," Delilah's ears perked up as she listened even closer to the interior.

"What is it?" Ken asked his dog. "Do you hear Doug?"

"No, I hear...a little girl! She's in distress!" Delilah exclaimed in worry.

Reacting on instinct, Delilah took off running into a hallway, Ken and the two Power Princesses following.

"Delilah!" Ken called. "Not so fast!"

It didn't take long, until Delilah came to a stop, at the edge of a railing, with Hum Drum and the others following close behind. Before long, the heroes looked down to see what Delilah had heard. They found Doug and as well as something more disturbing.

Below the railings are a group of people wearing mostly red jackets with large hoods over their head concealing their faces while carrying AK-47s.

In the center of the room, was a little girl bound to a chair and a sack over her head.

They also found Doug chained to a pole and barking nonstop at the figures. One of them was getting annoyed and butted the dog in the head with his rifle. Doug looks up to his attacker and growls defiantly at him.

"Now who are these varmints?" Mistress Marvelous asked quietly.

"If I didn't know any better," Hum Drum replied. "I think they're the Reapers."

"Reapers?" Saddle Rager asked. "What do they do?"

"They're anarchists, from what I've read in dad's police file on them," The Boy Wonder explained. "They're bad news and they never show their faces for it. There's also a rumor going on that says they're linked to a cult."

"But what would they want with a child?" Mistress Marvelous asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good and if I had to guess Doug must have tracked these guys, only to get captured himself," Hum Drum replied. "Let's get them both out!" Hum Drum immediately reaches into his utility belt and pulls out his metal rod, clicking it to full length, and is just about to jump in.

"Hold your horses there, Hum Drum!" Mistress Marvelous scolded. "Don't just go charging in without a plan of attack! If those Reaper fellas are as bad as you say they are, they'll hurt the girl or the dog if we alert them. We gotta pick 'em off, silently."

"Ooh, you mean stealth attack?" Hum Drum asked. "I like the sound of that. But how are we gonna do that?"

Dallas stood up and jumped onto a railing above, "Y'all try and create a distraction," She advised. "Try and lure one of them away from the others, and I'll do the rest from up here."

Hum Drum nodded in understanding as he proceeded with his part of the plan, with Saddle Rager.

"Delilah. Stay," Hum Drum ordered his dog.

"Understood," Delilah nodded as she complied, watching as her owner and his friend proceeded with their part of the sneak attack.

"Oh, I'm really nervous about this," Saddle Rager whimpered. "What if something goes wrong? What if those Reapers hurt them?"

"Calm down, Spruce," Hum Drum whispered. "Try to think positive. Now, how do I get one of those creeps to walk away?" Ken turned to look at an empty corner, and he got an idea.

Using his metal rod, Hum Drum tossed it at the walls, which created a loud clang.

This got one of the Reapers’ attention before they went over to investigate. 

Before the anarchist knew it, a golden lasso quickly came down and quickly snatched them up, without alerting the others. Up above, Dallas made quick work with the startled Reaper, whom she banged their head against a railing, knocking them out cold, before she handcuffs them and hangs them by their hands.

The commotion didn't go unheard, however, when the other Reapers took notice of the disturbance. Two of them left the main group to investigate. One of them went first to check what the commotion was, while the second hung back to protect their comrade. Just like before, Mistress Marvelous went to work ensnaring the second Reaper, while Hum Drum hid behind a crate, waiting for the unsuspected first Reaper to pass by, before he landed a strong hit to the head with his metal rod, knocking them out.

While this was happening, Saddle Rager made her way over to Doug, who growled as he furled his fur defensively at the alien girl.

"Shhh, it's okay," Saddle Rager cooed to the dog. "My friends and I are here to help you and the girl. Shhhh."

Listening to the girl's kind words and taken by her sweet demeanor, Doug immediately relaxed as he allowed the girl to walk over and untied him from the pole, setting him free. With that, she quickly and quietly takes Doug to safety. One of the Reapers suddenly took notice of the silence and he turned around to see that Doug was missing.

"Hey!" The Reaper called to a few of his fellow anarchists. "Dog's... gone...."

"Go! Find... it...!" One of the other Reapers ordered, to which the other few complied.

Just then, the sound of a dog barking was heard, alerting the Reapers to run in the direction of the barking. Once they disappeared behind a wall, however, the sound of brutal beating can be heard, which the other Reapers in the main group didn't pay any attention to.

"So far so good," Hum Drum said to Dallas via the comm. "Now can we get the girl?"

"Not yet, Ken," Dallas replied. "From the looks of it, the others are getting suspicious now that they've noticed several of their posse have gone missing, and they're still a lot of them. We gotta wait until they're spread thin before we can move in and snatch the kid."

"Whatever you say, Dallas."

Ken continued doing his part to lure more and more of the Reapers away, with Dallas doing her part to knock them out cold. Saddle Rager was looking after Doug, making sure he's okay, before she turned and noticed that the Reaper standing next to the girl, most likely the leader, was holding up a tube, containing a strange looking black tar of sort.

"Oh my! What is that?" Saddle Rager whimpered.

Both Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous turned to see the mysterious black tar.

"Ken?" Asked Dallas. "What'd ya call that?"

"I don't know what that is," Ken replied, before he looked up in alarm. "But it can't be good and that Reaper's holding it close to the girl! We gotta get her now!"

"Alright, Ken," Dallas agreed. "Hope ya ready."

The lead Reaper was on the verge of tipping the tube over to spill the black tar on the girl, when a lasso came down and snatched the tube away from him.

"Yoink!" Dallas shouted, taking the black tar in her hand. "I'll take that! NOW HUM DRUM!"


Infamous – Meet The Reapers


Hum Drum quickly fired his Zipper in his belt, zipping himself across the air, kicking the lead Reaper away from the girl, whom he quickly cuts free from her ropes, courtesy of his retractable nails.

"RUN KID!" Hum Drum called to the girl, who quickly took off running, after she pulled the sack off her head.

The Reapers all started to give chase after the girl, only to be stopped by Dallas who stood in their way.

"You're not going anywhere!" Mistress Marvelous declared, standing in a fighting stance.

"This way sweetie!" Spruce beckoned to the girl, as she took the child away to safety, along with Doug and Delilah, leaving Ken and Dallas to fight the remaining Reapers.

The Reapers immediately opened fire on Mistress Marvelous with their guns, but the strong super heroine was quick to roll behind some crates, to evade the bullets. Concentrating into her powers, focusing her psychokinetic link, her lasso emitted a golden glow as it snakes across the floor, wrapping itself around the Reapers' legs, tripping them up.

With the anarchists down and having dropped their guns, Hum Drum jumped into the fray and proceeded to whack them on the heads with his metal rod.

"My dad told me to never kick a man when he's down," Hum Drum commented. "But for creeps like you, I'll make an exception."

One of the Reapers got up and ran towards Hum Drum from behind, but the boy was holding his metal rod too far back, and unknowingly conked the anarchist on the nose. Alerted by the assailant's failed sneak attack, Ken immediately turned around and proceeded to jab his rod into the anarchist's stomach, with a high strike to the head for a follow up, complete with a twist of his body for a spinning back kick.

The Reaper tried to go in for another lunge at the boy, but Mistress Marvelous threw a pair of restraining cuffs that stopped the Reaper dead in his tracks and chained him to a pole.

"Nice shot, Marvelous!" Hum Drum gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Cuffarangs," Marvelous smiled, as she tossed a Reaper over her shoulders. "Never leave home without 'em."

Another Reaper jumped at Marvelous, who quickly blocked his punch, before she snaked her arm to link with his, and then followed it with a punch from her free hand to his hidden face. She was certain she struck him in the nose, judging where the Reaper was covering his inflicted face. Also, when Marvelous struck his face, his skin felt… different for some reason. Like it was almost rough.

Before she had time to think, another Reaper jumped at Dallas from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck, trying to choke the life out of her. But with a thrust, she rammed her elbow into his ribs, forcing him to let go. Once freed, Dallas slithered behind the Reaper, while still holding his hand, and she landed another punch to his head, disorienting the Reaper, then she landed a strong front kick to his back, knocking him away. Another Reaper lunged at Mistress Marvelous, but she swept her leg across the floor, tripping them, before she leapt into the air for an elbow drop, knocking the wind out of them.

Dallas quickly got up, but received a bonk on the head.

"OW!" She yelped.

She turned around to see Hum Drum was swinging his metal rod violently and wildly at the oncoming Reapers. Hum Drum didn't even notice he was accidentally hitting his own teammate, until Marvelous stopped him, in which he turned around to see her scowling and shaking her head at him in disapproval.

Resuming the fight, Marvelous quickly took hold of one end of Hum Drum's rod, and assisted him with his fight, helping the young hero-in-training to parry, block, counterattack, and land a hit, with his rod, at the other Reapers. Mistress Marvelous turned around and saw another Reaper lunging at them, to which she pulled her end of the rod to jab him in the stomach, and ducked her head to dodge a strike from another Reaper.

Mistress Marvelous proceeded to land a spinning hook kick at a Reaper, followed by a front kick to another. Then, using the metal rod, she flips Hum Drum over her shoulder, for the boy to land on top of another Reaper. Confused and distracted from the adrenaline, Hum Drum was left in a daze. Before he had time to recover, Mistress Marvelous grabs a hold of his metal rod, sweeping the dizzy boy across the floor, to trip the remaining Reapers, knocking the wind out of them. With that, the fight was over.


End of Fight


The defeated Reapers all laid across the floor, bruised, battered, but alive. Dallas and Hum Drum both stood, tired but triumphant at their latest victory.

"I think we're good for now," Dallas breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Hum Drum nodded, as he turned to look up at Dallas. "Uh, listen, Dallas? I...I'm sorry for..."

"No need to apologize, Ken," Dallas replied. Before either of them could think, the Reaper unleashed a molecular shockwave towards them. Thinking fast, Dallas grabbed Ken and jumped out of the way. After the shockwave struck a wall, the two looked up and saw that the tall Reaper and all the others were gone.





It wasn't long before the police swarmed the building and started investigating where the Reapers disappeared to. The little girl was turned over to the police who were quick to give her a safe police escort home. In the meantime, Hum Drum, Mistress Marvelous, Saddle Rager, Delilah, and Doug were perched on top of a rooftop, watching it all happen below.

"Well, that was exciting," Ken breathed a sigh of relief, exhausted from the battle. "What a thrill that was. What a rush! Haven't felt that since...well, since we saved Flower Knight from the Mane-iac...y'know, come to think of it, I wonder what became of that crazy, wild haired madwoman?"

"Who knows?" Dallas replied. "Maybe that's the last we'll ever see of her. Either way, I just don't want to run into her anytime soon."

Just then, Hum Drum's wrist started to ring, and he looked down to see a picture of his cousin, Danny.

Tapping his ring finger, Hum Drum took the call, "Hey Danny! What's up?"

"Yo Ken!" Danny Williams shouted excitedly. "I just got a breakthrough! Meet me back in the basement, you gotta see this!"

"Uh, sure! I'm on my way home right now," After that, Hum Drum hangs up the call. "Wonder what my inventive cousin's come up with now? Hope he didn’t blow the roof of our house again." He turns to Delilah, who was nuzzling her nose with Doug's. "C'mon Delilah, we're going home."

"Alright then," Delilah barked, before she turned and smiled at Doug. "See you around, Doug," With a playful giggle, she licked Doug on the nose, causing him to blush,  before she turned to join her owner.

"Hey, you girls coming?" Ken called Dallas and Spruce.

"Nah, you go on ahead, Ken!" Mistress Marvelous beckoned. "Me and Spruce are gonna bring Doug back to the firefighters. We'll see ya later."

"Okay, see ya!" With that, Ken activated his super jumping boots, and was on his way home, with Delilah.





On his way home, Hum Drum made a quick stop in the park, to find the Harmonus Defender's crashed ship. There, he changed out of his suit and redresses himself into his civilian outfit to look the part. After that was done, Ken and Delilah were able to walk back to the Heathespike residence, while acting on the parts as normal everyday civilians.

After they arrived home, Ken and Delilah both walked down into the basement, to find Danny, ready and eager to show off his latest invention.

"Okay. Check this out!" Danny said, as he walks over to a chemistry set and begins his demonstration.

Danny eagerly turned on a switch to ignite the flames, which made the colorful liquids in separate glass containers to travel up the tubes, before they all joined together into a single tube, with a nozzle fixed at the end. Fastened around the nozzle appeared to be a small glass, paintball-like pellet, the size of a marble. Danny turns on the nozzle, releasing the mixed liquid into the pellet, before he turns it off, then holds the pellet towards Ken and Delilah.

"Wow, that's pretty neat, Danny," Ken applauded, lightly and less enthusiastically. "But what does it do?"

"Well that's the best part!" Danny smiled, before he turned to a nearby dart target board, and threw the pellet.

Upon impact, the pellet broke, and exploded into a colorful foamy cloud that covers the entire board.

"Behold!" Danny shouts excitedly. "Funny Elephant Foam BOMBS! They're like ninja smoke bombs, except they explode into colorful foams of different colors!"

"Whoa, that's pretty good there, Danny!" Ken nodded, further impressed by his cousin's accomplishment. "You really outdid yourself this time!"

"Oh, please, stop!" Danny shook his hands as he feigns modesty. "You're too much."

"What's going on down here?" Megan asked as she and Molly came down into the basement to see what the hullabaloo was about. "What in the world?! Danny? What did you do?"

"Just only my latest invention!" Danny smiled proudly. "FOAM BOMBS!" With that, Danny tossed another pellet, which exploded into even more colorful foamy clouds, startling Megan and Molly. "Funny ELEPHANT Foam Bombs! YEAH!"

"Wow, colorful," Megan nodded. "And...messy. You are going to clean this up, aren't you Danny?" The young woman asked sternly.

"Uh yeah...later. Right after THIS!" Danny was just about to throw another pellet, but Ken stopped his enthusiastic cousin.

"Don't make it one more on your clean-up list, Dan," Ken shook his head. "Besides, how many of these did you make?"

"Oh I made a whole batch of them!" Danny smiled, pointing over to show a whole plastic bag, big enough to hold at least 30 of them.

"Wow, you've been busy," Ken commented as he walked over to look at the pellets, each with different mixtures of colors. 'Hmmm, I wonder if the girls might find some use for these things?'

"Hey Danny?" Ken called to his cousin. "You mind if I show some of these off to my friends?"

"Be my guest, Ken!" Danny replied.





Maretropolis Zoo
 

Once again, Ken was walking through the zoo, still in his casual civilian outfit. The young hero-in-training was sitting at a table, outside, in the diner area, while gazing at one of his cousin's newly made "foam bombs."

"Hello Ken!" A sweet voice greeted, revealing herself to be Spruce Spanner. "I'm glad you could make it today," She smiled as she pulled up a seat beside him.

"Well, it's been a long day today so, I'm happy to be here," Ken sighed.

"Oh, I know what you mean," Spruce replied. "But if anything, I think you were great today! The way you fought off those awful people to save poor Doug and the little girl. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen you do!"

"Well, don't forget, I had Dallas there to back me up," Ken chuckled. "So...hehe, I can't...take full credit of it. You know?"

"But either way, I still think you were amazing back there," Spruce smiled, which turned sad. "Even better than how I would if...if..."

"If what?"

"...if I had been more...assertive, but not too...assertive..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's...it's a long story..."

"I'm listening."

Seeing how attentive and intent Ken was, Spruce breathed a deep sigh, before she begins.

"Remember when I told you that I can turn myself into...into a–" Spruce hesitated as she couldn't seem to bring herself to say it.

"Into a monster when you get angry?" Ken nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well...I wasn't born with that sort of power...I sorta...actually, what I meant to say was...it was the result of an accident I had...back on Harmonus..."

"You don't say," Ken said in fascination. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking."

"Well...long ago, I used to be a renowned scientist, throughout all of Harmonus," Spruce began to narrate. "In fact, before becoming the Defenders, I was the Head Scientist in the medical field. I was on the verge of finding a perfect cure for all diseases in the known galaxies."

"Wow, that sounds like a big achievement!" Ken commented. "So how did it go? Were you successful? And...did you have to like experiment it on any...creatures to do that?"

"Oh no! I would never harm an innocent creature!" Spruce exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, I was just asking," The boy calmed the bewildered girl. "I'm just curious. Anyway, go on."

"I never liked the idea of conducting experiments on living creatures, for the purpose of scientific advancement," Spruce continued. "Instead, I made it my life's work to treating and caring for all the disease inflicted animals with the utmost care and love I can provide. That's how I became a doctor. I just love animals, don't you?"

"Well, of course," Ken nodded in agreement. "Why else would my family and I have Delilah?" Ken smiled, while he secretly thought to himself, 'Wow, this girl's a veterinarian, a scientist, and a doctor. She must be very smart or something,' Ken then beckoned Spruce to continue with her story, "Anyway, go on. How did you became...well, how did you get your powers?"

"One day, I thought I had found the answer I was looking for," Spruce continued. "I thought I had found the cure...or at least, something close to it. And with this cure, I used it in a machine I had designed, with the purpose to treat animal illness. It was everything I had hoped for...until it happened. The machine suddenly had a malfunction, and it began to overload. I quickly evacuated all of the animals out of my lab. But in the process, I was exposed to this...radiation, resulted from the overload. I didn't know it then...but later, I found out that the radiation somehow mutated my genetic structures. And whenever I became angry, I...you know."

'Yup, definitely a Hulk. Or a She-Hulk, more like it,' Ken thought to himself. "Well Spruce, that sounds like a really cool origin story and...frankly, I'd like to see your 'angry' side, sometimes."

"Oh no!" Spruce yelped in fright. "Please Ken, believe me. You do not want to see me angry! That's the last thing you need to see!"

"What? Why? What's the matter?" Ken asked.

"Because...the last time I got angry, I...I hurt some people I never meant to hurt," The girl whimpered.

"Oh...sorry I asked...but aren't you a Defender? I mean, you're obviously part of the Harmonus Defender's rank for a reason, right?"

"I am...but I don't think I deserved it. I don't know what Queen Celestia saw in me, but...I don't deserve to be on the team, if I can't even control my own anger. I'm even...afraid of myself...that's why I'm better off serving as the team's medic. Because I can at least help my friends more by treating them to their wounds, instead of being...the cause of their wounds."

Ken nodded in understanding, while looking sad at the distraught alien girl, who was formerly the Head Scientist and a renowned veterinarian from her planet. Wanting to cheer the girl up, Ken looked at the Foam Bomb pellet he's got in his hand.

"Hey Spruce," He began. "Being a scientist and all, my cousin Danny would like your...honest opinion on his latest breakthrough."

"Oh?" Spruce began. "What is it?"

"See this little ball?" Ken held it up in his hand. "Watch what happens when I do this!" With a flick of his hand, Ken tossed the pellet down to the ground, and it exploded into a colorful cloud of foams.


Because I'm Shy – ElectroKaplosion (feat.Chi-Chi)


"Oh my!" Spruce exclaimed in fascination. "Is that...the Funny Elephant Toothpaste science that Nova Potts showed us today?"

"It sure is!" Ken smiled, as he held out another pellet. "It was Nova Potts's scientific breakthrough, but it was thanks to my cousin Danny's creative ingenuity that he found a way to pack it all in one small package! Pretty cool, am I right? Or am I right?"

Spruce couldn't help but giggle at Ken's optimism, before she walked over, holding her hand out for one of the pellets.

"Can I try some?" She asked politely.

"Sure!" Ken held out the pellets to Spruce. "Knock yourself out! Uh, not literally..."

Spruce smiled before she held up one of the pellets and threw it to a nearby trash, watching as its completely filled up with rainbow multicolored foam clouds.

"Wow, they're so beautiful!" Spruce smiled, before an idea came to her. "Ooh! I wonder if the elephants would like these! I've got to show these to them!"

With an eager giggle, Spruce quickly ran off to try them out, but not before she quickly returned to Ken.

"Oh, and thank you, Ken!" She said, before she gave the boy a quick peck on the cheek. "You're the best!"

With that, Spruce took her leave, while leaving Ken in a loving daze, as he touches the spot where Spruce had kissed him. It felt just as nice as the time Trot Summers had kissed him. Watching from behind a tree, Dallas Queen smiled at what she had witnessed.





The sun was setting over the horizon, bathing the city in a beautiful hue of orange. Most of the zoo's visitors were already leaving, but Spruce was still doing her part-time job as zookeeper assistant, as she helped to clean the elephants, while showing the Funny Elephant "Toothpaste" to the pachyderms.

Standing over the railing, watching in loving daze, Ken gazes in admiration of Spruce, seeing her impeccable love towards the animals and her doting demeanor that puts a many loving mothers to shame.

"Been a long time since I've seen her smile like that," Dallas commented, making herself known to Ken.

"Oh! Dallas! H-Hi!" Ken greeted, stammering, having been caught off-guard. "I-I-I didn't hear you comin'."

Dallas simply giggled, before she calmed Ken, "At ease there, sugarcube. I just came here to see how you and Spruce have been getting along. And it seems y'all are doin' just as well! I've never seen her that happy in a long time."

"Well...it's the least I can do," Ken replied. "After everything you and the girls have gone through from across the galaxy to her...must've been real hard on you gals."

"Harder than you can imagine, Ken," Dallas replied.

"Yeah, sure," Turning to the strong Power Princess, Ken asked, "So, what's your story, Dallas? I've learned the story of Trot, then Aurora and Mary, and now Spruce's. So what's yours? How did you became a Defender?"

With a tip of her hat, Dallas smiled as she begins to tell her story.

"Back on Harmonus," She began. "I once hailed from a hidden city called Alfalfis. Kinda like how Aurora was from another kingdom, before she joined the Harmons Defenders. Except, I wasn't a princess from where I came from. But like a lot of us young warriors from Alfalfis, I was born with super strength. And everyday, I trained with my kin to look out for one another, to use our superior strength to fight and protect our home and loved ones. We were trained to fight for our family and our home, because our elders have said that that's been the way of the Alfalfis."

"Yeah, I can see that," Ken nodded, while noting Dallas's impressive lean and muscular build. "So...when did you became a Defender of...not just Alpha-Alf-al? Alf...How did you became a Harmonus Defender? Like how did you get involved with Trot and the others?"

"The problem with Alfalfis is, while it's a paradise for me and my kins...it just doesn't feel right with me that we've kept all our super strengths and resources to ourselves, while the world outside was...wasn't as prosperous as our own. I found that out the hard way, when I left Alfalfis for a quick glimpse at the rest of Harmonus, that I found...trouble."

"...What kind of trouble?" Ken asked.

"I don't know where I was at the time," Dallas replied. "All that I knew was...I walked into a town that's full of trouble. There were a band of thieves, who ransacked the townsfolks of their homes, their valuables, and everything. I refused to stand idly by, so I jumped in and fought off the varmints. Soon, words of my heroism spread throughout Harmonus, which eventually reached Queen Celestia and Princess Twilight, who invited me to become one of the Harmonus Defenders."

"Sounds like a happy ending..." Ken commented. "To an origin story, I mean."

"It's not," Dallas denied. "For one thing, I got into trouble with the elders back in Alfalfis. Needless to say, I got into a heated arguments with the old timers, for breaking a sacred tradition of Alfalfis, that has now exposed the existence of the city to the outside world, and that I've run the risk of endangering the lives we've been raised to protect."

"Yikes! So what happened?" 

"Well, we've had some disagreements, before we – how do you say? Agreed to disagree? I left Alfalfis, to join the Defenders, with the intent on using my super strength, not just for Alfalfis, but for the whole world. Or at least, until...Sombra came..." Dallas muttered with disdain at the mention of the evil warlord who had ended it all.

Out of impulse, Ken reaches out to place a gentle hand on Dallas's shoulder, to which the strong girl gingerly stroked.

Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Dallas cleared her throat.

"But, besides all that, today brings back lots of fond memories, Ken," Dallas crossed her arms. "The way we fought off those Reapers today made me feel like I was back in Alfalfis again. And I certainly feel like a mentor with you as my apprentice. Though, your stick fighting could use some more work."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Ken blushed, recalling his clumsy performance back in the fight.

Dallas simply giggled as she wrapped an arm around Ken, "No need to be sorry, Ken," She smiled, holding him close and poking his cheek with her other hand. "You're on your way of becoming an impressive Defender."

Ken couldn't help but blush an even brighter shade of red at the compliment, and from how close Dallas was holding him.
> The Path of Hum Drum Part 6 – The Beauty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Really?" Green Gardener asked with piqued interest. "He's really all that wonderful?"

In response, her fellow Power Princesses all exchanged random agreements.

“He’s got potential,” Trot smiled, while shyly twirling one of her hair locks.

“He’s got spirit,” Aurora commented.

“HE’S ALOT OF FUN!!!” Mary smiled. “And cute!”

“And nice,” Spruce added.

“His choreography needs a little work, but otherwise, he’s on his way to becoming a splendid Defender!” Dallas stated.

“Oh, wow,” Green Gardener smiled. “If he’s really as good as you all say he is, then I’m just brimming with excitement for my rendezvous with the little darling.”

“You won’t be disappointed, Green!” Mary beamed excitedly. “I can just see you two together, sitting beneath a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G! And very soon, we’ll all officially become one big happy harem!”

Thankfully, the girls were holding their meeting in the Heathspike’s dining room, without Ken, his parents, nor his cousins present. Otherwise, it would’ve been awkward for anyone to hear Mary Allen’s  forwarded romantic proclamation.

“A harem?” Trot asked. “What makes you say that, pray tell?”

“It was in a book!” Mary shrugged. “Well, that and a couple other books, written by this Wildcard25 guy and a few others.”

“...Don’t believe everything you read on the books, Mary...” Aurora advised.

“Hey. It could happen...” Mary smiled with a shrug.




Meanwhile, Ken was hanging out with his friends, Thor and Gwen. He was showing them a text he received from a distant friend.

“Check this out!” Ken showed the text. “Mei Ling’s coming to town! She’s currently on her way here, with her dad, and she can’t wait to see us soon!”

“Oh wow! That’s great news!” Thor exclaimed. “We haven’t seen her in forever!”

“I know how you feel,” Gwen said in sympathy. “But it’s only been...a year? Give or take.”

Hearing that last part from Gwen, Ken's excitement turned to sadness, as he looks towards an empty table.

"And it's gonna be another three years, or so, without her," Ken frowned sadly.

Thor and Gwen immediately caught onto whom Ken was referring to, and they began to sympathize.

"You're talking about Kara, aren't you?" Thor asked.

"...Can you blame me?" Ken asked. "It's been three years and she's still missing. I wonder what happened to her, or where she's been. And her mom, Kisara won't even talk about it..."

"Maybe it's because she's just as clueless as we are to what happened to her," Thor commented. "She could be anywhere..."

"...That's what I'm afraid of..." Ken frowned, before he shook his head. "Anyway, sorry I ever brought her up, I..."

"Ken, it's okay," Gwen comforted, putting a hand on his. "She was your babysitter. And on top of that, she's our friend. So it's okay for you to miss her from time to time."

"Not just sometimes," Ken muttered. "All the time..." Looking for comfort, Ken stroked Gwen's soft hand, and he looked down at his watch. "Yikes, I didn't know that was the time. I gotta go." He picked up his backpack and quickly took his leave.

"Where are you going, Ken?" Thor asked, watching as his friend took his leave.

"I promised Green Gardener a date at the Maretropolis Mall," Ken explained.

"Ooh, a date with Green Gardener~" Thor smirked mischievously. "You sly dog...uh, I mean, sounds nice. Good for you, Ken," The boy stuttered when he noticed Gwen scowling in annoyance.

"It's just to give her a tour of the mall, and everything," Ken shrugged. "Besides, she wanted to try out some new clothes and she needed help on them."

"What kind of new clothes? OW!" Thor grunted, when Gwen punched his arm. "What? I was just asking..."

"Oh, you know...the local kind," Ken replied. "The usual shirts, pants, and trendy kind you see us walking around in?"

"Ah."

"You seem to have a lot of time with these new girls, Ken..." Gwen frowned. "Any reason why?"

"Well, they're new around the city," Ken replied. "And I offered to show them around and they're still getting to know the place. You know? That's all."

"Uh huh," Gwen nodded, while sounding unconvinced.

"Anyway, I should get going now," Ken turned and leave. "Oh, and tell your brother and sister I said hi!" He said to Thor and Gwen respectively.

"See ya around, Ken!" Thor waved, while Gwen sadly watched Ken leave.





Meanwhile, at the Maretropolis Mall, Green Gardener was standing outside, atop of the steps of the front entrance, waiting for Ken. It wasn't long, when the sound of running footsteps draw her attention to the boy who had at last arrived.

"Oh, Ken! You've made it," Green Gardener smiled. "You know, it's impolite to keep a lady waiting," She chided playfully.

"Sorry, Green," Ken panted.

"Well, enough chit-chat, let's begin our outing."

Ken nodded in agreement as he and Green Gardener walk together into the mall.

"So what's the plan?" Ken asked.

The first stop was at an ice cream store, where Ken and Green respectively purchased cones of chocolate chip mints and strawberry, vanilla, with caramel syrups.

"Mmmm-mmm! Delicious!" Ken smiled as he licks his ice cream.

"Indeed!" Green Gardener agreed. "I simply can't get enough of your world's ice cream. Though, I'm afraid I must show some restraints, or I'd be...out of shape?"

"Or get a cavity, let alone a brain freeze," Ken chuckled, while he cringed at the memory. "I'll never forget that painful headache-toothache combo. Ouch."

Green Gardener simply chuckled at Ken's remark, before she asked, "So, where would you like to go next, Ken?"

"Um," Ken looked around, making sure no one was close to hear what he and Green have to say. "Are you sure about this, Green?" He asked, whispering into her ears. "Should we really be going on a date, when we could be on patrol?"

"Nonsense, darling, the girls have got that covered," Green reassured. "And besides, if anything happens, we'll handle it," She winked, while holding up her bracelets.

"Oh, okay," Ken nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, since you put it that way, then I guess we'll go on with this date of ours."

"Excellent! So, where shall we go next?"

Ken scratched his chin, as he pondered, before turning to the right and sees a music store next to him and Green. With that, both he and the beautiful alien girl walked into the store to check out the latest albums and CDs they've got on sale. Ken listened and enjoyed a few Pop songs, while Green seemed to be more drawn to some of the more classical music genre. However, she did show an interest in the disco songs.

"Oh, I'd say, this Irene Cara has a splendid voice," Green Gardener smiled, while dancing to the beat of 'Flashdance – What a Feeling.' "Such passion! Why, it sings to the heart and soul of the listener!"

"Oh yeah, she's great," Ken nodded in agreement. "And if you like the song, you should definitely see the movie that goes with it."

"Will do," Green nodded, before she turns to the next pop song available for sample. "Ooh! Here's an album of one Madonna."

"Oh man, she's the greatest!" Ken smiled happily. "She's the OG Queen of Pop! And she's still got it, all the way from the 80s! She didn't show up in the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime Show for nothing."

"Is that so?" Green asked with piqued fascinations. "So what other singers should I be aware of?"

"Oh, where do I begin?" Ken pondered. "Well, I could tell you about today's Queen of Pop, Sapphire Shores, as well as Songbird Serenade, and Countess Coloratura."

Later, as Ken explained the said pop stars to Green Gardener's ever growing interest, they continued on with their date, by going to a bookstore, where Ken had another look in the comic section, and gets a quick look at some superhero comics. Green Gardener also takes a look at some comic book herself, while making a few comments on their outwears.

"I'd say, couldn't she afford to show less skin for more protection?" Green asked. "And how could he possibly fit all those gadgets in that belt? And–Oh, goodness! That shade of brown should only be used for accents!"

"Wow, you seem to know a lot about fashion, Green," Ken commented.

"Well, a lady's not without her taste of proper attire and fashion, you know," Green smiled proudly. "And I don't mean to brag, but back on Harmonus, I'm a fashionista of the trades and a rising beauty queen."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, indeed. For as long as I can remember, I've had an eye for creative beauty and fashion. And I took it upon myself to make a gown that speaks to every Harmonian, showing their beauties from the inside-out."

"Fascinating."

"For example, dear Ken. Your casual outwears speaks of an average every-day kind of person that most can relate to."

"Really?" Ken blushed. "Should I be flattered, or embarrassed?"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Ken," Green smiled, as she gives a quick kiss on the boy's cheek. "It's who you are, and I like you, just the way you are."

Ken held his hand up to where Green had kissed him, while thinking to himself, 'I'm never washing this cheek again.'

Later, Ken and Green were passing an instrument shop, when Green Gardener stops to check out a few instruments herself.

Ken picked up a trombone and started to play some smooth jazzy tunes with it.

“Wow, Ken! That was lovely!” Radiance smiled.

“Thanks! My aunt Prickles taught it to me,” The boy smiled.

She played a few keys on a piano, before she picks up a guitar, but simply strums the strings.

"Here, lemme show you," Ken offered as he took the guitar and played a few notes, expertly.

"Oh wow, how marvelous!" Green smiled excitedly.

"My cousin, Megan, showed me a few tricks now and then," Ken smiled as he handed it back to Green. "Now you try it," Green gave a few warm-ups on the strings, "C'mon. Like you mean it, Green!" Ken, and just about everyone else, where suddenly caught off-guard, when Green Gardener ended up shredding the guitar like a rockstar.

"WHOA!" Ken shouted, as he was literally knocked off his feet, by the sudden blast of music.

"Like that?" Green asked.





After recovering from the rock n roll shock, their last stop was at a fashion store.

"Oh wow, just look at these shoes!" Green marveled. "Oh, and these dresses and hats!"


Freak Le Chic


In a heartbeat, Green Gardener didn't waste a second as she started trying on some new clothes she's selected, appearing more stunning and glamorous than the last. Ken could only sit back and watch as she stood out from the curtains, dressed as a lovely schoolgirl, an athlete, a teacher, a policewoman, and even a princess in a tight, sparkling dress.

"Beauty queen is right," Ken smiled as he finds himself in a pink world, surrounded by sparkles and bubbles as he falls into a lovestruck glance at Green.

Later, both boy and girl were checking out at the swimwear section. Ken couldn't help but blush, especially at the females' swimwear.

'Hey! Cut me some slack, I'm a dude!' Ken said mentally to himself.

“My word...” Green Gardener exclaimed, as she examined a two-piece swimwear. “Oh. It’s a swimwear. Honestly, sometimes I’m having trouble telling the difference between a swimwear and an undergarment. They looked similar.”

“Yeah, I’m no fashion expert,” Ken admitted with a faint blush. “But hey...I've once heard it's all about function, not fashion," The boy then thought to himself, 'Though, mostly fashion, depending how sexy we're talking...'

"Is that right?" Green asked, while still looking skeptical. "Then pray tell, what is the exact function of a swimwear like this?"

"I...I wouldn't know," Ken blushed a shade of red, which he hides by turning away. "Besides, if you're uncomfortable about bikinis, there are one-pieces over there..."

"No, actually, I'm rather intrigued," Green said as she looks at the bikini in her hand. “Oh! What is that?”





Once again, Ken was waiting for Green Gardener to change. This time, she began to take things up a notch and started to appear in sexier, exotic costumes.

She posed in a catsuit that tightly hugged her curves. She even posed as a cheerleader. And she even posed as a beautiful belly dancer.

Ken was blushing bright red, while exerting as much self restraint to keep himself composed and in control. Last thing he wanted was to make a fool of himself and be labeled as a shameless pervert.

Finally, Green came to the last of her ensembles for the day.

"Well, Ken?" Green Gardener asked, as she steps out of the curtain, posing in the bikini. "How do I look? Be honest, darling..."

Ken was at a loss for words. 


Oh YEAH! – Anime SFX


His face was a deep shade of red, as he stared, slack-jawed, gawking at the beautiful alien girl in front of him. In color, the bikini is light purple with large plates of seashell designs and shapes on the fronts of the top and bottom, that leaves little to the imagination. To further her ravishing display, Radiance also wore sparkling white high heels, that compliments her curvaceous figure and brings out the colors of her eyes and hair.

To him, she's about as stunning, if not gorgeous, than Dejah Thoris, Starfire, and by extension, Princess Leia's slave garb from Return of the Jedi.

"Hmmm, by the expression on your face, I presume you like what you see?" The girl flirted.

"Huh? Oh!" Ken shook himself back to his senses. "Y-Y-Yeah! I-I-I-I think you look–" Before Ken could finish his sentence, there was an explosion that shook the whole building.


End of Song


Ken and Green Gardener were knocked to the floor, and were buried under a clump of clothings, as well as debris from the explosion. Straining to look, Ken could see several criminals, with colorful hairstyles and dressed in flashy attires.

The criminals were pointing their guns up in the air as they fired random shots to scare the customers and several of the mall staffs.

"Give us your money!" One of the criminals ordered. "And give us the best clothes you've got!"

The staffs frighteningly complied as they immediately opened up their cash registers to empty the moneys into the criminals' bags, along with the expensive dresses, scarves, and all sorts of fancy clothings they could get their hands on.

"This looks like a job for us, Radiance," Ken said, as he scurried himself out of the rubbles and into the changing room to change into his suit.

"Agreed, let's...huh?" Green Gardener reached out for her power bracelets, but was dismayed to find they were gone, along with the dresses she had picked out. "Hey! My bracelets! My outfits! Where are my–”

"Hey check this out!" One of the thugs spoke up, showing off a familiar bracelet to match. "This looks expensive. How much do you think it'll fetch us?"

"I don't know, but it looks promising," The other thug replied. "Let's take it to High Heels. She'll know what to do." With that, the thugs took their leave, with Radiance's bracelets.

"HEY! Stop right–" Remembering that she’s still wearing the bikini, Green Gardener’s face became a shade of red as she wraps her arms over her chest and waist, then hides to preserve her modesty.

In the meantime, Ken was done with his costume change and came out, having suit up into Hum Drum.

“STOP VILLAINS!” Hum Drum shouted, while he mentally castigated himself, ‘Stop villains? Really? Like any villains would ever stop if you tell them to. And why have I been talking to myself a lot lately? Oh well.’

Regaining his focus, back into the situation, Hum Drum leaps into the chaos, ready to fight the new gang of baddies.

“You ready, Radiance?” Hum Drum asked, to which an answer didn’t respond. “Radiance?”

Radiance was currently hiding herself, underneath an upturned counter. The fashionable alien girl was too embarrassed to be seen in public, let alone fight. Not to mention she’s completely powerless without her bracelets.

"Uh, y-y-yes, H-H-Hum Dr-Drum," Radiance shivered, from under the counter. "I've...I'm already in pursuit of one group. You take care of the ruffians on your end."

Thankfully for her, Ken bought it and complied, "You can count on me, Radiance!" Activating his super jump boots, Hum Drum leapt away, into the main hall of the mall, while Radiance looks at herself in a nearby mirror.

"Hmph! What function?" She asked, referring to the bikini she's wearing. "It offers no decent amount of protection..."





Back with Hum Drum, the young hero-in-training was in pursuit of most of the criminals who continued to raid other fashion stores. The boy hid himself behind a pillar, while scoping the layout, seeing he's on the second floor of the mall. Most of the crimes is taking place, on the first floor. Not including the fashion store he just left, there were an estimate of three other fashion stores being raided by the criminals.

"Alright, Hum Drum," The boy said to himself. "Time to give your cousin Danny's invention a field test," Reaching into one of his cape's pockets, Hum Drum pulls out a small pellet of the Funny Elephant Toothpaste, along with a Nerf gun from his belt. "Good thing these can double as bullets."

Ken loaded one of the pullets into the Nerf blaster, took aim and fired one of them at the ground floor, watching the pellet explode into a colorful foamy cloud that spreads all over the floor. The impact also caught some of the criminal's attention.

"Hey! I heard something over there," One of the thugs went out to investigate the foamy puddle. "What the hell is this stuff?"

"I don't know," One of the other thugs answered. "But let's not get it onto the goods. Remember, High Heels wants 'em intact and in good condition."

"Hmmm, whoever these goons are working for, they must know what they're stealing," Ken pondered. "But who would...nevermind. I gotta stop these goons until..." Suddenly, Hum Drum's glove rang, signaling in incoming phone call from his dad. "Uh...hello?" Ken answered.

"Ken! Where are you?" Kenbroath Heathespike asked frantically over the phone. "I just got a phone call about a–"

"Mass explosion, gunfires with criminals flooding into the mall?" Ken asked. "Yeah, I'm in the middle of it, dad."

"Oh shit...I'm on my way, Ken. Everything's going to be okay. Just stay where you are, stay out of sight, and don't panic."

"I won't dad," Ken replied, as he hung up. "Until dad gets here, I'd better take care of these thugs," Tapping his ring finger, Hum Drum called for Radiance. "Hey, uh Radiance? I could use some help here...Radiance? Hello? Hello?" Little does the boy know, the girl's comm was among her other belongings, which have been stolen by the goons.

"...Guess it's up to me then..." Hum Drum shrugged, as he begins his lonesome fight against the criminals. "Alright Ken, remember what the girl's been teaching you. Fight smart. Analysis the situation and the layouts. Think of a strategy."

Ken quietly sneaks into a fashion store, where a thug was pressuring a person at a counter to open up a safety box, while his partner was standing next to him, holding an even bigger gun.

"Gotta get that gunman away first," Ken said to himself, before he turns to see a mannequin next to him. "Hmmm..."

Getting an idea, Ken kicked the mannequin, causing it to fall onto the floor, which caught the thugs' attention.

"Hey, who's there?!" The first thug asked, before he tells the gunman. "Go check it out."

The gunman walked away, while the thug resumes pressuring the staff to opening up the safe. The gunman was walking over to the downed mannequin, right when he heard a loud bang and he was hit with something that covered his face in a colorful foamy substance. Out of impulse, the gunman pulled the trigger, firing blind shots, before he was hit in the head by something metallic, knocking him out cold.

"Huh? What's goin' on?" The thug asked, turning around, right when he gets a kick to the face.

Hum Drum had used his line launcher to zip in the air, and kicked the thug to the ground, before he knocks him out with a blow from his bo staff.

"Stay down..." Hum Drum ordered the downed thugs, before he was on his way to the next fashion store.

Hum Drum was blushing a shade of red, since the next fashion store he went to is Victoria's Secret. The boy had to shake his head, slapping himself several times to keep himself focused on the task at hands. Especially when three of the criminals are holding a man and his girlfriend hostage.

"C'mon, Ken. Don't get too turned on...stay focus!" Hum Drum said to himself as he looks back at the situation, while fighting the urge to imagine some of his girl friends wearing the lingeries on display.

"I gotta get those guys away from that couple...but how?"

Hum Drum looked around the store, seeing a counter with a pyramid of perfume spray, close by on his right, and a puddle of water, with a wet floor sign standing between him and the crooks. Thinking up another idea, Hum Drum quietly took away the wet floor sign, before he crawls towards the counter with the perfumes.

Ken unscrews the cap off one of the perfumes and gives it a good whiff of it.

"Phew!" He winced. "I don't know if that's pepper spray, or not. But it's close enough."

With it, he sprays the perfume onto some of his Funny Elephant Toothpaste bullets and fires it at one of the criminals in the room. The bullet hit the target criminal on the right side of his face, and exploded into a colorful foam, upon impact. But that's not all.

"AH! What the...AH! MY EYES! It STINGS!" The thug groaned, as he struggles to keep the foamy substance, with a blinding overpowering aroma that stings his eye.

With one of the crooks distracted, the other two tried to help him, which the couple took their chance to escape. Hum Drum continued to fire more of his Funny Elephant Toothpastes, with Victoria Secret perfumes, at the crooks, blinding them even more, until it was safe for him to charge in and bash most of them over the head, with his staff. Because the crooks were blind, it was easy for them to be tricked into punching and attacking each other.

"Oh my god!" Hum Drum chortled to himself, watching the funny scene unfold. "Yoo-hoo~ Over here!" Hum Drum whistled to the blinded crooks, who immediately broke into a run, charging after the boy wonder, only to step on the Wet Floor Sign that Ken had strategically placed on the puddle of water, causing them to surf out of the store.

"WHOA!" The crooks screamed, until they've crashed into a wall.

"Wipe out dudes," Hum Drum joked, before he was on his way to stop the other crooks.

The next fashion store sells prom dresses and ball gowns. Hum Drum was rolling across the floor, ducking behind some shelves and hiding behind some clothe racks, when he eavesdrop on what some crooks were saying.

"This is what the boss is after," One of the crooks explained. "She wants us to be very careful with it. Not a single tear or a bullet in this dress."

Hum Drum poked his head behind the rack, and was aghast to see what the crooks were stealing. The said dress is worn on a mannequin. In appearance, it is a dark purple ball gown with pink wrap-off the shoulders sleeves, with the skirt decorated in three rows of matching pink ribbons.

"Hey, that looks like one of my Aunt Spiny's designs!" Hum Drum exclaimed.

"Hey guys!" One of the crooks came in and alerted. "We gotta outta here now, the cops are on the way!"

"Alright then, but first, we're need to take this dress," The other thug said as he and his comrade proceeded to lift up the mannequin. "The boss was strictly clear that we take this dress, or don't get paid at all..."

"There's just one problem for that!" Hum Drum said, as he stood before the crooks, holding his nerf gun at the ready. "You're under arrest!"

"Get lost kid," One of the thugs barked. "The playground's that way."

"I said freeze!"

One of the thug scoffed as he held out a bat with spikes, "So ya want to be a hero, eh?" He said, as he walks up to Ken, with the bat at the ready. "Well, I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" The thug swung his bat at Ken, who pulled the trigger, firing his spicy enhanced Funny Elephant Toothpaste bullet, at the thug.

"AAAAAAAHHH!!!" The thug screamed, as he falls to the ground, with his face covered in the foamy substance. "IT BURNS!!!"

"What the hell?!" The other thugs exclaimed, finally getting the message that Hum Drum means business.

Before the thugs could retaliate, Hum Drum leapt onto them, swinging his metal staff at the thugs, hitting them on the legs, arms, and head, while they did their best to block the rod from hitting their face. One of the thugs grabbed Hum Drum from behind, but Hum Drum activated his retractable nails to scratch the thug's arm.

"OW!" The thug screamed, releasing Hum Drum, while he looks at his bleeding arm. "This little brat's armed to the nail!"

"...You bet I am," Hum Drum smirked, as whips out his gun and fired another of his bullet, which the other crooks evaded, before they whipped out their guns. "WHOA!" Hum Drum yelped, as he ducks behind a counter for cover.

The thugs continued to fire their guns at Hum Drum, until one of their comrades called, "ENOUGH! We have to go, now!" 

With that, the thugs ceased their fire and took their leave. After a good long five minutes have passed, Hum Drum cautiously poked his head from behind, only to be met with a gun to his head.

"Don't move..." The thug ordered.

BONG!

Hum Drum jumped, as he turns around to see the thug falling over, with a large bump on his head.

"Darling, are you alright?" A girl in trench coat, with a gray fedora, and sunglasses asked, while holding a large stone slab she had used to knock the criminal out.

"Yeah, I'm okay...wait, Radiance?" Hum Drum asked. "What's with the–"

"Shhh!" Radiance shushed the boy, as the sound of police siren was heard. "Let's go up top..."





Later, on the rooftop, while the police were busy rounding up the criminals they had captured, Green Gardener relayed her awkward predicament to Ken, who was struggling not to laugh.

"Seriously?" He chuckled. "You lost your bracelets, and...those crooks have them? With your suit?"

"Oh, I'd like to see you try and fight in one of your undergarments, without getting flustered," Green countered. "Anyway, we have to find them and get back my things. Without my bracelets, I'm powerless. Not to mention I'll never be able to suit up, without my bracelets. And I simply cannot be seen without my suit..."

"And how are we going to find them?" Ken asked. "They could be anywhere in the city." Before Radiance could answer, Hum Drum's glove rang, signaling him another phone call from his father. "Hey dad!"

"Ken! Thank goodness. Are you alright?" Kenbroath exclaimed. "Where are you? My officers are looking all over the mall for you..."

"I'm okay, dad..." Ken replied. "I...uh...I'm on my way to the house. See ya!" With that, Ken hastily hang up on his dad, before he turns to Radiance. "Okay. How do we find your gears and the crooks who snatched them?"

"Luckily for me, I've always installed a few tracking devices into my belongings in the event I ever lost them," Radiance explained. "And the only way to pinpoint their location would be...OH! Of course!" Radiance snapped her fingers. "The ship! Darling, we must return to the ship! We can pinpoint my bracelets from there!"

"Alright then, let's go!" With a click of his heels, Hum Drum proceed to spring himself away.

"Uh, Hum Drum?" Radiance called, to which the boy comes back. "In case, you've forgot, I can't exactly travel far in this state I'm in..."

"Oh, right, sorry..."

With that, Hum Drum picked up Radiance in his arms, or struggled to do so. With the girl in his arm, bridal style, Hum Drum proceeded to jump away, and together, they leapt across the city, on their way to the park. Once they arrived at the hidden crashed ship of the Harmonus Defenders, Hum Drum collapsed on the floor, out of breath.

'I should've hit the gym more often,' Hum Drum said to himself, mentally.

"Thank you, Hum Drum. You wonderful for carrying me," Radiance smiled gratefully as she walks down a hall, with Hum Drum following.

"Hey! Any chance you might have a spare set of bracelets for yourself?" Ken asked.

"Unfortunately, it's not that possible, Ken," Radiance sadly replied. "For you see, those bracelets are one-of-a-kind. They were given to me by their former wearer and I absolutely cannot let his trust be in vain."

Ken's interest was piqued, "Wait, you got your bracelets from someone else?

"Indeed," The girl nodded. "Before I even became a Harmonus Defender, I was working on some of my designs, when a...a traveler from another world, I should say, happened to crash land into our world. I was the only one to have noticed, at that time, so I did what I thought any Harmonus would do for a visitor to our world. I went off to investigate, and I found him in critical condition. I took him back to my home, helped nurse him back to health to the best of my abilities, but..."

"...But what?" Ken asked. "Did he got better?"

"Sadly, no," The girl shook her head, sadly. "And yet, he was grateful. And in his last dying moments, he gave me the bracelets, saying that I deserved them...as a shining example for goodness..." Radiance looked down and sighed, "Now, without them, and for losing them, I feel so...powerless. And that he made a mistake. I don't deserve them..."

Seeing how powerless and doubtful she was about herself, Ken shook his head as he walked over to Radiance, taking her by the hand.

"I don't know who that guy is, or was," He began. "But he obviously gave those bracelets to you for a reason. He trusted you. And you've been using them to do good. So he wasn't wrong. You lost those bracelets, and I've had to tango with a few criminals on my own, before they got away. So let's find them and get them back, so we can take them down together. What do you say?"

Green Gardener was taken by Ken's words. She looked deeply into the young boy's eyes and sees the heroic spirit

The monitor screen sprang to life, as Radiance proceeded to type on the keyboard, searching for the whereabouts of her stolen bracelets. The screen proceeded to scan across the city map for the missing bracelets, until the locations have been pinpointed.

"There!" Radiance pointed as the map zooms in on a large warehouse.

"Industrial warehouses, 614 Hayden Blvd." Ken reads. "It's not too far from here!"





Before long, Hum Drum and Radiance were walking down an alley, on their way to the warehouses. It was almost nighttime, so the streets were quiet and less crowded in the day, though Radiance was still keeping her coat secured. Both she and Hum Drum were passing over a grate, when the subway came speeding beneath, sending a gust of wind blowing up.

"AAAAHH!!!" Radiance screamed, holding onto both her hat and the hem of her coat down.

"What?! What is it?" Hum Drum asked, holding his staff out at the ready. "Oh, nevermind..."

Hum Drum puts his staff away, while turning away to hide his blushing face, from the Marilyn Monroe scenario Radiance was in. However, Hum Drum wasn't the only witness. Not too far away, a bicyclist was passing by on his bike, when he saw Radiance nearly disrobed by the wind.

"KATY PERRY!!!" He screamed, not looking where he was going and crashed.


SFX: *Crash* "MEOW!"


The commotion didn't go unheard.

"What was that?" Radiance asked, to which Hum Drum simply shrugged. "Well, let's get going," The girl insisted, as they kept on going, while redoing the belt and buttons to secure her coat.

It wasn't long until they were both standing in front of the wired fences, surrounding the warehouses. Looking pass the fences, the two heroes looked and saw several trucks, with the criminals unloading their stolen goods.

"This is the place alright," Hum Drum confirmed, before he looks around, searching for a way in. "Hmmm. Maybe I could climb up that building. Then from the top, I can glide my way down and into the facility, without drawing unwanted attention. And from there, I could try and find a tool, like a bolt cutter, or something, and use that to cut open a hole in the fence for you to enter."

"Or you could just simply use your retractable nails to simply cut through the fences?" Radiance suggested.

"...Right. Do it the easy way," With a tap of his middle finger, Hum Drum activated his retractable claws.

With a swipe and a slash of the fence, Hum Drum successfully cuts a huge hole, allowing both him and Radiance through. Both heroes quickly ran into the yard, while making sure to stay out of sight. They ducked behind some crates, before Hum Drum took out a pair of binoculars and takes a closer look at the crooks he and Radiance were dealing with.

"Hey, I recognize a lot of these goons!" Ken said. 

"That's Neon Brush! He was kicked out for blatant use of hair dyes," He pointed to a man with green hair and wears a red striped shirt, with gray pants.

Ken then turns to a crook, wearing light brown jacket with strings across a V-Shape cut, vanilla pants, with turquoise hair, colored purple at the end, with matching goatee, "That's Quick Trim, he was arrested for kidnapping lots of girls and shaving them bald."

Next, the third criminal is a big man with dark purple hair and a thick beard, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, light gray pants, and a yellow shade.

The fourth criminal has wavy scarlet hair, rectangular glasses, light green-gray striped vest, light orange ascot, and white pants.

And the last criminal has a distinctive white hair with red stripes that is styled like a rock star's, with light purple shirt over a white undershirt, and light gray pants.

"And there's Comb Over, the Unconditioner, and Blow Dry. Those last three had lost their cosmetologist license for unhealthy hair conditioning."

"My, you seem to know your fashion criminals, Ken," Radiance commented.

"My dad's got files on them," Hum Drum replied. "Ever since their careers have ended, the whole fashion world just turned against them, and they've flipped out. Should've known they'd stoop to criminal activities. But what are they up to with all those clothes they've stolen?"

"We'll find out soon enough, after we retrieve my bracelets. They're in the building, somewhere. The question is...how do we get in?"

Hum Drum pondered as he looks at the exterior of the warehouse, seeing that most, if not all of the windows are closed shut. He turned to look back at the cosmetologists and their goons, unloading the cargo on a loading platform. He turned his attention to a door, on the other side of the building, which seemed to be unguarded.

"We could try and unlock that door..." Hum Drum pondered. "But it's too easy, and there could be some guards on the other side...I wonder if there's an entry on the roof?"

"Worth a try," Radiance agreed.

With that, Hum Drum ran towards the wall, activating his sticky paddings on his gloves to climb like a gecko, until he was able to reach the ledge of a balcony, where a ladder to the rooftop was bolted in place. With his hands on the ledge of the balcony, Hum Drum sticks his foot out for Radiance to grab onto, allowing the powerless alien girl to climb onto him, to reach the balcony, much to his discomfort.

"Ow!" Hum Drum winced, from being stepped on by the points of the high heels Radiance was wearing. "Watch your step there, Green..."

"Sorry, Ken," Radiance apologized, before she pulled him up. "Under intense circumstances, such as this, these aren't the appropriate footwear..."

"If you're so uncomfortable wearing like this, then...couldn't you have just changed into something more...comforting, back at the mall?"

Radiance couldn't help but frown, "If there was even a scrap of something more decent, then I wouldn't have to be wearing these pieces of attires, would I?"

"...No, I guess not..." Hum Drum berated himself mentally for asking such a dump question. "So they really cleaned out the stores that well?"

"Afraid so."

Once they're on the rooftop, it didn't take long for Hum Drum and Radiance to find the opening of an air duct, which they used to get in.

"All this sneaking and infiltrating stuff, makes me feel like I'm in a spy movie," Hum Drum commented. "Hmmm, reminds me of a spy show I used to watch...Totally Spies!"

"Hum Drum, please focus," Radiance said anxiously, from behind the boy. "Now's not the time for any of your 'pop culture' references, you enjoyed making."

"Sorry, force of habit."

From down below the air ducts, both heroes can hear the chatter and gossips exchanged between the criminals.

"We've finished unloading the latest dresses and booties we could find," One thug said to another.

"Forget about the dresses," The other thug moaned. "What about the jewels? Those things worth a fortune on the black market. Have you got those?"

"Oh yeah, we've got 'em. We've already stashed them with the others in the treasury."

"Good. Now you're talkin' my language."

"Treasury?" Hum Drum gasped from the air duct. "That could be where your bracelets are."

"Yes, I concur," Radiance nodded. "But where is it?"

The two heroes continued to eavesdrop, hoping they could find out more.

"I don't know about you, but I'm thinkin' of maybe splittin from this gang and...join one of the big leagues," One of the thugs commented. "Like the Fire Devils, or the Niriks."

"Shhh! Not so loud!" The other replied. "You want her to hear you're thinkin' of back stabbing? Besides, the Niriks are still new."

"Well everyone's been talkin' about 'em. Besides, from what I hear, they don't just loot 'dresses' or 'shoes.' I wanna steal the real loots, like the stuff that the Night Owl steals."

The other thug couldn't help but scoff at the last part, "Good luck finding her. Didn't ya hear? She's elusive."

Getting the feeling that they're not getting more info from the two chatting thugs, Hum Drum and Radiance were on their way through the air ducts, until they came to a dead end.

"Here's where we get in," Hum Drum said.

The two proceeded to open up the air vent, before taking a look at the room they've infiltrated. Hum Drum looked to see power generators and boilers lining up along the walls, a large turbine with steam pipes connecting it to the rest of the building.

"Looks like we're in a power plant," Hum Drum commented, as he hops down from the air duct, and lands on the floor.

Radiance slowly, but carefully grasped a tight hold on the edge of the opening, before she proceeds to lower herself down. Hum Drum looked up, waiting for the girl to jump down. He blushed when he caught a glimpse of her bikini bottom, when her trench coat wasn't covering. Suddenly, Radiance began to lose her grip.

"Oh! Ah! Aah!" Radiance yelped, before her fingers slipped and she fell to the floor.

"RADIANCE!!!" Hum Drum shouted, literally springing into actions to catch the girl.

Ken successfully caught the girl, but ends up getting squashed, with her sitting on his back.

"Oh! Nice catch, darling," Radiance panted gratefully. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Hum Drum groaned.

"Hey! What was that?!" A loud voice shouted from outside.

Alerted, and reacting fast, Hum Drum and Radiance quickly hid themselves behind some of the machines in the room, determined to stay out of sight. From outside, a thug looked in through the window on the door, before he opens the door to see what the commotion was. That was when he saw the open air duct, with the grate swinging on its hinge.

"Looks like the screw got loose, or somethin'," The thug frowned, before he took his leave. "Better get Garry on it..."

With that, the thug took his leave and swings the door closed behind him. Reacting fast, Hum Drum quickly wedged his staff between the gap, preventing the door from closing all the way. Hum Drum then takes a cautious peek outside, seeing that the door is in the middle of a hallway. The thug was walking down to the left, which Hum Drum and Radiance immediately followed behind.

"Let's see where this guy is going," Hum Drum suggested. "Maybe somewhere close to where your bracelets are."

"Worth a try, but let's be careful, darling," Radiance agreed. "Though, I hope it's soon. These heels are hurting my feet, with all these sneaking about."

Hum Drum and Radiance kept on tailing the thug from behind. On the way, they happened to pass a shelf, holding up lots of tool chests, boxes, and other supplies. Among them, however, Hum Drum happened to see a unique gun.

"Hello?" Hum Drum exclaimed, as he walks over to pick up the gun. "Well, what's a beauty like you doin' in a place like this?"

"For the moment?" Radiance began. "Wearing a large coat and hat over a revealing swimwear in high heels and sneaking...Oh, you're talking to a gun?"

"Not just any gun, Green," Ken replied. "This is a stun gun. My dad showed me one of these, when I visited his police station. One zap and a bad guy is down and out. This can be very useful for us now," Just then, the sound of footsteps was heard, "Someone's coming!"

Reacting, Hum Drum and Radiance quickly hid themselves behind the shelf. The shadow of a large man came walking in, lighting a cigar in his hand. The man turned and was just about to see Radiance, when Hum Drum reacted fast and tased the man with his newly acquired stun gun.

ZAP!

The man fell to the floor, completely knocked out.

"Sweet!" Hum Drum smiled, before he and Radiance were on their way down the hall.

They kept on moving down the hallway, until they came into a large workroom, populated with conveyor belts, thugs driving forklift vehicles to move large crates of the stolen dresses, jewels, and lines of makeups.

"This is where they unload all of their loots," Hum Drum speculated. "Maybe one of these goons might know where your bracelets are stashed. Though, I doubt they'd answer if I walk up to them and ask...unless..."

"I trust you have a plan, darling?" Radiance asked.

"I only hope it works..."

With that, Hum Drum began to put his plan into action. He got out his Nerf gun and proceeded to fire more of his cousin's handmade Elephant Toothpaste bullets to attract one of the goon's attention.

"Hey! What the hell is this stuff?" The thug asked as he got down to investigate. "Hmmm...feels like soap...whatever it is, gotta get this cleaned up..." Before he had the chance to, Hum Drum started firing more Elephant Toothpaste, splattering more of the foamy substance close to the thug. "What?! There's more of them? Where the hell are they comin' from?"

The thug kept following the trail Ken had made, until he was within hearing range, in which Hum Drum simply pulled on the triggers of his empty Nerf gun, making a loud clicking noise.

"Who's there?" The thug barked, as he pulls out a gun. "Come out! Now!" He cautiously walks closer and closer to the crates Hum Drum and Radiance were hiding behind.

The thug was drawing closer and closer, until...

BONG! ZAP!

Hum Drum whacked the goon hard on the head, with Radiance using the stun gun to tase him, knocking him out cold. With that, both heroes dragged the unconscious guard behind some crates, hiding him out of sight, before Ken proceeded to strip him of his clothes, hat included, and wears them to pass himself off as one of the thugs.

"Oh, I see what you're playing at," Radiance said in acknowledgement.

Nervous, Ken pulled on his collar until he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I hope this works," Ken grimaced, as he walks over to the other criminal thugs, while working on deepening his voice to play his character. "Yo, boss! Where ya want to load these booties?" He talked in a gruff, stereotypical Brooklyn accent. "No...not good enough," He said in his normal voice. "Yo man! Like where do we unload the goods, man?" He asked, sounding like Shaggy Rogers. "Nah...no way they'd let a hippie join the gang..."

"Hey! You!" A tall man, likely the manger, shouted. "What ya doin' lallygagging and dilly-dallying? Boss wants these dresses taken to her office, now!"

"Uh, sorry chief!" Ken saluted, stammering as he got into character. "I was just...uh. I wanted to take another look at the jewels we just nabbed today."

"You can visit the treasury another time, but High Heels wants these expensive fabrics delivered to her ASAP! Now move your lazy ass!"

With a shove, the manager shoved Ken to join the thugs who were busy unloading their loots from the trucks and onto the conveyor belts. Not wanting to raise too much suspicion, Hum Drum walked over to join the other thugs, unloading their latest steals.

"Ooh, these mannequins are a lot heavier than they look!" One of the thugs commented.

"Watch the hand there," Another thug cautioned.

"Here, lemme help you guys," Ken offered as he helped the thugs.

"Thanks pal," One of the thug thanked the boy wonder in disguise.

"By the way, did any of you guys see the diamonds we've stolen today?" Ken began, once again acting the part. "I've heard they're a girl's best friend, but these must worth a fortune on the black market."

"You got that right, pal," One of the thugs answered. "I'd kill to have another look at those beauties..."

"Yeah, the treasury. Which is...where again?"

"Down the hall and to the left," One of the thugs pointed. "But ya can't go there now. I hear it's under tight guard. And I mean TIGHT guard."

"Duly noted," Ken replied as he helps the thugs unload the mannequin onto a forklift. "I need to use the little man's room. See ya," Ken waved the thugs good-bye, before he runs back to rejoin Radiance.

"Well, where are my bracelets?" She asked.

"The treasure room is in that hall," Ken relayed. "No doubt, your bracelets must be in there."

"HEY!" The manager shouted, catching both Hum Drum and Radiance by surprise.

"Uh oh," Hum Drum winced.

"Hey! Who's there?" The manager barked, walking towards Ken, with some more thugs to back him up. "Who's your friend over there?"

"Uh, well, she's m-m-my..." Ken stammered, accidentally talking in his real voice.

"Hey! You're not one of us, are you?!" One of the thugs exclaimed.

"They're spies! GET 'EM!" With that, the thugs proceeded to advance upon Ken and Radiance.

"Oh well, I was hoping it didn't have to come to this, but...POP!" Hum Drum quickly whipped his Nerf gun and shoots a Funny Elephant Toothpaste at the thugs, catching them by surprise.


Kick Ass 2 OST – Warehouse Showdown


Then, with a spin, Hum Drum threw off his disguise and stood before the thugs in his superhero-in-training suit.

"I've always wanted to do that costume change," Hum Drum commented, before he fights the thugs.

“It’s that wonder kid, Hum Drum!!” One of the thugs exclaimed, before he got hit on the head.

“How kind of you to know me,” Hum Drum smirked, before he pole vaulted and kicked a thug away.

Hum Drum nearly wanted to swing his bo staff again, like a gamer on Whack-a-mole. But remembering his mistake from the previous battle, he decided against it. Instead, the boy only used his staff to block, deflect, to protect himself, as well as Radiance. During the fight, he only had to throw punches, kicks, and a whip of his stun gun to fight the goons.

“AAAH!!!” Radiance shrieked, when one of the crooks tried to grab her.

“Radiance!” Hum Drum called.

“Get the girl!” One of the thugs shouted.

“Get your meat hooks off of me!” Radiance growled, as she retaliated with a strong slap to a thug’s face.

SMACK!

Incredibly, even for an alien girl of her physical appearance and structure, Radiance seemed to be incredibly strong. Especially when she managed to not only leave a noticeable red mark on the face, but managed to dislocate the thug’s jaw, and bloodied his nose.

“It’s not polite to touch a lady!” Radiance spatted, while making sure her coat was secured.

“Girl’s tougher than she looks!” The injured thug exclaimed, with a few of his teeth missing.

Another thug grabbed Radiance from behind, wrapping his bulky arms around her in a tight bear hug. However, Radiance was able to break free, after she snaked one of her hands underneath his arms, then pulls on her hand with her other one, to break his grip. Once freed, Radiance thrusted her leg up in a kick, striking the point of her heel, into his bread basket.

"OH! High heels..." The thugs squealed in a high-pitched voice, before he keels over in pain.

Turning her attention back at the rest of the thugs, Radiance continued to block most of their punches and kicks, while fighting back with her own counterattacks.

One thug came up and tried to punch her from the left, but she deflected his arm away. He then tried to recover with a kick, but Radiance caught his leg, before she kicked him in the groin.

Another thug came and tried to punch her, But Radiance used the other thug’s leg to block the attack, followed by a hit from the other thug’s foot, Radiance was holding. The powerless, but strong super heroine then kicked the thug away, before she tossed the thug she was holding, into another group, knocking them down.

During the fight, Hum Drum watched and admired the way Radiance fought, without her power bracelets and all. He marveled at her agility, her determination, and her flexibility, to make up for the absence of her power bracelets.

Hum Drum ducked his head, to avoid a thug being thrown, before the fedora Radiance borrowed landed on his head.

“What a woman!” Hum Drum exclaimed.

Many of the thugs were beginning to tire out, but Radiance was still eager for another fight.

She adjusted the shade she was wearing, before resuming in a fight stance. Suddenly, her trench coat was pulled off, revealing the glamorous seashell bikini she was wearing.


Anime SFX — Oh Yeah!


The thugs immediately started to ogle and drool, enchanted by the super heroine’s glamorous bikini clad body. In fact, they're practically rendered blind.

"MY EYES!!" One of the thugs moaned, with his eyes turned blind.

"SO MUCH SKIN!!!" Another moaned.

"BEWARE THE MOON!" Another blindly, but accurately, pointed at her bikini bottom.

"IT'S LIKE STARING INTO THE SUN!!!"

"THEY'RE PORCELAIN BABY FRESH!"

Using the distraction to his advantage, Hum Drum quickly knocked the thugs out, with several swings of his staff, and electroshocks from his stun gun.


End of fight music


Soon, the thugs were all down and out.

“Phew, that’s the last of ‘em,” Ken breathed a sigh of relief. “Hey! Great idea on your part, Radiance! Distracting them like that.” He complimented to the flustered alien girl.

"Oh, please..." Green scoffed, as she puts her coat back on. “Like I’d ever stoop to that level...”

“Still, it was effective...” Picking up her fedora, Hum Drum walked over to Radiance. “I think you dropped this, Green.”

With a small smile, and her cheeks blushing, Radiance took her hat back and puts it back on.

Without wasting another second, the heroes were on their way. It didn't take them long to find the room they were looking for, on the left. But like the other thug said, it was under tight security, with a guard posted in front of a door, and cameras were lined up along the ceiling.

Hum Drum reached into his cape pocket, and scoops up a handful of his cousin's Elephant Toothpaste bombs.

"I've still got enough," Hum Drum began. "think I can handle the cameras. All we need is to somehow get that guard out of the way. Hm...how do we get him from there to here?" The boy pondered, with Radiance, before he turns to the alien girl. "I've got an idea...but you're probably not going to like it..."





“Hello~” Radiance swooned, showing off her leg, in high heel, before she walks out from behind a corner, and flirted, “Hi there, big man~“

"Huh?" The man grunted, as he walks over to the girl. "What're you doing here? How'd you get in?"

"Oh, I was lost and I wound up in this dreadful place," Radiance continued to swoon dramatically, with her hand over her head. "It'd be such a pleasure if a sweet man, like you could help show me the way~" She batted her eyes.

"Mmmm...nice try babe, but not happening," With that, the guard whipped out his gun and pointed it at, Radiance.

Radiance gasped, with Hum Drum widening his eyes in shock, "THIS just got dire very quickly," He said.

Before the thug had the chance to pull the trigger, Hum Drum reacted fast by jumping out from the side and shocked the large man with his stun gun, knocking the guard out.

"Huh, an intelligent guard," Hum Drum commented. "Didn't see that one coming. You okay there, Radiance?" He asked the alien girl.

"I'm fine, thank you," Radiance breathed a sigh of relief. "But for goodness sake, let's never let that happen again..."

"Sorry, slight miscalculation on my part," Ken cringed, before he took out his Nerf gun and proceeds to shoot the cameras, covering their lenses in the colorful foamy substances.

Once the cameras were taken cared of, Hum Drum and Radiance went over to check the lock on the door, to find that it was a biometric type, which scans a person's hand in order to open the lock.

"Hmmm, I remember seeing this in a spy movie before," Hum Drum pondered. "We need some powder. These goons did smuggled some supplies of makeup. So, you hide and I'll go look for..." Hum Drum's words fell on deaf ears again, when Radiance picked up the thug they had knocked out, and placed his hand on the lock, deactivating the lock.

"Uh, did you say something, darling?" Radiance asked.

"...Do it the easy way," Hum Drum shrugged.

"Do you have to come up with plans so...complicated, darling?"

"I can't help it. When you watch action movies and read plenty of action-packed graphic novels as long as I have, descriptive and complex though process are sure to happen."

Radiance simply giggled, "Of course. But sometimes, in dire situations, such as this, it's better to not overthink the situation to devise a plan. Sometimes, the best strategy is one that isn't too complex."

"I'll make a mental note on that," Ken replied.

"Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've had to remind dear Twilight Nova Star, when she was leading us, back on Harmonus."

The two heroes proceeded to walk into the treasure room, to retrieve the superheroine's stolen Power Bracelets. Upon walking in, they were greeted by a room of an entire jewelry store. Many jeweled rings and gold watches are still being held inside their glass containers. Beady necklaces, earrings, and tiaras are still being hung around large bust heads. There was even a shelf of tiny glass sculptured animals, mythical creatures, and people. Stacked along the walls are boxes that contained stashes of precious emerald, sapphire, rubies, and pearls that have yet to be one display.

"They've robbed a whole jewelry store!" Hum Drum exclaimed as he and Radiance examined the stolen jewels.

"I'd say so!" Radiance marveled as she examined the jewels. "Though, not nearly enough to make a queen look poor, but bedazzling nonetheless. But remember to keep an eye out for a unique set of jeweled bracelets."

Hum Drum nodded as he went to work looking for what he and Radiance came for.

"Got necklaces here," He said, before he hopped over to investigate another set. "Got rings – be it wedding, or just to look good, the usual. Some expensive watches here. Ah, here we go, bracelets," Hum Drum begins examining the bracelets on display.

Unfortunately, their search was cut short when the sound of footsteps and chatters was heard from outside the room. The sounds grew louder and louder the closer they got to the room, alerting the heroes. Reacting fast, Hum Drum activated the sticky paddings on his gloves, and his retractable nails, before he proceeds to climb up the wall and ceiling, with Radiance wrapping her arms around his shoulders to be carried up. Hum Drum blushed a shade of red and practically squeaked, when he felt Radiance pressing herself against his back. Still, the boy composed himself as he and Radiance stayed out of sight.

"So you this is everything you've been able to steal, ya say?" A woman's voice inquired.

"Yes boss m'am," One of the thugs confirmed. "These are all the goods we've been able to get our hands on today's raid."

Curious, Hum Drum and Radiance looked down to see, stepping into the room is a woman in her thirties, with a large high-styled dark purple hair, wearing a baby blue tiara that frames her face, where she sports dark purple eye shadows over her gold-brownish eyes. For attires, she wears a scarlet red leotard, long black leather gloves, black stockings under red fishnets, with a pink ribbon tied around her neck, and blue high heels that matches her tiara.

Upon a closer look at the woman's face, Ken pondered, "She must be their leader...but why do I get a feeling like I've seen her before?" Hum Drum didn't have to ponder for long, when Radiance gasped. "What? What is it, Radiance?"

"She's wearing my bracelets!" The girl pointed to the pink jeweled bracelets worn around the woman's wrists.

"...On a scale of 1 to 10, how worried should we be?" Ken asked.

"I should say 2," Radiance confirmed. "I highly doubt she'd figure a way to work with the powers of the bracelets. But we must get my bracelets if we are to get out of this place."

Back with the criminal mastermind, she continued to consult with one of her henchman, who explains, "Also, we've got that special new dress that renowned fashion designer, Spindle Heathespike, had made. Nothing's missing, and it's in good condition when we stole it."

"Excellent work," The evil woman smirked. "Pretty soon, I'll run my former mentor out of business, just as she did to me."

“She was my Aunt Spiny's former pupil?" Ken asked, before it hit him. "Suri Polomare!! WH-Whoa!"

In his excitement of the realization, Hum Drum had lost his grip on the ceiling and both he and Radiance fell to the floor.

THUD!

"Ow..."

The two landed onto the floor with a hard thud. Hum Drum landed hard on his back, while Radiance landed on his chest, with her trench coat falling over to the side to reveal the skimpy bikini she was wearing.

"AH! Don't look!" Radiance exclaimed, quickly covering herself.

"Oh, I'm gonna feel that in the morning..." Hum Drum groaned.

"What is this?!" Suri Polomare exclaimed. "Who are these people?"

Hum Drum was about to introduce himself, but the henchman beat him to it, "Whoa, uh, boss!" The henchman exclaimed. "It's that kid! The Power Princesses' sidekick and boy wonder, Wonder Boy! Remember, the one we've been telling you about, on the news?"

"Actually, I go by the name, Hum Drum nowadays," Hum Drum clarified.

"Humdrum?" The henchman immediately broke out laughing. "What kind of superhero would be stuck with a dopey name like that? Don't you even know what it means in the dictionary?"

"Uh...there's actually a definition to Hum Drum? And do you spell it with a space between the 'Hum' and 'Drum'?"

"HEY!" Suri Polomare shouted, getting everyone back on track. "In case we're all forgetting, I have like no tolerance for any idle chit-chats. We're like on a very tight schedule, m'kay?"

"And just what exactly are you in such a hurry for, might I ask?" Hum Drum asked, wanting to stall for times, while he and Radiance figure out a plan.

"And why exactly would I tell you?" Suri asked.

"I don't know, just to pass the time, I guess. I mean, isn't that how a supervillain does to a superhero they've captured? Brag about their evil plans to show off how brilliant of a criminal mastermind they are?"

"Well, I'm a supervillain so...I suppose I can like chat," Suri then snapped her fingers. "Gary. Go and make me a cup of coffee, with room for three bags of brown sugar, and a teaspoon of half-and-half, m'kay?"

"Coming right up, High Heels," The henchman saluted as he took his leave, out of the room.

"High Heels?" Hum Drum asked. "Is that what everybody calls you nowadays?"

"Well, after my career ended as Suri Polomare, if I were to make a big comeback, then I obviously need a new name for when I perpetuate my presence back in the fashion industry. Something that demands recognition and respect..."

"So this is your attempt at flipping the script?" Hum Drum scoffed. "Well, too bad for you, you won't get away with this. As soon as me and my friend here get out, then we'll expose you to the public, and everyone will know who you really are. And let me say, you're going to be in the big house for a really long time."

High Heels could only laugh in a sinister tone, "Like I'd ever let that happen. And besides, who exactly is your friend here? She doesn't look like a Flower Knight to me, but I can tell, she's got the body for a fashion model."

"Oh, why thank you," Radiance blushed, while keeping her shades and fedora fixed, so as to not show too much of her identity. "But as flattering as you sound, I'm here because you villains have something of mine, and I want them back."

"Oh my gosh," Suri began sarcastically. "I am so sorry. How rude of me. I had no idea that my men had robbed you of your clothes that you now had to make do in a cheap trench coat, a hat, and a pair of shades to preserve your modesty. And I'm sorry that you didn't realize that seashell swimwears are so last season."

"Are you trying to insult me?" Radiance asked. "What would you know about fashion, if I may ask? I've done a lot of research, and I've talked with many who are fashion savvy. And from what I've gathered, you're just another petty plagiarizing, copycat thief..."

"It's always trying to make a living. It's every person for themselves out here in the big world. You call stealing, I call creative resourcefulness."

"You got yourself fired!" Hum Drum scoffed, while secretly loading his Nerf Gun. "You're the one who went behind Au-Uh, Spindle Heathespike's back, and stole her designs, because you couldn't come up with an original idea of your own!"

Nevertheless, High Heels could care less and scoffed, "Believe what you will. But while I may not have 'original' ideas, at least I've got help."

It wasn't long, until the room was flooded with an entire squadron of goons, who all pointed their guns at Hum Drum and Radiance.

"You're completely surrounded," High Heels boasted. "Surrender fools."

"Surrender fools?" Hum Drum scoffed with a laugh. "Has that ever convinced anybody to surrender?"

"You talk too much, shut up..." High Heels glowered.

"Eh, that's just a matter of opinion, like–HEY! A rat!"

"AAAAH!!!" High Heels screamed, as she frantically searched the floor, while standing on a stool for protection. "Where is it?! WHERE?! KILL IT!!" With that, the fashion stealing goons turned their attention to the floor, searching for the said rodent.

Hilariously, some of the goons were too scared to look. For instance, the Unconditioner frantically leapt into Blow Dry's arms.

"I HATE RATS!" The Unconditioner whimpered. "Don't let it touch me!"

"GET OFF OF ME!" Blow Dry grunted.

"Well played," Radiance smiled, putting a hand on Hum Drum's shoulder.

Hum Drum blushed from the compliment, before he turns his attention on the power bracelets High Heel was wearing, stood in front of a frighten High Heels, whipping out his Nerf gun and pointing it directly at her face.

"Now it's your turn to surrender, or else," Hum Drum threatened.

High Heels took one glance at his gun, and was rather amused to find it was only a toy gun. With that, she broke out laughing and scoffed off his threat.

"Go ahead. Make my day," She grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ok. You asked for it," Hum Drum pulled the trigger and shot his cousin's Funny Elephant Toothpaste bullet, with spicy eye watering perfume, at High Heel's face.

"AAAH!!!" The supervillainess screamed, from how painful the shot was to her face. "What the–Hey, what?! WHAT IS THIS?!! IT BURNS!!!" She screamed, trying to wipe off the colorful foamy substance off of her face, while her eyes stung from the sour perfume.

In her frantic attempts to clean her face, High Heels tripped and falls off the stool and fell on her back. Using the distraction to his advantage, Hum Drum quickly went in to take the power bracelets off of the villainess's wrists.

"Catch Radiance!" He shouted, tossing the bracelets to the powerless superheroine.

Reacting fast, Radiance quickly leapt up and caught the bracelets in her hands, just as the goons proceeded to open fire on her. Radiance quickly ducked to avoid some of the shots, before she leapt behind some of the glass containers, to protect herself from the bullets, while she slips on her bracelets. Luckily, many of the goons were still disordered and uncoordinated, after the mouse trick, Ken had gave them. Thus, Hum Drum was able to provide cover for Radiance, as he shot several of the foam bullets at the gunman to blind them.

"I'm so glad to have you back, old friend," Radiance said happily to her bracelets.


Rarity – Fighting Is Magic


Meanwhile, with her bracelets back in her hands, Radiance at last was able to ditch the trench coat, hat, and shades, as the lights from her power bracelets bathe her in a shimmering light. Then, with a dance of elegance and grace, Radiance dons on her suit and mask, with her hairs sparkling in matching jewels.

"Ah, so good to be back in action," Radiance smiled. "Now then, first order of business."

To protect herself and Hum Drum from the bullets, Radiance's bracelets glow as she projected a purple, solid light-construct wall of shields. Then, when the thugs were busy reloading their guns, Radiance quickly changed her shields into floating swords, which she used to slice and dice most of the goons' guns.

One of the thugs had finished reloading his gun, and was about to shoot Radiance, only for Hum Drum to electrocute him with the stun gun. Soon, however, Hum Drum found himself surrounded by several thugs. Putting his stun gun away, Hum Drum pulls out his metal bo staff, clicking it to full size, as he proceeds to spin it, letting out a loud shriek, like Bruce Lee, then he stood his ground, and assumes a fighting stance.

"Hmph!" One of the thugs scoffed, as he lunged in to attack, much to his quick regret.

Out of impulse, Hum Drum jabbed the thug in the stomach, followed by another jab to the nose, and a spin to the side of the head, smart enough to redden an ear. Another thug tried to grab Hum Drum from behind, but the boy's wild swing had clocked him in the eye, stunning him for a bonk on the head, knocking him out, which Ken didn't notice. In the meantime, Hum Drum saw another thug flying at him, which he responded by vaulting himself up for a flying kick to knock the thug away. During the whole fight, Ken would shout loud kiai for every hits he landed on the goons.

During the fray, the Unconditioner, along with his fellow ex-cosmetologists, tried to fight off Hum Drum and Radiance. However, they were met with swift defeats from the heroes, due to petty reasons. For one, Hum Drum had fired one of his Funny Elephant Toothpaste bullets at the Unconditioner, covering his hair with the colorful substance.

"MY HAIR!" The Unconditioner wailed.

"I broke a nail!" Quick Trim moaned.

"OW! He stepped on my foot!" Neon Brush exclaimed.

"My nose!" Blow Dry moaned. "She broke my nose!"

"My comb is broken!" Comb Over frowned.

"Crud! Let's get out of here!" The thugs screamed as they tried to escape, only to find themselves in a light violet cage, courtesy of Radiance.

"You're not going anywhere!" Radiance smirked, with Hum Drum standing by her side.

Outside the building, the wailing sound of police siren was heard, as Hum Drum and Radiance went to work, arresting and restraint the criminals.

"How?! How did it all go wrong?!" High Heels screamed.

"Because unlike you, we're always thinking of new plans," Hum Drum replied.

"We think one step at a time," Radiance added.

"And above all, we worked together!"





Hum Drum and Radiance were both standing outside, atop of a rooftop, watching as Suri Polomare and her goons were taken away into police custody.

“Phew! Another bad guy’s scheme foiled,” Hum Drum breathed a sigh of relief. “Not a bad way to end off on our date, huh Green?”

“I can concur,” Radiance agreed, while flustering a shade of pink. “Though, I wished it wasn’t at such an...ahem, inconvenience at my expense...”

“Well, if it’s any consolation. You look good...” Radiance turned to look at Ken, with an embarrassed look. “...at fighting!” Her embarrassed blush softened to a smile.

“Well, ladies do not start fights, but we can finish them,” Radiance boasted.

“Yeah, but I had to do most of the work,” Hum Drum countered.

“Ha! You would’ve gotten your head blown if I hadn’t saved you, back at the mall!”

“Yeah, but I still went alone in the fight because you sent me, in the first place.”

“Well, forgive me for being so underdressed in the first place...”

“You’re forgiven.”

“...But I wanted to make a good first impression.”

“Well, consider it—“ Before Hum Drum could continue, with his and Radiance’s battle of wits, his wrist rang. “Oh no! I forgot about dad...” He awkwardly answered the call. “Uh, hey dad...”

“Ken! Where are you?” Kenbroath Heathspike said sternly over the phone. “I thought you said you would be home! But your mother said you never came home!”

“Sorry dad, I meant to say I was... I was...”

“Oh, hello Mr. Heathspike!” Radiance answered the call on Ken’s glove. “I’m sorry for keeping your son away for so long.”

“Huh? Who is this?” The man asked.

“Why, it’s me, Green Gardener! I was one of Ken’s classmates. We met awhile back, remember.”

“Oh! Yes. I remember now. So what are you doing with my son?”

“Well, I was just on my way through town, when I found your son...hyperventilating. The poor dear was in such a shock, I took him home to recover.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah dad,” Ken added as he played along. “I think I’m okay now. I’ll be home soon.”

“And I shall walk him home,” Radiance added.

From the other side of the call, Kenbroath can be heard sighing, “Well, okay. I’ll be home soon, right after I finish filing some reports. But be careful! The streets are really riled up right now...”

“No worries, dad!” With a tap of his ring finger, Hum Drum hung up on the call. “Well, time to call it a night. Let’s go home, Radiance.”

“Agreed,” Radiance nodded, as she surrounded herself and Hum Drum in a pink aura and flew across town to the Heathspike residence.

On the way, Radiance gave Hun Drum another kiss.





Meanwhile, in the armored truck that’s taking her and her goons to prison, High Heels was silently fuming and cursing to herself.

“One of these days, when I get out of here, I’ll get that boy and that super heroine friend of his, if it’s the last I’ll ever do!” She swore.

Suddenly, there was a crash, and a large garbage dump came falling from the sky and landed in front of the truck.

“AAAAHH!!!” The driver screamed, swerving to avoid the object, but ended up crashing into a lamppost and a fire hydrant.

The driver and his passenger were both knocked unconscious, while High Heels and her occupants were dazed and disoriented from the crash.

“What the hell was that?!” High Heels asked.

Then, as if answering her questions, the back doors of the armored truck were suddenly pried open, before they were ripped off their hinges.

There, standing before the criminals, cackling like a lunatic, with flaming red eyes, and a wild hair that slithered like living serpents, is none other than the Mane-Iac.

“Suri Polomare!” Mane-Iac grinned. “My old friend. Long time no see.”

High Heels took a closer look, before she exclaimed, “Fiona?!”
> The Mistmane Auction House (The Niriks Strike) – Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week has passed and over time, Ken has gotten accustomed to his suit's abilities and his duties as Hum Drum. Together, with the Power Princesses, the crime rates of Maretropolis were taking a large nosedive. No matter how big or extreme trouble may be, the heroes were always there to save the day, to ensure peace, and find the times to live their lives as normal people.

Everywhere in the city, praises can be heard from the people's love and support for their favorite heroes. However, like their corrupted Mayor Verko, not everyone were willing to see the heroes in positive lights.





At the Daily Mendacium


"Who are the Power Princesses and Hum Drum?" A grumpy man asked. "THEY'RE CRIMINALS! That's what they are."

With a huff, he slams the paper he was reading down to reveal he's an old man with a flattop haircut, a toothbrush mustache, smoking on a cigar. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, Buried Lede (a.k.a Maretropolis's J.Jonah Jameson).

"They're vigilantes, public menaces. What're they doing on my front page?" Buried Lede demanded to know.

"In case you forgot sir," An intern of the Daily Mendacium, a thin boy, with brown hair and a gap in his teeth, began. "Our 'beloved' Mayor Verko had placed a huge reward for anyone to uncover their real identities."

"For once, something the mayor and I can agree upon," Buried Lede nodded. "They're wearing masks, and flashy costumes, then they're hiding something. What've they got to hide, hmm?"

"I think the whole purpose was so they can keep their secret identities...well, a secret, so they wouldn't risk endangering their loved ones."

"Ha! Classic scapegoat. Or maybe they're just wearing them so as to not answer for the consequences of the destruction they leave behind. Look at that. They're fleeing the scene."

"They're not fleeing!" The intern retorted. "They're obviously going to save someone's life! They're heroes! They SAVED the glamorous fashion model, Flower Knight, from the supervillainous, the Mane-Iac!"

"Sure, it's a classic damsel-in-distress scenario so they can get lots of public attention. I've seen plenty enough of that in movies."

"They stopped that armed robbery from the Diamond Dogs!"

"It was clearly orchestrated. It's not a coincidence a superhero would arrive in the nick of time, at the scene of a robbery in progress."

"They saved a little girl, and the firefighters' dog, from a group of terrorists!"

"Which makes it obvious that they're in cahoots."

Deciding to change the topic to something his boss wants to hear, the intern revealed, "We've sold out four printings."

"Sold out?!" Buried Lede exclaimed, with a look of interest.

"Every copy," The intern emphasized.

It didn't take long for Buried Lede to compromise, "Tomorrow morning, the Power Princess and Dum-Dum–"

"Hum Drum."

"Whatever. Put them on page 1 with a decent picture!"

"That's the problem. We don't have a decent picture. Gwen Gryffindor's been at it for weeks, she can barely get a glimpse of them."

"Aw, what're they shy?" Buried Lede scoffed. "If we can get a picture of Verosika Mayday in a thong, then we can certainly get a picture of these weirdos! Put an ad on the front page. Cash money for a picture of the Power Princess and Rumble!"

"Hum Drum."

"Whatever. They don't want to be famous?" Buried Lede grumbled. "I'll make'em INFAMOUS!"





It was another busy day in Maretropolis. The streets were bustling and packed with traffic. After another long day in school, Ken suited up and was doing his daily patrols as Hum Drum, when the built-in phone on his wrist rang.

“Huh, it’s Phoenix!” Ken exclaimed as he answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey Ken!" The girl called. "It's Phoenix Dawn. I just wanted to let you know we needed a little extra time to get set for your cousin's party – I'm afraid the cake delivery's stuck in traffic."

"Oh, sure thing," Ken answered. "Just let me know when you're ready and I'll come by."

"Great. Talk to you soon," With that, Phoenix ended the call.

"Okay, got some time to kill. Maybe I'll patrol the city more and maybe swing by and check some places out...Hmmm."

An idea came to Ken like lightning, as he begins to hop and glide across the city, until he arrives at a secluded section in the park, where a large amphitheater stands. 



Ken glides down until he landed on the stage and walks around, taking a trip down memory lane, envisioning a large festival surrounding the stage.

"I remember like it was yesterday," Hum Drum sighed nostalgically. "Though it was what? Maybe seven years since I've been to the Music Fest. I'd come down here every year, with my parents, my cousins, and my friends, Gwen, Thor, Kara, and May. We were so happy together."




Seven years ago



Twisted Sister – I Wanna Rock!



"ROCK!" The audience chanted along with the band performing on stage.

Seven year old Ken was bopping his head to the beat of the band's song, standing beside Kara. Then, wanting to capture the moment, Ken held out his phone and tugged on ten year old Kara's sleeve. Together, the both boy and girl got together for a selfie, holding up signs with their fingers, and stuck their tongues out, as they capture the moment.

Later, after the Twisted Sister band had ended their performance, both Ken and Kara walked hand in hand through the festival, looking for their friends and family.

"Well, this has been a rock and roll music fest," Kara began. "So, Ken? Do you like it?"

"For sure!" Young Ken smiled. "I'm glad you invited me and our friends, Kara! This has been a real blast!"

"Anything for my favorite little guy," Kara smiled as she picked up Ken and gave him an affectionate noogie.

"AH! No fair! Let me go!" Ken squirmed himself free, before he holds out a red ribbon. "Here, I got you this."

"For me?" Kara took a closer look at the ribbon Ken had given her. "What is it?"

"I got it from a lady at a stand that sells ribbons here," Ken replied. "You wear it on your wrist. I told her I wanted to get you something special, and she says it really brings out your eyes!"

"Aw, thanks Ken," Kara smiled, with a faint blush, and wears it on her wrist. "I'll wear it and I'll treasure it for as long as I live. Uh, you know, as a keepsake of our friendship, nothing more," She huffed, trying to look tough, but Ken knew she really cares.





Present


Ken was suddenly snapped back to the reality of the present, when his built-in phone rang again.

"Hey, Phoenix!" Ken greeted. "What's up?"

"Hey Ken! We're all set for the party, whenever you're ready."

"Awesome! I’m on my way."

With that, Ken turned in the direction of the homeless shelter, Kirin’s Care.

“Hey Hum Drum!!” A voice called, to which the boy turned his head to see Zapp, surfing his way, on a lightning bolt.

“Hey Zapp!” Hum Drum greeted the lightning girl. “You got the call too?”

“You know it!” Zapp replied. “The others are already on their way, but I thought I’d surf by and check up on ya.”

“Well, I’ve been doing great. Thank you for asking.” Hum Drum grunted as he rolled across a rooftop to ease his landing. “Though, I wish I could fly as fast as you, or even be as fast as Mary.”

“Here, hold on tight,” Zapp said, reaching out to pick up Hum Drum.

“No, wait, Zapp! DON’T—“ But it was too late. Upon picking the boy up, and flying off with him, Zapp electrocuted poor Hum Drum nonstop, until they arrived at their destination, where they regrouped with the rest of their teammates, on the rooftop.

“Zapp! Hum Drum!” Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed. “About time you...”

“Whoa!” Mistress Marvelous exclaimed, noticing how charred Hum Drum looked. “What happened to you?” 





Kirin's Care


After managing to clean himself up from his recent shock with Zapp, Ken slipped into his civilian appearance, along with his super heroine friends. Once that was done, the heroes walked into the shelter, passing through the gym until they arrived in the cafeteria, making their way to the kitchen, where they happened to find their friend and schoolmate.

"Hey Phoenix," Ken greeted. "So sorry we're late..."

"You're right on time," Phoenix whispered, before she pointed to Megan, who was overlooking production. "Just keep her distracted while we get everything ready."

"You got it," Ken nodded as he and the girls went to work. "There's my favorite cousin!" Ken greeted Megan, who turned around.

"Hey Ken!" Megan smiled. "Nice of you to come!"

"Well, Danny and Molly told me they couldn't come, so I was wondering if you need any help here?" Ken said.

"Uh, yeah sure," Megan began, as she walks away to direct her cousin. "Uh, there are some heavy boxes–"

"NO!" Ken panicked, as he quickly turned Megan away, just moments from seeing a large party banner for her. "I-Uh, I mean, I mean, not yet," He stammered nervously. "I...I mean...I just wanted to talk to ya."

Though taken aback by Ken's strange behavior, Megan nodded, "Okay? Well, sit down, and let's..." Megan nearly turned her head to look, but Ken quickly stopped her, by handing his hand up.

Ken looked behind his cousin, seeing Molly and Danny were working fast with Mary to get the balloons up, as well as the confetti with Spruce and Green. Aurora and Dallas were helping some of the staff to keep the banner secured from the ceilings. Trot was overseeing the entire production, but she turned around and waved her hand in a circular motion, urging Ken to keep going.

"Ken!" Megan shouted, snapping her cousin's attention onto her. "What's wrong? You're acting like you've seen a ghost!"

"Well, I...I uh, I've got a lot on my mind," Ken stammered. "What with schoolworks, house, Delilah, all that. It's all crazy, you know?" He chuckled nervously.

"Uh-huh, well, if you want a crazy lifestyle, you're in luck," Megan smirked, as she begins to turn around. "I can't tell you how–"

"WOW!" Ken shouted, stopping Megan from seeing Phoenix going off to fetch the cake.

"Ken! What is your problem!" Megan exclaimed in frustration. "What's gotten into you? As of late, I...I feel like I don't know you anymore! You're always fidgeting, like you've got something to hide from me. You're always running off, or running away, without even letting me or your parents know! Don't you know how worried sick we are, because of you...galavanting off?! What's goin' on?"

Ken was silent as he took everything Megan had vented to him and processed them. He had no idea the stress he was putting on his family.

Realizing she might've lost her temper, Megan took a deep breath and calmed herself, "I'm sorry. I...I lost my temper. Let's try this again," She calmly sat down and begins to talk to her cousin. "Ken. Is there something wrong? Please, tell me. I want to help."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ken replied, as he decided to be truthful about his feelings. "A lot has changed...in such a short amount of time. It's a lot to process, and...there's a lot going on that I don't have the words to say, or tell you. And...if I have to be honest Megan, I wished I could...could just be someone like you."

Megan's eyes softened and were widened with shock to hear what Ken just said about her.

"All these years, you had to work for a living, looking after both Molly and Danny, running your own restaurant, sacrificing so much and asking for nothing. I just wish there more people like you in the world."

"He's right," A voice spoke, revealing herself to be the founder of Kirin's Care, Rain Shine. 

However, that's not the only thing that surprised Megan. She looked around to find herself and Ken, surrounded by all the homeless people they've fostered in the shelter, the staffs, along with their friends and families.

"Five years ago, you came here and told me you were inspired by my mission to help others," Rain Shine began. "Now it's you who had inspires me. Thank you, Megan Williams, for everything. Here's to many more years of service."

With that, everyone all showered Megan with praises and applauses, who was beyond happy.

"You deserved it, sis!" Danny smiled as he and Molly ran up to embrace their big sister.


Time to Come Together – Equestria Girls


Soon after, the party was underway as everyone all exchange happy talks and enjoyed themselves to a piece of the cake. Megan was sitting at a table with Molly and Danny exchanging their appreciation and love for their sister. Mary Allen was entertaining the guests with an assortment of party tricks she learned, juggling some eggs, before she made them disappear into her hair. Then, she walks over to one of her audience and pulled an egg out of their ear, much to their amazement.

The rest of the Power Princesses, and Ken, all exchanged smiles as they enjoy the loving sight of family and friendship before them. They turned to look and see Phoenix and Rain Shine, standing in front of a wall, with pictures of herself, her mom, and all the people they've helped out over the years.

“Thanks for making this all possible,” Ken thanked the girl and woman.

“But of course, your cousin deserved it for all the wonderful things she has done,” Rain Shine smiled.

“We only wished we could do more,” Phoenix smiled sadly.

Ken nodded, before he lectured, “Well, Megan did say, if you help someone...”

“You help everyone,” Phoenix chuckled, "Maybe your cousin should go to city hall, and have a word with the mayor..."

“Now, Phoenix, sweetie, we’ve talked about this.”

“Sorry mom. I...I’m still...Sorry if I've dampened the mood,” Phoenix apologized.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Ken reassured. “I’m not a fan of Verko either.”

“Right...”

It’s clear as day that Phoenix is no fan of Mayor Verko. Though, for some reason, Ken and the girls can’t help but get the impression the girl takes it personally.

Nevertheless, everyone resumed the party. Though, wanting to open up with the fiery girl, Trot decided to ask her some questions.

“So, Phoenix,” Trot began. “I know you don’t like the mayor. But any reason why?”

“His idea of a ‘better’ Maretropolis, leaves behind the kind of people we helped at Kirin’s Care,” Phoenix frowned sadly. “It breaks my heart to see people being left to fend for themselves, without anyone speaking up for them, let alone listen to them.”

“You don’t say...” Trot nodded in acknowledgement, though Dallas couldn't help but find it suspicious, as if there's more than what Phoenix is letting on.

“And...how was Kirin’s Care founded?" Trot asked. "And how did you became a part of it?”

“Mom’s always had a heart,” Phoenix smiled fondly towards Rain Shine, who was talking to Kisara. “Only it’s ten times bigger. She founded Kirin’s Care because she sees a lot of us, as her children, and wanted to help make the world a better place.”

Phoenix’s expression turned sad, as she continued, “I was orphaned on the streets, growing up in Japan, until mom saved me. So I know what it means to need to help... and I want to provide that help.”

Trot nodded as she placed a loving hand on Phoenix’s shoulder, “For what it’s worth, Phoenix. We need more people like you.”

Suddenly, Ken felt his phone vibrating and he looked to see a notification from an app his father used to communicate with his officers.

“Thanks again, for everything,” Ken said as he and the girls made a hasty exit. “It really means a lot.”

“ どういたしまして。 良い夜を！(You’re welcome. Have a good night!)” Rain Shine waved, along with Phoenix.




Once outside, in the night, Ken suits up into Hum Drum as he relays the notification from his father to the Power Princesses, standing around him.

On the app, his father had texted:

Captain Heathspike: “Hey! Silent alarm’s been tripped at the Mistmane Auction House on the Storm Estate. All available units in the area, please investigate for any disturbance.”

“I don’t think there’re are any officers down there at this time of night,” Ken stated. “Let’s go and check it out.”

“Affirmative,” Trot agreed. “So where is it? Is it far?”

“Yes, it’s on the other side of the city,” Ken explained, before he pointed in a direction. “Storm Estate is this way, follow me!”

With a spring of his boots, Hum Drum super jumped across the city as he leads the Power Princesses to their destination.

Ken would use his spring boots to super jump himself off of rooftops, building ledges, and on top of lampposts, while using his cape to glide and slow his descent. Other times, he would activate the sticky paddings on his gloves, enabling him to stick onto building walls, and climb like Spider-Man, until he is at a desired height and fly off.

On the way, Hum Drum took occasional glances to see the Power Princesses traveling beside him in their own ways.

There’s Zapp, surfing through the air on a lightning bolt, surging from her unsheathed sword, Thunderer.

Radiance was engulfed in a bubble of pink aura, as she levitates herself, Mistress Marvelous, and Spruce Spanner through the air.

On the ground, zipping through the streets in a blur of pink, too fast for the naked eye, is Fili-Second. And lastly, flying beside him, keeping him safe, is Masked Matter-Horn.

RING RING

Hum Drum’s built-in phone rang, which he looked to see it was Megan calling.

“Hi Megan!” He answered.

“Hey Ken! I lost you and your...girlfriends back at the party. Where are you now?”

Thinking up an excuse, Hum Drum answered, “I...have a test to study for, and Trot is helping me prepare for it. Sorry, I left in such a hurry.”

“No need to apologize, Ken,” Megan replied. “In truth, I’m actually touched by what you’ve just told me. I had no idea you see me that way.”

“Well, anyone with eyes can see what an amazing person you are, Megan. So of course we all wanted to be like you!”

“Hehe, thanks Ken. But you don’t have to be like. You just have to be you. The best you can be. You know?”

“Right! Okay.”

“Anyway, I’ll see you later. Don’t stay up too late. Oh, and tell uncle Kenny and aunt Wysteria I said thanks for the flowers.”

“I will Meg! See ya!”

With a tap of his ring finger, Hum Drum ended the call, until he and his teammates arrive at their destination.





Mistmane Auction House


Hum Drum and the Power Princesses crawled through the air ducts, before they came across a vent above several group of masked gunmen surrounding a woman – probably the manager of the facility.

"I am losing patience," one of the masked thugs said venomously behind his mask. "Where are the files?" he asked, pointing a gun at the woman.

“There’s someone else here,” The manager quivered. “They must’ve taken it.”

“Whoa, check out the details on those masks,” Hum Drum commented.

“Who are they?” Zapp asked.

The heroes watched as the seriousness of the situation took a turn for the worse, when one of the gunman picked up the woman by the arm and pointed his gun at her, threateningly.

“There’s no one here, but us!” The gunman, most likely the leader, growled. “We will find the file, or you will die!”

“This is bad!” Hum Drum exclaimed. “They’ll kill her if we don’t stop them.”

“Then let’s stop ‘em!” Zapp said, already reaching for her sword, but was stopped by the Masked Matter-Horn.

“No! We can’t risk alerting them, or they’ll kill her,” The lead super heroine explained. “We need to pick them off silently.”

With that, the heroes proceeded to crawl through the air vents, before they came to a room, where a lone gunman stood, guarding.

“Now, how do we take that guy out, without alerting the others?” Ken asked.

“Leave the heavy work to us,” Zapp replied. “You work on finding something to distract him, and get him to let his guard down.”

“You got it,” Hum Drum replied, as he analyzed the situation.

He and the girls are perched on the metal beams, near the ceilings, above the lights. So the gunman can’t see them in the shadows. Down below, the gunman was standing in the center of the room, close to four glass containers in the four corners of the room.

Getting an idea, Hum Drum reached into his pocket and took out a rubber band and a single coin. With that, he slingshot the coin at a nearby glass tank, creating a sound that caught the gunman's attention.

"Nan desu ka (What was that)?" Whipping his gun out from his vest, the masked man proceeded towards the source to investigate.

"Get 'em now!" Hum Drum whispered, to which Mistress Marvelous reacted by whipping her rope and ensnaring the unsuspected gunman by his leg.

The masked thug was given such a fright that he dropped his gun and was pulled into the air, where Masked Matter Horn quickly froze him into an icy cocoon of icicles.

“One down,” Fili-Second counted, before the heroes entered another vent and crawled to the next room and find another lone gunman.

"Gotta take this one down from the vent," Hum Drum suggested.

With that, Mistress Marvelous whipped out her lasso, onto the unsuspecting thug, and pulls him up into the vents, where the heroes knocked him out cold.

Seeing they have arrived at a dead end in the air vent, Hum Drum and the Power Princesses took their leave and landed entered the room beneath them.

They were about to walk down into the hallway, but stopped to see another of the masked gunman, standing guard.

“Whoa! Careful!” Hum Drum cautioned.

“Pfft!” Fili-Second scoffed. “I got this.”

In a blur of pink, and in a heartbeat, Fili-Second ran circles around the gunman, knocking him out, and draw a silly mustache on his intimidating mask.

Unfortunately, Fili-Second’s takedown didn’t go unheard.

“ 何か聞こえます。(“I hear something!”)” A voice barked from outside the doors.

"Someone's coming!" Hum Drum alerted. "We gotta hide before they see us! Up there!" with that, the boy and girls all made a mad dash, up towards the balcony where they hide and wait for another masked gunman to enter the room.

The gunman turned his head, before he spotted one of his down comrades.

“ なに？ どうしたの？(“What happened to you?”)” He exclaimed, walking over to investigate.

Before the gunman has a chance to alert the others, Mistress Marvelous immediately whipped out her lasso and pulls him up in to the air, where he was knocked out, with a shock from Zapp, and frozen solid by Masked Matter-Horn.

“Sleep tight,” Hum Drum commented as he and the Power Princesses entered another air vent.

“Good work everyone,” Masked Matter-Horn said. “We’ve got four of these villains. But I’m afraid there’re still some more to be dealt with.”

“Then let’s get to work,” Marvelous replied.

As the heroes crawl through the airway, they overheard the conversation between the woman and several thugs holding her at gunpoint, "My patience is wearing thin," the leader of the squad snarled. "Give us the files!" he demanded.

"I told you already! I don't have it!" the woman pleaded. "Someone else was here! She must have the files!" 

Suddenly, several rounds of shots rang through the air, followed by the woman's scream, to which Hum Drum and the Power Princesses quickly doubled back to see the woman was on the floor, alive, and covering her head with her hands.

"If they're here, then WHERE are they?"

"I don't know! I just don't know!"

"Uh oh, we better hurry!" Hum Drum said in fright. "She doesn't have much time! Whoever these guys are, they're getting ready to kill her!"

The heroes quickly scurried onward through the vents, until they arrive in what appears to be the storage room, where two of the gunmen were talking, engaged in smiled chit-chat.

Planning on a distraction, Hum Drum pulled out his rubber band and slingshot another coin, close to the gunman. The coin rang, upon impact with a crate, catching one of the gunmen’s attention.

“ 何(What)?” One of the gunman exclaimed, as he walks over to investigate.

Without warning, Zapp dropped down on the first gunman and electrocuted him into unconsciousness with her sword, while Mistress Marvelous used her lasso to reel in the second and knocked his lights out with a strong punch.

"Hey, what's that?" Hum Drum asked, walking over to a stand, where a photographer's camera was hanging by the ledge. "Hey, I know this camera! This totally belongs to–"

"Don't move!" Ken held his hands up as he turned around to be met at gunpoint by another masked man. “Hands up. Now!”

In response, Hum Drum held his hands up, as he slowly turned around, with the gunman, until they stood face-to-face with the Power Princesses.

“Give up, now, or I shoot him dead,” The gunman threatened.

WHACK

The gunman was knocked out, after he was attacked from behind, by a large metal rod. Holding the rod, is a girl around Phoenix Dawn, and the Power Princesses’ age, by earthling standards.

“The Power Princesses and Hum Drum!“ The girl squealed in a loud excited voice. “I can’t believe it’s really really you!”

“Mei Ling?” He gasped quietly.

In appearance, Mei Ling has moderate azure eyes that are framed by a pair of purple pointy glasses. Her hair is a strong cerulean with moderate arctic blue streaks, with the bang cut straight, and the back of her hair done up in two long pigtails. For attires, she wore a purple shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, a blue-and-green juniper leaf decorated on the collar, black skirt, long white knee socks, and purple shoes.

"Ok, ok, keep it together," The girl calmed herself, composing herself, before she introduced. "Hi! I'm Mei Ling. But my friends call me, May, like the month. And it's an honor to meet you all!"

"Greetings, May," Masked Matter-Horn returned the greeting, shaking the girl's hand. "On behalf of my friends, we are..."

"Oh no need. I know who you are," Mei Ling politely interrupted. "You're the Masked Matter-Horn. You're Radiance. Zapp. Fili-Second. Mistress Marvelous. And you're Saddle Rager! Though, with all due respect, why do they call you Saddle Rager?"

"You don't want to know," Saddle Rager whimpered.

"And who am I? Chopped liver?" Hum Drum grumbled, feeling ignored.

"Oh, right," Mei Ling turned to Hum Drum. "You're...Wonder Boy. Right?"

"Actually, I'm Hum Drum, the Maretropolis Boy Wonder!" Hum Drum said as he does a heroic pose, which didn't exactly impress Mei Ling.

"Humdrum..." She said with a neutral expression. "Yeah, you're kind of a humdrum."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, nevermind that," Masked Matter-Horn began, getting everyone back on topic. "So, if I may, what exactly are you doing here?" She asked Mei Ling. "It's dangerous for a civilian like you to be here."

"Oh, I'm not a civilian per say," Mei Ling replied. "I just moved here with my dad. He's a police officer who got a job transfer here. I'm a journalist for a blog I'm running. I'm sure you've heard of it? The Gossip Column?"

"You're a journalist?" Radiance asked, to which Mei Ling answered with a nod.

"Then I take it this belongs to you?" Masked asked, handing the camera to the teenage girl.

"Yeah, thanks!" Mei Ling smiled, taking back her camera.

"And...does your dad even know you're covering a break-in for your blog?" Mistress Marvelous asked, with a look of concern.

"Well, dad doesn't technically know I'm here," Mei Ling answered. "And it wasn't a break-in until a few minutes ago."

"What do you mean?" Hum Drum asked.

"Let me explain..." Mei Ling began.
> The Mistmane Auction House (The Niriks Strike) – Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


15 Minutes Earlier


Before the crime happened, let alone triggered the silent alarm, Mei Ling walked in, posing herself as a young journalist, meeting the the manager at the front desk.

The manager was startled by Mei Ling's sudden appearance, "Uh – excuse me?" She greeted.

"Hi. Mei Ling." Mei Ling introduced herself. "I'm an intern, and I'm covering the Storm estate sale?"

"Hello..." The manager greeted. "John said we'd do an exclusive tomorrow?"

"I like to get a jump on things," Mei Ling replied.

"Well, I don't," The manager said sternly. "You'll have to come back tomorrow..."

"Right. Ok," Mei Ling apologizes as she took her leave, "Sorry for troubling you then..." The manager turned her back for a moment, while Mei Ling took out her phone and dialed a number. "Hey, John, sir? I think we're gonna have to run another piece for the cover...How about that expressionist piece?"

Just as she had hoped, the manager overheard and took the bait, "You know what? Maybe I can make today work," The manager said, walking over to Mei Ling.

"Are you sure?" The girl asked.

"You're here!" The manager replied. "No moment like the present."

"Great, thank you!" Mei Ling smiled, before she talks into the phone. "Hey John? Nevermind. We're all good for now."

"Let's get started," The manager said, as she walks away with Mei Ling following.

Luckily for Mei Ling, the manager was far out of earshot to hear what was really going on in Mei Ling's phone.

"–for costumer service on our kitchen appliances, press 1–" Before the manager could hear the message, Mei Ling quickly shuts her phone off.

"Look around and familiarize yourself with the items," The manager advised to Mei Ling, who nodded as she walks around the building to have a look at the stunning artifacts on display. "I'll be waiting by the Tao Tei pottery when you're ready to begin."

"You got it," Mei Ling answered.

Everywhere Mei Ling looks, a lot of the artifacts appeared to be collections from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Turning to the left, Mei Ling walks up to a large, magnificent painting of four dragons, hovering over four tall mountains, with rivers that crossed over the land.



A painting of China's classic story of the Four Dragons. Han Dynasty

Long ago, there were no rivers, or lakes, nor rain. So the people's crops have dried out and they grew hungry. So, out of sorrow and wanting to help, the four dragons – one black, one pearl, one yellow, and a long one – flew to the heavens to convince the Jade Emperor to make it rain. When he didn't keep his promise, the dragons took it upon themselves to make it rain, and save the people, who were grateful. But the emperor got mad, and had them imprisoned under four great mountains. Nevertheless, the dragons continued to do good for the people, turning themselves into rivers, so they can forever keep the land thriving.



"I haven't heard that story since I was kid," Mei Ling smiled in nostalgia. "I've really liked dragons, especially these four. Even after one noble act had sentenced them to a lifetime of imprisonment, they still want to do good for the people they were serving. Maybe that's how heroes struggle. To do good for the people and the home you love, even if there are others who disagree with your motives and your actions..."

Turning to the right, Mei Ling walked over to another portrait, behind a glass wall, and sees a worn painting of what appeared to be a dragon with cloven hooves and a horse's tail.

"Hmm, a longma?" Mei commented. "Half-dragon, half-horse."



A traditional painting of a Longma. Han Dynasty

The longma[Lung–Ma], or "dragon-horse", is a fabled winged horse that has the scales of a dragon. Seeing a longma is considered to be a good omen of a legendary sage-ruler. In Feng Shui, they are seen as a symbol of protection, power, abundance, and good luck.





"Kinda like Chinese versions of the pegasi," Mei Ling commented. "I used to play with My Little Pony dolls when I was a little girl. But growing up, they sorta lost touch for me since...none of them are longmas, or qilin...like that!"

Mei Ling ran up to an authentic plate, with paintings of flowers and symbols that surrounds a unicorn-like creature.

"Wow, what a beautiful Qilin!" Mei observed, before she reads the tablet of its description.



One Qilin plate. Yuan Dynasty

Like the longma, the Qilin (or by a popular term, by the Japanese, the Kirin) is a fabled creature that originated from Chinese folktales. It is said to be an omen of good luck. As such, it has appeared in several paintings and sculptures, depicting its beauty.




"Ah, the Japanese called it a kirin," May noted. "It's kind of like a unicorn, except it has the body of a deer, the scales of a fish, the mane and tail of a lion, and a single antler from the forehead."

May then walks over to a glass container, sitting on a pedestal, holding a bust of a head, wearing a shining helmet, made of dark metals.



The Kuro Kabuto

A fabled helmet that was originally worn by the late Oroku Saki – The Shredder. It was created by the infamous ninja thief, Koga Takuza, who terrorized ancient Japan, 1,500 years ago. To forge it, he used the tokens of his defeated enemies, creating a helmet stronger than steel. Since then, this helmet has been the symbol of the Foot.



May turns her head and sees a portrait of two cowboys squaring off with one another.



A painting depicting the legendary marshal, Flash Magnus Williams squaring off against the ruthless outlaw, Dusty Blackbullet, who terrorized the west coast. This painting was made during the 1860s, more commonly referred to as the Wild West, when Maretropolis was called Fortuna at the time.



"I've heard about this one." May said. "There's actually a movie based on this called 'Showdown At Fortuna'. It was one of dad's favorites and it what got him into western movies. From what I can remember in history class Flash Magnus Williams shot Blackbullet in the eye but it didn't killed him, the outlaw then fled to Blackwater Woods and was never seen nor heard from again after that. They say he died in the forest but I'm not too sure."

"Hmmm, what's this?" May asked herself, when she walked over to have a look at a painting she's never seen before, which depicts a group of knights facing a shadowed entity that possess red eyes and long horns.

The young journalist looks at the tablet for a description of the painting, but only finds the title that reads – Holy Crusade.

"Are you ready to begin?" The manager asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Mei Ling confirmed, as she walked over to meet the manager at the Tao Tei pottery.

With that, Mei Ling proceeded to take some pictures of the artworks on display, with the manager giving some lectures on the subjects. After about half-an-hour on gazing and admiring the artworks, the manager ended the tour and photoshoots, with May, by capturing the cover photo. But just before they could begin, a phone call rang from inside her office.

"I'll be right back," The woman said, as she went into the room to take the call.

Mei Ling waited out in the loft in the meantime, when she looked through the door that was left opened and she gasped upon seeing the statue of a nine-headed snake in the doorway.

"Hey! I've seen that statue before! It shouldn't be there!" Mei Ling exclaimed.

Reacting fast, Mei Ling quickly took a photo of the statue, before the manager came back.

"I'm sorry for that," The manager said, upon returning from her office. "Now then, where were we?"

"We were just about to grab a cover photo," Mei Ling reminded. "But, if I may, what's the story on that sculpture?" She pointed to the nine-headed snake in the office.

"Oh, that's just...that's not part of the upcoming auction," The manager explained. "It's a gift...from a friend."

"But what is it?" Mei Ling asked. "It's not everyday I see an 9-head dragon..."

"Oh, it's not a dragon per say," The manager explained. "It's a Xiangliu. A mythical snake demon from Chinese mythology," Wanting to change the topic, the manager hastily closed the door, before she turned to Mei Ling and smiled, "Now, about that cover photo?"

"Um, sure okay..." With that, Mei Ling took the manager's photo, before she was beckoned to leave by the manager. 'She seems real insistent on wanting me to leave...' May thought to herself.

The girl was just about to reach the door, when she heard the manager's phone rang from behind and she turned to see the manager answering the phone. And from the look of it, the call seemed important.

"Hello? Oh! Sir, it's you!" The manager exclaimed in a tone that sounded both frightened and professional. "Yes sir, everything's in order. We're all set for the upcoming sale estate, sir. And a reporter's already here to cover it."

Seeing the manager was busy, talking on the phone, Mei Ling decided to use that to her advantage to sneak into the office for answers, particularly, the Xiangliu statue.

Mei Ling proceeded to crouch down and hides herself behind some display cases of the art imports, to avoid being seen, while the manager continues to talk with someone on the phone.

"Yes sir, I know we scheduled for the reporter to come by tomorrow," The manager continued. "But for some reason, they changed their mind at the last minute and...yes sir. Of course sir. No, never sir."

This kept on going, until Mei Ling finally arrived outside the door to the office, where she turns the door knob and let herself in. Once inside the office, Mei Ling walked up to the statue for a closer inspection.

"I remember an article about this statue, back in China, a few years back," May began. "It was stolen from a museum a few years back. Rumor has it that it's secretly a vault and was used by thieves in the past to store precious goods. But what is it doing here?"

Turning to a portrait beside the statue, Mei Ling examined the picture to see it was of the manager and the Storm King together, with the Xiangliu statue behind them.

"Huh, the snake's heads look different in the picture," Mei noted, before she walked over to the manager's desk.

May found a document with information regarding the snake demon. They read:



"Xiangliu – a poisonous nine-headed snake demon that was known for bringing floods and destruction in Chinese Mythologies. In older art depictions of the demon, each head were positioned to look in different directions. This statue's most common pose is watchful.

Clockwise:
1. Up) 2. Down) 3. Left) 4. Down-Right) 5. Up-Left) 6. Right) 7. Up-right) 8. Down-Left) 9. Forward)



"Huh, the statue's heads can move?" May inquired to herself, as she takes the document and decided to give it a try for herself with the real McCoy. "Up, down, left, down-right..."

The girl turned the heads in the instructed directions above, until at last, they were all set in place.

"Bingo!" Mei said happily to herself, as a set of gears turned and clicked, before a secret compartment opened up from inside one of the snake's head to reveal two files. "Huh, what're these?" She asked, taking a read of the files. "Daybreaker and Predator's Wine? What's–"

Mei Ling's question was interrupted, when she heard a commotion outside. Cracking the door just a smidge, Juniper took a peek to see a squadron of masked gunmen walking in, carrying guns, and wearing bullet proof vests.

The manager came walking towards them, "Hey! Who are you? You can't–" Before she could finish, the woman was slapped across the face, and fell to the floor.

"Where're the files?" The squad leader demanded. "Where're are they? Tell us, or I'll shoot you dead!"

"They're in there!" the woman pointed, to which the masked men followed.

Not wanting to stick around, Mei Ling took both of the files and took her leave through another door in the office, where she took refuge, inside the storage room.





Present


"I was on my way out when I saw you gals and guy coming!" Mei Ling concluded, to the astonished Hum Drum and Power Princesses.

"I like this girl," Zapp commented.

"Me too!" Fili-Second agreed.

"That was a big risk you've taken!" Masked Matter-Horn commented. "You're lucky to be alive!"

"Well, I did save your boyfriend's life a second ago," Mei Ling scoffed, much to Trot's embarrassment.

"He's–He's not! He's not my boyfriend!" The lead superheroine flustered, while Ken couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "I mean, he's a boy, and he's our friend, but not in the way that's–" Wanting to escape the awkwardness, Masked Matter-Horn regains her composure as she gets everyone back on track.

"Look! For your safety, I believe it's imperative that we get you out of this place," Masked Matter-Horn stated.

"Yeah, I'd listen to her, May," Hum Drum said. "Whoever these masked men are, they're armed up and they're bad news."

"Like I didn't notice?" Mei Ling asked rhetorically, before she holds up the files she had taken. "I'll be on my way out. But these files are very important, if they're being  targeted by some madmen with guns."

"So, just give it to them!" Fili-Second joked. "And maybe they won't shoot you dead if you do it politely!"

"Fili!" The other heroes scoleded.

"You're right. Not helping..."

Turning back, Masked Matter-Horn contemplated, "Okay. If these files are this important to you, just as they are to those criminals, then we'll do whatever we can to get you out, safely."

"So what's the plan?" Aurora asked, swinging her sword, eager for some actions.

"We stick with the stealth attacks," Masked Matter-Horn answered. "There's still a hostage out there, and we can't risk a full on attack. Marvelous, Radiance, you come with me. Fili-Second, scout out the building for any backups. But do it quietly. Zapp, you take Saddle and keep an eye on the manager."

"What about me?" Hum Drum asked.

"Hum Drum, you stay and protect Mei Ling," Masked Matter-Horn instructed. "Stay out of sight. Once the coast is clear, make a break for the exit."

Before Hum Drum could protest, Mei Ling interrupted, "Sounds like a plan!" She smiled. "Wow, this is...really mindblowing! I still can't believe I'm in the middle of a break-in, with superheroes and their sidekick!"

"Well, technically, I'm a hero-in-training," Hum Drum stated.

"Which essentially means you're just a sidekick," Mei Ling countered.

Without another word, or any chance to hear an objection, the Power Princesses have already taken their leave to take their positions, and left Hum Drum alone with Mei Ling. When the girl wasn't looking, Hum Drum looked to the side to take a glance at the girl.

'Wow, I can't believe it's really her!' Ken exclaimed excitedly. 'After all this time, it felt like it hasn't been a year, or so. I almost want to tell her who I really am! But I can't...and I'm not sure if I will...someday...'

Wanting to catch up on lost times with the girl, while maintaining his facade, Hum Drum began, "So...how've you been? I mean...before you came here, I mean..."

"Well, I've been better," Mei Ling replied. "My dad and I just moved here from Lake Placid, New York. So, we've had a long travel and we're just getting settled."

"Yeah, I thought so," Hum Drum nodded. "And your dad...is a police officer, right?"

"Yep. He was the top student of his class at the police academy. He cleaned up the streets and was awarded a medal of honor for his services and heroism."

"Sounds like the kind of stand up police officer we all need here in Maretropolis."

"No kidding. The police officers in this city are seriously understaffed! Doesn't your mayor want to make this city better than being crime ridden?"

"If I had a nickel for every questions about the mayor..." Hum Drum shook his head. "Mayor Verko isn't the kind of guy I'd vote to win for a re-election either. Besides, the guy's too darn cheap. He's all about making less of our needs, for more of his wants."

"Like what, to be exact?"

"That's a question I can't answer too simply. The guy's got a really long grocery list. Which is why the girls and I are practically the 'home guards' to handle stuff, when the police can't."

"So, you all work for the police then?"

"Uh...in a way, yeah," Turning his attention to the files Mei Ling was clutching onto, Hum Drum asked, "So what is it about those files that these guys want so badly?"

"One of them's about something called 'Daybreaker,'" Mei Ling answered, opening up one of the files of the said subject. "According to these plans, the Storm King was building a secret research lab for it. Not sure what it is, but from the looks of these notes, it scares him and...Verko."

“The Storm King, huh?” Hum Drum commented. “As in the CEO and founder of Storm Watch Enterprise?”

"I think so," Mei Ling replied, turning to look at Hum Drum. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Only that he is one of the biggest business tycoons to have ever existed," Hum Drum answered. "Never thought he'd be involve in something this controversial. And the mayor? What's he got to do with any of this?"

"I don't know," Mei Ling replied. "But this other one, 'Predator's Wine', is something he finds most profitable. Not sure what it is, but these plans seem to make it sound like it's not something I recommend in my everyday drinks."





Meanwhile, back with the Power Princesses


The Power Princesses all took their places, playing their roles in the plan of attack, devised by Masked Matter-Horn.

Masked Matter-Horn had frozen one of the unsuspecting Niriks on the spot.

Not too far, behind a display case of a large painting, a couple Niriks were heard in an idle chit-chat, in Japanese.

"What are they saying?" Marvelous asked, frustrated by the foreign language.

"Hmmm," Masked Matter-Horn pondered, as she strains to listen on their conversation. "They're talking awfully soft, but from what I've gathered, they were looking for a bell..." Masked Matter-Horn confirmed. "A special bell that is rumored to grant wishes."

“A wish granting bell?” Radiance exclaimed. “My, sounds promising. And is that what they’re here for?”

“We’ll find out later, once we clear the area and get both Ken and May out,” Masked Matter-Horn reminded.

With that, the three Power Princesses went back to work on the task at hand.

Mistress Marvelous was crawling along the support beams, shrouded in the darkness of the shadows, above the lights, close to the ceilings. Safely concealed, Mistress was able to get a drop on the Niriks below, using her lasso to snatch them up into the air, where she punched the surprised masked gunmen, knocking their lights out.

Radiance was prowling across the floor, with graceful agilities, like those of a cat, stalking its prey from behind. One of the masked gunman was standing guard at an entrance, when Radiance struck him from behind, without warning, a chop to his neck, that rendered him unconscious.

With that task done, Radiance dragged him away, hiding the down man out of sight. Just then, another masked gunman came walking by, when he noticed the empty entry, where one of his comrades should be.

Holding his gun up, the gunman cautiously entered the room, ready for anything that might try to jump out and attack him. What he failed to realize, however, was that the sneak attack was from above. Before he had time to react, a gust of icy wind came shooting down and froze him in an icy cocoon, putting him into cryostasis, courtesy of Masked Matter-Horn.

"どうしたの？(What's going on?)" A nearby masked gunman exclaimed, having heard the commotion. "何? (What?)" He exclaimed in alarm, upon seeing one of his comrades frozen.

Before the masked gunman could alert the rest, Mistress Marvelous quickly lassoed him by the leg, pulling him up into the air, where she banged his head against a metal beam, knocking him out cold, before she gently dropped him back down onto the floor.

This didn't go unheard, as some other masked gunmen heard the landing and came over to investigate. Working fast, Radiance concentrated her powers into her bracelets, projecting two pairs of hands that stretched down and snatched the guns out of the gunmen's hands. With their adversaries unarmed, Masked Matter-Horn and Mistress Marvelous leapt down from their perch, onto the bewildered masked criminals, and together, they quickly fought the two masked men with ease.

Mistress swept her leg across the floor to trip one of the masked men, followed by an elbow drop to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. At the same time, Matter-Horn landed a flying kick at the other masked men, shattering his mask. The criminal stumbled back from the impact. Not giving him a chance to recover, the lead heroine fired a blast of icy winds on the floor, freezing it into a slippery ice, causing the man to slip and fall on his back, knocking him out.

"That should do it for now," Masked Matter-Horn stated. "Now let's clear the other room and–"

Suddenly, a girl screaming was heard.

“NO! Let me go!” Mei Ling shouted.

"MAY!" Hum Drum shouted, followed by a struggle. “Let her go you—Aah!!”

“HUM DRUM!!” Masked Matter-Horn screamed in alarm.





Mei Ling was being dragged by the collar of her shirt, by one of the masked men, before Hum Drum came to her aid.

"LET GO OF HER!!" Hum Drum shouted, waving his bo staff wildly at the masked man, hitting him on the head.

However, the masked man simply shrugged the blow off, as he kicked Hum Drum away, before he threw Mei Ling onto the floor and kicked her in the head, stunning her. The girl fell limp, dropping the files, which the man didn't hesitate to snatch away.

"MAY!!" Hum Drum shouted, rushing to the girl's side.

"Don't move!" One of the masked gunmen barked, holding his gun at Hum Drum. "Drop the stick. DROP IT, or I kill her."

Hum Drum was just about to comply, when a blur of pink came in and knocked the gun out of his hand. The same soon followed the other gunmen in the room, before the pink blur stopped, revealing herself to be Fili-Second. At that moment, a door burst open in a blazing explosion of sparks, as Zapp and Spruce Spanner jumped into the room, with the former unsheathing her sword, ready for action. Completing the group, Mistress Marvelous kicked down a set of doors, with herself, Masked Matter-Horn, and Radiance entering the fray.

Seeing how dire the situation has become, the masked man, carrying the files, makes a hasty retreat for the exit, to which Zapp and Fili-Second leapt into action.

"HEY! Where do you think you're going?" Zapp shouted as she and Fili-Second gave chase.

Unfortunately, one of the masked men reacted fast, and surprisingly knocked both Zapp and Fili back, with a punch, that somehow exploded upon impact, allowing the man with the files to escape.

"Oh! Oh dear goodness!" Spruce exclaimed, as she ran over to check on her two friends. "Are you alright?"

"We'll live," Zapp replied as she got up.

"How'd they stop me?" Fili-Second exclaimed in disarray. "No one's ever been quick enough to stop me before!"

"Uh, girls?" Masked Matter-Horn said, bring the Power Princesses' attention to the matter at hand.

The heroes looked to see they were surrounded by more of their masked adversaries, "Now what?" Hum Drum asked.

"You had to ask?" Zapp asked. "FIGHT!"

With that, the Power Princesses and the masked men charged at each other, starting an epic battle.


Them's Fightin' Herds –  Woodlands(Tianhuo)


"Go! HIDE!" Hum Drum said to Mei Ling and the manager, who both went in separate directions to hide from the battle.

At the start of the battle, Mistress Marvelous lassoed one of the masked men by the hands, before she tried to pull him towards her. However, the alien girl was taken by surprise when the man pulled her towards him instead, and he landed a kick to her face.

Fili-Second was throwing some rapid kicks and punches, and landed some hits. But she was caught by surprise when the man’s hands started to engulf in a blazing, dark fiery aura, and he threw an explosive punch that knocked her into a glass case, shattering it.

"Whoa! Are those real fire?" Ken asked, having observed the fiery display.

"They don't look like normal earth fire to me," Masked Matter-Horn observed.

The same thing happened to Zapp, when she swung her sword at one of the masked man, whose hands were pulsing with the same fiery aura. Somehow, with quick reflexes and enhanced strength, the man caught a stroke of Zapp’s sword, Thunderer, in the palms of his hands. Fueled by Zapp’s determination and frustration, the sword’s blade crackled with electricity, clashing together with the intensity of the fiery aura from the man’s hands. Then, in an shattering explosion, Zapp and the man were knocked away from each other.

“This is crazy!” Hum Drum exclaimed in fear, watching the intensity of the fight rising. “This is like Spider-Man and the Inner Demons crazy! WHOA!” The boy ducked his head, nearly getting blasted by a fireball.

“Hum Drum,” Masked Matter-Horn began, while blasting a mist at one of the men. “How about you just sit this one out?”

“I hate to say it, but... I agree with you on this one, Masked,” Hum Drum said as he hides behind a wooden box, while watching the battle unfold.

The masked men have proven themselves to be as comment and capable of fighting the Power Princesses to a stand. Even without their guns, somehow, their use in the fiery aura on their hands have evened the odds for them against the alien girls.

Masked Matter-Horn was using her powers to freeze some of the attacking men, while also shooting energy blasts to combat against their fireballs.

Mistress Marvelous continued to use her lasso to ensnare some of the attacking men, before she mustered every ounce of her strength to slam them onto the ground, or the walls. When she’s not using her lasso, she reached into her utility belt and pulled out a boomerang, and threw it towards one of the masked men, hitting him across the face, before her boomerang returned.

Radiance was protecting herself from one of the masked man, who threw fiery punches and kicks, which she blocked and evaded. In retaliation, Radiance conjured a pink anvil and bashed it across the masked man’s head.

BANG BANG

Some of the masked men had recovered their guns, and didn’t hesitate to open fire on the Power Princesses.

Radiance quickly projected light violet shields to protect herself and her friends from the bullets.

Fili-Second easily avoided the bullets, swinging to the sides to evade them. When the gunmen were out and proceeded to reload, Fili-Second immediately seized the opportunity to fight back, sweeping them off their feet, before she pulled out a pizza ball from her hair.

“Time for a pizza ball~” She sang, before the pizza bomb exploded, covering the criminals in pepperoni and cheese.

Suddenly, a tall, bulkier masked man, most likely the reinforcement, came charging into the room, wielding a sword coated in the same flaming aura.

"I got this!" Zapp said, holding her sword tight and she zipped off in a streak of electricity and clashed blade with the man. 

But much to her and her friends' surprise and literal shock, when the two blades clashed, it resulted in a powerful explosion that knocked the two sword wielders back, off their feet. Nevertheless, they quickly recovered from the shock and resumed the fight. Sparks of fire and electricity danced in the air, as the two blades clash together.

Lastly, Spruce Spanner quivered as she hides behind a wall, watching the battle from a safe distance.

During the battle, one of the masked gunmen’s bullets was fired too close to where Mei Ling was hiding.

“May!” Carefully crawling towards the girl’s hiding spot, Hum Drum consulted the young journalist. “Hey. It’s too dangerous for you to be here. We need to get you out of here, quick!”

“But how?” Mei Ling asked.

“There’s an open window, over there!” Hum Drum pointed. “There, by that Fenghuang statue. C’mon! Follow me, and keep your head down.”

With that, Hum Drum proceeded to lead Mei Ling to the exit, while trying to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the battle that was raging on.

“AUGH!!” Mistress Marvelous yelled, as one of the masked man held her down, on a glass container, threatening to choke her with the stick of his axe, close to where Hum Drum and Mei Ling were.

With a grunt, Mistress Marvelous kicked the man off her as she resumes the fight.

The worst was far from over, when a masked man was backed up too close to the two, while he was engaged in a battle against Fili-Second. Hum Drum whipped out the stun gun from last week, with Radiance, and jabbed it into the masked man’s back, knocking him out.

“Nice work, Hum Drum!” Fili-Second smiled, before she zipped away.

At last, Hum Drum and Mei Ling arrived at the open window. Unfortunately, it was rather higher than they expected.

Without wasting any time to think, Hum Drum cupped his hands together.

“Here, get on!” He said, as Mei Ling puts her foot into his hands, before he stood up, giving her a boost up.

Mei Ling held her hands up and gripped tightly onto the ledge of the window. Wincing from the cold metal, biting into her hands, Mei Ling strained to pull herself up.

“Little help here please?” Mei Ling grimaced.

“I got you,” Hum Drum replied, turning to push the girl up.

Unfortunately, their escape attempt didn’t go unnoticed. One of the masked men saw Hum Drum helping Mei Ling escape. With a twist of his body, he slammed his axe and sent a shockwave in Hum Drum’s direction.

Spruce Spanner was the first to see it happened, "HUM DRUM! LOOK OUT!!"

Hum Drum looked, just in time to see the man slam his axe on the ground. Activating his the super springs in his boots, Hum Drum super-jumped and pushed Mei Ling all the way out of the window, before he attempts to dodge the attack, but too late; upon impact, the shockwave exploded and Hum Drum was thrown across the floor in a tumble and roll.

“HUM DRUM!!!” The Power Princesses screamed in horror.

“Oh no!” Spruce Spanner shouted, running towards the injured boy. “Are you alright?”

In response, Hum Drum, scorched, clutch his aching side, coughing horribly, as Spruce looks him over to discover a bruise mark on the back of his head, and his face was blackened from the explosion.

“Ooh, my life...just flashed before my eyes...” Hum Drum groaned in a daze, before he collapsed.

Seeing the boy bruised and battered, Spruce felt a turmoil of conflicting emotions stirring up inside of her. Like a storm, her heart was beating faster and louder, like thunder.

Finally, something snapped as Spruce Spanner narrowed her eyes and she looked towards the masked men with a look of pure rage.

“HOW. DARE. YOOOOOUUUUU?!!!!” Spruce screamed in a bloodcurdling screech.

“Oh now you’re in trouble,” Zapp said to the men.

“We’re in trouble!” Fili-Second stated.

The Power Princesses braced themselves, while the masked men looked on in bewilderment, watching as Spruce Spanner undergoes a horrifying, yet alluring, transformation. Her eyes turned a shade of red, that some might've easily mistaken it to be blood, the muscles on her arms and legs grew bigger and bulkier, and her height increased. Her suit began to tear up, with holes ripping into her sleeves, along her thighs, to further show her muscle growth, and her boots were squeezing her enlarged legs.

With a bellowing primal roar, like that of a mad animal, Saddle Rager's anger has taken form from the inside-out.

"撃て！(Shoot it!)" One of the masked men ordered.

The masked gunmen immediately opened fire on Saddle Ragers. But her enhanced skin has become too thick, and the bullets simply bounced off and fell to the floor, with the shells clinking at the bottom and ringing through the air.

Angered even further, Saddle Rager lunged forward and proceeded to thrash and beat every of the masked men to a pulp. She snatched one of the men and brutally thrashed him around the room, slamming him on the floor repeatedly, with reckless abandon. One of the masked men ran up to her and tried to slash her with his fiery axe. But the blade barely left a scratch, and Saddle swung her bulky fist, throwing him off. With another loud roar, Saddle Rager slammed her fists into the ground, creating a tremendous shockwave, knocking both the masked men and her friends off their feet, and causing the structures to collapse. A downed wire fell and somehow, it started a fire.

"行こう！(Let's go!)" 

Seeing how dire the situation has become, and knowing that they've got what they came for, the masked men made a hasty retreat, while carrying away their injured comrades. But Saddle Rager would have none of that.

She picked up a few of the art imports and containers and proceeded to hurl them after the masked criminals, trying to prevent them from getting away.

"SADDLE! STOP!!!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted, trying to stop her angry friend, but to no avail.

Saddle Rager pushed Masked Matter-Horn to the side, and resumes her pursuit, only for one of her hands to be ensnared by Mistress Marvelous. With another frustrated grunt, Saddle Rager swings her arm to pull Mistress off her feet, followed by a backfist that hit the strong, lasso-wielding heroine in the face, sending her rolling across the floor.

"Ooh, that's smarts," Mistress Marvelous groaned, rubbing her afflicted nose and jaw.

"THE ARTS!" The manager wailed. "These works of arts are priceless! They cannot be destroyed by the fire!"

"No worries, I got them," Fili-Second said as she quickly went to work, saving the works of arts from being destroyed.

Focusing her powers, Radiance tried to restrain Saddle Rager's anger, by projecting violet chains and cuffs on the rampaging alien girl's arms and legs, into a full straitjacket. Unfortunately, Saddle Rager's rage was too strong for Radiance to maintain her mental hold to contain the former's rage.

"Can't...hold...on," Radiance groaned. "Much..."

"LONGEEEEEEER~" Fili-Second finished, while saving all the priceless works of arts from the fire.

"Not the time, Fili!" Masked Matter-Horn scolded the fast girl, while trying to put out the flames, with her ice powers, but was finding her progress hindered, when Saddle Ragers broke free from her restraints. "Oh no..."

Saddle Ragers, still just as angry, was breathing heavily like a wild beast. She was even more furious, with not only the facts her quarries have escaped, but the fact that her friends had tried to stop her and let them get away. With another loud roar, Saddle Ragers took her anger out on her own teammates.

She punched Masked Matter-Horn, causing the girl to break her concentration on putting out the fire. She kicked Mistress Marvelous into a wall. Radiance project a shield, struggling to hold it up, which was a difficult task, given Saddle Rager's immense strength and that the angry girl wasn't letting up anytime soon. Zapp, out of impulse, came flying in and with a swing of her sword, she shot a blast of lightning at Saddle Rager from behind, electrocuting the angry girl. Then, with a blast, Saddle Rager stood, still in her monstrous form, charred, and her hair puffed up into a large scorched afro.

Zapp couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh, you should see yourself!" She laughed. "You look so bad! OOMPH!"

Zapp immediately stopped laughing when the angry Saddle Rager punched her grin off, and sent Zapp tumbling onto the floor, dropping her sword. Before Zapp could get up, Saddle Rager was already up on her, throwing punches towards Zapp's head, with the young swordswoman moving her head to the side, to avoid getting her face smashed in. Thankfully, a falling platform hits Saddle Rager on the head, distracting her for a moment, allowing Zapp to escape.

Stunned for a brief moment, Saddle rubbed her sore head, before she looked down and saw the unconscious body of Hum Drum, to which she finally came to her senses.

"Ken..." Saddle whimpered, as she begins to shrink down to her true meek self, before she looks at her surrounding, horrified at the destruction caused in her wake. "What have I done?!"

"Let's just get Hum Drum out of here," Masked Matter-Horn suggested.

"Hey, speaking of who," Fili-Second spoke up. "Where did that manager lady go?"





During the chaos


The manager was watching from her hiding place, seeing the Power Princesses struggling to calm the enraged, rampaging Saddle Rager, with Fili-Second doing her a solid of saving the priceless art collections. She went into her office to get some air, while keeping her head low, beneath the smoke, when she bumped into a person.

She yelped as she fell back, holding her hands up, expecting it to be another of the masked gunmen who attacked the place. However, when she looked up, she was frightened still, at the sight of a familiar woman with a bionic arm.

"Tempest Shadow?!" The manager exclaimed.

"Having trouble, I see," Tempest began as she picked the manager up, off the floor. "Perhaps you'd like to explain this to the Storm King."





Back with the heroes


After the Power Princesses escaped the burning building, while carrying an unconscious Hum Drum, the police and fire fighters soon arrived to put out the flames. In the meantime, the heroines found a secluded spot, where Spruce Spanner began to apply some medical treatments to Ken's burns and bruises.

"Aaah!" Hum Drum yelped, once he regained his consciousness. "Wha-what happened? Did we win?"

"Shhh, slowly, Hum Drum," Masked Matter-Horn cautioned. "Slowly."

"You took quite the hit, back there," Mistress Marvelous commented. "You're lucky to be alive from that blast back there."

"Oh...is that what happened?" Hum Drum groaned, as he got up and rubbed the back of his head. "I...I remember helping May get out, when...May! Where is she? Is she alright?" He exclaimed in concern.

"I'm okay, and here I am," A voice called, revealing herself to be none other than Mei Ling. "Thanks to you."

"Phew," Hum Drum breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god..."

"I'm...I'm terribly sorry for..." Spruce turned around to look at the burning building, shamefully. "For back there. I hope I didn't scare you too badly."

"Are you kidding me?" Mei Ling exclaimed excitedly. "That was the most intense thing I've ever seen! I was this close to the action! I've...I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!!!" She cheered. "I don't care what anyone else say, but you Power Princesses and Boy Wonder are okay in my book. Once I get to work on writing this story, I am so getting lots of followers and subscribers on my blog! Though, now that I think about it...maybe I should consider changing the title to something snappy, like...The Power Blog!"

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Mistress Marvelous broke the silence, "So glad our latest heroics is helping with boosting your journalist career."

"Anyway, while you're still here, and before we have anymore trouble tonight," Masked Matter-Horn began. "How about we take you home, to be safe?"

"No need," Mei Ling shook her head. "I just called dad. I told him I saw the commotion from across the street and I'm waiting for him here. He'll come and pick me up. Besides, dad wants me bright and early tomorrow for school. And I want to look my best for some old friends I'll be seeing. Namely Ken,” She giggled at the mention of the boy's name.

“...Right,” Hum Drum replied, while trying not to blurt out his real identity.

"Well, I gotta go," Mei Ling was about to take her leave, when she stopped. "Oh! By the way, I have something for you heroes," Reaching into her backpack, Mei Ling pulled out a familiar mask that belonged to one of the masked criminals.

"Whoa! Where'd you get that?" Hum Drum asked, as Mei Ling handed the mask to him and the Power Princesses.

"I found some of the masked men you've knocked out, back in the building," Mei Ling answered. "So I helped myself and snatched some of the masks, right off their faces. Besides, looks antique, and just thought maybe since we'll be working together, odds are, we could find a lead to who these masked criminals are and what their motives are."

"We?" Zapp asked. "Since when are we working together?"

"Since now," Mei Ling smiled as she handed the heroes a calling card. "If I ever need you, or vice-versa, here's my number and my address! Okay, bye!" With that, Mei Ling took her leave and headed towards the police officers, who were investigating the scene. Her dad is likely one of them.

"She's nice!" Fili–Second commented, as she and her teammates took their leave.





The next day


It was another new day at Maretropolis High. After a night of stopping a robbery, or at least nearly getting killed for trying, Ken was back on his feet for a new day at school, though his body was still aching from the recent fight.

He was greeted by both Gwen and Thor.

"Morning Ken!" Thor greeted, before he noticed the state Ken was in. "Whoa, are you alright? You looked like you've been hit by a bus, or something."

"I just...fell out of bed," Ken lied.

"Whoa, that must've been quite a fall..." Gabby commented, as she walked over to inspect the boy. "Ouch! I really big fall!" She said, when she noticed the bruise on the back of his head. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Ken brushed her off. "Let's just get to class."

However, before the friends could head on to class, the principal made an announcement.

"Mr. Ken Heathspike, Mr. Thor Axel, and Miss Gwen Gryffindor, please report to the main foyer. A new student wishes to personally meet you three."

With that, the three friends all walked down to the said area, where the principal said the new student would be. Thor and Gwen were both anxious and excited to meet this new student, while Ken knew exactly who it is.

‘Where’s Mei Ling?’ He asked mentally, when a pair of hands blinded him.

“Guess who~” A voice sang from behind.

Thor and Gwen both turned around to look and were surprised to see who the new student is.

"Omigosh!" Gwen exclaimed.

"MAY?!" Thor gasped.

Playing along, Ken feigned shock, “No way!” He turned around to see the girl he had saved last night. “MAY!!!”

“Long time no see, my friends!” Mei Ling smiled. “Nǐ hǎo!”

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" Gwen squeaked repeatedly, before she was the first to wrap Mei Ling in a loving hug. "I can't believe you're here after all this time!"

"Wow, May!" Thor smiled. "H-H-I don't believe this. You're here! How've you been?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old," May answered casually. "But it's really good to see you guys and gal again!"

"Back at ya, May," Ken replied. "So, when did you get here?" He asked, while secretly knowing the answer.

"Just yesterday," May answered. "My dad got a transfer here, from the Police Department of Lake Placid, New York. We're currently in the process of getting our stuff together and getting settled. But you won't believe what happened last night!"

"What? What happened?" Thor asked.

"I got to meet the Power Princesses and their Boy Wonder!"

"Whoa! No way!" Thor and Gwen gasped, with Ken playing along to act the part.

"How did you get to meet them?" Gwen asked.

To answer Gwen's question, Mei Ling went on to relay the skirmish at the Mistmane Auction House and how she was involved in it, and the aftermath.

"And now, I'm working alongside the heroes to get more scoops!" May smiled proudly.

"Wow, way to go, May!" Thor smiled.

"That is amazing!" Gwen said with starry-eyes.

"Yeah, what she said," Ken pointed to Gwen. 'Which reminds me,' He thought to himself. 'I need to get one of those masks check out to learn more about it. And I think I might know the person.'





Later, at the end of the day, Ken and the Power Princesses-in-disguises came over to Kirin's Care for a visit. At the front desk, they were greeted by Kisara.

"Hello there," Kisara greeted with a sad smile. "What brings you here?"

"If it's not much trouble, Mrs. Kisara," Ken began. "We're looking for Rain Shine and Phoenix Dawn."

"We have something we could use their expert opinion on," Trot added.

"I'm afraid Miss Rain Shine has to step out and run some errands," Kisara replied. "But her daughter's here. She just went to the storage room. It's just around that corner, at the end of the hallway."

"Thanks a lot!" Ken waved as he and the girls walked down the hallway, before they arrived at the said storage space, where Phoenix would be.

Upon entering the room, behind the stacks of boxes, Ken and the girls can hear a loud clicking noise, ringing through the air. Spruce was startled by the sound, as she frantically searches the left and the right, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Spruce whimpered.

"Who's there?" A voice called from behind the boxes, scaring the boy and girls.

The creaking grew louder as it got closer, until stepping out from behind the boxes is none other than Phoenix Dawn, holding a box cutter knife.

"Oh! Konnichi wa Ken and friends!" Phoenix smiled, pulling on the knob, creating the same creaking noise from before, which sheathes the blade away. "How may I help you?" Phoenix asked, while putting the small utility knife away.

"Well, my friend Mei Ling was doing a story on art imports," Ken explained. "And she found this piece, and we know you happen to be an expert on–"

"And this might actually be the first time I put it to good use," The fiery girl smiled, knowing where the conversation was going, "Let's see what you have." With that, Ken reached into his backpack and pulled out the mask, "Whoa. Where'd she get this?" Phoenix asked, taking the object in her hands for closer examination.

"Uh, she....she didn't say," Ken lied. "But what is it? Do you know what it is?"

"Hmmmm, it looks almost like a replica of an antique Japanese Noh mask, specifically the Hannya," Phoenix answered solemnly. "Hannya's are usually demons of jealousy, hatred, anger, and sadness. Haven't seen these in a long time," The girl then turned over the mask to look at its under side, revealing a Japanese Kanji. "This Kanji roughly translates to 'Niriks.'"

"Niriks?"

"Fearsome beasts of pure fire," Phoenix muttered. "My brother used to read ghost stories with this mask and symbol on it. Saying that masks like these contain supernatural powers in them. Used to scare the hell out of me..." 

"Wait a sec, you have a brother?" Dallas asked

"Y-Yes but that's not important right now." The fiery girl stuttered, as she handed the mask back to Ken, before she continued, "Listen, Ken. Your friend might want to look for a different story. That mask, it could be connected to dangerous people."

"Are you saying she's in trouble?" Ken asked.

"I...I don't know...but why take the risks?"
> The Water Nymph
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Two years ago


My name is Ariel Neptune. Two years ago, I was a normal human girl, with a special talent.

At school, I was the top of my swim team. And with the team, I had some very good friends to pal around with. And I have a loving grandma whom I've looked up to, ever since I was very little.

But most of all, I used to talk and sing. Though, unlike everyone, I have a beautiful voice. My dad always said that I have the voice of a thousand angels. Or, at least, I had a voice like that. But now, it’s gone. It was taken from me, just like how I was taken away from my life...

This is my story...




Present


Two nights have passed, since the scuffle at the Mistmane Auction House has at last quiet down. By then, Hum Drum was well again, and he got to go on another patrol with his friends, the Power Princesses. At the moment, the heroes were patrolling the east coast of the city, at its harbor.

"Sure is nice to be on patrols again," Ken commented as he leapt across a building, with Masked Matter-Horn beside him. "And it was nice to see May again."

"Yes, it's great that you and May get to see each other again, Hum Drum," Masked began. "But it'd be really helpful of you to focus on the task at hand."

"I know," Ken replied, while taking out his phone and looked at an image. "I still can't believe that May's already started a blog called the PowerLine. It's got a nice ring to it. And look what she's posted on the blog," He showed, revealing a disturbing photo of what appeared to be a mutant fish of some kind. "And our mayor's office is currently 'investigating' for any toxic waste dump in the area, which is highly unlikely."

"Which exactly what we're here for," Masked Matter-Horn replied. "We're staking out and see if we can catch the culprits in the act."

"Or if there are any culprits at all," Zapp complained through a mic, in Masked Matter-Horn's right ear. "We've been here for like an hour already. Is anything ever going  to happen?"

"Patience Zapp..." Marvelous advised. "Something's bound to happen."

"Yeah, and besides," Fili-Second began. "You know what they say. Criminals always return to the scene of the crime."

"Shhh!" Saddle Rager shushed, hearing the sound of a truck arriving.

The heroes all hid themselves out of sight, and watched as a truck drove onto the dock, carrying large metal oil barrels on a flatbed. Little did the heroes know, they weren't the only ones watching the event unfolding. A head broke the surface of the water, as a pair of eyes rises above the water, and watches the scene happening from a distance.

The truck finally came to a stop, in which a door flung open, revealing the driver and the passenger to be members of the Reapers.

"Reapers!" Hum Drum whispered in alarm.

"What are them varmints up to now?" Marvelous asked as she and the heroes continue to observe.

The two Reapers walked around to the end of the truck, when more trucks arrived, with even more Reapers. The anarchists all proceeded to unload several barrels of oil-like substance onto the docks, before they brought them over to the edge of the dock and proceeded to dump them into the water.

"They're polluting the water!" Hum Drum exclaimed.

"Why those good for nothing..." Saddle Rager scowled. "Oh it makes me so..."

"Whoa, calm down there, Saddle," Zapp quickly advised. "Don't go Rager on us yet. Let's try and handle this quickly and quietly," Unfortunately, the swordswoman's words got eaten, when the sound of a gun clicking was heard, and both Zapp and Saddle turned around to see a Reaper, holding a gun at them. "Or not..."

Before the Reaper could pull the trigger, a boomerang came flying and knocked the gun from his hand. The startled Reaper looked back, just in time to receive a punch and a kick from Mistress Marvelous and Zapp, respectively, simultaneously.

With that, a fight breaks out between the heroes and the Reapers. The Reapers proceeded to fire their guns at the heroes, which Radiance quickly reacted, focusing her thoughts into her Power Bracelets to conjure several shields to protect her teammates from the bullets.

"Fili-Second! Take out the ones with guns!" Masked Matter-Horn instructed. "We'll handle the rest. Hum Drum, you stay somewhere safe and hidden."

"What? But...I'm well...I can walk.." Hum Drum protested, which Masked Matter-Horn continued to strongly deny. "I can help!"

"No, you can't," Mistress Marvelous added. "Sorry Ken, but ya need to sit this one out."

"Yo Saddle?" Zapp called her friend over. "How about you keep Ken company?"

"Ok," Saddle nodded as she went over to the sideline and joined Ken.

In the meantime, the rest of the Power Princesses all resumed their parts in their latest battle against the Reapers.

Doing as she was instructed, Fili-Second was a blur of pink, dodging bullets and running circles around the Reapers, as she disarms the anarchists of their guns, and in their place, are more Pizza Bombs, that blew up in their faces.

Radiance was using her Power Bracelets to create floating shields to protect her friends, while also making assortments of weapons in order to help fight back the Reapers.

“Are those...grenade launchers?!” Hum Drum alerted his super heroine friends.

“I got this!” Zapp insisted, spinning her sword at lightning speed, literally, and fired a bolt of lightning that destroyed a grenade and the launcher.

A Reaper was firing his rifle at the Power Princesses, only to have it snatched away by Mistress Marvelous’s lasso, who spins and slammed the firearm on the platform, shattering it to pieces.

Lastly, Masked Matter-Horn focused her mentality into an energy horn from her forehead. She conjured a gust of freezing air to freeze some of the Reapers into ice blocks, while also freezing the platform to trip them.

Some of the Reapers went to hide behind their trucks and the crates at the docks, to shoot the heroes from the cover.

“They’re all over the place!” Masked Matter-Horn strained, as she felt her concentration being forced to split in random directions.

“Then we’ll have to keep fighting!” Zapp replied, as she slashed some of the Reapers away, while narrowly avoiding a grenade blast.

“Oh dear,” Spruce whimpered as she held Hum Drum close.

Luckily, help arrived, out of the blue, or from the water. A torrent blast of water was shot off the dock and hits several of the Reapers, washing them away.

“Huh?” Fili-Second turned her head to the side. “Where did that came from?”

When neither the Reapers, or the heroes, were looking, the mysterious observer stealthily snuck up from behind and pulled the Reapers, off the dock and into the waters.

Eventually, with their numbers dwindling, the Reapers found themselves at the edge of the dock.

“Give up, Reapers!” Ken declared, after it was safe for him and Spruce to get out. “It’s over!”

Suddenly, a large pincer came bursting from the waters, beneath the dock, and snatched most of the cornered Reapers. Then, it disappeared beneath the water.

"What the what?" Zapp exclaimed in bewilderment, along with her friends and the Reapers at the sudden change of development.

It wasn't long before the sound of bubbles popping was heard, breaking the surface, in which one of the Reapers cautiously stepped forth to investigate, with his gun at the ready. That was when a tentacle burst out from the water and snatched the anarchist off the docks.

At that exact moment, the head of a large squid burst from the water, slithering its tentacles in various directions. The remaining Reapers quickly opened fire on the large cephalopod, blasting a hole in one of its tentacles, while completely shot off another. Enraged, the squid retaliated by slamming its tentacles onto the trucks and destroyed some of the surrounding crates.

"LOOK OUT!" Masked Matter-Horn screamed, just as a tentacle nearly smashed her and her teammates.

Ken looked up and felt his whole body tense up, with the cold goosebumps running along his skin, as he felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through him. To him, it was like the kraken attack in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and it's no longer a movie scene.

And it doesn't end with the squid. Rising out of the water to join in on the rampage was a huge crab, and another, and another.

"Stay back! BACK!" Radiance spatted, conjuring a large rapier to stave the crabs back. "Back you ruffians!"

"I don't think they're listening," Marvelous said, while fighting off one of the giant crabs.

Masked Matter-Horn froze one of the crabs's pincers. But with an earsplitting shriek, the crustacean leapt towards the lead Power Princesses. Thankfully, Zapp intervened and slashed the crab away, while she regroups with Ken, who was hiding behind a crate.

"Tell me, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn began. "Are giant crabs and giant squids attacks a norm in your city's harbors?"

"No," Hum Drum replied. "We have giant squids and crabs, sure. But not as big as these and they don't normally attack us like this. Something must be wrong with these creatures..."

"...Well, until we figured out the cause, we need to stop them from entering the city!" Masked Matter-Horn blasted another freeze ray, as she calls, "Defenders! FIGHT!"

With that, the Power Princesses and Hum Drum resuming their attempts to repel the enraged animals. In the meantime, the remaining Reapers who are still alive, took their leave, while carrying away some of their injured and unconscious comrades away. Their trucks roared to life as they sped away into the city.

Their escape, however, didn't go unnoticed. The mysterious observer in the water proceeded to swim after the escaping trucks, when they were suddenly attacked by what appeared to be a large shark. Before the shark had the chance to clamp its jaws down to bite them in half, the observer proceeded to wrestle with the big fish.

Back with the Power Princesses and Hum Drum, the heroes were fighting a rough battle as their attempts to drive off the squid was hindered by the crabs. Masked Matter-Horn was concentrating to the best of her mentality to freeze the giant squid, but finds that her focus was being split with the scattering crabs, and her friends fighting, without her assistance, and protecting Hum Drum.

Radiance concentrated her Power Bracelets to conjure a large tommy gun to repel off the squid and the crabs, but was startled by a pincer bursting through the platforms, beneath her. The crabs were attacking from below and were making their way up on dock, when Mistress Marvelous stomped on them.

"Get back!" Marvelous grunted, trying to force the crabs down.

Flying through the air, Zapp was surfing on a bolt of lightning, before she leapt off and twists her body into a front flip and held out her sword, slicing off two of the squid's tentacles. The giant squid let out a loud agonizing roar at the pain.

"Yeah! How'd you like that?" Zapp smirked, which was short lived when the squid quickly regrew new tentacles in place of the ones that were cut. "So much for that..." Zapp cringed, moments before one of the squid's tentacle smacked her away.

"Oh goodness!" Spruce Spanner exclaimed, as she ran over to check on Zapp. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but they just keep coming!" Zapp replied.

"Ugh!" Fili-Second grunted, when she punched a crab away, before she got her butt pinched by another crab. "YOW!"

"Hold still, Fili!" Zapp spins her sword and slashed the pincer off of the crab, releasing Fili-Second.

Suddenly, one of the giant squid's tentacles came and smacked Zapp from behind, causing her to drop her sword.

"Watch out for those oil tanks!" Masked Matter-Horn screamed, but it was too late.

Zapp's sword cracked with sparks as they collided with the oil tanks.

"Uh oh!" Zapp shouted, watching as her sword ignites the oils in a blazing inferno, and exploded.

The explosion started a fire that sets the dock ablaze, while scaring off most of the crabs, and frying some of the squid's tentacles. However, the explosion had also destroyed some of the support structures that kept a crane standing. The explosion caught the attention of the mysterious observer, who had just finished fighting off the shark. The watched the blazing inferno, but their eyes were set on one of the heroes, caught in the explosion.

Hum Drum was thrown off his feet, from the explosion, and he was lying in a daze, beneath the crane, that was about to collapse on him. Thankfully, in the nick of time, a webbed hand quickly pulled him by the leg, away from being crushed by the burning mechanic, saving him. Unfortunately, the mysterious figure was caught beneath a metal beam in the process.

Meanwhile, back with the Power Princesses, the super heroines were checking each other for casualties they've sustained from the battles.

"Is everyone here?" Masked Matter-Horn asked. "Are you alright?"

"Just a little shocked," Marvelous confirmed. "But we'll live."

Trot Summers nodded, when she noticed someone is missing, "Wait...where’s Ken?” She asked.





After recovering from the adrenaline of a near death experience, Ken slowly got up, and rubbed his head.

“What just pulled me?” He asked, before he took a glance to his right and saw what appeared to be a large fish tail, beneath a large metal beam.

Reacting fast, Hum Drum quickly went strained to lift up the metal beam off the creature. At that moment, Dallas can be heard calling.

“Hum Drum?! Hum!” Mistress Marvelous coughed, when she accidentally breathed some of the smoke. “Where are ya?”

“Dallas! Over here!” Hum Drum called. “Help me get this beam up!”

Working fast, the two heroes grunted as they mustered every ounce of their strength and lifted the beam up, until Hum Drum  was able to pull the fish from the wreckage, only to his and Dallas’s shock, it wasn’t a fish.

The creature that had saved Ken, who quickly returned the favor, appeared to be a human girl, except the skin of her upper body is sea green in color, with a long, thick darker green hair that nearly resembled seaweed, with a pink sea shell nesting in the left side of her hair. Her hands are webbed, with the fingers tipped with sharp claws. She appears to be wearing two large pale white sea shells on her chest, resembling a bikini top. On her neck, shoulders, and the sides of her torso, are gills. From the waist down, she has a green horizontal fish-like tail, that is covered in barnacles, and clam shells, with darker sea green scales and sea-foam green frilly fins, a matching V-shaped waist-line resembling fish-lips, with a large white shell at the center, beneath her midriff and her belly button.

The first thing that came to Ken’s mind is, “A mermaid?!”

“Huh? You know what this thing is?” Dallas asked.

“Uh...I’ve only heard stories, but I didn’t think one of them actually exists,” Hum Drum replied. “But how is she?”

Spruce Spanner bent down and listens closely to the creature’s chest for a heartbeat.

“She’s alive,” Spruce confirmed. “But we have to get her medical treatment and fast.”

“Let’s get her back to the ship then,” Trot suggested. “Come on, there’s not much time to waste.”





Two Years Ago


It all happened one night. I was just walking down the streets, on my way home, when I happened to see a robbery in progress. I made myself hidden, as I dialed the call for the police. In the meantime, I continued to watch and observe what the robbers were doing.

I couldn't get a good look at their faces, but they wore red hoodies, cargo pants, and white trench coats with hoods. But whoever they are, they dropped a pearl that seems highly valuable. It rolled my way. I picked it up to have a closer look. Next thing I know, they were onto me.





Present


Hum Drum and the Power Princesses took the unconscious mermaid to the alien girl's crashed spaceship, where they begin to run diagnostics on the female sea creature condition.

The mermaid was placed on a medical bed, with suction cups on her body, which connects the wires to the surrounding machines that monitor the mermaid's beating heart and breathing. To keep her moist, the mermaid was treated to regular sprays of fine misty water.

Spruce Spanner was doing check ups, tracing her fingers along the she-creature's gills.

"Amazing..." Spruce observed. "She has gills that enables her to breathe underwater, but she also has lungs and a sytem to breathe air. She is clearly amphibious."

"Meaning?" Aurora asked.

"It means she can survive on land and in the water," Spruce explained.

"So, she's okay then?" Mary asked. "She'll live? She won't die, or anything?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Fili," Spruce shook her head as she checks the mermaid's skin, noting the burn marks. "The poor thing's been burned by the fire. If we hadn't saved her sooner, she would've died a horrible death. No sea creatures could ever survive something like this."

"But she'll be alright, will she?" Hum Drum asked, with a hint of worry clear on his face.

"Of course, she'll be fine," Spruce assured with a nod.

"Speaking of which," Masked Matter-Horn called from the doorway. "Sorry for startling you, Spruce. But if it's not too much to ask, can you get started on analyzing the piece of the squid's tentacles? We need to know what we're dealing with, and see if we can put a stop it."

"Oh, of course, I understand," Spruce nodded as she walked off with Aurora and Mary in tow.

"I'll hang here with our mermaid friend," Hum Drum insisted. "I'll let you know if she's awake."

"Alright, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn nodded as she and the girls went into the next room.

"Just don't scare her too badly when she wakes up, okay?" Aurora teased, as she and her friends leave.

In response to the swordswoman's teasing, Ken stuck his tongue out, before he took his seat besides the mermaid. Turning his head, Hum Drum couldn't help but gaze at the mermaid in wonder.

'Wow, my cousins are never gonna believe this,' He thought to himself. 'Then again, hardly anyone would believe me when I say I've discovered a real-live mermaids. I'd probably make myself look bad. Maybe worse than that fat guy in the movie with Tom Hanks. Though, gotta give that dude credits for never giving up.'

Ever so curious, Hum Drum cautiously moved his hand closer to feel the mermaid's skin. Initially, upon reflex, her arm flinched a bit from his touch, before she relaxes and he resumes stroking her arm. Much to his surprise, despite the small fish-like scales that coated her torso, it's surprisingly smooth to the touch. Turning his attention to her lower body, the tail, he gently touches where her hip is likely to be and was amazed at how thick her muscles are, beneath the hard armored scales that protects her tail.

"Wow, she's a strong swimmer alright," Ken commented, before he stroked his hand across her tail fin. "Hmmm. This is for real! It's no polyester, or velvet, or silk, or whatever materials used to put in any mermaid tails they sell at swimsuits for beach babes," Ken couldn't help but snicker to himself, "Brick and Boomer would be so mad at me, if they ever see me with a mermaid. A real one at that."

Turning to look at the mermaid's unconscious face, with the burns she's sustained, Ken's concerned resume, and he walked over to clasp the mermaid's hand.

"Hey, uh...I don't know if you can understand me...or if you can hear me," Ken began. "You gotta pull through. I know you can. Please, so I can personally thank you...for saving my life."

At that exact moment, the mermaid's eyes began to blink open, to reveal they are the dark colors of reddish brown. Though distorted at first, the mermaid slowly regained her vision, and she takes in the settings of her new surroundings, before she turns to Ken, and finds him holding her webbed hand.

Upon realizing she's awake, Ken gasped, "Oh! You're awake!" Without wasting a second, Hum Drum dashes off to fetch the girls, "Hey! Girls! Girls! Come quick! She's awake!"





While Ken was keeping a close watch on the mermaid, the Power Princesses were in a lab, where Spruce was analyzing a piece of the squid they brought back.

"Hmmm, interesting..." Spruce pondered.

"What is it?" Mistress Marvelous asked. "Did ya find anything?"

"According to these readings, the cause of the squid's mutation is this black tar," Spruce explained, while holding up a vial, containing the said substance. "It's dangerous. It amplifies its host, both mentally and physically. It can even cause them to be more aggressive than normal."

"Yikes," Aurora commented, before she realizes. "Hold on...black tar. Like the ones those Reaper creeps were dumping in the water? That's what's been making those crabs and that squid attack us?"

"Definitely," Spruce confirmed.

"But if that's true, then that would mean..." Radiance's eyes widened with horror, while the rest of the girls quickly caught on.

"...We have to get back to the harbor and stop anymore infected animals that could come ashore and invade the city!" Masked Matter-Horn stated.

"Then let's get going!" Zapp said, with her sword cracking to life.

"Not yet, Zapp," Mistress Marvelous stopped. "First, we need a plan of attack. We've already had trouble dealing with just one giant squid and a few of those mutant crabs. If there's more of them, we'd be overwhelmed."

"So what should we do?" Zapp asked, sheathing her sword. "Just let them invade this city, without putting up a fight?"

"I'm working on an antidote to this affliction right now," Spruce explained, turning the team's attention to a vial, containing the said antidote. "It's almost finished. But I'm afraid it's only enough for just ten of the creatures we've faced tonight..."

Just then, Hum Drum came running into the lab.

"Hey! Girls! Girls!" Ken exclaimed excitedly. "Come quick! She's awake!"

"She is?" Spruce exclaimed.

"Yeah! C'mon!"

With that, the Power Princesses followed their young apprentice into the next room to find the mermaid, just as Ken alerted, awake, but rather disoriented.

The mermaid flinched, as if startled by the sudden appearance of the Power Princesses.

"Hello there," Masked Matter-Horn greeted. "It's nice to see you're awake and alright. I'm Masked Matter-Horn."

"And I'm Saddle Rager," Saddle introduced herself. "But you can call me, Spruce Spanner."

"Name's Zapp," Zapp smirked.

"Mistress Marvelous," Marvelous introduced herself.

"Fili-Second! Hahaha," Fili giggled.

"I'm Radiance," Radiance smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, darling."

"I'm Hum Drum!" Hum Drum posed dramatically.

The mermaid simply nodded in acknowledgement at their names.

"What's your name?" Masked Matter-Horn asked. "That is...do you have a name?" In response, the mermaid nodded, "Then, can you tell us what it is?" The mermaid shook her head, much to the heroes confusion.

"Why not?" Marvelous asked.

Hesitant, the mermaid held her webbed hands up and pointed to her mouth, before moving to her neck and makes a cutting motion.

"You want us to chop your head off?" Fili asked.

"FILI!" The other heroes berated, while the mermaid quickly shook her head and tries another sign with her hands.

She put two hands up to her mouth, before moving them away to emphasize a shout, to which she shakes her head.

"Oh, I get it!" Spruce realized. "You can't speak!" The mermaid nodded her head in confirmation. "Why? Are you a mute?" In response, the mermaid sadly nodded.

"Aw, that's too bad," Marvelous frowned in sympathy. "But seeing that you can at least understand us...and somehow communicate, can you tell us, what you were doing back at the harbor?"

In response, the mermaid tilted her head in confusion, as if she's unsure of how to explain her motive.

"Hold on, can you write?" Ken asked, to which the mermaid nodded. "Great! Uh, here. Whatever you're trying to tell us, write it down," He said, offering her a notepad and a pencil.

The mermaid fumbled a bit with the pencil, either because of her webbed fingers, or the fact that she hasn't used the pencil, or needed to write in a long time. Spruce giggled at the mermaid's clumsy writing, before she walked over and assisted with the mermaid's writing, until a clear message was written.




I've been tracking the bad people with the black tar. They've been dumping them into the water, polluting the ocean, and infecting any marine life they touch. I was trying to stop them, but I was too late, when I saw you fighting off those animals.




"So you know about the Reapers and their black tar?" Masked Matter-Horn asked, to which the mermaid nodded. "And you've fought them before?" Again, the mermaid nodded. "Then maybe you can help us fight off some of the mutated monsters then?"

"Yeah, we could use an extra pair of hands, or fins, to help us win the fight," Hum Drum added. "What do you say? Can you help us?" He asked, holding his hand out for the mermaid to shake.

The mermaid looked at the boy's hand, then looked up to the girls' faces, seeing the sincerity on their faces, before she accepted and shook the boy's hand.

"Looks like we got an ally!" Hum Drum smiled towards Masked Matter-Horn.

"Looks like it," Masked Matter-Horn smiled, before she walks over to the mermaid. "So...pray tell, what should we call you?"

The mermaid turns her attention down at the notepad, and wrote a single word:



Coralita



Just then, a beeping sound was heard, alerting Spruce Spanner to the lab.

"The antidote!" Spruce Spanner confirmed, holding a vial of the said serum. "It's finished!"





After the Power Princesses and Hum Drum were all fully acquainted with their new mermaid friend, now identified as Coralita, the heroes wasted no time to return to the harbor to repel the next wave of mutated marine animals.

Coralita was being carried by Radiance, who coated both herself and the mermaid in the pink aura from her ring, as they fly alongside their friends.

Upon arriving at the harbor, the heroes looked to see that it all seemed quiet. Aside from the remains of their previous battle, there wasn't a soul to be seen.

"Well, seems quiet around here," Hum Drum said, only for his words to be eaten, when one of the giant squid's tentacles broke through the platform.

"You were saying?" Zapp asked, as she unsheathed her sword and slashes across the squid's tentacles.

Before long, even more mutant crabs started to swarm the deck, and were charging towards the heroes, clapping their pincers. Worse still, more giant squids broke the surface and were joining the attack, along with sharks, sea turtles, and all sorts of sea creatures.

"Oh, great," Hum Drum began. "Now Squidward's brought some friends!"

"And here they come!" Fili pointed.

"Power Princesses! Hum Drum! DEFEND!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted, as she and her fellow heroes leapt into action.

Radiance concentrated into her Power Bracelets and conjured up a large pink energy construct of a giant fist, to bash a crab, before she twirls to elegantly dodge the pincers of another, and morphed the fist into a hammer to smack the crab away.

Fili-Second was running circles around a school of eels, dodging their snapping jaws, while leading one of them to weave and slither around the others, until they all ended up in a tangled mess. The eels were snapping their jaws, vigorously in vain to catch the speedy girl, who blew a raspberry.

A large shark suddenly leapt up from the water and was about to crash itself onto Spruce Spanner. Luckily, Mistress Marvelous quickly lassoed the big fish, by the jaw. In retaliation, the shark rolled itself and viciously twisted its head, wrestling against the strong girl's super-strength.

"Looks like I've caught myself the big one!" Mistress Marvelous grunted, as she pulled the shark away from her friend, when she was pinched by one of the crabs. "OW!"

"I gotcha Marvelous!" Zapp shouted as she jumped in and slashed her sword at the crab, forcing it to let go.

Masked Matter–Horn was firing bolts of lightnings from her energy projected horn, to stave off the squids.

"Saddle! How's the progress on the cure?" The lead Power Princess asked.

"It's working," Spruce confirmed, when she sprayed the antidote on a dazed crab, reverting it back to normal. "The antidote is reverting the mutation!"

"Great!" Hum Drum explained, as he finds off a mutant crab with his metal bo staff, to protect Spruce.

Suddenly, without warning, a large shark burst up from the water and was about to snap its jaws on a screaming Ken.

"AAAAAHHH!!!" Ken screamed.

"HUM DRUM!" Spruce screamed.

Thankfully, a burst of jet stream was fired from the left and shoved the shark away from the boy. Turning to the left, Hum Drum and Spruce Spanner were amazed to see the blast of water was courtesy of Coralita.

The mermaid was able to fire powerful streams of waters from her hands, even throwing balls of water at the attacking mutant sea creatures. Some of the crabs turned their attention on her and were snapping their pincers after her, but Coralita washed them away with a spin of her tail, splashing a large wave.

Looking up at one of the mutant giant squids, Coralita narrowed her eyes, before she fired powerful jet streams from her hands, propelling herself into the air. Then, with a twirl and a twist, she flipped her body into a front flip, allowing her to land a powerful slap of her tail, onto the squid's eye. The squid roared in pain as it fell into the water, with Coralita diving back into the water.

Then, with a big splash, the mermaid resurfaces from the water, in a tornado of water, controlling the very sea to pull some of the animals towards her.

"Wow! This girl can fight!" Zapp smiled, clearly impressed.

"I love her!" Fili-Second cheered.

With the tide, literally, turning in their favor, it seemed the heroes were gaining the upper hands as they drove some of the mutant animals back, with Spruce Spanner working her antidote to change some of them back to normal. Unfortunately, more and more of the mutant sea creatures kept on coming back.

"Spruce? Please tell me you still have some more antidote left?" Ken asked, his eyes growing wide at the oncoming horde of mutant sea animals.

"I'm afraid not," Spruce quivered. "I didn't have time to mass produce for a whole army!"

"And some of us are losing steam!" Ken pointed to an exhausted Zapp and Marvelous.

"Don't worry," Zapp panted heavily, as she continued to slash her sword, cracking the air with electric sparks. "I'm not giving up...does anyone have a AA battery, or something? I could use a quick recharge right about now..."

"We can't keep this up much longer..." Marvelous panted heavily.

Even Coralita was overwhelmed as more and more of the mutants were starting to muscle their way through her waves. One of them, a mutant jellyfish, thrusted its tentacles out and shocked her, causing her to lose focus on her wave. Before long, several mutant sea creatures were pouring in through the gaps in her wall. Coralita tried to stop them, but a mutated peacock mantis shrimp suddenly lunged forward and punched her away, throwing her back to the dock, with the rest of the heroes.

"Coralita!" The heroes called, rushing to their mermaid friend.

"Are you alright, darling?" Radiance asked, to which Coralita wearily nodded as Marvelous helped her up.

"What do we do now?" Hum Drum asked.

"We need a miracle," Masked Matter-Horn frowned.

"We need a new strategy," Mistress Marvelous stated.

"We need more antidotes," Saddle Rager whimpered.

Turning her attention to the vial in Spruce's hand, Coralita contemplated on a plan, hoping that it works. Looking back at the oncoming wave of mutant sea creatures, Coralita shook her head, deciding she has no choice. She took the vial from Spruce's hand and popped the cap off.

"Coralita? What are you doing?" Spruce asked.

Instead of answering, Coralita poured the antidote into her hands and begins to wave them together, to form a large orb of the liquid antidote.

"She's replicating the cure!" Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed. "She's making more of it!"

"Alright, Coral!" Fili-Second cheered.

"Don't celebrate just yet!" Mistress Marvelous pointed to the mutant animals. "Here they come!"

"Keep them busy!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted, as she fired a gust of freezing air to hold the mutants off. "We need to buy Coralita enough time to mass produce the entire antidote."

"You heard the princess!" Fili-Second chirped. "Let's do this!"

With that, the heroes resume the fight against the mutant creatures.

Masked Matter-Horn concentrated all her efforts into her mentally projected horn to create the biggest gust of freezing air she could muster, to freeze most of the animals.

Fili-Seconds was running across the water to distract some of the creatures, with Radiance flying along to protect the speedy girl from every attacks, with three pink shields she had conjured.

Though drained of her electric energy, Zapp got up and held her sword up at the ready to defend Coralita, with Mistress Marvelous who got into a fighting stance. Standing in front of the two girls, Ken stood with his metal bo staff at the ready.

"Ken? What're you doing?" Zapp asked. "Get behind us."

"No way," Ken shook his head. "I'm not gonna hide behind you girls and let you risk your lives because of me."

"Ken, now's not the time to prove yourself to us again," Marvelous said in disapproval. "Ya gotta hang back and keep Coralita safe."

"But who's gonna keep you two safe?" Ken countered. "I'm not gonna just save one of you girls. I want to save all of you!"

At that last statement, Coralita stared at Ken with newfound amazement, moved by his words, along with Spruce Spanner, Zapp, and Marvelous. Suddenly, at that exact moment, a shark jumped out of the water and lunged towards the heroines from behind.

"LOOK OUT!" Ken shouted, springing into action and thrusted his staff into the shark's mouth, before he flings it away.

"Hum Drum!" Spruce, Zapp, and Marvelous shouted as they ran over to check up on the boy.

Before long, however, several more of the squid's tentacles burst up and nearly ensnared the heroes.

"WATCH OUT!" The three girls and boy said to each other, before they each exchanged positions and fought off the tentacles.

Zapp and Marvelous both trade places as they twirled to counter the tentacles' attacks, with Zapp chopping off a tentacle with her sword, while Marvelous kicked a tentacle away. At the same time, Spruce Spanner ducked her head to avoid a tentacle, while Ken repels another with his staff, and pulled out his stun gun to repel another.

This display of teamwork made Coralita's eyes sparkle with amazement, before she looks down to see the antidote has reached maximum masses. With that, Coralita swirled her hands until she slammed the antidote liquids into the water, forming it all into a huge tidal wave that washes over the mutated animals and destroyed every single traces of the black tar that were dumped by the Reapers.

With the waters cleaned and the animals having been reverted back to normal, the battle was over.

"We did it! WE DID IT!" Fili-Second cheered, waving her arms in the air.

"Great work team," Masked Matter-Horn smiled, once she regrouped with her friends. "I think we can all call this a night."

"Though, let's not forget, none of this would've been possible without Coralita," Ken reminded, before he noticed the mermaid wasn't next to them. "Hey! Where is she?"

Fili-Second turned her head, before she pointed, "There!"

The said mermaid was at the edge of the dock, and was just about to dive back into the water, when Ken and the girls called out to her.

"Coralita! Wait!" Ken shouted before he stopped to catch his breath. "We just wanted to say thanks, for your help."

In response, Coralita nodded. After exchanging one last sad glance back at the heroes, the mermaid turned and swam off into the sea, disappearing into the night.

"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" Hum Drum asked, to which the Power Princesses shrugged in response.





Two years ago


I was running for my life, down the streets, with the robbers after me. They were really determined to get this pearl back. Obviously, it's must be very valuable to be worth this much trouble.

They chased me, until they had me cornered at the docks. With nowhere else to run, I turned around to try and appeal to the robbers, promising that I'll give them the pearl if they didn't kill me.

BANG

One of them pulled a gun. A flash of light. And my throat was pierced with a sharp pain. I staggered back. I fell off the dock and into the cold waters below.

I tried to swim, but I was in so much pain that my body tensed up, like it was frozen.

I felt numb as my world went cold and dark, and my body was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. For what felt like years, there I was, sinking beneath the water, about to touch the floor, where no one will ever find me. And then...I opened my eyes.

I thought I was in a garden of flowers. I started to rub my eyes, only to discover that my hands...have become webbed. My legs have become a single fish's tail. My skin is all sea green and scaly.

I've become a mermaid. But how? When? And why?

That's when I remembered the pearl...I looked down to see the pearl I was clutching in my hands. It was shining the most beautiful light I've ever seen. Somehow...it must've saved me, by turning me into this...creature. Sadly, however, it couldn't save my voice. My throat was damaged beyond fixation.

A sad reminder of the life I once had. The life that I've been forced to leave behind. A life that I was taken from. I'm no longer Ariel Neptune. I am Coralita.
> The Owl and the Bell Part 1 – The Bell and the Belle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Somewhere


A team of archeologists were hard at work, under the boiling heat of the sun, digging and unearthing some relics that have long been forgotten by the world through a course of time and history. Among the archeologists is a young apprentice by the name, Terra Lunar.

In appearance, Terra Lunar was about the typical age of a high school student, roughly 16 by appearance. She wears a pair of thick glasses, while wearing an archeologist's hat on her head, covering her brilliant amaranth hair with moderate purple and grayish violet highlights.

The girl was hard at work, brushing the dirts aside, unearthing a strange bell.

"Egad!" Terra exclaimed, as she holds up the bell for closer inspection.





In appearance, the bell was about the size of an average cowbell, but with cracks, and it looked as though it has an eye on the front.

"This is an amazing discovery!" Terra exclaimed. "I've got to show this to Professor Fossil!" The girl was about to get up and go to meet with her professor, when something happens to catch her attention.

She looked down to see what appears to be an hourglass, with a gold chain attached to it.

"Hmmm, doesn't look so special," Terra shrugged, deciding to pocket the hourglass away, before she left to meet with her professor.




Meanwhile, back in Maretropolis
Lupinranger vs Patranger - Opening Full


"There she goes!" Hum Drum shouted as he and the Power Princesses followed in hot pursuit.

"You're not getting away this time, Night Owl!" Zapp snarled as she surfs in the air, with her blade, Thunderer, at the ready.

The thief the heroes were in hot pursuit of is the infamous master thief, Night Owl. In appearance, the Night Owl appeared to light and slender, in a dark tight suit, clad in a dark sleek mechanical armor that gives her the appearance of an owl. To further her owl-like appearance, the Night Owl has large metal wings equipped with built-in jetpacks, and propellors to help her fly fast, and her boots are adorned with razor sharp claws, which she uses to carry her latest loot. A large golden alicorn statue.

The Night Owl was flying through the city, above the car fill streets, with the grace and intense ferocity of a bird of prey. She zipped through alleyways. She would fly over buildings and make sharp turns, all to throw Hum Drum and the Power Princesses off of her tail.

"Whoa nelly!" Mistress Marvelous exclaimed, narrowly stopping herself from falling off a rooftop of a building.

"AAAAH!!!" Fili-Second screamed, right before she crashes into a brick wall.

*BOOM*

"Owie," Fili-Second groaned, peeling her face away from the wall.

"I got her!" Hum Drum shouted as he spring-jumped towards the flying thief.

In retaliation, the Night Owl quickly turns to the side, evading the boy's pounce, before she thrusted her wings at the young hero-in-training, firing knife-like projectiles from her wingtips. Reacting fast, Ken started to duck, flip, jump, and do all sorts of acrobats he could muster, as he struggles to avoid the Night Owl's sharp projectiles, until he was suddenly pinned to the wall.

"She's pinned me!" Hum Drum wailed. 

A crack of thunder got the Night Owl's attention as she turned around to see an angry Zapp, coated in an electric aura, with her sword unsheathed.

"You ain't gonna make a fool out of me this time!" Zapp swore as she lunges forward, slashing her blade at the master thief, who seemed rather unfazed, as she hovers in the air and dodges to the sides, evading every swing of the blade from Zapp. 
"Quit moving!"

Zapp slashed her sword towards the Night Owl, whose wings immediately blocked the attack, shielding the thief from the attacks. Undeterred and fueled by her determination, Zapp proceeded to slash her sword, firing more bolts of lightnings, with the Night Owl blocking most of her attacks with metallic tips of her wings. Zapp thrusted her leg out for a kick, catching the Night Owl in the chest. With another burst of lightning, Zapp launched herself into the air, where she did a front flip, for an axe kick, followed by a downward slash at the Night Owl, who manages to block and slip away from Zapp.

Zapp proceeded to chase after the Night Owl, who turned her head and let out a bloodcurdling, earsplitting screech, like that of a barn owl.

"AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!" Zapp groaned as she immediately covered her ears, failing to look where she was going and crashes onto the billboard of the Daily Mendacium, on the face of Buried Lede.

To add insult to injury, it looked as if Zapp was kissing Buried Lede...

"ARGH!!" Zapp screamed in disgrace, as she peels her face away from the board. "Where's she?!" 

Zapp held her sword up, ready to give the master thief a piece of her mind. But much to her dismay, the owl has flown the coop.

"That's the second time she's made a fool of me!" Zapp snarled.

"Actually, that's three times in a row, Zapp," Fili-Second pointed out. "There was the first time with the jewelry store."

"She made me look like a criminal," Zapp frowned. "She was throwing that bag of loot. I had to catch it."

"And the second time was with the bakery," Fili added.

"I'll never like pies so long as I live," Zapp scowled.

"And now, she made you kiss Buried Lede...on the lips?!"

"ARRRGH!!! I don't need any reminders, Fili! I swear, sooner or later, I'm so gonna get that Night Owl if it's the last thing I do!"

"You'll get your chance, Zapp," Masked Matter-Horn sighed. "Let's spread out and find her. She couldn't have gone far."

With that, the Power Princesses proceeded to spread out as they begin their search for the master thief, the Night Owl. Unfortunately, they forgot something, or someone.

"Uh, girls?" Hum Drum called, still pinned on the wall by the Night Owl's daggers. "A little help, please?"


End of Song






The Next Day


The Maretropolis Museum of Natural History has unveiled its latest exhibit to the public. The Bewitching Bell – an old bell that was rumored to grant wishes, of Celtic Origins.

Among the people gathered to see the Bewitching Bell on display for the first time in history are Ken Heathespike, together with his classmates from school, Mei Ling and Gwen.

"Wow! This is so awesome!" Gwen squealed excitedly. "This bell looks so cool! And can it really grant wishes?"

"I think it's just a story they tell to superstitious people," Mei Ling shrugged. "Besides, if this bell does grant wishes, then the first thing I'd wish for is to be a movie star."

"I'd wish to have a superpower to help people, all around the world with all sorts of problems!" Gwen squeal excitedly, before turning to Ken. "What would you wish for Ken?"

"Uh...I'd wish to be the greatest superhero to ever lived. Duh?" Ken shrugged.

"Oh you and your superheroes, Ken," Mei Ling rolled her eyes playfully.

"Hey! It could happen," Ken said in his defense. "Besides, we've got the Power Princesses and their boy wonder, Hum Drum. Right?" The boy backed away, and happens to bump into someone. "Oh! Sorry," He apologized.

"Oh, you're forgiven," The person replied, revealing herself to be Phoenix Dawn. "Oh, hi Ken! Hey Gwen, May!"

"Phoenix!" Ken smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Uh, checking out the bell, same as everyone else?" Phoenix replied.

"Oh, right," Ken blushed, mentally berating himself for asking a seemingly dumb question.

"Hey Phoenix," May greeted. "Or should I say, konnichi wa?"

"Shouldn't you be at Kirin's Care?" Gwen asked.

"Mom's taking care of the shelter," Phoenix answered. "She told me to just go out and see the city and meets some people, so here I am," The fiery girl then walks over to the display case, containing the famed Bewitching Bell. "So this is the bell that grants wishes? What's the trick? Is there a genie inside, or something?"

"I'm not quite sure," May replied, as she and her friends walk beside the fiery girl. "I'll have to do some deep research on the legend when I get home."

"What about you, Phoenix?" Ken asked, curiously.

"Pardon?" The girl asked.

"What would you wish for?"

"Oh... Uh, hmmmm. I really can't say."

"Can't? Or won't?" Gwen asked.

"I can't tell what'd I wish for," Phoenix shook her head. "Because then it won't come true."

"Aw," Ken and the other two girls moaned.

"So...I'm not going to be the greatest superhero?" Ken frowned.

"I won't have superpowers?" Gwen whimpered.

"I guess I won't be a movie star, so easily then, huh?" May looked down sadly.

"Sorry," Phoenix chuckled nervously. "I didn't mean to dampen the spirit," The girl claps her hands together as she decided to get out of the awkward moment. "Well, I'll see you guy and gals around then, huh? I think I'll be...checking out in the pop art exhibit."

"Okay, Phoenix," Ken nodded. "I think we'll hang back here to check out more of these collections of Celtic antiquities. Maybe we'll see you around later today?"

"じゃあね (Jaa, mata ne)," Phoenix said, which is Japanese for, "See ya later."

"See ya Phoenix," The group of friends waved.

Ken was about to turn and leave. But then, for a brief moment, in the corner of his eyes, Ken couldn't help but notice a sad look in her eyes. To him, it looked like a tear and she was about to cry or something.

"Are you okay, Phoenix?" Ken asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Phoenix replied. "Why? Why do you ask?"

"Uh...well, for a moment, you looked like were about to cry," Ken shook his head. "I guess my eyes were playing tricks on me. Sorry."

"No, it's fine..." Phoenix replied softly, as she wiped her eyes. "It's just an allergy..." With that, the fiery Japanese girl makes a hasty retreat as she walks away, disappearing into the crowd.

Ken almost wanted to run after the girl to help with whatever was ailing her. But decided not to, as he turns around to rejoin with May and Gwen.





For about half an hour or so, Ken spent most of the afternoon with Gwen and May, exploring more of what the museum has to offer.

They visited the Prehistoric Halls to gaze and marvel at the dinosaur fossils on display.

"Wow, these dinosaurs are scary," Gwen smiled in amazement. "But awesome at the same time! Do you think they're just as awesome as they were in the movies?"

"It's anyone's guess," Ken shrugged, before he turns his attention towards some Deinonychus fossils. "I wonder if these guys are really as smart and formidable than they were in the movies?"

"These are Deinonychus," May explained. "You must mean the Velociraptors."

"Yeah, well, same difference," Ken explained. "The writer, Michael Crichton, based his Velociraptors off of the Deinonychus, down to the last details from head to tail. But he chose the name, Velociraptors, because they sounded more dramatic."

"Fascinating," May nodded in acknowledgement.

After they were done checking out the dinosaurs, they went to the exhibit of pop arts. There, Ken and his two girl companions couldn't help but feel themselves mesmerized, taken in by the vibrant display of colorful artworks, depicting a variety of pop cultures in their own extravagant and unique way.

"Wow!" Ken and the girls exclaimed together.

"I feel almost like I'm...I'm in Stan Lee's comic works!" Ken said.

"Don't worry, I won't judge you, Ken," Gwen replied. "Even I feel like in the 50s."

"You can say that again," May smirked. "This place is loaded with pop cultures."

“That’s where the arts get their ‘pop’,” Ken smirked.

Ken proceeded to look back at the artworks on display, when he happens to see Phoenix Dawn, in the corner of the exhibit, looking in a longing gaze.

Getting the feeling that something is really wrong, Ken walked over to check up on Phoenix.

“Hey Phoenix,” Ken greeted, startling the girl from her gaze. “Wow, how long have you been here? You looked as if you’ve been here for an hour.”

“Oh? Is that the time?” Phoenix asked, pointing to the clock. “I must’ve lost track. Sorry, I’ll just…”

“No, it’s okay,” Ken reassured as he pointed at the spot next to Phoenix. “Is it alright if I sit next to you?”

“いいですね (ii desu ne),” Phoenix scooted to the side and gestures, “Go ahead. No one is stopping you.”

Ken sat down besides Phoenix, as he turns to see what she was looking at.

Painted on the wall, at the bottom depicts a city on fire. Rising from the flames, however, is a beautiful bird, carrying a beautiful city above its wings, with smiling people painted in a big heart, in front of its chest.

“It’s beautiful!” Ken commented. “That phoenix, I mean. Kinda like you, huh?”

“What?” Phoenix asked, with a blush.

“Well, phoenix is your name, and phoenixes are beautiful birds of myths, aren’t they? They represent how the end of life is another beginning for a new life. And that even in the darkest of time, there’s life. Amazing, ain’t it?”

“…Hai. Amazing…but also sad,” Phoenix sighed.

“…Why’s it so sad?” Ken asked. “Is something wrong?”

Phoenix looked as if she’s got a lot on her plate. Finally deciding to vent, she sighed.

“…Truth be told,” She began. “A lot have been on my plate, lately. I can’t get into too much details… one moment, I feel like I’m ready to take the initiative. But then again… I hesitated, and I can’t…but then I…I…I don’t know.”

Phoenix looks up at the painting.

“I really want to be like that phoenix,” Phoenix continued to vent. “Be this city’s savior, when the Power Princesses and their boy wonder, Hum Drum, can’t…I love this city and it’s people, but…will I be successful? And what happens if I fail?”

Ken nodded in understanding. In a way, he can relate, with how difficult it was for him to juggling his personal life and heroic duties. There have been times when the  pressure of protecting the city and his loved ones get to him, and he begins to doubt himself.

“In a way, I see where you are coming from,” Ken began. “You’re stressed because of how much burden you’ve got on your shoulders. And you wanted to get out of the work, but you feel you can’t because you know it’s your responsibility to world, and you owe it to your family. Right?”

“Hai,” Phoenix Dawn confirmed. “Wow, how do you know all that, Ken?”

“…My dad would often talk about how hard it is, being a police, and how upholding the law can be tricky business. Especially when no one trusts you to do your job.”

“Wow, that bad, huh?”

“Yeah. But still, my dad just takes it like he always does. He kept a calm mind and moves onward. With no fear, no hesitation, just jump right in.”

“…Jump? Just like that?”

“Yeah. It’s what we call a leap of faith.”

Phoenix smiled at Ken’s words.

“Your dad sounds like a great man,” Phoenix commentary. “If only I had a father like him.”

“Don’t you know your father?” Ken asked curiously.

“No,” Phoenix shook her head. “My brother did…once. But not anymore.”

“Oh,” Ken looked down. “I’m sorry I asked,” He expressed his condolences, while berating himself, mentally, ‘Stupid, stupid, STUPID!’

Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Ken offered, “Hey, the day’s still young. And me and the girls have a lot more exhibits to cover. So any chance…you want to come?”

Phoenix looked up with a sad, but grateful smile.

“That’s sweet of you to offer, Ken,” She said. “But I wouldn’t want to…impose.”

“C’mon, it’s the least I can do to get ya out of this rut you’re in,” Ken persisted.

“That’s sweet of you, Ken,” Phoenix smiled. “But I’ll be fine…really…”

“Ok, if you insist,” Ken shrugged as he took his leave. “I just thought it’d be nice hanging out and getting to know more about each other.”

Ken walked away, counting, “1, 2, 3, 4…”

“Hold on, Ken!” Phoenix cried.





For the rest of the afternoon, Phoenix tagged alongside Ken, May, and Gwen, much to the latter’s dismay and jealousy.

Nevertheless, the two younger girls and Ken were able to form a bond with Phoenix Dawn as they got to know more and more about her.

“Wow, a life-sized wicker man?” Phoenix Dawn commented, standing before a replica of the said object, in the Celtic exhibit. “And they lock people and animals in here to be burned alive for sacrifice?”

“That’s what they say,” Ken shuddered. “Ugh, scary…and creepy.”

“I’d hate to be locked in there,” Gwen frowned.

“I doubt anyone is a fan of being sacrificed, when they’re still alive,” May said.

"I'm no expert on cultural beliefs or past customs..." Ken began. "But that one remake with Nicolas Cage's looks convincing enough. I hope Kara wasn't in a fate worse than that..."

At the mention of the missing girl's name, Phoenix's curiosity was piqued. Her interest was furthered when Gwen and May both join in on the talk.

"Don't give up hope, Ken," Gwen reassured. "I'm sure Kara's in a better place. Besides, she's strong. She can take care of herself, wherever she is."

"Yeah," May replied. "She's one tough firecracker. Don't forget, she's like an olympic athlete!"

Ken nodded, touched by his childhood friends' reassurance, "You're probably right...though, for some odd reason, I can't help but get the feeling she's not that far away..."

Later, the friends were in the Norse Exhibit were they marvel at the antiquities on display. Especially an idol regarding the Winter Goddess, Skadi.

"She's called the goddess of winter," Ken reads on a tablet. "Her symbols are a bow and arrow, and her linked animals are wolves."

"She sounds impressive," Phoenix commented.

"I just wished Kara was here to see this," Ken frowned sadly. "She would've flipped just to see this giantess. And wolves are one of her favorite animals."

"Do tell, do tell..." Phoenix turned to look at Ken in curiosity. "So who is this Kara you speak so highly, for the last few minutes or so?"

"Hmmm? Oh, Kara..." Ken sighed as he took a seat. "Well, where do I begin?"

"Well, you can start with how special she means to you," Phoenix advised.

With that, Ken went on to telling the story of how he and Kara became friends, how they were like brother and sister, and how she was his favorite babysitter, whenever his cousins can't come over to keep him company. All leading up to her disappearance, when Ken turned 11 years old.

"And that's the story..." Ken concluded sadly, with tears pouring from his eyes.

Needless to say, Phoenix was shock and sadden to hear the story, with a look of sympathy. Though, it would seem she too had went through a similar experience.

"I'm sorry, Ken," Phoenix frowned, putting on hand on Ken's hand. “I’m sure your sister was a great person.”

"She is," Ken nodded sadly. "Or was..."

"...I lost my brother when I was the same age as you were..." Phoenix admitted. "Before we met mom, he's all I have for a family....he'd always knew what to do, and he was like a father to me...but then, he...he's in a better place."

"I'm...I'm sorry for your loss," Ken replied, even more remorseful.

"It's fine, really," Phoenix tried to smile, but her tears gave away her inner turmoil. "I've moved on...a little. It's just that, there's some big part of me that's willing to give up everything, just to have him back...but that's silly, isn't it?"

"No, not at all," Ken replied. "I'd do the same for Kara, or at least to know what happened to her..." Ken turns to look at Phoenix, and for a brief moment, he sees Kara in her place. "Do you want a hug?"

At first, Kara looked rather against the idea, but then her image changes to Phoenix Dawn who nodded and accepted the offer.

"Hai," Phoenix held her arms out, welcoming Ken's embrace.

Little did either of them knew, this is the start of a beautiful relationship. The two stayed that way, until Gwen and May came over to break up the tender moment.

"KEN! PHOENIX!" Gwen shouted, startling the two bonding teenagers. "You will not believe this! IT'S HAPPENED!"

"What? What is it?" Ken asked.

"You gotta come and see this!" May exclaimed. "It's the Bewitching Bell! It's been marked!"

"Marked?"

Before long, the four high schoolers return to the said bell to find a calling card, with an insignia of an owl.

It's a calling card...from the Night Owl. The Bewitching Bell has been marked!
> The Owl and the Bell Part 2 – Night of the Night Owl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Later that night


At the Maretropolis Museum of Natural History, all was quiet as the last of the day guards finished locking up the place, leaving the night guards in charge of the facility.

In the now quiet, seemingly empty hallways of the museum, all of the artifacts and exhibits were left untouched, under the careful watches from the guards' security cameras. Unfortunately, these security measures aren't enough for what was about to go down that night.

Emerging from the shadows, stood a young woman, roughly appearing around the age of 17, wearing a dark jumpsuit that shows the curves of her voluptuous figure and a white mask of an owl. She is none other than the infamous Night Owl of Maretropolis. And tonight is another of her latest heist.

The said master thief activated the built-in night vision eye lens of her mask, allowing her to see the invisible security laser beams that protected the museum halls.

"Hmph. Child's play," The thief scoffed, as she did some stretches.

Before long, she does a series of flips and rolls, with the grace of a gymnastic, to evade the lasers, until she reached the other side of the lasers and resumes making her way to her prize – the Bewitching Bell.

"Hmmm, I don't know what you're worth," The Night Owl commented to the bell. "But you better be worth a fortune if my clients are paying me this much trouble."

The master thief then presses a hidden button on the wrist of her glove, unsheathing several tiny, but sharp claws from the fingers. With that, she skillfully cuts a perfect circle into the Bewitching Bell's glass case, stealing the said bell.

"Don't move!" A demanding voice barked behind her.

Without having to turn her head and look, the Night Owl grins beneath her mask, looking into the reflection of the glass to see it was only a night guard, pointing a stun gun at her.

"Sneaking up on a girl?" The Night Owl smirked. "That's no way to treat a lady."

"Put the bell down, now," The night guard ordered, with his gun sparking to life.

"Alright~" With a shrug, the Night Owl sets the bell down. "You only have to ask nicely, like a gentleman~" She flirted.

"Now hands up in the air."

"Like this?"

In the blink of an eye, the Night Owl puts her hands behind her head, bending her elbows forward, firing a dart from her wrist, which hits the night guard on the neck.

"AUGH!" The night guard exclaimed, taken by surprise, as he held his hands up to his throat, dropping his stun gun, as he pulls the dart out. But it was too late.

Within a second, the guard began to feel the effect of the Night Owl's darts, overwhelming him as he struggles to fight it, but was overcome by the spell of sleep.

"Nighty-night, sweetheart," The Night Owl cooed, as she held her hand out for the bell, but finds it gone. "What the-"

"Looking for this?" A voice called, revealing himself to be Hum Drum, hanging upside down from the ceiling, holding the said bell in one of his hands.

"Well, well, well," The Night Owl began, putting a hand on her hip. "If it isn't the boy wonder, Hum Drum. Here for another dance, sweetie?"

"I am," Another voice spoke up, revealing herself to be Zapp, holding her sword, Thunderer, at the ready. "I'm gonna tango you so much, you won't even feel your feet for another night!"

Soon, the rest of the Power Princesses all came out of their hiding spots and surrounded the Master Thief.

"Aw, still got that temper, Sparky?" Night Owl said to Zapp. "I thought we had a connection going on. But I like that. I like that."

"You wish."

"Give up, Night Owl," Masked Matter-Horn began, with her energy horn cracking a current of electricity. "You are surrounded. You can't escape this one."

"動かないで下さい。(Don't move!)" A voice commanded in Japanese.

With that, the heroes and the Night Owl all turned around to see that somehow, the Niriks have snuck in and they've got them all surrounded.

"Oh! Friends of yours?" The Night Owl asked.

"Hardly," Hum Drum replied.

"How'd you varmints get in?" Mistress Marvelous asked.

"We walked," One of the Niriks answered in English. "Now give us the bell and we will destroy you quickly."

"Give you guys the bell and be destroyed?" Ken asked with a nervous chuckle. "I"d hate to hear what the second option is."

"I honestly doubt they're giving us much of a choice," Mistress Marvelous replied.

"Princesses! Hum Drum! FIGHT!" Masked Matter-Horn sounded the charge.


Back To Mad – Texas Faggott (SMBZ Remix)


With that, a three-way battle between the heroes, the Night Owl, and the Niriks ensued, with the Bewitching Bell as the main prize.

Ken was holding onto the bell, as he hurried through the crossfires of the battle, looking for a safe place to hide.

He didn’t get very far, unfortunately, when the Night Owl landed in front of him.

“I’ll take that,” She said, reaching out for the bell.

“Zapp! Fili!” Ken called out. “Pass batter! 25! Down and out! HUT!”

Just like that, Ken chucked the Bewitching Bell, as if it was a football to the Power Princesses he called out.

“I got it!” Zapp shouted, when she caught the bell, while deflecting a bullet from a Nirik, and passes the bell to Fili-Second.

“I got it!” Fili-Second took off running in a blur of pink, until she stepped in a puddle of water. “WHOA!!!”

The pink girl slipped on the wet surface and hurled the Bewitching Bell in the air, which was soon caught by the Night Owl, who was also holding a Wet Floor Sign.

“Oh, did I moved this?” The Night Owl asked, before she tossed the floor to the side and was on her way out.

However, the Night Owl was stopped by one of the Niriks, who pointed his gun at the master thief, and pulled the trigger.

*BANG BANG BANG*

The sound of gun shots rang through the air, as the Night Owl immediately leapt to the side, doing backflips, and acrobatic side twirls, evading the bullets, while holding onto the bell.

“HI-YAH!!!” Ken shouted, jumping out from hiding and swung his metal pole at the thief, who quickly blocked his attack.

“Hehe, not bad, Hum Drum,” The Night Owl complimented, before she weaves her arm with his pole to lock it in place. “You’ve got some impressive moves. I’m beginning to see what the girls see in their little man.”

“They’re not some ‘girls,’” Hum Drum replied, as he throws some kicks to break out of the lock. “In case you didn’t catch their names. They’re the Power Princesses. Princesses!”

“Charming,” The Night Owl replied, as she sweeps the floor with a kick, to which Hum Drum dodged. “Then you must be their ‘Knight-in-Shining-Armor’ then?”

“I’m hoping to get there,” Hum Drum replied, while dodging a blast of dark fire from the Niriks. “But right now, I think I’m more Robin Hood, stealing from the thief to give to the museum.”

“That’s master thief to you, Robin Hood,” The Night Owl replied. “I’m not all that bad, once you get to know me. In fact, I could use a new sidekick. The Night Owl and Robin has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“And risk getting sued by DC for ripping off Batman and Robin?” Hum Drum countered. “No way!”

“HUM DRUM!! FOCUS!” Zapp screamed, snapping Ken back to reality as she kicks the Night Owl. “We’re not here for idle chitchat with a crook!”

“Sorry,” Hum Drum apologized. “Got caught up in the moment.”

As for the Night Owl, she didn’t have time to recover, when she had to dodge a flaming axe from a Nirik. Distracted, she barely reacted when Mistress Marvelous used her lasso to snatch the bell from her hands.

“Masked Matter-Horn! Catch!” Marvelous shouted, passing the bell to the leader.

“I got it!” Matter-Horn confirmed.

“Darling, look out!” Radiance shouted, as a Nirik threw a grenade at Matter-Horn.

But it was too late, the leading girl was hit by the explosive, making her drop the bell.

“The bell!” Hum Drum shouted as he dives toward the bell, with the Night Owl doing the same.

“What’s your hurry, sweetie?” The Night Owl asked. “Things were getting interesting.”

“What? Is this a wedding to you?” Hum Drum asked. “Not exactly my idea of a bachelor party, but I’ll take it,” Hum Drum quickly whipped out his Nerf gun and fired a pellet of Funny Elephant Toothpaste at the Night Owl.

“Oh my,” The Night Owl said as she wipes off the foamy substance off her arms. “You’d better not get some of your goop in my hair.”

“Don’t worry. It comes off with water. My cousin designed it.”

Between the battle of wits with the Night Owl, and the ongoing fight with the Niriks, it was clear that the heroes were not getting anywhere. The bell is safe and secured in Hum Drum’s hand, as his team of Power Princesses stood at the ready.

"C'mon, give up already!" Zapp grunted in frustration.

"They just don't know when to quit," Marvelous sighed.

"I wish we could get some help," Hum Drum wished out loud, to which the Bewitching Bell responded, with a haunting glow. "Huh? What the–What's..."


Kingdom Hearts 2 – Vim and Vigor


Hum Drum, the Power Princesses, the Night Owl, and the Niriks watch as the bell continues to pulse with an unsettling aura of strange light. Then, without warning, the Niriks began to convulse, as they suddenly fell to the floor, and their bodies were glowing in the same aura from the bell.

"これは何ですか？(What is this?)" One of the Niriks exclaimed as he succumbs to the pain.

"What's happening to them?" Zapp asked.

Masked Matter-Horn turned to Hum Drum and asked, "Hum Drum, what did you do?"

"I...I might've made a wish and..." It wasn't long before it dawns on Hum Drum. "Looks like the bell's responding to my wish!"

The heroes and the Night Owl all looked back to see the tattoos on the Niriks being ripped off of their skins, floating up into the air, and materialized themselves into terrifying creatures of all shapes and sizes. Some of them resembled hideous horned demons, with jagged teeth and carrying iron kanabō clubs, while others resemble a cross between a dragon and a wolf, with muscular humanoid builds, and some even looked like something out of an urban legend, like Siren Head, Slenderman, and even an 8 foot tall Japanese woman.

"番号！ありえない！悪魔？(No! It can't be! Demons?)" One of the Niriks exclaimed in horror.

"妖怪です！悪魔！彼らは私たち全員を殺します。(They are Yōkai! Demons! They'll kill us all!)"

"What did they say?" Zapp asked, confused by the Japanese.

"They said, 'They are Yokai! Demons! They'll kill us all,'" Ken translated.

"Ooh," The Power Princesses, besides Masked Matter-Horn, all said in acknowledgement.

"Wow, all those Japanese talks with Thor and his mom's really paid off." Ken commented.

With a bloodcurdling roar, the living tattoo creatures lunged in for the kill as they picked off the Niriks. In retaliation, some of the Niriks opened fire on the living tattoos and were killed in the process, while a majority of the masked gunmen retreated from the museum to escape the tattoo-turned-yokais.

"Looks like they're on our sides," Fili-Second's words quickly got eaten when one of the living tattoos roared and tried to smash her head with its club. "Or not."

Zapp turned to Ken, "Well, Ken. You've got your wish. They've helped us stop the Niriks...most of 'em anyway. Now can you wish for them to all go away?"

"Uh...I wish for them to–AH!" Before Ken could make his wish, he was hit in the face by one of the creatures, causing him to drop the bell.

"Ken!" Spruce Spanner exclaimed as she ran over to check up on the boy. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ken reassured. "But I've lost the bell! AAH!"

"AAH!"

Both Ken and Spruce quickly dove for cover, behind a Viking's shield, poking their heads up to see the tattoo monsters are now onto the heroes and the Night Owl.

"What do we do now?" Radiance asked, as she concentrates into her bracelet and creates a wall of shields to protect herself and her friends.

"We fight them off! That's what!" Zapp shouted as she slashes her sword at the tattoo monsters.

"Time for a PIZZA BOMB!" Fili-Second sang, reaching into her hair to pull out the said food grenade and tossed it at the monsters, exploding into a cheesy and pepperoni explosion upon impact.

Masked Matter-Horn concentrated into her energy horn and fires a powerful mist of freezing air that stops the creatures in their tracks. But not for long. With a burst of fiery air, the creatures broke free from their icy prisons and resume their attacks.

Mistress Marvelous spins her lasso in the air to ensnare several of the creatures, before she landed a strong kick to their faces, and catches most of their attacks, mustering up her whole strength to flip them on their backs.

One of the monsters was just about spear Mistress Marvelous from behind.

"MARVELOUS! BEHIND YOU!" Ken shouted.

Before Marvelous could react, and before the monster had a chance to kill the girl, a streak of shadows leapt forward and slashes her claws at the monster. It was none other than the Night Owl.

"Ya...ya saved me...why?" Mistress Marvelous asked the thief.

"I'm a master thief," The Night Owl answered. "And I have morals. And letting good guys die on my watch is not one of them..."

"Uh-huh..." Zapp scowled skeptically.

"Yay! A new friend!" Fili-Second clapped her hands happily, to which Zapp shuts her mouth.

"No..." The electric girl denied.

Nevertheless, with a temporary truce, the Night Owl and the heroes fought the tattoo monsters together. During the fight, some of the monsters' attacks were getting too close to the priceless museum exhibits, which Ken took notice.

"Hey!" Ken shouted as he dives in to save a priceless urn. "Try not to wreck the museum! In fact, try not to wreck it at all!"

With that, Ken finds himself in charge of the hard task of keeping all of the precious museum artifacts and baubles protected from the rampaging monsters, while his friends and the Night Owl were left with keeping the monsters at bay and contained.

One of the monsters nearly smashed a painting, had Ken not taken the portrait off its hinge and carried it out of harm’s way.

Another monster was fighting Masked Matter-Horn, who repelled it with a fireball. The monster nearly fell and smashed a bejeweled antique egg. Thankfully, Ken was able to retrieve the egg before it becomes a smashed up glittering omelet.

Zapp was slashing his sword and sent sparks of electricities flying through the air. Activating the springs in his boots, Ken proceeded to jump around the room, using his metal staff to conduct some of the stray electricities away form the artifacts, even at the risk of getting himself shocked.

Being the only Power Princess who isn't participating in the fight, Spruce Spanner looked on and her eyes followed Ken in concern.

"Oh goodness, Ken!" Spruce gasped, walking over to check up on the boy. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just giving myself an intensive workout," Ken replied in sarcasm. "We can't let these priceless museum artifacts be destroyed! We've got to stop this fight, now!"

"But how?" Spruce asked.

During the fight, the Night Owl was slashing her claws at one of the tattoo yōkais, when a pellet came flying from her suit and splashes onto the tattoo. The liquid burns into the living tattoo's skin, causing it to wail in agony.

"Hey! I think we found a weakness!" Zapp exclaimed.

Spruce Spanner, along with Fili-Second, walked over to inspect the droplets of liquids that repelled the living tattoo, before they came to a confirmation.

"Thinners!" Both girls confirmed.

"They can't stand thinners!" Fili-Second exclaimed.

"Thinners, huh?" The Night Owl said as she brings out more pellets, containing said liquid. "I mostly use them for nail polish."

"Whatever, hand them over," Zapp scowled.

"Now is that anyway to talk?" The Night Owl snarked. "You can ill afford to learn some manners."

Not giving the Night Owl another response to her smart aleck, Zapp simply swipes the pellets away from the miffed Master Thief, and proceeds to throw the pellets onto the living tattoos. Before long, all of the living tattoos were gone, along with the Niriks they once belonged to.


End Fight Music


"Well, that's that," Masked Matter-Horn said, as she dusted her hands. "Good work Power Princesses. You too, Hum Drum."

"I'm just glad we don't have time to pay for any broken antiques, or anything," Hum Drum sighed. "Now all that's left is to find the Bewitching Bell and–"

"Found it!" Fili-Second chirped, waving the said bell.

The heroes then turned to see the Night Owl taking her leave.

"Not so fast!" Zapp shouted as she leapt into action, with her sword unsheathed.

"You're not going anywhere, Night Owl!" Masked Matter-Horn said as she and her fellow heroes surrounded the thief.

"Hmmm, that's what you always say," The Night Owl shrugged. "But then I'm always somewhere."

"Not this time," Zapp snarled. "This time, you're gonna be a caged bird!"

"And yer gonna make time for all yer crimes!" Mistress Marvelous added, holding out a pair of handcuffs at the ready.

"Aw, but I'm free as a bird," The Night Owl cooed. "And don't you know that birds don't like to be caged for so long?"

"Oh, certainly," Spruce Spanner said in agreement. "I can understand their sense of freedom to stretch their wings and..." Spruce was silenced by the glances from the other Power Princesses.

"Anyway, I can't say you're petty crook," Masked Matter-Horn began. "Not after every valuables you've stolen over the years."

"Can't I help it? A diamond's a girl's best friend," The Night Owl shrugged.

"Still, this latest heist of yours," The leading heroine continued. "Is perhaps one of your biggest stunt yet. Did you have any idea on what this bell is even capable of?"

"Look, I had no idea what the bell can do," The Night Owl shook her head. "My job was simple. Get the bell and get paid. And my clients were very insistent on it."

"And who are your 'clients'?" Zapp asked.

"Now WHO do you think I am?" The Night Owl hooted to the lightning girl. "I'm no snitch. But I'll give you a clue."

"And what's that?"

The girls and Hum Drum watched in anticipation, as the Night Owl got suspiciously closer to Zapp and whispered into her ears.

"Alastor."

*MWAH*

Hum Drum and the Power Princesses were all aghast and taken by surprise, when the Night Owl took her mask off, just enough to reveal her lips, to claim Zapp's for a full blown kiss.

"WHOA!" Hum Drum exclaimed, while the rest of the Power Princesses stood, slack-jawed at the heated display, with Zapp paralyzed at the heating sensation that overwhelmed her.

And to add insult to injury, the police had arrived at the scene of the crime and the officers were all shocked, if not amazed at the sight of the master thief, making out with one of the super heroines.

By the time Zapp and her fellow heroes regained their composure, the Night Owl was already gone, having flown the coop, and left Zapp tied up to a nearby pole, courtesy of Mistress Marvelous handcuffs that the thief had stolen right from under her nose.

"What the–" The heroes looked up to see the Night Owl had gone.

"AFTER HER!" Zapp tried to give chase, but she was too tied up to go anywhere.

Everyone watched as the Night Owl climbs up the building on a flight of fire escapes, before reaching to what appeared to be the silhouette of a large hulking gargoyle. 

Upon reaching the gargoyle, however, the heroes were taken by surprise when the gargoyle sprang to life, opening its wings, blinking its large red eyes open, and loud mechanical engines whirling. It was actually the Night Owl's Exo-Suit.

“Until we meet again,” The Night Owl flirted. “Buh-bye~”

With a flap of her wings, a whirl of her flying engines, she took off flying into the night.

In the meantime, an even more infuriated Zapp was seething with her redden face for emphasis. And it's not out of infatuation.

"Uh...look on the bright side, Zapp," Ken began, as he held up the Bewitching Bell. "At least she didn't get the bell..."

Unfortunately, Zapp was far from a happy camper.

"ARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!" Zapp snarled, punching a wall, knocking down an assembled T-Rex skeleton.





The Next Day


It was another day at school. Though after the excitements they've had from last night, Ken and the Power Princesses were having trouble staying awake.

Ken was snoring loudly, with his head in a bowl of spaghetti, at the school cafeteria, with Thor, Gwen, and May sitting beside him.

"Ken? Ken? Wake up!" Thor nudged his friend away.

"AAGH!" Ken exclaimed, going into a karate stance, upon being startled awake. "I WILL SLICE AND DICE YOU LIKE SUSHI–Um. Where, where am I?" He asked, starting to calm himself down.

"Whoa! Jackie Chan!" Thor cautioned. "Ease up on the flying fists of fury, why don't ya?"

"You okay, Ken?" Gwen asked. "You looked like you haven't been sleeping all night."

"Did you hear what happened last night?" May asked. "The Night Owl was trying to steal the Bewitching Bell. But the Power Princesses and Hum Drum stopped her. And there's been proof that a fight took place, with the Niriks being involved. And the only collateral damage suffered as a T-Rex skeleton!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, that," Ken nervously chuckled.

"Yeah, I heard about it from my brother this morning," Thor added. "He even said that the Night Owl made out with one of the Power Princesses, right out in public, in front of the police!"

"No way!" Gwen exclaimed.

"It's true!" Thor replied, as he pulls out his phone. "Look! Someone even took a picture of it and posted on the social media! It's trending nonstop!"

"Oh...boy," Ken chuckled, while thinking nervously, 'Zapp is gonna blow up a storm when she finds out about this...'




Later on, after lunch period, Ken was walking down the hallway with his friends to their next class, during passing period, when they were treated with another news broadcast, from a large TV Screen on the ceiling of a hallway.

"This is Sam T. Eagle, with another breaking news," The reporter began. "Last night, the Night Owl has committed another of her latest heist at the Maretropolis Museum of Natural History. The police have confirmed that the Power Princesses and their boy wonder, Hum Drum, were present and that they had foiled the master thief's latest heist. However, there have also been reports of the Niriks presence at the museum. Though for whatever motives, the police are still investigating. Nevertheless, one thing no one is certainly never going to forget was this steaming hot kiss shared between the Night Owl and one of the Power Princesses. Is love in the air?"

"Ooh," Some of the student bodies exclaimed when the news reporter brought up the picture of the said kiss.

"Oh boy," Ken shook his head, knowing he and his girls won't hear the end of this from Zapp.

"On another related matter, Mayor Verko has gone on record of labeling both the Power Princesses, Hum Drum, for being in cahoots with the Night Owl," Upon hearing this, Ken looked up in shock as he and his classmates watched to hear what more the news had to say.

"There can be no mistake," Mayor Verko began on a live interview. "All of these crimes have been planned out by the Power Princesses, and their boy wonder, Hum Drum, as a means of getting publicity for their actions. And I'm not one to judge or point fingers, but it also seems that one of the Power Princesses is engaged in a steamy relationship with the Night Owl, and are bold enough to display their love out in public. It appears our so-called heroes are now engaged to a life of crime."

Fully awake, Ken was outraged at the slander, "That's not what happened!" Ken exclaimed out loud, which caught the attention of his surrounding classmates. "I mean...That's impossible! There's a better explanation for that. Right?"

"Further comments from the Office of Mayor continues to pour in, labeling the Power Princesses and the Night Owl for murders, upon the discovery of several dead bodies of the Niriks found at the scene of the crime," Sam T. Eagle continued. "What has become of our heroes? Have they and their boy wonder gone and lost it? Are they turning over to a life of crime? We will keep you all posted. This has been Sam T. Eagle, reporting."

"AARRRGGH!!" A loud snarl was heard.

Ken and his classmates all thought it was Aurora, or one of the other Power Princesses. But much to their shock, it was actually Phoenix Dawn. The usual sweet, kind-hearted, and charismatic philanthropic fiery headed girl was starting to show a different demeanor that no one's ever seen before. To further the intensity she was displaying, she said some cursing words, in Japanese, under her breath.

"Uh...what did she say?" One of the frighten classmates asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Thor replied.

"Yeah. Lucky me," Ken added, having too fully understood what Phoenix was really saying. "Well, I know who you're not voting for in the next election," Ken chuckled, to which Phoenix responded with a snap of her head, glaring at the boy with an intensive glare.



"AAAH!!!" Thor yelped like a little girl and jumped into Ken's arms, like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. "Please don't hurt us!"

"Sorry," Ken quickly apologized. "I, uh, have a habit of making bad jokes in tense situations. It's a phase I get from reading Spider–Man comic books, y'know? Hehe..."

Phoenix looked away, cracking a smile and laughed, "It was a good joke, Ken," She replied. "Just a...bit of an overreaction on my part...." The girl continued to laugh and tried to smile, though everyone can tell it's fake, and that there's something wrong with her. "I'll uh...see you all after school."

"Uh, sure okay," Ken replied as he waves Phoenix good-bye. "See ya."

"じゃあまたね, (See ya later)," Phoenix replied with a wave of her hand.

"What was that all about?" Gwen asked. "That's the first time I've ever seen her react like that."

"She just doesn't like Verko," Ken shrugged.

"Not liking the mayor is one thing," May began. "But...she looks like she's got it personal with the man...I wonder why?"





Dark Fantasy Music - Reign of the Dark


Elsewhere...


Just on the very edge of the unholy forest that is Blackwater Woods lies a seemingly abandoned old windmill, keyword being "seemingly". If a brave or foolish soul dares look inside, then they would know that it's but abandoned.

Within it were pagan-like markings all over the walls decorated with bones, from both animals and humans. At the center were a group of men wearing black robes are sitting at a table, except for one who is wearing red. This was Bray Mule and he is not happy.

"Damn that Night Owl! She has failed to recover the bell!" Bray screamed.

"My someone appears to be in fowl mood," a loud yet cheerful voice boomed, startling Bray and all of his cult members, causing them to look up, seeing a pair of fiery red eyes staring into their souls, and the dim lightings from the candles in the room illuminating a sinister smile of yellow teeth, like those of a madman.

"G-G-Grand master!" Bray stammered frightfully, immediately bowing his head in respect, with his members following suit.

The figure arched an eyebrow, with his smile still glistening by the candles, "Mmmm, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have something you'd like to tell me. Come to think of it, where is that little darling Night Owl and the bell?"

"Uh...well...she lost it." Bray reported gravely. "There was a problem...or at least, seven of them...my lord."

"Ah yes. The Power Princesses and their little boytoy I've been hearing so much about lately across this new form of technology the humans today have dubbed as 'the social media,' am I correct?"

"Yes, my lord. What would should we do now?"

"Why isn't it obvious? We wait, of course!" the grand master announced loudly and joyfully. "We simply buy our times, awaiting for the day when the heat's off, and taking the opportunity to study our adversaries in search of weakness! Survival of the fittest they say! And the fittest are the smartest of the group! Did I make my point across?" the figure asked, staring down at the entire Sons of Tambelon, still keeping his smile to further the intensity of his ferocious appearance.

"But... grand master what about... the bell?" Bray asked nervously.

"We've waited centuries for this day to come, what's a few more days, weeks, or even months." The figure replied.

"If you say so, my lord, Alastor," Bray bowed his head in respect.


Storm Tower


The Bewitching Bell has been put under tight security after the incident over at the museum where it's put inside a rather large vault where the Storm King has placed other valuable objects within it. If one looks closely, they would notice the eye center is glowing red and a low, ominous growl can be heard.
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 1 – The Fashionistas – Radiance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another quiet and peaceful night in Maretropolis. Crimes were still at large, but as of late, the criminal elements have begun to subside, thanks to the incredible works of the Power Princesses and their boy wonder, Hum Drum.

Speaking of whom, it was on this night that the young hero was out for dinner, at a his cousin Meg's Bucking Bronco, with his date, the lovely Green Gardener. The two were sitting at a table, over a plate of spaghetti, with a lit candle to further the romantic atmosphere of the diner for the two.

"How are you enjoying the spaghetti, Green?" Ken asked.

"Oh I'd say, it's quite exquisite," Green replied. “The textures are lovely, and the flavors are well blended. It’s fantastic! And I love the touches with these candles, darling. You’ve certainly outdid yourself.”

“Well, a gentleman has to pull out all the stops to making it a special evening for his lady, right?” Ken blushed.

“Yeah, because his cousin owns the restaurant,” Molly snarked, before she resumes serving the other customers.

Brushing Molly's remark to the side, Ken and Green Gardener resume their dinner date.

"Though, are you sure you'd want to do this, Ken, darling?" Green asked, before she whispers, "After all, shouldn't we be out on a patrol, protecting the city from criminals?"

"Trots Summers said she and the others can handle it," Ken reassured. "She wants us to enjoy ourselves on this beautiful night," Ken leans in close and whispers, "Though, between you and me. I think Zapp needs some time and space to herself after...you know who."

Green rolled her eyes, "Uhh, don't even get me started."

"Also, check this new gizmo that cousin Danny invented!" Ken reached to the side and pulls out what appears to be a robot, shaped like a dragonfly.

"Oh my!" Green Gardener exclaimed her surprise. "What is it?"

"Danny calls it a Drone-Fly," Ken explained. "But, I just prefer to call it, Dragon–Fly, with a hyphen between 'dragon' and 'fly.' This little bot is something!"





Flashback


Ken was in Danny's room, as the young inventor, once again, goes over his latest invention.

"Introducing the Dragon-Fly!" Danny presented. "I owe the inspiration to Spidey's Spider-Bots. Check it out! It's got a built-in camera and microphones used to listen in on juicy gossips. And it can hover and fly, like a...well, like a fly."

"That's pretty cool, Danny!" Ken nodded in admiration. "And can it fight?"

"Fight? Why would it need to fight?"

"Well, say that a bird sees it and thinks its a real bug, and it swoops in for dinner. Then what? How would it defend itself?"

"Uh...I haven't thought of that. Though, it does come with an EMP blaster, if that counts."

"I was kinda hoping it could shoot fireballs, but that could work too, I guess," Ken shrugged as he got down on his knees and takes a closer look at the little bot. "Who knows, you just might come in handy for me someday, little guy."

Ken got back up to his feet and asked his cousin, who was typing some codes into his computer.

"So, Danny," Ken began. "How do you control this little guy?"

"I've already started on an app," Danny explains. "All you have to do is download the app into the your phone and register your number into the app. Once that is done, the little Drone-Fly will be under your control."





Present


"What will my cousin come up with next?" Ken smiled.

"How brilliantly ingenious of him," Green nodded her head.

"Thanks!" Danny said out loud, as he carries a tray of meals to the next customers. "One of my greatest works! But plenty more where those came from."

"I'd expect nothing less, cuz," Ken replied as he and Green resume their dinner date.

Both Ken and Green were both eating their bowl of spaghetti, when it just so happens they were eating the same noodle. Their lips were inches away from each other, when they looked up, stared in each other's eyes, hesitated, and blushed a bright shade of pink.

"HE–E–ELP!" A random dude exclaimed in a state of hysteria. "The Fashionistas are robbing the fabric store on Rarity Avenue! Wait, is this the police station?" He asked.

"No, that's two blocks down," Megan explained. "Pass Maple Street."

"Oh, thanks," With that, the dude resumes his cry for help. "HELP!" 

Nevertheless, upon hearing this latest news of another crime-in-progress, Ken and Green quickly cut their dinner short and paid the bill for their dinner.

"Thanks for the dinner, Megan! Got to run! Bye now!"

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Megan asked.





Once outside, Ken and Green quickly changed themselves into their superhero suits, once again becoming Hum Drum and Radiance, respectively.

“I’d hate to just eat and run, after a big plate of spaghetti,” Hum Drum grunted. “Especially one of cousin Meg’s.”

“But duty calls, darling,” Radiance replied.

Once again, focusing her mentality into her Power Bracelets, Radiance engulfed herself and Ken, in a bubble of pink aura, and levitated themselves through the air, towards the scene of the crime.

Upon arriving at the fabric store, on Rarity Avenue, both Boy Wonder and Power Princess discover the fabric store to be robbed clean of its goods.

“Damn! We’re too late!” Ken exclaimed.

At that moment, a lovely lady, most likely the store manager, poked her head up in the window of her office. Clearly, she had been hiding from the criminals.

“Oh! Radiance! Hum Drum!” The store manager exclaimed. “Bust my buttons. Thank goodness you’ve arrived! It’s an utter disaster! My store has been—“

“Robbed?” Hum Drum finished. “Yeah, we ca see that. Do you know where they went?”

“I don’t exactly know where they went per say,” The manager began. “But I’ve heard them talking about going to a shampoo factory? That’s all I’ve got from them.”

Both Ken and Radiance turned to exchange looks of wonder, before they look back at the manager.

“We’ll look into it, madam,” Radiance assured. “In the meantime, why don’t you go and get yourself a cup of tea and relax.”

“An excellent suggestion,” The store manager replied as she walks back into her office. “And I’ll have to file a report of this to the police.”

Both Hum Drum and Radiance resume the task at hand as they begin their investigation, to find a lead on the Fashionista’s current location.

“Shampoo factory…” Hum Drum began. “That at least helps us to narrow our search. But there are about tens of shampoo factories all around Maretropolis. It will take us ages if we check them out, one at a time…”

“Then we’ll need to narrow our search down even more,” Radiance replied. “Look for clues. I’m certain these villains might’ve left behind something that could tell us about the factory they are hiding in.”

With that, Hum Drum and Radiance proceeded to look through the wreckages of the shop, looking for whatever possible clues they could find. Ken was digging through all the fabric rolls that were left scattered  across the floor, when he finds a hat that looks like it belongs to a burglar, with a pink stain on it.

"Got a burglar's hat here," Ken called to Radiance. "...With some weird stain on it. Too bad Delilah's not here. I'm sure she'd be a big help, sniffing out the trail..."

"Chemistry has also been Nova Pott's field of expertise," Radiance added. "It's a shame she's not here with us either, darling."

Ken went over to the door, where the lock had been broken off to allow the culprits entry into the store. Ken pressed a button on the side of his mask lenses, allowing him to zoom in on the broken lock. Upon closer inspection, the lock appeared to have somehow been frozen, to the point it was easy to break and shatter the gears to pieces.

"Whoever they are, they've certainly taken 'breaking and entering' to the next level," Ken commented. "Somehow, they were able to freeze the lock and shattered it. But how?"

"I'm no detective, like Mary Allen," Radiance began, as she inspects the lock. "But judging by these residue, I'd say this shampoo factory is loaded with dangerous chemicals."

"Hmmm...hey, that sounded familiar..." Hum Drum began, as he walks out of the store.

"Hum Drum, what is it?" Radiance asked as she followed the boy wonder.

"Fashionable criminals, shampoo factory, dangerous chemicals," Ken listed. "If my hunches are correct, then our criminals must be..."





Later


"At Bloom's Shampoo Inc." Ken deduced, as he and Radiance arrive at the said factory.

Perching atop the roof of a building, both Radiance and Hum Drum looked down to see trucks load of the stolen fabrics being unloaded into the factory, with the same fashionable criminals from before, supervising.

"Oh, I like your instinct, darling," Radiance smiled, complimenting the boy.

Ken couldn't help but blush a shade of pink, hidden by the pink aura as Radiance levitates herself and Hum Drum, behind a pile of crate. The two heroes quietly poked their heads out and watched, seeing the criminals carrying their loot into the factory.

"Where are they taking those fabrics?" Radiance asked. "And why would they want so many at a shampoo factory of all places?"

"That's the mystery," Ken pondered, before he remembers the Dragon–Fly he's been carrying with him. "I think this would be a good time for us to try out Danny's little friend."

Reaching into a pocket in his cape, Hum Drum took out his phone, with which he uses to activate his Dragon–Fly.

"Fly away, my little akuma," Hum Drum said to the little bot. "And...don't evilize someone. Just go snooping around for what me and my lady needed to know."

From his phone, Hum Drum and Radiance watch through the built-in camera lens of the robot as they navigate it through the shampoo factory.

"Wow, I know Danny's good, but not this good," Ken commented. "Though, where he got his hand on this piece of technology, I'd have to ask."

"Topics for another time, darling," Radiance replied, reminding Ken to stay focus at the task at hand. "Right now, let's focus on finding out where they are taking these fabrics, and maybe learn more of what they're planning to do with them."

"Roger that," Hum Drum replied. "And I'll be sure to stay out of sight so...nobody sees us."

From inside the shampoo factory, the little bot zips through the air, above the unsuspecting crooks. It continues to follow the goons, until a couple of guns were spotted, engaged in an idle chit-chat.

With that, the little robot finds a perch, on the wall, above the two goons.

“Now to isolate the noises so we can listen in on some conversations,” Hum Drum began as he adjusted the sound wavelengths, on his phone app, allowing him and Radiance to eavesdrop on the criminals’ conversation. “There we go!”

“So what’s the deal with these new fabrics we’ve stolen?” One of the thugs asked. “We making some new brand of coats or something?”

“Nah, High Heels was never big on the whole ‘original concept’ unless she’s got something bigger and better to rip off of, y’know?” The other thug replied. “I think she and this new lady friend of hers are planning on using these fabrics for some kinda trap.”

“Yeah? What kinda trap? What could you make out of stolen fabrics?”

“Don’t know. But it’s gonna be deadly, that’s for sure.”

“Hmmm, High Heels?” Hum Drum pondered. “As in Suri Polomare?”

“Sounds to me that woman hasn’t learned her lesson,” Radiance scowled. “Steal someone else’s original design wasn’t enough. But now…she would use fashion as a means of making traps? Just what could she be up to?”

“That’s what we’re about to find out,” Hum Drum replied as he controls the Dragon—Fly bot to press on, looking for more infos.

The Dragon—Fly bot proceeded to follow the other criminals into what appeared to be a chemistry laboratory. Inside, the boxes of fabrics were being set in the corner of the room. Resting on the table, in the center of the room, is a chemistry set of beakers, flasks, and cups of all kinds of chemicals. Hanging on the wall is a whiteboard of a chemical formula.

"What are these crooks up to? What are they trying to make?" Hum Drum asked as he angles the Dragon–Fly bot to set its built-in camera, centering the formula, before the bot took a snapshot of it. "Got it! We'll run this photo with Trots and the others. They'll figure what it is."

It was at that moment that a couple of the Fashionista thugs had arrived into the room, engaged in another idle chitchat.

“…So, did ya see the way that freaky lady’s hair moves?” One of the thugs commented. “They’re like snakes or an octopus’s legs, or something.”

“Octopuses, or octopi, don’t have legs, douchebag!” The other thug replied. “They’ve got arms, and they’re called tentacles. But yeah, that lady just ain’t right. Her hair is crazy, just like that mad look in her eyes.”

“How did she ever came to be like that in the first place? You think I could get a crazy hairdo with eyes like that?”

“Yeah, right. No offense, but I don’t think it’s much of a trendsetter. But I hear that the broad fell down into a vat of chemicals with a wire, and it electrocuted her and brought her hair to life.”

“Yikes.”

"It's also the reason why she's creepy ass crazy. She's the opposite of predictable. She's unpredictable."

Both Hum Drum and Radiance both turn to exchange a look of curiosity.

"Sounds like Suri Polomare's got herself a new partner-in-crime," Radiance deduced.

"Yeah, and whoever they are, they must be running this entire operation," Hum Drum replied. "Let's find out more on who they are."

With the location of the stolen fabrics and the chemistry room obtained, the two heroes set their new objective: Learn the identity of High Heel's new partner-in-crime. To begin this recon mission, Hum Drum controlled Dragon–Fly to follow the thugs leaving the room.

Out in the hallway, Hum Drum had to make sure the little bot avoided certain obstacles that would give it away, such as the lights, some of the roaming thugs, and doors. There were a few close calls though.

"Hey, is that a bug?" One of the thugs asked, when he spotted the Dragon–Fly bot.

"Ew! Kill it!" A female thug squealed in disgust.

"Time to hide!" Thinking fast, Ken directed the Dragon–Fly bot to hover up into an air vent, disappear out of sight.

"Phew. Good thing Danny's included some sticky paddings for this bot's legs," Hum Drum breathed a sigh of relief. "Though, just to be safe, I think the little guy will have to continue the rest of his recon from the air vents."

"Good idea, darling," Radiance agreed. "Though, I hope we'll still know which direction to go, when we're looking for answers..."

"Then maybe...if we adjust the wavelengths of the bot's built-in microphones, we'll at least follow wherever there's a discussion going on..."

Hum Drum then went to work on adjusting the setting for the bot's microphones, until he was able to cancel out the noises in the air vents so that he and Radiance can hear only the sound of people voices.

"Ah-ha! The little bot's picked up on something!"

With that, Hum Drum directed the robot, down a vent, following the sound of voices, until the voices became clearer and louder the closer it gets. At last, the bot arrives at another air vent, where it crawls through the grates and angles its camera lens to display a visual of the room, revealing two people in the room.

One of them is High Heels, and the other is, much to Radiance and Hum Drum's horror, the hairy assailant they've fought a few weeks ago, to save famed fashion model, Flower Knight.

"The Mane-Iac?!" Hum Drum and Radiance exclaimed.

Back in the room, High Heels and the Mane-Iac were both engaged in a conversation.

"I have to say, Fiona," Suri began. "I like what you've done to yourself. Though, I don't know about the green color for your hair. I kinda missed it when it's blue."

"Meh, to each their own, Suri Polomare," The Mane-Iac smirked, as one of her hairs slithered and picks up a cup of coffee for her to drink. "I mean, what the hell. I think it gives me a more...unique look. Really intimidating. Don't you agree?"

"Uh...more or less."

"Fiona?" Hum Drum began to realize. "As in...Fiona Bloom? The CEO of this factory?!"

"My goodness," Radiance exclaimed. "I've heard of bad hair day, but it would seem she's had it the worst!"

"I don't know about that, Green," Hum Drum replied. "The way she's wearing that smile, I'd say she's come to embrace her curse..."

Looking back via the Dragon–Fly's camera lens, both heroes watch as the former CEO-turned-supervillain, crawls around the room, on her prehensile hair like an octopus, with an added intimidation and ferocity of a snake.

"Anywho, now that your goons have gotten the fabrics," The Mane-Iac began. "I believe it's time we move onto the next part of our plan."

"Fiona, you know we've been friends since fashion school, right?" High Heels began. "And I'm not questioning your motives, I think they're brilliant. But are you sure about these chemicals that we'll be using to dye the fabrics in? We haven't exactly tested them yet."

"Which is why we're going to begin the tests now," The Mane-Iac walks over to a cabinet, where she pulls several vials of colorful liquids.

Both Hum Drum and Radiance watched as the Mane-Iac proceeds to administer the liquids onto a seemingly plain sheet of fabric. Unfortunately, before the heroes could truly see the effects of the liquids, one of the Mane-Iac's hair slithered up and happens to slam into the Dragon–Fly, knocking the bot back into the air vent. Hum Drum tries to get the bot to move, only to find the bot has been rendered immobile.

"Darn it! The bot's been damaged!" Hum Drum grumbled. "...Cousin Danny's not gonna like this. I hope it's not damaged too badly...and hoping Danny's insurance can cover it. If he has insurance."

"We'll worry about it later, darling," Radiance began. "Right now, we need to stop whatever dastardly plans that hairy villain and High Heels have in mind with those fabrics."

"Right," Hum Drum checks back into his phone's app, and breathes a sigh of relief. "Good news is, the bot's homing beacon is still functioning. So we can use that to find our way through the factory."

"Then let's go!"

With that, Radiance and Hum Drum both leapt into actions, to recover the damaged Dragon–Fly, stop the Mane-iac and High Heels, and retrieve the stolen fabrics.

After finding an open window, the heroes enter the factory, undetected, to begin their stealth mission. With the Dragon–Fly's homing beacon still active and functioning, the two heroes followed the trail, down a hallway, all the while avoid being seen by the guards. Though, there have been a few close calls. Even some that were too close for comfort.

“So…we take a left turn here, and—Whoa!” Hum Drum yelped, almost getting spotted by the guards, had Radiance not caught him.

“You need to be more careful, darling,” Radiance advised. “We can’t alert the entire building of our presence.

“Sorry.”

Nevertheless, Hum Drum and Radiance follow the homing beacon of the damaged Dragon—Fly, until they arrive at the empty room, where the Mane-Iac and High Heels once sat in.

“The coast is clear,” Hum Drum said as he and Radiance enter the room. “I’ll get the little guy. You keep watch.”

“Affirmative,” Radiance agreed, as she stands by the door to keep watch.

Hum Drum checks the air vent, where he finds the battered, but still functional, Dragon—Fly bot.

“Phew, glad you’re still okay, little guy,” Hum Drum breathed a sigh of relief. “A little damaged on the wing joints, but otherwise ok. Let’s get you back to cousin Danny. He’ll make you as good as new.”

Hum Drum drops himself back down to the floor and was about to regroup with Radiance at the door, when he notices one of the fabrics that was sitting on the tables, glowing in the dark. Hum Drum went over to investigate the piece of fabric.

"This must be the fabric that the Mane-Iac and High Heels were testing on," Ken said to himself. "...but why's it glowing? I think we better get this to the others. They'll figure it out."

Picking up the fabric, Hum Drum walks back to Radiance.

“I got the bot,” Hum Drum confirmed. “And I've got—“

“Not yet, Ken,” Radiance hushed, resuming to look out, until a thug has passed. “Now let’s go.”

Now that the bot has been recovered, both Radiance and Hum Drum can focus on the next objective of the mission: Recover the stolen fabrics.

Thankfully, the room containing the stolen fabrics wasn’t that hard to find.

“According to the Dragon—Fly’s video recordings,” Hum Drum began. “The room where the stolen fabrics are located should be right HERE!”

Upon opening the door, both Hum Drum and Radiance not only found the stolen fabrics. But also the guards in the room.

“Uh oh,” Hum Drum grimaced.

“Hey! It’s that meddling kid and his girlfriend!” One of the thugs exclaimed. “GET THEM!!!”


Totally Spies — Bring It On, Spies


With a scream, Hum Drum immediately whipped out his metal staff and fights off the guards, with Radiance igniting her Power Bracelets.

Focusing her mentality, Radiance conjures two large pink hands, which she used to throw massive punches, to fight the guards.

Utilizing all that he’s learned, thus far, Hum Drum swung and jabbed with his metal staff, while being careful not to swing it wildly that he’d risk hitting Radiance by accident. He also pulls out the stun gun from the other night to electrocute some of the guards.

“Hey Radiance! Heads up!” Hum Drum said, when he manages to trip and flip a thug in the air.

Reacting fast, Radiance leapt up and catches the guard’s head, between her legs, before she does a flip and slams him down on the floor.

With most of the guards taken care of, Hum Drum and Radiance returned to recovering the stolen fabrics.

Radiance used her Power Bracelets to envelope herself and the crates in a pink aura. Unfortunately, Hum Drum looked out in the hallway, to see bad news coming their way.

“Uh oh! Reinforcements!” Hum Drum exclaimed, as several more of the Fashionistas gangsters were coming down the halls.

Hum Drum immediate barred the door, preventing the thugs from coming in. But knew it won’t hold them for long.

“Hey! Open this door! OPEN UP!!” The guards barked, followed by a fist punching through the glass window.

“We’re trapped!” Hum Drum grunted as he struggles to hold the door back. “What do we do now?”

“Not to worry, darling,” Radiance reassured as she focuses her powers to create a giant jackhammer. “I can get us out of here. Just hold them off.”

“Sure…no problem,” Hum Drum grunted as he mustered up his strength to hold off the thugs.

One of the thugs poked his head through the door, only to receive a strong hit to the head, by Hum Drum’s metal staff.

“Step aside, fools,” A familiar voiced said. “Let me show you how to open a door!”

Before Hum Drum realized who it was, a strand of hair burst through, like a snake, trying to ensnare the boy, followed by several more.

“AAAAGHH!!” Hum Drum screamed, backing away from the door. “Get back! Back! BACK!” He said, frightfully swatting the hairs with his staff.

Nevertheless, the Mane-Iac breaks down the door and lets herself and her goons in.

“HA! Boom, baby!” The Mane-Iac gloated.

With a swing of her hair, the Mane-Iac goes on the attack, whipping her hairs at Hum Drum, who reacted with a flip, a split, and some blocks to dodge the attacks.

Hum Drum whipped out his Nerf gun to shoot a pellet of the Funny Elephant Toothpaste, but the Mane-Iac manages to block the attack, with one of her hairs. But in the process, she soon finds the strand covered in the colorful foamy substance.

“Oh! What’s this?” The Mane-Iac asked. “You’re trying to shoot me with toothpaste? HA HA HA HA!! My teeth are right here.”

“Actually, I was aiming at your eyes,” Hum Drum clarified.

“Hum Drum! I’ve broken through!” Radiance shouted as she grabs ahold of Hum Drum. “Let’s go!”

With that, both Hum Drum and Radiance escaped with the stolen fabrics.

Not willing to accept defeat, the Mane-Iac whips her hair out and ensnares Hum Drum by the cape.

“AUGH!!” Hum Drum grunted, being pulled away, while Radiance pulled him back.

“I’ve got you darling!” Radiance shouted.

“Come here!” The Mane-Iac barked.

“Let go of me!” Hum Drum demanded.

“Oh no, I’m not about to lose weeks of valuable works!”

“Get off!”

“You need a haircut!” Radiance declared as she conjures up a large pair of scissors to cut the Mane-Iac’s hairs, releasing Hum Drum.

“NOOO!!!” The Mane-Iac screamed, and was about to give chase, when High Heels stopped her.

"Enough!" High Heels shouted. "They're gone. We need to move the goods, while we still can. Let’s clear out!"





In the meantime, both Radiance and Hum Drum were flying through Maretropolis, with the intention of returning the stolen fabrics to the store manager.

“Wow! That was all so intense!” Hum Drum exclaimed. “The spying, the stealth, and the fight! It was all amazing!”

“Yes, it is quite the exhilarating experience, darling,” Radiance nodded. “But let’s not get too excited. We need to return these fabrics to the store, and then alert the others of what we—“

“Radiance! Low bridge!” Hum Drum shouted.

“What? OH!!!”

But it was too late. Radiance and Hum Drum flew headlong into a flock of birds, startling them, and causing Radiance to lose her focus.

In the process, she loses her grip on Hum Drum, who fell towards the street.

“HUM DRUM!!!” Radiance shouted.

Thinking fast to save himself, Hum Drum whips out a grappling hook from his belt, which he uses to latch onto a gargoyle’s head, and swings himself in the air, into the open window of a teenage girl, who just got out of the shower, clad in towels.

“AAAHHH!!! OH MY!!!” The girl screamed, covering her cleavage and the bottom, keeping her towel secured.

Hum Drum got up and shook off the adrenaline, as he turns towards the window. Upon seeing it was only the Boy Wonder, the girl began to relax.

“Oh my~” The girl smiled, watching as Hum Drum took his leave. Though not before he flashes a grin at the girl.




After returning the stolen fabrics to the store manager, Hum Drum and Radiance returned to the Power Princesses crashed ship, where they reported their finds.

"And you're sure this is the fabric the Mane-Iac and High Heels were testing their new chemicals on?" Trot Summers asked, holding the fabric in question.

"Yeah, I saw it glow in the dark," Ken replied. "We talked about it with the store manager, and she told us she's never had any 'glow in the dark' fabrics in stocks. And here's a snapshot of a chemical formula they were working on in the factory," Ken said, holding up the said snapshot, on his phone.

"Interesting," Trot said as she examines Ken's snapshot, before she turns to the others. "Fili-Second! Spruce Spanner! Have this fabric investigated, with this chemical formula for references."

"Okie-dokie-loki!" Mary Allen saluted.

"Ok," Spruce Spanner nodded.

"Zapp! Marvelous! Double patrols. Keep an eye out for anymore activities from the Fashionistas."

"Roger that!" Aurora nodded.

"Understood," Marvelous added.

Lastly, Trot Summers turned to both Ken and Radiance, "Ken, Radiance? You both did a great job. Keep up the good work."

Radiance nodded, while Ken smiled happily for the praise he's received from the Masked Matter-Horn.




Later that night, both Ken and Radiance continue with their patrol around the city before they decided to call it a night.

"We did great tonight, didn't we, Radiance?" Hum Drum asked.

"Indeed," Radiance agreed. "But let's not have this one small victory get to our heads, darling. Remember, we still have a lot of work to do."

"Still, don't I get a little credit for holding back the Mane-Iac to allow you to make our escape?"

"You get more than a little, darling," Radiance brought Ken over and planted a kiss on his cheek, causing him to stiffen up. "You were wonderful today."

"Uh...yeah...wonderful..." Hum Drum paused on a rooftop, watching Radiance fly away, while he touches the spot she kissed him. 'Wow...that feels...it feels...it doesn't feel like a friendly kiss. Could she really...like me?'
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 2 – Fire Devils – Mistress Marvelous
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Disturbed-Inside The Fire


In the southern outskirts of Maretropolis lies an abandoned junkyard. Well, abandoned wouldn’t be the appropriate word as it serves as the home base of the Fire Devils, one of the most feared gangs in the city and also one of the very few who refuses to kowtow to the Storm King.

At the center of the junkyard lies a large dome-like structure where the vicious bikers do races or perform stunts. At the far corner of the junkyard sits a small warehouse where their leader resides. Inside were many FDs having a beer, playing pool, or just having idle chit chat. One of which is about the heroines and their little sidekick.

“So I’ve been hearing that those little whores and their boytoy have been cleaning up the streets.” One of the bikers said.

“Yeah, I heard too.” Commented another, “I also heard they put Frank and a few of our other guys behind bars. Boss was not happy when he found out. Tooked it out on Sludge as usual, not that the fat, lazy bastard deserved it since he made a snarky little comment about it.”

“When will that retard ever learn to keep his damn mouth shut?” A third one exclaimed before taking a sip from his bottle.

“Who knows but you gotta admit, it’s always fun seeing the boss beating the shit out of that slob.” Said the first one.

“Yeah, it always is.” The third one chuckled before he noticed something, “Oh boy, speaking of blubber ass, look where he’s sitting.” He pointed out. 

The other two bikers turn to see what he's talking about and they both cringe when they do. It turns out Sludge is lazily sitting on the boss’s personal seat. Again. In appearance he had grayish persian blue hair and light persian blue eyes. For attire, he wore an FD biker jacket like the rest of them, a light apple green shirt, pale light grayish apple green pants, and moderate apple green shoes.

“Hey Sludge!” One of the bikers called out, “You do remember that’s the boss’s chair right?”

Sludge just brushes him off, “Ah, who cares. The boss hasn’t been out of his office all day so I don’t think he would mind if someone else was sitting here for once.”

However, as soon as he said that, a large shadow began to loom over him. He turned to see and instantly went pale. Standing over Sludge was the leader of the Fire Devils himself, Lavan, who was flanked by two rottweilers. In appearance, he was a large and intimidating man, standing almost 6’8 with fiery orange hair with dark red streaks and dark red eyes. For attire, he wore a red overcoat with the FD logo on the back, black shirt, dark orange pants, and black shoes. 

“You're in my chair again, Sludge.” Lavan said in a low growly tone. His glare would make a grizzly tremble in terror.

Sludge chuckled nervously, “Heh, heh, I-I was just warming it up for you boss.” He said as he instantly got off the chair and quickly dusted it, “There you go boss, good as new.” Sludge said as he went on his merryway but not even two seconds later, Lavan kicked the lazy biker right in the rear which sent him flying across the room and crashed into a pile of pipes. The others just laughed at his misery.

Lavan just shakes his head as he sits on his chair with his dogs laying on each side. One of the bikers approaches him with a paper in his hand, "Here's this month's receipt of protection money boss." 

"Thanks." Lavan said as he placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. As he read through the paper, he noticed something on the receipt that made him really mad, "Those lousy hillbillies!" Lavan shouted.

"What's up boss?" One of the FDs asked.

"It's that damn Apple Family that's what!" Lavan growled, "They've been skipping on their payment. Again." He got up from his chair and proclaimed, "Saddle up boys, we're going to Sweet Apple Acres."

The bikers cheered and made their way out with Lavan and his dogs following suit. Sludge finally crawled his way out of the pipes and noticed that everyone was gone.

"Well, since no one is here right now, I think I'll help myself to the boss's chair." He grinned to himself before he heard Lavan shouting.

"SLUDGE, GET YOUR FAT ASS OVER HERE!!!"

Sludge sighed, "Coming boss…" He grumbled as he made his way outside.





Sweet Apple Acres


Meanwhile, over at Sweet Apple Acres, Dallas Queen, Ken Heathespike, and his dog, Delilah, were visiting the said apple orchard to pay a visit to the Apple Family

For the past weeks now, since the Harmonus Defenders had arrived and become Maretropolis’s Power Princesses, Dallas Queen a.k.a Mistress Marvelous, had been visiting the Apple Family for quite some time, forming a special bond with the family.

The elder woman, Granny Smith, was like the grandmother that Dallas has never had, but always wanted.

The young man, at the age of a college student, Big McIntosh, or Big Mac for short, was like an older brother to Dallas.

The youngest child of the family, Apple Bloom, was like the perky little sister whom Dallas has formed a close kinship with.

And lastly is the mother of Big Mac and Apple Bloom, and the daughter-in-law of Granny Smith, a beautiful woman with a kind heart named Pear Butter. 

Pear Butter isn't actually from the Apple Family but from the Pear Family, who were once long-standing rivals of the Apples. Pear Butter is also a longtime friend of Ken's mother, Wysteria Heathspike. It was through her and Ken that Dallas met the Apple Family.

“Ken! Lovely to see you!” Pear Butter smiled, hugging the young boy who returned the hug. “And Dallas, so nice of you to come along as well, Sugarcube!”

“You know I’m always up for a visit with my favorite family, ma’m,” Dallas smiled.

“Oh, enough of that ‘ma’m’ talk,” Pear Butter scoffed. “Just Pear Butter is just fine.”

“You’re like one of the family, Dallas!” Apple Bloom squealed. “And I’ve got another sister! I’ve got another sister!”

“I’ve never seen Apple Bloom this happy,” Granny Smith chuckled. “She's as hyper as a piglet out of the mud puddle.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“I’m always looking forward to visiting one of my favorite families here in Maretropolis,” Dallas smiled, just as the sound of a dog barking was heard.

Dallas smiled as she turned her head and was playfully greeted with a friendly lick, by the Apple Family’s dog, Winona.

“Hey there, Winona!” Dallas smiled, squatting down to the dog’s level to scratch her behind the ears. “Ha ha! How are ya girl?”

In response, Winona gives another happy bark, before she turns to Ken and greets him with another welcoming lick, before wagging her tail and barking even more excitedly, upon seeing Delilah. With another happy bark, Winona and Delilah took off running to play together in the orchards.

“Aw, Winona and Delilah are still so happy to see each other again,” Pear Butter smiled.

“Well, y’know what they say,” Granny Smith began. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Has it really been that long?” Ken asked.





Before long, Ken and Dallas were helping the Apple Family with the harvest, in the orchards. While harvesting the apples, Dallas would find herself growing closer and closer with young Apple Bloom. The two girls were becoming sisters with each passing second, to the point it seemed that they were in-sync and were working together, harvesting the apples.

Working nearby, Ken was watching this heartwarming development unfolding, with Big Mac and Pear Butter at his sides.

“Wow, they’re totally in-sync,” Ken commented.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Apple Bloom is glowing,” Pear Butter smiled heartwarmingly. “I’ve never seen her this happy since Bright Mac passed away…”

“Nope,” Big Mac shook his head in condolence.

“But...with Dallas Queen,” Pear Butter smiled happily. “It’s almost like I’ve got another daughter,” Turning to Ken, Pear Butter asked, “Where did you say she comes from, Ken?”

“She’s…” Ken hesitated, struggling to think of an answer, without giving it away that Dallas and her friends are really alien girls from outer space. Even though the revelation may sound far-fetched.

Thankfully, Ken dodged the question, when Dallas called out, “Hey, what’s this?”

“Phew,” Ken sighed as he and the Apple Family joined Dallas in an area in the orchard.

Everyone all gathered around, where a large apple tree intertwined with a large pear tree, forming the shape of a heart.



“What kinda tree is this?” Dallas asked.

“This is the symbol of my holy matrimony with Bright Mac,” Pear Butter swooned lovingly. “It’s sort of...how we tied the knot.”

“Interesting,” Dallas Queen commented. “But wait. Weren’t you a Pear? How’s it that you...and Bright Mac, an Apple...be together?”

“Oh! It’s a great story, Dallas!” Apple Bloom exclaimed happily. “Tell her, ma!”

“Okay, okay,” Pear Butter giggled, as she composed herself and began to narrate the story. “Once upon a time, the Apple family and the Pear family were rivals to the core. I was a Pear as well. That is, until Bright Mac and I met, we fell in love, despite our families’ feud for one another.”

“Like Romeo and Juliet,” Ken commented to Dallas.

“We began seeing each other from time to time,” Pear Butter smiled. “We were getting closer and closer, with each passing day. We were about to put an end to the rivalry of our family feud, once and for all. But then, one day, my father, Grand Pear, tried to move our family business to Vancouver, to avoid the Apples.”

“Oh my!” Dallas exclaimed.

“That wasn’t even the sad part yet,” Apple Bloom said. “It was the wedding night, that’s sad…”

“What happened?” Asked the alien girl.

With a sad frown, Pear Butter composed herself, as she ended the story, “Bright Mac and I didn’t want to be so far apart from each other. So he did the craziest thing he could ever do. He arranged a secret wedding, with our friends as witnesses, and...an old friend of ours, from the office of mayor, as the officiate. And as part of our wedding vows...we planted seeds that became this tree.”

“Sounds like a happy ending,” Dallas commented.

“It’s not entirely happy, sweetie,” Pear Butter shook her head, while Dallas looked surprised, both at what Pear Butter had just called her, and the revelation to more of the story. “My father...and my soon to be mother-in-law, Granny Smith, had stumbled upon our wedding night. There was tension, Grand Pear made me choose between the Apple and the Pears. And I chose the Apples. That was the last time I saw my father…”

Pear Butter ended the story, with a tear from her eyes, which she wiped away.

“Oh, that’s terrible,” Dallas frowned in sympathy. “I’m sorry that happened to ya.”
“Oh, don’t be sorry,” Pear Butter shook her head. “I...In a way, I...I...I have a beautiful family now. I have two wonderful children, and a loving mother.”

“In law,” Big Mac pointed out.

“Yes...in law,” Pear Butter corrected. “But...there were good times. That’s how I’ll always remember it.”

“Oh! Tell ‘em about the song you sang for pa, ma!” Apple Bloom smiled excitedly.

“Oh boy, here we go again,” Ken sighed, indicating he’s heard it a thousand times already.

“I think I need to hear this,” Dallas expressed her interest.

“Okay, okay,” Pear Butter chuckled. “But...I’m gonna need my guitar.”

“Here it is!” Apple Bloom said, holding up the said instrument.

With that, Ken and Dallas all sat down, around Pear Butter, with Apple Bloom and Big Mac, while the mother began to tune-up her guitar, and plays the love song of her and her late husband.


You're In My Head Like A Catchy Song




[Pear Butter]

We're far apart in every way

But you're the best part of my day

And sure as I breathe the air

I know we are the perfect pair

On a prickly path that goes on for miles

But it's worth it just to see you smile

And I cannot be pulled apart

From the hold you have on my heart

And even if the world tells us it's wrong

You're in my head like a catchy song


Dallas Queen: Wow. It's just... wow.

Pear Butter: Do you like it? Be honest now.

Dallas Queen: It's the most beautiful song I've ever heard!"


[Pear Butter]

The seasons change and leaves may fall

But I'll be with you through them all

And rain or shine, you'll always be mine

On a prickly path that goes on for miles

You're the only one who makes it all worthwhile

And you should not blame me, too

If I can't help fallin' in love with you...


Pear Butter ended the song, looking at a loving photo of Bright Mac, hanging on a branch of the tree.

“Aw!” Apple Bloom cooed, “I get so teary everytime I hear that song!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac said in agreement.

“Wow,” Dallas said in agreement. “It certainly has that magic touch to it…”

“Uh, Dallas?” Ken spoke up. “You mind letting me go?”

“Hmm?” Dallas looked down and saw she had subconsciously pulled Ken into a hug, and smothered him in her well-endowed bosom.

“Oh! Sorry, Ken!” Dallas apologized, letting the boy go for air.

Before long, however, the sound of motorcycle roaring was heard in the distance.

"Uh, what's that?" Dallas asked.

"Ma?" Apple Bloom asked her mother, anxiously. "What's happening?"

"Oh no..." Pear Butter muttered, as if knowing what's coming.





Meanwhile, back on the front porch of the farmhouse, Delilah was busy playing with Winona, with Granny Smith watching them, sitting on her rocking chair, when the sound of motorcycles was heard in the air.

“Wut in tarnation?” Granny Smith exclaimed, looking through a pair of binoculars, with the dogs stopping their roughhousing.

“Dang nabbit,” Granny Smith frowned. “Them devil’s can’t take no for an answer, can they?”





"Let's ride boys!" Lavan roared as he lead the charge. "We're burnin' this dirt farm down! Every single last traces of it!"

With that, the Fire Devils kicked their motors into high gears as they let out maniacal hollers, holding their bats and chains in the air.





In the meantime, Pear Butter lead her two children, with Ken, and Dallas in tow, to see what the commotion was all about. And Pear Butter was definitely not liking what she was seeing.

"Oh no, Fire Devils are at it again," Pear Butter frowned.

"Fire Devils?" Dallas asked. "Wh-Who are they?"

"A group of dangerous motorcyclists," Ken explained. "Their leader is Lavan, a ruthless criminal, who is as dangerous and destructive as they come."

"Ah see," Dallas noted, already hating the biker gang. "But...what do they all want with y'all?"

"For years, we've been paying their protection money," Big Mac explained. "So they would keep off our land and not hurt us, but..."

"They just keep wanting more and more!" Apple Bloom hollered. "They won't leave us alone. They don't care if we're ever running low, or not having enough to pay for food!"

"So eventually, we just started skipping their protection money," Pear Butter added. "Should've figured they wouldn't take no for answer. But...maybe I can try and appeal to their better nature. In the meantime," Pear Butter turned and ushered her children away, with Ken and Dallas. "Go hide in the barn."

"But ma!" Apple Bloom whimpered.

"No buts, sweetie," Pear Butter got down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Go hide. Everything will be okay..." With a sad, but assuring smile, Pear Butter turned to take her leave.

"C'mon, Bloom," Big Mac said as he took his little sister by the hand and they ran off into the barn, with Ken and Dallas following.

Once inside, Ken and Dallas knew that it's time to get down to business.

"Hey, uh Big Mac? Apple Bloom?" Dallas began, struggling to come up with a lie, which is tricky since she's too honest. "Ken and I...uh...gonna..."

"Go up!" Ken pointed.

"In the..."

"The hayloft."

"For..."

"Lookout!"

"Alright you two," Big Mac nodded. "Jus' be careful up there..." Ken gave the older farm boy a thumbs up, as he climbed up the ladder, with Dallas following.

"What do we do now, Big Mac?" Apple Bloom asked worryingly.

"Hope for a miracle," Big Mac replied solemnly. "That's all we can do..."

Little did the two apple siblings know, a miracle is being worked up, courtesy of two superheroes in the barn, answering the call.

Dallas was the first to step outside, as Mistress Marvelous, "C'mon, Hum Drum!" Dallas called.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Hum Drum fumbled, struggling to get his suit on, tripped, falling on his face, into a mud pit, surrounded by pigs.

"Oh Ken..." Mistress Marvelous rolled her eyes, shaking her head.





Meanwhile, at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, Pear Butter and Granny Smith stood face-to-face with the Fire Devils' leader, Lavan. Circling around the two apple women are Lavan's pet rottweilers, while Delilah and Winona both stood defensively, snarling and baring their fangs in response.

"You skipped your payments...again," Lavan said gruffly. "This is the last straw."

"Please, be reasonable, Lava," Pear Butter began, trying to appeal to the man's better nature. "We barely have any money left to pay for our mortgage. We'll lose the farm..."

"Oh, you'll lose more than just the farm," Lavan chuckled, as he turned to his men. "Let's burn 'em down, boys!"

One of the bikers complied as he ignited a lighter to burn a piece of cloth, stuck out of a bottle of molotov cocktail. Before the biker had a chance to throw his homemade grenade, a boomerang came flying from somewhere and shattered the glass bottle, drenching him in the flammable liquid.

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!" The biker screamed as he fell to the ground, rolling around to snuff out the flames.

Caught by surprise, the bikers and Lavan turned their heads in the direction the boomerang came from, to see Mistress Marvelous and Hum Drum, standing defiantly towards the bikers.

"Y'all just picked the wrong day to mess the wrong farm, punks!" Mistress Marvelous glowered.

"This can go in two ways!" Hum Drum barked. "One: You punks can walk away, or TWO: You walk away, with tire tracks on your face, and butts burned to...no-no-no-no! I mean...with your dogs on the hot. No! I mean...Ugh! Let's just fight..."

"Feisty little guy, aren't you?" Lavan scoffed, before he smirked. "But alright. Let's have some fun," With a snap of his fingers, Lavan commanded, "Let 'em have it boys!"


War – Sick Puppies


With that, the fight begins with the Fire Devils kicking their bikes into high gears, roaring to life, with Mistress Marvelous standing her ground.

Hum Drum spring-jumped towards Pear Butter and Granny Smith, "You might want to take cover," Hum Drum advised. "This could get messy."

"For once, I reckon we oughta listen to the youngsters, Pear, dear," Granny Smith advised. "Seems we're way in over our heads on this one."

Pear Butter nodded in response, as both she and Granny Smith went off for shelter.

Back in the battle, Mistress Marvelous stood like the lone ranger, facing down the entire Fire Devils that circled around her, while spinning her lasso at the ready. One of the Fire Devils lunged at Mistress Marvelous, on his motorcycle, but Mistress Marvelous was able to dodge to the side, by jumping through the loop, before she jumped through it again, to dodge a strike from one of the other Fire Devils.

Another Fire Devil lunged at Marvelous, who whipped her lasso to ensnare one of the other thugs, by the neck, and used the rope to trip the attacking Fire Devil off his bike. The other Fire Devils lunged in for the attack, slashing their baseball bats and chains at Marvelous. Thinking fast, Mistress Marvelous picked up the downed Fire Devil and used him as a human shield to save herself from the other Fire Devils' attacks.

"Sorry man," One of the Fire Devils apologized to his comrade, before he was met with a punch to the nose, by Marvelous.

During the fight, the only Fire Devil who isn't participating is none other than Sludge, who was too cowardly to fight, or too lazy to even bother with the fight. The fat man tried to slink away, to escape the fight, only for him to be caught by a couple of Fire Devils, and Lavan's rottwielers.

"Where do you think you're going Sludge?" One of the Fire Devils glowered.

Before Sludge could make an excuse, he looked up in alarm and pointed his finger at Hum Drum, "Quick! LOOK BEHIND YOU!" He shouted.

"You don't think we'd–OOF!" A pair of hands had grabbed the two Fire Devils, forcing them to slam into each other's heads, knocking them out cold.

Sludge and the two rottweilers looked up, to see it was courtesy of Hum Drum, hanging upside down, by the leg, on a tree branch.

"Hi!" Hum Drum waved.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" Sludge screamed like a pathetic moron, running around in circles like an even bigger pathetic moron, before he smacked face first into a tree, and knocked himself out cold.

"Seriously?" Hum Drum asked in a deadpan expression.

Turning their attentions back at Hum Drum, the two rottweilers resume barking and snapping their jaws at the superhero-in-training, when they were suddenly pounced on by Delilah and Winona.

The two good dogs proceeded to bark and bite in retaliation with Lavan's rottweilers.

"Good girl, Delilah–WHOA!" Ken yelped, when he slipped and fell from the tree branch he was hanging off of. "Ow."

"Ken! Are you okay?" Delilah barked, checking up on her owner.

"I'm fine, Delilah. Thanks," The boy got up to stroke the concern Dalmatian's head, "LOOK OUT!" Hum Drum shoved his dog away, just as one of the rottweilers pounced on the boy. "UGH!"

Hum Drum was struggling to hold the snapping jaws of the dog at bay, as he held the angry dog by the collar, while wincing at the canine furiously digging its sharp claws into his arms and chest.

Thankfully, Hum Drum didn't have to worry much longer, when Delilah got up and rammed the rottweiler off. Angered, the rottweiler got up to retaliate, but Delilah had already pounced on the big dog, holding him down. At that moment, the other rottweiler lunged in for a bite at the Dalmatian. Luckily, for Delilah, Winona saved her, biting on the rottweiler's tail, to hold him back.

"Don't just sit there, Hum Drum!" Delilah barked. "Me and Winona will handle these mongrels. You and Marvelous stop those biker scoundrels!"

Though worried for Delilah, Hum Drum understood his dog can take care of herself. Giving her a nod, he got back up on his feet, to aid Mistress Marvelous in the fight.

Speaking of whom, the strong alien girl was holding off on her own, against the Fire Devils. With her lasso in hands, she whipped, ensnared, and tripped several of the Fire Devils.

To cover more distance, with a long-range approach, Mistress Marvelous hurled several boomerangs at some of the Fire Devils, knocking them off their bikes.

“Who wants more?” Marvelous snarled.

Stepping off his bike, taking his coat off, eager to accept the girl’s challenge, Lavan smoked a piece of cigarette.

“Impressive,” Lavan commented, blowing a puff of smoke from his mouth. “Most impressive. You are an impressive fighter, young one.”

“I’m jus’ full of surprises,” Marvelous spatted, cracking her knuckles, staring down at the tall man. “So yer their leader. Ya talk the talk. But can ya walk the walk? And by that, I mean, how good is yet fightin’?”

“You don’t know the horrors I have seen,” Lavan said as he assumed a fighting stance. “Horrors that have hardened a man, such as myself.”

“Big talk!”

Mistress Marvelous kicked her feet, propelling herself towards Lavan, to throw a strong punch. But Lavan quickly caught her punch, before with a twist of his body, he threw Marvelous into a tree.

“WHAAAAAA—OOF!!” Marvelous grunted, using crashing onto a tree.

“Is that the best you got?” Lavan taunted. “You clearly don’t know who you are dealing with.”

“I’m just gettin’ started, mister,” Marvelous grunted, picking herself up, and resumed the fight with the Fire Devils’ leader.

Despite her innate super strength and years of combat experience, Marvelous has found herself fighting an assailant who is evenly matched with her strengths and skills.

Mistress Marvelous threw several fast punches, chops, front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks, a hook kick, even a Taekwondo tornado kick.

Yet despite her quick reflexes and strength, Lavan skillfully blocked all of her attacks, even managing to dodge a few, until he managed to grab one of the girl’s leg, and proceeded to land a series of elbow drops, threatening to shatter Marvelous’s bones.

“AUGGGHHH!!!” Mistress Marvelous shrieked in pain, struggling to escape from the man’s grip.

“All too easy,” Lavan scoffed.

Before the man could completely shatter Mistress Marvelous’s bones, he was hit in the face by a flying pellet, that shattered and covered his face in colorful, foamy, irritating substances.

“Argh!” Lavan exclaimed, straining to wipe the burning substance off his face. “What is this?”

Next thing he knew, he was hit on the head by a large metal pole, followed by a metallic uppercut that clocked his chin, and a strong jab to his stomach. Stumbling blindly, he tripped over his bike, and landed on his head.

After fending off the Fire Devils’ leader, Hum Drum turned his attention towards Mistress Marvelous, who was tending to her sore leg.

“Ooh, I’m no doctor,” Ken winced. “But I can tell, that’s gotta hurt. Are you gonna be okay?”

“I’ll live,” Mistress Marvelous groaned. “But that Lavan is one tough customer. That’s for sure.”

“I can see why these Devils elected him to be their leader,” Hum Drum commented, watching as Lavan got up, recovering from his earlier blindness.

“So…your the kid pretending to be the hero huh?” Lavan scoffed. “You want to be a hero? Then your gonna die like one.”

“Not today, Lavan!” Hum Drum said defiantly.

“Hum Drum!” Marvelous exclaimed in worry.

“I got this!”

With a spin of his Nerf gun, Hum Drum fired more funny elephant toothpaste bullets at Lavan. But the man wasn’t easily fooled by the same trick again. He managed to swat some off the pellets away, with a few covering his arms in the same foamy substance.

Seeing that the man is undeterred, Hum Drum unsheathed the sharp nails in his glove, before he clicked his heels, activating his springs to spring-jump towards Lavan. In retaliation, Lavan whipped his strong arms to block and deflect Hum Drum to the side. Though, not without acquiring several scratches on his arms, from the wonder boy’s attack.

“Argh!” Lavan grunted, smartened from the wounds.

As for Hum Drum, the boy found himself disoriented from the blow he received to the jaw.

“Wow, that’s smart,” He groaned, wincing at the feel of a dislocated joint in his jaws.

Mistress Marvelous watched helplessly as the battle raged on between Lavan and Hum Drum. Looking down at her lasso, she strained to focus her mentality into the rope, failing to bring it to life to aid Ken in his hour of need. The pain Lavan had dealt to her was too painful for her to concentrate her mental powers.

Before Lavan could resume the fight, one of the Fire Devils came up to Lavan and alerted, “Boss! Sir! We’ve got trouble, on the Eastern part of the city. Niriks are moving in on our turf!”

“That’s where we stored all our weaponry and loot!” Lavan noted. “We cannot let them take it! Fire Devils! Move out!”


[End of fight song


With that, the Fire Devils all rode off on their bikes, though some had trouble doing so, courtesy of the wounds from Mistress Marvelous.

Before he left on his bike, Lavan took the moment to flip a bird at Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous.

“You all got lucky today,” Lavan smirked. “But next time not so much.”

Putting the pedal to the medal, Lavan rode off, with his Rottweilers following him.

“Yeah! You heard the boss man,” Sludge boasted. “You twos ain’t gonna be so lucky the next time!”

“HEY LOOK OUT!” Hum Drum pointed, but it was too late.

Sludge hit his head, on a sign, while his bike raced away.

“Oooh!” Hum Drum groaned, along with Mistress Marvelous, Winona, and Delilah present.

Sludge slowly got up, seeing stars and tweety birds circling his head, as he dizzily fumbled for his bike, and clumsily drove away.

“Oh, he’s gonna get caught by dad for sure,” Hum Drum commented.

Knowing their job is done, Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous proceeded to make their way back to the barn, secretly.

On the way, they happened to see Apple Bloom and Big Mac, running towards Pear Butter and Granny Smith.

“Ma! Granny!” Apple Bloom yelled as she came running up to her mother and grandmother. “Is it over?”

“Yes, sweetie,” Pear Butter replied. “I think we’re safe now. Thanks to Mistress Marvelous and Hum Drum.”

“Say now,” Granny Smith began. “Where are Dallas Queen and Ken Heathspike? Weren’t they supposed to be with you youngsters?”

“Uh oh!” Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous said together.

“They were!” Apple Bloom said worryingly. “But when me and Big Mac went to look for them, they were gone!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed.

“Here we are!” Ken said, after he and Dallas were forced to make a quick costume change. 

“Sorry if we worried y’all,” Dallas grunted, as she limped, with an arm slinging around Ken’s shoulder.

“Oh my goodness!” Pear Butter gasped. “What happened to you, sweetie?”





After Sweet Apple Acres was saved, and with the Fire Devils driven off, Ken and Dallas both sat in the barn, where Pear Butter and Granny Smith tended to the alien girl’s leg injury.

“That should do it,” Pear Butter said, after finishing up the bandages that wrapped around Dallas’s leg. “Okay. That leg of yours will be good as new in the next few days or so. So try not to work it so hard.”

“Will do,” Dallas nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. Pear Butter.”

“Just Pear Butter is alright,” The kindhearted woman gently stroke Dallas’s cheek, before she and the Apple family left. “Get some rest now, sweetie.”

“Let us know if ya need anything,” Granny added, before she closed the doors behind her, leaving Dallas and Ken alone, with Delilah and Winona.

Winona whimpered with worry, as she went over to sniff Dallas’s injured leg.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Dallas reassured the dog, reaching out to pet her ears.

“Thanks again for helping us, in the fight, with Lavan’s dogs,” Ken thanked Delilah. “You two were incredible today.”

“Oh, it was nothing, Ken,” Delilah barked in response. “I suppose some good dogfighting, from great-great-grandfather Pongo and great-great-grandmother Perdita, runs in the blood.”

“Fascinating.”

“Still, all that fight, and…I was beaten, by a man?” Dallas said in disbelief.

“Don’t feel bad about it, Dallas,” Ken tried to comfort. “Hardly anyone ever fought against Lavan and lived. For example, there was this one lady, maybe his ex-girlfriend, who barely escaped with just an arm ripped off…”

“That still doesn’t help make me feel better,” Dallas frowned. “I wasn’t strong enough to beat him. And he could’ve killed you, too. The only reason they left was because another of their ‘precious’ turf is threatened.”

“C’mon Dallas. A win’s a win,” Ken shrugged. “So stop worrying about it.”

“But still…I feel so… pathetic just thinking about it. Like I wasn’t good enough to defend Sweet Apple Acres, and protect you…”

Distraught to see his saddened friend, Ken sat down beside her, and puts a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“I don’t think you’re pathetic, Dallas,” Ken said. “I think you’re the most strongest girl I’ve ever met. You’re tough, you’re brave, and you were willing to go down fighting. You were a badass, taking all those Fire Devils on your own like that. And I can’t help but feel inspired by you.”

“Broken or not, nothing will ever change how I feel about you, and I’ll never stop playing by part of being a hero. Being your hero.”

Touched by Ken’s devotion, Dallas reached out and hugged Ken, “Oh Ken.” She smiled, smothering him.
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 3 – Wind Shadows – Saddle Rager
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a dark and stormy night in Maretropolis. Many of the people were all in their homes, safe from the storm, with their loved ones. But it was on this night that there were some poor unfortunate souls.

A woman was sitting at a coffee shop. Thought, from the looks of the disdain expression on her face, it would seem she has been stood up and that she's been waiting for a long time.

"Argh! The nerve of this guy!" The woman scowled. "I spent a whole week getting prepped up for this date and he didn't even bother to text or call that he's running late for our date? I'VE WASTED HALF AN HOUR ALREADY!" With a huff, the woman paid the tab and was on her way out the coffee shop, in the pouring rain, with only her purse to cover her head.

She was on her way to her car, when she was approached by a man, in a hoodie, carrying an umbrella.

"Sorry I'm late," The man greeted. "The storm caught me and–"

"Whatever," The woman scowled. "You've got a lot of nerve. No call? No text? Anything to say you were running late?"

"My phone was waterlogged," The man replied. "But I'm here now. So...can you ever forgive me?"

"Hmmm, that depends on where we're goin' on our... date?" The woman was caught off guard, when the man pulls out a can that sprays a strange gas that immediately knocked the woman out.

The man then turns to look at some more hooded figures in an alley and calls them out.

"Load her up, boys," The man chuckled under his hood. "We've got ourselves another one."





The next day


Ken was at an ice cream shop, with his friends, Thor, Spruce Spanner, Gwen, and May.

"Check this out," May began as she showed the latest gossip on her Power Blog. "Someone went into the Blackwater Woods and they were able to escape in one piece."

"And were they able to see what goes on in those accursed woodlands?" Asked Thor.

"So far, they were only able to catch snapshots of relics of Celtic, Nordic, and Slavic origins that were in the woodland," May confirmed.

"Celtic, Nordic, and Slavic?" Gwen asked.

"Is that like the vikings' culture, or something?" Ken asked.

"Something like that," May shrugged. "And there's more, from a man known as Crazy Joe, who claims to have seen a creature called the Blackwater Devil."

"Blackwater Devil?" Ken whistled.

"Oh my!" Spruce Spanner gasped.

"That's a new one," Thor commented.

"What is the Blackwater Devil?" Gwen asked.

"From what Crazy Joe describes," May reads. "It's a nocturnal creature that is known to stalk its prey, through the woods, on the ground, or even in the trees, and can be see for its glowing red eyes, and strange blue will-o-wisps that accompany it. When you're alone at night, always watch your back. Crazy Joe barely escaped this devil, when it nearly tried to hunt him, and received quite a scratch from it."

With that, May pulls up a photo that the man dubbed "Crazy Joe" posted, of a large scratch mark he received, on the arm. It looked almost as if it was the kind of mark received from a bear, or a wild animal with sharp claws.

"Yikes, I'd hate to run into something like that," Ken grimaced.

"Don't worry, Ken," Spruce comforted, pulling the boy close for comfort. "We'll protect you."

Gwen, looking jealous if not miffed by the attention, immediately pounced on Ken's other side and consoled him, "Yeah! We'll protect you, Ken," Gwen chirped, while shooting a glare at Spruce.

"Oh, wait, there's more!" May called out, looking back at her tablet. "Lately, there's been a rapid growing cases of people going missing!"

"What?!" Ken and the others exclaimed as they crowded around May. "What's going on?"

"What's happening?" Gwen asked.

"Where are all these cases happening?" Spruce asked in concern.

"Police are still investigating," May explains as she reads the latest blog. "But it says here that all their friends and families have reported that they all received some sort of strange invites, or letters, asking them to meet at a local cafe, or restaurants, for some offerings, when they went missing without a trace. Like they just suddenly vanished into thin air."

“That’s terrible…” Spruce exclaimed.

“Strange invites, or letters? Hmmm,” Ken pondered, until he suddenly had an idea, “Hey May, do these invites come from emails?” He asked.

“Most of them. Why?” She asked.

“Just curious...” He replied, before he turned to Spruce Spanner, who seems to catch on what he’s thinking.

Gwen was the only other person in the circle to notice the exchanging glances between Ken and Spruce. With that, she couldn’t help but look suspicious, if not jealous.

In the meantime, Ken took out his phone, pretending that he received a text, or a notification.

“Oh! It’s cousin Megan,” Ken said. “Gotta go…help…with…the restaurant!”

“Me too!” Spruce added, before she stammered, “Uh, I mean… I have to…water…some…sheep!”

With that, the two secret superheroes took their leave.





Later, back in the Power Princesses’ crashed ship, Ken explained his idea of foiling the latest crime wave.

“You want to use the ship’s computer for what?” Spruce asked.

“To track down those letters and invites.” Ken replied. “If we can trace the signals to whoever is the sender, then we may be able to track them down to where they are taking all the kidnapped victims.”

“Hmmm, I see your point,” Spruce nodded.

“So, can this ship’s computer do it?”

“I think so. To be honest, Trots Summers is a better, how do you say? Tech wizard, than I am.”

“But still…these Harmonian technologies, you know how to work with them, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I need you to walk me through them, to understand how they work. Just the basics and maybe we can build our way up from there.”

“Oh…okay,” Steeling herself with a look of determination, Spruce nodded, “Okay. Let’s do this, for the people!”

Turning their attentions towards the spaceship’s computer mainframe, Ken began to press on what appeared to be the keyboard, with Spruce explaining to him the functions of each buttons and switches.

“Enter the name of the missing person here,” Spruce Spanner instructed. “Their addresses here. Street, or e-mail, it doesn’t matter, I think. And I think this is where you type in their Wi-Fi password.”

“How are we supposed to know that?” Ken asked.

Eventually, after a seemingly long hour of trial and errors, Ken and Spruce eventually got the spaceship’s computer to run a scan across the entire city, for traces of the same invites and letters, sent by their suspects.

“Wow, whoever’s been writing these messages, they’ve certainly been busy,” Ken commented.

“How could they do this to all these people?” Spruce Spanner asked. “What have they ever done to them?”

“We’ll find out later,” Ken replied, looking up at the monitor screen, until he gasped and pointed at several blinking dots. “Whoa! Check it out. It’s not just one person. There’s more of ‘em! They’re all over the place!”

“So then…how do we track down our culprits now?” Spruce asked.

Ken scratched his chin, as he ponders, “Dad…what would you do in a situation like this? How would you find criminals? How do  you catch them in the act?”

The boy scratched his head, before he reached an epiphany.

“The jam cams!”

“What?” Spruce asked.

“The jam cams!” Ken explained. “There are traffic cameras all over the city! Whatever happened to all the missing people…”

“…then maybe the cameras got a recording of them!” Spruce gasped. “Good thinking, Ken!”

“Heh, I have my moments,” Ken smirked proudly to himself.

Taking out his phone, Ken looked up on May’s Power Blog, and checked the time of day, and the location of the latest kidnapping.

Turning back to the computer screen, Ken searched the specific dot on the map, before he pointed.

“There! That one is fresh!”

With that, Spruce Spanner started typing kn the keyboard, and somehow gained access to the jam cam for the scene of the crime.

Before long, a video recording was displayed on the big screen. In the video, a mysterious vehicle was pulled up and several masked strangers stepped out to load their latest victim onboard.

"A-ha!" Ken commented, satisfied to at least have the criminals committing a crime on camera. "Now let's see where you're going?"

Ken and Spruce all scrolled through the cameras, following the vehicle with the kidnapped victim. The two superheroes watched as the vehicle drove through the streets, until suddenly, there was nothing but statics.

"Huh? Hey! What gives?" Ken exclaimed.

The young hero-in-training selected the next few traffic cameras, but was met with statics. Only after he checked about ten static traffic cameras, he finally comes across a functional camera, but finds the vehicle gone.

"Oh goodness!" Spruce Spanner whimpered. "Where did it go?"

"C'mon, c'mon!" Ken hissed through his teeth, as he scrolled through the next cameras, searching for the vehicle. "Dammit! These kidnappers are smarter than we thought. They knew to take out the cameras to hide their trails..."

"But we can't give up, Ken!" Spruce said, sounding rather desperate. "We have to find those poor people! We've just got to–!"

"Hang on..." Ken noted, when he noticed a new blinking red dot on the screen. "What's that? A red alert?"

"Well...it did sorta showed up," Spruce confirmed. "I suppose it is recent."

"Hmmm," Looking at the screen, Ken checked the address before he confirmed: "It's Brick's house!" Suddenly, another notification appeared on the map, to which Ken confirmed: "And Boomer! Brick and Boomer are next!"





Later that night, Ken and Spruce both suited up to become Hum Drum and Saddle Rager, once again. The young hero-in-training and hero mentor were on another stakeout, perching atop a rooftop, keeping a long vigil on Brick and Boomer, at a pizza restaurant, where they were instructed to meet.

"Live baits, check," Hum Drum noted. "Restaurant minutes away to closing time, check. Now all we gotta do is wait for any suspicious vehicles, or characters to appear. I almost feel kinda bad for Brick and Boomer. Sure, they maybe bullies, and a couple of morons. But even they don't deserve to be kidnapped, just for accepting a blind date."

"Oh, they can't be all that bad, can they?" Saddle asked.

Before Ken could answer, he looked down and noticed a dark car had pulled up to the cafe. Both Hum Drum and Spruce Spanner watched as the car's doors opened up and some strange people, wearing pairs of shades exited the car, followed by a woman. The two heroes watched as the woman enter the restaurant, flanked by her supposed bodyguards.

The woman approached both Brick and Boomer to engage in a lively conversation with the two bullies. At first, it seemed the meeting was normal, with the exception of Brick and Boomer making a fool of themselves with their bumbling natures and sorry attempts at impressing the lady, ending it sourly with a pizza flying and landing on Brick's face. However, things went south when the woman lead the two boys out of the restaurant, into an alley, where she gassed the boys, knocking them out cold. Before long, the woman's bodyguards proceeded to drag the unconscious boys into the darkness of the alley, where a pair of headlights lit up, revealing themselves to belong to a large track.

"It's them!" Ken shouted, as he reach into one of his cape pockets. "We've got our criminals," Ken took out a Dragon–Fly, holding the little bot out in the palm of his hand. "Ok, little buddy. Do your stuff."

Taking his phone out, Hum Drum proceeded to switch his Dragon–Fly to life, making it buzz its wings, flying fast, down onto the unsuspecting criminals, until it latched itself on top of the vehicle's roof. With that, the bot activated a homing beacon, allowing Hum Drum and Spruce to track its movements, on the former's phone.

With the vehicle on the move, Hum Drum and Saddle Rager gave chase across Maretropolis, leaping across rooftops, making sure to stay out of sight, so as to not alert the criminals that they were onto them.

Eventually, the chase lead the two heroes into a passageway, where the vehicle suddenly takes a turn through a maintenance tunnel.

"Of course," Hum Drum noted. "If I were a criminal, and I want to avoid surveillance, then I'd have to take the maintenance tunnel..."

"And speaking of which..." Spruce pointed Ken's attention to several security cameras that have been tampered, and destroyed.

"Then no doubt about it, we're on the trail," Hum Drum nodded, before he looks back on his phone, to see the signal moving away. "Hurry! We gotta catch up to them!"

With that, both Hum Drum and Saddle Rager ran down the maintenance tunnel, to follow their runaway criminals into the unknown, and taking one step closer to finding the kidnapped victims.



Upon exiting the tunnel, both Hum Drum and Saddle Rager found themselves in a run-down district, with a dreary atmosphere.

"Oh my goodness!" Spruce exclaimed in horror. "What is this terrible place?"

"This is the slum," Hum Drum confirmed. "It's not a very friendly neighborhood to live in."

Everywhere the heroes looked, the street is littered with trashes, garbage cans that were turned over, teeming with stray cats, fighting for every scraps of foods they can find, with rats, raccoons, and crows picking off the scraps they could find. The buildings all looked like they've seen better days, as they appeared to be on the verge of crumbling, with broken windows, cracked walls, and crude graffitis drawn all over them. There were also cars that have been vandalized, with shredded tires, broken windshields, burning up dirty smogs that polluted the air.

"Heh, so much for cleaning up every streets of Maretropolis, like he promised, our mayor," Ken scoffed, as he leads Saddle Rager through the slum. "Then again, I doubt anyone here are the mayor's types of 'modeled citizens.' It's like Arkham City, but real."

Looking back down on his phone, Hum Drum turned his head to the right, "This way...and stay close."

Spruce Spanner nodded as she followed Hum Drum down the desolate streets of the slum. Though all the same, Spruce couldn't help but cringe in worry and disgust at the dreary nature of the area.

"I can't believe this horrible town even exists in a large city," Spruce cringed.

"Me neither," Ken agreed, as he and Spruce pass a homeless woman, with two children, on the street.

Spruce stopped to cast a sympathetic glance at the woman, and her starving children, with a sign next to them that reads: "Homeless. Need food."

"Oh, you poor dears," Spruce whimpered, feeling her heart ache, before she reached into her pocket and gave the family some money.

"Thank you, ma'm," One of the children squeaked, watching as Spruce ran off to regroup with Ken.

"That was a very nice thing you did there," Hum Drum commented.

"Well, someone has to show people like them a bit of kindness now and then," Spruce lectured.

"I know. So much better than our esteemed Mayor Verko could ever do," Hum Drum rolled his eyes, before he said, "How about after we're done here, we could put in some good words with Rain Shine and Phoenix Dawn?"

"I think it's an excellent idea!" Saddle clapped her hands in approval.

"We're here," Hum Drum announced, once he and Saddle Rager at last arrive at their destination.

Looking up, Saddle Rager looked to see that both she and Hum Drum now stood in front of a large, rustic mansion. The windows were shattered, with their shutters off their hinges, walls were overgrown with vines, and the floorboards were in tatters.

"Oh my!" Spruce whimpered. "It looks pretty dangerous!"

"And it looks like no one's lived here since the Salem Witch Trials..." Hum Drum commented. "Makes sense for the crooks to come here. No one would ever think of looking in there," Looking down at his phone, Hum Drum checked to confirm that the homing beacon from his Dragon–Fly bot was indeed transmitting from inside the manor.

Putting his phone away, Hum Drum walked up to the front doors, carefully grabbing the knob to pull the rustic doors open. Though, strangely, they remained in place.

"They're locked alright," Ken noted. "But there's gotta be another way in..."

With that, he began to walk around, looking for a way in. Tapping his fingers, he activated the sticky paddings on his gloves, allowing him to climb the rickety exterior of the house, like a gecko, or Spider–Man, whichever comes first.

"Be careful!" Spruce whimpered cautiously.

"I've got this," Ken reassured, as he crawls up the house, into a window. "See you on the other side," The boy said to his superheroine friend, before he chirped, "Miss you already!"

Turning around, Ken ventured into the house, only to be startled by what appeared to be a demonic goatman, wielding an axe.

"AAAHH!!!" Ken screamed, falling on his back at the gruesome.

Outside, Spruce Spanner heard Ken's scream, "Hum Drum! Are you alright? What's happening?"

For a moment, Hum Drum stumbled across the floor, pulling out his metal rod to keep the goatman at bay, when he realized, "Wait a minute..." Upon a closer inspection, Hum Drum deduced, "It's just a statue..."

"Hum Drum? Speak to me! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Saddle! Just...startled...by a statue."

Getting up on his feet, dusting himself, Hum Drum turned to the nearest door, and stepped into a hallway, filled with even more bizarre, exotic, and by extension, creepy antiquities. From dusty, cobweb ridden suits of armors, to other stuffs that looked like they came out of a horror movie.

Hum Drum cringed in disgust when he passed by an old, shriveled hand with long sharp nails, as sharp as Freddy Krueger's claws. Ken nearly had a heart attack when he came face-to-face with a stag's head, mounted on the wall. The stag seemed to be practically laughing at the boy, and for a moment, Hum Drum swore he saw blazing red auras in the deer's eyes.

The next ancient relic Ken finds in the hallway of horror was a large painting – estimated to be in the 14the to 17th century – of a beautiful woman, with a shining orange hair that reached past her shoulders.

Hum Drum paused for a moment, as he experiences a flashback of his childhood.




Seven Years Ago


"Hello? Ken?" Kara called out, when she came across an open bathroom door and sees young Ken, dancing, and singing...in his underwear.


Adventure Time – Baby Finn dancing



Kara stifled, struggling to hold in her laughter, until she couldn't hold it any longer. She fell to the floor, laughing, holding stomach, which startled young Ken.

"AAAH! Kara?!" Ken screamed, grabbing a towel to cover himself.

"Oh, relax, Ken," Kara rolled her eyes. "It's not like the first time I've seen you...like that."

"That's because I was in my swimming trunks!" Ken blushed.

"So?"

"That was different!"

"...Boys will be boys, I guess," Kara shook her head.

After the awkward moment subsided, both Ken and Kara were playing a board game of Dungeons and Dragons, when Kara decided to strike up conversation.

"Y'know, Ken..." Kara smirked. "If you like to punch witches for fun, then can I tell you the story of a very bad witch?"

"Really?" Ken asked, curiously. "You know a witch you'd like for me to punch?"

"Oh yeah. She's the worst of them all, and I would so love it if you can punch her for fun, for me..."

"Who is she? The Wicked Witch of the West?"

"Oh, much worse. She's called...Countess Porcina!"

"Countess Porcina?"

Kara nodded as she began to narrate the story, "A long, long time ago, Porcina was a young countess who was treasured by all of Europe for her beauty. But she's also very vain, snobby, and a stuck-up. Her world is her own reflection. She was one of the first settlers who came here, from Europe, looking for gold, to enhance her beauty. Heh, like she needed gold to make herself even more beautiful than she needed to be?"

"So...what happened to her?" Ken asked. "How did she became a witch?"

"Well, a lot of stories say that she ventured off into the Blackwater Woods, and she got her hands on some kind of dark magic, and next thing you know, there was a plague in town. Everyone died, except for her. She built herself a tower, somewhere in the woods, where she locked herself away as a last minute effort to keep herself from going sick. Ha! A lot of good that did for her. The plague was carried by the winds, and she got sick anyway."

Kara then dons a sinister tone, as she ended, "But before her last dying breath, she uttered a curse. A curse to one day, rise up from the dead, and reclaim her lost youth, from the livings... Or at least, that's how the story goes," Kara ended on a chipper tone. "But, nothing my little guy, Ken, couldn't handle. Right? Right? ...Ken?"

The response Kara received from young Ken, was a frozen face of utter horror.





Present


"Brrrr," Ken shuddered, shaking himself back into the present. "I'm still gettin' goosebumps just thinking about that story..." He was on his way through the hallways of the manor, looking for a way to get Spruce in. But everywhere he looked, Hum Drum just can't help but be creeped out by the manor's nightmarish interior. 

"K-K-K-Keep it together, Ken," Hum Drum said to himself. "You're a hero. No-no, you're a superhero! You can do this," He grinned boldly, before it turned to a coward frown. "But...that doesn't mean I'm Superman...or even Batman... M-M-Maybe...maybe some singing will calm me down..."

With that, Ken began to sing himself a comforting song:


We can turn this sketch into a masterpiece
Wh-Wh-When you're here, I feel like I'm complete
Y-Y-You are my E-E-E-E-Equestria Girls


"What was that, Ken?" Saddle Rager asked from the outside.

"N-N-Nothing!" Ken blushed a shade of pink.

The boy hadn't realized until later that he had just arrived at the front doors. Upon walking to the doors from the inside, he finds the doors had been bolted shut by rows of wooden boards. Surprisingly enough, the boards looked brand new, compared to the rest of the house's rotting structures.

"Hey Spruce! You there?" Ken called. "Doing my best to refrain from knock knock jokes."

"I'm out here, Ken," Spruce answered. "Is everything okay in there?"

"I'm fine. And I've found our 'lock,'" Ken went up to inspect the boards holding the doors in place. "Just a bunch of wooden boards nailed in place. This shouldn't take long."

With that, Ken activated the sharp nails in his gloves, which he quickly used to slash through the boards, cutting them apart, and freeing the doors open.

"Open sesame!" Ken shouted proudly, as he opened the doors up to a startled Saddle Rager.

"Oh! Hum Drum! It's just you..." Saddle Rager sighed in relief. "Any luck finding our culprits?"

"So far...no," Hum Drum shook his head. "Just a bunch of cobwebs and dusts...and some junks that looked like something you'd see in a horror movie."

"Oh! How dreadful," The alien superheroine whimpered. "Obviously, someone here doesn't have good tastes..."

"We'll worry about that later," Ken held out his phone and checked to see the Dragon-Fly was still transmitting its homing beacon. "According to the radar, our culprits are close. I mean...they should be...it says here, we're on top of them?"

Hum Drum and Saddle Rager kept on walking, until they stepped on something, that rattled and sounded hollow beneath their feet. Looking down, the two pulled a rug out of the way to reveal a hidden hatch, which they quickly opened up, to reveal a staircase, leading them underground.

Saddle Rager whimpered a bit, "Wanna hold hands?" Hum  Drum offered, holding his hand out.

Though a little bashful and ashamed at first, Saddle Rager nodded, "Definitely," With that, she took Hum Drum by the hand and they walked down the creaking stairway together.

On the way down, Hum Drum decided to strike up conversation, “I hope it’s not a touchy subject, but uh… what are you so afraid of? I mean, back on this Harmonia planet of yours, don’t you and your fellow defenders deal with scary missions 24/7?”

“Not always,” Spruce admitted. “It wasn’t always a daily basis. We’ve only been sent on dangerous missions whenever they happened, or whenever Queen Celestia approved them.”

“I see…” Hum Drum noted. “So…you don’t go on scouting missions, or plan any countermeasures or defensive strategies, in case of attacks? Is that what you’re saying? You don’t bring the fight to the enemies, before they attack you?”

“Well, we have observed the behaviors and ethics of other hostile alien races that threatened to invade our home world.” Spruce lectured. “But as long as anyone were concerned, they’ve never attacked us, so no reason to attack them. However, we’ve planned our defensive strategies accordingly, just to be safe.”

Spruce sighed, as she remembers her former home world’s destruction.

“But you can see how that worked out for us…especially poor Princess Twilight Nova…”

“…Yeah. I’d be upset to if some alien warlord came and blew my home up…” Ken frowned in sympathy. “But, uh…when you’re not fighting crimes, or saving the world, what do you like to do?” He asked, wanting to change the awkward moments.

“Oh that’s easy,” Spruce smiled. “All I want is simply to relax, with a nice spot of tea, with a good book, and in the company of the cute and cuddly animals.”

Ken couldn’t help but nod in agreement, “Yeah, in a way, I can relate,” He replied. “Granted, there’s nothing more relaxing for me, than to pass the day, playing video games, indulge myself into my comic books, and hanging out with my friends.”

Spruce nodded, “It does goes to show you that even though we’re heroes…”

“We’re still people at our cores,” Ken finished.

“But here we are, doing what heroes must do. Saving lives.”

“Now I know how dad must feel. Which is why I feel like it’s my job to make his and the Police Department’s life so much easier.”

Spruce turned to Ken, tightening his hand in her grip, stroking it tenderly.

“You’re a good boy, you know that, Ken?” Spruce smiled. “Sometimes, I can’t help but be afraid for you, than I do for the other girls. A part of me wanted to see you grow strong, fast, and heroic, like you always wanted to be…but other times…I just want you to…to quit, drop everything about being Hum Drum and run away. Be safe. Live a normal life.”

“Well, it’s not like you girls have ever given me the choice, or the chance to live a normal life. You gals did suddenly crash landed in my city, in a ball of fire, and since then, crime is gradually decreasing, so…” Ken shook his head as he put it bluntly, “I know what I’ve signed up for. I’m not turning back now. For what it's worth, this is the only way to make the world a better place…”

Spruce gave Ken a shy loving smile, until the heroes noticed they’ve arrived in what appeared to be a dungeon. Along the walls are rows of empty rooms, with metal bars that covered the openings. Hum Drum held out his phone, turning on its flashlight. Immediately, both he and Spruce nearly jumped out of their skins, horrified to see skeletons in the cells. Many of them looked as if they died trying to escape, but to no avail.

"Oh! Oh dear goodness!" Spruce whimpered. "What happened here?"

"I don't know," Hum Drum commented, looking at all the bones. "But I hope we don't have to know." At that moment, Hum Drum noticed a bright light at the end of the dungeon, behind a closed door. "Hey look! There's light at the end!"

Spruce looked up, and held a hand up to her ears, "And...that sounded like people!"

The two heroes quickly ran up to the door, carefully opening it to the side, poking their heads in, to see a horrifying discovery.

Behind the door, beneath the run-down mansion, is a huge garage, probably a loading dock, packed with trucks, and several goons in dark clothings. Furthermore, the goons were loading their kidnapped catches onto the trucks.

"Well, we've found our kidnappers," Hum Drum said.

"But what are they doing to those poor people?" Spruce asked, while tightening her grip on Hum Drum's shoulder.

"Ow! Spruce, that hurts..."

"I'm sorry, Ken. I...I can't help it..." The girl seethed with anger. "Just seeing some people being so cruel to all the other poor, innocent people...it makes me so mad, I could..."

"Steady there, Spruce! Steady there!" Ken advised, cautioning the girl from transforming. "First thing's first, we gotta get these people out of here..."

Spruce took a deep breath, calming herself, and she nodded in agreement, "You're right, Ken..." She sighed. "First, let's get these kidnapped people out. And then we can pummel their kidnappers... Do you have a plan?"

"Hmmm, not at the moment," Ken shook his head, before he remembered, "Oh, wait!" He took out his phone, selected the Dragon–Fly app, which he used to activate the Dragon–Fly bot, switching on its built-in camera lens. "Great! No one discovered you, little guy. Alright. Do your stuff, my little akuma."

With that, Ken used his phone to move his Dragon–Fly, making it scamper under the unsuspecting goons, and under the trucks. From their perch, via the robot's lenses, Hum Drum and Spruce Spanner made some notes as they surveyed the layouts.

"They're holding their captives inside of those vehicles," Hum Drum noted, comparing the similar vehicle that took Brick and Boomer. "Brick and Boomer may be in one of them, if we're not too late."

"And it looks like these criminals are loading them into those trucks," Spruce noted. "But where are they taking them to?"

"We'll find out later," Hum Drum replied. "First, we gotta free these people. But where? And how can we do it without being seen?"

Turning back to his phone, Hum Drum controlled his Dragon–Fly to scurry across the floor, before he found a manhole.

"That looks like the way out," Hum Drum noted. "We can free these captured people and help them escape through the sewer!"

"Sounds gross," Spruce winced. "But, I don't think we have a choice..."

"Now all we need is something to distract the goons with," Hum Drum added, as he drives the Dragon–Fly to scout around, until he sees a large machine, with a symbol of an electric hazard. "There's a fuse box. We can use that to short out the lights in this room. Then we can...no, that won't work. How will we even see?"

“Hmmm,” Saddle looks around at their surrounding, before noticing the fire sprinklers hanging above their heads. “See those sprinklers? Maybe if we can turn on the fire alarm, then the goons will be distracted and disoriented that we can sneak in, free the captives, without being detected.”

“Worth a shot, but how exactly are we going to set off the alarm?” Ken asked. “Do you have a box of match on you?”

“Or maybe we can just pull on that lever, over there,” Spruce pointed, directing the boy’s attention to the said lever.

“Oh…yeah…that can work too,” Without a second to waste, Hum Drum and Saddle Rager pulled on the fire alarm, which startled the goons, as the sprinklers turned on.

"What the-what's going on?" One of the goons exclaimed. "Where's the fire?"

"Now's our chance," Hum Drum said to Saddle Rager, as they went to work.


[In The Halls of the Mountain King – Grieg]


Hum Drum carefully rolled across the floor, shimmying against a truck to avoid detection. Saddle Rager crouched behind a wall, watching Hum Drum's back, and keeping an eye out for the crooks. She looked to the left and saw a goon, walking in their direction. She cautioned Ken to be at the ready. With his metal staff at the ready, Hum Drum waited as the goon was passing the boy. Then, without warning, Hum Drum leapt up, linking his staff around the guard’s neck, and slammed his head onto the ground, knocking him out cold.

Spruce came out from her hiding spot and helped Hum Drum hide the unconscious goon, under a truck.

Another unsuspecting goon was passing by, when he heard a scratching sound to his left.

"Huh? What was that?" He asked, walking over to investigate, to find scratches on the side of a vehicle. "What the–"

WHAM!

Before the goon realized it, he was hit on the head by a metal staff, and was out like a bulb. Once again, Hum Drum and Spruce stashed the unconscious goon away, in the back of the vehicle.

A couple of goons were engaged in a social conversation, when a popping sound was heard.

"Huh? What was that?" One of the goons asked.

"I don't know," The other goon replied. "Go check it out."

The first goon complied as he walked away to investigate the commotion, leaving his friend alone. No sooner did he walk away, when Hum Drum pounced, with his stun gun, electrocuting and knocking out the second goon. The first goon was about to turn around, barely missing Hum Drum, who spring-jumped into the ceiling.

"Fred?!" The first goon exclaimed, as he ran over to check on his unconscious buddy. "Fred! Are you okay? Speak to me!" Just then, the goon felt a tap on his shoulder, to which he turned around and finds himself punched in the face, by Spruce Spanner, effectively knocking him out cold.

"You couldn't have just snuck up behind him and knocked him out cold?" Ken asked.

"I don't like to hit people when their backs are turned," Spruce replied.

"But they're bad guys."

"Well, even I wouldn't stoop low to their level."

Before the conversation could continue, the sprinklers were suddenly shut off.

Then, the sound of a door opening was heard, alerting Hum Drum and Saddle Rager to hide behind a shelf of boxes. Peeking through the gaps, both superhero mentor and mentee watched as a tall, intimidating man stepped in, followed by a lanky man.

In appearance, the tall man has a messy, silver, flowing hair that almost looked like clouds, bushy brown eyebrows, above his yellow eyes, and a noticeably large red nose. For attires, he wore a black suit, with white cravat tucked under a dark gray shirt.

Standing beside him, the lanky man has a wavy hairstyle that is reminiscent to the 90s, colored white with black stripes. For attires, he wears a magenta jacket over a pink shirt, with a gold chain around his neck, and skinny jean pants, black and white shoes.

Hum Drum gasped as he recognizes the tall man, “That’s Eric Erebus PhD!” He confirmed. “A brilliant physician. What’s he doing here?”

“Mr. Zeb,” Erebus called.

“Sir!” The lanky man, identified as Zeb, answered.

“What’s the count so far?”

“So far, we’ve jumped up to 50. If we keep this up, we may meet the demands of our clients from TARTARUS on time.”

“Excellent.”

Saddle Rager and Hum Drum turned to exchange horrified glances with one another.

“TARTARUS?” Saddle Rager asked.

“Never heard of it,” Hum Drum replied. “But it doesn’t sound like a welcoming doctors convention. Let’s get these people out ASAP. As soon as possible.”

With that, both Hum Drum and Saddle Rager resumed the task at hands, knocking out the goons.

Hum Drum looked up to see he was standing in front of a prison room, housing all the kidnapped people.

“Shhh! We’re here to save you!” Hum Drum shushed.

With a tap of his fingers, Hum Drum unsheathe the sharp nails from his gloves, to pick the lock on the door.

Unfortunately, at that moment, Brick and Boomer came in front of the crowd, and were elated to see Hum Drum and Saddle Rager.

“Omigosh! HUM DRUM! SADDLE RAGER!” Brick shouted.

“D’oh!” Hum Drum smacked his head.

“Uh oh!” Saddle Rager whimpered.

“What?” Alerted, Erebus turned and both he and Zeb were shocked to see Hum Drum and Saddle Rager. “Who are they?!”

“Boss! That’s one of the Power Princess!” Zeb answered. “And that boy is their boy wonder!”

“And soon to be dead heroes!” Erebus scowled, snapping his fingers. “Wind Shadows! KILL THEM!”


[Ricky Martin - Livin La Vida Loca]


With that, the criminals — identified to be Wind Shadows — held up their guns and opened fire on the heroes.

“HUM DRUM! Duck!” Saddle shouted, throwing herself at Hum Drum, as they ducked behind a crate to hide from the bullets.

Taking out his Nerf Gun, Hum Drum loaded it with his cousin’s Funny Elephant Toothpaste pellets, peeking through the gaps in the shelves, and fired them at the Wind Shadows.

Two of them missed, and only one managed to hit one of the gunmen.

“What is this stuff?” The disgusted crook asked.

From behind their hiding spot, Hum Drum activated the sticky paddings on his gloves, allowing him to scale the walls, up to the ceilings, like a gecko, while Saddle Rager hid herself behind a crate.

“Where’d they go?” One of the gunmen asked.

“Spread out and look for them!”

The gunmen proceeded to search the room, trying to find Hum Drum and Saddle Rager.

Clinging to the ceiling, Hum Drum spoke to Saddle Rager via the comm on his glove.

“Saddle!” Hum Drum called. “Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“I’m fine, Hum Drum,” Saddle confirmed. “But what do we do?”

“Uh…I think now is a good time for you to get angry…”

“But what about the people?”

“Uh…I’ll keep these thugs busy. You work on getting the people out of those prison cells and down the sewers to escape.”

“I’ll try,” Saddle Rager said uneasily. “But…will you be okay?”

“I’ll try not to worry you,” Hum Drum replied, as he went to work, taking down the Wind Shadows.

From the distance, Hum Drum can hear Erebus ranting, “We’ve come to far now to let all our efforts go to waste because of some hero fanatics!”

“I don’t know sir,” Zeb replied. “From what the MPD have gathered, and the looks of those recordings, their powers seem too legit to be fanatics.”

“Shut up, Zeb! We’re moving these people out now! TARTARUS have paid us in advance. And they’re very strict about their intolerance for failures.”

Back in the fray, Hum Drum pulled some heavy boxes from a shelf, causing it to fall hard on top of a gunman’s head, knocking him out.

Turning to the next goon, Hum Drum used his Zipper device to hang mid-air, before lowering himself downward, like Spider-Man, to get a drop on a goon, using his staff to hit them on the head, knocking them out.

A gunman was cautiously prowling around the room, with his gun at the ready.

“Talk to me you guys,” The gunman asked in his comm. “What’s happening?”

Hum Drum was crawling on the side of a semi-truck, behind the gunman, when used his gloves’ built-in nails, to scratch the vehicle, alerting the gunman.

“Hmm?” The gunman turned around, to find nothing but a noticeable scratch marks. “Hey! I think I got something here…” The gunman went over to investigate, when he was suddenly electrocuted from behind, and was out cold.

“Score another for my stunning friend,” Hum Drum smirked. The boy turned to look at the vehicles and trucks in the room, “These guys are in a hurry. If we keep this up, they’ll move the people out, before Spruce can free them. Looks like I’ll just put a hole in their plans.”

With that, Hum Drum unsheathed his nails to slice the tires of the vehicles.

Meanwhile, Spruce Spanner went to work on freeing the kidnapped people.

“Well, at least Hum Drum took care of the locks,” Spruce said to herself, before she guided the captives the way out to the manhole.

“Come on everyone,” Saddle Rager beckoned, as she lifted up the manhole. “Get in!”

A snooty woman took a whiff of the foul stench, and recoiled, “Oh come on! Really?”

“Deal with it lady!” A spunky little girl with yellow hair bow said, a she jumped in. “It’s time to get DIRTYYYYYYYY!”

One by one, all the captives entered the sewer, escaping to freedom, with Saddle Rager guiding them.

All was going well, until a gun’s safety was clicked off, “Don’t move!” A gunman threatened, with a gun next to Saddle Rager’s head. “All of you!”

“Eep!” Saddle Rager squeaked, as she held her hands up, along with all the other captives.

“Step away from the manhole, nice and easy,” The crook ordered, which everyone did as they were told, while the gunman herded them all back into their cell, with the addition of Spruce.

Brick and Boomer, however, poked their heads up from the manhole, to see what was happening.

“We gotta do something man!” Brick said to Boomer.

“But what can we do?” Boomer asked. “We’ve got no super powers, or super gadgets. We’ll get blasted!”

“Hmmm. Hey!” Brick turned his attention to the manhole covering that Saddle had removed, getting an idea.

“How could you do this?” Saddle Rager asked. “To all these people? What did they ever do to you?”

“Missy, it’s nothin’ personal,” The thug replied. “I’m jus’ tryin’ to make a living, and I’m paid handsomely not to care.”

However, without warning, the gunman was hit on the head by the manhole covering.

BONG!

In an instant, the crook dropped his gun and fell face flat on the floor.

Saddle Rager and the people looked up to see the heroic was courtesy of — not Hum Drum — but Brick and Boomer.

Bulk and Skull Theme

“Hey everyone!” Brick boasted. “Look who’s kicking bad guy’s heinie and knocking their heads upside down.”

“Us! That’s who!” With that, Brick let out a high-pitch laugh. “Ha Ha Ha Ha!”

“Hey! What’re you two doing?” A gunman shouted, pointing his gun at the two boys.

“YIKES!” Boomer screamed, jumping into Boomer’s arms.

“Zoinks!” Brick screamed. “C’mon, Boomer! Let’s make like a piñata and BEAT IT!”

With a rev of his feet, Brick took off running, with Boomer in his arms, leaving behind a smoke shape of their outlines, while the Wind Shadows chased the boys, shooting their guns after them.

“Oh dear,” Saddle whimpered as she opened the door. “I hope those boys are okay.”


[Ricky Martin - Livin La Vida Loca]


“Saddle!” Hum Drum shouted as he regroup with the super girl. “I‘ve finished tearing up the tires. The Wind Shadows aren’t going anywhere. How’s it coming?”

“Everyone are on their way out,” Saddle pointed to the people leaving via the sewer. “But—“

“Great!” Hum Drum pounded. “Then all that’s left is catch Erebus, along with the evidence, and he’ll be—“

“Wait! Hum Drum!” Saddle stopped the boy. “Brick and Boomer are in trouble!” She pointed to the two bumbling boys running around the room, and looking goofy while doing it.

“Those two can be like Scooby and Shaggy sometimes,” Hum Drum commented. “But yeah, we definitely need to save them."

With a click of his heels, Hum Drum activated the springs in his boots, allowing him to literally spring into actions, before he landed and bounced on the chasing gunmen's heads. Disoriented, the gunmen dropped their guns and were at the mercy of the young hero-in-training, who proceeded to thrash, spin, and smack the criminals on the heads, with his metal staff.

"Yeah!" Brick and Boomer cheered for their secret enemy-in-superhero suit.

"Knock 'em dead, Hum-Dum!" Brick whooped. "Whoo whoo whoo whoo!"

"It's Hum Drum..." Hum Drum frowned.

One of the Wind Shadows grabbed Hum Drum from behind, only for the boy to thrust his metal staff into their toes.

"AH! Got my bunion!" The Wind Shadow screamed, dropping Hum Drum.

During the fight, Hum Drum accidentally triggered his gloves' sticky paddings. As a result, the boy got one of his hands stuck on a Wind Shadow's face, and they got into a rather uncomfortable tug-of-war.

"Get off me!" The Wind Shadow thug groaned, as he tries to pull away from Hum Drum.

"I'm trying!" Hum Drum said, struggling to pull himself away.

RIP!

Hum Drum landed on his back, looked up. Immediately, he, Brick, Boomer, Spruce, and the rest of the Wind Shadows stared, eyes widened at the sight.

"What? What is it?" The confused thug asked.

"N-Nothing," Hum Drum smiled sheepishly, before he waved his hands. "D-Don't look in the mirror!"

"Why?" The thug asked, looking into a truck's rear view mirror anyway. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" His eyebrows, eyelashes, and a part of his mustache were ripped off.

"I told you not to look in the mirror!" Hum Drum shrugged.

After overcoming the shocking, and embarrassing sight, Spruce turned her sight on Erebus and his assistant, Zeb, trying to make a run for it.

“Hold it, right there!” Saddle Rager shouted, chasing after the two villains.

“Uh oh!” Zeb shouted, upon seeing the alien girl chasing after them. “Boss?”

“This isn’t over yet,” Erebus reassured, as he ran towards a control panel, pressed a secret switch, and escaped via a secret passageway. “Auf wiedersehen.”

With that, the madman and his assistant disappeared.

“No!” Saddle Rager screamed angrily. “Argh! Got away?”

“Saddle Rager?” Hum Drum asked, as he continues to fight on his own against the Wind Shadows. “Little help here, please?”

“Oh! Hum Drum!” With a graceful leap, Saddle Rager joined in the fray, as both she and Hum Drum stood back-to-back.

The surrounding Wind Shadow goons lunged into for the attack, throwing punches, kicks, and a swing of their bladed weapons at the two heroes.

In the meantime, watching from their hiding spot, Brick and Boomer watched in awe at the fight, happening before them.

Hum Drum spun his staff, to block a kick, another spin to deflect a stab from a Wind Shadow’s knife, before Hum Drum retaliated with a jab to the nose.

“How are you, Saddle?” Hum Drum asked.

“This guy is fast and persistent!” Saddle whimpered as she blocked and dodged a few attacks.

“DUCK!” Hum Drum shouted to Saddle, as he spin his staff around to Saddle’s opponent on the right side of his face, stunning him.

“OOH!!” Brick winced.

“That’s smart!” Boomer commented.

Hum Drum turned and rolled himself across Saddle’s back, to landed a side kick to the Wind Shadow’s chest, followed by a sweep of his leg, and a jab to the stomach, from his staff.

“Yeah!” Brick and Boomer cheered.

Saddle stood up, and lunged forward to kick a Wind Shadows away from Hum Drum, while pulling the boy away from another.

Hum Drum and Saddle Rager were holding hands, as they spun, kicked, and punched bad guys together.

“Oh wow!” Saddle exclaimed softly. “It feels like we’re dancing!”

“Yeah. What a feeling,” Hum Drum commented.

Before long, all of the Wind Shadows have been beaten, and sprawled across the floors.


[End of Fight]


“Well, I guess our work here is done,” Hum Drum said. “Now all that’s left is to alert the police and they’ll be here put all these guys away.”

“Definitely,” Saddle Rager agreed.

“Hey, you two,” Hum Drum called to Brick and Boomer. “You guys okay?”

“Oh yeah!” Brick exclaimed happily. “We’re okay!”

“Never felt better!” Boomer added.




After another job well done, Ken and Spruce Spanner returned to Ken’s house, late on another school night. Up in Ken's bedroom, the young man and Spruce Spanner reported their latest ordeal with the Wind Shadows and what they've found.

"...And that's about it," Hum Drum concluded.

"So, what do you think, Twilight?" Spruce asked.

Scratching her chin, pondering in deep thoughts, Trots Summers paced around the room, "I think this calls for some thorough and deep investigation," The leader said. "If what you say is true, then without a doubt, this Dr. Erebus is the mastermind behind the Wind Shadows operation. But something about this TARTARUS certainly has him on edge."

"Well, obviously, anything secret organization with a big name, with all the letters capitalized, and referring to something from Greek Mythology can't be a good sign," Mary Allen stated.

"Still, I'm going to conduct a thorough investigation to see if we can find out more about TARTARUS, and their connects with Erebus," Trots turned to Ken and Spruce. "You both did a good work tonight. So you all deserve a good rest."

"Now you tell me," Hum Drum yawned, stretching his arms out. "Tomorrow is another day at school...for us..."

"Oh, right," Trots Summers yawned as the rest of the alien heroes joined in. "I guess we should all get some sleep. I'll conduct my investigation first thing, after school, tomorrow..."




Bulk and Skull Theme


Meanwhile, from the safeties of their homes, Brick and Boomer were engaged in a live chat, as they exchange their giddiness of what they’ve experienced.

“That was one of the Power Princesses!” Brick exclaimed. “And their boy toy, Hum Dumb!”

“I know!” Boomer agreed. “Man, no one will believe us if we tell them we were saved by one of the super girls and their boy sidekick.”

“Oh, they’ll believe us,” Brick grinned. “They’re real alright. You heard them, right? They can talk. They can fight. And we even touched one of them, so they’re real people!”

At that moment, Brick hatched a devious scheme, “Boomer my friend. We are going to find out who the Power Princesses, and their boyfriend, really are!”

“Right!” Boomer agreed, before he asked, “But how?”

“Don’t worry! I have a plan. And it’s going to make us famous!”

“We’re gonna find out who they really are!”




[Tokens—The Lion Sleeps Tonight]


As usual — for the past days since their arrival — Ken was greeted to the sight of the other Power Princess sleeping in his room, in his bed, or on the floor, in their sleeping bags.

“Another job well done,” Ken yawned, after changing into his pajamas, plopping into bed.

He was about to let sleep overtake him, when he felt an arm wrapped around him.

“Can I please hold you close, Ken?” Spruce pleaded.

Ken contemplated. After what happened today, he nodded, “Go right ahead, Spruce.”

“Yay!” Spruce cheered quietly, before she wrapped her arms around Ken, pulling him close for a loving embrace. “You were wonderful today.”

“Thanks,” Ken smiled. “…but I couldn’t have done it without you…”

“Maybe. But you were still magnificent today, Ken. The way you fought those Wind Shadows and saved those people. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Ken was blushing a shade of pink, at the low-lidded eyes Spruce was shooting him, complete with a loving smile, and haunting voice.

He turned away, hiding his face, “Well, you were awesome today too,” Ken stammered. “And you didn’t have to hulk up to save the day.”

“And that’s a good thing,” Spruce whimpered. “If I, as you put it, hulk up, then I could do more harm than good. I might even hurt you, by mistake.”

“Well, She-Hulk or no She-Hulk, you’ll still be…my…super…girl…”

Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Ken fell into a deep sleep, snoring loudly, with his hand on Spruce’s face.

Spruce giggled as she put her hand over Ken’s, keeping it on her cheek.

“Sweet dreams, my little hero,” Spruce leaned over to kiss Ken on the nose. “Sleep tight.”
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 4 – Longclaw Clan – Fili-Second
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One night, at the Maretropolis Museum of Natural History, a night guard was shining his flashlight, checking to make sure all of the exhibits were in place and that security is top-notch. Ever since the recent heist from the Night Owl, not to mention the mess and collateral damages left in the wake of the master thief's latest battle with the Power Princesses, and the Niriks, security had been amped up.

The night guard was just about to enter the dinosaur exhibit, when he happen to notice an empty glass case, where a priceless artifact was supposed to be.

"Hmmm?" The night guard said, doing a double-take, as he checked the case. "What the heck?"

The case wasn't shattered, nor did it bear any signs of being cut through. And it doesn't have the calling card of the Night Owl, which ruled out the master thief of Maretropolis. What could this mean?






The next day


After school, Ken suited up to become Hum Drum, doing his patrols and exercises to keep himself in shape, and more accustomed to his suit.

"Didn't miss my bus," Hum Drum said to himself. "Got the part in the upcoming school play, with Thor. Algebra test. Nailed it! Barely... Now let's see what's happening in the big city."

Hum Drum was spring-jumping across the rooftops of the city, when he received a call on his gloves' comm link, "Hello?" He answered.

"Hey Hum Drum!" Fili-Second called. "There's a big to do at the museum! Meet me there, in the Japanese Art Exhibit! There's been another theft!"

"Okay! I'm on my way. Be there soon, Mary!"

With that, Hum Drum turned in the direction of the museum and proceeded to jump and glide across the city.

"Hmmm, another theft, huh?" Hum Drum pondered. "Could be the Night Owl again... Though, if it is, why didn't Mary call Zapp? She's the most determined to bring down that flying thief, after the..." Hum Drum shook his head, regaining his focus. "No, no time to think about that, Ken! Gotta get to the museum and check it out!"

On his way, however, Hum Drum looked down and saw some kids chasing after a runaway ball, that was rolling down the street, in the path of an incoming truck.

Reacting fast, Hum Drum whipped out his grappling hook, which he used to shoot a line, lasso around the edge of a building, to swoop down, and saved the kids, before they became road pizzas.

"WHOA!" The kids exclaimed, before Hum Drum gently sets them down, while the truck came to a halt.

"Hey kids," Hum Drum advised to the children. "No playing around in the streets."

"Yes, Mr. Humdrum," The kids complied.

"Later," With that, Hum Drum super jumps away.

"Way to go Humdrum!" A teenage girl applauded, with a few other people joining in on praising their hero-in-training.

After a long trip of super jumping and gliding across the city, Hum Drum eventually arrived at the Maretropolis Museum of Natural History.

Inside, he finds the police were already conducting their investigation of the crime scene.

“Hey guys!” Hum Drum greeted. “Got any clues?”

“No sign of breaking in,” One of the officers answered. “And no calling card from the Night Owl. Some of us are already suspecting it’s an inside job.”

“Really?” Hum Drum asked. “Did any of the museum staff members told you that?”

“Officer Shining Armor is interrogating them right now,” The officer confirmed. “Check around back. In the security room. One of your Power Princess friend is with him right now.”

“Thanks!” Hum Drum waved before he turned in the direction he was given.

As Hum Drum got closer and closer to the said room, from outside, he could hear a loud conversation going on, between Fili-Seconds, some of the staffs being interrogated, and the officer dubbed Shining Armor.

In appearance, Shining Armor appeared to be a tall, muscular young man in his 20s. He has moderate cerulean hair, matching his sapphire blue, moderate cerulean, and dark phthalo blue streaks. Like his fellow officers, he wears the MPD uniform, with the badge on the left of his chest.

Walking inside, Hum Drum finds Fili-Second pacing around a table, interrogating some of the museum staff members who were brought in for questioning.

“So! You want us to believe that YOU were taking a potty break. And YOU were sleeping on the job. And YOU went out to get some donuts. And YOU reported.”

“We don’t want you to believe,” One of the staffs groaned. “We want you to know what we know.”

“And do I know you’re on the level, hmmm?” Fili-Second asked.
“How do I know you’re not all in this together? How do I know you guys didn’t rehearse this?”

“Because I still have an upset stomach from the coffee,” One of the staffs groaned, with a gurgling sound from his stomach.

“And I’m still sleepy from drinking this coffee,” Another staff yawned.

“Okay! Sue me for liking donuts,” The gluttonous staff frowned as he takes a bite out of a donut.

“And if this was an inside job and I was in on it, then why would I set off the alarm?” The final staff frowned.

“Hmmm. Good points,” Fili-Second nodded, before she glared, “But I’m watching you guys. Always watching…”

“That’s enough, Fili-Second,” Shining Armor said, as he took over. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Excuse me, officer?” The staff with the upset stomach moaned. “C-C-Can I be e-e-excused? B-B-B-B-Restroom?”

“But you just went to the men’s room a second ago…”

Fili-Second eyed the staff members suspiciously, until she turned her head and saw Hum Drum, standing by the doorway.

“Hiya Hum Drum!” Fili-Second zipped over to the boy.

"Hey Fili," Hum Drum greeted. "Hope I'm not too late."

"Not all! You're just in time to help me with helping this city's super sleuth unsolve this mystery!"

"And...who's that?"

"ME!" Fili-Second smiled, brandishing a magnifying glass. "That's who!"

"Right... So what have we got so far?"

"Well, so far," Fili-Second proceeded to zip around the room as she pointed at each of the individual staffs. "This guy testified he was in the bathroom on the night of the robbery. This guy testified he was asleep...at his desk. This guy testified he went to get donuts! And this guy reported." Mary then zipped over to Ken and whispered, "Something smells rotten here. And I don't think it's the fish taco that guy ate..."

"I...really...need...to...go..." The jittery staff moaned.

"You don't get to go unless I tell you to go!" Fili-Second barked, before she zipped over to Hum Drum and whispered, "Yeah. It smells like an inside job."

"What makes you say that?" Hum Drum asked.

"No broken glasses? No broken doors, or windows? Four guards doing a lousy job?" Fili-Second began. "Definitely an inside job..."

"I'm the only one who was actually doing my task, last night," The guard who reported stated.

"Hmmm," Shining Armor scratched his chin, before he asked, "Please, let's go over this one more time. Tell us again what happened on the night of the robbery."

Groaning, indicating that they've gone through this many times before, the staffs complied as the guard who reported revealed, "I was doing my patrols...working!" He glared at Fili-Second.

"Whatever," Fili rolled her eyes.

"My patrols took me from the dinosaur exhibit, to the halls of culture, and I saw the Golden Neko, sitting in its glass case, in the Japanese Wing of the Asian Hall of Cultural Arts, the first time I was there. But when I showed up the second time, it was gone. And then I reported."

"And when you did, did you check to make sure if all the other exhibits were stolen?" Hum Drum asked.

"Yes. When I reported to my supervisor, I checked to make sure that all the other artifacts hadn't been stolen. Thankfully, just the Golden Neko..."

"And what was the Golden Neko exactly?" Hum Drum asked. "I know a neko is a cat in Japanese, but can you tell me a bit of history? Like what makes it so valuable? And why just that one artifact, when there's like a whole bunch of others worth a fortune on display?"

"The Golden Neko is a priceless ornate golden idol from 14th century Japan," The guard lectured. "It was the symbol of a clan of revered and powerful martial artists at the time – the Longclaw Clan. And since then, it had been in their protective care, up until the Edo Period, when it was stolen by a former member of the Longclaw Clan, who gave the Golden Neko to the Tokugawa Clan to win their favor."

"Sounds to me it worths a lot of fortune then," Hum Drum commented.

"But what happened to the Longclaw Clan?" Fili-Second asked, before she gasped. "Could this be some kind of revenge scheme? Maybe to steal back the Golden Neko?"

"Highly unlikely," The guard shook his head. "Since then, the Longclaw Clan have been extinct for centuries."

Suddenly, a loud grumbling sound broke the air, "What is that?" Hum Drum asked. "An earthquake?"

"Sorry," The jittery guard moaned, when he let out a loud fart. "Excuse me..."

"What did you ate man?" One of the staffs asked.

"Nevermind that," Hum Drum shook his head. "Tell us what happened. Like when was the time you reported it was stolen? And what was everyone doing at that time?"

The gluttonous guard spoke up, "I went out to get donuts. But I thought my co-workers would take care of things while I'm gone."

The sleepy guard spoke up, "I was at the camera screen, until Richard here decided to take a bathroom break. So I was left alone...watching the cameras, when I took a sip of my coffee and..I just blacked out..."

"Hmmm," Fili-Second went over to the sleepy guard and took his mug. "Is this the same cup you drank on the night of the robbery?"

"Yep."

Fili-Second proceeded to sniff the cup, before she dipped her finger in what's left of the concoction for a taste, "Mmmm-hmmm. Just as I thought. Powdered diphenhydramine!"

"What's a dipha-diphe... What is that?" Hum Drum asked.

"It's a powerful sleeping medicine," Officer Shining Armor stated. "You take it, and you instantly fall asleep. My wife makes me take them sometimes, every time I come home late from work."

"That was a sleeping medicine?" The sleepy guard asked. "But...why would Joe do that? He seemed like a nice guy..."

"Who's Joe?" Hum Drum asked.

"Our errand boy. He usually makes smoothie runs, or fetch some of the foods we ordered from Bucking Bronco. That place deserves a five star rating!"

"Amen," The guard, who reported, nodded.

"So...where is Joe?" Hum Drum asked. "Where can we find him?"

"He lives in an apartment, down at Starswirl Square," The guard confirmed. "It's above the Canter Club. That's all I know."

"Then that's where we're going!" Fili-Second chirped as she and Hum Drum were about to take their leave.

Suddenly, a loud fart pierced the air as the heroes, Officer Shining Armor, the Museum Guards turned to the one jittery guard.

"Jesus! What did you eat?" Officer Shining Armor asked.

"It's not my fault!" The jittery guard moaned. "Last night, I drank a cup of coffee, with the cocoa powder Joe gave me. And I've been having an upset stomach since..."

"Cocoa powder, huh?" Fili-Second walked over to the counter, picking up the first guard's cup. "This your cup?"

The guard nodded, while the speedy heroine took a whiff of the coffee that the first guard had drank, before she concluded, "Uh oh! That ain't cocoa powder! That's Choco-Lax! Short for Choco-laxative!"

"Laxative?!" Hum Drum exclaimed.

"I can't take it anymore!" With that, the guard ran towards a wastebasket, where he unfastened his belt, strips his pants down, and immediately blows up.

"Oh my god!" Officer Shining Armor exclaimed, with everyone in the room repulsed and recoiled from the foul stench.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" The staff screamed in agony, as he continues to convulse from the violent diarrhea he was experiencing. "Oh my god it burns!"

"Vile!" The other staffs commented, looking just as sick as their co-worker, while Hum Drum and Fili-Second took their leave, with Fili looking green.

"I'm bleeding!"

"That's just sick..." Shining Armor shook his head, watching as the guard has yet to unload the bomb bay...





Once outside, Hum Drum and Fili-Second were both relieved for fresh air.

"Pee-U!" Hum Drum moaned. "So glad to be out here and not in there..." He chuckled, "Now there's a scene I do not need to see again..."

"You said it," Fili-Second replied. "Now c'mon! We got a job to do! Let's find Joe's apartment and find that Golden Neko! Which way is Starswirl Square?”

“It’s all the way down on Everfree Lane and to the right, around the next block,” Hum Drum confirmed.

“Sounds like it’s just a hop and a skip away! Hold on tight, Hum Drum!”

With that, Fili-Second took Hum Drum by the hand and they zipped through the city, in a blur of hot pink, racing through crowded streets of cars, people, bugs flying into Ken’s teeth, his cheeks flapping in the air.

Then, faster than Kan could say whoa, both he and Fili have arrived.

“We’re here!” Fili chirped.

“I can tell…” Hum Drum moaned, with his eyes swirling until he regained his balance. “Canter’s Club, dead ahead. Joe’s apartment must be in there.”

“Then let’s go in and—“

“Can we do this part of the mission at a slower pace, please?” Hum Drum moaned, still dizzy from the previous burst of adrenaline.

“Okie-dokey Loki!” Fili-Second chirped. “But first. COSTUME CHANGE!”

“What?”


Batman transition




Before Ken knew it, somehow, in a heartbeat, both he and Mary were back in their civilian attires, as they walk through the main lobby of Canter’s Club.

“Whoa!” Ken exclaimed, still a bit dizzy from the sudden change. “Warn me next time we were going to do that.”

“Okie-dokey-Loki!” Mary smiled, as both she and Ken walk up to the front desk, only to find a grumpy, disheveled looking man, with a wart on the left cheek.

“Hi!” Mary greeted the man, who simply ignores the girl. “Uh, excuse me?”

“Yeah, what?!” The man finally responded in a loud, shrilly, obnoxious tone.

“Can you tell us where we can find a guy named Joe?” Mary asked.

“Who’s Joe?” The man asked, before he sarcastically responded, “Joe mama?”

“No… Hmmm. Joe mama?” Mary pondered as she repeated the last two words, before she realized, “Oooooooh, I get it!”

With that, Mary immediately broke out laughing out loud. However, the man was more annoyed than amused at Mary for getting his joke. With that, he let out a loud shrilly, whiny, gibberish scream as he left his desk and into his office.

“Well, he’s quite the conversationalist,” Ken said in sarcasm.

“Aw, c’mon, ya have to admit,” Mary giggled. “That was funny. Joe mama? Hehe!”

“But…how are we going to find Joe’s room now?”

“Simple, my dear Ken,” Mary smiled, as she dons a detective’s hat, complete with a pipe, blowing out some bubbles. “Just check for his address on the mailbox.”

Turning in the direction Mary pointed, Ken turned to see a wall of apartment mailboxes. He searched the mailboxes, until he located the name he and Mary were looking for.

“Apartment K-9!” Ken confirmed as he and Mary went up the stairs, searching for the said apartment.

On the way up, Ken started a conversation with Mary, “So, Mary. Back at the museum. Can you really tell what’s been spiked into someone’s drinks, just by smelling them?”

“Yup!” Mary smiled, proudly pointing at her nose. “This nose isn't just any nose. I can smell whatever I shouldn’t drink, or eat, before I can drink or eat it. I can even smell all kinds of ingredients used in the tiniest cookie crumbs.”

“Wow!” Ken gasped. “That’s pretty cool!”

“Hey, when you’re a detective, you need to have a nose like a bloodhound dog, an eye like a snap hawk, and an ear like a bomb bat, for clues,” Mary winked.

There was a moment of awkward silence, until Ken broke the ice, “Right… whatever kind of animals you just listed there.”

“Oh they were some of Harmonius’s fauna,” Mary chirped.

“Ah.”

At last, both Ken and Mary arrived at the apartment of their suspect, Joe.

“This is it,” Ken said. “Apartment K-9.”

With that, Mary walked up to the door and knocks, “Hello?” Mary called out. “Is a Mr. Joe home? Candygram!”

A couple of minutes passed and there was no response.

“I don’t think anyone’s home…yet,” Ken commented. “So now what?”

Reaching into her hair, Mary rummage until she pulls out a hairpin, “We go in the easy way!” She declared and proceeded to pick the lock, unlocking the door. “Ta-Da!”

Ken simply stared at Mary in amazement, “Only you would make lock picking so easy, Mary,” He commented.

“Actually, it’s elementary, my dear Ken,” Mary replied. “I saw this on a YouTube video once, about accidentally locking yourself out of a hotel room.”

The two heroes proceeded to walk into the room, to find a plethora of martial art merchandises, around the room.

“Wow,” Ken commented, looking at all the collections on display. “I see someone’s a fan…a really BIG fan…”

“Yup!” Mary agreed. “But remember why we came here. Keep a sharp eye out for clues, Ken.”

“I’m on it.”

With that, Ken proceeded to rummage through the martial arts posters and merchandise, while Fili-Second was looking through a magnifying glass, checking every nook and cranny of the room.

Ken searched through the merchandise, while observing Mary moving at a blur of super speed, she looked as if there’s multiple copies of herself.

“You seem to know what you’re looking for,” Ken commented.

“Nope!” Mary chirped, when she zipped next to Ken. “But I’m here for clues and I’m going to find them. Trouble is, I don’t know what it looks like.”

“And how do you know you’ve found it, if you don’t know what it is?”

“I know it, when I know it.”

“But…how…what…” Deciding not to question Mary’s logic, Ken shook it off as he resumed looking for clues.

Mary looked through the kitchen, when she found a box of familiar “candy” bars.

“A-ha! Choco-lax!” Mary said, opening the box up to find several bars were missing. “Obviously, Joe must’ve used these bars, pounded them into powders, and passed them off as cocoa powders to make that security guard suffer diarrhea!”

“Ugh. I don’t need a reminder of that,” Ken shuddered, when he found a string of hair. “Hey Mary. Here’s a hair. Can this be a clue?”

“Yup!” Mary smiled as she took a whiff of the strand. “Hmmm. Someone’s been using lots of hair gels. Too glossy hair. Ooh, trying to look like Bruce Lee, I see. In his thirties, weighing about the average pound of 197 lbs. Has been frequently visiting some place old, with rustic metals, and brimstone.”

“Wow, you can tell all that?” Ken asked, while thinking to himself, ‘At this point, nothing surprises me…’

Mary then walked over to a nearby window, where she lifted the frame up, to stick her head out into the city and smelled the air.

“Aw, darn it!” Mary frowned, as she closed the window. “The city’s too full of delicious smell of hot dogs, pizzas, and burgers. I can’t sniff him out!”

“Hmmm,” Ken pondered for a moment, before he took out a map of the city. “I’m no detective, but if there’s one thing my dad ever taught me. When you’re looking for a bad guy’s hideout, it helps to narrow down the search to one location.”

Ken cleared a counter of martial artist figurines, as he set his map down.

“You said that Joe’s been visiting some old place with rustic metals and brimstone, right?” Ken asked.

“Yup!” Mary confirmed.

“Hmmm, sounds like he’s gone to some kind of factory,” Ken said as he circled the specific spots in the map, of where a factory is located. “There’s the shampoo factory, the clothing factory, the steel factory…”

“Don’t forget the Sweets Factory!” Mary chirped happily. “I love that place.”

“I’m not surprised,” Ken nodded. “But didn’t you say the factory would have to be old and rustic? As in, shut down?”

“Yup.”

“Then we’ll definitely cross these guys out. And you also added that the place Joe went to has brimstone. And the only factory that’s loaded with enough heat to burn sulfur would be—“





“—the Maretropolis Steel Factory!” Hum Drum showed, to a rundown factory that looked as if it’s seen better days.

“Nice work, Ken!” Fili-Second complimented. “Maybe there’s a bit of detective in you after all!”

Ken blushed, waving off Fili-Second’s compliment.

The two heroes proceeded to search the building, looking for a way in. Hum Drum activated the sticky pads on his gloves, allowing him to scale the walls, looking for a window, or a vent, that he and Fili, can climb in. Meanwhile, Fili-Second was zipping around the building, from bottom to top, knocking on doors she could find.

“Knock knock!” Fili-Second said, knocking on a door. “This is the part when someone answers, who’s there?”

“Yo! Fili!” Hum Drum called via a comm, in Fili-Second’s ear.

“Yes?” Fili-Second answered.

“I’ve found a way in,” Hum Drum replied. “I’m inside an air vent and—WHOA!”

“Hum Drum?”

From the other side of the comm, on Hum Drum’s end, the sound of the boy wonder’s grunting, crashing, and screaming was heard.

“You okay, Hum Drum?” Fili asked.

“It feels like I have skid marks on my butt…” Hum Drum groaned on the comm. “Okay, listen. I’m going to follow the vent and see where it goes. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Okie-dokey-Loki!” Fili chirped. “Be careful in there, Hum Drum!”

But then, at that moment, the smell of a sweet tasty food from a distance washes over Fili-Seconds’s nose, enticing her stomach to grumble with hunger.

“Mmmm-mmmm!” Fili-Seconds moaned hungrily. “Tum tum is making a growl growl,” Fili was about to take her leave, when she looked back at the abandoned factory Hum Drum is inside. “Meh. Ken will be fine. It’ll just be a second. Even a good detective can’t work on an empty stomach.”

In a blur of hot pink, Fili-Second zipped away into the big city, to satisfy her hungry stomach.





Inside the air vent, Hum Drum crawled through the tunnel, before he came across another air vent.

Hum Drum proceeded to lift the grate off the frame, before he poked his head in to see he is inside a hallway. Tapping his fingers, Hum Drum activated his sticky paddings, once again, to crawl along the ceilings of the abandoned facility.

“Phew!” Hum Drum winced from the smell of sulfur in the air. “This place definitely reeks of brimstone. Not exactly my recommendation for a villainous hideout. But then again, maniacs will be maniacs.”

Before long, however, the sound of chatter and an upbeat music was heard from a distance, to which Hum Drum quickened his pace, before arriving at the doorway, of a huge room.

In appearance, what appeared to have once been the processing area, has been converted into a large, makeshift skatepark, decorated in graffiti arts, arcade games, and tables for playing pool and poker.


MC Hammer — This Is What We Do


From his perch, Hum Drum looked down to see the entire room was overflowing with, what appeared to be, juvenile delinquents, smoking, gambling, and partying to the loud music, to their content.

Many of them were skateboarding across the ramps, doing tricks, despite the dangerous settings around them, from loose cables to sharp tools.

“Check it out, anything you want, here we got!” A punk teen said, as he gave a tour to some newcomers. “Anything you wanna do, then do. You know what I’m saying? Anything.”

“You got any cigarettes?” One of the newcomers asked, to which the tour guide opened up his jacket, revealing a load of cigarettes.

“Regular or mental?” He asked.

Crawling over to another perch, Hum Drum continued to observe the activities going on below.

“Read it and weep boys,” A boy said as he showed off his cards. “Full house!”

“Aw man!” The other boys slammed their cards in frustration, having lost their gamble.

Hum Drum went off to another part of the room, to continue his observation. But with the loud music and the activities going on, it was hard for him to concentrate on the mission at hand.

“I can’t hear myself think!” Hum Drum groaned to himself. “I gotta find some place quiet.”

Looking up, seeing the ceiling goes up, and an open window sits just at the top, Hum Drum proceeded to super jump higher towards the ceiling, and used his gloves’ sticky paddings to crawl the rest of the way up the window.

Once outside, Hum Drum was relieved to the ambience sound of the city, easing his aching ears.

“Phew! This is more like it,” Ken sighed. “I’m up for Rave Nights, but not when I’m on heroes’ duty.” Tapping his ring finger, Hum Drum called Fili-Second on his gloves’ comm, “Fili! What should we do now?” However, instead of a reply, all Hum Drum received were ringtones. “Uh, Fili? Hey! Fili! Come in, Fili-Second! Can you hear me? Fili!”

“Hi! This is Fili-Second! Harmonus detective private eye! Please leave a message. And remember to SMILE!”

“Voicemail?! What…” Composing himself, Hum Drum sighed as he left the message. “Hey, Fili? This is Hum Drum speaking. I’ve checked the inside of the Steel Factory, and it’s not abandoned as we thought. It’s more of a secret getaway for teenagers to have fun. Maybe I was wrong about this place. Let’s just check someplace else.”

No sooner had Hum Drum ended his voicemail, when he received a call from Fili-Second.

“Hiya Ken!” Fili-Second answered, while munching on something.

“Wow, you answered fast,” Hum Drum commented, before he asked, “Why do you sound like you’re eating a pastrami sandwich with a slice of a Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness?”

“…What makes you say that, Kenny?” Fili-Second asked with a mouthful. “A good detective’s got to eat. And eating helps me think!”

“Hmph! Well, while you’re having snack time, I did some investigating…”

“And did you find the Golden Neko?”

“No. Looks more like a secret clubhouse for teenagers to have a blast. Doesn’t look like a typical bad guy hideout.”

“Then you gotta take a closer look, Kenny! Didn’t your mom ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?”

“Uh…right,” Hum Drum said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, Hum Drum hung up the call and went back to work, “Take a closer look, huh? And how am I supposed to do that? If I go in, someone might see me, and it could set off an alarm. So…”

Reaching an epiphany, Hum Drum pulled out a Dragon-Fly bot from his cape’s pocket, and switched it to life.

“You know the drill little guy,” Hum Drum said, releasing the little robot. “Get it and find out what we need to know.”

With that, the Dragon—Fly bot entered the factory and proceeded to hover and scour throughout the facility, looking for suspicious activity.

“With all these activities going on, finding the Golden Neko is like finding a needle in a haystack,” Hum Drum commented. “Good thing cousin Danny installed a function to filter to ID mentions of ‘Gold’ or ‘Neko’.”

With that, Dragon-Fly was able to locate some potential suspects, and finds a perch to listen in on their conversations.

“Now to isolate the surrounding sounds,” Hum Drum began, adjusting the settings on his phone, until he could listen clearly. “There we go!”

“That gold statue is worth a lot of trouble,” One of the punks commented. “You think it’ll really get the Niriks’ attention?”

“If that doesn’t even get the Night Owl to notice us, then I don’t know what will,” The other punk commented. “But the big guy is very insistent on getting it.”

“I just don’t know what the fuss is all about. It’s just a gold statue of a cat. We’ve seen a lot of those, in Chinese gift shops.”

“Not this one. It’s made out of real gold! And it’s not just a cat. It’s called a Neck-Ko.”

“What’s a Neck-Ko?”

“It’s a type cat, from Japan, I think.”

“It’s pronounced Neko,” Hum Drum said, from behind his phone. “Then again, not everyone can speak Japanese. Good news, the Golden Neko is here. Question is: Where is it?”

The Dragon-Fly resumed its flight and search for answers, when it happened to find another perch, close to a conversation between a pair of punks.

“So, I met this babe,” One of the punks commented. “Super hot, okay? She’s got a red hair, with yellow stripes in them, like she’s on fire. And I was like, ‘what’s up babe?’ And then I started showing off these kicks and punches to impress her, right? Hot babes like a dude who can throw down, right?”

“And what did she say?” The other dude asked.

“Not sure. She just walked away, and said something that sounded like ‘baka?’ I think she likes me and was hiding her blush?” Ken couldn’t help but laugh.

“You wish,” The young hero-in-training shook his head.

“So, have you heard about the Golden Cat Statue?” The first punk asked his friend. “Is Joe really on the level? We actually got it?”

“Yeah, we got it,” The other punk confirmed. “It’s all locked up, like Fort Knox, down below.”

“Whoa, so he wasn’t kidding then? There’s really a Golden statue beneath us? Then what are we doing up here, when we could go downstairs and feast our eyes on this beauty?”

“Maybe you didn’t hear what I just said. It’s locked up like Fort Knox. There’re guards down there who won’t let guys like you and me see it, or even breathe near it…”

“A-ha, the Golden Neko is downstairs,” Hum Drum concluded. “But it’s heavily guarded. These guards must be very good then, if they can keep these guys in check. But I’ll worry about that later. Right now, I need to find the way down.”

Beating its wings, the Dragon-Fly proceeded to fly from its perch, searching for its next potential targets to eavesdrop, when it suddenly spotted a strong looking man confronting two guards.

“Password: Seven Samurai,” The man said, to which the guards grant him entry into an elevator.

“Looks like I found the Forty Thieves’ secret lair,” Hum Drum commented, before he instructed the Dragon-Fly to return to him. “Okay, little dragonfly. Come back to me.”

And the little bot did exactly that.

Once Hum Drum reclaimed the Dragon-Fly, he reported his findings to Fili-Second.

“Fili! This is Hum Drum speaking,” Hum Drum called. “I have good news and bad news. The good news is: The Golden Neko is here. Bad news: They got it locked up tight, in the basement, with guards. And I hear they’re pretty dangerous.”

“Don’t worry, Kenny!” Fili-Second chirped. “We’ve faced tougher bad guys together. This’ll be a piece of cake! Speaking of cake: I’ve got a slice for you, Kenny! I’m coming back to share it with you now. And then we’re gonna kick some bad guy’s buns!”

“Sounds good to me!” Hum Drum said, looking up, expecting to see a streak of hot pink, racing towards him, which wasn’t happening at the moment. “Uh…when can I expect to see you?”

“In a little bit,” Fili-Second replied. “I can’t run after a big lunch. Especially after a round of ten burritos.”

“Oh Fili…” With that, Hum Drum ended the call, “Maybe I should check if any of the other girls are available.”

Hum Drum checked on the other Power Princesses’ current status at the time, on his gloves’ comm to show:



Masked Matter Horn was doing research on the mysterious TARTARUS.

Mistress Marvelous was still recovering from her recent battle with Lavan.

Saddle Rager was visiting a children's hospital to entertain its sick patients.

Green Gardener and Zapp were busy patrolling the city’s jewelry stores, intending to catch the Night Owl. Most of all, Zapp.


“I guess it’s just me and Fili today,” Hum Drum said to himself. “Okay, Hum Drum. Think. How do you get in, without drawing too much attention?”

The young hero-in-training pondered, until he came up with a plan.





Ken had changed out of his hero suit, and dons up in his civilian outfit, though he still wore his gloves and boots, in case the needs arose.

Ken casually walked into the club, which played a different song in the background.


On The Prowl


Ken walked through the crowd, keeping a low profile as he made his way towards the elevator. At the same time, he cautiously glanced from side to side, knowing trouble is not too far behind, but ready for action.

On the way, Ken happened to see a couple teenagers working on a graffiti art — which resembles a city, at night, with the Power Princesses painted at the bottom.

“Hey, that’s pretty good!” Ken commented to the artists. “You guys captured the girls’ good sides!”

“Thanks dude,” One of the artists replied.

“You, uh…adding Hum Drum a little later?” Ken asked.

“The boy wonder?” The artist asked. “Sure. Maybe. It’s just… The Power Princesses are my favorite kind of gals, y’know? Like DC Superhero Girls!”

“Yeah, I know,” Ken shrugged, while feeling a bit dejected. “Well, keep up the good work!”

With a thumbs up, Ken was on his way to the elevator, where he gave the password: “Seven Samurai.”

Though suspicious, the guards let Ken pass, as he entered the elevator, taking him down to the lower level of the facility. Once at the bottom, Ken walked out of the elevator to follow a dimly lit hallway, before he came across a door.

Upon opening the door, Ken walked into a large room that appeared to have been refurbished into a dojo. There was a large mattress on the floor, with training dummies, punching bags, lined up along the walls. Furthermore, in the room, are a group of bigger and muscular punks, dressed in dark karate gi uniforms, throwing punches, kicks, as well as blocking maneuvers.

Some of the punks wore protective masks and paddings as they sparred with each other, while others in the room were practicing with various weapons, including a nunchuck.

“Wow,” Ken exclaimed. “These guys know their kung fu fighting.”

Just then, the strong man from earlier stepped onto a mattress, challenging one of the punks to a fight.

“Hajime!” The man said, as he threw fast and strong punches and kicks, to which the punk defended himself from. “Good!” He nodded in approval.

The punk proceeded to bow in respect, only to be kicked in the face by the man, who berated, “Never lower your eyes to an enemy!”

“Yes, Master Khan,” The punk replied.

With that, the man, identified as Khan, stood up and walked away.

Ken was suspicious of this Khan person so he decided to follow him but tried not to get too close. As he followed Khan around the corridors, Ken noticed that some of the rooms had the punks watching some old kung fu movies. Such movies were Enter The Dragon, Game of Death, Armor of God, The Karate Kid, and many, many more. Ken was a little confused by this as to why would these guys watch so many martial arts movies but decided to push it in the back of his mind right now.

After going through some corridors, Khan has stopped at a large golden door with cats on it with Ken getting behind a statue. Reaching into his pocket, Khan brought a special key and used it to open the door. After going through it, Khan closes the door behind him and locks it.

Ken looks around and sees a vent near the door, “Bingo.” He smirked. He then quickly dons up his Hum Drum suit once more and makes his way to the vent. From there, Hum Drum proceeded to crawl and follow the vent’s path, before arriving at an opening. Hum Drum peered through the grates, to see a golden statue of a cat, encased in a glass box.

“That must be it! The Golden Neko!” Hum Drum exclaimed, before he proceeded to remove the grate cover and slowly crawled along the roof, to the wall, until he’s at a decent height to gently drop himself to the floor.

Hum Drum walked over to the glass case, containing the Golden Neko. Unfortunately, the young hero-in-training had neglected to check for traps, and had set off the alarm, when he tripped a hidden laser.

“Uh oh…” Before long, the doors opened wide and the room was flooded with a whole army of punks.

Standing before the pack, Khan stood, glaring at the boy, before he raised his hand up to signal, “Attack!”


Dreamkeepers – The Neon Lives


The punks all charged in to throw kicks and punches at Hum Drum, who quickly whipped out his metal staff, spinning it around to warm himself up with it, before he stood in a fighting stance.

With a spin of the staff, Ken quickly blocked and deflected a punch from one of the punks, then he retaliated with a jab to the nose. From that position, Hum Drum thrusted his staff in a backward jab, catching another punk in the stomach, from behind.

Another punk lunged at Hum Drum, on his left, throwing a few simple punches, and a front kick, which Hum Drum quickly avoided by backing away, before he caught the kick in his arms and threw the punk away, crashing into several of his comrades.

A loud scream was heard, to which Hum Drum turned his head and was met with a jab to the nose, by a muscular, but slender punk, wielding a pair of sticks. The punk let out an ear splitting shriek, similar to Bruce Lee’s, as he charged towards Hum Drum, throwing rapid jabs and swings of his sticks at the young hero-in-training. In retaliation, Hum Drum quickly held his retractable metal staff up to block and parry with the punk’s rapid swings. And when the sticks weren't able to breach Hum Drum’s defense, the punk resorted to throwing a kick, which Hum Drum caught, hooking the punk’s leg with his staff, leaving his torso open for the hero’s counterattack, knocking the wind out of the punk.

Eventually, all the other punks charged in to throw rapid punches and kicks at Hum Drum, who continued to retaliate with swings of metal staff.

During the fight, Hum Drum couldn’t help but notice how the punks’ fighting style seemed to be all over the place, instead of one specific martial art style. Their fighting maneuvers seemed rather flashy, high-risking, and reckless. It was as if their techniques were merely copycat versions of the ones seen on the TVs.

‘Have these guys been brainwashed by those TVs, or what?’ Hum Drum thought to himself.

Needless to say, courtesy of the fighting lessons he received from Zapp and Mistress Marvelous, Hum Drum succeeded in knocking out the majority of the punks.

“Who wants more?” Hum Drum challenged.

Unfortunately, the cocky hero-in-training neglected to keep his guard up, and received a hit to the head from behind, by the man, Khan.


End of Fight Song


Losing consciousness, Hum Drum fell to the floor, flat on his face, with Khan looking over him, holding an iron bar in his hands.

“Tie him up…” Khan instructed the remaining punks.





At that moment, Fili-Second finally came back.

“Mmmm-mmmm!” Fili-Second wiped her mouth clean of food crumbs, before she let out a burp. “Ooh! Those bean burritos really do come back to haunt you, silently, but deadly.” She giggled at her own joke, before she tapped a finger to the comm in her ear. “Okay, Hum Drum! I’m ready to kick some bad guys’ butts! You ready?”

Unfortunately, the only response Fili received was the sound of statics.

“Uh, Hum Drum?” Fili asked. “It’s me! Fili-Second! I’m back from lunch. I repeat: I’m back from lunch. Are you ready to kick butts?” Once again, Fili didn’t get an answer. “Hello? Hum Drum! You’re starting to scare me, and it’s not funny! Hello? Hello?”

After a second, it finally dawned on Fili-Second that the young hero-in-training isn’t answering and is in big trouble.

“...This is all my fault…” Fili said to herself. “Me and my big stomach…And now, Hum Drum’s captured...” Fili-Second kicked a discarded can, before she shook her head, snapping out of her funk. “No! No time to feel sorry for myself! I gotta get in there and get Hum Drum out!”

Looking down at her left wrist, Fili-Second tapped a finger, projecting a screen, showing the schematics of the building and a blinking dot.

“Good thing the girls and I had installed a tracking device into Hum Drum’s suit!” Fili-Second smiled, before she shifted to a look of determination. “Hold on, Hum Drum. Here comes Fili-Second!”

With a rev of her feet, Fili-Second charged into the facility, startling the punks inhabiting the place.

“Alright, punks!” Fili-Second said in a forced gruff voice. “You feeling lucky, punks? Well...do ya?” Before the punks had time to answer, in the blink of an eye, Fili-Second had already ran circles around the entire pack, and tangled everyone from head-to-toe, in toilet papers.

One of the punks tried to hop away to escape, but he tripped and was about to fall flat on his face, when Fili caught him, turning him around to face her.

“Joe, I presumed?” Fili-Second identified.

“What? H-H-How did you know?” The punk, identified to be Joe, asked.

“The smell of Choco-Lax, short for Chico-Laxative, is still fresh as the Spring breeze on your shirt,” Fili-Second confirmed, before she begins to interrogate. “Okay, bun, start talking!” Fili-Second snarled like an angry dog. “Where’s Hum Drum?”





“Ken?” A girl’s voice called to him. “Ken!”

“…Kara?” Ken muttered.

“Get up, you dork! Get up!” Kara replied in his subconscious.

Hum Drum slowly came too. He realized he was tied to a chair, with the Golden Neko, encased in a glass box, on his right.

“Wha-Where am I? What’s-What’s going on?” Hum Drum exclaimed, as he struggles to escape from his bindings.

“Don’t move, boy,” A voice spoke, to which Hum Drum turned to see it was none other than the man, Khan. “Who are you? And how did you find this place?”

“Who wants to know?” Hum Drum asked, before he received a back slap from Khan.

“You would be wise to hold such disrespectful tone towards me, boy!” Khan spatted. “Now, tell me. Who are you. And why are you here?”

“Name’s Hum Drum,” Hum Drum replied. “Boy wonder. Maretropolis’s hero-in-training. And I’m here for the Golden Neko that you guys stole from the museum.”

Khan turned his head to look at the statue, and smiled evilly, “Ah, yes, the Golden Neko,” Khan nodded. “But tell me. Are you familiar with its history?”

“Kinda. I know for a fact that it was a sacred idol to a clan of martial artists, who kept it as their National treasure. I think they called themselves, the Longclaw Clan.”

“Then you should know, that we are indeed the Longclaw Clan!” Khan revealed. “And with our sacred idol back in our clutches, we shall perpetuate our presence to the world, once more, for we are LONGCLAW!”

“Whoa!” Hum Drum exclaimed. “For real? You guys are the Longclaw Clan? But I thought the clan was extinct…a long time ago.”

Khan simply chuckled, as he revealed, “It was extinct. Until years ago, it was revived and rebuilt by our master. And now, we serve the master’s will, to reclaim the Longclaw Clan’s riches and valued treasures and restore it to its rightful place in history.”

“You’ll never get away with it, Khan!” Hum Drum said in defiance. “My friend, Fili-Second and I will stop you!”

Khan chuckled at Hum Drum’s defiance, “We shall see, little boy,” He said. “We shall see if she can survive…the Floors of Pain.”





Floors of Pain – First Floor


Fili-Second arrived on the first floor, in a recognizable yellow jumpsuit with black stripes on the sides.

“Hum Drum?” Fili called.

However, instead of Hum Drum, standing across the room in front of her, blocking the doorway to the next floor, stood a tall man, with blond curly hairs styled into a pompador, a pronounced chin, and wears a white karate gi, with a black belt, wielding a pair of nunchucks.

"Halt!" The man boasted, while showing off his skills with the nunchucks. "You shall not pass, unless you defeat me! The Nunchuck Champion of Pimento University Tom DoVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!"

The man was too boastful about his skills with the nunchucks, that he had carelessly  neglected to exercise caution, and ended up hitting himself in the bread basket.

“Ooh, that’s gotta hurt…” Fili winced, before she zipped out the unguarded doorway. “Anyway, take care, Tom! I’ve got a friend to save!” She said, leaving poor Tom to clutch his smartened manhood.


Floors of Pain – Second Floor


“Hum Drum? Are you here?” Fili asked, upon entering.

“Halt!” Shouted the voice of another fighter.

This time, he is a dwarf man, with a pointy nose, dressed in a samurai garb, and a straw hat, wielding a sword, surrounded by scarecrows.

“None shall pass, unless you beat me! Dick Dover!” The swordsman introduced himself.

Then, as if to demonstrate his prowess, Dick let out a loud scream as he viciously slashed his katana at the surrounding scarecrows in the room, with the intense speed and grace of a samurai. He cut the scarecrows in half, decapitating their heads, torsos, and arms, like butter.

Once the man came to the end of his demonstration, Fili-Second rapidly clapped her hands, applauding his feat.

“Wow!” Fili-Second applauded. “You’ve got some decent swings there, Dick!”

Before Dick could reply, he was startled by the sound of squeaking, which his fear quickly realized when he looked to see a mouse at his feet.

“EEEEEEEKKK!!!” He let out a girlish scream, before he ran blindly around in circles and crashed into a wall, knocking himself out cold.

Fili look down at Dick Dover, before she shrugged and races off into the next floor.


Floors of Pain – Third Floor


“Who’s next?” Fili-Second challenged.

Standing across the room was Fili-Second’s final opponent who stands between her and Hum Drum. A portly, curly-haired boy, clad in paddings, of a baseball umpire.

“Wow! Congratulations!” The boy saluted. “You must be good! You’re the first to have reached my floor in a long time.”

“…Nah,” Fili shook her head. “To be honest, your friend Tom whacked himself real hard in the bread basket. And your friend, Dick, was scared of a little mouse. So…it’s been an easy victory.”

“Well then, your luck’s about to run out, because now you deal with me! Larry Dover!”

“Hey! All your last names are Dovers,” Fili-Second realized. “So, you guys are brothers? If so, what do you call yourselves? The Dover Bros? Or the Three Dovers?”

“Actually, we just call ourselves the Dover Boys,” Larry admitted, before he gets into a fighting stance. “Enough talk! Let’s dance!”

“No thanks. You’re not my type,” Fili kids, before she shrugged, “But if I must…”

Reaching into her hair, Fili-Second pulls out a boom box and plays a loud upbeat musical remix from the 70s.

Kung Fu Fighting Dance Remix


Caught off guard, Larry was dumbstruck, and found himself even more dumbfounded when Fili-Second zipped over to him, pulling him onto the floor, for a dance-off.

Needless to say, Fili-Second was dancing circles around Larry, as she quickly went from doing the moonwalk for one minute, then shimmy at the last second, does a flaring breakdance, and chaining it all into a reject dance step.

Larry tried to keep up with Fili-Second’s choreography. But he just wasn’t fast enough to keep up with the girl’s super speed. He fumbled with his two steps, which looked like three steps to him, he tripped over his own feet, until he finally, he was so dizzy, that he collapsed on the floor.

“Every…body…loves…Kung Fu…fighting…” Larry moaned with swirls in his eyes.

Once more, for the last time, the entrance to the next floor was left unguarded, and Fili-Second raced up to the rescue.


Floors of Pain – Final Floor


Upon arriving to the final room, Fili-Second at last found Hum Drum, tied to a chair, with Khan standing by his left, and the Golden Neko, on the right.

“FILI!” Hum Drum shouted.

“HI HUM DRUM!” Fili returned the greeting, before she snarled at Khan. “Okay, bad guy! Let my friend go or—“

“Not another step,” Khan threatened, as he pointed the alien girl’s attention to the floor, revealing a web of lasers. “Trip even a single line, the boy dies.”

To validate his threat, Khan pointed to Ken’s chair, revealing that it is in fact an electric chair, wired to kill Hum Drum via electroshock, if Fili trip one of the lasers.

“You big dumb meanie!” Fili-Second frowned in disgust.

“Fili, be careful!” Hum Drum cried, with so many of his sweat drops raining down from his head, to the floor.

Nevertheless, Fili-Second was several steps aside, as if time slowed down, from her perspective.

One of Hum Drum’s sweat drop was halfway  from touching the floor, when Fili-Second started to move through the laser grid. 

However, instead of tripping the lasers, Fili had pulled out a pair of mirrors in her hair, which she used to reflect and deflect the lasers away from her, and making sure none of them hits Ken, or Khan. 

While this is happening, Fili-Second was moving and grooving, as if she was doing the moonwalk, the Egyptian dance, and a bit of ballet, until she finally reached Hum Drum.

Putting her mirrors away, back into her hair, Fili-Second exchanged them for an arsenal of tools, from a screwdriver, a bolt cutter, a drill, even a hammer, which she used to expertly cut the wirings, while singing to herself a merry tune.

“🎶Cut the blue wire and not the brown!
Or you’ll blow up, the whole darn town.
🎵Cut the red wire to make your mom proud! Or you’ll end up in a MUSHROOM CLOUD!”

With that, Fili-Second was able to rescue Hum Drum, before she puts Khan in his place. As an added insult to injury, she speedily dumped a whole carton of chocolate flavored laxative into the man’s mouth.

After young Hum Drum was saved, Fili-Second turned her attention towards the Golden Neko, breaking it out from its glass containment, as both she and Hum Drum make their daring escape. Just as the sweat drop had splashed on the floor.

“What?” Khan exclaimed, upon realizing the sudden change of development, all in such a short amount of time.

The man finds himself, glued to the now disabled electric chair, in place of where Hum Drum was, with the he Golden Neko gone.

“What? How? Who? When? Where?” Khan exclaimed in denial, before he felt his stomach grumbling. “What…is this?”

“KHAN!” A loud voice boomed, to which Khan looked up with dread to see a tall, dark figure, clad in a suit of armor, glaring from a monitor screen, mounted on the ceiling.

“Master!” Khan greeted.

The man in the screen turned his head to the side, and was displeased to see the sacred Golden Neko was gone.

“The Golden Neko!” The master growled in a low, graveling voice. “Where is it?”





After the Golden Neko was recovered, and returned to the museum, both Hum Drum and Fili-Second were sitting on the roof, enjoying themselves to scoops of ice creams.

“We did a good job today, huh Fili?” Hum Drum asked. “Another score for the good guys. Though, no offense, but you were kinda cutting it a little too close for comfort, back there.”

“Yeah. But it worked, didn’t it?” Fili chirped. “And we took back the gold, and kicked some bad guys’ butts! So stop worrying.”

Unable to argue with that, Hum Drum nodded, “I guess you’re right,” He sighed, as he licks his cookie dough ice cream, before he clutched his head. “Oh! Brain freeze!” He cringed even harder when he felt a throbbing sensation on the spot, where he was struck. “Oh! Brain freeze and concussion combo…”

“Oh Ken,” Fili-Second giggled.
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 5 – Westtails – Zapp
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

”Attention Maretropolis High! The school’s club fair is now open. Starting today, after school, feel free to go out into the school’s gymnasium and find a club you are interested in joining. Thank you and have a nice day!”




Later that day, after their last class period, Ken and friends headed on down to the courtyard to find the place was packed with booths of clubs, looking for potential members.

Among the club booths, stood Brick and Boomer, dressed in detective outfits, while sponsoring for their latest club dubbed The Mystery Solvers Club.


Bulk and Skull Theme


“Listen up everyone!” Brick announced. “The Brick and Boomer’s Mystery Solvers Club is now accepting applications.” Brick tapped on the clipboard.

“Join us on our crusade to solve all the unsolved mysteries of Maretropolis,” Boomer spoke up. “Including who the Power Princesses and their boy wonder, really are!”

Ken’s eyes widened upon hearing the mission statement from the two jokers.

“A club dedicated to discovering the secret identities of our heroes?” May asked, expressing her interest.

“Sounds my kind of place!” Gwen agreed, much to Ken’s worry. “If it wasn’t run by those jokers,” Gwen huffed, which Ken breathed a sigh of relief.


End of theme


One of the last thing he wanted was for his friends to join a club, run by Brick and Boomer.

"So Ken?" Gwen began. "See anything you're interested in joining?"

“Hmmm, let’s see,” Ken looked around at all the club booths on display. “Wow, there’s so many to choose from…”

One club of interest is the Robotics Club, run by Aurelia Lightbringer.

“Come join the robotics club,” Aurelia welcomed. “Reserved only for geniuses.”

‘Uh, might want to check somewhere else,’ Ken thought, feeling greatly intimidated by Aurelia’s dominating attitude.

The second club of interest is the Chemistry Club, run by Nova Potts.

“Welcome to the Chemistry Club!” Nova welcomed with a fountain of rainbow liquids. “Come explore the artful pursuit of chemistry!”

“Ooh! Pretty!” Gwen marveled.

“I think we have a winner,” Ken commented, deciding to join Nova’s club, while checking out some more clubs to join.

There was a Cooking Club, a Sports Club, a Fencing Club, an Art Club, a Drama Club, a Music Club. Even an Animal Rescue Club, run by none other than Spruce Spanner.

“Maretropolis Animal Shelter needs lots of volunteers,” Spruce Spanner said, while handing out flyers. “Won’t you help an animal that can’t help itself?”

"Hey Spruce!" Ken greeted, as he and his posse walked up to the alien girl in disguise.

"Oh! Hi Ken!" Spruce smiled, holding out a flyer for the boy and his friends. "Are you interested in joining the Animal Rescue Club?"

"I'll join," Ken complied, before he turns to ask his friends for their opinions. "How about it, guys? You joining?"

"I'll join!" Thor volunteered as he joined Ken by his side. "I love animals, and I like to help them."

"Me too," May joined, as she joined the club. "I could even promote the club's activity on my Power Blog!"

"Well, if you're all joining, then I guess I'm in too," Gwen said, walking up to join her friends by their sides. Though, mostly Ken's as she clasped her hands around his arm, on his right.

"Hey Spruce," A voice greeted, revealing herself to be none other than Phoenix Dawn. "Good news! I just talked some other class–Oh! こんにちは友達 (Hello my friends)!” She greeted upon noticing Ken and friends.

“こんにちはフェニックス！” Thor returned the greeting. “Are you a member of the Animal Rescue Club, too?”

“Oh no,” Phoenix shook her head. “I’m just helping Spruce to promote her club. In fact, all I’ve been doing is helping all these clubs get more members…”

“Wow,  that’s very kind of you, Phoenix!” Gwen smiled in admiration.

“Even Brick and Boomer?” Ken asked, worryingly.

In response, Phoenix scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Like I’d help those two bakas unmask our heroes? After all the good they’ve done for our city?”

“Yeah, I know right?” Ken nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know,” May said out loud. “There are a lot of people in this city who would kill to expose the identity of our heroes.”

“Oh c’mon, there can’t be that many, right?” Spike scoffed.

“Well, first off, there’s our Mayor Verko, for one,” May pointed. “And then there’s a Mr. Buried Lede from the Daily Mendacium. And right about now, all the criminals running in the city, who are more than happy to peel back the masks off of—“

“Okay! Okay, I get it,” Ken replied, accepting his defeat. “I guess there are some people who would kill to expose our-their secret identities…but in case you know your superhero comics, a superhero’s got to keep their identities a secret, or it won’t be a secret anymore and…their loved ones will be in danger.”

“True,” May nodded. “But there have been times when it backfires greatly, like Spider-Man with the Green Goblin, who turns out to be Norman Osborn, the father of Peter Parker’s best friend.”

“Oh my goodness!” Spruce gasped in shock. “That must’ve been hard on Peter Parker.”

“It’s a heavy a responsibility,” Ken shook his head. “It’s the burden that comes with wearing a mask. You’re this seemingly normal person one moment, and then you’re someone else the next, and it’s like, your closest friends have become your enemies.”

“We all wear masks,” Phoenix said solemnly. “The question is: which is real? What hides our face, or if it is our face.”

“Wow, that’s deep!” Thor commented.

At that moment, Phoenix’s phone rang, which she then looked to see a notification on her electronic.

“Oh no. I’m late!” Phoenix exclaimed, before she took off. “I gotta get to Kirin’s Care to help my mom. さよなら(Sayonara)!”

“Sayonara!” Ken and friends waved their friend goodbye.

At that moment, a pair of hands reached out and covered Ken’s eyes, “Guess who?”

“Hey Aurora,” Ken guessed. “What’s up?”

“What’s up is up top,” Aurora pointed to the rooftop. “C’mon!”

Aurora was about to pull Ken away, when Gwen stopped them.

“W-Wait!” Gwen asked. “Where’re you going? Can we come too?”

“Uh, sorry, Gwen,” Ken apologized. “But this is something between me and Aurora…”

“Oh really?” Gwen asked suspiciously. “And what’s so important about it that you’re willing to ditch us?”

“I’m not ditching anyone!” Ken said in his defense. “I’ve just got a lot on my plate.”

“Not that I’m choosing sides, or anything, Ken, but… I’m with Gwen here,” Thor spoke up. “Ever since you started making friends with those six new girls, it’s like you’ve become a different person. We don’t get to see you that often anymore. And that’s not like you.”

Realizing what he’s doing to his friends and how it’s affecting them, Ken felt guilt ridden as he sighed, “I’m sorry, I…I didn’t know what I was doing to you guys, but I…”

“He’s helping us get more familiarize with this city,” Aurora said, coming to Ken’s rescue.

“Definitely!” Spruce joined in, helping Ken. “Ken’s been a terrific help! If not for him, we would be lost.”

“Oh? Really?” Gwen asked, starting to feel ashamed for jumping to a wrong conclusion. “I…I…”

“Anyway, I’ll see you later!” Ken said as he and Aurora quickly took their leave.



Later, out in the big city, once again, Ken suited up to become Hum Drum, patrolling the city, with the electrifying swordswoman, Zapp, by his side.

“I don’t feel good about this,” Hum Drum expressed his discomfort. “I’ve never lied in my whole life before. But here I am, lying to my friends, just to hide the fact I’m…Hum Drum?”

“Well, you’re the one who was feeling out about living the double life of a hero,” Zapp countered.

“I know, I know… But these past weeks, I’ve been under a lot… pressure, y’know? One moment, I’m just playing video games, reading comics, and walking Delilah. Next minute, I’m fighting bad guys, saving lives, and… Being a hero is hard work.”

“But it can be exciting,” Zapp reassured. “You wanna know how I do it?”

“How?”

“I just wing it. Trust me, Hum Drum. When you stop worrying and not overthink things, you’re living in the fast lane, with nothing weighing you down.”

“Uh huh,” Hum Drum noted. “So! What’s the agenda for today?” He asked, while mentally hoping, 'Please, not another wild goose chase for the Night Owl.'

"Well, as much as I'd like to hunt down that Night Owl and give her a night she'll never forget," Zapp snarled, with one of her eyes twitching. "Today, I just heard from the MPD's radio channel that they've been swamped with reports of 'street races' conducted by a gang who called themselves, the Westtails?"

"The Westtails," Hum Drum noted. "Ooh, these guys have been giving my dad and his police force a lot of griefs."

"Who are they?"

"They're modern greasers – men who grease their hairs back and members of a motorcycle gang. They're all about illegal underground races that can kill bystanders and destroy streets, and they've got a longstanding rivalry with the Longclaw Clan."

"The Longclaw Clan? As in that same cult of martial artist fanatics you and Fili-Second dealt with the other day?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Huh, wonder what their issues are?"

"I don't know. But I think we'll worry about that later. Let's go stop these guys before they tear up another street. Where's their race happening?"

"Uh, from what I heard, they're happening on the west side, so let's go!"

With that, Zapp unsheathed her sword, conjuring bolts of lightnings from the air, allowing her to surf and take flight, with Hum Drum following on his spring boots, and using his cape to glide.

"C'mon, Hum Drum!" Zapp called out to the young hero-in-training. "Keep up with me!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," Hum Drum replied.

"Try using your grappling hook!" Zapp advised. "Use it as a slingshot!"

"As a slingshot?" Hum Drum asked, before he gets the idea. "Oh!"

The boy reached into his utility belt and pulled out his grappling hook gun. Unfortunately, in the process, Hum Drum released his grip on his cape, causing him to cease his glide.

"Uh oh!" Hum Drum whimpered, before he began to fall from a ten-story height.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Hum Drum screamed, falling towards the street.

"Hum Drum!" Zapp shouted, making a sharp turn and makes a dive for the boy.

Hum Drum fumbled with his grappling hook gun, struggling to hold it properly to aim and pull the trigger. By the time Hum Drum finally got a hold of his gun, he was inches from hitting the pavement, when he felt a wave of shocking jolts that ran all over his body, making his hair stand on end.

He opened his eyes and looked to see that Zapp had saved him, and was carrying him in the air, bridal style.

"Oh Ken..." Zapp shook her head in annoyance.

"Uh...thank you?" Ken whimpered in embarrassment.

"Just...don't get too used to it, okay?" Zapp frowned. "This may be the last time I have to save you..."

Hum Drum nodded, looking ashamed of himself, as Zapp continued to carry him and her for the rest of their flight.





West Side of Maretropolis


Upon arriving at the west part of the city, Hum Drum and Zapp found a perch, atop the roof of a building, where they can survey the streets.

"Looks quiet," Zapp observed. "I'm guessing the race hasn't started yet."

"Great!” Hum Drum sighed, relieved that both he and Zapp possibly have time. “Then—“

“Hold on,” Zapp’s words were quickly eaten, when the sound of motorcycles roaring pierced the streets.

Before long, several motorcyclists were speeding down the streets, on their motorcycles, whooping and hollering at the top of their lungs.

Hum Drum and Zapp watched the chaotic race unfold, with the Westtails gang hardly showing any care or concern for the pedestrians. They deliberately raced through red lights, and often used innocent cars as obstacles, or means to hinder their opponents’ progress.

“These guys are all over the road!” Hum Drum frowned. “They’ll kill someone if we don’t stop them!”

“Then it’s juice and jam time!” Zapp said, with a spin of her sword, cracking thunder and lightning. “Let’s rock and roll!”

Live and Learn — Crush 40

Zapp swooped down and slashed her sword at the bikers, “HALT!” Zapp barked, firing lightning bolts from her sword.

But the bikers, however, hardly seemed faze. Instead, they took the opportunity to mock the Power Princess.

“Hey fellas! Look it!” One of the Westtails scoffed. “It’s the Night Owl’s girlfriend!”

Irked, Zapp shouted, “I’M NOT HER GIRLFRIEND!!!”

With an angry scream, Zapp focused her rage into her sword, channeling a surge of electricity to snatch the bikers’ motorcycles from underneath them.

“HEY! What the—“ The bikers watched in shock, emotionally speaking, as Zapp destroyed their bikes, right in front of their eyes. "Hey, lady! What gives?"

"This race is over!" Zapp repeated, with her sword pulsing with electricity.

"Over?" One of the bikers scoffed, before he pointed. "It's just getting started."

Zapp looked up, to see that more bikers were coming down the streets, followed by a stampede of automobiles, that appeared dented, bruised, and looked as if they've seen better days.

Among the Westtails, was a tall lanky, pal light green man, with thin mustaches, dressed in a purple suit, who happened upon a DeLorean car.

"A DeLorean," The man began, as he loudly proclaims, "I'll steal it! No one will ever know!"

With that, the man jumped into the driver's seat, closed the door, taking the DeLorean for himself, and took it out for a joyride, right when an old man in a lab coat, with a bruise on his head, and a young teenage boy, came walking out of a corner drug store.

"Alright, Marty, with these new pluto–WHAT THE!" The old man immediately dropped his shopping bags, when he noticed the DeLorean was missing. "Where'd the time machine go?"

Back in the fight, Zapp was slashing her swords, attempting to stop the other Westtail gangsters from going through with their race. But there were so many, and some of them had dismounted and overwhelmed her with their sheer number.

"ZAPP!" Hum Drum shouted, shooting his grappling hook to swing down and knock some of the thugs, off of his friend. "Zapp, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now," Zapp replied, before she turned her attention at the Westtails speeding away. "I'll go after the racers. You take care of the goons here!"

"Leave 'em to me!" Hum Drum said, as he unsheathed his retractible metal bo staff, while Zapp took off on a lightning bolt, to chase the other racers. "Okay boys! Bring it!"

The Westtail goons all charged in, throwing punches and kicks at Hum Drum, who retaliated with a spin of his metal staff, he blocked and counterattacked some of the surrounding thugs' attacks. Ken twisted his body for a low sweep, to trip a thug off his feet, causing him to fall flat on his face. With a jump, Hum Drum leapt to the air and slammed his staff onto the downed thug. Just then, gunfires were heard, to which a startled Hum Drum proceeded to duck his head and roll himself to safety, away from the firing gunshots, ducking behind a car.

Once the gunfires stopped, Hum Drum cautiously looked through a car's smashed window to see that the thug was reloading his gun, giving Hum Drum an open window of opportunity. Reaching into his utility belt, Hum Drum pulled out his Nerf Gun and used it to fire an elephant toothpaste bullet, at the thug's face, exploding into a mess of colorful foams, upon impact.

"AH! What the hell is this stuff?" The thug groaned, dropping his gun. "It stings!"

With the thug blinded, Hum Drum jumped in and slammed his metal bo staff hard on the thug's head, knocking him out cold.

With one less thug to worry about, Hum Drum turned his attention on the remaining Westtails he needed to contend with.

During the fight, Zapp would make some occasional calls on his communicator.

“Yo, Hum Drum!” Zapp called. “Talk to me! How are ya doing?”

“These guys aren’t so tough without their rides,” Hum Drum commented. “But they’ve got guns!”

“I don’t know where I am,” Zapp replied. “But I’ll see you down the road! I gotta stop these racers first, before they hurt someone!”

“Do what you have to do, Zapp!” Hum Drum replied. “I’ll try not to die…hopefully.”

Once the call ended, Hum Drum resumed fighting the surrounding Westtails thugs.

“C’mon, enough already!” Hum Drum frowned.

Some of the thugs continue to charge in, throwing kicks and punches at Hum Drum, while others hang back to provide cover for their comrades, by firing their guns at Hum Drum.

Again, Hum Drum had to move fast, ducking behind parked cars, newspaper stands, and mailboxes, to avoid being shot.

“C’mon, he’s just a kid!” One of the thugs spatted. “Get him!”

Hum Drum was hiding behind a car, frantically trying to come up with a new strategy.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a stone breaking upon impact, and a man groaning in pain.

“Huh? Marv?” One of the thugs asked in concern. “How many fingers am I holding?”

Hum Drum poked his head from his hiding spot to see that one of the thugs was hit on the head, by what appears to be a block of bricks.

Before long, another brick came falling down on the Westtails, followed by another and another.

Hum Drum looked up, adjusting his mask lens, zooming in to see a girl, somewhere around his age, with scruffy magenta hair, in a black hoodie and green cargo pants, was throwing bricks on the Westtails, from the rooftop of a three story building.

Using the distraction to his advantage, Hum Drum proceeded to finish off some of the thugs who’ve been hit by the bricks, while the others were shooting their guns in vain at the young girl, on the rooftop.

During the fight, however, Hum Drum was accidentally hit on the head by a brick, which knocked him into a silly daze.

Poor Ken couldn’t help himself but see stars and tweety birds dancing around his head. To further his temporary loss of sanity, the young hero-in-training was skipping down the streets, to the tunes of Tales From Vienna Woods, playing in his head.

Upon coming across a lamppost, Hum Drum held his arms out to spin himself back to where he came from.

Still in his daze, Hum Drum turned to a bruised and battered thug.

“Hello there!” He greeted.

Snapping out of his stupor, the thug grabbed Hum Drum by his cape, throwing his hand out for a punch. But Hum Drum, still dizzy, ducked his head, causing the thug to swing himself off balance.

Making sure she wouldn’t hit him again, the girl on the roof carefully aimed another brick, hitting it directly on the thug’s head.

With that, the thug was knocked just as silly, as he and Hum Drum danced for a moment, before they fell on the street, with Hum Drum left standing, in his stupor.

Just then, several bikers and cars came speeding around a corner.

Zapp was giving chase, when she saw Hum Drum, in the path of the racers.

“HUM DRUM!” Zapp screamed.

“Huh?” Hum Drum came to his senses, just in time to see the speeding racers coming at him. “YIPE!“

With his life flashing before his eyes, Hum Drum leapt to the side, narrowly evading the oncoming vehicles.

“Whoa, that was close…” Hum Drum exclaimed.

“Too close,” Zapp said, when she came for a landing. “You okay, Hum Drum?”

“Aside from a bump on the head,” Hum Drum rubbed the inflicted spot on his head. “I’m okay. I took out these goons, with some help.” He pointed up, directing Zapp’s attention to the young girl, on the rooftop.

Upon realizing she was seen, the girl crouched down, behind a wall. But Zapp and Hum Drum both flew up to meet the girl, regardless.

“Hey,” Zapp greeted the girl. “My friend told me you helped him taking out some of the Westtails!”

“I was trying to hit them,” The girl said, turning to Hum Drum with a faint blush. “Sorry for the friendly fire.”

“Apology accepted,” Hum Drum replied, rubbing his head. “Though, you’ve got a good throw. You a baseball player?”

“Yeah, actually,” the girl confirmed. “I was a pitcher in the Little Wolf team. But I’m a huge fan of the Maretime Bay baseball team!”

“Good to know.”

“Yeah, good to know,” Zapp commented. “Anyway, thanks for the help, kid.”

“Scootaloo!” The girl introduced herself. “Name’s Scootaloo.”

“…Right, Scootaloo,” Zapp acknowledged. “Anyway, we got this. Appreciate the help, but we’ll stop those Westtails.”

“Then you gotta bring me along,” Scootaloo persisted.

“It’s too dangerous!”

“But I know where they’re hiding out!”

This caught both Hum Drum and Zapp’s attentions.




Westtail Gang’s Hideout — Maretropolis JunkyardKamen Rider Horobi Theme


Hum Drum, Zapp, and their new friend, Scootaloo, have arrived at a junkyard, where rusted, broken down cars are being crushed, melted, and scrapped by the machinery.

“Whoa,” Zapp exclaimed. “What a dump!”

“It’s how they liked it,” Scootaloo explained. “They even got a stadium, over there, across those scrapped semi trucks,” She pointed to the said remains of trucks. “That’s also where their race is going to end.”

“Then that’s also where we finish them off!” Zapp said, eagerly spinning her sword, cracking the air with thunder and lightning.

“Mind if I get a front seat?” Scootaloo asked.
“I wouldn’t want to miss this!”

Hum Drum and Zapp both turn to each other and look, exchange a shrug.

“Not to turn you down, but why do you want to stop these crooks so badly?” Hum Drum asked. “Don’t get me wrong. Just about everyone wants these jerks put away, but you seem to have it personal.”

Scootaloo took a deep breath, before she answered, “These creeps have been harassing my aunts at their cafe for some time now! I just want to stop them and put them in their places!”

“You’ve got moxie, kid,” Zapp complimented. “I like that.”

Just then, a commotion was heard, alerting the trio of the returning Westtails.

“Let’s do this!” Zapp smirked, with her sword at the ready.

In a crack of lightning, Zapp took to the air, surfing on a lightning bolt, and unleashed a storm of lightning bolts upon the racing Westtails, and being down mountains of scrapped cars on the road.

“That is so cool!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.

“Look out!” Hum Drum shouted, ducking both himself and Scootaloo down, after being an inch away from getting zapped.

“Hey, Zapp!” Hum Drum called. “Watch the friendly fire!”

Back in the fight, Zapp was swooping down in the Westtails, who have gotten out of their rides, and opened fire on the lightning girl.

Unfortunately, for them, Zapp was moving too fast, and slashed her sword, repelling their bullets away from her, sending waves of lightning bolts to add the intensity.

“Is that all you got?” Zapp scoffed, before she threw her sword at the Westtails, which spins like a boomerang, cutting down the Westtails, and the surrounding junk loads, before coming back to her.

Then, as if to show off another of her skills, Zapp spun herself into a tornado, firing rapid bolts of lightning in every directions as she cuts even more of the Westtails vehicles, like a buzz saw to trees.

“This is so cool!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly. “She’s winning! She’s got them on the run!”

However, it wasn’t meant to last. After a moment of spinning, Zapp stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She could hardly hold Thunderer up to her head.

Worried, Hum Drum shouted his concern to his friend, “Zapp! Zapp! What’s the matter?”

“Just…need…to…recharge…” Zapp panted heavily.

Upon seeing their opportunity to strike back, the Westtails quickly regrouped and charged in on the worn out Power Princess.

The thugs picked up whatever part remains of their destroyed rides, from a tire, to a beat up pipe, they swung their weapons at Zapp, who proceeded to fight back to defend herself with her sword.

But without her precious electric powers, the Power Princess wasn’t putting much power into the fight than she was before. And the growing numbers of the Westtails was starting to overwhelm her.

"We have to help her!" Scootaloo said frantically, while turning to Hum Drum, seeing he was already struggling to pry a car's hood open. "What are you doing?"

"Zapp needs power! She needs to recharge!" Hum Drum explained as he pried the hood of the car open, and proceeded to unplug the car's battery. "She needs a new battery!"

Once the electric box was unplugged from the car’s engine, Hum Drum proceeded to carry the battery to Zapp, who was barely holding off against the Westtails.

The sword wielding Power Princess was panting heavily, with her body covered in bumps, bruises, and scratches shown through the tears on her uniform.

Zapp slashed her sword to block a pipe swing from a thug, while kicking another thug away, but received a hit to the thigh, from a chain whip.

“Zapp!” Hum Drum called to the girl. “I’ve got something for you!”

With a swing of his arm, Hum Drum threw the car battery towards Zapp, who caught the box, in on hand, and absorbed what little electricity was left. With that, Zapp electrocuted some of the attacking Westtails, before she was drained of her powers.

“I need more power!” Zapp said, resuming the fight.

“AAAAAHHH!!!” A cry came from Scootaloo, which Hum Drum turned around and looked, to see the girl was held by a tall, brutish thug. “Put me down you big bully!”

Firing a grappling hook from his gun, Hum Drum hooked the other end of the line, onto the hood of a car, and with a click, he zipped himself towards the thug, landing a strong kick to the face, knocking the hulking man’s teeth out. Before the man had time to recover, he was suddenly electrocuted by Hum Drum, who jabbed a stun gun onto his neck.

Completely fried, the thug collapsed onto his knee and was out like a bulb.

“Thanks for the save!” Scootaloo thanked Hum Drum.

“No problem!” At that moment, a bulb lit up in Hum Drum’s head.

“Why didn’t I think of this?” With his stun gun in hand, Hum Drum ran towards Zapp, “Hey Zapp! Will this be enough watts?”

Hum Drum threw his stun gun to Zapp, who caught it, and absorbed the high voltage contained in the gun.

Fortunately, the stun gun packs enough electricity to fully recharge Zapp, who takes to the air, in a flurry of an electric storm.

“Alright punks!” Zapp pointed, raising her sword up. “You’re done tearing up the streets, with your psychotic and brainless street race! It ends NOW!”

With a swing of her sword, the sky above Zapp cracked with thunder and lightning, as she directed it all, onto the frightened Westtails, who scattered and hide themselves among the wreckage of the destroyed vehicles.

“Mark my words! If I hear any of you doing another illegal race, or harassing any innocent people again, you’re going to hear it from me! IS THAT CLEAR?”

To frighten to answer, the Westtails simply nodded their heads, while cowering beneath the wreckage, and huddled together.

With that, the battle was over, and the trio were on their way out.

End of fight





That night, after defeating the Westtails, and taking Scootaloo home to her aunts, both Hum Drum and Zapp sat on a rooftop, having ice creams, to toast another day’s work.

"Cheers!" Hum Drum and Zapp said, clinking their ice creams together.

“Your swordsmanship is a sight to behold,” Hum Drum complimented.

“You’re really getting the hang of it with that slingshot technique,” Zapp returned.

“Then, you think I have what it takes to be a Harmonus Defender, like you gals?” Hum Drum asked eagerly.

“You’re getting there, Hum Drum,” Zapp smirked. “But I will say this. You’re getting 20% cooler each day.”

"Yoo-hoo~" A sultry voice taunted, to which Zapp cringed as she and Hum Drum turned to see a familiar owl-themed master thief, perched on a rooftop.

"Uh oh..." Hum Drum muttered, knowing what comes next.

"THERE SHE IIIIIIIS!" Zapp screamed, already giving chase after the Night Owl. "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU KISS MY SWORD!"
> The Gangs of Maretropolis Part 6 – Reapers – Masked Matter Horn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away…

The young princess, Adora, had returned to Etheria, after a brief reunion with her parents, and long-lost twin brother, Prince Adam. However, upon returning, both she and Adam found Etheria in utter chaos. Knowing what to do, the two siblings immediately unsheathed their swords.

"By the power of Grayskull!" Adam hollered, followed by a chorus singing.

He-Man!

Following her brother's example, Adora unsheathed her sword and announced in a booming voice, “For the Honor of Grayskull!”

With that, Adora was bathed in a shower of sparkles, as her transformation took effect, accompanied by a chorus, singing:

She-Ra, She-Ra! She-Ra~





“I am She-RAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” She-Ra announced loudly, from a TV.

"I have the POWEEEEEEEEEER!!!" He-Man too announced boomingly, alongside his twin sister.

On a Friday night, watching the TV, next to a sleeping Ken Heathspike, is Trots Summers. The alien heroine leader has been binge watching the movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword for the umpteenth time, and it was past midnight, when Ken, Delilah, and the rest of the Power Princesses have all fallen asleep in the boy’s room.

Trot Summers hardly noticed how weary and sore her eyes were becoming, after long hours of watching the TV, at night.

‘Wow,' Trot Summers thought in admiration. 'This entertainment show teaches so many valued morals to the young viewers!’

“Trot…go to sleep,” Ken pleaded, drowsily picking up a remote controller and turning the TV off.

"Aw, Ken!" Trots whined. "It was just about to get to the good part!"

"You've seen it like about a hundred times already! You've already seen the good part," Ken yawned. "It's 2:05 AM! Go to sleep..."

"2:05?"

When Trot turned to look at the clock on Ken's nightstand, she realized the boy was right. It was 2 hours past midnight.

"Oops. Hehe," Trot blushed as she got under the cover with Ken. "Sorry Ken. I was really into that show. Etheria reminded me of Harmonus, and She-ra reminded me of...of...Queen Celestia..." Depressed, Trots sighed upon remembering her late queen, and mentor.

It has been what must've been a month or so, since the Power Princesses have crash landed on Earth. But for Trot, she still remembered it like it was days ago, when the evil galactic warlord, Sombra, launched an attack on Harmonia, with the intent of enslaving the Harmonians and capture Trot Summer and her fellow Harmonia Defenders, to use their powers for the purpose of conquering one galaxy to the next.

The young alien heroines barely escaped. The evil warlord would've captured them, had it not been the heroic sacrifice of Queen Celestia. Trot Summers couldn't help but cry herself to sleep, as she recalls the last remaining moments she had of her beloved queen, before she died.

"Go, my little warriors!" Queen Celestia's words echoed. "Keep going! Don't look back!"

"But...Queen Celestia!" Young Twilight Nova cried.

"Twilight! Be brave...make me proud."

With that, the brave and wise Queen Celestia thrusted herself between Warlord Sombra's fleet, and her escaping pupil and friends.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Back in present time, Trot Summers's eyes were flooded with waterfalls of tears. The young former princess-to-be and leader of the Defenders struggled to fight the urge to cry out loud. Instead, she clenched her teeth hard, swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, all to keep her crying contained. But her tears did leave their eyes. In her depressing sleep, she wrapped her arms around something warm and soft, holding it close to her body. Hugging it with all her might.





The next morning, Ken woke up to find himself smothered into Trot Summer's chest. Ken blushed a crimson shade of red, as he wriggled his head free from the girl's grip, allowing him to breathe.

‘Wow!’ Ken gasped. ‘I was this close to being suffocated to death, and blood loss…' Of course, for a boy his age, his hormone took over, and he thought, 'Then again, she’s got a nice pair of-NO!’ Ken shook his head, rationally clearing his head of any perverted thoughts. ‘Mom taught you better than that, Ken! Don’t think like that!’

Trot let out a yawn, before she woke up and saw the position both she and Ken were in.

“Oh! Good morning, Ken,” Trot greeted. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” Ken yawned. “Only after you stopped watching She-Ra.”

“Well, what can I say?” Trot giggled. “For a TV series of motion pictures, by your earthling standard, it was like looking at a fellow Harmonus Defender...”

“Speaking of which,” Ken began as he got out of bed, and looks down to see empty sleeping bags. “Looks like your fellow defenders are already off on their patrols."

Ken looked back up at Trot Summers and noticed her eyes have been brighten to shades of pinks.

"Are you okay?" Ken asked.

"Huh? I'm fine," Trot replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, your eyes looked like...have you been crying?"

"Uh...no, not at all," Trot shook her head, as she stammered. "The TV...watching it...in the dark, hurts my eyes. Silly me," She smiled sheepishly.

Ken wasn't buying Trot's smiling facade. He cold tell by her uncharacteristic stammer and the way she brushed off his question, clearly shows she's trying to hide something. Still, he decided to let it slide as both he and Trot got out of the bed.

"Let’s get ourselves cleaned up and meet up at the Bucking Bronco Diner for breakfast,” Ken suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” Trot said, as she opened up the window and took her leave.

But not before she gave Ken a quick parting gift, “See you there, Ken!” Leaning close, Trot gave Ken a quick kiss on the cheek, before she took her leave.

Ken was rendered in another loving daze, putting his hand on the spot where Trot had kissed him.

Delilah, the Heathspike’s family dog, happened to walk in, and she had seen the whole romantic scene unfold, between Ken and Trot.

“Hmmm,” Delilah smirked. “Quite the smooth operator, aren’t you?”

Ken was too lovestruck to respond. Instead, he just nodded, with the goofy expression frozen on his face.





Later


After cleaning himself up and changing into a new set of clothes for the day, Ken took Delilah out for a walk, in the big city, before they arrived at his cousin's Bucking Bronco Diner. Once inside, it didn't take long for Ken to find Trot Summers, sitting at a table, waving for him.

"Hey Trot!" Ken greeted. "Sorry if I was late. Hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Not at all, Ken," Trot smiled. "You're just in time to order for breakfast."

"Hey cousin!" Megan Williams greeted, when she came over. "Oh! You didn't tell me you were dating someone," The girl smirked towards her cousin.

"What?" Following his cousin's teasing gaze, Ken realized what she was getting at and blushed, "We're not on a date! We’re just friends, who are…getting breakfast…together.”

“Which essentially means you are dating,” Megan teased her cousin. “And besides, you didn't even deny she was your girlfriend~”

“Just take our orders,” Ken moaned, while Trot giggled at the exchange between the two cousins. “I’d like to have some large fries, extra crispy.”

“Got it,” Megan smiled, taking note of Ken’s order. “And you?” She asked Trot.

“This beyond burger sounds delicious,” Trot pointed to the said sandwich, on the menu.

“Coming right up,” With that, Megan took her leave for the kitchen.

"Oh! And some doggy treats for Delilah too," Ken reminded, which Megan flashed a wink his way.

While waiting on their orders, Trot took the time to hum a catchy tune of She-Ra’s song, from the 80’s, to herself.

“You know, Trot,” Ken began. “If you like She-Ra from the 80’s, then you’ll definitely like her in today’s adaptation.”

"In today's adaption?" Trot asked.

"Yeah. A lot of people who have watched the show have said a lot of good reviews about it," Ken confirmed.

"Really? Have you seen it then?"

"Yeah, lots of times with Megan, Danny, and Molly, whenever they came to visit me," Ken then leaned in closer to whisper into Trot's ear, "But between you and me, I think Danny's got a schoolboy crush on Catra."

"Catra?" Trot asked with piqued interest. "But...isn't she one of the villains working for Hordak?"

"Well, yeah, that's one defining trait about her, in both adaptions," Ken lectured. "But in the 2018 reboot, Catra was written as a more complex character, and a 'friendly' history with Adora."

"How so?" Trot asked.

"I can't tell you," Ken smirked, crossing his arms.

"Why not?"

"Because, that'd be spoiling. And I'm no Tom Holland."

"Fine."

"If you ask me," Delilah grumbled. "They should've make a dog-themed heroine. That'd be a lot better than a cat," The Dalmatian huffed, blowing a raspberry in disgust about cats.

"Oh Delilah," Ken and Trot both chuckled at the Dalmatian.

It wasn't long, when Megan came and brought the two heroes their meal. By then, Ken and Trot continued with their discussion.

"Still, I'm rather fascinated to the story of She-Ra and her brother, He-Man," Trots said wholeheartedly. "Their mother was from Earth, when she came to Eternia. She fell in love and married King Randor, and gave birth to Prince Adam and Princess Adora."

"Unfortunately, both Adam and Adora were separated at birth, when Hordak and the Horde invaded Eternia," Ken added. "Hordak kidnapped Adora and trained her to be a Force-Captain in the Horde, alongside Catra, and some other villains."

"But despite everything, and with help from the Sorceress of Grayskull, Prince Adam was able to find his long-lost sister, and together, they became two of the greatest heroes in the universe, He-Man and She-Ra!" Trot Summers concluded enthusiastically.

Ken couldn't help but chuckle at the Harmons Defender's admiration. It was then, that he remembered the comment Trot once made, last night.

"...and She-ra reminded me of...of...Queen Celestia..."

"So, Trot," Ken began. "I hope it's not a hard topic to ask, but...about Queen Celestia."

"Huh?" Trot asked, with all good feelings of relief and enthusiasm drained. "What about her?" She asked, uneasily.

"Well...last night, you mentioned that She-Ra reminded you a lot of...your queen," Ken began. "So, just asking, how so?"

Before Trot Summers could answer, both she and Ken were interrupted when a breaking new was loudly announced on the TV.

"Breaking news from Maretropolis's central plaza," A news reporter announced. "Several civilians have been found sick and in critical conditions, the result of a contaminated water fountain. The police are currently investigating the cause of the contaminations. Medical experts are advising the civilians to stay clear of the area."

The breaking news ended on that note, leaving Ken and Trot to exchange looks and nods, knowing that they've got a job to do. Ken quickly reached into his pocket, pulls out his wallet and hurriedly puts some dollar bills and coins on the table, as both he and Trot made a hasty dash towards the front door. At the same time, both Ken and Trot picked up their breakfasts and continued to eat them, on the way out.

"Keep the change Meg!" Ken called out, as he and Trot raced past a baffled Megan.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Megan asked.

Delilah was about to follow Ken and Trot, when she stopped and noticed a suspicious, but familiar, person across the street. Maretropolis High's former science teacher, Hoofenshmirtz, carrying a box of equipment, while checking to make sure he wasn't being followed.

"What the devil is that man up to?" Delilah asked, deciding to follow the mad scientist.





Once again, Ken and Trot suited up to become Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn, and were on their way towards Maretropolis's Central Plaza, eating breakfast on the way.

"Ugh, I hate to just eat and run," Hum Drum moaned, as he munches on his fries, while spring-jumping and gliding on the way.

"Just try not to overdue it, Ken," Masked Matter-Horn lectured, while eating her beyond burger. "But we better hurry. Also, I really like your cousin's cookings! A meal this delicious should be against the law!"

In response, Ken laughed, "If it is, then you wouldn't be eating right now. And my cousin would be in jail for that. You want that to happen?"

Masked Matter-Horn laughed in response, until both she and Hum Drum arrived at the scene. Upon arrival, the scene they found disturbed them greatly. Nothing but black tar has been spewing out of the fountain and people surrounding it seem to be sick of some sorts.

The area was surrounded with yellow tapes as the police officers were keeping the civilians clear of the contamination, while doctors were checking up on the afflicted. Leading the investigation stood a familiar police officer, from the other day, when Ken was investigating the museum with Fili-Second, Shining Armor.

"Officer Shining Armor!" Ken greeted the officer.

"Ah, if it isn't the city's newest superheroes," Shining Armor greeted, focusing on Masked Matter-Horn. "Masked Matter-Horn, was it?"

"At your service, officer," Masked bowed politely, before she asked, "So, what's the situation?"

"Well, as you can see, a lot of people are sick from drinking the waters from that fountain, over there," Shining explained, pointing to the said fountain.

"What kind of symptoms are they experiencing?"

"So far, strokes, seizures, dehydration, and I'm no doctor, rabies? Add them all up together, and what've you got?"

"Rabies?" Ken asked.

"Well, foaming mouth has become the latest symptoms from the victims," Shining Armor pointed, to a patient, covered in blankets, on a flatbed, frothing with white foam from his mouth.

"Hmmm," Turning her attention to the water fountain, Masked Matter-Horn turned to Shining and asked, "You say the contamination came from that fountain?"

"Yes, I did," Shining nodded.

"Mind if we investigate?" The leading alien heroine asked. "I think we can pinpoint the source, if we can identify the substance of the contamination."

"Do what you must," Shining granted. "I mean, you're both superheroes for a reason, right?"

Masked Matter-Horn couldn't help but chuckle at Shining Armor's comment, before she and Ken proceeded to investigate.

"He's quite the decent kind of officer, isn't he?" Trot asked.

"Yeah, my dad always says Shining Armor's an upright kind of guy," Ken replied. "He's really focused at his work, and he's very knowledgeable about all the organized crimes in the city. And like my dad, he wants to make the world a better place."

Smiling to herself, Masked Matter-Horn turned to give Shining Armor one last look of admiration, before she and Ken resumed their attention on the investigation at hand.

First, Ken turned on the fountain's faucet, which squirted up – not water – but a strange black liquid from the pipe.

"Stand back, Hum Drum," Masked Matter-Horn cautioned, as she reaches for her belt and pulls out a small glass tube to take a sample of the liquid.

With the sample in hand, Matter-Horn proceeded to take a device from her belt, which she uses to upload the sample, to run an analysis. Before long, the machine finished analysis. Both Ken and Trot were shocked to find what the result was.

"I should've known," Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed. "It's the same black tar from before! From the docks and..."

"The Reapers!" Ken exclaimed, catching on.

"Reapers?" Shining Armor asked, having overheard the heroes' discovery. "As in the same group of anarchists? Red hood? Skull motifs, and guns?"

"That's the one," Hum Drum confirmed. "And it looks like they're up to their old tricks again."

"What makes you say that?" Shining Armor asked. "I've known many criminal organizations in this city, and the Reapers are supposed to be as mysterious than the looks on their faces."

"Let's just say a few nights ago, we've had the unpleasantry of seeing their handiworks up close and personal, down at the docks," Masked Matter-Horn explained.

"And if this water fountain is contaminated with their black tar, then they must be poisoning more water sources all over the city, elsewhere!" Hum Drum added. "We have to track them down and stop them!"

"But first thing's first," Masked Matter-Horn quickly tapped a button on the wrists of her suits, activating the comm to call one of the other Power Princesses. "Saddle Rager! Do you hear me? This is Masked Matter-Horn. The Reapers are at it again. Me and Hum Drum are going to track them down and stop them. But first, we need you to work on another batch of the antidote to their black tar. And hurry!"

"Of course, Matter-Horn," Spruce replied. "I'll get right on it, as soon as I return to the ship," With that, Spruce ended the call.

"That'll take care of the black tar and everyone who are sick," Ken began. "Which leaves us the problem of the Reapers. Where do we even begin to look for them?"

Both Ken and Trot began to ponder, before Shining Armor shared his thoughts, "If I may," The police officer began. "But if I were part of a clan of deranged anarchist, poisoning waters, to poison an entire city, then the first place I would go would be a large supply of water."

Hum Drum's eyes immediately lit up, when he realized where the officer was getting at.

"The water district!" Hum Drum exclaimed. "Maretropolis's Water District! It's close to the coastal shores of East Maretropolis."

"East Maretropolis does have a prominent fishing grounds," Shining Armor added. "I'll notify some officers in the area to keep a look out for any other contaminations, in the sewer, or at the dock. We can't let anymore of it spread into the ocean, if it hasn't already."

"Then that's where we're going to stop the Reapers!" Masked Matter-Horn stated. "C'mon, Hum Drum."

Before the two heroes could leave, Officer Shining Armor asked, "Hey, would it be alright for you superheroes that I tag along? I know the city well, like the back of my hand. And if you're going up against these Reapers, you're going to need some backup."

"Hmm, what do you say, Matter-Horn?" Hum Drum asked.

Masked Matter-Horn didn't waste another second to think, "We'll need all the help we can get. Let's go and stop those Reapers!"

The heroes were about to leave, when Hum Drum looked around and noticed someone was missing, "Hey! Where's Delilah?" He asked.





Meanwhile, with Delilah
Doofenshmirtz's Evil Inc. Jingle


After a long walk, Hoofenshmirtz arrived at, what appeared to be, an ordinary office building. Once there, he entered the elevator and rode up to the top floor, where he walked into a fully stocked laboratory.

"OK," Hoofenshmirtz grunted, putting down the heavy box of supplies he had been carrying. "Now, it's time for me to finish my latest, evil invention: the Water Evaporator-inator! With this device, I shall evaporate any bodies of water I choose, convert them into air, then suck them out of the air, and collect them into this tank, where they are condensed into liquid water, which I will then sell to all the thirsty customers in Maretropolis!"

"What a farfetched and ludicrous plan you have concocted, Hoofenshmirtz," A female British accent scoffed.

"Huh? Says who?" Hoofenshmirtz turned around and looked to see Delilah standing by the doorway of the elevator. "Hey. Who let a dog in?"

"I let myself in, you crazy wild-eyed scientist," Delilah barked, shocking the man.

"WHA-!" Hoofenshmirtz screamed, falling back and knocking some of his tools off his table. "Y-Y-You talked!"

"Well, the doc's become a detective."

"I knew it. I knew I heard you talk!" Hoofenshmirtz frowned. "The police thought I was crazy. They thought I was deranged and I got sacked by the school!"

"Well, can you blame them?" Delilah rolled her eyes. "I mean, you were fished out of the sea. Some might say you've been drinking the sea waters."

"It was CRABS!" Hoofenshmirtz shuddered, experiencing the willies. "The cursed crustaceans and their diabolical pincers! I'll never forget how hard they pinched!" Getting back on topic, Hoofenshmirtz sneered, putting his hands to his sides and gloated, "Well, now that you are here, dog. I–"

"It's Delilah."

"What?"

"My name is Delilah."

"Pleasure to make your acquaint–No!" Hoofenshmirtz shook his head as he resumed his angry stare. "It's time for my revenge! Time to die, Delilah the Dalmatian!"

"Bring it, Hoofenshmirtz!"

With a bark and a sprint of her legs, Delilah leapt at the madman, who narrowly avoided the dog's attack, before he stepped on a red button, on the floor, causing a cage to fall on Delilah.

"Hahaha! Now look who's in the dog house!" Hoofenshmirtz mocked as he lets out an evil laugh.





Meanwhile, back with the heroes


Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn soon arrived at Maretropolis's Water District, with Officer Shining Armor tagging along. The alien super heroine, and the young hero-in-training, were scaling the walls, looking for a vent to sneak their way in, which they eventually found.

"Okay Officer Shining Armor! We're in," Masked Matter-Horn called the police officer. "In just a few minutes, Hum Drum and I should rendezvous with you at the front entrance to let you in."

"Just be careful in there," Officer Shining Armor advised. "I'd go myself, but y'know...not a superhero. Just your average kind of police officer..."

"Don't talk yourself down like that, Officer!" Masked Matter-Horn replied. "I understand your sense of feeling inferiority. And I'm sorry if my fellow defenders and I made you feel that way. But the city needs you. You're all an important and integral part of law enforcement to keep the peace in the community you serve."

"Ha!" Shining Armor scoffed. "Tell that to the mayor. I tell you, we're dangerously understaffed. Ever since we've had to let go some of our officers who were in cahoots with some criminal masterminds, who had them on their paychecks."

"It's true," Hum Drum confirmed to Masked Matter-Horn. "Ever since dad-I mean, Captain Heathespike took over, he was disgusted to find so many corrupt officers, more than I could count on my fingers."

"And the only officers left are the ones who are the diligent enough to doing their jobs, correctly," Shining Armor added. "Anyway, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I'm really glad the city could have fine outstanding individuals, like you two."

"We're all just doing our part to make this world a better place, officer," Hum Drum replied.

"And hopefully, we can extend that to the entire galaxy," Masked Matter-Horn added.

From the other side of the comm, Shining Armor simply laughed heartedly, before he replied, "The sky's the limits. Now let's focus on stopping some criminals."

After the heart-to-heart talk was out of the way, the heroes resumed their focus on the mission at hand. Once inside, both Masked Matter-Horn and Hum Drum navigated their way to the front doors, unlocking the doors to let Shining Armor in.

Afterwards, Shining Armor lead the heroes throughout the water district. True to his words, the officer knew his way around the facility, as if he has a map drawn in his head.

"You sure seemed to know your way around here, officer," Masked Matter-Horn commented.

"I once worked here as a security guard," Shining Armor explained. "That was before Verko came to the city and weaseled his way to the top of the political ladder and became mayor."

Before the conversation could continue, they heard commotions, coming from another room, at the end of a hallway, around the corner. The heroes and police officer hurried into the room, and sure enough, found the hooded masked anarchists, at the controls, with several more on patrols, guarding the perimeter, carrying guns.

"The Reapers!" Hum Drum alerted quietly.

Masked Matter-Horn turned to Officer Shining Armor and advised him, "Wait here."

"Hell no," Shining Armor denied. "It's gonna take all of us to get past them."

Looking around at his surrounding, analyzing the situation, Officer Shining Armor was able to formulate a plan as he explain to the two heroes.

"Hey kid," He said to Hum Drum. "You're small. You can fit into this vent," He pointed to the vent on the floor. "It will take you into the control room, past those guards. Once inside, you knock out the Reapers at the controls, while Masked Matter-Horn and I will keep the guards distracted."

"Sounds like a plan."

With that, Hum Drum proceeded to follow through Shining Armor's plan of attacks. In the meantime, Masked Matter-Horn and Shining Armor both exchanged nods before the alien super heroine made her first move.

Masked Matter-Horn conjured a blast of ice beam, from her mentally projected horn. Masked Matter-Horn caught both Reapers by surprise, who were so startled that they fumbled with their guns, just as they were frozen into blocks of ice by Masked Matter-Horn.

"Now that's how you freeze," Shining Armor joked, chuckling at his bad joke. "Get it? Because us police officers always say freeze, but..." One unamused look from Masked Matter-Horn was enough to shut the officer up. "Well, I thought it was clever," He sighed.

In the meantime, the Reapers from inside the control room were startled by the commotion outside. Before they could reach for their guns, a blur of purple and red came bursting from a vent, on the floor, swinging a metal staff that hits the surprised Reapers on the back of their heads, knocking them unconscious.

Masked Matter-Horn and Shining Armor soon entered the control room, to which Hum Drum confirmed, "They're down and out, and out cold!"

Officer Shining Armor chuckled in response to Hum Drum's last part, "I'd say the same for the ones outside."

Masked Matter-Horn rolled her eyes at the two young men, before she approach one of the unconscious Reapers.

"Let's see what you look like under there." She said as she grabs the hood and removes it. What she saw shocks her and the boys.

The Reaper hardly resembles a human at all. The... thing was practically skin and bone, it had long Elf-like ears, and dark grey skin. Long story short, it was hideously ugly. 






Needless to say, everyone were shocked at this development.

"Oh..." Shining Armor exclaimed.

"My..." Hum Drum followed.

"Goddess!" Masked Matter-Horn finished.

However, as they were processing this, the Reaper instantly jumped up and grabbed Hum Drum. Hum Drum was horrified as he stared right into the Reaper's red glowing eyes. Fortunately, Masked Matter Horn blasted the Reaper off of him.

The Reaper got right back up and looked at the two young heroes with hate in its eyes. Just as it was about to pounce them again, Shining Armor quickly reacted and fired a gun at the Reaper, killing it on the spot. He looked at the dead Reaper with a shocked expression.

"These things ain't human!" He exclaimed.

Masked Matter-Horn and Hum Drum shook their heads, before they followed Shining Armor, who got to work on the control panels. They watched as the former security guard-turned-police officer opened up a screen, showing a map of the district on one screen, and a security footage on another screen.

"There!" Shining Armor pointed. "More of them are tampering with the machine that cleans the water from the ocean and pumping them into the city!"

"And they're pouring more of their black tars!" Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed in alarm.

"We gotta stop them!" Hum Drum said.

With a nod of their heads, Masked Matter-Horn and Hum Drum headed off for the main body of the Water District, to put an end to the Reapers' plan to pollute the entire city, once and for all.





Meanwhile, back with Delilah


Delilah sat in the cage, watching as Hoofenshmirtz put the finishing touches to his machine.

"You are too late, Delilah the Dalmatian!" Hoofenshmirtz gloated. "Now watch as I drain the city of its entire water resources with my Water Evaporator-Inator!"

Delilah had to think fast, to figure out her way out of the problem. That was when she noticed a stray bolt, on the floor. Getting an idea, Delilah looked at her surroundings, calculating the equations and schematics in her head, before she grins with confidence. Picking up the bolt, in her mouth, she spits and fires it at Hoofenshmirtz, hitting him on the butt.

"OW!" Hoofenshmirtz screamed, jumping up in the air, with his hands to rub his sore backside, landing on the red switch from before, inadvertently deactivating the cage, freeing Delilah.

"Now who let the dog out?" Delilah asked. "You did!"

With a bark, Delilah lunged after Hoofenshmirtz, who took off running, before he picked up a wrench.

"Go fetch!" Hoofenshmirtz grunted, tossing the wrench at Delilah, who avoided the projectile. "You're a bad dog!"

"And you're a scoundrel!" Delilah barked in response. "And I'm going to stop you!"

"Bring it!"

And with that, both Delilah and Hoofenshmirtz began an epic fight.




Meanwhile, back with Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn

The two heroes have arrived at the main room, where the rest of the Reapers were hard at work, pumping more of their precious black tars, into the city's water. Among them stood an even bigger Reaper, carrying a grenade launcher. The large Reaper was walking around the room, swinging his free fist, hitting and intimidating any of the smaller Reapers. There can be no doubt it must be the leader.

"Okay, what's the plan, Masked Matter?" Hum Drum asked.

Unfortunately, before Masked Matter-Horn could answer, the sound of a gunshot rang the air. Fortunately, Masked Matter-Horn quickly reacted in time and saved herself and Hum Drum, by freezing the bullet, mid-air, along with the shooter. Unfortunately still, the gunshot had alerted the other Reapers of the heroes' presence.

The leading Reaper let's out an inhuman shriek, pointing at the heroes, directing all of his men to open fire. Without a plan of attack, Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn retaliated to save themselves and the people of the city.


Meet the Reapers


The Reapers surrounded the heroes, but were repelled and scared off into random directions, when Masked Matter-Horn fired a stream of fire, like a flamethrower. The Reapers quickly ducked behind some boxes and other machineries for cover, and continued to open fire on the heroes.

Masked Matter-Horn then concentrated and fired blasts of freezing mists to create layers of ice to save herself and Hum Drum from the bullets. This also served to provide a cover for their escape, as both she and Hum Drum leapt out of the crossfires, before they found a place to hide, up on some railings, out of the Reapers' sights.

"There's too many of them!" Hum Drum hyperventilated. "We can't fight them off at once!"

"We need to divide and conquer," Masked Matter-Horn panted.

"And how do we do that?" Hum Drum asked.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

Hum Drum looked from behind their hiding spot to see the Reapers were closing in on them, with their guns at the ready.

"Well, better think fast, because here they come!" Hum Drum whimpered, frightfully, while searching through his utility belt and cape pockets. "Danny. Why couldn't you have invented a ninja smoke bomb?"

Epiphany struck Hum Drum, like a lightning bolt, practically lighting up the light bulb in the young hero-in-training's brain.

"Hey! That gives me an idea!" He exclaimed.

"What is it, Ken?" Masked Matter-Horn asked.

"Remember in science class?" Ken asked, "When dry ice mixes with hot water?"

"Of course, they turn into a thick–" It wasn't long before Masked Matter-Horn catches onto what Hum Drum was getting at. "Ken! You're a genius!"

"I have my moments," Hum Drum smirked, before he and Masked Matter-Horn put their plan into action.

First off, Masked Matter-Horn froze the stalking Reapers in their tracks. After that was done, she called Officer Shining Armor, on her comm.

"Officer Shining Armor! This is Masked Matter-Horn. Do you read me?"

"I hear you, Masked Matter-Horn," The police officer responded. "What's the problem?"

"Me and Hum Drum are currently fighting some Reapers here," The Power Princess confirmed. "They're more than determine to stop us from shutting down their operation. Any chance your controls can heat up the waters pumping into this room?"

"Uh...I'll see what I can do. But the highest they can go without blowing a fuse would be 101° F. Why?"

"Don't worry, we'll make it work. We've got a plan."

Resuming the fight at hand, Masked Matter-Horn and Hum Drum proceeded to fight off some of the Reapers, while trying their best to avoid their bullets. Masked Matter-Horn fired roaring streams of fire at the Reapers, scaring them off. Furthermore, she concentrated and fired electric currents throughout the room, electrocuting some of the Reapers who were standing on metal railings and puddles of water.

Their sudden turn of the tide didn't last long, unfortunately, when the leading Reaper leapt into the fray, firing his grenade launcher at the two heroes.

"Hum Drum! Get back!" Masked Matter-Horn screamed, grabbing the teenage boy, pulling him away, and putting herself between him and the explosive projectile.

Concentrating hard, Masked Matter-Horn used her telekinesis to catch the missile. Unfortunately, the leader quickly fired another missile, exploding the first one, knocking her and Hum Drum back.

"AAAHH!!!" The heroes screamed.

Hum Drum landed above some grates, and felt the boiling waters at the seat of his pants.

"YOWCH!" Hum Drum exclaimed from the heat of the water. "That's hot!"

"Perfect!" Masked Matter-Horn said, as she fired a beam of ice onto the burning waters.

With that, the entire room was coated in a thick fog of smoke. Blinded, the Reapers struggled to find their adversaries, who proceeded to evade and elude them, under the cover of the smoke.

"It's working, Hum Drum!" Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed excitedly. "The fog is blinding them! They can't see us!"

"Maybe a little too well for me," Hum Drum replied. "I can't even see them through my lens."

"Switch it to heat vision!" Masked Matter-Horn advised. "Tap the right side of your mask for options and select heat vision!"

Hum Drum did just that and was able to read the heat signatures of the Reapers, who fumbled blindly in the fog.

"Peekaboo!" Hum Drum smirked. "I see you!"

Hum Drum pulled out his Nerf gun and loaded his cousin Danny's Funny Elephant Toothpaste pellets, which he then fired at some of the Reapers, to distract them, tricking them into firing at each other. Remembering he still carried the Stun Gun from High Heel's hideout, Hum Drum snuck up behind some Reapers and shocked them into unconsciousness.

Masked Matter-Horn was able to see through the fog as she pounced on several unsuspecting and blind Reapers. Focusing her powers, she froze them into blocks of ice, blasted explosive fireballs that destroyed their guns and firearms, and followed Ken's example, conducting electricity to subdue several more unconscious.

One of the last remaining Reapers was the leader, who struggled to search for her and Hum Drum.

"Hum Drum!" Masked Matter-Horn called on her comm. "Time to bring down the big guy!"

"Ready when you are," Hum Drum responded, holding out his metal staff.

Masked Matter-Horn made the first attack, by firing a burst of flare, startling the leader, who fired his grenade launcher in the direction of the flare. Before the leader could reload, Hum Drum lunged in and swung his staff, behind the leader's knee, causing him to bend and lower himself to the floor. Before the leader could get up, Masked Matter-Horn secretly frozen the opening of his grenade launcher's barrel. Hum Drum ran up to the leader and socked him in the nose, beneath his hood. Provoked, the leader tried to fire his launcher at the boy wonder, without realizing Masked Matter-Horn's frozen trick.

By the time he realized what she had done to his precious firearm, it was too late. The grenade launcher exploded, sending the leader flying into a wall. He stood up, dazed and disoriented from the explosion. Seizing their chance, Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn both launched themselves at the leader, landing a flying kick, knocking him to the ground, out cold and defeated.


End of Fight Music


By the time the fog has cleared up, the Reapers were all spread out, unconscious and defeated, including their leader.

Masked Matter-Horn then called Officer Shining Armor, "Officer Shining Armor! The Reapers are all subdued," She reported. "But I think you're gonna have to call for back ups."

"Why?"

"You're gonna need a bigger truck, or two, to take them all to jail."

"I'm on it," Shining Armor chuckled. "I'm on my way to the room, right now."

With that, Shining Armor ended the call, leaving Masked Matter-Horn to contemplate the new conflict, with her and Hum Drum.

"Now that the Reapers have been take cared of," Masked Matter-Horn began. "What do we do about the water? How are we going to clean it?"

"Ugh, it's gonna take a long time to clean up this big mess," Hum Drum sighed. "I wish the Reapers' black tar could just disappear."

Then, somehow, without warning, Hum Drum's wish came true. The black tar suddenly disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a clean body of water in the facility.

"Oh my Goddess!" Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed. "Ken! Your wish came true!"

"It did?" Ken asked. "But...how?"




During the battle with Delilah...

The Dalmatian with British-accent had the evil mad scientist, Dr. Hoofenshmirtz, by the leg.

"Ow! Let got of my leg!" Hoofenshmirtz protested, frantically kicking his free foot at the dog, in the face. But to no avail.

Reaching for one of his tools, he grabbed his wrench and swung it at Delilah, hitting her on the side of her head, forcing her jaws open.

"Ow!" Delilah rubbed her smartened cheek. "That was uncalled for!"

"Whatever," Hoofenshmirtz rolled his eyes, as he arrogantly pulled on his lever, opening up the window of his laboratory, with his machine, aiming towards the Eastern section of Maretropolis.

"Ha! It's no use!" Hoofenshmirtz bragged. "Now, behold as my ingenious evil Water Evaporator-Inator evaporates every masses of waters in the city, collecting them in the air, which I shall then collect into this large tank, and then sell them back to all the thirsty people in the city! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

With a flip of the switch, Hoofenshmirtz activates his machine. Delilah watched helplessly as the machine's ray was blasted onto the Eastern section of Maretropolis. However, her helpless expression turned to bewilderment, when she watched and noticed the ray was collecting something dark and liquid, into the air, and into the machine.

Both she and Hoofenshmirtz watched as the black liquid emptied itself into the tank. Needless to say, Hoofenshmirtz was confused.

"What's this?" Hoofenshmirtz exclaimed. "This...this wasn't supposed to happen! It was suppose to be collecting water! This doesn't look like water at all! It looks almost like...like...oil. Hmmm, I could still make a profit, I mean, when there's oil, there's a–What the devil?!"

Delilah followed Hoofenshmirtz's gaze to see the Water Evaporator-Inator acting up.

"What's happening?" Delilah asked.

"This is terrible!" Hoofenshmirtz exclaimed in horror. "Obviously, the Water Evaporator-Inator can't take oil! It's gumming up my machine! It's about to explode!"

With that, both Delilah and Hoofenshmirtz made a beeline for the elevator. Delilah was the first one in, and the elevator closed its doors between her and Hoofenshmirtz, locking the mad scientist, inside his laboratory.

"Hey! Open the doors! Open up!" Hoofensmirtz protested, banging on the doors. "You can’t do this to me! This is my evil laboratory, you hear me? This is my office building! I rented this place! I–I'M TRAPPED!!!"

From inside her elevator, Delilah felt and heard the explosion above her. It was so strong and powerful that she fell to the floor. She wondered if Hoofenshmirtz is okay, which her question was answered, when she heard the madman screaming.

"CURSE YOU DELILAH THE DALMATIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!"

Delilah could only grin to herself in amusement.









After another heroic day, both Hum Drum and Masked Matter-Horn resumed their identities as Ken and Trot. They returned to the Bronco Diner, for a well-deserved dinner.

"What we did today has saved millions of lives," Trot Summers noted.

"Yeah, I...I can hardly believe it," Ken said, wholeheartedly. "Phew! What a rush that was! The way we used science to like make that fog, and then it gave us the perfect cover to take out the Reapers."

"Well, it was a perfect plan," Trot smiled. "But I couldn't have thought of it, without you pointing out the resources, Ken."

"Yeah, well, we wouldn't have stopped the Reapers without Officer Shining Armor for pointing out the water district and then some," Ken smiled. "We definitely need more officers like him."

"I concur. I wished he was here with us right now. That way, I feel as though we can properly toast him for the hard works of him and his fellow officers."

"I'll be sure to give him your thanks when he comes here for his morning donuts," A voice said, revealing herself to be Ken's cousin, Megan Williams. "Hey Ken. Hey Trot. Enjoying your dinner?" She smiled.

"Huh, oh yeah! Definitely," Ken stammered, whilst a little bit startled from Megan's sudden intrusion. "Right, Trot?"

Trot nodded and smiled, "I have to agree with Ken. It's delicious!"

Megan smiled, "Well, it's the least I can do for two of Maretropolis's superheroes, on their date," She teased.

"Megan, we're not date–What?!" Ken shrieked in a high-pitch voice at the last part.

Thankfully, the only customers in the diner are just him and Trot.

The young hero-in-training turned to look at his cousin, nervously trying to keep up his facade, "W-W-What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

"Well, you two looked cute together, obviously," Megan continued to tease her cousin. "It was like seeing my little Ken growing up, out on a special date with his special some–"

"I don't mean that," Ken replied, with his face blushing a shade of red, which Trot finds amusing. "I mean–"

"Oh, relax, Ken, I was only teasing," Megan chuckled. "Though, I kinda suspected, after watching the recent news. Watching the Power Princess's 'Wonder Boy', or as everyone now call him 'Hum Drum,' the way he moves, how he talks, and the way he tries to act all tough and witty. It was like playing Cops and Robbers with you and Kara. Though, I remembered how you prefer to be Batman, back when."

Ken was silent as he turned to look at Trot Summers, hoping for some back up, or help. He couldn't think up an excuse or a lie to dissuade Megan's deduction. But he also can't deny the fact that his cousin has him and his friends figured out.

"Don't worry," Megan spoke up. "I won't tell your parents on you. Neither will Danny or Molly. It's our little secret."

"Do you Pinkie Promise?" Ken asked.

"I Pinkie Promise," Megan smiled, as she and Ken wrapped their pinkies around each other, to seal the deal.

"Thanks," Ken sighed in relief. "I mean, no offense, but...the thing about superheroes and their loved ones is...well, the loved ones are the supervillain's favorite targets."

"I understand," Megan nodded. "Well, enjoy your dinner, lovebirds."

"I still say we're not lovebirds!" Ken shouted after his cousin, before he took his seat. "Ugh! Cousin Megan playing matchmaker."

Trot Summers simply giggled, "I think it's adorable with how she recognized our chemistry together."

At that moment, Delilah the Dalmatian returned to the diner.

"Oh, there you are, Delilah!" Ken smiled. "Where've you been?"

"I...It's a long story," Delilah smiled in response.





“Today, Hum Drum and I have thwarted the latest diabolical scheme of the Reapers, all thanks to Hum Drum’s resourcefulness, my strategy, and Shining Armor’s resolve and ingenuity. That’s the power of teamwork. Remember, when you want to accomplish something big, and important, don’t try and do it alone. Help each other. Learn from one other. So remember, when you work together, you’ll win together!”

“Hey Trot!” Ken greeted, upon arriving onboard the Harmonus Defenders’ crashed ship. “Who were you talking to?”

“No one,” Trot replied. “I’m just making a video recording of our latest adventure. That way, we could maybe leave it behind to inspire a new generation of heroes, or people, who are willing to play their part in making the world a better place, like in She-Ra!”

“And He-Man,” Ken pointed out. “She-Ra’s twin brother. He and his friends also have lots of morals to share at the end of every episode.”

“Right,” Troy nodded. “Including He-Man.”

“Anyway, this has been Hum Drum!” Hum Drum said to the monitor screen.

“Move over, Ken!” Trot playfully shoved Ken to the side. “And this has been Masked Matter-Horn!”
> Snake in the House
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a quiet night in Maretropolis. The Power Princesses arrived at Ken Heathspike’s residence, to begin another nightly patrol.

“Ken! We’re back!” Trot greeted, upon entering the front door. “Ken?”

Ken’s parents had left town to visit one of Ken’s uncles, out of the county. Cousin Megan, unfortunately, had to look after both Molly and Danny, who were feeling under the weather. This leaves Ken, mostly, home alone, with Delilah and the Power Princesses.

“Ken?” Trot called out. “Are you home?”

“Maybe he’s upstairs,” Aurora pointed.

The girls all went upstairs, and arrived at Ken’s bedroom.

Trot Summers poked her head into Ken's room, to find the tired boy was fast asleep at his desk, snoring, drooling, with a mess of flash cards all over his desk.

"Aw, the poor dear's tired," Green Gardener cooed.

"I don't blame 'im," Aurora crossed her arms. "I'd be bored out of my mind, if I have to spend an entire day, studying. Snooze fest..."

"Aurora," Trot Summers frowned. "There's nothing wrong with studying. Ken may be our apprentice. But he's still a student at his school. He needs to be at his very best if he wants to pass his upcoming test..."

"Whatever," The stormy girl shrugged.

"But...what are we gonna do with him now?" Dallas asked. "We're just about to do our nightly patrol around the city..."

"We'll just have to do 'em, without Ken," Trots suggested. "Let's just put him to bed."

With that, the girls all scooped Ken up from his chair, before they gently set him down on his bed, and pulled the blanket over him.

“Mmm, mom…” Ken moaned tiredly.

The girls couldn’t help but giggle, affectionately, to themselves.

“Aw!” They cooed.

“He’s just as precious when he’s asleep,” Spruce grinned.

“Indubitably,” Radiance added.

“Well, let’s just let him get his rest,” Dallas suggested as she exits the window. “We’ll come back, after we finish our patrol.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Zapp agreed as she followed behind.

“Let’s-a go!” Filli-Second zipped away.

Green Gardener was about to follow her friends, when she noticed Trot and Spruce weren't following.

"Trot? Spruce?" Radiance asked. "Are you coming, darlings?"

"In a moment," Spruce replied, as she gently patted the pillow and tucked Ken in. "He's just so cute when he's asleep."

Trot leaned in close and gave Ken a peck on the cheek, which seemed to shock, if not upset, Radiance.

“Goodnight, Ken,” Trot said softly. “Sweet dreams," Trot was about to exit the window, when Radiance stopped her.

"What was that?" Radiance asked.

"What?" Trot asked. "It was just a goodnight kiss. I thought he'd appreciate it."

"Hmph! Well..." Dashing back into the room, Radiance gave Ken another goodnight kiss, on the nose. "I'm certain his dreams will be even more sweeter now," Radiance smirked proudly to herself.

With that, the Power Princesses all took their leave. However, Saddle Rager quickly returned to give Ken a goodnight kiss, on the cheeks, and finish it off on the nose.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite, Ken," Saddle giggle, before she took her leave.





Later that night


Unfortunately, the Power Princesses had neglected to lock the front door, before they left. As a result, the door to the Heathespike residence slowly opened, and a person in burglar outfits lets themselves in.

However, upon closer look, it’s plain to see that burglar is not a person at all. But a python and a blue, wild yellow eyes, insane kangaroo, in a straitjacket.

After shedding their human disguise, the python took a glance around at the exterior, before he turned to his kangaroo partner-in-crime, and nodded. With that, the two animals proceeded to loot the household.

"Hmmm," The python hummed to himself as he rummages through the fridge. "Ham, chicken, fissssh, even more hamsss. Ooh! Beef! Yummy."

Using his massive coils, the python proceeded to wrap himself around the meats in the fridge, before he looked to see his insane friend, and his eyes widened in horror to see – somehow, despite the straitjacket he wore – the kangaroo had stacked a load of dynamites into the oven, and turned the oven on, set to explode.

"Ripper Roo!" The python exclaimed, as he quickly turned the oven off. "Are you inssssane?! You could've killed ussss all!"

"Ka-boom, ka-boom, KA-BOOM!!" The kangaroo, identified to be Ripper Roo, laughed out loud.

"We don't have time for that, or anymore of your thrill-sssssseeking anticsss,” The python hissed. “Now help me loot every food the humans have stored in this household!”

In response, Ripper Roo blew a slobbering raspberry in the snake’s face, but did as he was told.

However, their robbery didn’t go unheard. Disturbed by the commotion, Delilah was riled awake, but still drowsy. The sleepy Dalmatian fumbled, sleepily, into the kitchen, to see both python and kangaroo, looting the kitchen.

“What the devil?” Delilah yawned.

“Ka-boom!” Ripper Roo laughed, whipping out a dynamite, in his foot, but the snake stopped him.

“Let me try a sssssubtle approach?” The snake said, snuffing out the dynamite, before he slithered up to Delilah.

Delilah was still half-awake to realize she was in imminent danger, as the python looked deeply into the dog’s eyes, with swirls of colorful rings.



“Trussssssst in meeeeeeee,” The snake hissed, successfully hypnotizing Delilah, in a trance.





Meanwhile


The Power Princesses were doing their nightly patrol around the city, with Masked Matter-Horn filling in their latest agenda.

“We’ve got two escapees, on the loose, from the Maretropolis Fauna Research Center,” Masked Matter-Horn relayed via the comms. 
“One experimental python named Kaa. And a heavily, unstable, mutated kangaroo named Ripper Roo. Both are classified as lethal and dangerous. So, let’s keep our wits about, tonight, girls.”

"Experimental python?" Zapp asked.

"Yes, they say that not only does Kaa posses an above average human intelligence but he can also speak and can hypnotize. that's how he and his partner escaped in the first place." Masked Matter-Horn explained.

"And this Ripper Roo?" Radiance asked.

"As I said, he's mentally unstable and has developed a "lovely" habit of blowing things up."

"By the Goddesses and they both came from the Maretropolis Fauna Research Center?!" Saddle Rager exclaimed.

"Yes, it would seem we may need to go over there and have a little... chat with them sooner or later." Masked Matter-Horn replied.

The heroines were about to carry on, with the task at hand, when Fili-Second felt a tingling sensation.

“Ooh! My Fili-Senses are tingling!” Filli-Second shuddered.

“What’s up, Fili?” Mistress Marvelous asked on the comm.

“I just had this sudden feeling that Ken may be in trouble!” Fili said.

“Hmmm, y’know, now that ya mentioned it,” Marvelous began. “So do I!”

“I think I can vouch for all of us, that we are all worried for Ken,” Saddle Rager spoke up, with the rest of the Power Princesses exchanging agreement.

“Yeah, as much as I’d like to take another shot at the Night Owl, as soon as we find her,” Zapp grumbled. “I can’t help but worry for the guy.”

“Then I guess we should all head back to Ken’s place to see if he’s alright,” Masked Matter-Horn suggested, with the heroines all in agreement.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Fili-Second declared, being the first to dash off at lightning speed.





Back at the Heathspike residence, Delilah was rendered asleep and put in a cage.

In the meantime, both Ripper Roo and the python were just about to finish stealing every scraps of food in the household. Little did they know, Fili-Second had arrived. 

The speedy girl was racing up to the bedroom, before doing a double take, and raced back down, to the kitchen to see a python and kangaroo in straitjacket, ransacking the kitchen.

Fili-Second was very much puzzled, “What the…”

“Fili?” Troy called on the comm. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Fili replied casually. “Just a snake and a kangaroo raiding the fridge…” Fili’s eyes widened, coupled with a bounce when she realized. “A SNAKE AND A KANGAROO RAIDING THE FRIDGE?!”

“Hmm?” Kaa turned around, and was immediately alerted to see Fili-Second, standing in the room. “Hello there!” Kaa greeted.

“Fili? What’s happening?” Masked Matter-Horn asked from the comm.

But before Fili could respond, Kaa was already gazing into her eyes, in a mesmerizing stare.

“Jusssst what isss it you are doing in my home?” Kaa asked.

“I…I…I forgot,” Fili moaned, as she fell under Kaa’s spell. “What was I doing?”

“You are jussssst in time for sssssupper!” Kaa hissed, keeping his eyes on Fili-Second’s, as he coiled himself around the girl. “You are the main courssssse. UGH!”

Kaa grunted, when he was struck by a blast of electricity, repelling him back, with Ripper Roo.

“Goodness!” Spruce Spanner exclaimed, running up to her friend. “Fili! Are you alright?” The shy girl slapped her hands across her friend’s face a couple of time.

“Huh? Who? What? Where? When?” Fili stammered, waking up from Kaa’s spell.

“Oh! My sinus!” Kaa moaned, before he glared at whoever dared to interfere. “Who dares to—“

“Save it, tough guy!” Dallas Queen said, spinning her lasso at the ready. "We're onto your hypnotic spell, Kaa!"

"Ah, sssso you know my name? Hmmm?" Kaa chuckled sinisterly. "Well, I trusssst you know my asssssoccciate, Ripper Roo? He'ssss, how do you sssssay? A loossse cannon!"

As if to prove Kaa's point, Ripper Roo let out a maniacal laugh.

"Hey! Some of the people I meet think I'm a loose cannon, too!" Fili-Second chirped, before she assumed a fighting stance, and whipped out a familiar ball. “Time for a PIZZA BALL!!!”

“Fili, wait!” Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed, but too late.

BOOM!





From inside his room, Ken was startled by the noise.

“AH! Pizza?” Ken exclaimed, sleep talking. “Turtles? Mmmm…toss me a ninja…slice…Zzzz.”

With that, Ken plopped his head back down, and sleep.





Back in the fight, Kaa and Ripper Roo were plastered to the walls, covered in slices of pizza and sticky cheeses. They both had a complete look of utter shock, frozen on their faces.

“Fili!” Masked Matter-Horn berated. “We have to be quiet! Ken has a big test coming up, so we can’t wake him up!”

“Yeah? Tell them that!” Zapp pointed, to Kaa and Ripper Roo, who, at last, recovered.

“Let her rip, Roo!” Kaa ordered.

With a laugh, Ripper Roo, proceeded to bounce around the house, making a mess of the place, knocking down furnitures, threatening to break priceless works of arts and antiques.

“Oh no!” Radiance quickly conjured pink energy projection of cages, barriers, bubbles, and all sorts of things to protect the valuable objects.

Ripper Roo kept on bouncing, when he was stopped by Fili-Second.

“Gotcha!” In retaliation, Roo bit Fili-Second, on the hand. “AAA—“ Remembering Masked Matter-Horn’s order, Fili covered her mouth, before running out of the house, and out of the city, to scream her pain. “AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaauuuugh!”

With that done, Fili-Second raced back to rejoin the fight.

Back in the house, Kaa was being a slippery serpent, as he narrowly dodged and avoided the rest of the Power Princesses, who struggled to catch him, quietly, so as to not alert their boy wonder awake.

Fili-Second got back, but tripped over Kaa’s coil, in her haste. She fell headfirst, onto the floor, leaving her rump at the mercy of Ripper Roo. With a maniacal laugh, Ripper Roo kicked Fili-Second, at her most tender spot.

Brimming with too much pain and agony, Fili-Second raced out of the house, out of the sleeping city again, to scream her pain.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo!!!” Fili-Second screamed, before she raced back to rejoin the fight.

Back in the house, Kaa was slithering for his life, with Ripper Roo bouncing around the house, threatening to destroy and vandalize much of the household, with Radiance protecting them, while Masked Matter Horn and Spruce Spanner were in hot pursuit of the insane kangaroo.

"Ripper Roo!" Masked Matter-Horn demanded, quietly. "We're not going to ask you again. Please, keep it down!"

In the meantime, Kaa looked through a drawer, looting through an assortment of everyday items, searching for whatever he could use to fight back with. Among them were a bouncing ball and several spiky jacks. At that moment, Fili-Second got back in the house. Unfortunately, in her haste, she had slipped on a stray banana peel.

"Whoa!" Fili-Second then came crashing back on the ground, on the pile of jacks Kaa had littered. "WHAA–" With tears pouring from her eyes, Fili covered her mouth, before she ran out of the house, back out of the city again, to scream out her pain.

"WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Fili screamed, running around in circles, before she scooted across the ground, like a dog, to get the jacks out of her backside. "OW! EEK! OW! Oh, oh!" Then, as if to push the bizarre scene to the next level, Fili-Second was bouncing on her head, before she spins herself in circle on the ground, and pulled the jacks out. "Ooh, that stings."

Running back to the house, Fili-Second came back in time to see that Trot and Spruce have successfully subdued Ripper Roo, by freezing him in a block of ice.

"Now that the kangaroo's taken cared of," Trot panted heavily. "Now, for the snake. Where is he?"

"He's couldn't have gone far," Fili-Second sniffed the air. "He still has the foods he and the kangaroo stole. He's in the house! Let's spread out and find him."

With that, the Power Princesses went off in six separate directions. Once the coast is clear, Kaa quivered as he poked his head from out of a potted plant. Swallowing a lump, Kaa was about to leave when...

"Peekaboo! I see you!" Fili-Second pointed at the python, who slithered off for his life. "He's down here girls!"

Once inside the closet, Kaa panted heavily as he ranted to compose himself.

“Thissss can’t be happening!” Kaa hissed. “The curssssed Power Princcccessssessss? Here?! OF ALL PLACCCCESSS?! Without my accomplicccce, I don’t ssssstand a chanccce againssssst their sssssuper powersssss! What do I do?”

“Surrender yourselves to the authorities?” Zapp suggested.

“Hmmm, too easssy,” Kaa replied casually.

However, Kaa quickly did a double take, as he looked up to see Zapp, was also in the closet. With a scream, Kaa took off, slithering for his life, while dodging the rest of the Power Princesses' attempts to catch him.

Fili-Second pounced from the side, and grabbed Kaa, "Ha! Gotcha!" In retaliation, Kaa used his tail to snatch a rolling pin, clocking Fili-Second on the hands, her head, her stomach, and her foot. "AH–" Covering her mouth again, Fili-Second limped out of the house, back into the countryside again, letting out her painful wails.

"Ouch! Oomph! OH! YOW!" She screamed in the reverse order she's been hit, before she returned to the fight.

By the time Fili-Second returns, she finds that the rest of the Power Princesses were searching the house, with Kaa nowhere in sight. Not even his frozen accomplice, Ripper Roo, was anywhere in sight.

"What did I miss?" Fili-Second asked. "Where's that slimy snake and crazy kangaroo?"

"That sneaky snake gave us the slip again," Zapp replied. "He just swallowed something, and next, he just breathed a large cloud of smoke."

"And by the time we cleared the air, both he and Ripper Roo are gone!" Masked Matter-Horn added. "So, I guess we're just gonna have to tidy up the place."

"You girls do that," Zapp said as she raced up to the room. "I'm just gonna go and check up on Ken."

"Let me help!" Fili offered, racing around the house. "The sooner we get this place cleaned up, the quicker we can get back to finding Kaa and Ripper Roo and bring them to justice! There!"

In a heartbeat, Fili-Second had cleaned up the entire house, making it look as if a battle never took place in the residence.

"C'mon girls, let's go!" Fili-Second chirped, before she realized the party was missing of one member. "Hey! Where's Zapp?"

The Power Princesses found Zapp, standing at the doorway, of Ken's bedroom, petrified.

"Zapp?" Dallas asked, as she walks up to her friend. "What's wrong? Ya looked like you've seen a....a...a...a...a..."

The rest of the girls followed suit, and were shocked to see Kaa, wrapping Ken in his coil, and Ripper Roo, about to light up a dynamite, in the boy’s mouth.

"Don't...even...move!" The snake whispered harshly. "One false move from any one of you...and my friend will blow this kid's head to kingdom come!"

"Don't even think about it!" Masked Matter-Horn threatened.

"We’ll do it!" Kaa threatened. "This dynamite is loaded. Specifically 8 tons of mega work that will blow the kid to pieces, and then I’ll eat them up, piece by piece!"

"Please, leave him alone!" Spruce Spanner pleaded. "He's just a kid. And he's tired."

"He's tired? What about me?" Kaa argued. "We’ve been trapped in this house. I've been running around all night, from you...you... With an insane kangaroo! I'm the one who's tired!"

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Zapp growled.

"I'll do it!" Kaa said, tightening his hold on Ken, with Ripper Roo lighting a match. "We’ll blast him! And it'll be your fault..."

"Please! NO!" Fili-Second pleaded.

However, before the snake and kangaroo  had a chance, Kaa was suddenly hit in the face, from a headbutt attack. Ken, in his sleep, proceeded to grab Ripper Roo, by the tail, and used the insane kangaroo as a club, thrashing him, and pounding Kaa, to a pulp.

"Alright, Ken!" The Power Princesses cheered for the sleeping boy.

"Bing-Bong!" Ken said randomly, before he plopped back down in his bed, and resumed sleeping.

With the disaster averted, and Ken safe and sound asleep, the Power Princesses made short work of Kaa and Ripper Roo, before throwing them out of the house, to the authorities.

"And stay out!" Fili-Second shouted, before closing the door.
> Attack of The Super Villains Part 1 – Terror in The Museum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was setting in the afternoon. All the visitors of the Maretropolis Museum of Natural History were all preparing to leave because it was close to closing time. The last two visitors to leave are Brick and Boomer, who were setting up their latest scheme.

"Got the card?" Brick asked.

"Yup! Got it right here!" Boomer confirmed, holding up a familiar card, with the insignia of the Night Owl.

"Alright!" With that, Brick immediately slaps the card onto an exhibit of a dinosaur. "This is gonna be great! Our most ingenious scheme ever to getting famous, if I do say so myself!"

"What's the plan again?" Boomer asked.

With an exhasperate groan, Brick gave Boomer a dope slap before he explained, "The plan is we're gonna hide out in the Egyptian Exhibit, pretend to be mummies, wait there until AFTER the museum closes. And when the people who work here sees the calling card, they're going to alert the Power Princesses, and their Boy Wonder, Hum Drum. And when the heroes come here, to investigate, we're gonna jump on them!”

Brick explained, while making the gesture of pulling someone's mask off.

"We yank off their masks, and then expose them to the world, and be famous!"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah!" Boomer nodded in acknowledgement. "I remember now."

"Good! Now grab as many toilet papers as you can!" Brick said as they began to unroll a lot of tissues they could get, in the museum.

“If we’re going to be mummies,” Brick began. “We need to look the part if we're gonna be staying tonight. We gotta be the mummies!”

“So…do we have to sleep in one of those coffin things?” Boomer asked, uneasily. “I hope not. I get so claustrophobic…”





Later that night


Upon seeing the supposed calling card of the Night Owl, the officials running the museum immediately amped up security. There were guards posted at every doors and windows, the entire perimeter was covered with lights and snipers, with laser grids and security cameras covering the interior from top to bottom.

Outside, on the rooftops of the nearby buildings, Maretropilis’s newest defenders arrived onto the scene.

“Okay, this time,” Zapp spins her sword with determination. “This time for sure! I’m really going to get even with that Night Owl!”

“Easy does it, Zapp!” Hum Drum cautioned. “Any closer and you could’ve cut me to pieces!”

“Toasty smoking barbecue pieces, you mean?” Fili-Second asked.

“…Don’t go there,” Hum Drum muttered.

“Never mind that,” Masked Matter-Horn spoke up, getting the team back on track. “Keep your eyes open. The Night Owl could come from any direction. And knowing her, she’s always got plenty of tricks up her sleeves.”

“I don’t know,” Hum Drum pointed to the security forces below. “Understaffed or not, dad’s got a whole team of squadrons down there! Enough to protect Fort Knox from top-to-bottom.”

“Yeah, well I doubt that’s enough to scare away the Night Owl,” Zapp frowned. “Which is why we’re here as backups!”

“But do we even know where the Night Owl will be coming?” Hum Drum asked. “She could be anywhere.”

“And remind us again what exactly is she coming for this time?” Mistress Marvelous asked.

“According to the latest police reports,” Hum Drum read. “The Night Owl plans to steal…a dinosaur fossil of a T-Rex?”

“Ha! That’s funny,” Zapp chuckled. “It sounded like you said the Night Owl plans to steal the bones of a dinosaur.”

The lightning swordswoman’s laughs soon faltered when her teammates didn’t join in, that she soon catches on.

“Wait, you’re serious?” She asked. “She’s really gonna steal a dinosaur?”

“That’s where they found her calling card,” Hum Drum explained. "It was found on the exhibit of the T-Rex fossil. So, from the looks of it, the Night Owl is planning to a heist to steal the entire fossil."

“Huh, how strange,” Filli-Second commented, as she works her detective brain. “That's just not like the Night Owl to steal dinosaur fossils. Normally, she'd go for something pricey, like jewels, or paintings. Anything that's worth a fortune."

"Who cares what she steals?" Zapp frowned. "This is the Night Owl we're talking about. She's probably doing it just to show off! Any master thief who steals a dinosaur fossil must be good! And if she pulls this off, then just think how much it'll boost her reputation, her ego, her credit in the criminal underworld and..."

Zapp was practically fueling her rage into her sword, which crackled with electricity even more.

"OOOOOH!!! I can already see that smug grin on that no good thief already!"

"Zapp! Calm down!" Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed, as she shielded her teammates with a blast of ice to create a wall around Zapp, keeping her electricity contained.

“Chill out, Zapp!” Fili-Second laughed at her pun. “See what I did there?”

“Now’s not the time, Mary,” Mistress Marvelous bellyached.

“Listen, Zapp,” Masked Matter-Horn began. “No one knows how eager you are to taking down the Night Owl than we do. But for tonight, just please try to keep a calm head for yourself, and the team?”

“Fine,” Zapp sighed, taking a deep breath, calming herself as Masked Matter-Horn lowered the walls.

Resuming his focus on the task at hands, Hum Drum looked back up at Spruce Spanner. The soft spoken team medic was looking through a pair of binoculars.

“See anything yet?” Hum Drum asked.

“Uh-uh,” Spruce shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary yet.”

“Then let’s go inside,” Masked Matter-Horn suggested. “And let’s see if there’s anything out of the ordinary from there.”

The heroes followed the leading Power Princess into the museum. Once inside, the first place they went to is the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, marked with the Night Owl’s calling card.

“Good ol’ Rexy, exactly where we left him,” Spike commented. “For now…”

“So now what, your majesty?” Zapp asked.

“We’ll split up and check every sections of the museum from top-to-bottom,” Masked Matter-Horn suggested. “Me and Spruce will check on the guards. Marvelous and Filli-Second will go to Ancient Rome. Hum Drum, you and Radiance take Ancient Egypt.”

“And I’ll stand guard over Rexy,” Zapp declared with a fist to her chest. “Soon as that Night Owl comes showing her face, I’ll be ready and waiting for her!”

Nodding in acknowledgment of their given assignments, and Zapp’s declaration of justice, the heroes went their separate ways. Unbeknownst to any of them, this is the start of a night they’ll never forget.





Egypt Exhibit


Meanwhile, somewhere in the Egypt Exhibit, staking out, wrapped up in toilet papers, pretending to be mummies, are Brick and Boomer.

The two troublemakers had been waiting for more than an hour or so, after closing time. So long that they ended up falling asleep. Needless to say, they put on a convincing facade that fooled the night guards, in their sleeps. However, what neither boys knew was that they were both in for a rude awakening.

Boomer was sawing logs, when his hand was suddenly crushed by a heavy boot. It hurt so much that he instantly blinked his bloodshot eyes open, and he let out a muffled scream.

"AAAAAHHHH!!!" Boomer screamed.

"AAAAHHH!!! IT'S ALIVE!!!" A man screamed.

This in turn caused Brick to be startled awake.

"Huh? What?" Before Brick could process what was happening, the man had fallen on top of him.

"It's Hum Drum!" Boomer shouted to Brick. "Get him!"

"I got him!" Brick replied, as he blindly grappled with the man, with Boomer joining in.

At that moment, Hum Drum and Radiance had just arrived into the Egypt Exhibit, just in time to see the scuffle happening before their eyes.

"What the heck?!" Hum Drum exclaimed.

The security guard looked up and saw the two superheroes standing before him, with a look of relief and astonishment. As if Hum Drum and Radiance's arrival have answered his prayers.

"Help! Help me!" The security guard pleaded, as he struggled beneath the would-be mummies. "These hoodlums are trying to steal the jewel!"

Without wasting a second, Hum Drum and Radiance leapt into actions.

Hum Drum struck the first blow with a swing of his staff, socking Brick in the stomach, which knocked the wind out of the heavyset boy. Before Brick could recover from the blow, he suddenly found himself hit on the nose by a jab of the staff, followed by a painful sting between his legs.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Brick let out a high-pitch scream. "My tenders!"

At the same time, Radiance leapt at Boomer, with an energy construct to shape like a gauntlet, and punched Boomer in the face. Dazed and disoriented, Boomer tripped over his own wrappings, causing him to stagger and crash into Brick. Before Boomer had the chance to speak, he was kicked in the groin, by Radiance.

"OH!" Boomer yelped in agonizing pain. "High heels..."

"How odd," Radiance muttered. "It isn't like the Night Owl to send some thugs to do her dirty work."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Hum Drum replied. "And besides, these two aren't exactly master thief material..."

Hum Drum then looked up at a nearby pedestal, where an artifact display should've been. A jewel. The two heroes immediately looked down at the beaten boys in mummies disguise. Hum Drum reaches down and hoisted one of the would-be mummies up, by the scruff of his neck.

"Alright. Cough up the jewel, whoever you are!" Hum Drum barked.

But the only answer both Hum Drum and Radiance received was the groans of the boys' agony.

Radiance noticed the security guard in the corner of her eyes. She was alarmed to see a huge jewel in his hand, which he was making off with.

"Hum Drum, darling!" Radiance shouted in alarm. "The guard! The jewel!"

Dropping the mummies to the floor, Hum Drum and Radiance pursued the guard, leaving both Brick and Boomer behind to wallow in their agony.

"Is there a doctor in the house?" Brick moaned.





The rogue security guard made a mad dash through the halls of the museum. In his hands, clutching close to his chest, is a large shining jewel. So shiny that it could almost blind the eyes of its admirers in the light.

The man was nearing the exit, when the sound of Hum Drum shouting called out from behind.

"Hey, stop right there!" The man looked behind him to see Hum Drum and Radiance giving chase.

The guard tried to run as fast with all his might, but he was stopped by the sudden appearance of Filli-Second.

"I don't think so buster!" The speedy heroine shouted, as she and the other heroes arrived and surrounded him.

"You're not getting away from us this time, Night Owl!" Zapp snarled.

"Night Owl?" The phony guard said with a male voice that had an Egyptian accent, "I am not Night Owl. I am..." The guard then removed his disguise, revealing a man in his late thirties dressed up as an Egyptian pharaoh, "Pharoah Phetlock!"

Hum Drum and the other Power Princesses just stared at him.

"Who?" Masked Matter-horn asked.

Phetlock was aghast, "What?! None of you have heard of me?! The terror of Cairo? the son of Set? THE NO DO-GOODER OF THE NILE?!?!"

"Nope. Doesn't ring any bells." Filli-Second said.

Flabbergasted, if not insulted beyond disbelief, the phony pharaoh growled in irritation. Nevertheless, he managed to compose himself as he cleared his throat.

"Well, then allow me to astound you with my awe-inspiring powers," Pharaoh Phetlock then held up the jewel above his head, where it basked in the moonlight. "For I AM PHARAOH PHETLOCK! The direct descendant of the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatrot. Gaze upon the power of my great, great ancestor, who used the power of the jewel to RULE HER KINGDOM WITHOUT QUESTION! Watch as I bring the entire museum TO LIFE!!!"

Hum Drum and the Power Princesses all watched as the jewel started to glow in the light of the moon. It emitted an unsettling aura that is cosmetic. It was so other worldly that Hum Drum had a sense of dread overwhelming him. He looked to the Power Princesses to see what their perception of the matter is. Judging by the neutral expression on their faces, Hum Drum wasn't sure if they were stone-faced, or if they've seen the situation before.

Looking back at Pharaoh Phetlock, the heroes watched as the aura enveloped the entire museum, coating every exhibits on display in its light. It lasted for a few seconds, and the lights stopped.

Hum Drum turned his attention to a nearby bronze statue of The Thinker. The Thinker shifted slightly, turning his head in the direction of a marble statue of Venus (a.k.a. Aphrodite – The Greek Goddess of Love).

"Hey, baby! Check out the gun show going on over here! Boom! BANG!" The Thinker proceeded to flex his muscles to Venus, before he boasted, "Firepower!"

The heroes were dumbfounded by the awkward moment, which was short lived when they heard another commotion, emerging from the Celtic Exhibition of the museum.

The wicker man came to life, with a bellowing roar, lighting itself on fire to outline its massive shape, while forming a demonic face, like that of a scarecrow. Fires illuminated the empty sockets to give its eyes, and to show the jagged splinters of its jaws lined with sharp pointy teeth. The fiery, wooden giant turned its head and set its sight on Ken and the Power Princesses.

“O, GOD!” Ken shrieked, in a manly scream, that sounded feminine. “O, JESUS CHRIST!”

With a fiery bellow, the living wicker man chased after Ken, who took off running for his life. He hadn't gone far, however, when Ken accidentally bumps into an animated statue of David.

"Hey, watch where you're...NAKED!" Ken screamed, with the David letting out a high-pitch scream as he covers his infamously exposed southern region.

With that, a flustered Ken, and an equally flustered David statue, ran in opposite directions. Thus, Ken ended up getting snatched by the wicker man, who proceeded to throw the screaming boy wonder into its mouth, into its burning stomach.

"AH! Now I know how Edward Woodward felt, being inside this thing…” Hum Drum whimpered. “EXCEPT IT’S FOR REAL!!!” Hun Drum grabbed onto the bars of his cage and screamed, “HELP! GIRLS, HELP ME!!! I’m trapped in the WICKER MAN!!!”

"HUM DRUM!!!" The Power Princesses shouted, springing into actions to save their boy wonder from the fiery giant.

"We'll get ya outta there," Lighting up Thunderer, Zapp proceeded to surf on a lightning bolt to slash the boy free.

Unfortunately, before Zapp had the chance, she was intercepted by the sudden appearance of a charging dinosaur skeleton. Disoriented from the sudden blow, Zapp rolled in the air, before she came to a full stop. Shaking her head, Zapp looked to see she was attacked by a reanimated fossil of the Tyrannosaurus Rex – better known as Rexy.

Letting out a loud roar, sounding both bloodcurdling and airy – like Skeletor's voice mixed with the Tyrannosaurus's roar from Jurassic Park – the animated dinosaur skeleton charged after Zapp, chasing her into some other parts of the museum.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" A bloodcurdling shriek of a woman screeched, drawing everyone's attention to an iron casket, with the face of a weeping woman.

The casket opened up its covers to reveal several rusty jagged spikes lined up the interior from top to bottom. The covers closed and shut, as if they are jaws, mashing their teeth together.

"An iron maiden!" Filli-Second screamed. "AN IRON MAIDEN!"

The pink blur took off running with the animated torture device chasing after her, chomping its covers after her.

"HELP!!!" Hum Drum continued to scream in fear and in pain, from being inside the burning wicker man. "OOH! Ouch! Oh! That's smarts!"

"I've got you, Hum Drum!" Masked Matter-Horn said as she flew up to the rescue.

Concentrating her powers, Masked Matter-Horn fired beam of frigid air at the burning wicker man. The flaming giant held up an arm to block the attack, before it swung the other in an attempt to swat the Power Princess out of the air.

"NO!" Mistress Marvelous shouted, lassoing the giant's arm, barely holding it back from hitting her leader.

Judging by the startled scream from the wicker man, it looked as if the flaming giant was alarmed to have met its match in the strong Power Princess.

"You're finished!" Mistress Marvelous snarled, grunting as she pulled on her lasso, tearing off the wicker man's arm.

The wicker man let out a loud roar, reacting to the agonizing pain it felt. In retaliation, the wicker man bellowed a burst of fire from its maw at Mistress Marvelous. Thankfully, Radiance reacted just in time, conjuring up a shield to protect herself and Mistress.

Before the giant could produce another flaming attack, Masked Matter-Horn acted quickly and blasted another mist of freezing air that froze the wicker man's stomach. Without wasting a second, Hum Drum kicked the frozen bars down, and came rolling out of the wicker man, with a trail of fire.

“Hum Drum!” Masked Matter-Horn exclaimed in concern. “Are you okay?”

"Ouch! Ooh! Hot! Hot, hot, hot!" Hum Drum ran around in circles, showing his butt was on fire. “My pants are on fire! My underwear is on fire! I’M ON FIRE! YOW! That’s smarts!”

Hum Drum quickly ran to a fountain, next to a living mermaid statue, to put out his burning buttocks, blowing up billows off steams, in the mermaid’s face. 

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!” Hum Drum screamed, until the fire was out. “Phew."

At that moment, Zapp came with the T-Rex’s fossil chasing her, as well as an Iron Maiden chasing Filli-Second.

The two chased Power Princesses quickly crossed path with each other, which resulted in their chasers to crash into each other.

The Power Princesses and Hum Drum soon regrouped to discuss their next plan of attack.

“We got to figure out a way to get that jewel out of that phony pharaoh’s hands,” Mistress Marvelous said. “Anyone got any ideas?”

“I’m working on one,” Masked Matter-Horn scratched her head, trying to think up the plan. “I’ve got it!” She snapped her fingers. “We’ll divide and conquer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zapp asked.

“We spread out and surround the pharaoh and attack him from every directions possible,” Masked Matter-Horn explained. “The more spread out we are, the less control he has on the exhibits. He won’t be able to attack us and protect himself at once.”

“Which leaves him open for a direct attack, for one of us to snatch that jewel from him!” Hum Drum raised his hand up. “Then we break it, and everything in the museum reverts back to the way it was before!”

“Okay. Harmonus Defenders!” Masked Matter-Horn began, putting her fist in, with the rest of the girls and Hum Drum joining.

“Harmonus Defenders! GO!!” The heroes raised their hands in the air, and set their plan into motion.

Up on his perch, Pharaoh Phetlock held the jewel above his head, proudly boasting of his supposed invincibility.

“Kneel before the almighty Pharaoh Phetlock!” The phony pharaoh exclaimed. “Great king of the great kings of Egypt! Soon to be pharaoh OF THE WORLD!”

“Hey, Pharaoh Phetlock!” A voice taunted the pharaoh, revealing herself to be Fili-Second. “Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah! You can’t catch me~!”

“SEIZE HER!” Phetlock commanded some of the exhibits to give chase, after Fili-Second, but soon found himself pelted with more taunts, from the other heroes.

“Hey ya phony pharaoh,” Zapp taunted. “I’ve seen a lot of freaky dudes in my days. But you out the ugh in ugly! Oh!”

Fili-Second zipped by, to comment on the roast. “OOH! Burn!”

“HOW DARE YOU?! Seize her!” The irked phony pharaoh shouted, ordering some of the exhibits to chase after Zapp, who proceeded to surf on a lightning bolt to escape.

“A POX on the phony pharaoh!” Mistress Marvelous taunted, drawing some cowboy exhibits to chase after her.

“Yoo-hoo!” Radiance sang, beckoning for some of the exhibits to give chase.

“Uh…hi?” Spruce Spanner greeted meekly, which was still enough to goad Phetlock to sic some of his animated exhibits after her.

With her friends keeping the exhibits occupied, Masked Matter-Horn turned to Hum Drum, exchanging a quick nod to each other, before Hum Drum lunged in to attack the man.

“It’s over, Phetlock!” Hum Drum shouted, holding his Bo staff at the phony pharaoh. “You’re done! Now hand over the jewel and nobody gets hurt!”

“HA! You dare to give me orders?” Pharaoh Phetlock scoffed, before he unsheathed a khopesh. “I shall have your head on a platter!”

With that, both Hum Drum and Pharaoh Phetlock swung their weapons at each other, clashing blades and sending sparks fly.

Remembering all the lessons he learned from his friends, Hum Drum was able to effortlessly spin his staff, as if he were a true martial artist warrior.

Hum Drum blocked a low swing from Phetlock, before he anticipated and blocked a middle swing of the man’s khopesh.

In retaliation, Hum Drum lunged forward to throw a jab at Phetlock, who quickly parried the boy’s staff, and blocked another jab from the Harmonus Defender in training.

With Hun Drum keeping Phetlock distracted, Masked Matter-Horn took aim, and fired a beam of ice from her mana-projected horn.

The beam made contact with Phetlock’s feet, freezing him in place, rendering him immobilized.

“WHAT IS THIS?!” Phetlock exclaimed in outrage. “WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

As if responding to his question, and when the man wasn’t looking, Hum Drum lunged forward to smack the gem from the man’s hands.

“NO! My jewel!” Phetlock pleaded desperately.

“Not anymore!” With a slam of his staff, Hun Drum shattered the gemstone to pieces.


End of Fight


“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Pharaoh Phetlock screamed loudly, as all the exhibits in the museum reverted back to their original dormant inanimate states. “MY KINGDOM! MY ARMY!!!”

The rest of the Power Princesses gathered around the man, with Mistress Marvelous handcuffing the man’s hands behind his back.

“Yer under arrest!” Mistress Marvelous barked.

Walking over to the shattered remains of the jewel, Masked Matter-Horn picked up the shards for a closer inspection.





Outside the Maretropolis Museum, a swarm of police cars surround the museum. Pharaoh Phetlock was arrested and was being forced into a police car, by Ken Heathespike's dad, Captain Kenbroath.

"Let me go you fools!" Phetlock protested. "Do you know who I am? I AM PHARAOH PHETLOCK! UNHAND ME AT ONCE YOU PEASANTS YOU WILL–" The phony pharaoh was interrupted as the captain shuts the door on him, silencing his protest.

"Save it for the court, your majesty..." Captain Kenbroath scowled, as he and his fellow officers drive off, taking their latest convict with them.

High up on the rooftops, looking down at their latest job well done, are none other than the Power Princesses and Hum Drum.

"Well y'all," Mistress Marvelous sighed with satisfaction. "Looks like our work here is done."

"You mean, what a waste of time it was!" Zapp scowled. "I was geared up to have another go with the Night Owl. But NOOOOOOoooo. It was some other villain who thinks he's some high and mighty pharaoh, just because he's the descendant of a queen."

"Well, look on the bright side, Zapp!" Filli-Second smirked. "We still caught a bad guy, and best of all...you didn't get kissed!"

Zapp wasn't amused, with the crackling electricity expressing her anger.

"Still...I wouldn't celebrate our victory just yet," Masked Matter-Horn expressed her concern, while analyzing a piece of the jewel.

"What do you mean, Trot?" Hum Drum asked. "We've arrested the bad guy and...saved much of the museum. Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is," Masked Matter-Horn confirmed. "But I just analyzed this piece of the jewel that Phetlock used to bring the entire museum to life!"

"And...what's your analysis on it, Matter-Horn?" Filli-Second asked.

Masked Matter-Horn looked at her team solemnly, before she confirmed, "This jewel...was indeed from Harmonus."

"What?!" Hum Drum exclaimed. "Are you serious?!" Masked Matter-Horn nodded in response. "But then, that would mean, there's a connection between my world and yours...that's like saying...your people have...connected with...all of us Earthlings!?"

"It's possible," Masked Matter-Horn scratched her chin as she pondered. "There has been a historical record of interstellar travels, back on Harmonus. And Earth just might be one of those worlds that past Harmonians have crossed. And it's possible that during those travels, some remnants of Harmonian technology or knowledge have been inadvertently left behind!"

"Which means if any of them were to fall into the wrong hands, then...well, you've already seen what happened back there," Mistress Marvelous added grimly.

"Oh dear goodness," Spruce Spanner whimpered. "I can't imagine all the horrors that are certain to follow!"

"Then I say we head back to the ship and plan our next course of action," Masked Matter-Horn suggested. "Maybe we should do a global scan of the Earth for any traces of Harmonian technologies and such."

"Good idea," Zapp nodded, as she and the Power Princesses left.

Hum Drum was left by his lonesome to ponder. Zapp took notice and backtracked to inquire.

"You coming, Hum Drum?" She asked.

"Yeah. I was just...thinking," Hum Drum began. "After all that near-death experience and stuff, I can't help but get this feeling like we're forgetting something..."





Back in the Egypt Exhibit, both Brick and Boomer continued to lay, face first, splaying across the floor.

"Ow..." Brick groaned.

"I want my mama," Boomer added.