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Time marched forward, forcing the people of Lakewood Plaza to move on with their lives. The friend trio went their separate ways, finding their own hero adventures to embark on. KO stayed at the bodega for a little while longer, learning from a wiser Mr Gar, and from his own mother. Rad returned to his home world, to join a war that had started between it's people. Enid embraced her witch heritage, taking up with Red to settle down. Radicles went back to his home world and rose to the rank of general, all while staying in touch with Drupe. Everyone's lives continued to flourish, as they wrote their own stories and righting their own wrongs. New ideas were thought of, art was created, and the love these friends held for each other remained true.
Which is why, several years after our heroes split and went their separate ways, KO arranged a reunion, inviting Radicles while he was on Planet X, Enid and Red Action, and obviously his mom and his new dad. Dendy, staying by his side after all these years, made it even more possible, having someone who knew how to contact people far out of the galaxy.
The night before the reunion was set to begin, Enid and Red walked back and forth across their camper that they'd been living in together. Staying in a camper made it easy for Enid to travel around about the danger zone to put her magic training up to the test in real situations, with Red right behind her as always to back her up.
Enid ambled about the camper, securing clothes and furniture, while Red tied down her gadgets in the back of her work room. "Hey, nerd! I think this here is something of yours." Enid yelled to the back, to get Red to walk up front for it. When she did, however, Enid wasn't standing in the middle of the room waiting for Red. She'd hugged a wall, right next to the doorway waiting for Red.
"Yea, Enid? Where is it?" Red looked around the confined room. "Where did-" Just then Enid pounced on her prey, clinging to Red's back.
Reaching around to hold Enid in place, Red laughed. "You ninja! Always getting the best of me, eh?" making Enid gush, and kiss her cheek.
"You're always the best, Red." Enid whispered into her ear, as she tightened her hug around Red's torso. Then, she slid off to bounce back to the counter.
Not a day went by that Red wasn't glad to have met Enid. That afternoon, way back, when Red's alternate self traveled back to tell her to stay in the past with Enid was the most important moment of her life, behind asking Enid out in the first place. Now, she kept a picture of her and Enid standing under their sunrise. Whenever Red's PTSD got bad, she'd look at Enid's face again, and smile.
The couple cleaned for about another hour, securing the camper while it was being towed behind Red's tank the next morning. They'd ordered Chinese take-out and gave a rough description of where to have it delivered. The pair soon drifted off to sleep choosing to skip walking back to their bed and instead choosing to fall asleep arm in arm on their recliner.
At the same time, Rad was on the opposite side of the galaxy, finishing up some paper work, some reports on the recent ambush on his convoy. The civil war on Planet X grew more heated by the day, soon to overtake the entire world. Luckily Rad had already ordered his parents to stay off the planet for a while, until the conflict simmered down. Hopefully, Rad as a general for the state, wouldn't have to face what would happen if the rebels turned the war. Unfortunately, it grew harder to keep his platoon safe, since the rebels had taken up producing giant war mechs, that they liked to call Borgs.
Rad rubbed his face, before handing off his reports to his lieutenant, Wallace Shawn. "Sir, are you ready to depart on your trip?" The lieutenant asked.
Rad stood, grabbing his key card. "Yes, but you don't need to walk with me to my star ship." Then, he donned his coat as he walked out towards said ship Rad passed a training room for new cadets, and called out "See you later, recruits!" Then continued on his way. It was about to be a long ride to Earth, but at least he could sleep. And had snacks.
The next morning, on Earth, KO was already at the bodega, bouncing around hours before his friends were supposed to arrive, making final confirmations that the shop was clean. His mom and Mr Gar walked in, hand in hand, an hour before the reunion started, carrying Carol's casserole, and, not being that great of a chef, Mr Gar brought a dish of papusas to dip in sauces.
"Oh, sweetie, this little party is coming together so nice!" Carol smiled down at her son, kissing his forehead. Mr Gar then came up from behind her, and one arm hugged KO, saying "KO, I am proud of how far you've come these past couple years." He stood back up, to place the food they had brought in on the counter. KO set up his stand in the break room, while Carol did her shopping for the day. Mr Gar prepared the bodega for the day, while he waited for his new workers to come in for the day.
On the other side of the Danger Zone, Enid and Red woke up groggy, skin sticking to the leather recliner.
"Ugh, I'm so sweaty, dude! Get off me!" Enid groaned, rubbing her eyes, and prying Red off her gut.
Red retaliated, screeching "Remove thou hands, witch!" As she rolled off the chair, face planting into the floor.
Said witch looked to the clock on the wall, and saw she needed to be at the bodega in about an hour and a half. She best get up and get herself a brisk morning shower, to wake her up. Her stomach also growled, reminding her that they had not ate last night.
"Red... Would you mind making me something while I hop in the shower for a few minutes?" Enid asked, getting a cup of milk to get herself moving.
Red already knew the plan for the morning: Let Enid ready herself for the reunion in the morning, and then let her fly to the bodega on her witch broom so she'd get there on time, while Red hooked up and drove to Lakewood. What was one thing to help her love be on time? "Sure, babe. Just smooch me first!" Red said, sitting up off the floor.
Enid giggled at that, still feeling the same fuzzy feeling as when Red talked to her for the first time, just not as raging as it once was. Enid walked over to her girlfriend, and leaned Red's head up with a hand on her chin to kiss her lips. Then, she walked back to their actual bedroom, where the bathroom was, and got ready for the day.
Meanwhile, in space, Rad wasn't having as such a lovely time, as he was woke up amidst his sleep mid hyper drive by a call.
"Uh... Wha-? Who is it..." Rad rolled out of his chair and dragged himself to his communicator desk. It was his lieutenant, Shawn.
"Yes, priv- Er, Lieutenant Shoon?" Rad picked at the crust in his eyes, from sleeping so long.
"Sir! I know you're travelling for your reunion... But I need to report this to you. Sector Eden-6 has fallen to the Nerds rebellion, and their Borgs. We've lost 3 platoons, and about 32 soldiers unaccounted for." Lt Shawn was panicking.
Rad groaned, not necessarily from being annoyed at the call, but from running out of worthy soldiers to hold off enemy forces. And he didn't want to spread them so thin that it'd be easy pickings. The soldiers still had lives, loved ones, souls. Rad was running out of options. And fast. He just couldn't wait to get to Lakewood, where he could hug his longtime friends, hold Drupe once more, and-
Rad had an idea. For once, he might actually want to see Red Action.
He still had another hour of flying left, so for the last stretch, he began drawing out maps and plans for the forthcoming battle.
Some time later, back on Earth, Enid was ready to leave, noting that she had another 15 minutes before she'd be officially late.
Enid walked out of her camper, freshly showered, dressed in her cleaned witch-ninja robes, to check on how Red was doing, hooking up the camper to her tank. "You know, I still can't understand why we use a vehicle that hovers to tow a trailer with wheels." Enid questioned aloud.
Without looking up, Red retorted "You also don't know why Rad beat me in his wheeled van when I was using my hover tank from the future, but whatever."
Enid lightly kicked Red's butt from where she plopped herself down to sit.
"So, what are you expecting to see different in everyone when we get there?" Red asked, tying off the hitch. Enid bit her finger, plotting out her words. She then stated "Hmm... Carol I know has lost some of her long hair, and has wrinkled some. Might be from the stress of TKO. And Mr Gar... I bet he's been growing out his hair for Carol. Or-" Enid stopped to giggle, "Or maybe it was Mr Gar who took Carol's hair!" The two laughed for a second, before Enid continued, "Rad... I have no idea about. I haven't heard anything from that dude. I hope he's still doing well." Then Red chimed in, punching her hand "And I hope he hasn't hurt Drupe since they've been dating!" Enid laughed, remembering how the two slowly fell for each other. If anyone wrote some bad Wattpad fan-fiction about them, she could see Rad and Drupe as a 500k word slow burn that hadn't been updated past the 22nd chapter in two years.
Enid then checked her phone, and saw it was about time for her to leave. "I'm off then. Give me my see you later kiss!" Enid puckered her lips. Red was happy to oblige. Enid then summoned her broom, and hopped off, as she lifted away, she waved down at Red who waved back, staring longingly.
The time had come, with KO standing in the parking lot of Lakewood plaza. He kept looking up, seeing if Rad was coming out of hyper drive, or if Enid was dropping down in Red's tank. From inside, Dendy put a thumbs up to KO to signify that everything was going to be alright. This made KO smile, being assured by someone who made him smile with ease.
Just then, Rad's ship flew down, beaming Rad to the ground. And coincidentally at the same time, Enid landed on her broom.
KO's heart swelled up with emotion, from old friends reuniting after long nights apart. This was why KO carried his childhood with him, so that he would never truly grow older. That way, even from being away for so long, things could go back to the way they used to be with his friends, even if just for a day.
Enid and Rad both ran over to KO, knocking him out of his thoughts, with both of them forgetting about any worries they had. It was getting chilly out, with it turning to winter, but all the hearts at the bodega were warm together, as if it was still a summer's day on a cold winter night.
And so, the laughter went up as old friends reunited again, glad to see each other once more. Things were looking beautiful, as the sun set casting teals and lavenders across the sky for the hero trio.