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The Junior Crossover League
Superheroes conquered the world. Here's what happens after
Permalink Mark Unread

Máni peers out from the alley, solemnly observing the attack drones--blasphemous bio-mechanical parodies of mankind in form, tearing apart the street, their strange chittering intermingling with the screams of those civilians unfortunate enough not to have been evacuated when the siege began. He pulls back into the safety of the shadows as a airborne unit passes by, looking for more victims to cut down.

He whispers to his companion, "I think we're losing hold of the situation."

 

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"Maybe trying to find the boss-monster was a bad plan. Is there even one of those?"

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"There's always an invasion coordinator. Sól and Crash were looking for him in the Empire State Building, but the battle-com's been quiet."

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"...I've got an idea but it means giving up the idea of hiding."

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"Well, that wasn't accomplishing much anyway."

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"You know how I can go all anti-powers? If I do that and look all over the city, wherever it's hardest, that's where the boss will be! ...Maybe."

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"Worth a try." 

The air around his person starts to shimmer like a mirage. "Shall we?"

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"Up the elevator shaft and take a look from the top floor, you think?"

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"Sure thing! We'll take a shortcut through some of the buildings."

He smashes a hole in the wall to their right, with complete silence. 

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Grandé darts through and peers around suspiciously despite Zeke's keen ears.

Then she dodges through hallways, pries open a pair of elevator doors and, flits straight up to the top before waiting for Zeke to catch up.

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He emerges from the elevator shaft, throwing a dead, scorpion-like drone back down behind him. "You're getting fast," he comments idly. 

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"Sure am. It's really really good for dodging. Better not to get hit no matter how tough you are." She pushes the doors at the top open and flits to an exterior window before starting to scan the skyline to the north.

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A few flying beetle-men start making a beeline towards them.

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"You keep scanning, I'll handle this lot."

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"Right!"

Block by block. Not there, not there not there not there-

She starts trying the tallest buildings first. She's not the only one who needs a good view.

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Zeke meanwhile is battling the beetle-men. With Grande a safe distance away, he can use his shrill, glass cracking battle-cry with impunity. The glass eyes of his attackers shatter, spraying internal oils into the air as they fall to the ground.

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...And soon she flashes over, punching one of the beetle-men with a burst of light. "Found it! The Trade Center, north tower."

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"Sneaky sneaks for the win!" 

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"Still got to go get 'em. Grab on to me and I'll get us both over there fast."

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He latches on, giggling. "How are you faster than me? I've been superhuman since forever!"

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And they're thrumming through the air, changing directions sharply to dodge more beetle-men, or to get away from the shower of spines from a group of brutes with porcupine arms. "How can you make things silent, it barely even makes sense? It's just practice for both things."

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"It's just a matter of telekinetically preventing air from vibrating. Same way we pick ourselves up and fly."

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"Same thing with me. It's just a matter of being fast enough."

They continue to zoom over the city at frantic speed, faces close to stay in the same stream. At least Grandé is paying more attention to where she's going than Máni or it might be awkward.

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"I hope the other two are being useful."

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Somewhere else, near a hero whose style is much... Louder...

"How many - oof-" She pumps her arms forward, shoving a dozen monstrous creations back as one, except the huge, overly muscled one. "Of these stupid things are there!?" She dodges a massive fist and then whacks the elbow it's attached to with a telekinetic hammer. "I can't keep a freaking thousand of these things busy!"

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Sól meanwhile is cutting dozens of the things down with but a glare, her eyes alight with annoyance and incineration. "And who even attacks a hospital? What's the point?"

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"Oh the heroes have to defend the innocent sick children they're keeping us busy isn't that obvious? And it's working!" Leap and slashes of color and explosions all around her but the muscle freak - won't - go - down!

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Her comrade manages to wrap her arms around its neck. Slowly but surely, frost works its way over his body as she hangs on for dear life.

 

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The muscled monster rapidly weakens as the ice takes hold.

"Nice!" No chance to wait, though. With Sól no longer hitting the other enemies some of them are banging on the wooden boards covering the hospital's first floor windows.

Crash spreads her arms, clenches her fists, takes a deep breath, and charges in screaming, not caring about the variety of attacks the creatures are hitting back with.

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"Wait for me!" Before she wades into the melee with Crash, she takes a moment to shatter the now frozen behemoth.

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Crash is taking quite a lot of hits - punches, stabs, puffs of fire, whatever, but simply ignoring most of them in favor of disrupting as many of the monsters as possible with her trademark blasts of telekinetic force, screaming wordlessly.

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They're interrupted by a beep from the communication devices strapped to their wrists. 

"You guys pulling your weight?" he asks, deliberately overly jovially. 

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"Either shut up or get down here and help me smash stupid cyborg monsters, shrieky boy! We! Are! Busy!"

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"Well, I was going to tell you we found the one behind all this, but if you're busy..."

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"Oh, so we can stop all these monsters? Great..." She trails off. The remaining creatures have broken off their attack and are all running down the street. "I think they know you found the boss. The hospital's safe now. We'll follow them!"

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"See ya there, sis," 

He clicks off.

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"Say, Sol, think we can ste- borrow a car or would it be faster to just fly after them?"

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She's already in the air. "Cars are for humans!"

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Well now she has to prove Sol wrong!

She gets into the nearest car and tells it, "Follow her! Hero override!"

"...Oh, this is an old car, forget it."

She clambers out and starts flying after her teammate.

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"Like you were going to be able to reach the pedals."

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"I thought it was a new car! One that would drive for me!"

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"Lazy bones!"

She heads towards the World Trade Centre's south tower. Seems there's a commotion going on top of the roof.

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Their teammates are slowly circling a retro-futuristic cyborg, who's holding a Big Red Button at the ready.

"Surrender, Mondasian!"

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"WE....only....SEeek to....Improve your....RACE!" the creature's sing songs, it's mouth gaping open as it talks. 

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Grande is letting Mani do the banter, she's trying to actually get around behind him while avoiding the monsters...

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And Sól is trying to sideswipe the lead cyborg off the roof.

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....Only for it to grab her by the scruff of her neck. "SEEE....WHat the...ImpulSIVENESS of your rAce BRINGS YOU!"

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Crash will charge with a punch ready and defend her friend! "Hey, look at me! I'm the tank!"

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The creature spits a grey metallic goo at her, which her skin seems to absorb. 

"Do...NOT fret....HUman child, your assmiliation will COmmence SOOn."

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"Gyaaah ew ew ew gross aah!"

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Grande takes advantage of the distraction Crash's sudden destructive tantrum poses, and darts in to steal the Big Red Button.

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"Way to get yourself assimilated, Crash!" 

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Given that the monster has one hand full of a squirming Sól, it isn't too hard for Grande to grab the Big Red Button. 

 

"NO--I-BEG--"

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"Unassimilate Crashy or I break it!"

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"IT's fOr her OWN BeneFit!"

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"...Sorry, Crashy." She explodes the Big Red Button.

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"Traitor! Fiend! Betrayer!"

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Her tirade is interrupted by a few triumphant trumpet blasts. The screen on the side of the airship they've been surreptitiously ignoring flashes the word "VICTORY!"

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"Looks like we got the boss!"

All the drones are dramatically but harmlessly exploding.

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"One hit KO chemical attacks are so stupid, how was that allowed?"

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The boss monster utters a few harsh, alien syllables, and for a moment it's like God clapped his hands. In the cyborg's place is what looks like a semi-bipedal elephant, designed by blind men. 

"I am the Boss, after all. And it just took some points off your final score."

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"I really need a proper force field, one that stays on, I keep getting hit by things. Humph."

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"But we still won, and I heard you were a huge help at the hospital!"

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"That she was," says a cloaked figure descending from the airship. His face is covered--or maybe just is--a metal mask, with metakic tusks and ruby eyes that flash when he speaks. "You all did very well today. I'm proud."

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"I feel stupid we tried sneaking around. It didn't accomplish anything and I had to be obvious to actually find the boss."

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"Yes," he says in his even, vaguely South American tone. "That kind of stealth is perhaps better suited to fights with other Crossover teams. But I commend you for how you found your chief opponent. If I must criticise something, it's that your group cohesiveness could have been better."

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"Two teams kinda works. We split up according to abilities."

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"Yes, but are your objectives serving the same goal?"

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"Yeah, we both saved people!"

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"But were you getting any closer to stopping the threat? I believe you yourself thought you wouldn't be able to beat the entire drone army one on one?"

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"So we should have ignored the hospital and let all those people die going after Bossy?"

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"Did you consider diversionary tactics?"

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"Maybe they all would have followed us if we got their attention and ran off. Maybe the hospital woulda got exploded. Humph."

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"There were two of you," he points out. "And Sol is fond of explosions."

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"I could have been blowing up buildings for justice?!"

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"Of course I'm always wrong and defending was for sure the wrong move..."

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"Not quite. I'm only trying to say there were multiple ways of handling the situation. And I have some news that might cheer you up. We've been selected to do the exhibition match for the Carnival."

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"Oh, my God!"

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"I hope it won't be something too ridiculous. I always like the straight fights best."

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"It'll likely be a straight versus, yes."

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"So they haven't decided who we're fighting?"

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"No. You should be flattered they selected you first. Would you like me to arrange transport home for you? You should rest up."

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"I think I wanna show mom where we fought first!"

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"That shouldn't be a problem. Would you like to go get her?"

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Off she goes!

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The airship has a convinent-for-flyers entrance to the spectator's lounge. 

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And Grande's mother is more than happy to indulge her little girl and be floated down to the site of the final battle. She even has some semi-insightful comment, particularly, "Sol and Crash if you two divided attention better instead of attacking at different times that assimilation might not have happened. I'd hate to see any of you get hurt for real."

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Sól is surprisingly accepting of the criticism. "I'll keep it in mind, Miss Carson."

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"Did Bill tell you the news?"

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"He did! It's very exciting, and a big honor! My little girl and her friends, one of the top hero teams in the U.S!"

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"One of the top under-thirteens junior league teams," he reminds her.

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"Oh, a mother's allowed to 'forget' some details. And I'm still proud."

Grande giggles.

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"Wanna see the hospital me and Crash defended?"

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"Certainly, let's see how well you two did."

"I bet nobody would have died inside if it was real!"

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"When we've landed, Grande, would you consider maybe reverting to your original body? Your synchronization schedule suggests it."

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"Fine, fine."

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"I know it can be a bother, but you don't want to end with up with one body in its twenties and another that's still ten and a half."

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"Being not-super is so boring though."

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"Back me up here, Mrs Carson."

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"You can do your studying while you're in your other body, dear. Get all the things that aren't as fun as being a hero out at once."

"Okay! I said it was fine already."

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They land. 

"Well?"

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"Syzygy." WHOOM!

 

"...I was going to do it, you guys don't have to go all adulty at me."

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"I apologise if that seemed condescending. I know it can be difficult to allocate time for your baseline self."

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"What's it like?"

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"Like being half asleep or something. Except not really. And no powers, but that's duh."

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"But having two of you. It's just weird. Does it hurt?"

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"Not really. I'm me, it's just... Different clothes."

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"Saying the word kind of looks fun."

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"I guess so. It's flashy. But now I'm being stupid and slow for a while, you know?"

"Let's go back to the hotel, Grenda," her mom suggests. "We can celebrate your exhibition placement with your teammates tomorrow."

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Sol always giggles a bit at Gren's real name. 

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Which will get an eye-roll in return, but nothing else as she leaves with her mom.

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Once the rest of them are away from their coach, "You two want to play a video game?! The kind Gren's mom woulda said no to."

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"Sure, sis!" 

He still finds their genetic relationship vaguely amusing.

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The videogame is a racing one! Where you can shoot at and blow up the other cars!

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"Teacher says this sort of thing is below us. Anti-social."

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Sol sits down and joins Crash. "Teacher says a lot of things."

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"It's almost as fun as blowing up villainous creations. Maybe better since there's infinite of digital ones."

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"I don't know. Feels pretty good smashing things with your own powers."

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"I don't think they're really meant for smashing things..."

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"Just another reason guilt-free video game smashing is good."

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Máni is not a huge gamer, so he sits on the ceiling and watches the girls play. "You been around your mom's place lately?" he asks Crash.

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"Sure, sure. Hero team means moving around a lot, but I go back there sometimes. Quiet place. Kinda relaxing in a really weird way."

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"Our mom's engaged. The guy's nice, but it's....weird."

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Crash shrugs without looking away from the screen, focusing on winning the game. "I guess that makes sense."

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Sól can multitask, thank you very much. "I mean, is she going to have kids with him? Normal kids?"

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"Maybe ask her?"

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"That's gross, Crash."

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"You want to know something, you ask a question."

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Máni finds this conversation uncomfortable. He decides to trade it in. "So, who do you think we'll be fighting for the exhibition?"

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"I want it to be some guys who rely on being sneaky-sneaks so I can show them how explosions are the answer to everything!"

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"I don't know, the Smokelords are real annoying."

 

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"Maybe not in midair or on a flat open field. Or rubble."

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"Yeah!"

 

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The next day, Spaceman Bill takes the team out for pizza, Mrs Carson being free to join them of course.

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Mrs. Carson does join them, though she chats quietly with Bill rather than keeping close to her daughter.

Grenda, meanwhile, is arguing one of the oldest debates: Pineapple on pizza, good or bad?

(She thinks it's good.)

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"Oh, please. Pineapple on pizza is like finding chunks of steak in your chocolate bar."

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"They make the pizza more varied! I don't mean all pizza has to have pineapple, but it's nice to have a pizza that's different."

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"Let's see what Bill thinks!"

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"The !Qell remain neutral on such matters of cultural expression, children. Also, all pizza is gross."

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"Your food is gross to us."

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"We cannot be blamed for your species' negligence in not designing specially adapted connoisseur bodies."

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"Multiple bodies isn't a very human thing to want."

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"To each their own. Anyway, I have an announcement. Your opponents in the exhibition match shall be Star Team 3."

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"A proper fight! Yes!"

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"They're pretty tough."

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"Then they shall make for an appropriate challenge. And the point here isn't winning, it's showing the masses the best of the sport of Crossovers."

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"Standard match, though? Ooh, I wonder what the arena will be."

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"I believe it's in Gibraltar. And yes, possibly with a defensive element."

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"I hope we get to be the Villains!"

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"There's more latitude for destruction that way, but we're supposed to be in hero training."

It might not be completely obvious that Crash is trying to be a Good Girl in front of the coach.

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"Now now, it's all pretend. And Villains serve an important educational role as well."

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"More importantly, it's pizza time!"

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While the children tuck into their pizza, Bill continues quietly conversing with Mrs Carson. "Your daughter is turning out to be an excellent convert."

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"Well, all those examinations the government did should have made them confident of that. But she's always been a sweet child. I'm glad she gets the chance."

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"It's certainly helped the Fearsome Foursome's chances."

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She shakes her head a bit. "I don't quite like that name, you know."

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"I was outnumbered. And most of my suggestions as it turned out didn't translate well to English."

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She chuckles. "Well, as long as the good kids get it first and lay down - norms, or traditions, or whatever it is, it's going to help everyone else get turned sooner, right?"

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"Three million, three hundred thousand and counting."

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"It's a good thing. Even if it came at a terrible cost."

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"There shall never be another Berlin."

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"I should very well hope so. But it's a scar."

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"I like to think of it as a broken bone. The break is forever evident, but it heals stronger."

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"...No, I think it really is a scar. But scars diminish, and you grow stronger around them without really forgetting them."

(In the background, Gren has reluctantly withdrawn her pineapple position. For now.)

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"Forgive me if my metaphors seem unwieldy. When an !Qell scars, we just pay for a replacement."

 

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"Perhaps a scar on a tree trunk, then. A tree here keeps signs of things that happen to it until it dies, steadily growing none the less."

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"That seems apt."

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"Kids at school are gonna be so jealous. You know, more than usual."

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"So we don't need to rub their faces in it, right Crash?"

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"Yeah. Would Dad approve?"

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"Don't talk to me about dad. I hardly never see him, he's not, not... Important. Mom and Coach are the ones who really matter."

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"I know, but he's like, I don't know, an example?"

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"Eh. Guess so."

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"And we do kinda owe Redglare."

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"He's just one guy. He could have been anybody. He could have been from Georgia. Or Idaho."

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"Remember when we met that kid he had with Anahita? So smug."

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"He wasn't that bad."

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"He kept calling me sis. He didn't even know me!"

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"You do that to Crash when she doesn't really like it, too."

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"We know each other, but!"

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"But they were nice to all the non-powered kids too. He helped Jane do her math work, remember?"

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"Giving rides might not have been best move, though."

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Gren shrugs.

Crash giggles, remembering how she... Dissuaded... Further people asking for rides.

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Spaceman Bill had given her such a talking to regarding that. 

Later, the children and Mrs Carson take the hyperloop back home. They have school the day after tomorrow:

"Who can tell me what happened on July 12th, 1989?" their teacher Miss Rossi asks her class during history.

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"The reveal of the Eight. And then the Shattering."

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"Exactly right, Grenadine. The !Quell's contact vessel, the Salutation, appeared over Berlin 12: 55 pm, EST, broadcasting an invitation to any and all world leaders across all wavelengths and in all languages. After forty-eight hours of deliberation, representatives from over a hundred nations were ferried up to the Salutation."

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"Where the Eight were waiting!"

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Miss Rossi shoots the boy a reprimanding look. "Please raise your hand to speak, Ezekiel. Can anyone tell us why there were eight heroes to start with?"

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Crash eagerly raises her hand and when called on, "So everyone had a hero to look up to while the !Quell continued negotiating with the government! It was like a test."

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"A test we sadly failed, as only three days later anarchist groups, mostly operating from Eastern Europe, attempted to obliterate the Salutation with nuclear weaponry. The ship was unscathed. Berlin, sadly, was not. A week later, it was agreed that the Eight, with the help of the !Quell, would take over the administration of Earth."

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Gren takes notes, despite knowing this history already. 

Someone asks, "Is that why they built the Phoenix on Berlin? Because the !Quell wanted it?"

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"There were a few reasons. They felt it symbolic that the site of mankind's shame become a symbol of renewal, and they wished to provide homes and jobs to what few Berliners remained. Thankfully, the !Quell proved quite capable of curing radiation sickness. And many of the Berlin survivors went on to become what?"

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"Turned!"

"Puppets!" Grumbles someone else.

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"Now, now, children, we're here for facts, not opinions."

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"A lot of them got new super-bodies with fancy alien tech."

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"And many of the women among them became the mothers of the first born superhumans." She smiles. "But you should know that already."

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Crash giggles.

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"My dad says they were a bunch of sl-"

"I do hope you weren't planning on saying what I think were saying," cuts in Miss Rossi, arms folded. 

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"Specially not when we're always in our super-bodies."

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Miss Rossi turns to look at Tabitha. "And I should hope as well that wasn't a threat, young lady."

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Grande rolls her eyes at Sol. "What's next in the book, Miss Rossi?"

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They proceed to talk a bit about the social fallout resulting from the new world government, as well as the new planned economy. Eventually, the lunch bell rings. 

"Before we go, I'd just like to announce that our own Fearsome Foursome are going to be doing the exhibition Crossover match for their age group come Carnival."

Most of the class is pretty stoked by this, even the kid who almost insulted the second gens' mothers.

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Tabby floats a bit in the air, blowing kisses extravagantly. "Thank you, thank you, mah!"

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Zeke just waves a little.

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Crash sure does love giving out the two-fingers-apart 'peace' sign, for how disruptive she is.

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The class disperses into the hallway.

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"Funny how quick the anti-us-ers are to cheer for us when we're on top."

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"I think it's some kind of psychology science thing. I read about it on the internet. People are stupid in the same ways a lot of the time."

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"Thank goodness for terrifying computer brains."

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"But they said turned do some of the same things! Because stopping it would mean changing human nature."

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"We're more efficiently stupid."

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"Hah. Good point."

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"You and yours doing much for Carnival?"

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"Mom always cooks three whole parties' worth of food and shares it with anyone. I sometimes help, but mostly play games and things."

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"Ours likes to get together with some of the other super-moms. How we met Crash, actually."

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"Those meets are always so boring unless you meet fun kids to play with. Cinderella, meet Miss Margie, she's a doctor! Don't you wanna be a doctor some day?"

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"Oh, gosh, you two look so alike. Yeah, we know. So do thousands and thousands of other kids."

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"I think stuff like that is a childhood requirement. According to Ernie, anyway."

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"One kid asked if me and Tabby were identical. And he was one of us!"

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"You're a boy, that's not how identical twins work."

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"I know, right? We don't even look that alike." 

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"You could always go into your settings and change those things."

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"They lock down most of it for us 'little kids' for a reason, you know. I tried red hair once though."

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"Age discrimination!"

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"They let you do changes if you really want you know. Like Alex. He was actually a boy, so they let him change his body over, remember? ...And huh there's a way you could be a boy and still identical twins though."

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"I'd forgot about that, actually. Growing the bits must have been annoying."

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"Anyway, we should probably practice working all together, like Spaceman Bill said. Before the exhibition match. Got to put on a good show."

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"But who would we practise on?"

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Shrug. "There's always sims. Probably in one of the smaller arenas. Random twists, random weather, random location that are gibraltar-ish... It's not great strategy, but it's good tactics. There's no limit to the number of modifiers and enemies you can add."

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"I used up my sims time for the week on Bloodlines."

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"So we ask Coach for some more! If it's official practice, not games, he'll let us."

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"Either that or bug the Smokelords till they attack us."

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"No civil disturbances!"

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"You know the Smokelords, it'll probably take ages to notice they're attacking."

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"My point stands. Maybe if we invite them to spar, which they won't accept because it's predictable, they'll try to ambush us later."

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"Good thinking, 99."

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"Ninety nine?"

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"Show Mom watched. There was a lady spy named 99 and she was really smart."

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"Oh, like Double Oh Seven. There's so many old shows."

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"Shows from before the Shattering are weird."

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"The superheroes are the only ones who can save the world because they're the only ones with powers, not because everyone else is far away."

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"Aliens aren't real, dontcha know?"

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"The world is a'changin..." Grande starts singing a song that was a one-hit wonder at some point.

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After lunch, their last class for the day is science. And since the 25th anniversary of the Unveiling is so soon, today's lesson is about augment biologies.

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Augment biology is a series of minor to moderate miracles gifted to humanity by the !Quell. The bodies still look human, and still have a humanlike structure with bones and muscles and organs in all the right places, but their DNA-analogue is more !Quell in nature. 

The bodies have great ability to regenerate, are easy to adjust, and are unaging - better in some ways than a baseline human body. They would not be as strong and fast as baseline human bodies without their implants. But the implants are as much a part of augment bodies as a human's skin or stomach. There are implants to strengthen the muscles, monitor the heart, to fight pathogens. Dozens of kinds of implants that turn augment bodies into a finely toned miracle machine.

The source of powers are special implants all over the body that can create and manipulate Klein fields. These incredibly capable little devices are capable of telekinesis, force absorbing and releasing, and a few other things, all controlled consciously and subconsciously (with some help from other implants).

But Klein emitters need the help of a mysterious organ called the Core. It sits just behind the heart, and the !Quell have not revealed much about how exactly it works... But will, in time, when humanity is ready to learn the secrets of the science.

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The augment children are politely asked to answer questions from their classmates. 

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Zeke shuffles his feet nervously. "Um, no, I don't just eat for fun. I need food to replace macronutrients."

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The teacher elaborates, "Augment bodies are designed not to rely on the Core excessively - to be able to function properly in case it fails. Such a thing is extremely rare, but it only shuts off powers even when it does happen. The bodies are still perfectly healthy."

Another kid asks, "What's it like having a smartphone in your eye?"

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"It would be great if we were allowed to use half the functions yet."

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"It's great! Means we can talk during movies all we want and nobody cares. And we save on hair dye."

He makes a few smart swipes through the air with his index and pointer fingers, and his hair suddenly turns neon pink. 

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Crash copies him, going for 'barf orange'.

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One boy has a question for Gren."I'm on the conversion list for November. Does it...hurt?"

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"It doesn't hurt. It's mostly really boring, you have to do doctory things or wait for like a whole day."

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"...And after?"

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"And after you have a new body! Switching is kind of weird and it took me weeks to get used to the interface, but it's still great!"

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"If you three are like robots, how come you were able to be born like that?"

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic is how!"

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"Nano-tech in the man-juice." 

The teacher glares at Tabitha. 

"Just sayin'."

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"Facts are facts," nods Grande.

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"It's no different from how babies grow toes and hearts or a pancreas."

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"Well, thank you children for giving us all some insight into the subject. I hope you all have a nice weekend, and we look forward to the Fearsome Foursome's exhibition match this Carnival."

The class makes an eager escape.

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"So, Gren, does you body-synch plan say Grande can come out and play? The Smokelords are waiting to find out that they're waiting."

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"Hm. Not yet... I'm doing a lot of being-regular so I can save up being-super time for a good long while."

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"Be great when you don't have to bother anymore.'

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"Yep! But for now, bothering."

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"So what do we do now?"

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"Wanna watch a movie and make fun of the stupid mistakes the characters make?"

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"That sounds nice."

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The next day, Gren is feeling better about her "saved powers time" and willing to go provoke the Smokelords.

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Her teammate's pull their costumes on. Zeke's is currently a dark blue hood and cloak number with purple trimmings, with a lot of silver moons all over.

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Crash is all bright red and yellow with jagged designs. Blood and thunder! Well, lightning.

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Gren's is lighter blue and green, including a sort of almost-skirt thing. It looks flowy and smooth.

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Tabby's is mostly white and gold, with a definite sun motif. 

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And with that, they take off to the Smokelords' hometown.