Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 1: HELLO, WORLD

The city of Townsville was as busy as ever.

It was rush hour on a beautiful bright spring day, which meant Main Street was flooded with visitors. People poured in from all over – here to window shop, catch up over food and drinks, see the sights, walk in the park, or just make the most of their breaks from work. It was a time when everyone came out to enjoy the wonderful weather, in a place where humans, animals, aliens, robots, monsters, imaginary friends, and countless others rubbed shoulders alike.

Amongst today's visitors, in line at a quaint little Morbucks Coffee on the corner, was Dee Dee. She was packed in amid a crowd of disgruntled customers, who like her, were stuck waiting for a group of businessdogs in front to decide their order. An excitable bunch, the businessdogs had initially raced into the shop, affirming each other's choices with loud choruses of "Yup! Yup! Yup!", seemingly ready until the barista asked them what they actually wanted. Apparently, such a question had made things too real - so, for the past half hour they had been constantly shifting between suggestions, unable to commit to a decision; much to the rest of the shop's chagrin.

Unlike the others though, Dee Dee didn't really mind. She wasn't in too much of a hurry anyway, happy to spend the time daydreaming about the fantasy world she usually conjured up for such occasions. While she stood, she also swayed to a little tune she hummed to herself, moving every now and then to adjust the weight of a basket hanging off the crook of her arm. Packed inside was a feast of freshly baked goods, the delicate smells wafting out to tease the senses of those around her. Never mind the waiting - today was a lovely day, and that's all that really mattered.

A sigh of deep relief echoed through the line, stirring Dee Dee's attention. She tiptoed to see that the businessdogs had finally settled on something unanimous. The barista (who had all but fused with the counter she had been leaning on) dived to prepare their drinks, swiftly passing them when ready into the businessdogs' eagerly awaiting paws. The line sped forward as they happily trotted off, until it was at last Dee Dee's turn to be greeted with a practiced smile and the classic Morbucks hello: "Welcome to Morbucks Coffee, what would you like to pay for?"

"Hi! Please may I get a not too big not too small chocolate and salted caramel iced mocha with extra cream on top and low-fat skimmed milk and one strong black coffee, unsweetened please. Thank you so much!" Dee Dee beamed.

The second drink was for her brother, Dexter, whom she was on her way to visit. Neither she nor their parents had seen him in several days, since he had been spending the past few nights at his lab finishing work on his "super-secret" project. After a year of rampant speculation about what exactly it was he had been dedicating all his time to, he was finally preparing to make his grand announcement to the public at the end of the week. This also meant that he had been stiffer and more paranoid than usual about anything and everything that could go wrong - driving him to test every ounce of Computress' unlimited patience by repeating check after check after check. Dee Dee was planning to drop by right as he was scheduled to finish a meeting with the Professor this morning, to check up on how he was doing and make sure he got something homemade in him as well. And possibly, gently but firmly nudge him in the direction of a shower before the big day.

Balancing her drinks in a cardboard rack in one hand and holding the basket above her head, she waded through the mess of remaining customers, expertly swerving around the businessdogs who had yet to decide whether they wanted to sit in or take out. Outside, she joined the flow of pedestrian traffic in the direction of Tech Square. The walk down Main Street through the City Centre never failed to impress: as all around hundreds of moving posters and holograms employed every combination of light and sound possible to grab attention for what they were advertising. There were rotating models of Dexlabs' latest innovation and Mandark Industries' latest copy. Logos flashed above the newest items on the menus of Morbucks Coffee and Burger Frenzy. And gliding through the air above were floating billboards with feel-good messages endorsed by various celebrity heroes, reminding you to stay safe or eat healthy. Buildings plastered with these colourful images huddled over Main Street like patchwork giants.

Things quietened down, however, when entering Tech Square proper. The area had managed to retain a quiet, business-like atmosphere despite the technological and economic boom of recent years. Here the buildings were more spaced out, reflecting the different companies that owned them and the grounds they occupied. Advertising was minimal and instead the glass-and-metal structures mostly reflected the cool blue of the sky above. Standing confidently at one end of the main square was the company most widely credited with launching the boom, and on the other end sat its rival. The buildings of Dexlabs and Mandark Industries faced off every day just as much as their employees did when they passed each other on their way to work. Thankfully, any real drama usually remained between the CEOs themselves, making the tension felt between the employees of either company generally seem more like that of opposing sports fans than anything else.

Dee Dee walked up the steps leading into Dexlabs' entrance hall. By this point, several people had recognized her, calling out a hello or raising a hand, to which Dee Dee responded to all with equal enthusiasm. She passed through the hall and its exhibits and approached the front desk, greeting the receptionist-bot with a warm smile.

"Welcome to Dexlabs Headquarters. How may I help you today?" said the receptionist-bot.

"Hi! Dee Dee here to see Dexter?" Dee Dee replied.

"One moment please," the receptionist-bot said as it ran a facial scan to confirm her ID. A small beep sounded when the light finished sweeping over her. "Identity confirmed. Please stand by for a Dexbot to escort you."

"Okay!"

Almost immediately, said Dexbot came gliding towards them, zig-zagging through the crowd in the entrance hall. It moved with a frantic energy, hands flailing as if wringing them nervously. It ground to a halt beside Dee Dee and glanced between her and the receptionist-bot, as if gauging whether it was interrupting any conversation.

"Hello. I am here to escort Miss Dee Dee," it said.

"Miss Dee Dee, your escort is here," confirmed the receptionist-bot.

"Hi! I'm Dee Dee, nice to meet you!" Dee Dee greeted the Dexbot.

"Hello Miss Dee Dee. How are you doing today?" the Dexbot replied.

"I'm great! How are you?"

The Dexbot appeared to hesitate.

"… I do not have a programmed response to that question."

"Oh… Okay…"

"Please accept my apologies. I will report this to my manufacturer. Your ticket number will be-"

"No, no, it's fine, it's fine! Why don't we, uh, just go to see my little brother?"

"Certainly. Please follow me."

Seemingly relieved, the Dexbot took off. Dee Dee gave the receptionist-bot a little wave and turned to follow her escort to Dexter's office.

"You've built a time machine."

Professor Utonium sat back, struggling to find any other words in response to what he had just listened to. He stared at the boy sitting opposite him, who confidently held his gaze and did nothing to hide his smirk.

"Yes, Professor. That is exactly what I have done."

Yesterday evening he had received a phone call from Dexter, asking whether he was free to meet in the morning. When the Professor inquired about the nature of this meeting, Dexter had simply replied, "I'd like to show you before anyone else."

The boy looked dishevelled when he saw him the next day. His hair was messy, and he had dark circles under his eyes. But he strode towards him with purpose, greeting him with a firm handshake and the other hand reaching up to grasp his shoulder. He had ushered in him into the office and gestured to the comfortable chair in front of his desk. Then Computress had quickly moved to lock the door behind them. They had proceeded to systematically inspect every part of the office, confirming everything to each other in hushed voices the whole time and only stopping when they seemed satisfied. The windows were tinted, the lights were dimmed, and finally Dexter sat down in his chair opposite; his assistant hovering at his side.

Then Dexter revealed his big secret. Aided by images projected by Computress, he walked Professor Utonium through the events of the past year. How by developing a commercially viable way to mass-produce warping technology, he found himself having more and more ideas about the possibilities of travelling beyond the confines of space. How bit by bit he had begun to dedicate increasing amounts of time and resources into researching what originally started as a theoretical exercise. How one day he realized that he had actually developed a new theory, and the beginnings of a method to test it. He showed the Professor every attempt, every failure, and every lesson learnt from each failure that prompted the next step in his journey. And then, he showed him the readings that proved his success.

"Dexter… I don't know what to say. You're a genius."

"Says the man who evolved three super-powered girls from a cocktail of glorified pantry goods."

"That took a decade, happened by accident, and no one, including myself has been able to reproduce it since. You did this in a year!"

"Well then. I guess we're both geniuses."

The Professor shook his head, amazed at Dexter's casual cockiness. "So this is the demonstration you've been preparing... What are you planning to do?"

Dexter leaned forward; his tone matter-of-fact. "When the day comes, I will introduce the public to the machine," he began to explain, "A live audience will be invited to Dexlabs - mostly press and a select number of VIPs, such as yourself and the girls. Cameras will be set up to livestream the event for everybody else – on screens outside the building for those who wish to gather there, and of course on the Dexlabs website for the rest of the world.

Then, I will introduce the public to my volunteer, selected specifically for this purpose. We will go through the usual formalities beforehand; confirming that we did not know each other prior to the experiment, that they have no vested interest, are sound of body and mind, informed consent, blah blah blah. And finally, when all that is done… I will prove to the world that time travel is possible."

Dexter took a moment to compose his next words. "A dramatic change in weather, some significant natural event – anything that cannot be definitely orchestrated nor predicted. The volunteer will travel to the near future and obtain evidence of this. Only about a month or so, not much more. They will take this evidence and bring it back to what we call the present. Carbon dating will immediately convince the scientists - the rest of the world, of course, will remain sceptical, as nothing particularly impressive will have been seen to happen. But give it a month for our time to catch up… and the truth will reveal itself."

Dexter leaned back, satisfied with his explanation. Now it was the Professor's turn to take a moment so he could mull over the details. Another question then pressed him. "This volunteer, Dexter - who exactly are they?"

"An outstanding individual who was the only one to pass every assessment I set."

"You assessed them? You told them about the machine?"

"Not immediately. Every potential candidate knew what they were being assessed on, but not why. Candidates were assessed at different times, on different things, in different ways. None of them had anything in common in the unlikely case that if somehow they made contact with each other, it still would not be possible to piece together the aim from what they collectively knew."

"What about when you found your volunteer? What did you tell them?"

"The truth. By then, I knew that I had the right person. I wasn't concerned, but you can imagine how the conversation went."

"And that's it? They were up for it?"

"They saw the data. You've seen it too. It works, and they couldn't deny that. They jumped at the opportunity to be part of it – of course, the hefty sum I offered as payment helped to persuade them as well. "

Professor Utonium thought back to when he first saw those incredible readings. Dexter was right, there was no denying it. You'd have to be crazy to refuse this kind of opportunity. "I'm still just trying to process it all… You've achieved the impossible. When you go up onto that stage, your announcement is going to change everything."

They were both silent for a moment, minds turning with the endless number of new possibilities this would open up for their fields. It was then that a realisation dawned on the Professor. "But Dexter, you'll be putting yourself in a dangerous position."

Dexter nodded; his eyes hardened. "Yes. Yes I will."

"Then… Are you sure that revealing it so publicly is such a good idea?"

"I have to. For the sake of science, you and I both know I have to. Sooner or later the public will know anyway – you've seen how many of my designs have leaked onto the black market despite my efforts. No Professor, this is the best way to do it. Show the world exactly what Dexlabs is capable of, and whoever comes for the machine after… Let them come. We will be prepared."

Dexter said this last sentence with conviction, hinting that it was something he had already debated with himself about for a long time. The Professor noted this and stopped. Several seconds passed before he continued. "Dexter, you know you have my support. As your colleague and as your friend. Whatever help you will need to protect the invention - you know you can count on me."

"Understood."

Both scientists stood up at the same time, reaching forward to shake hands in solemn agreement.

"All that being said…" Professor Utonium couldn't help but burst into a grin. "This is just so cool."

Dexter smiled too. "Thank you, Professor. For everything."

Computress had already moved to unlock the door. Just as it opened, a gust of Dee Dee came bursting through, rushing past her to smother Dexter. A Dexbot carrying a basket glided in to follow.

"Mister Dexter, Miss Dee Dee is here to see you," the Dexbot announced.

Dexter's reply was muffled. "Yes, I can see that. Thank you Dexbot, you may return to your duties."

The Dexbot set the basket down on the desk and glided back out. Dexter peeled himself away from Dee Dee's grasp.

"Hey, Dexter!" she sang.

"Hello, Dee Dee," he said.

"How are you?"

"Busy. What did you bring?"

"Food for two days, a batch of Mom's muffins, and a coffee."

"Why did you bring me coffee? I have a coffee-bot."

"The muffins are apple and cinnamon."

"Ooh!"

Dexter pushed her aside to dig around in the basket. Dee Dee turned to greet the other two in the room while her brother stuffed his face. "Hey, Computress! Hey, Professor! How are you?"

"I am operating at desirable capacity. Thank you for asking," Computress said.

"It's good to see you, Dee Dee. How have you been?" the Professor responded.

"I'm great! How are the girls?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. They save the city from bad guys - I make sure they do their homework and get back in time for dinner. Say, Bubbles has been telling me about the work you guys have been doing at the conservation club – I hear you're quite the botanist!"

Dee Dee giggled. "Oh, it's just something I've been thinking about majoring in. I really love plants, and so far, I think they like me too!"

The Professor chuckled. "Well Dee Dee, if you're interested, I actually ordered in a fascinating book the other day on plant taxonomy. I've mostly gotten what I needed from it, so if you want, why don't you come by my office before you go to borrow it?"

"Aww, thanks Professor! I'd love to."

"Yes, yes, good!" Dexter interrupted them through a mouthful of muffin. "That sounds like a reason for you not to stay. Thank you for stopping by Dee Dee, but I have to return to my very important work. Tell Mom I said hi and that I'll be back home the day after tomorrow for dinner. See you later, Professor."

He shuffled past them with the basket in his arms and out the door. Computress watched him leave then offered them both a smile that was almost apologetic. She waited for them to step out too and locked the door behind them.

"It was pleasant to see you both. Enjoy the rest of your day," she said before turning to follow.

Professor Utonium chuckled again as he watched her glide to catch up with the boy and his basket. He turned to Dee Dee. "Right, well my office is just this way. Why don't we go for a walk?"

"Sure!"

They turned in the opposite direction and started walking.

Later that afternoon, on the far side of Townsville, in the bay where two cities were connected by the Xià Tiān bridge, a fog had settled over the water. It was a thick, low fog, gathering mostly below the bridge while the sun continued to shine down on its topside. The density of its form also meant the fog was difficult to see through, prompting the ships that had to briefly navigate it to exercise particular caution. Once inside, they could expect to be visually isolated from the rest of the world for several minutes at the very least. Just the right conditions for Mojo Jojo.

He crouched on one of the beams underneath the bridge, flanked by members of his Umbra Troop. The minions, each a different species yet the same in each other's eyes as members of Mojo's elite team, all kept an eye on their leader as he calmly observed the space below him. The air was much cooler in the shade, which caused some of the smaller minions to shiver, and it was permeated by the salty scent of the sea. Above them the low hum of hovercars passing across could be heard, and in the distance, the cries of seagulls.

Yadda Yadda, Mojo's second in command, stood to his right. He was a tall, broad-chested mandrill with hair the colour of charcoal, who had little words to offer for anyone but his leader. A crackle came from Yadda's earpiece as a scout connected to him. He listened to the message, then reached up to press a button and grunted a response. He squatted down to inform Mojo. "Simian Supreme, the ship is approaching."

"Excellent," Mojo murmured, then raised his voice enough for the others to hear him. "Minions! Prepare yourselves, for now is the most important time to be prepared."

The troop members readied their stances, muscles tensing in anticipation. The sounds of activity around them faded away into irrelevance as they all focused their attention on the fog. For a little while, there was nothing. Then, with a booming blast of its horn a shape came into view. A large, dark silhouette drifted towards them; its body longer than it was wide. The minions bared their teeth and hopped a little closer to the edge, their excitement like whalers finally spotting their prize. Mojo raised an open hand sharply to control them. They watched as the old boat slowly passed into and out of focus, completely unaware of who was perched above. When it almost reached the halfway point, Mojo raised his hand a little higher, subtly telling them to hold. Slowly but steadily, he could see their target drawing nearer - a large metal container bolted right into the centre of the ship's deck. This container had a ring of guards around it, and there were more stationed further along the deck, keeping watch from a distance. It was expected, considering what was being held within: several million taros' worth of raw material that in the right hands could be processed to make Chemical X.

Mojo kept his hand up as the container inched closer. He could see the guards clearer now - they were simple sailors but still heavily-armed, burly, and itching for a fight. He signalled his minions on the beam opposite with his other hand; they each confirmed that they had set sights on their individual targets. He felt the hair on his back raising as the container gradually came into range. In those last few inches everything seemed to drag out to a moment of infinite quiet, like time itself had held on just to tease him for a few seconds more... before finally allowing the container to come into position right below them. He closed his hand into a fist and brought it down, giving the order.

Drop.

All at once, Mojo Jojo and his Umbra Troop jumped from the beams. They descended in a rush of grey and purple, with Mojo and his cape billowing out like a pair of great wings at the forefront. The minions opened their mouths wide in an aggressive shriek as they came hurtling down, and it was this sound that began to alert the sailors, though too late as the simians landed upon them in a cacophony of violence.

The smaller monkeys went straight for the ring directly guarding the container. The impact alone crumpled half, but the guards with faster reaction time managed to move just enough to evade and start shooting. The larger apes hit the deck on the either side, and immediately turned to charge at the other sailors who were running towards them. Mojo and Yadda landed right on top, and Yadda immediately got to work cutting through the roof. Mojo stood up to his full height and turned to savour the scene unfolding. Ahead he saw the gorillas dispatching their enemies in a beautiful tag-team, taking turns to grab and throw them up for the other to slam into. Just below he could see and feel the pressure of dozens of bolts whizzing through the air from the guards frantically shooting at the monkeys, who were too agile to be caught in their clumsy fire. He watched the sailors being quickly overwhelmed by their force and his lips peeled back into a wide grin. This was going to be easy.

His attention was disrupted by a grunt immediately followed by a loud crunch of metal from behind him. He turned back to Yadda, who had drawn a square big enough for them to fit through and was now making his first cut along one side. Mojo grabbed the other grinder and got to work cutting along the opposite. Once they had made all the cuts, all they needed to do was lift it open, climb down, and load all the canisters stored inside into their packs. The plan was to be in and out in under fifteen minutes, just as the bow of the ship began to emerge from the other side of the fog. Sparks across from the surface as they made progress, prickling their skin. Yadda completed his first cut and moved to get started on his second, when he let out another grunt and recoiled in pain. He brought his elbow up for them to find the hair on it burned, and they turned to see the sailor from whom the rogue shot had come from sprinting in the direction of the ship's bridge, shouting and waving his arms as he tried to get the helmsman to understand what he was saying. Mojo's eyes narrowed. The alarm had already been sounded, which he had expected, so whatever new course of action this one wanted to take was not something he could allow.

Barking an order at Yadda to keep cutting, he leaped from the roof to give chase. The human sailor was moving fast, but Mojo was superiorly evolved and would easily overtake. The sailor was climbing the steps leading up to the helm, taking them two at a time, all the while still shouting instructions. Mojo was rapidly closing in, having knocked the heads of two fools who tried to intercept him and using the momentum to propel himself from their shoulders. He was now close enough to make out what the sailor was telling the helmsman to do – something about firing the distress something – and close enough to hear the helmsman's worried response that they were in civilian territory. Mojo threw himself up the steps with a roar, reaching up to grab the sailor just as he and the helmsman had reached an agreement. His fingers grazed the shirt on the sailor's back when a piercing explosion rocked the space they were standing in. They looked up to see a small device shoot up through the fog, high into the air above the boat. Mojo's eyes widened as he recognised the distress drone. They weren't supposed to have this technology – not a ship this old. He spun around, trying to find something he could climb, some sort of vantage point to get a sense of where exactly in the bay they were.

He needed to figure out who would be coming.

"Aww, come on!" exclaimed Ben as the words GAME OVER faded in yet again on the console's screen. He half-heartedly slapped the side of the machine, digging into his pocket for another coin to resume the game. Around him the sounds of the arcade continued to blare out, a chaotic noise of genres chasing after each other around the flashing displays that cluttered the space. The smell of fried food called for attention too, drifting in waves from the diner adjacent. Ben ignored all as he threw himself into the world of SUMO SLAMMERS CLASSIC once more, slamming his hands on the buttons in a rhythmic fashion as he went through the motions of making his way to the boss of the level he was stuck on.

"Ben, as much as I enjoy our breaks for food and entertainment, I really think we should be heading back out on patrol soon," said Rook, Ben's partner, as he came to join him. His hands were loaded with a heavily packed tray, teetering with a small mountain of food that threatened to topple at any second. Rook watched Ben with mild interest as he carefully laid out their orders on the table – moving Ben's double portion of chili fries, extra-large soda, and greaseburger to one side and pulling his meatball sub, side salad, and water towards his own. "Our food is here once you have finished losing," he said as he unwrapped his sandwich to take a bite. As if on cue, Ben let out an indignant cry as the Jade Sumo crushed his avatar to death for the sixteenth time. He finally resigned himself with a deep sigh and trudged over to plonk down opposite Rook. "They've completely changed it from the original version man, how is it my fault if there's now four times the number of mobs? I get to the last guy with like a quarter health left! What am I supposed to do with a quarter? So unfair." He continued to grumble to himself as he tore into his meal, his chin dripping with grease from the burger.

"Perhaps Ben, if you got better at the game it wouldn't be so hard," Rook replied absentmindedly, ignoring the dirty look Ben shot him. They kept munching in silence, forgoing conversation in order to turn their full attention to their food. Although it was dim where they were sat, they could see that the weather outside had been getting brighter and brighter, as the sunlight poured in from the door that connected the arcade to the diner. Aside from the machines, the arcade was actually fairly quiet at this time – in fact, apart from a couple of curious customers from the diner Ben and Rook were really the only two people hanging out. Made sense, considering that most people were supposed to be at work.

Ben's phone buzzed with a message, prompting him to pull it out. He lazily poked at the screen to unlock it, going for another bite while he did so. What he saw caused his eyebrows to furrow. The phone had immediately loaded up the Plumbers app and was now flashing aggressively with an alert. Something was up.

"Hey… Rook, are you getting this message from HQ? Says a distress drone just got fired off..? Aren't those for special ops missions only? Rook? Dude!"

Rook wasn't listening. While Ben was checking his phone, the TV screen on the wall had caught his attention. Breaking news: a sudden explosion had been heard from out on the Orchid Bay, followed by a sonic wave that had shattered all electrical equipment along Bellwood's waterfront. Similar reports were coming in from Townsville. It was unclear at the current time what had caused the explosion, but ships about to leave the harbour had been instructed to stay put to allow for investigation. Due to the ambiguity of the situation, it was possible that heroes might be needed on the premises.

Rook turned to look at Ben, who was glancing between his phone and the TV. He looked down at his own communicator, finally noticing that it too was flashing. He looked up to meet Ben's gaze, now getting the message. They were the closest Plumbers on patrol to Orchid Bay – they had to go.

The partners dashed out of the diner to their patrol car, Ben slapping some taros on the counter as they ran out. "Keep the change!" he shouted over his shoulder. They slid in and buckled up, Ben switching on the Plumbers radio while Rook revved the engine. The voice on the radio repeated what they had already deduced, instructing all available forces operating in the area to make their way over to the Xià Tiān bridge. The car lurched into the air to enter a hover, the nose angling down as Rook pulled them into the road to speed down Bellwood Boulevard. Its siren started wailing as Rook pulled them up over the legal height limit, flying over the civilian cars below them. Ben fiddled with the Omnitrix as they drove, flicking through options to decide which alien form might be appropriate for this mission.

The car banked as it swerved round a corner, throwing them to one side as it angled back into a stable position. Ahead of them, the shining amber form of the Xià Tiān bridge rose into view, towering above the ocean mist. Rook slowed down as they approached a gathering of Plumbers and Bellwood cops parked near the bridge's entrance. They hopped out of the car, hastily greeting their colleagues. "So what's the situation?" Ben asked them.

"We got a lone ship out there on the bay," said one of the cops in charge. "Low visibility around the bridge – fog that's settled and won't disperse. No other ships supposed to be in the area but we're not sure yet. The ship is what must've fired off the distress signal, so we're assuming something serious is going down over there to warrant the move."

Ben turned to scan their surroundings. The cops had blocked off all incoming traffic as a pre-emptive measure, leaving the bridge empty. The Plumbers had already made their way down onto the water, preparing to approach for contact. He shared a glance with Rook, both thinking about how they could help. He made a decision.

"Rook, I'm gonna go out onto the bridge, see if I can dive over as Water Hazard from there."

"Understood. I'll join the Plumbers on the water. We'll follow you for backup."

The partners nodded at each other and made their moves. Ben jogged onto the bridge, pulling up the Omnitrix's menus again to change his choice. He lifted his hand to hit it, when he noticed a figure standing in the distance. It was swinging an arm in what appeared to be a wave. He hesitated, narrowing his eyes, confused. Guard raised, he held off on transforming and closed in. As he approached, he gradually began to make the details out – size, height, posture. And most importantly, the colour the figure was wearing... Green. Ben grinned.

"Dude, I didn't know you guys were coming?!"

"Oh man, you got the call too?! Sweet!"

Ben raised his fist to bump it with Buttercup's. They greeted each other warmly, good friends surprised to run into each other.

"You guys know what caused the explosion yet?" Buttercup asked Ben.

"HQ's saying it's a distress signal. Not supposed to have any go off in civilian territory, it's more of a special ops thing," Ben replied.

"Weird. Sounds like this one's gonna be fun. You think it's one of yours or one of ours?"

"Only one way to find out."

They turned to face the water, eyes on the ship that had now fully come out of the fog. They could just about make out the activity surrounding it - flashes of fast-moving colours and the distant sounds of guns firing. Above, Ben could now see Blossom and Bubbles had flown out to survey and control the area. Buttercup stretched beside him, getting ready to take flight as well. He turned back to the Omnitrix, bringing up the silhouette for Water Hazard, about to transform again… when he had an idea. He changed to another alien and turned to Buttercup.

"Hey Buttercup, can you do me a favour before you go?"

"What's up?"

"Throw me?"

Buttercup's gaze was momentarily perplexed. Then she understood. "Sure," she grinned.

Ben sucked in a breath as Buttercup put her arms around him. "Ready?" she said. Ben nodded. In one smooth move she hoisted him up and tossed him outwards, launching him towards the ship. Ben soared through the air, whooping with joy and a massive surge of adrenaline. Buttercup laughed as she took off to follow him. His clothes flapped with turbulence around his body, his limbs straining as they angled to control his momentum. The wind carried him for longer that it should be possible, keeping him almost level with Buttercup's path beside him, until he could feel himself beginning to descend, prompting him to quickly bring the Omnitrix back up to his face. Satisfied with his final choice, he slammed his palm down onto the silhouette.

Ben Tennyson disappeared in a flash of green light, and moments later Four Arms crashed into the deck of the ship. He and Buttercup stood to finally see what they were dealing with, and who.

"Mojo Jojo. What a surprise," said Buttercup.

The villain was crouched on top of a large container bolted into the deck of the ship, a sailor's rifle in one hand whilst the other was reaching down into a hole in the container's roof. Other minions were scattered across the scene, still tangled up with the ship's crew they had been fighting. Mojo's eyes were wide open with shock, caught in the act. He stared at them, momentarily unsure of what to do, then curled his lips into a snarl.

"GOOO!" he turned to roar at his minions. He reached back down to pull a larger mandrill out of the hole, who brought with him several packs which he slung over his shoulders. The simians nodded at each other in solemn agreement, before the mandrill dived over the far side of the container, taking the packs with him.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere!" Buttercup yelled as she dashed after the monkey.

"Not so fast," Mojo growled as he pulled up his rifle to intercept her. He squeezed the trigger, bolts spraying through the air in her direction. Buttercup bobbed and weaved, dipping in and out of super speed to avoid them.

Four Arms ran after her, only to be accosted by a fury of minions from all directions. He felt a chimpanzee jump onto his back, wrapping a sinewy arm around his neck to choke him. He reached up to pull the minion off, but suddenly felt his wind get knocked out as a howler monkey drop kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back, losing his grip on the chimpanzee who immediately tightened his hold. He could feel his air getting cut off, the minion's impossibly powerful arms crushing against his windpipe. He gritted his teeth and squatted, then jumped backwards hard, throwing the chimpanzee into the deck with the force of the impact. The chimpanzee screamed, loosening its grip. Four Arms immediately jumped back up, rising up to meet the howler monkey's chasing blows. He grabbed a hold of the minion's arm as it came swinging in and twisted with it, using the momentum to flip the monkey over his shoulder and fling him into one of the containers.

He turned to look to Buttercup, who was chasing Mojo as he jumped from container to container, dodging bolts and grenades he threw at her. He watched her close in, bringing up her fist to crunch into his face, when a gorilla came flying towards her, violently slamming into her side. She hit the wall of a container hard.

"Hey!" Four Arms shouted as he ran towards them. The gorilla glanced in his direction and immediately charged to meet him. The minion leaped into the air, teeth bared and powerful arms spread. Four Arms prepared for impact, only to feel a fist drive into his kidney, throwing him off balance. He tripped, grunting from the pain, and fell back to see a second gorilla had ambushed him. The twin minions fell into position, spreading outwards to flank him on either side. He could see the carvings on their helmets glowing like all the others, indicating another shot of Chemical X pumping through their blood vessels to enhance their bodies. So these were Mojo Jojo's infamous minions. They were good.

Buttercup stumbled back to her feet, shaking her head free of the daze. She met Four Arms' eye. "Need help?" she asked. "Maybe a little," he replied. She floated over to his position, then turned to angle her back against his. "Let's do this."

The heroes both crouched like boxers, raising their fists to guard their heads and upper bodies. The gorillas circled them, matching their steps with warier energy now that they were two for two. They faced off, reading each other's movements. Then one came flying towards Buttercup. This time she saw the feint, twisting instead to block the second gorilla's swiping arm with her elbow. Four Arms jumped over her to catch the first gorilla mid-air, forcing his knee into the minion's face before he could shift out of the way. The gorillas slinked back, momentarily put off, but before they could recover the heroes came following through. Buttercup launched herself off Four Arms' back to drive an elbow into a throat. Four Arms went low for the other one, flipping their original move on its head as he feinted a false reach with his upper arms for the gorilla's shoulders and instead wrapped his lower arms underneath the minion's ribs. He pulled him into a suffocating bear hug, feeling the gorilla struggle to pull himself free, then knocked him into unconsciousness with a headbutt. He let the gorilla drop to the ground beside his comrade whom Buttercup had just finished.

The heroes stepped over the minions to face Mojo once more. The villain had taken advantage of the situation to take off towards the back of the ship, running to pull his fallen minions back up so they could escape. Other minions had climbed up atop the roof of the bridge to shoot at the other Powerpuff Girls, keeping them from getting any closer. Those who had reached the railing were diving off, donning breathing apparatus so they could swim away.

Buttercup flashed forward to dismantle their escape. She seized the minions by the collar as she moved through, throwing them against the wall one after the other. She flipped up onto the roof, ripping the guns from the shooters' hands. Finally, she flashed back to grab Mojo last, dragging him up with her as she flew to dangle him in the air. "Show's over, Mojo," she growled. The villain wrestled with her, trying to kick her away from him and attempting to twist her wrist so she would let go. "Unhand me from your grasp!" he yelled, "Release me at once! I will not be captured by you, not if you free me so that I can strike you properly!"

"Yeah right, I will," Buttercup said sarcastically as she easily resisted. "How many times have we got to teach you this, man. You'll never get away from us. Any time you try to pull something off we'll be there to stop you," she scolded, patronising him with her tone. Mojo finally seized his efforts, choosing instead to glare at her with utter contempt.

"Buttercup!" the voice of Blossom called out to her as the sisters flew down to join her. "Mojo?" she continued, now confused. "What are you doing this far out here?"

"Looks like there was something on this ship he wanted to steal," Buttercup explained as they floated back down to the deck. "Looks like they got away with it too. I saw Yadda Yadda take off with a couple of packs." She turned back to Mojo, whom she still had in a tight grip. "Only for a little while though, we'll track the others down when we bring this guy into custody." She smirked when she saw the villain's disgusted look.

"You guys all right?" Ben walked over to join them. "All good," Blossom replied. "We took out a couple of scouts hiding out on the water, likely failed back up for the heist team. Looks like you guys had quite the fight here."

"Ah, we had it covered," Ben bragged. "Me and Buttercup make a good team. I gotta say though… this juice these guys are on is tough. I had Four Arms struggling even with the smaller monkeys."

"Yeah, it's a new formula. We're still trying to get a sample for the Professor to analyse. But Mojo's synthesised it to evaporate too quickly so far to collect any. Isn't that right?" Blossom said the last bit to Mojo. The villain refused to meet her gaze, still glowering from his defeat.

"Well, maybe we'll get some off him this time..." She trailed off as something caught her eye over Ben's shoulder. "I can see the Plumbers are pulling up. Can we leave you guys to recover the scene while we take him back to Townsville?"

"You mean we clean up so you guys can go home?" Ben joked. "Sure, no problem."

The girls laughed. Blossom and Bubbles thanked him before grabbing Mojo and his minions and taking off into the air. Buttercup bumped his fist again. "Thanks for having my back, man."

"Any time, dude."

She took off after her sisters. Ben yawned and stretched, rubbing the back of his neck as he waited for Rook and the others to board the ship. Then he sighed, as he remembered the amount of paperwork he'd need to fill in for an incident of this size. Looks like he was going to have to beat SUMO SLAMMERS CLASSIC another time.

It was pasta night at the Utonium household and the girls still weren't home.

The Professor stood over the hob, watching the pot of water he had just salted come to a rolling boil. Beside it, two more pots were simmering gently: a beef ragù he had been nursing for the past couple of hours, and a vegan mushroom alternative for Bubbles. A packet of tagliatelle sat on the counter nearby, waiting to be cooked. He looked up at the clock above on the wall. Should he should chance putting it in now? The pasta would take about twelve minutes to fully cook – but Buttercup liked it really al dente, so he'd need to pull out her portion at ten minutes. Not to mention that Bubbles liked to let it soften in the hot water for a little while longer, so really it was closer to being a fourteen, fifteen minute operation in total. Essentially, the girls needed to be walking into the house within the next five minutes at most for such a plan to work. The big question, of course, is would they. The Professor sighed. Might as well set the table while he waited.

He began pulling out plates from the kitchen cabinets, opting for the ones with a flat middle and curved edges so that the pasta could be laid out without worrying about spilled sauce. He grabbed another side plate to place the garlic bread he was keeping warm in the oven, and nabbed the napkin holder so he could start filling it up. The Professor took them over to the table, stepping around the bar counter that divided the kitchen and dining area. He set out four places, walking back to reach into the bar drawers for glasses and cutlery. When they were arranged, he got to work folding a dozen or so napkins into triangles (a number which have might seemed excessive but with how fast the girls went through them, it was just about enough). He got to folding the sixth when the front door swung open.

"Hey Dad, we're home!"

"Sorry we're late Professor, we got caught up by the Townsville Gazette wanting a statement."

"What's for dinner, I'm starving."

The girls piled into the house, kicking off their jackets and shoes, all talking over each other to greet their father in unison. Bubbles skipped over to peck the Professor on the cheek, whilst Blossom immediately moved to help fold the rest of the napkins. Meanwhile, Buttercup went to snoop through the pots, grabbing a fork to try what was in them. The Professor called out to her, "Buttercup, mind that you don't cross contaminate. Could you also get the pasta going please, you know how we do it." Buttercup grunted acknowledgement through a mouthful of meat. The Professor turned to Bubbles, who had started watching a video on her phone, about to wander upstairs. "Bubbles, could you please get the garlic bread from the oven. There's a salad in the fridge too if you can." This brought her back to focus, stirring her to follow his instruction. Blossom went to grab some drinks, exchanging a secret smile with her father over her siblings' typical carefree attitudes. Eventually, everything was in place: the table was set, napkins folded, drinks poured, pasta laid out according to preferred sauce and doneness, and sides sufficiently distributed. Professor Utonium and the Powerpuff Girls dug into their meal.

"So, how was school?" the Professor asked generally.

"Good," Buttercup replied first. "Man, you shoulda seen me and Ben take out Mojo and his goons today. We-"

"Did you hand in that Biology assignment you were telling me about?" the Professor interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, I did. Anyway, so you know those gorilla twins from his main squad? They-"

"What about English? Did you get the results back for that paper?"

"Dad, I'm trying to tell a story here!"

"And I asked you about school, not the fight. Let's get that addressed first."

"Fine! No, I didn't get them yet, teach said it'll be this Friday."

"Great. I'm sure you've done very well. I know you spent a lot of time on that one."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Can I tell you the story now?"

"Sure."

Buttercup relayed the events of the ship, colouring it with exaggerations that Blossom and Bubbles interjected to correct. The Professor nodded along, making the appropriate hmms and ahhs that would encourage the girls. Like any father, he didn't much enjoy listening to the stories of his daughters' conflicts, but it was a fact he kept to himself to ease their worry. Of course, he had also had to accept a long time ago that whether he liked it or not, the girls had embraced a gift and attached duty that came with it, a responsibility that they would certainly carry for the rest of their lives. But while he still had them under his care, it was his duty to ensure that at least their sense of normalcy was protected.

When the story concluded, the conversation next turned to the Professor's activities this morning. The girls knew that he was a regular collaborator of Dexlabs, but Dexter's ambiguous phone call from the previous night had piqued their curiosity.

"Well, actually girls, I've got some news," the Professor began.

"What is it? Did he tell you what he's been making? Is it another giant robot?"

"Is it a new Dexbot model? Or an AI update for the current ones?"

"Ooh, I love the Dexbots, they're so cute! Could he get them to do a dance with you if you ask them?"

The girls leaned in to huddle over the table, jostling to get their ideas heard. The Professor chuckled, shaking his head as they got more and more fantastical.

"No, no, not quite any of those things. Actually, I'm not sure I can actually tell you… Dexter wants to keep it as a surprise."

"Oh come on, Professor! It's us. We've been neighbours with them for how long, the only reason Dee Dee hasn't told Bubbles yet is because she doesn't know either!"

"No, no, I really can't. Plus, it's only a couple of days more. And believe me girls, it'll be worth the wait."

"So what have you actually got to tell us?"

"Well, we've been invited as VIPs to the big reveal. He wants us to be there in person, right up front when he unveils it."

"Oh… cool."

The girls didn't bother to hide their disappointment. Like everyone, Dexter's new invention had been their main topic of conversation to circle back to these past few days. It didn't help that the notoriously secretive genius was being extra annoying about it, opting to make no public mention of it aside from placing a single simple countdown on the Dexlabs homepage to reference the reveal date. Unfortunately, they knew the Professor's lips would remain just as tightly sealed. They would have to wait and find out at the same time as everyone else.

The family finished their dinner and turned in for the night.

The city of Townsville was fast asleep.

Dexlabs' employees had long left for the day and the Dexbots had entered their rest modes after finishing their rounds. The building was devoid of noise, absent of all activity… save for two. Dexter and Computress were still up in his private lab, still working on their final checks.

"Okay, let's try that again. Increase acceleration by two steps. Hold the resistance."

"Acceleration increased by one. Two. Resistance holding."

"Time for max speed?"

"8.32 seconds."

"Good. Temperature check?"

"325.85 Kelvin."

"Hmm, we're still a little high. Increase baseline ventilation by 4%. I know it's a little much, but I think we can recover the heat during the transition period. Run that again and give me the readings."

"Max speed reached at 8.86 seconds. Peak temperature reached at 317.6 Kelvin."

"Much better! It'll take a little bit more to begin transition, but we'll have much more stability this way. Okay, let's go through the environmental analyses again. Particle check?"

"Currently reading 4872 particles per cubic centimetre. No abnormal levels of radiation detected."

"Air scan?"

"Standard ratio of elements present in the surrounding space. Lower than standard levels of pollution, although this is likely due to Dexlabs' filtering system."

"Compare to Dexlabs' system readings."

"No significant discrepancies between data sets."

"Excellent. Okay, I think we'll conclude this session there. Save data and run group analyses for when we resume."

"As you wish."

Dexter stepped away from the lab bench, feeling his stiff joints pop as he finally stood up straight for the first time in hours. He rubbed his face, reaching absentmindedly for the last sip of his coffee only to find he had already drunk it. He checked his watch. Just gone past 3am – they had finished early. He looked over at Computress, who was gliding around the machine, going through the standard procedures to ensure a safe shutdown. It sat there, a massive rounded thing, with dozens of wires and cables connecting it to various monitors. It emitted a low, steady hum while it waited for Computress to switch it off, and a pale blue light pulsed slowly from its many crevices.

Dexter stared at it, a strange feeling passing over him that had revisited him several times over the past few days. The feeling of knowing that this was his masterpiece. Either that… or his undoing. He thought back to his meeting with the Professor that morning, going over his friend's warning again in his head. Utonium was right, of course he was. Dexter had reached the exact same conclusion. But he couldn't just not tell anyone about his achievement. That would be folly, it had to be shared. And yet…

Dexter sighed. He looked to Computress again. Maybe she had a different opinion.

"Hey… Computress?"

"Yes, Dexter?" Computress instantly paused what she was doing to give him her full attention.

"Do you think what we're doing… is right?"

"Yes, our data trends are indicating that development is proceeding smoothly. Although I can run a full analysis again if you would prefer-"

"No, not like that. I mean, uh, morally. Are we being responsible? Presenting the machine in such a way?"

"I see, you are alluding to Professor Utonium's thoughts this morning matching your previous doubts about the project. Apologies for the confusion. As you know, Dexter, I am programmed to be your assistant. My role is to serve. I do not believe I have the capacity to truly disagree with you."

"Good point."

"That being said, the personal debates you have had in my presence have raised equally strong arguments for both sides of the issue. I do not see why one might necessarily be considered superior to the other. However, I think it may be helpful for this conversation to echo a sentiment that you have repeated to me on multiple occasions: 'If it will benefit science, it will benefit the world.'"

Dexter laughed, a short bark of a laugh. She got him, she really did.

"Thank you, Computress. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

"It is always my pleasure."

"You know, building all of this," he made a vague gesture at everything around them, "Sometimes I just think… Things were so much simpler when I was still experimenting at home. No need to worry about the implications. I just 'did', you know?

Don't get me wrong, I am glad I have Dexlabs. But since starting it up… I guess I've gotten a lot more cautious."

"I understand."

He nodded. Of course she did. He hesitated, unsure of what to say next, and she waited patiently for him to realise that they had said all that needed to be said for now. When he did, he moved away from the bench he'd been leaning on once again, and put his hands together.

"Okay, well I'm going to turn in. Good night, Computress."

"Good night, Dexter."

As he walked away, she watched him shed the brief vulnerability he had allowed her to see, cloaking it again with that familiar confidence that set his shoulders with strength and his stride with purpose. When he left, she passed through the lab to conduct one more security check, and finally entered rest mode herself.

Meanwhile, someone else had also stayed up late.

Whilst the other operatives of Sector V went to bed, Numbuh 2 had decided to stick around to finish some work. He typed and typed, fingers gliding over the keyboard, reaching occasionally to sip his soda or pop another corn puff into his mouth. The only source of light left in the room, the monitor reflected off his goggles, an alternating pattern of colours accenting them as the screen continued scrolling.

In the corner of his display popped up a notification. He clicked on it to expand a new window over. "Hmm," he murmured, as he read that it had come from one of the KND's outer satellites. Apparently, an exceptionally large unidentified object had just entered the solar system. He brought up his inbox to see if any of the other bases had said anything about it. Nothing. Numbuh 2 scratched his head, contemplating whether to raise an alert. No, not so soon. Things passed in and out all the time, it being larger than usual wasn't enough to warrant serious investigation just yet.

Feeling comfortable with his decision, Numbuh 2 made a note to keep a track of its progress and went back to what he was doing.

END OF PART 1

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 2: THE BUTTERCUP INCIDENT

"Today's the day!"

The city of Townsville was alive. Crowds of thousands flowed into its streets, pressing forward in bursts, a heartbeat of movement nourished by colour and sound. People pushed and pushed, all hoping to edge their way just a little bit further to attain that much-coveted spot where it was all happening. Music blared out from speakers floating in the air, decorated with banners and bunting that shook with each vibration, bits and pieces sometimes falling off for the crowd to snatch up to use as props as they sang along. High above, the skies were being painted with streaks of green, white, and blue, as mini jets drew the Dexlabs logo and reminded everyone that yes, TODAY WAS THE DAY.

Attempting to maintain a semblance of order, the officers of the Townsville Police force had erected barriers along the sidewalks, seeking to contain the parade-goers in the open road. They desperately shouted commands, waving frantically in a bid to remind everyone of their authority, but this mostly washed over ears that had been deafened by excitement. Further complicating things for them were the dozens of opportunists who had taken up shop along the barriers, skulking around the perimeters to sell counterfeit merchandise or offer to instapaint the faces of fans who wanted to rep Dexlabs' colours. Suspiciously, the vast majority of these vendors were wearing the same outfit - a cheap Hawaiian shirt and a crumpled straw hat, their smiles rigid and their voices oddly robotic. In fact, from the way many of them kept reaching up to adjust what appeared to be the very skin on their face… It seemed that a certain jealous rival had sent them in the hope of making a quick buck off the event as well.

For those who actually managed to make it into the square, Dexbots had been stationed to herd them towards one of a dozen or so floating mega-screens, which hovered at an angle over areas marked out on the ground. With less than an hour to go the screens cycled quietly between one of two images: the animated Dexlabs logo and a countdown steadily approaching the moment of truth, the same that had been teasing the world for the better part of the past year. Amid the screens, zipping back and forth to adjust their view were news drones approved to record the event, coming from channels such as the Townsville News Network, Bellwood NOW, Pow Cards Magazine, and RoboTV. Also moving amongst them were a number of creatures, odd things that seemed to be taking notes in their own special ways. These were beings that could only have come from those distant foreign lands the residents of Townsville knew little to nothing about, places where society was rumoured to operate through entirely different means than the ones they had here.

Of course despite the strange visitors, everyone's attention was hard-focussed on the wide-open front doors of Dexlabs HQ, beckoning like open arms into the entrance hall. The way in, however, was being heavily guarded, open only to the select few VIPs that were allowed to walk the red carpet. On the surrounding steps were the old-school news crews, those who preferred to do their work in traditional print, such as the Townsville Gazette and the Adults Only Edition (who were still not interested in changing their name). Lights from the crews' cameras flashed as guests steadily arrived, announcing them as they paused for a few photos and entertained the journalists who came over to shove a microphone into their face. Most hurried away as soon as they could, eager to get to their places in time to start the show.

Inside, the entrance hall was just as much of a hubbub as out. The usual exhibits had been tidied away in favour of mounting a display of intrigue: a series of objects, tools, and notes that told the story of a journey that until now, had been kept a strict secret. Particularly for the academics in attendance, it had created a huge buzz – intoxicated by being given just enough information to understand the magnitude of the project, but infuriated by the missing pieces that Dexter had intentionally omitted to retain the element of surprise. There was, however, a building rumour. A single word that was spreading like wildfire. Whatever it was that Dexter had been working on required a colossal amount of energy, which coupled with clear attempts to improve upon his existing warping technology, suggested that he was trying to transport something beyond distance. And beyond distance, there was only one thing:

Time.

Nobody could allow themselves to believe it until they had the evidence to confirm for certain. But of course, only one person could provide it. And right now, he was with his family, stood at the foot of the stage quietly talking to them while Computress turned away any who might disturb their conversation.

"… But why did you have to wear the turtleneck? It's so dark, and it makes you look so much older than you really are."

"I like the turtleneck, Mom. It goes well with this suit."

"But why not something like a nice white shirt? You don't even need to wear a tie - in fact I think you would look quite handsome paired with the dark blue. Your dad might even have one of his old shirts in your size at home, if it's not too late we could-"

"I'm not going to wear one of Dad's shirts! Anyway it doesn't even matter, the turtleneck is part of my image, it's what the public expects of me."

"Oh, there you go again with the 'public image'. You're such a nice boy, why do they always have to make you look so serious?"

"I am a scientist, Mom. When your work is as important as mine, you have to be serious."

Dexter's mother sighed. "Well, all right, if you say so," she said before reaching up to adjust his collar. Dexter resigned himself to letting her fiddle, sharing a knowing look with his father who stood by, casually rocking on his feet with his hands in his pockets. They looked over to see Dee Dee coming back to join them, having pranced around the room to mingle with everyone and anyone who would stop for a chat. Plastered across her face was an even huger beaming smile than they thought would have been possible for today, as her childhood instincts screamed at the sight of all the stuff she could play with. But no, Dee Dee was mature now, and she had promised Dexter, Mom, Dad, Mom and Dad, Dad and Mom, Computress, and Dexter again that she would absolutely in no way whatsoever touch anything that might interfere with Dexter's big day.

Although, it was always worth asking. She skipped to Dad's side, pulling on his arm to loop hers through it. In an exaggerated show of nonchalance, she tried to broach the subject with Dexter once again.

"Sooo, Dexter-"

"No."

"I was just going to ask-"

"No."

"But maybe I could help just a teensy-"

"No, Dee Dee!"

"Ugh, fine." Dee Dee rolled her eyes. Dad smiled and continued rocking on his feet.

A Dexbot glided down from the stage to consult with Computress. She nodded, sent it back, and turned to inform Dexter. "Dexter, they are ready for you now," she said.

Dexter nodded. "I see. It is time. Mom, Dad, Dee Dee – I gotta go. I'll see you again at the after party."

"Oh, this is so exciting! Best of luck sweetie, I know you're going to do great." Mom fussed over him as Dexter gradually pulled away from her hug. "We're counting on you, son," Dad said as he squeezed Dexter's shoulder affectionately. Dee Dee attempted to hold her grudge for all of two seconds before she swept him up in her embrace, her impossibly strong arms forcing him to hold still as she sang well wishes for her little brother. Eventually, Dexter was liberated from his family's goodbyes, and made his way up the stairs to the stage.

The crowd instantly shut up to watch him climb. They studied him with intensity even as he shed his suit jacket in favour of donning his iconic Howie lab coat, paired with his signature purple gloves. Dexter adjusted his glasses and stepped up to the microphone to address the crowd. He looked around the room, noting all the faces gazing up at him with bated breath. He saw the ones he knew, his family mouthing words of encouragement, and finally met Utonium's eye, the Professor's excited grin no longer something he could conceal. Feeling the moment come, Dexter took a breath, cleared his throat, and began. "Greetings, one and all. Thank you all for coming on this very special day. It is Dexlabs' pleasure, as it is my personal privilege, to finally be able to host you. There are many things I have prepared to explain, but first… I think I'll just show you."

Dexter signalled Computress, who in turn communicated an unspoken instruction to the Dexbots in position. They activated a hidden set of trapdoors in the stage, which began to slide apart with a smooth ksssh, retracting into the space behind them to allow a large rectangular opening to form. From below, a platform began to rise, bringing with it a great bulbous object, sat atop a cylindrical base with cables connecting it to a control panel. The invention powered on as it rose, a bright white light pulsing out from the seams in its segmented texture which then cooled down to a pale blue. In its front was a circular hatch door. But the most curious thing was what else came with it on the platform, or rather who, because it was a person.

Murmurs echoed through the audience. Dexter waited as the platform settled into place, exchanging a slight nod with the volunteer. Satisfied that everything was ready, he turned back to the microphone. "Today, I present my crowning achievement. Today I introduce to you… The Time Machine."

Gasps all round. It couldn't really be. The crowd sprung into furore, a hundred different conversations erupting throughout the room as people divided themselves over whether Dexter was actually being serious. This man - no, this boy was claiming that he had singlehandedly solved in one year what thousands had tried and failed to do in the past millennia. It was absolutely impossible. It was going to be an embarrassment – no, a scandal. And yet… there Dexter was, waiting patiently for them to finish quarrelling, untroubled by the comments being flung at him.

When the commotion at last settled down, Dexter chuckled slightly to himself. "I do thank you for your passion. It was… more or less what I was expecting. And now that we have that out of the way, it is time to demonstrate the legitimacy of my creation."

Dexter beckoned to the volunteer to come join him at the front of the stage. The audience peered at them with wary eyes, searching for the reason for their being there. Dexter's voice adopted a presentational quality as he gestured towards them. "First, I would like to introduce you to my volunteer, an exceptional individual, who has kindly agreed to participate." He paused, smiling encouragingly as the volunteer introduced themselves. "And for the sake of the audience," he continued, "Can you confirm that I have invited you purely for your unbiased participation on this day, and that prior to this day you have had no involvement in the development of this project?" He nodded, somewhat theatrically as the volunteer confirmed, and so Dexter proceeded with the next question, following the beats of the conversation they had rehearsed dozens of times over, aiming to highlight to the onlookers why he had selected this specific person for the role of volunteer.

When Dexter finished his line of questioning, he then moved on to outline the same plan he had to Utonium earlier that week. There were many hecklers, of course, which Dexter took in his stride, answering their questions with an earnestness than ignored the scepticism undercutting them. Until finally, Dexter reached the end of his brief and the only thing left to do was begin.

Dexter moved to his position behind the control panel. The volunteer stepped up to the hatch door, shifting back slightly when it released from its frame with a gust of cool air and slid to the side to let them in. Within was a simple circular room, with a similar control panel to the one Dexter had set up outside, although shaped more like a cockpit. A pilot's seat was positioned in front of the controls. "Whenever you are ready," Dexter said to the volunteer. He watched them from over his glasses as they pulled themselves in, walking over to slide into the pilot's seat. The volunteer looked back to nod before tapping a button on the panel menus, causing the door of the time machine to slide back into place, the lights rapidly pulsing a few time times before calming back down. It was now primed for command.

Dexter passed his hands over his control panel, skimming through menus to bring up what he needed. He tapped on an icon which brought up a live image of the volunteer in front of him, then dragged his finger up a slider to activate the sound. "Hello?" he said, testing. "It is I, Dexter. Can you hear me in there?" The volunteer voiced that they could. Dexter nodded. The audience stared, entranced. "Thank you for volunteering for this important time travel experiment," he reiterated. "I'm going to need you to input your profile into the system before we begin. Stand by and I'll bring it up on your monitor." He selected the option to set up a new profile, which prompted him to verify admin access. He placed his palm on the screen, allowing the panel to read it. Once his access was approved, he cast the profile set up UI to the volunteer's screen, allowing them to do as instructed.

Dexter's panel flashed with a notification to indicate successful set up. He flicked through their data to make sure it had registered correctly. "Excellent," he said. "Bio-scan is complete. Let's make sure your communicator is functioning." He glanced at Computress, who was already reaching up to tap at her temple. "All communication systems are functional, Dexter. I will be able to reconnect with the volunteer upon arrival in the future," she confirmed. Dexter's excitement was starting to show now. "Affirmative," he grunted in approval. "All right, I'm powering up the main engine now. You may feel a little bump."

Dexter took a deep breath to regain his composure, then began to twist the dial to start the engine. The machine roared into life, the power of the engine causing the entire stage to reverberate as it warmed up. The rumbling was joined by the sound of air beginning to release under high pressure, gushing out in long stretches akin to deep breaths. Now, the rumbling was spreading out to the rest of room, the ground itself quaking as the machine groaned, waiting for permission to take off. It was causing members of the audience to cling to each other, nervous to feel such force from such a distance.

Dexter, on the other hand, was loving it. "Wow, are you seeing these readings?!" he shouted, "A fine day for science, indeed!" He quickly brought up the date and time he had pre-set for the machine to travel to, making sure everything was in order. Sharing one last look with the volunteer, he placed his hand down once more to unlock the final button that would initiate the journey. "Prepare for launch," he called out, "Three… Two… One-"

CRRRACK-BOOOM!

The far roof of Dexlabs' entrance hall collapsed inwards as an implosion rocked the building.

It threw Dexter forward, causing his head to slam into the screen. Dizzied, he flailed to support himself, his hands grabbing at the panel, causing its menus to cycle through at random, changing a dozen different settings in rapid succession. Dexter pulled himself up in time to see a glaring error message scream up at him, and hear the sound of the machine launching anyway. "NO!" he shouted, but it was too late.

Before he could process what had just happened another thundering blast blew another hole in the wall, and he spun around to see Mojo Jojo's giant robot forcing its way in.

It reached forward to grip the metal framework, sheets of glass shattering on the ground as it peeled it back to shove a shoulder through the opening. Crawling over the robot's body came dozens of minions, screeching with delight as they bounced off to jetpack through the air like harpies. A horrible guffaw resonated through the room, projected from the metallic grimace shielding the villain inside, glinting like the mask of a terrible warlord. The laugh festered into Mojo's cackling voice: "IT IS I, MOJO JOJO, ESCAPED FROM YOUR PATHETIC PRISON, COME TO WREAK VENGEANCE AND SEIZE THE DEXLABS INVENTION TO MAKE IT MY OWN!"

Chaos tore through the hall. The sound of terror and panic clawed at the walls, the floors, and the ceiling as people ran in all directions to find safety. The minions came swooping down to scare them back, howling with laughter as they herded the audience like frightened sheep. "THERE IT IS MY MINIONS!" Mojo shouted from his chamber, controlling the robot to point a massive finger in the direction of the stage. "ON THE STAGE – FETCH IT, GRAB IT, TAKE IT AT ONCE!" The minions abruptly stopped and chanted their assent, then turned to speed towards it-

Only to be met with the force of three titanic fists pummelling them back to where they came from. They belonged to the Powerpuff Girls, risen above to meet them with a fury that ruptured the sound barrier from their sudden movement and caused the air to ripple with static. The minions were whiplashed back towards the far wall, two smacking against the brickwork like ragdolls, leaving cracks in the brickwork as they dropped to the floor, whilst a third sailed straight through the glass, tumbling over themselves to land in a limp pile somewhere out in the square.

The girls dominated the space above the crowd, intimidating the minions from approaching any further. Blossom scanned the scene, eyes rapidly taking in the number of the enemies they needed to handle. Her voice boomed to command her sisters: "Buttercup, push the robot back out into the open! Bubbles, force the rest of the minions after them – we need to take this fight outside! I'll get these people to safety first and-"

"I got you!" Blossom's instructions were interrupted by a raspy voice from below. She glanced down and realised she had forgotten they were not alone – there was Ben, already transformed into XLR8 and zooming about to bring people back to where Max and Rook were ushering them into Dexlabs' rear.

"Not just him, me too!" came yet another voice – Dexter, standing fiercely in the middle of the stage, eyes aflame with rage. "Computress!" he roared, "Activate Dexlabs' defensive protocols! Show these fools that they've picked the wrong house!"

"Affirmative", Computress responded, and her cool green eyes glazed over with a burning red. The rest of the Dexbots immediately followed, their normally squat bodies expanding upwards and out in order to release hidden guns in their shoulders. "DEXBOT READY FOR BATTLE," they droned in unison, and turned to take aim at the invader threatening their territory.

"We've got it covered, Blossom!" XLR8 shouted up at her, "Go with your sisters and finish that monkey!"

"Understood," Blossom nodded and took off.

Outside, the girls had driven back Mojo into the centre of the square. A colossal construction, the robot crouched much like the ape that piloted it, with gigantic cable-like limbs designed to be able to flex in all directions, terminating in barrelled forearms and shins equipped with its instruments of destruction.

"Seriously, Mojo?" Buttercup was calling out to the villain as Blossom pulled up beside them. The girls hovered opposite the giant's scowl, glaring into its eyes where surely Mojo met their gaze unflinching. "You couldn't stay put for just one more day, you had to break out and ruin things for everyone now," Buttercup continued. "Where do you even think this is gonna lead, huh? You don't think we're just gonna beat you back into jail again?"

"I would not be so confident, girl," Mojo's voice echoed back, coming with a calmness that promised even more threat than his shouting. "You caught us unawares on the Orchid Bay, where we concede that we were unprepared for you, and did not expect your arrival. But now…" The robot shifted its weight aggressively, tremendous knuckles crunching forward into closer ground. "Now we are evenly matched. Or at least, I am." Then he bellowed with inhuman ferocity and sprang at them.

The girls plunged low to avoid his clutches, looping in smooth arcs to face him as they came back up. The robot landed on its hands and carried the momentum forward, flipping over its head to land on its feet. Instantly, it pushed back off the ground, the torso rotating 180° so that Mojo was facing front again as he launched himself back towards them. This time, the girls met him in the air – snaking around the cable arms to viciously attack the robot's head and torso. Blossom and Buttercup grabbed at the base of the head, gripping it to try pry it off so that they could get to the villain inside. Bubbles whirled, narrowly avoiding the robot's hands clawing after her. After an impressive dodge, she paused to float in front of Mojo and pull a face to tease him.

"Bubbles!" her sisters shouted as a minion came flying towards her. Bubbles dashed out of the way just as the simian's hands were about to grab her collar. Others came following, swarming to support their leader. In addition to the robot's swinging arms, the girls now had to contend with a forest of minion fists and their constant stream of bolts.

Buttercup used the robot's body as a jungle gym, ducking under its limbs to trick the minions into accidentally shooting at Mojo and jumping off its shoulders to torpedo into them. Meanwhile, Blossom and Bubbles changed their focus to immobilising the arms, arms that were now shooting out miniature rockets that pursued relentlessly until one of the girls could lead them away to blow up safely. Bubbles screamed at one, charging straight through the blast, and ripped a launcher from the robot's wrist before it could fire off another one. She kept her hands in the opening it created and pulled with all her might, stretching the arm out into a taut line – giving Blossom the opportunity she needed to envelop it with her ice breath. She blew out a torrent of cold, moisture crystallising on the surface as the cable stiffened and became brittle. Seeing it to be frozen, Bubbles let go and sped up the arm, reaching out to rip it cleanly from its socket.

Mojo yowled as if it was his own arm that had been taken. The robot stumbled back involuntarily, slamming into the villain's own minions that failed to get out of the way. Buttercup cackled with delight, giving chase so she could mock him. "Well, well, well, look who's got all his arms? Oh wait, not you." She laughed, swerving to avoid the debris the robot flung at her. "All right, I got a show to watch after this, let's get this over with so I don't miss it." She darted randomly, striking dents all over the robot's body or lasering the joints to weaken them. Mojo tried and failed to swat her out of the way, shouting incoherently with frustration as she laughed and whooped, easily avoiding his clumsy movements.

The other girls came in to support their sister, covering each other's backs from a minion's frantic swipe or a stray bolt whizzing past. Handicapped by the missing arm, the robot opted to move in zig-zags, bouncing to different parts of the square to catch them off guard. After a few near misses, the girls started to aim for the legs, looking for openings in Mojo's guard that would allow them an opportunity to dive for a counterattack.

The robot jumped and fumbled its landing, stumbling for half a second before Mojo could reign it back into position. Buttercup sped forward, seeing the briefest moment for her to dash towards its left ankle - where the joint had been flexed to its maximum, making it the perfect target to rip straight through. But before she could get to it the robot's right knee suddenly came smacking into her, as the robot shifted its weight in order bring its right leg out in a twisting kick. It was a feint, and Mojo had sneaked up on her with a hit square in the chest.

Buttercup was knocked violently back, wind forced out of her lungs, flipping several times over as she temporarily lost control of her flight. She lost her momentum and managed to slow herself to a stop, but her head rolled with nausea as she gasped to regain her breath. Mojo's voice snarled at her. "YOU THINK I WOULD BE CAUGHT AGAIN SO EASILY?" he roared. The robot dropped to a kneel and brought up its remaining arm. "HAVE YOU STILL NOT LEARNED HOW EASY YOU ARE TO DISTRACT?" It closed its hand into a fist, only for that fist to rotate and disappear into its cylindrical forearm, leaving a gaping hole. From within the hole came a harsh white light, its intensity building up with alarming speed, a piercing noise increasing with it.

"You are not the only one who knows how to have fun, Buttercup." Mojo spat. "Let us see how much fun we can have with the new modification I have added - say hello to my energy cannon," he said before aiming it at the stunned Powerpuff Girl.

"NO!" Blossom shouted, speeding to move her sister out of the way. She reached forward as she closed in, both hands stretching to push her, but-

BOOOOOOOOOOM

The energy cannon burst with a beam of white light, its deafening sound silencing all except it.

Blossom was thrown back by the blast, temporarily blinded by its unbearable brilliance. Bubbles swerved to catch her, pulling her out of harm's way. The blast went on and on, drowning out everything, washing out everything so that they couldn't see, couldn't hear, even feel where they were as Mojo unleashed his devastation. Bubbles flew randomly until she hit the ground, dragging her sister underneath her to protect her from being hurt further.

And then the light faded and the act was done.

Bubbles raised her head and tentatively opened her eyes. She looked around to see that they had landed in the shade of one of the last few trees that remained standing, among the mess of upturned earth and scattered rubble that Tech Square had become. Thankfully, no building other than Dexlabs had been hit directly and no civilian had been hurt, able to escape to shelter before the battle had kicked off. Blossom stirred from underneath Bubbles, rubbing her own eyes that were still stinging from staring right into the beam. The girls pulled themselves to their feet and looked up to see that the robot was completely frozen, as if Mojo could no longer move it. Strange, they thought as they launched themselves back into the air, and flew towards where-

Wait.

"Where's Buttercup?" Bubbles said, confused. The girls span around, searching the area for their sister, but she was nowhere to be found. "Buttercup?!" Blossom called out, a horrible fear creeping into her throat. The girls turned to look at the robot, or rather, glare at Mojo.

"I… have done something. Something that cannot be undone," Mojo began. "The beam was more powerful than I-"

"What did you do?!" Blossom yelled.

"Please understand, I just wanted to teach her a lesson, I did not mean for-"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Blossom screamed and charged at him.

The girls rained savagery upon the robot. They amputated its arm and legs in an instant, following the crippled torso to the ground where they pounded and pounded and pounded at the metal until it tore like wet cardboard, reaching in to rip out handfuls of crackling wire and oil-soaked tubing. They mauled through the neck piece that held the robot's face in place, wrenching off chunks of material that they threw mindlessly over their shoulders, uncaring about anything but getting through to the monster cowering inside.

Beneath the outer layer was a transparent dome where they could finally see Mojo, gaping stupidly in his pathetic chamber as he could do nothing but wait for the demons to come for him. He winced as they cracked the reinforced glass, bringing up his arms to shield himself as loose shards shot past him to embed themselves into the surrounding walls. A hand reached in to grab him by the throat and he was yanked clean out, only to be thrown straight into the ground in the centre of the square.

He slammed into the earth, super-evolved body searing with pain from the impact. Before he could even take a breath the girls appeared in front of him and began beating him senseless, brain thudding against the wall of its casing as his face took hit after hit after hit. This could be it, a single thought wandered through his mind, experience completely detached from his body. This could be the day they actually end me. A strange sense of peace overcame him, intertwining with the pain, and so Mojo Jojo accepted his destiny.

The beating stopped.

Mojo opened his swollen, bloodied, bruised eyes. At first, all he could see were vague shapes and colours through all the tears. But gradually things came back into focus, and he could see that the girls had been pulled back, arms held in a vice grip by a tall, lean blue alien.

"Stop, you'll kill him!" the alien was shouting. The girls were shouting back, a string of unfocussed sentences that failed to articulate through all the adrenaline and emotion. "It doesn't matter," the alien was still talking to them, somehow understanding what they were saying. "This isn't who we are - we can't stoop down to his level!"

"I don't care anymore!" one of them bawled.

"You have to try," the alien responded. "Otherwise you have to go through me."

The seriousness of the alien's words seemed to get through to them. The girls regained their composure. Mojo could feel their eyes, overcasting him with a cloud of absolute hate. He had gone too far, he knew it. He had to make peace. He parted his lips, breath wheezing, weak voice drifting out on the exhale.

"I… Am… Sorry…" he managed.

"Get out of Townsville. Get out and do not come back."

Blossom's voice had aged a thousand years, embodied with the threat of total and utter ruination. It promised him a danger that struck an ice-cold fear into his heart and the hearts of all those who watched from a distance, minions and civilians alike, frozen in place by a wrath that they had never seen before.

"GO ON, TAKE HIM!" Blossom ordered, and the minions scurried towards their broken leader, gaze averted in terror as they gingerly lifted him from the crater he was nestled in. The minions took off into the air, carrying a Mojo Jojo that was rapidly giving in to unconsciousness, and disappeared never to be seen again.

XLR8 transformed back into Ben in a flash of green light, and he finally let go of the girls' arms. He stepped away to give them some space. The girls stood there awkwardly, looking dumbly at the space in front of them, then at each other, minds completely blank.

Buttercup was gone.

They searched each other's faces, waiting desperately for the other to make a decision. They had no ideas, not even one, on what to do. Then a noise from behind stirred their attention, causing them to look and see Professer Utonium had stepped out from the crowd.

The Professor's face was an ashen mask, drained of all colour. His arms hung limply at his sides, and his eyes stared into nothing. Nothing until they met those of his daughters, and then they were flooded with grief and pain, and with the first of many tears to come.

The last two Powerpuff Girls finally started to cry and ran into the arms of their father.

END OF PART 2

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 3: REFLECTIONS

The search for Buttercup went on for months.

In the days following the battle of Tech Square, the city awaited with an anxious hope for their hero to return. Her sisters searched tirelessly, scouring every end of first Townsville, then Bellwood, then the rest of the continent for any trace that might tell them where she had landed. Nothing else was important. They ditched school, skipped meals, ignored the Mayor's calls, forwent every responsibility they had once sworn to pledge themselves to - but who could blame them. Townsville had taken an unspoken vow of silence, sobered by an impossible event, muted by a shock that still refused to process it. Even the criminals lay quiet: partly out of a solemn respect for their fallen rival, and partly in terror of crossing beings that could destroy them without a second thought in their current states.

When they could, the Plumbers and Dexlabs lent their resources to assist the girls. Despite a myriad of new incidents surging all over Bellwood, Ben made the effort of coming down at least twice a week to help out; as well as chasing up any lead the Plumbers found that might unearth new information. Meanwhile, Dexter took it upon himself to rapidly launch a series of initiatives: stationing Dexbots throughout the region on 24/7 watch, whilst also offering free security upgrades to Townsville's public departments as a contingency during the time of grieving. And finally, Dexter's family came over to bring food or help with housework whenever the girls would let them. They did what they could and then some more, knowing they could only imagine what their friends were going through.

But of all those who were in pain, Utonium suffered the most. The Professor had led the first search parties that supported his daughters, patrolling on foot throughout the hours of the day and night. Time went on, and the places they could search and numbers willing to accompany them dwindled, until eventually the girls persuaded him to stop and let them take on the responsibility completely. Nowadays, he spent most of the time in his lab at home, tinkering away at nothing in particular, because anything was better than trying and failing to sleep. The girls felt powerless as they watched him waste away: growing more haggard, reclusive, needing to be physically pulled out of his room to shave or eat. Since the first day they had never seen him cry – he refused to let them – but in the dark they could hear him quietly weeping.

Then one day, when the tears could no longer flow, when there was nowhere left to look, and nobody could confess they had lost hope, the girls against all instinct and desire… gave up.

On a cool evening in the early days of Fall, the city of Townsville organised a vigil to allow its people to mourn their lost hero. It took place in Pokey Oaks, the neighbourhood where the Powerpuff Girls resided, at the park they had played in growing up. It was… hard for everyone. Seeing the portrait of Buttercup, blown up on a large canvas, surrounded by candles and flowers. People taking turns to lay down cards and objects that they remembered her by. The girls making an appearance. Without Utonium, but that was expected. They didn't stay for long, offering a soft thanks for the love and support they felt. They helped unveil a trilogy of statues erected in their honour, offering polite, albeit awkward appreciation as they gazed up at their features carved in stone. Then they took off, leaving everyone to spend the time they needed.

One could not count how many that had come. Most with family, some with friends, or simply alone. It was a gathering of the community, people who had known the Utoniums for as long as they had lived in the neighbourhood. Small conversations bloomed here and there, flowering into reminiscence, swapping stories about their interactions with the family over the years. The local kids were especially present, having known Buttercup and looked up to the Powerpuff Girls their entire lives. They congregated near the back of the crowd, somewhat intimidated by all the adults gathered in one place. They too exchanged tall tales of their own: of the times such as when Buttercup accidentally kicked a kid's football so hard it landed in Bellwood's Beach City, or when Blossom not only made those boys from Peach Creek return every dollar they had scammed out of the Herkleton kids, but handwrite a personal apology to each of them. All took part in the storytelling, because all had something worth sharing.

Well, all except two.

Somewhere near the front, standing comfortably amongst the adults, ignoring the suspicious glances being shot at them, were two kids happily chatting. Oddly, they had about a person's distance between them, and despite the animation of their conversation they never quite made any eye contact with each other - rather, just glanced every now and then at the space between them. One of the kids, an obnoxious little boy with an unfortunate appearance, could be heard asking a barrage of crude questions.

"When's the freaking hot dog guy coming by? I'm starving!" he whined.

"There is no hot dog guy, Billy, you idiot," Billy's friend responded. She had short blonde hair and wore a bright pink dress that drew a stark contrast with the venom that dripped from her words.

"Well how am I gonna get a hot dog at this thing if there's no hot dog guy?"

"You don't."

"But that's not fair! I got two dollars - I can afford it!"

"Billy, we are at a vigil. You can't get a hot dog, because they don't sell them."

Billy's eyebrows furrowed as he processed this information. "I don't get it."

"Of course you don't, you moron."

"Hey! Grim, tell Mandy to stop calling me names just because I want a hot dog! Or wait, I got an idea, can you take us to get ice cream instead after this thing ends?"

The girl, Mandy, rolled her eyes as Billy started begging.

"Please? Pretty please?"

But strangely, he wasn't addressing Mandy, nor had he referred to her when he had made his original request. No, it seemed that he was speaking to someone else.

"Oh come on, Grim!" Who was Grim?

It really was odd, the way they kept such a large space between them even as they moved gradually with the crowd. It was almost as if they couldn't close the gap, as if there was something obstructing or discouraging them from moving into it. In fact, if one paid close attention, they might notice something about the kids' shadows, and how they seemed to cast a blob that suggested a group huddled together, rather than two separate individuals. One might also find that when standing near the kids the air felt strangely colder, and that even though it was a warm Fall evening one could feel a chill crawl down their back. It really was very odd, not just how they stood but how those kids spoke. Not directly looking at each other, not even really talking to each other. But to this mysterious third individual.

Grim.

If one were paying attention, they might indeed have noticed all of these unusual signs. But no one was, because they were not allowed to. Because between the boy Billy and the girl Mandy was that which only they could witness, a gift they had prised from the hands of death itself, their companion known to them as 'Grim': but to everyone else he was the Grim Reaper, Keeper of the Nine Gates, Steward of the Crossed, Lord of the Underworld.

As his two young masters bickered from either side of him, Grim stared ahead at the stage, where Buttercup's portrait grinned back at him, his mouth set in distant thought. For there was something that he knew that no one else did, not even Billy and Mandy. A secret truth that intrigued him as it did concern him.

No one had crossed over to the Underworld on the day of Buttercup's disappearance. She was still out there.

Somewhere unknown, at an hour unspecified, thousands of people gathered. Countless operatives, each representing their branch of the largest organisation in the world, outfitted in all manner of distinctive uniforms. They carried weapons – pistols strapped to their hips and rifles slung over their shoulders; swords, bats, and sticks in their hands; and even more specialised tools of their trade that could nay be described. No one knew anyone's name – no one wanted to – but rather just knowing each other's 'Numbuh' was enough. It was the way they kept themselves in check, to ensure no one could betray or be betrayed, because in their line of work trust was nothing, and secrecy was everything.

It was time for the grand high meeting of the Kids Next Door.

A massive stadium housed them, expanding as far as the eye could see. In the middle, a stage, and on top of it a simple conference setup: a long table fitted with mics at each place and chairs behind them. The KND watched the stage in dead silence, because they knew the gravity of a situation that would warrant Supreme Leader Numbuh 362 calling them all to one place. Every known Sector was present, entire units huddled together, exchanging glances between themselves and with their other peers sitting beside them. No one dared be the one to break the silence, content to hold onto their questions until the organisation's leaders emerged below to answer. Although there was there was one thing that did raise eyebrows, which was the notable absence of the famed Sector V in the crowd.

The sound of rapid footsteps came echoing through one of the stadium entrances. Someone was coming: Numbuh 65.3. He walked to one end of the table, pulled out a chair and stepped in to lean towards a mic. He carefully tapped it to make sure it was on before speaking.

"All rise for the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door," his voice boomed across the stadium.

The operatives in attendance sprang to attention. A moment later, more footsteps could be heard, this time a scattered pattern suggesting a group of people approaching. Sure enough, here came Numbuh 362 striding into the room, her stainless steel kabuto glinting under the lights focussed on her path. In tow came a slew of others: Numbuh 86, her face contorted into her usual scowl; Numbuh 35, his expression indicating both worry and exhaustion; Numbuhs 74.239 and 71.562, who fidgeted as they moved and kept exchanging nervous looks; and finally, an operative whose appearance most recognised but few had actually seen in person – the enigmatic Numbuh Infinity. They all lined up behind their seats with Numbuh 362 in the middle, waiting for her to move first.

"Please be seated," Numbuh 362 spoke into her mic. Everyone sat down. Numbuh 362 followed suit, lowering herself into a cushioned seat. She placed her hands on the table and stared into the distance. The audience watched her with uncertainty, unsure of what she was doing. Numbuh 362 continued like this for what felt like minutes, until she let out a deep sigh and reached up to rub her temples. Her gaze returned to look around the room for a moment, before she began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming. As you undoubtedly know, my calling you here today means that we must discuss a matter of the utmost importance. It is a decision I have not made lightly, but with the knowledge we possess and the amount of time we have left to act, I am left with no choice.

To state the present issue in no uncertain terms: a giant unidentified object has entered our solar system and is currently headed on a rapid trajectory towards planet Earth. As far as the KND is aware at this moment, it is unstoppable."

A noise of murmurs spread through the crowd. Operatives whispered loudly to each other to confirm whether they had heard the same thing. Outer space? This was way beyond anything any of them had expected. Surely they had just misunderstood her. But if they had not… Many had heard the rumours that the KND's reach did not stop at the Moonbase, but whether they merely referred to the satellites that were sent out to orbit, or somehow something more, like actual populated bases - nobody could say. Either way, this was too large a pill to just swallow. They needed an explanation.

Numbuh 362 was not surprised by their reaction. Satisfied that they had gotten over their initial disbelief, she continued.

"The object was first identified by Numbuh 2 of Sector V several months ago, around mid-Spring. He has been monitoring it steadily since that time, keeping a regular log of reports, the data of which he has been analysing with the assistance of first his teammates, then later the Deep Sea Science Lab. Together, they have made several conclusions about the object in question, which they have prepared to explain today.

Please come forward, Sector V."

Once again, the stadium entrance sounded with footsteps. There they were: Numbuhs 1 through 5, hurrying towards the stage. Numbuh 2 led the way, carrying a stack of papers and a laptop under one arm. Numbuhs 4 and 5 were pushing a large trolley, on top of which appeared to be some sort of projector. Numbuhs 1 and 3 brought up the rear.

Upon reaching the front of the stage, Numbuhs 4 and 5 got to work setting up the projector. It was a classic product of 2x4 technology, primarily made up of various bits of stripped down photography gear - several lenses, flashguns, reflective screens - then supplemented with any household appliances that the makers could get their hands on. The projector twisted and folded out until it resembled a sort of lotus, with its screens unfurled like great petals, and its intricate system of light and sound production nestled within. When done, Numbuh 5 raised a thumbs up to Numbuh 2, who responded with a nod whilst tapping away on the laptop he had set up on the other end of the table. He took the end of a cable that Numbuh 4 extended to him, and plugged it into the laptop, before going back to make a few selections with the laptop's trackpad and hitting enter. The projector whirred to life, the reflective screens beginning to spin with increasing speed, picking up a kaleidoscope of light that emitted from the nest in the centre. Gradually, the audience could see an image forming in the air above it, a sort of primitive hologram that would have stunned the professional tech world, floating in the air as it gradually solidified to display what Numbuh 2 had asked it to. It was a model of the solar system, fitted onto a graph with several points highlighted with bright red marks. Numbuh 2 stepped under it to make sure it was showing everything he needed, then when satisfied, cleared his throat and turn to begin addressing the crowd.

"I first noticed something was up when our scanners weren't getting regular signals from this thing. It seems to disappear and reappear at random, showing up in one place then blipping suddenly… until it pops up again way further along than it should." Numbuh 2 pulled out a pointer to indicate what he was explaining, highlighting to the audience the way the red marks were randomly distributed on the path the object followed. "We're not sure yet, but our working theory is that whatever is happening during those blips is causing it to get much faster each time, almost like it's getting some sort of boost.

We've tried sending probes from our satellites towards it, hoping we could maybe pick up a sample or something. Unfortunately, we've lost most of them. They seem to approach easily towards the object but as soon as they make contact: instant destruction. The few that have made it back have come back broken beyond repair, so the most we've been able to do with them is work off of the damage to try to figure out the cause. So far, no luck other than confirming that this object is hostile and very powerful." Numbuh 2 flicked through various images, showing off the before and after of the probes that they had managed to retrieve, as well as diagrams that hypothesised what happened during the encounters between the object and KND probes. What stood out the most was the way the probes seemed to have been eaten away at, as if some sort of corrosive substance or degenerative disease had latched itself on and worked its way through.

Numbuh 2 hesitated before showing them the next picture. He flicked to reveal something that many could not understand upon first glance… until the terrible realisation dawned on them. "In terms of size…" Numbuh 2 continued, "It's big. Real big. It's about the size of a dwarf planet. In fact, that's what we've started to call it – Planet Fusion, because we strongly suspect that the reason it moves in such an erratic way is because somehow, it has the ability to blend in with its surroundings. It's also why we suspect that none of the adult organisations have noticed it yet – their tech can only see what it looks for. And the way things are going, they are not going to notice in time."

Shock. That was all the crowd could feel, shock. This wasn't what they signed up for, it couldn't be – could it? No, no, no, the KND wasn't founded to deal with these kinds of issues, they were meant to fight the evil adults, the ones that firmly resided on Earth, not weird, scary, space monsters!

"What about the Plumbers?!" someone shouted in a panic. "Yeah, what about the Plumbers?!" another agreed.

"What about Dexlabs?!"

"What about MEGAS?!"

The crowd erupted, kids scrambling to cry out incoherently, offering muddled suggestions to look for any possible alternatives to what Numbuh 2 was implying. Numbuh 86 rose from her chair, opening her mouth to roar at the audience for their potential insubordination, but Numbuh 362 reached up to grab her wrist, shaking her head to tell her to sit back down. It was easy to forget sometimes that the Kids Next Door were made up of... well, kids. Kids that got scared, especially when things were as overwhelming as they were now. And whilst they were sworn to fight against all adult tyranny, not all adults were that bad, and so many couldn't help but look up to some of the world's older heroes as a solution.

Numbuh 362 raised her hand to calm down the crowd, shouting into the mic to get their attention. "All right, all right – hey! Keep it together, let's not lose focus!" The kids slowly began to settle, old training kicking in that stamped away the doubt in order to give all to the mission. Numbuh 362 watched her troops with sad eyes, momentarily looking much older than the KND's creed would ever allow its members to be. She took another deep breath, feeling the incredible weight of the most important decision she would ever have to make, and finally told them:

"I know you guys are scared. I know you're afraid of what this means for the KND, and that you're worried about whether we can handle a problem of this magnitude. The truth is… we can't. This thing is hurtling towards the planet, getting faster every day, and nobody knows except us. Not Dexlabs, not the Plumbers, not the Justice Friends or MEGAS or the Crystal Gems or any of the heroes that we would normally let step in to defend things. We are the only ones that know, and I'm sorry to say that we are not enough.

This is beyond anything the Kids Next Door have ever dealt with before. It is above any kid, any adult, any teen or anything in between. The fate of the entire world as we know it is at stake, maybe even the entire galaxy – and for that reason, I believe it is now time to load the KND's ultimate mission:

Operation P.U.B.L.I.C."

Dexter and Computress strolled through Dexlabs' entrance hall as the din of construction crashed and banged all around them. Builder-bots glided across the ground and through the air, carrying metal beams, carefully placing delicate sheets of glass, and hauling forward huge bags of cement. Repairs on the building's outer walls had proved to be a much more labour-intensive job than Dexter had anticipated, as the damage that had been caused by Mojo Jojo's attack that day had penetrated to the site's very foundations. Over the past few months Dexter had had to orchestrate a total strip-down of the entrance hall's front half, setting up a frame to support the surviving roof as the builder-bots got to work rebuilding Dexlabs' entire exterior from scratch. It was costly, both in terms of time and money, but it wasn't hard, and several months of progress later they were nearing completion.

A builder-bot glided over to meet the two to give the hourly report. Things were proceeding smoothly, as expected. Performance analysis predicted that the final reinforced layer of the inner walls would be set into place by the end of this evening, and that tomorrow they could get to work inserting the decorative mosaic panels into them. Dexter nodded absentmindedly, waving a hand at Computress to verify the details while he resumed walking with his hands clasped behind his back. The reality was, despite such a major project taking up most of his time, there was something else that occupied Dexter's mind:

The volunteer had not yet returned.

Since the accidental time jump induced by his being thrown into the external control panel, Dexter had spent countless hours trying to re-establish contact with the volunteer. No matter what he did, there was zero answer, and not even an indication that the messages were being received. But what was worse is that Dexter had no idea when the volunteer had even travelled to, as the system error had caused the machine to reset all specific details of time and date, apart from only one setting – the direction. Through his numerous attempts to troubleshoot the journey, Dexter had at least managed to establish that the machine had definitely travelled forward. The problem was, how far? Normally, this would have been easy - just read the logs, load up the line graphs and identify the patterns in the wavelengths that showed the atmosphere changing with age. But because of that stupid monkey, the machine's present day software had locked itself into a hard reset during the battle and cleaned its history of all previous journeys. What Dexter had managed to salvage was but a drop in an ocean of corrupted data, making it impossible to do anything but play detective.

Still, why couldn't he re-establish contact? Even if the journey's details were lost in the present day, that only meant that he couldn't tell when the volunteer had gone to by himself. If he made contact, his software would just simply synchronise with the machine's - resolving the lost data problem by updating it with theirs. After all, that was how he had designed it, the machine hosting the master computer with the present day being a companion to it. The machine was designed to be self-sufficient, in the unlikely situation that any traveller using it could not connect to their team in their original time, so that they could still make jumps independently without relying on their guidance. This was one of those situations. The volunteer had gone to whenever they had gone, and even if it was not when they had intended, they knew exactly what they needed to do to jump back.

So why hadn't they?

Why hadn't they followed the plan? As soon as they found their bearings, evidence obtained or not, they should have come back to the exact day they had left. Or worst case, within a few days of the original date. That was what they had agreed upon – to prioritise their safety, and the safety of the machine. But the plan had clearly not been followed, because they were not here, which meant only one thing… Something happens. Something happens in the future that would prevent the volunteer from completing their mission. It either happens to them individually, or they find themselves in a situation they cannot escape from. The question then, is what?

What happens in the Future?

"Yeah, yeah, get 'em! Get em! Get 'em you big stupid fat ugly guy!"

A large man with an impressive moustache danced with the moving elegance of a world-class ballerina. He leaped and twirled, reaching up to touch bricks floating through the air, and came down to join his partners in the dance, an exotic cast that performed elaborate choreography around him. Sometimes he randomly stopped and crouched for no apparent reason, other times he ran headfirst into a wall or dived into a well to his untimely death. This was because Billy was an imbecile who still hadn't grasped the controls of this game despite having played it every day for the past two months.

"Hey Grim, why'd you kill me? We're supposed to be working together!" Billy shouted with indignance at the living room's television screen, throwing his controller down to glare at his companion sitting beside him on the couch.

"I didn't kill you, Billy, it was you who killed me," Grim spat, bony hands gripping his own controller with seething rage. Unfortunately for him, he had no choice but to join the children in playing these ridiculous games, mindless things that annoyed the senses and infuriated the soul. And even so, he could have gotten used to it, if it wasn't for the fact that his coplayers were some of the most incompetent and antagonistic gamers he had ever had the displeasure of playing with.

"All right, all right, new game, new game! This time try not to get yourself killed, okay Grim?" Billy sang, already over the loss and pumped up to play the next round.

"I'm not da one who should be worried about gettin' demselves killed," Grim muttered, his eye sockets contracting unnaturally to indicate him narrowing his gaze in concentration. They continued like that for a while, fingers stabbing at their controllers as they made their fat men dance and dance on the screen. But as he had been consistently doing so over the past couple of hours, Grim found his mind drifting elsewhere until he was violently brought back to reality by Billy squealing at him.

"What is wrong with you, Grim?! Get your head back in the game, stop getting killed!" Billy yelled, bouncing up and down on the couch in frustration.

"Sorry, Billy," Grim replied, shaking his head of the thoughts that plagued him and hunching back over the controller to focus on the game.

"Sorry? Wh-what, I've never heard you say sorry before? What's going on with you, Grim?" Billy put his controller down, turning to peer into Grim's face. His mind wasn't developed enough to be suspicious, but he could definitely tell something was wrong.

"It's just…" Grim paused. "I've been thinkin'."

"Oh, well that's where you messed up! Thinkin' never helped me with anything!" Billy turned his head up proudly. Grim looked down at him with distaste.

"I know. But for me… Well, I've been really thinkin' about somethin' serious."

"What?"

"I've been thinkin'…" Grim paused. "Of revealin' meself."

"Oh, I don't think that's legal, Grim."

"... What? No, not like that you idiot! I mean that I think it's time I showed meself to da world."

"Ooohhh, okay. Sure!" Billy said happily, then went back to playing his game.

"That's it?" Grim said incredulously. "That's all you gonna say?"

"Yeah, why not?" Billy said. "I think it's a great idea! You and me can be famous, well you're already kinda famous, but you'll be even famouser, and we can get free stuff from anywhere in the city!"

"You're not even gonna ask me why?"

"Nah, I don't care."

Grim sat back into the couch, reaching up to rub his forehead. I guess that's that, he thought. It baffled him how the children could complicate the simplest things yet were so carefree about the most complex issues. As long as he had Billy's permission, he didn't need to consult her. At least, that's what he was 99% sure of. Okay, 90%. Maybe 80%. It had been a very long time since he had read the Reaper's Handbook, but he was 65% sure that any denizen of the Underworld that found themselves enslaved by more than one member of the Overworld needed only the permission of one to execute a decision. Now, all he had to do was keep it a secret between him and Billy until he found the right moment to-

"What are you doing?"

"Me and Grim are playing games! Also, Grim wants to reveal his existence to the entire world!"

Great.

Mandy's malignant aura suffused the living room. He could feel her wicked eyes boring into him, urging him, daring him to look back at her. How could such a little human girl possess a heart so black, a being so demonic it made Grim himself shiver. Mandy moved further into the room, stalking around the couch like a predator with its sights on its prey, stepping into Grim's eyeline so he would be forced to meet her gaze.

"Explain yourself," Mandy said.

"Well, Mandy, it was just an idea really, but well, I've been thinkin'," Grim stammered, hating himself for losing his composure yet again in the face of this girl's evil. "I've been thinkin' about what happened to Buttercup, you see, and da thing is that despite everyone givin' up on her she actually hasn't crossed over to da Underworld. So I was thinkin' it might be time I revealed meself to tell da world and da Powerpuff Girls to keep on lookin'?"

"Absolutely not."

"But Mandy," Grim tried to reason with her. "Da world needs Buttercup! Can't we just give dem a bit of hope?"

"I don't care. Like you said, she hasn't crossed over, so they have plenty of time to figure it out. And if they're too late, then they're too late, and there's nothing they could do about it anyway."

Grim stared at her. "How can you be so heartless?" he finally said.

Mandy laughed coldly. "You're talking to me about heart, Grim?"

"You know what I mean! Don't you kids look up to dese girls? Don't your friends do? Believe me Mandy, when I say I have thought about this, I have really thought about this, and this may be the only time when telling da world about me is a good thing!"

"It doesn't matter. You aren't doing it."

"But Mandy-"

"We are not having a conversation. You are being told, Reaper. I order you to stand down, go back to fulfilling your current purpose of entertaining us, and never bring this subject up again." She cut him off and ended it there.

Grim sat in silence. If his face had cheeks, they would burn from humiliation. He watched Mandy turn on her heel and casually walk away, satisfied by the outcome of the conversation; then he glanced at Billy who had long checked out and was instead busy picking his nose. What horrible children. What horrible, horrible children.

Grim had no choice but to obey his master for now. But he swore on all things unholy, this was not over. He would find a way.

END OF PART 3

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 4: MOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

Far to the north of the cities, beyond the Prickly Pine forest and the Pimpleback Mountains, lie the untamed Wilds. Covered in dense, tangled tropical bush, expanding for miles and miles unmeasured; it is a mystery that remains largely uncharted to this day. One thing known about it, however, is the existence of a great mountain that rests deep within. The mountain has stood there for aeons, and for as long as time has been recorded it has been a place that people have avoided. As surrounding it is a volatile, volcanic land: prone to blistering with expulsions of boiling lava, while a constant thick cloud of ash rains down from mountain's always smoking tip. The only living beings that have ever dared to explore this territory are the many races of monkeys endemic to the Wilds, attracted to a rare fruit that grows only from the cluster of trees that have evolved to sprout from the volcano's base. For this reason, those who are familiar with the place know it to be called "Monkey Mountain".

In recent times, however, things have not been as they usually are. Colossal structures, erected to utterly dominate the environment are the most prominent sign that change is afoot. The monkeys have grown to fear them, for they cannot understand how one of their own can be so large and stand so still. Of course, they cannot realise that these structures are in fact statues - huge, ostentatious tributes to the new chief in town. They tower over the foothills that lead through to his claimed domain, each depicting the same individual striking a series of impressive poses, with a glare that dares anyone to weave their way between them. Because even in his exile, only the best will do for Mojo Jojo.

Yadda Yadda marched through the gates into the New Simian Nation, nodding at the gorilla guards that saluted him as he walked past. His troop of simian scouts skipped in after him, chattering to each other as they celebrated their return from another uneventful patrol. They were itching to drop off their kit at the barracks, freshen up, and unwind for the evening; debating what the chefs had cooked up for dinner and whether they wanted to play darts or cards tonight. One of them pleaded against the games, complaining that they were running out of bananas and weren't going to get paid for another two weeks. Yadda smirked as he listened from ahead, a rare expression, endeared by the casual bickering of his people.

The troop slowed as they approached the colony's central area. A hub of activity where simians gathered en masse to attend to their duties, train or exchange goods and services; each display pulled at the troop's gaze as they entered the midst. Passing the open grounds, they could see the soldiers engaged in combat practice – powerfully chanting in unison as they drilled moves, repeating over and over as they strived for perfection. Moving on, the scent of fumes and light of electrical sparks told them they were nearing the workshops - here, they saw engineers chucking each other parts and tools, working on flight suit upgrades and improvements to the power grid they had installed to harvest the volcanic earth beneath them. The troop continued, carrying on past the armoury where simians traded equipment; the dining hall where the scent of food being dished out beckoned to them; and the launderers where simians handed in clothes to wash or repair. Throughout their path, they watched as people shouted out greetings, swapped conversation, bickered and made up – the picture of a thriving community.

Finally, they reached the barracks. Yadda dismissed his troop, waving them off as they ran to unpack their bags. He paused a moment to watch as they filed in, and as he did so he felt that familiar sense of appreciation again for all the achievements they had made these past few months. Even though he remembered it well, it seemed so long ago now that they had desperately drifted from place to place, unable to find anywhere they could settle. They had even reached a point where they believed that they would be lost forever... That was, until their great leader rose again, and put aside his own suffering so he could guide them to the most unwanted of lands and force it to become a worthy settlement. His wisdom, his tenacity, his sheer unbreakable will: that is what made Mojo Jojo, first of his evolved kind, the Simian Supreme.

Now that he was alone, Yadda had one more task to complete - giving his report to Mojo. He turned to head onwards to the observatory, situated at furthest end of the colony. The observatory had been built into the base of Monkey Mountain itself, or rather, atop a natural ledge in the rock that jutted out from the base, nestled in the heart of where most of the fruit trees grew. For the way it overlooked the colony, the ledge had been dubbed "Simian Summit", second only to the mountain's own peak. Mojo had identified it as a perfect position from which to observe the stars. He had even refused to carve a way up when he first built the observatory, stating that only those who could make the climb deserved to be there. Yadda could very much feel this challenge as he clung to the rock surface, pulling himself up with swinging grasps at the holds above him, muscles straining as he crawled up until he was pulling himself over the cliff edge and back to his feet.

The observatory proudly revealed itself as Yadda made his way through the trees into a clearing. Designed to be a replica of Mojo's original home in Townsville, it was built with materials salvaged from what his people could carry during their escape and from the new environment they found themselves in. It was certainly rougher in execution, a little more makeshift in appearance but somehow cosier in atmosphere as a result. Furthermore, the sunlight that peered in from the colourful canopy above created a kaleidoscope effect that basked the outside in various shades of tropical hues; painting the image of a miniature paradise that drew a stark contrast to the fire and smoke that surrounded everywhere else. It was of course Mojo's favourite place to be, and even more so at present as he seemed to never come out anymore, instead observing the skies for extended stretches of the day and night. Among his minions, Yadda was one of the few that had free reign to visit him.

Yadda climbed the outside steps up to the observatory's front door and let himself in. He stepped into the great dome, where the environment was tinted blue by the cool lighting reflecting off the metallic panelling on the inner surface. The floor was occupied by multiple workspaces: desks where stacks of books surrounded piles of notes Mojo had made throughout his research; benches where half-finished inventions sat in clamps and frames, waiting to resume being operated on; huge monitors for the multiple computers Mojo had installed in between. And in the centre, an elevated platform from where the observatory's telescope aimed upwards and outwards, and at which Mojo was sat at this very instant, eye pressed into its lens as he continued to study the world beyond.

Yadda came to a halt in front of the platform and kneeled, gruff voice projecting to announce himself. "Simian Supreme, I come with my report of the daily patrol." Mojo made no noise or movement, nonindicative of whether he had heard his minion. He continued to stare into his lens, making minor adjustments to its focus and viewing position. Yadda waited. When Mojo was focused, his work was the only priority, and all one could do was wait until he felt like giving his attention.

Finally, Mojo's lips parted to murmur a response. "… Yes, yes. Thank you, Yadda, for your hard work."

Yadda frowned. That was it? "Simian Supreme," he ventured, "Would you… like to hear my report?"

No answer from the Simian Supreme, who had immediately been reabsorbed by his work. This was strange. Usually, even if busy Mojo always paused to keenly hear every detail of Yadda's reports, as it was in his interest to ensure the colony's security. His being so dismissive was unlike him. Yadda tentatively stood up, watching Mojo as he scratched at his head, muttering under his breath in frustration while he swivelled in his seat to match the telescope's movements. Yadda was not so educated, but he was observant. There was something up there, he concluded. Mojo must have noticed something new during his usual sessions – which explained why he had become so reclusive. Yadda didn't really understand the science, but he knew that anything that would concern the Simian Supreme would concern the colony. He stepped closer to the platform, and dared to ask, "Simian Supreme - is something the matter?"

This time, Mojo clearly heard. He let go of the telescope, and turned his face to look down at Yadda. His expression was indistinguishable. Yadda felt a jolt of fear course through him as the silence stretched. He had offended the Simian Supreme, he was sure of it. He opened his mouth to beg for forgiveness, but then, Mojo's lips peeled back into a wide, excited grin.

"Yadda Yadda," Mojo spoke. "I have made a discovery. A discovery of something that has previously been undiscovered, and that has now been discovered by myself."

Suddenly, he leapt from his chair and sped forward, hurdling straight over the platform's railing onto the floor below. Baffled, Yadda followed him as he brushed past, heading towards a desk, beside which he had hung up his cloak.

"Prepare yourself, Yadda," he commanded, as he swung the cloak around his shoulders. "Inform the colony to prepare themselves, and summon the Umbra Troop, as preparation is necessary!" He marched towards the observatory's door, flinging it wide open to step outside. He jabbed a single finger up to point into the air, cloak billowing in the outside wind, his voice filled with triumph, and his eyes alight with determination:

"FOR CONQUEST AWAITS!"

The moment had come. At Mojo's behest, the engineering team threw everything aside to prep the special project he had commissioned them to build over the past few weeks. They brought it out of the workshops, transporting it on a carrier to the open grounds, pushing aside the soldiers still in mid-training. They would need the room. When the object was transferred onto the ground, the engineers immediately climbed into and all over it, running the essential checks of every system, every panel, every tool they had equipped it with. They were still in the dark of course as to what purpose Mojo had possibly built it for, and more so what could possibly prompt him to require it now, but whatever it was they could absolutely guarantee: the spaceship was more than ready to fly, and it would do so at lightspeed.

It was one of the most formidable vehicles they had ever built. The design language was magnificent – sleek, aerodynamic, but full of power and presence. Its body was primarily white, with parts highlighted in silver and shades of purple. Great wings splayed out, on the underneath of which were rows of circular jets which could freely rotate in their sockets, enabling the ship to launch itself from any angle. Along the bridge of the nose was a canopy through which the cockpit could be seen. The cockpit was structured to have two levels – the higher for the captain's helm and his immediate assistants, and the lower for the rest of a small crew in support. The obvious squad to embark being Mojo Jojo and the Umbra Troop.

The commotion had prompted the rest of the colony to rush into the surrounding grounds, an audience of eager eyes peering over each other's shoulders. Simians chattered to each other in excitement, all wondering what in bananas was going on but also feeling the weight of something massive about to happen. They could sense that the Simian Supreme was about to do it again – take the Nation into even greater heights than ever before.

And here they came: the astronauts, Mojo Jojo and his minions decked out in full flight suits, helmets tucked under their arms as they walked as one towards the ship. The crowd parted to let them through, many reaching out in awe or gratitude for being able to follow him to this day. They called out praise, clapping and cheering for their leader and their seniors and their bravery, all the way until they made it to the foot of the ship's door.

Finally, Mojo raised his hand to wave as they came to a stop, equal parts a greeting to his people and a signal to instruct them to listen.

"My people!" he began, his voice dripping with gravitas. "My people of the New Simian Nation, citizens of this colony, minions of myself, the Simian Supreme! We are about to embark on a new quest, that will earn us retribution!"

The simians gasped. Mojo continued.

"Up in the outer expanse, as I speak to you and you listen to me, there comes a celestial body that none have previously witnessed! A body that is hurtling towards the Earth, that nobody knows is coming – except me! And so I will travel to meet it, intercept it, capture it and analyse it! You will bear witness to history in the making! A history that will forever be marked as written by Mojo Jojo, the greatest mind of this epoch!"

The minions roared with approval. The Simian Supreme had absolutely done it again. They howled and beat at the ground as Mojo and his Umbra Troop climbed aboard, allowing themselves a moment to tap into their primal, animalistic instincts without care or shame so that they could fully express the pride they felt.

The ship door lowered into place when the final member climbed aboard. Inside, Mojo strode towards the cockpit, the Umbra Troop in tow. He climbed up into the captain's seat. The others settled into their places, Yadda Yadda acting as chief mate just to his right below him. Mojo took a moment to gaze up at the sky ahead once more, anticipating. What he would find up there was going to change everything, he knew it. His gaze came back down to find his minions looking back up at him, awaiting his command, ready to follow him to the end.

It was time. Mojo gave the order.

Outside, the crowd felt the air fill with an enormous pressure, pierced by a high-pitched whine as the ultra-powered engines kicked into gear. The ship seemed to almost vibrate, as the wings angled themselves towards the direction of travel. A massive gust of wind pushed them back, as the ship rose into the air, hovering, hovering, hovering, until…

BOOM.

The ship was gone.

Space.

Endless space.

As the ship carrying the Simian Supreme and his Umbra Troop sailed outwards from the Earth, ripping through the layers of its atmosphere as it accelerated into lightspeed, time around it came to a standstill. The cosmos pulsed and swirled around them, a universe in limbo where layers of infinite colour, infinite black ran in intertwining streams. Caressing hands that passed over the ship, dancing for the crew within, guiding them like a beautiful song towards the ultimate discovery.

They sailed. Flying through the void, a streak of bright ink crossing through the night towards a sea of stars. They called to each other as they travelled, shouting out statuses and figures, keeping other in check and grounding each other so that they would not get lost to the fathoms. Mojo surveyed the horizon, fixated on the point at which it all converged. They were approaching soon - he could see it. The galaxy was opening itself up like an oyster about to offer its hidden pearl, the horizon splitting into halves to reveal their target lying in wait-

They had arrived.

The ship slid into a smooth cruise. Here, everything was quiet. A pocket in the galaxy that rested alone, away from all the planets, and all their moons. Here, there was but the company of solitude. Mojo Jojo and his Umbra Troop watched it all in a hush, eyes searching for… there it was.

There in the distance, was the reason that Mojo had brought them.

It was unlike anything they had ever seen. In size, it was titanic. Perhaps not as large as a planet in this system, but from the distance they could see it, easily dwarfing any of its moons. In colour, it was like a chameleon. On first glance they would have said it was mostly a lucid green - but even as they watched they could see it illuminating with various other shades: bursts of violent red, deep purple, electric blue, and burning yellow phasing through. In shape, it seemed to be roughly globular, but it also had many masses bulging out from all over it: random appendages that could possibly be moons of its own… or parasitic growths. Its surface did not appear to be solid, nor even gaseous, but rather something viscous, almost gelatinous. And surrounding it all, a shield of rapidly orbiting asteroids, great lumps of glowing rock that hurled in arcs; an impenetrable wall.

It was here that the first citizens of Earth faced the entity that would be known as Planet Fusion in all its terrible grandeur.

Mojo realised he had been clenching his fist and relaxed his grip. He could feel his breathing getting heavier. Whatever this discovery was, he had to have it. Townsville would matter no more – with this, he would have not just the world of Earth, but maybe even create a new world of his own.

He called out to the crew below him to begin examination. "Close in at a crawling pace," he ordered. "Send out initial probes for sample collection."

The ship slowed down as it drifted towards the entity. As they entered its shadow, a set of slots in its body twisted open, from which a pair of tiny probing devices shot out. The ship allowed itself to float in free space as the crew watched the probes zoom towards the asteroid shield. Aiming to be nimble enough to nip the rocks as they passed without interrupting their trajectory, they would collect a fragment for the ship to obtain initial readings.

The probes closed in, twitching ever so slightly at the last second to make contact at the optimum angle – and were instantly destroyed. To the crew's shock, the asteroids they touched seemed to melt away, literally shifting out of shape to expand into two jagged protrusions that clamped down over the probes like a pair of snapping jaws. The rocks then held themselves in place, pulling themselves out of their orbiting path to just… sit static. As they continued to watch they could see the surface where the 'jaws' had clamped continue to twist and contort, expanding and contracting like a writhing muscle. Despite knowing it to be impossible, the crew would later swear that they could hear a vicious, sinister hiss emanate from the asteroids as the probes were digested.

Mojo stared with wide open eyes.

"Send another probe," he whispered.

Yadda repeated his order to the crew, and they obeyed. Another pair of probes jetted out, flying towards the asteroids. As soon as they touched the exact same thing happened again – the probes were consumed.

Mojo curled his eyebrows into a glare. No. Whatever this obstacle was, he had come too far to be turned away. He was Mojo Jojo, the Simian Supreme.

"Activate the guns."

Yadda hesitated to repeat the order. He looked back up at Mojo, his eyes asking - are you sure?

"BRING OUT THE GUNS!" Mojo roared.

Yadda nodded and repeated the order. Along the ship's length more slots opened up, and a half dozen blasters slid out and into place. If they could not probe them, Mojo decided, then they would shatter them completely and seize their broken fragments.

"Fire with extreme prejudice," Mojo ordered.

The guns lit up with energy, mechanisms clicking rapidly as they loaded up ammunition. They aimed at the pair of rocks, three upon either thing, and released a volley of bolts. The asteroids were barraged by an unrelenting assault, a rain of fire that struck them with such frenzy that the crew could not even see them react. Little by little, pieces of rock were ripped away, flinging out into the space around to float like loose gravel.

The crew grinned, exchanging fist bumps and high fives. Mojo nodded, satisfied. He looked down at Yadda, who understood his wordless instruction, and Yadda commanded the crew to quickly send out drones to collect the fragments. Their priority now was to bring the samples home for study before whatever preservation response that lay in the rock was reactivated.

The drones were sent out. They were much larger than the probes, with claws that could grab and vacuums that could suck up. They began hoovering the fragments, reaching for larger pieces to deposit into their compartments that slid open to accept them. The drones glided back and forth, moving at a deceptively relaxed pace but making rapid work of the task. Finally, they collected the last piece and turned back to return to the ship. They flew in unison a few meters… and stopped.

Seeping out from the drone crevices there came a lucid green glow.

The drones imploded as suddenly the same viscid substance that the entity's surface was made out of erupted from them. Splashes of goo soaked the drones, covering them completely. Then, just as the rocks had before – the goo rose up and hardened, branching out like pointed tendrils that began stabbing down into the machinery, pulverising it into mechanical mush to allow more and more of the goo to boil out and saturate. Now unrecognisable, the ruined husks that were the drones disappeared within the substance completely, leaving behind only two masses of fusion matter floating in free space, which then merged to become one.

The fusion matter pulsed slowly, in and out, like a breathing predator. Then it began to shapeshift again. It bended and stretched, squaring off at one end and elongating into a long, tubular shape at the other, until the crew realised what it had morphed itself into.

It had taken on the form of the ship's guns.

The fusion gun began shooting back.

The ship was rocked by a screeching impact. Gigantic bolts, twelve times the size of the ones they had originally shot, hammered into the ship's body. The crew were thrown from their positions, onto the floors and into the walls as the ship was smacked around so hard it was dislodged from its position. All over the cockpit, sirens and alarms started to scream, as every system picked up incomprehensible levels of damage being suddenly inflicted upon them. They all pointed to the same solution – get out of here as fast as possible for any hope of survival.

Mojo needed to act fast. He rolled over onto his front from where he had fallen to and began crawling back to his seat on all fours. Around him, he could see members of the Umbra Troop that had been knocked unconscious. Others were making their way over to attempt resuscitation. Mojo shouted, telling them to get back to their positions. The priority now to save everyone had to be escape.

He made it to the upper level, where he found Yadda Yadda kneeling while clutching his side. Yadda looked up to meet Mojo's eyes, and dragged himself back up to his feet. He too understood that there was no time to feel the pain, only to help Mojo and the rest of the crew. They got into position, and immediately began ordering the still-capable members of the Umbra Troop to wrestle the ship back into control. They were limited, but it just meant that they would need to temporarily adopt their teammates' duties.

The ship groaned as they forced it around. They went balls to the wall, pushing every available thruster to the maximum to get out of range. The fusion gun was still shooting at them, bombarding them with green bolts that seemed to stick to the ship's body like acid before they could pull away. Mojo orchestrated in delirium, his mouth spitting out a string of non-stop orders as he instructed the crew to manoeuvre this way and that to avoid the incoming bolts.

They needed to jump, now.

"Begin transition to lightspeed!" Mojo shouted down to his minions.

"We need more time to build up energy!" came the panicked response.

"We do not have enough time! Jump now!"

"But we don't have enough to make it all the way!"

"Then turn off everything else, and jump, NOW!"

The minions complied. They slammed their hands on every off button they could find, turning off the shields, the lights, the gravity, even the oxygen reserves, so that every ounce of built up energy they had was diverted to the engines, and then-

BOOM.

Up in the sky above the New Simian Nation, there came a meteorite hurtling towards the Earth. The simians of the colony rushed to evacuate, helping each other towards shelters to brace themselves for impact. They piled in, huddling close together in fear, praying that they would not be harmed.

The meteorite slammed into the open grounds, a great ball of fire and heat. The simians were shaken furiously by the impact, some falling to the ground or getting injured by colliding with each other, but once the shock passed, they realised… they were fine?

They stepped out of their shelters. They looked around. It was safe.

They walked to the open grounds. And there they saw… the Simian Supreme!

Mojo's people ran forward to rescue the crew from the ruins of the crashed ship. They pried open the doors, lifted the wings in unison to pull them out and away so they could be attended to by the medics. Some were still unconscious, but many were waking up, and luckily, all vitals seemed to be fine. The biggest concern, of course, was Mojo. They crowded around him, supporting him together as he tried to sit up. He had a nasty black eye and heavy bruising across the side of his head. The medics hurried to his side to tend to his wounds, but he pushed them away. Instead, he gripped the arms and shoulders of his minions either side of him, using them as leverage to stumble to his feet so he could get a clear view of the sky above.

His eyes filled with horror, as he saw the cloud of bulbous objects that had followed them back begin to darken the sky.

Mojo looked around, at his minions, at his people, and at the Earth he was standing on.

"We have to warn them."

END OF PART 4

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 5: OPERATION P.U.B.L.I.C.

now loading: kids next door mission

operation: p.u.b.l.i.c.

people

unaware

but

learning

is

critical

8AM. The weekend. Kids around the world were waking up early to catch their Saturday morning cartoons. A bowl of cereal in one hand, TV remote in the other – the usual fare. Except… "We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you an incoming transmission."

At the exact same time all across the world, the population of Earth found its device screens being highjacked by the image of a strangely dressed girl wearing what appeared to be a colander on her head. The noise of crackling static sizzled out as she fiddled with her camera, adjusting it so that they could see her properly. She sat back, satisfied, then her eyebrows raised as a boom mic dropped in front of her face. Off-screen, the sound of other children profusely apologising could be heard as they scrambled to yank it out of the frame, dipping it back in once more before making it disappear permanently. The girl shot them a stern glance before focussing back on the lens pointed at her.

Try as they might, no one could turn off this broadcast, nor figure out where it was coming from. Who was she? It seemed that they would have no choice but to find out.

The girl began speaking, tucking her blonde her back under her colander-helmet.

"Greetings, citizens of the world.

I am Numbuh 362, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, a top secret organisation with bases in every nation of this planet. You do not know of us, but we know of you. Since our inception, we have preferred to operate in secret, but dire times have forced our hand.

The world as you know it is under threat. A danger greater than history has ever seen is approaching. A danger that the KND has had to realise it is not able to handle, and that after observing you, no adult defence will react to in time. And so against all principles the KND stands for, we have reluctantly decided to contact you to protect the greater good – because we need to join forces now, before it is too late.

Those of you whom the KND have deemed important will be targeted for contact. To facilitate the introduction process, each of you is already being approached by an operative of your Sector as we speak. Good luck to everyone.

Numbuh 362 out."

The image of Numbuh 362 flickered off just as spontaneously as it had switched on. In his lab, Dexter perched on the edge of his stool, still staring at the blank screen. He turned his face to look up at Computress, who was hovering at his side, having glided over to watch the strange footage with him. The content of the message had barely registered with Dexter – rather, what had concerned him much more was how in the world the broadcast had managed to slip through the Dexlabs firewalls. It was an extremely serious security risk that needed to be addressed as soon as possible-

"Hello, Dexter."

Dexter's train of thought crashed at the sound of someone greeting him from inside of his private laboratory. He jumped three feet into the air, diving off his chair and stumbling backwards into Computress, who caught him before he fell completely. He spun round to see the intruder, and found them to be a small bald child wearing sunglasses indoors.

The child, a boy, stood there calmly watching him. In addition to the sunglasses, he also wore a black utility jacket over a red turtleneck jumper, and cargo-style shorts above military boots. Each of his many pockets seemed to have a peculiar object sticking out of it – sets of coloured pens and pencils, rolls of duct tape, craft scissors, bundles of elastic bands, bits of rope, and three different kinds of slingshots. But what drew Dexter's eye the most was the gun that clearly hung from his hip. Perhaps unsure if he had been heard, the boy stepped forward and his extended his hand, a distinctly English accent confirming itself as he repeated his words, "Hello, Dexter. I am Numbuh 1."

Dexter stared at him. Then began screaming.

"HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"

"I have come as my Supreme Leader, Numbuh 362's message informed you."

"This is the most secure laboratory on the planet! Who let you in?! How did you slip through security?!"

"That isn't relevant. Now-"

"Not relevant?! How dare you infiltrate my laboratory and claim it's not relevant!"

"Dexter, we must-"

"I've spent years building this place! It is impossible that anyone, let alone a little kid, should be able to-"

"Look, it really wasn't that hard. Your security's pretty good, it's just lacking a little in some parts."

"Why you little-"

"Dexter, we really do not have time for this. As I've already stated - I am Numbuh 1, leader and head operative of Sector V. I've been dispatched to meet with you while the rest of my team establishes contact with the other VIPs in this Sector. I've instructed them to rendezvous here at Dexlabs, so how's about we hurry up and go to your office."

With that he turned and began walking briskly towards the lab's door.

"What- hey!" Confused, befuddled, and highly offended, Dexter chased after him – but definitely not to follow, oh no he was going to give this child a huge piece of his mind as soon as he figured him out.

The boy led Dexter and Computress to Dexter's office as if they were going to his own. Upon arriving at the door, the boy stopped and turned to look at Dexter expectantly. Dexter stared at him. "Are you serious?" he said. The boy didn't say anything, just continued staring back. Grumbling under his breath, Dexter unlocked the door, in disbelief at his compliance. But he needed to know how this armed child was able to break in so easily – and the implications it had on how much truth might actually lay behind the broadcast that came before him.

The boy strode in and stood to attention in front of Dexter's desk, hands clasped behind him. Dexter and Computress followed, unsure of what to do next. The boy still wouldn't speak. In fact, much like a soldier he remained a blank wall, apparently content to wait until the next appropriate moment. At first, Dexter waited too, but after a very short while he found his patience wearing thin. He opened his mouth to try to prompt the boy to at least say something, when he heard voices coming down the corridor outside.

As the voices approached, Dexter could hear that they were in the midst of an argument. He moved to open the door, Computress following closely behind, and poked his head out. Just a couple yards away, there was a gaggle of people who had stopped to stand in a loose circle. In the middle was none other than Ben Tennyson, who was at the moment bent forward so he could holler back into the face of another younger boy Dexter didn't recognise. The other boy glared up at Ben through a mess of beach blonde hair that was almost as bright as the orange hoodie he was wearing, stabbing his finger into Ben's chest as he yelled over him, "… And I told you mate, we ain't saying anything else 'til we see Numbuh 1! He's the one who does the proper explaining, you hear?"

"That's enough, Numbuh 4," Numbuh 1 called out as he stepped out from behind Dexter. He brushed past, his footsteps the only sound that commanded attention as they all watched him walk towards the group. The blonde boy known as Numbuh 4 span round to see Numbuh 1, and his glare vanished to be replaced by what could only be described as a friendly scowl. He shot Ben a dirty look before marching up to meet and salute his leader. Numbuh 1 met him with a nod, then looked past him to see even more strange children breaking from the group to join them. As they rushed forward to greet Numbuh 1, Dexter could hear them also being identified by a respective "Numbuh". There was Numbuh 2, a short, heavier boy who wore an aviator's hat and goggles; Numbuh 3 was an Asian girl who had enveloped herself in a comically oversized green sweater; and completing the squad was Numbuh 5, a Black girl who wore a blue football jersey-dress and a red cap pulled low over her face, arms crossed as she stood coolly with them. These so-called operatives laughed and chattered over each other in excitement, like a group of friends catching up in the playground… Yet each and every one of them was armed to the tooth with at least one sort of weapon.

Meanwhile, Dexter could see that alongside Ben, Utonium, Blossom, and Bubbles had also come. Dexter and Computress moved around the children to meet them. They all had the same look of utter confusion painted on their faces, evidently just as in the dark as Dexter as to what was going on. Ben stepped up to greet the two, offering his fist for Dexter to awkwardly bump. "Hey," he said. "So… Who are these guys?" Ben stuffed his hands into his pockets and tilted his head towards the kids, hoping that Dexter and Computress might know something the others didn't.

Dexter shook his head to answer. Ben sighed, visibly annoyed. "Man," he said, "I get my first day off in I don't know how long, finally get to sleep in when this 'Numbuh 4' kid jumps in right through my bedroom window! Then he points and goes 'Oi mate, yoor coming with meee'. Obviously I freak out, and I'm totally about to go hero on him when I'm like wait, he's just a kid. So I start asking him what the heck he's doing in my house and he starts talking about this broadcast? And of course I have no idea what he's talking about because up until five minutes ago I was fast asleep, so he gets all exasperated and shows me this video on his phone, saying we need to meet you guys here. So then I'm like well that's all you had to say, let's go! But he wouldn't even let me call Rook or Grandpa Max, saying they're not VIP or something. Man, I'm just this close to going Rath to get it out of him."

Ben gestured vaguely as he rambled his frustrations about not knowing whether he was meant to hit something. Dexter narrowed his eyes. He didn't know Ben – not really. Of course, they were familiar from meeting at numerous public events and from their time helping out the Utoniums after… the incident, but those interactions had always been brief and superficial. He was sure that Ben was a good person, but there was something about his overly laid back, chummy persona and that Bellwood drawl that Dexter found somewhat off-putting. Ben was the kind of person who liked to hear himself talk, and unfortunately it seemed that more often than not he didn't actually have that much to say.

Dexter turned his attention instead to Professor Utonium and the girls. He nodded at Blossom and Bubbles, and reached out to touch Utonium on the arm. "Professor. I'm glad to see you," he said gently. Utonium smiled, but he looked tired. The girls did too. Wanting to avoid dwelling on the obvious, Dexter picked up the thread that Ben had laid.

"So, I was approached by Numbuh 1. Ben, Numbuh 4. Am I correct in saying you all were approached by one of the others?"

"Yeah," Blossom responded. "The Professor and I were at home when Numbuh 5 and 2 knocked on our door. Same story as Ben, we'd just seen the broadcast when they arrived and they explained that they couldn't tell us why yet but we needed to come with them to Dexlabs. We figured that if we were coming to your place, you might have something to do with it."

"I see."

"But actually, Bubbles is probably the one who knows the most. She already knew Numbuh 3."

Dexter turned to Bubbles in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah!" she confirmed. "Kuki and I are part of Wildlife Conservation Club. Dee Dee knows her better than I do, but I've spoken to her a couple of times and she's really lovely! I had no idea she was part of this kind of thing, though." Bubbles shrugged to indicate that was all she could offer on the subject. Either way, it wouldn't have mattered – it was clear that they had been gathered here together for an important reason, and if these kids were capable of the skills that they had already demonstrated, then they weren't to be underestimated, child or not.

Numbuh 1 cleared his throat to get their attention. Either side of him, his team looked up at them expectantly. He made eye contact with Dexter, and tilted his head to indicate behind him. "We're ready."

Dexter held the boy's gaze, recognising a familiar determination in his expression.

"Let's go."

The two groups filed into Dexter's office. Numbuh 1 led them to crowd around the main desk, signalling Numbuh 2 to set his laptop up on its surface. Dexter folded his arms as he watched them. Utonium and the girls joined his side. Ben hopped up on a windowsill, hands in his pockets. The other kids wandered around the room, touching everything while Computress flew to tidy up after them.

Numbuh 2's fingers danced across his keyboard, entering dozens of passwords as he descended through the layers of encryption he had set to lie in waiting. The speed of his movements were furious, blurring through software in a way that impressed even Dexter. Finally, Numbuh 2 seemed to reach his destination, bringing up what appeared to be a simple gallery of images on the screen. He looked up to nod at Numbuh 1, who reciprocated before turning to address the operatives of Sector V.

"Greetings, fellow Kids Next Door, and welcome – to the most important mission you will ever undertake. Operation P.U.B.L.I.C. will challenge everything you know, everything you have believed in, and push you to the very limits of your training." Numbuh 1 paused to take a breath, before turning now to acknowledge the others. "Dexter, Professor Utonium, the Powerpuff Girls, and Ben 10 – you have all been recruited because the KND have deemed you useful to our cause."

Dexter and Blossom raised their eyebrows. Ben snorted. Numbuh 1 ignored them and continued.

"You each possess unique or advanced enough skills and experience that will enable you to support us in preventing the disaster that is imminently approaching. We will require your fullest cooperation, but we are certain that together, we can do it-"

"What disaster?" Dexter interrupted.

Numbuh 1 looked at him meaningfully. "As we speak, the Earth is being rapidly approached by a planet-sized threat. Any attempts to make contact with it have been met with extreme hostility, whilst any attempts to damage or slow it down have failed completely. The KND believes that if it is not stopped, Earth will be destroyed."

The entire room stared at Numbuh 1. Then, Dexter and Ben burst out laughing.

"What?!" Dexter guffawed. "That has got to be the biggest load of crap I have ever heard! You can't be serious?"

"You guys seriously don't think that uh, maybe a little intergalactic group known as the Plumbers wouldn't know anything about this?" Ben chimed in. "I mean, wow, I gotta give it to you, you guys you really had us going with the codenames and the whole operative shtick. Man, these pranks just get more elaborate every day, don't they?"

The boys shook their heads as they continued sniggering, totally and utterly dismissive of Numbuh 1's insane claim. Professor Utonium and the girls winced as they watched them, not in disagreement but made a little uncomfortable by how they were mocking the kids. They looked back to reassure Numbuh 1, who was surely feeling humiliated, only to be surprised by him looking unfazed. Instead, he exchanged a knowing glance with Numbuh 2, and waited for the boys to finish laughing.

"As I was saying," Numbuh 1 started again, "A massive unidentified object, resembling a grossly misshapen planet, is rapidly approaching the Earth as we speak. We need your help to stop it soon before it is too late."

Dexter stopped, now shocked and beginning to get annoyed by this boy's audacity. "Wait, you're still going? The joke's over, kid."

"I can assure you that I am most certainly not joking."

"Come on kid, it's not funny anymore." Dexter's voice became menacing. "Take your friends with you and beat it, before I call my Dexbots to force you out of the building."

Numbuh 1 stood his ground. "You can check if you don't believe me."

Dexter rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in exasperation. He sighed. "Fine. If it'll make you leave, I'll entertain you. Computress, retrieve reports from all Dexlabs satellites currently in orbit."

"Certainly, Dexter."

Seeing them do this, Ben jumped off the windowsill and pulled out his phone as he walked over to Computress' side. "Here, let me submit a request to the Plumbers too. Give this kid a 'second opinion' if he wants it," he chuckled. The pair stood waiting for a couple of minutes, Computress' eyes blank and Ben's glued to his screen. Almost at the same time, they both received the verdict.

Nothing.

"No unusual activity detected in this solar system as of late."

"Same, nothing outside of your typical alien ruckus."

They looked at Numbuh 1 smugly, who turned back again to Numbuh 2. Numbuh 2 stood up straight, scratching at his arm and clearing his throat. "Well, it's not really surprising that you wouldn't find anything, because most non 2x4 tech is pretty weakly designed, you see. The thing is, your systems are only going pick up what they're already looking for. You send off a signal, it gets reflected back, but the only way you're going to see anything new is if that signal changes."

Dexter scoffed at this nonsense. "If the 'signal' hasn't changed, it means that space hasn't changed. How else would you expect anything new to be detected?"

Numbuh 2 shrugged, as if to say, if you say so. "Well, Planet Fusion, or Fuse, just doesn't work like that. From what we've deduced, it seems to be eating everything in its path so far and then replacing it with a near-identical copy. Because of that, your system won't detect a change in signal because it isn't causing one. No change is being detected because it's producing the exact same signals as the things that were previously there."

"Oh, come on." Dexter was getting angry now. "How, then, did your so-called KND detect it?"

"Well," Numbuh 2 began to respond before he was cut off by Computress speaking up. "Dexter, I would like to amend my previous statement. There does, in fact appear to be a pattern in the data reported."

Dexter span round to stare at her. Computress continued. "Every so often, there appears to be a blip in the signals reported. Due to the infrequent rate at which they occur, this would normally be dismissed as noise falling within the acceptable margin of measurement error. However, if one considers what Numbuhs 1 and 2 are claiming… These blips do fit a pattern occurring across time and space that could be interpreted as something moving."

The room had fallen silent. Dexter narrowed his eyes as he listened to his assistant, in disbelief but also knowing her to never make a mistake. Ben, Utonium, and the Powerpuff Girls all watched him uncertainly. Only the Kids Next Door appeared unperturbed by this revelation.

Dexter felt his mouth become quite dry all of a sudden. The hairs on his upper back tingled. "Computress," he said. "When is the next blip predicted to occur?"

"In two minutes and nine seconds."

"Capture an image of the area as it happens."

"Understood."

Two minutes passed. "Image captured."

"Okay. Project."

Computress projected the image. An image of space, as seen exactly at the point of time when captured. And there, dominating the frame, in all its horrifying glory, in all its foul grandeur, offending all that was pure and good with its vile imminence, bastion of toxicity, was the proof.

They saw.

Numbuh 1 was not lying.

Fuse was coming.

Blossom snapped out of it first.

"How long do we have?"

"A couple weeks," Numbuh 2 answered. "Not long, I know, but enough time to prepare and evacuate if necessary."

"Oh man," Ben's voice started raising. "Oh man, this is bad. How could we have missed this? How could all of us have missed this?"

"It doesn't matter," Numbuh 1 interjected. "What matters now is that we act."

"Well that's easy for you to say, isn't it?" Ben snapped. "Up until this morning nobody knew who you people were, and you've been sitting on this for how long?"

"We came to you as early as we could."

"That's funny, 'cause I'm not sure I-"

"Ben!" Dexter shouted. "Numbuh 1's right, it doesn't matter. I don't trust them either, but we've gotta throw that aside to do what needs to be done."

Ben's gaze was sobered by Dexter's words. "Fine," he said. "But we've gotta tell everyone and begin evacuation. Civilian lives are now at risk. The Plumbers are not going to be happy when they find out, but they'll begin coordinating with the mayor to get the people of Bellwood to a safe place."

"We'll do the same for Townsville," said Bubbles.

"I can also get Ms Bellum to send out a broadcast, calling upon all active heroes to step forward and be ready to protect their communities if necessary," Blossom added.

"Great," Dexter said. "People are going to be scared knowing that they are in danger, but they'll be reassured when they see you all in charge. As heroes you are their beacons of hope, and they will trust you to lead the way." He turned to meet Numbuh 1's gaze. "That's also why you called us, right?"

"Indeed," Numbuh 1 replied. "In all cases, the KND can help facilitate, but we needed faces the public can trust to make it all work."

"In the meantime," Numbuh 2 continued, "I need Dexter and Professor Utonium to help me with the investigation into how Fuse's forces work, so we can figure out how to counter it. The KND's Deep Sea Science lab will send copies of everything we've learned so far, as well as scans of everything we've salvaged from Fuse's warpath to Dexlabs so we can start immediately." Dexter and Utonium nodded their agreement.

"Hey, make sure you send that stuff over to the Plumbers too!" Ben said.

"Sure," Numbuh 2 acknowledged.

Numbuh 1 brought his hands out from behind his back so he could reach up to pull down his sunglasses, allowing them to see how he was truly feeling. "I know this is a lot for you all to take in at once." His voiced had softened. "By Jove, it did a number on us when we first found out. But you're our best chance at beating this thing now, and for that I have to say… thank you."

Plans agreed, the group left Dexter's office to make their way down to Dexlab's entrance hall. Ben was already on the phone, calling his grandfather to sound the alarm across all active Plumber bases, his tone slipping comfortably into a professionalism that starkly reminded the others that he wasn't just a goofy teenager, but one of the most seasoned heroes of their time.

They turned down the final corridor towards the exit, entering the hall, and it was here that they found waiting for them a face that none of them expected to see again.

Mojo Jojo.

In an instant Blossom was at his throat, lifting him up with one hand until his feet dangled beneath him. Her eyes burned red with heat vision. "What are you doing here?!" she roared. Behind, Bubbles and Ben ran to cover her, entering a fighting stance as they scanned the hall around them for more enemies. There, at the hall's doorway, was a troop of Mojo's minions. Bubbles sucked in a deep breath, ready to scream, and Ben began to twist the dial on the Omnitrix, but they both found themselves hesitating when they saw the minions were staying back, remaining at the doorway as they watched on with fear on their faces.

Mojo gasped for breath as he clawed at Blossom's grip. "Wait… Please… Listen… I beg you…" Blossom loosened her grip so he could speak properly. Mojo gulped in air, holding onto her arm to stabilise himself but without attempting to get free.

"I have seen something," Mojo panted. "Something big, something terrible. Something that is coming for all of us-"

"Yeah, we know, Planet Fusion." Ben cut him off. "We've already found out."

Mojo shook his head. "No, no, no. I had anticipated that I would not be the only one to see it, that you would have also discovered it, and had spotted it too. But I decided to go further, to outer space to witness it in person, and when it almost destroyed me, I barely escaped.

There is something you do not yet know. That planet, that thing, is capable of spawning some sort of offspring - creatures that do its bidding, that fly out to their master's targets before its arrival to prepare them for consumption… And they followed me back."

The Powerpuff Girls' once formidable foe gaped down at them like a lost and frightened child. His face still bruised, his lips quivering as he uttered his next words.

"The invasion has already begun."

Blossom set him down on the ground where he remained. She stepped over him to walk towards the doorway where the monkey minions were cowering. The others followed, joining her at either side to stand in a row, so they could all look out together, past the minions, past the empty Tech Square, the buildings surrounding it, and up at the sky to see it being streaked with thousands of projectiles descending upon the city.

Eyes still focussed on the sight in front of him, Dexter called out to his assistant. "Computress, prep the hangar. I think I may need to change into something a little more comfortable."

END OF PART 5

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 6: FIRST CONTACT

"This is the Townsville News Network with breaking news. Thousands of reports are coming in from all over the continent of bulbous green objects crashing into the earth, causing disastrous levels of damage. Appearing to be alien in nature, what scientists have rapidly begun to call 'terrafusers' also seem to have the worrying ability to spawn creatures made of a glowing green goo, that go on to attach themselves and bond with items from the surrounding environment. These resulting 'fusion monsters' are now attacking everything and everyone in their paths, with no clear way to stop them. Current advice from the city mayors is to stay inside and block all entries, and allow any active heroes to defend their local communities."

The newsreader's warm voice floated juxtaposed with the alarming footage that cycled on the television's screen. An old CRT, it lay like a lazy beast atop the stand it called its nest, surrounded by a shrine of other retro gadgets and thrifted toys. The living room it resided in was similarly frumpy – with a wooden floor covered in maybe a dozen shagpile rugs, velvet curtains adorning the windows, antique lights fitted between the panels on the wall that antagonised the huge chandelier that hung from the ceiling. It was a veritable time capsule of vintage décor that clearly indicated the owner's dated (and rather eccentric) taste. But for the residents of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, there was no other place they would rather live than under Madame Foster's care.

"Mac, Bloo, get out of the way," called out Frankie from the tiny couch in the centre of the living room, squashed between the numerous imaginary friends that huddled around her for comfort. Granddaughter to the Madame, she had grown up around the chaos of the home, eventually stepping up as its much-loved primary caretaker. "Mac, Bloo, come on!" she yelled again, blowing her dyed red bangs out of her face as she leaned forward to throw a pillow at them. Far in front, Mac and Bloo, a young boy and his bright blue imaginary best friend, were sat on the floor and had been edging forward until they were so close that they were practically in the studio with the news team. They feigned not hearing Frankie, hoping that she would eventually give up and let them continue testing the age-old theory that you could indeed see further into the screen if your nose was less than half an inch from it. Unfortunately, their plan was foiled not a minute later when they were grabbed by two furry paws that dragged them roughly backwards by their collars. They looked up to see Mr Herriman, the head of house and leporine imaginary friend to the Madame, who ignored their protests as he dumped them unceremoniously back at Frankie's feet. "And how many times must I add that you will ruin your eyes if you sit so close," he said, walking back to his position standing by the couch's arm. Frankie reached down to rub the boys' heads affectionately, tussling Mac's already messy brown hair and tickling the back of Bloo's neck.

On the screen, new footage was being shown of people running in all directions, diving to escape the blast of terrafusers slamming into buildings and herding each other away as mechanical horrors came to life from the wreckage of crashed school buses and hovercars. To call it 'worrying' was an understatement. Frankie brought her knees up under the blanket she was sharing, hugging them to her chest as she peered over. Beside her, Eduardo, a big hairy purple monster with great horns and fangs, pulled her in close. "Don't worry Frankie, Eduardo will protect you," he said, his softly spoken voice revealing the gentle personality that really lay behind his fearsome appearance. Frankie smiled and leaned into him, hugging his fluffy body. Eduardo smiled back, until his face fell. "But who will protect Eduardo..?" he murmured.

Thankfully, the screen responded to his concerns with even more new footage of people fighting back – heroes, superpowered and non, flying into the scene to rescue people and hold off the invaders. Moreover was the images of the ingenious things normal people were already banding together to do by themselves, building mazes of barricades to divert the monsters and setting up traps to capture them. At one point, the footage changed to show an aerial view of a group of kids stood back to back in their cul de sac, deftly fending off mutants made from discarded newspapers and uprooted fire hydrants. The residents of Foster's gasped when they heard where the fight was happening – Peach Creek. That was just two neighbourhoods over from where they were.

Mac and Bloo scrambled up from their seats and hurried to the windows. They plastered their faces across the glass, craning their necks to see if anything had landed near the house yet. Nothing so far. The labyrinth appeared to be undisturbed, and the street in front was quiet. The surrounding courtyard was also devoid of activity, since everyone had been called inside since the first announcement. The boys couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. They knew it was better to be safe of course, but man, wouldn't it be so cool if... Wait.

What was that in the grass outside?

No, wait – who was that in the grass outside?

Oh no. Oh no no no.

Cheese had let himself back out to play.

Mac and Bloo strained to pull the window open. They leaned out to shout to him, slapping on the window frames to try obtain his attention. Frankie and the others got up from the couch at the sound of the commotion and came over to the windows as well. When they saw Cheese they all began to join in, yelling their voices hoarse to somehow persuade him to look up and listen for once. It was no use. Cheese was in his own little world, singing gibberish as he swung his toys around in the air, role-playing whatever strange new character or obscure philosophical concept he was obsessed with lately.

"Oh, come on," Mac muttered. He swapped a glance with Bloo, who rolled his eyes. Frankie felt a force push her to the side and turned to see Mac running after barging past her. "What are you- hey, get back here!" she shouted, realising what they were going to do. "Mr Herriman!" she called to him, as he dived to catch Bloo, missing him by a hair. The boys hurtled down the stairs, skipping over the last few steps to the landing and grabbing onto the banisters to swing into the next set. They crossed the foyer to the front door, yanking it open and sprinted to where Cheese was sitting in the grass. Still blissfully dormant to their presence, he was rudely awakened when they grabbed him by the arms to pull him up to his feet. Cheese screeched as they pulled him back towards the house. "Letmegoletmegoletmegoletmegoletmegoletmegoletmego!" he howled, digging his feet into the ground and going limp to try slowing them down.

"Cheese, we told you to stay inside buddy, it's not safe!" Mac pleaded as he struggled to pull him.

"But I want to plaaaaaaay," Cheese whined.

"Yeah, well playtime's over pal!" Bloo retorted.

"Come on Bloo, don't shout at him. Just help me bring him back inside," Mac told him off. Bloo grumbled and complied. They slowly began to make progress, pulling him a couple of feet forward when-

BOOM.

A terrafuser slammed into the earth in front of them.

The door to the house swung open as Frankie and Mr Herriman finally came following. As soon as they took one step out, they froze, finding themselves face to face with the massive thing. Steaming with residual heat from the impact, it was surrounded by a small crater that had crumbled the ground around the front porch, including the stairs leading up to it. There was no way for them to get around it to the boys. They were trapped in.

"Mac, Bloo, Cheese, are you okay?!" Frankie's frantic voice reached blindly for them.

"Yeah, we're okay!" Mac replied. The boys had been thrown back a few yards, but the softness of the grass had cushioned the impact. Mac pushed himself up onto his elbows. He wasn't hurt, but he was sore from landing on his side. He looked over to see Bloo and Cheese looking similarly unharmed – Bloo was rubbing his shoulder, while Cheese was actually laughing, giggling with glee as if he had just come off a fairground ride. "Again, again!" he cackled.

"Okay boys, stay calm. Don't come any closer, we're going to come get you," Frankie continued.

The boys nodded, mesmerised by the alien object. Up close, they could see how textured its surface was – layers of hardened green sheets that overlapped each other, spiralling around its form like petals on a hideous flower. What looked like black vines sprouted from a dense base, crawling up its side with clawing fingers that dug in through the petals. It had a faint glow about it, a lucid fluorescence that pulsated ever so slightly.

Frankie called out to the boys again. "Mr Herriman's going to see if he can come round from one of the back doors. I'm going to stay with you while he gets help, okay?"

"Okay Frankie," Mac replied.

"Don't worry, you're going to be all right," Frankie said.

"I'm not worried, I'm bored," Bloo said. "Why won't this thing do something like the ones on TV?"

Frankie sighed. Bloo had a point though. As they watched, the terrafuser remained still. The only thing that indicated activity was that gradual pulsing, the colour shifting through various shades of green. They waited, keeping a fearful eye on it, waiting for Mr Herriman to come trotting down the side of the house with help in tow.

That was, until they heard a very subtle, but very deliberate – crack.

From the side facing the boys, one of the sheets on the terrafuser's surface detached itself. Almost immediately, more began to follow, peeling themselves off and falling to the ground one after the other. The more they fell, the more it revealed another layer underneath, a soft, gelatinous tissue that began to swell rapidly through the crevices the fallen petals left behind. As it swelled, the boys could see the vines were beginning to move, wriggling and squirming across the terrafuser until they too were pulling themselves away, but to reach out and feel through the air like blind, infant limbs.

More sounds began to emit from it. A rustling, as even more vines sprouted from the base, but thicker ones, tentacles snaking out that rose up and stabbed into the ground, penetrating the earth and burying themselves like roots. Then there was the hissing, as the bulging flesh above expanded further and further, till it also started to split, but this time to secrete a viscous liquid that seeped and dripped out onto the ground, bubbling like acid corroding its surface.

The boys grimaced as they picked up on the smell that emanated from the substance. An acrid scent, tart on the tongue and sour in the mouth, making their eyes water with its pungency. "F- Frankie," Mac coughed, wiping his lips to try to get the taste from them. "What do we do?"

Frankie could barely respond after also getting her senses attacked. She motioned for the boys to copy what she was doing, pulling off her hoody to cover her nose and mouth with it. Afraid to tell them to move away in case it might somehow attract the terrafuser's attention, she waved with one hand to reassure them that help was coming.

But the boys had stopped paying attention to her because the next stage of the terrafuser's evolution was happening.

From the puddles that had dripped all over the ground, shapes were beginning to form. Lumps that rolled around, gathering mass, making wet squelching noises as they slid over each other. Mac and Bloo watched with disgust, but that disgust soon became horror when the lumps ripped themselves away from the ooze and began to contort, stretching into a distinct familiar shape and growing ghastly little faces that told them that they had finally reached the forms that the creatures on TV had taken before they attacked.

"Frankie!" the boys screamed as they clambered back from the fusion monsters that had noticed them.

"Boys!" Frankie shouted as she instinctively ran towards them, before forcing herself to halt as more monsters spilled out in her direction too. In the span of seconds, the terrafuser's spawn had them outnumbered. In the distance, they could hear Mr Herriman coming up with Wilt, but it was too late, the monsters were already on them, and there was nothing that they could do, except-

BOOM!

A colossal fist came pummelling down, obliterating the terrafusers and its fusion spawn completely.

Mac, Bloo, Frankie, Cheese, and a baffled, just-arrived Mr Herriman and Wilt looked up to witness their unexpected saviour. It was a robot – a giant, humungous, big freaking robot, its steel blue frame towering over the house itself, its arms and legs painted with scorching flames and… eight-balls? Didn't matter, because the robot was now lowering itself into a squat, leaning forward to reveal it had a 1970s Plymouth Barracuda in glossy scarlet for a head.

"You guys okay?!" came a voice from inside the car. Two men leaned out from the windows – in the driver's seat was a large, fat man with spiky bleached hair and a goatee, while the passenger was a small, thin man wearing a fisherman's beanie over his jet black bangs.

Frankie stammered, still in shock. "Y- Yeah… We're okay."

The fat man chuckled. "Didn't expect to get saved by a giant robot, did ya? I'm Coop. This is Jamie." He indicated himself, then his friend. Jamie grinned and waved, sending a cheeky wink in Frankie's direction. "And this," Coop slapped the side of the car to indicate the robot, "Is-"

"MEGAS!" Mac and Bloo screamed with delight. "Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh you guys are so cool I can't believe that we got saved by MEGAS…"

Coop roared with laughter. "You guys know us, huh? Well, we are your neighbours!" He pointed back in the direction they came from with his thumb. "We live just up at Goat's Junkyard. This kinda stuff isn't new to us, obviously, so when we heard the call we hopped in to help out. Boy, am I glad we got here in time before things got nasty."

"Thank you," Frankie replied. She rubbed her arm, then walked over to where the remains of the terrafuser were. The thing had completely disintegrated, dissolving without a trace save for a dark patch where the ooze had made contact with the ground. "What are these things?" she wondered out loud.

"No idea," Coop replied. "But this whole place is crawling with them. We've been running around from here to Pokey Oaks, and that's not even mentioning what's probably going on up in Endsville. I mean, it's not like we've never dealt with anything alien before, but we've never seen anything like this."

They all stared at the patch. It seemed that the thing was gone for good, destroyed by MEGAS' fist. But what if… something regenerated from it? Frankie shivered at the thought. No, the most important thing was that they were all safe for now. She called the boys over to join her, putting her arms around them to hold them tight in relief. They turned to head back home, when-

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Three more terrafusers landed in the street in front of the house. And this time, fusion monsters instantly began spilling out. Frankie looked up at MEGAS, meeting Coop and Jamie's gazes. The guys nodded, motioning to get behind them.

"Get inside, shut the doors! We've got you," Jamie shouted. Frankie nodded and grabbed Mac and Bloo, the boys already protesting that they wanted to get into the car to help. Mr Herriman and Wilt came forward to help her, Wilt picking up Cheese with his one hand and flinging him up on his shoulder as they ran in through the doors. When they clicked shut, Coop and Jamie turned back to the console in front of them, cracking their knuckles as they prepared to engage. They flicked some switches, pushed up some sliders, and Coop twisted the key in the ignition. Jamie hit a button, waking up the speakers that began blaring out music. The guys bumped fists, and MEGAS revved its engine.

"Looks like the party's just getting started."

Meanwhile, back in the city the battle raged on.

Dexter, piloting his own ROBO-DEXO, stamped on terrafuser after terrafuser as they came torpedoing into the streets of downtown Townsville. The robot's giant feet thundered on the asphalt as he navigated around the city blocks, expertly controlled arms swinging through the air with open palms to catch and crush as many as possible before they landed and took root. All around him monsters continued to spawn, the gremlins surging from the terrafusers that slipped through, chomping down on ruined material only to violently mutate into twisted nightmare versions of what they copied. Metal groaned as they leaped up onto the slider tracks, using them as a platform from which to launch themselves into the buildings and hook themselves onto the floating billboards that flailed desperately from the weight.

Fortunately, Dexter wasn't alone. Weaving through the monsters were the other heroes - running, flipping, and flying as they took out one beast after the other in formidable fashion. Flashes of pink and blue light danced around the ROBO-DEXO as Blossom and Bubbles ripped through the terrafusers in droves, appearing at times in several places at once with the efficiency of their dispatch. Up ahead, one of the offices ruptured all across a middle floor, an outpour of glass shards raining down from it. From the cavity came a herd of ape-like mutants, made of up filing cabinets and other office supplies, swinging themselves from the edge to begin shimmying down the outside surface. Instantly, there was that flash of light as Blossom appeared before them, mouth wide open as she blew a torrent of cold that froze them in their tracks. Not a split second later was a second flash followed by a deafening scream, as Bubbles flew past to shatter the statues.

Dexter's visuals went dark as a terrafuser landed right across the ROBO-DEXO's face. Before he could react, the dark was scorched away by an explosion of fire and in its place, Dexter found Heatblast now hanging on. Heatblast gave Dexter a thumbs-up through the robot's lens, then dived off, throwing himself back into the midst of the swarm below. Random bursts of brilliant crimson flared up along the path he took, cutting through the crowd with the equal amounts of power and furore that earned him his namesake.

Elsewhere, the operatives of Sector V fought along the rooftops. Numbuhs 1, 3, 4, and 5 darted all over the buildings and their attached structures, guns blazing, slingshots snapping, grenades blowing up small mountains of fusion monsters they tricked into congregating together. They were inexplicable – masters of their craft, pulling off techniques and manoeuvres more advanced than the actual adult military who were being overwhelmed in the areas they defended.

But perhaps the most curious sight of all was those who flew above: a horde of monkey minions, led by Mojo Jojo, who swooped down to back up their unlikely allies and support their movements. It made the heroes uneasy to have the simians among them, but the reality was that they needed all the help they could get. Still, the past was not something that they had forgotten, and each hero kept a watchful eye for any sign of betrayal.

Dexter's brow wrinkled as he looked at the ever-increasing number of heat signatures on his visuals. He brought his forearm up to wipe off the sweat coating his forehead, feeling how tired his body was getting from the non-stop effort. Despite the rate at which they were taking the monsters down, Dexter couldn't help but notice what the numbers on the screen were suggesting. Too many of the terrafusers were regenerating too quickly. What they were doing wasn't working.

"Professor?" Dexter barked into the comms that connected him to Dexlabs. "Have you and Computress found anything useful yet?"

Utonium's voice quickly returned to him via the speakers in the pilot's chamber. "Actually Dexter, yes, an intriguing finding – the terrafusers that have successfully implanted are releasing some sort of chemical in the air, the concentration of which seem to be correlating with nearby monsters' movements. Could this be a signal?"

Dexter glanced around to find the nearest rooted terrafusers. Over there – under the overhang of one of the office entrances. He tapped a setting to change visual modes, revealing the dispersion of gaseous particles in the air. Sure enough, streaming from the puckered opening in the terrafuser tops was a thick mist that spread outwards, hanging over every monster engaged in some sort of attack. Moreover, Dexter could see that a large part of the mist seemed to continue drifting upwards, and away from where the main battle was taking place. Dexter narrowed his eyes. "Professor, I see the chemical. But tell me – where is the concentration highest?"

"Ah, you noticed too. In addition to the 'signals' for the monsters, each terrafuser also appears to be contributing to a network of dense clouds that are forming from here to the far north. GPS indicate that they go beyond the city limits towards the Wilds. That could be where the source is – but if we want to pinpoint the exact location, we'll need to follow it."

"I see." Dexter considered this information. He watched as his teammates struggled to save the city, doing their best, not knowing that this way was ultimately futile. He made a decision.

"Computress, prep the carrier. I'm heading to the Wilds."

"Very well, Dexter. Carrier is being dispatched," Computress confirmed.

Dexter switched comms to activate the ROBO-DEXO's outer speakers. "Everybody, listen! We are losing this battle – we have to go!"

Heatblast called out from the ground. "Go where?!"

"To the source! The Professor's made a discovery!" Dexter replied.

Numbuh 1 rolled away from the fusion monster chasing him, twisting to finish it off with a well-placed bolt, ending in a kneel. He nodded, acknowledging Dexter's message. He stood up and signalled Numbuh 5, instructing her to take lead whilst he joined the team. Sector V nodded and resumed fighting without him.

Blossom glided in to a hover in front of the ROBO-DEXO. "How far do we have to go?" she inquired. "To the Wilds," Dexter responded. "Perhaps even beyond," he added.

Blossom looked uncertain. "I can't leave Townsvile vulnerable," she said. Bubbles appeared beside her, having heard Dexter's call. "Blossom, you go," she said to her sister. "I can stay behind, we'll be fine."

Blossom looked into her sister's eyes, worried about leaving such a burden on her sister's shoulders. She looked from Bubbles to the ROBO-DEXO, hesitant. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"YES, SHE IS!" came a booming voice, proudly announcing itself in reply.

Blossom turned in surprise. Floating behind her - pearly white teeth gleaming, golden winged helmet shining, gloved fists on hips was none other than the Eagle of the West, America's Dream, the one, the only: Major Glory. And right with him were the Infraggable Krunk, Valhallen, and the rest of the associated Justice Friends diving in to join the battle.

"The city of Townsville is safe with us, Blossom!" Major Glory reassured her. "Go on, join your friends on this adventure – we'll take care of it."

Despite still feeling a multitude of conflicting emotions, Blossom couldn't help but smile in relief at the sight of the heroes of the silver age. She met her sister's gaze, and both nodded, knowing that she would be leaving the situation in good hands. Blossom turned to follow Dexter to the carrier now pulling in above them.

But before she could take off, she found her path intercepted by Mojo Jojo. The villain threw himself in front of her with arms spread, hands open to indicate he meant no harm. "Wait!" he shouted. "I have heard your conversation with the boy in the robot, and I insist that you take me with you."

Blossom clenched her fists, teeth bared in anger at his audacity. "Get out of my way, Mojo," she growled.

"I cannot! Listen, the land that you are about to traverse is a land I know well. My minions are still stationed there too. If you take me, I can help you navigate the territory so that no harm will befall you."

Blossom's eyes widened. "Harm?" she said. "You're going to protect us from harm?"

Mojo's eyes cast down in shame. "I understand why you would not wish to accept the help I am offering to you," he said. Then he tilted his head back up to meet Blossom's gaze, eyes hardening back into the notorious glare of the Simian Supreme. "But I ask you this – do you really have a choice? Where would you prefer to keep me then, if not by your side? Are you willing to leave me here, by myself, to my own devices?"

Blossom hesitated. She wanted to grab him by the collar and throw him into the horizon, but she knew she couldn't… because he was right. She couldn't trust him, and he knew it. Which meant either allowing him to help so that she could keep him under her supervision – or allowing him to stay in Townsville.

"Fine. But if you try anything, you will regret it," she spat.

Blossom and Mojo landed aboard the Dexlabs carrier and headed to the bridge. They entered to find Dexter, Ben, and Numbuh 1 standing around a centre table. Their eyes widened when they saw Mojo following Blossom in. "What is he doing here?!" Ben snarled, already moving towards them with his hand over the Omnitrix.

"Ben, stop. I let him come." Blossom held up her hand. "He knows what the Wilds are like from his time in exile. He says with his base and minions still there, they can help us navigate it."

"Come on Blossom," Ben argued, "After what he did to-"

"I know what he did. Believe me, Ben, I'm the last person who wants him with us. But we can't deny he can help."

Ben pressed his lips together, holding his tongue. He nodded, a bitter look on his face reluctantly admitting defeat. Dexter spoke up to break the silence. "I can't say I don't agree. If the invasive activity has indeed been spreading from the far north, it is only going to get worse the further up we go. We need someone who knows what to expect." He turned to Mojo, warily meeting his gaze. "What should we know for the journey ahead?"

Mojo slowly approached the table, eyes shifting between the heroes, just as on guard as they were. He cleared his throat. "My minions' reports inform me that the first terrafusers landed in the region north-east of my mountain base. Most of the area surrounding is rainforest, and most of the wildlife are basic animals. My minions' reports also confirm that the behaviour of the terrafusers there are similar to the ones in the city, but with no intelligent defences beyond our capabilities, the infection is spreading with insurmountable speed."

Dexter took in the information. "Okay, then we travel as far as possible, following the chemical path. From what you say, it is likely that we will be heading into extremely dangerous territory. With the carrier's defence systems, we should be relatively safe travelling at this altitude, but I advise you all to stay alert. Ground-level conflict is to be avoided. We need to find the source of these signals and destroy whatever it is."

The heroes – Ben, Blossom, and Numbuh 1 – voiced their agreement. On the other side of the table, Mojo agreed too. Dexter looked that them all solemnly before nodding, and set the carrier in motion.

END OF PART 6

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 7: JACK AND THE FUSION

The further north they travelled, the worse the infection became. Gliding over the endless rainforest, they saw how what were once strong, proud trees become gnarled and twisted things. They stood hunched, cowering in shame, mourning their ruined bodies, blaming their fellow brethren for succumbing to the disease. The fusion matter soiled their trunks, eating into their bark like leprosy, and causing a pest of mutant flowers to sprout all over them, taunting their hosts with wild petals that appeared like garishly coloured blades from a distance. Yet, despite how severely the forest had become a shadow of its former self, the only thing the heroes saw from the safety of the carrier were the thousands of shapes of fusion monsters that roamed the ground. They were everywhere.

Mojo grunted as he poured over the map projected onto the central table. He traced his finger along the path they were taking, ending at a point where the map was sparse of detail. "We are entering simian territory," he said. "The carrier should be approaching the mountain, where my mountain base is." Dexter came over to the table to study the map with him. He tapped at the control panel on the edge of the table, prompting it to begin drawing in updates from the live footage the carrier recorded via its outer cameras. On the screens in the walls surrounding them, fitted so they created the illusion of windows, they could see the trees actually becoming healthier again. Somehow, Mojo's troops had managed to slow the infection here. Then, at first so brief it was easy to doubt, they began to see the flitting silhouettes of monkey minion scouts popping up through the foliage. It appeared that they had spotted the carrier, surely dashing to alert their comrades back at the base. Dexter raised his eyebrow in Mojo's direction, who shook his head. Apparently not something to be concerned about yet.

Gradually, the density of the trees waned and the landscape became sparser. Grass gave way to rocky terrain as they cleared the rainforest's limits and began to sail into the hidden basin that surrounded the infamous Monkey Mountain. Ben, Blossom, and Numbuh 1 moved closer to the window screens as they closed in, momentarily lost in a sense of fascination, eager to witness a wonder of the world they had at most seen blurred pictures of in school. They saw how it dominated the earth, looming even over the carrier, bathed in its black sea of cloying smoke and ash.

Before they entered the void, the dark outline of the walls surrounding the New Simian Nation faded into view beneath them. They passed over it, seeing how the rocky land had been tamed by Mojo's people, nurturing a network of buildings and roads fit to accommodate their miniature civilisation. Finally, the carrier approached what seemed to be the colony's central hub. They could see that the bulk of the population had gathered in waiting on one of the open fields. But something was odd about how they were positioned. They were standing in a large circle. Why?

As they got closer it became clear: they had surrounded someone. A man dressed in white. "Who is that?" Ben asked. Mojo stared at the footage, perplexed. "I do not know," he said.

The minions had begun to notice the carrier almost upon them. Groups of simians split from the crowd, running in various directions. The heroes turned to look at Mojo. Mojo's eyes darted across the screens, eyes narrowed. "They are preparing to attack," he confirmed. Ben and Blossom glanced at each other and headed to the bridge's exit to intervene.

"No!" Mojo shouted. "They will hit us before you intercept them. Land the carrier this instant - they will stop when they see me."

Dexter nodded and moved to the pilot's console. He ran his hands over it, commanding the carrier to lower. A gust of wind blew the simians out of the way as its massive weight dropped towards them. The carrier slowed to a halt at the very last second, jolting everyone aboard, before making contact with the ground. Mojo had already left the bridge, running out onto the carrier's deck to make his presence known.

"Cease fire, cease fire! I command you to obey me, in the name of your leader, the Simian Supreme!" Mojo waved his arms as he leaped straight off the carrier's side, landing in a powerful squat. The minions gasped when they saw him. They hollered to pass on the message that their great leader had returned, scurrying to alert the artillery to negate their orders. Mojo strode into their midst, pushing them aside as he looked around, until he found who he was looking for. "Yadda Yadda!"

Yadda Yadda's eyes widened as he turned to see Mojo calling his name. He ran to meet his leader and fell to kneel at his feet, offering his open palm. "Simian Supreme, forgive me," he panted, "We did not know it was you."

Mojo gripped Yadda's hand and pulled him to his feet. He grasped his general on the shoulder as he spoke. "At ease, Yadda. You did not possess the necessary information to know that it was I aboard the ship." Yadda nodded in relief. "Now tell me," Mojo continued, "Who is the man you have captured?"

Yadda shook his head. "Simian Supreme, we do not know. He suddenly appeared within the colony's limits and began slowly approaching. Nobody saw him come in. The guards have not even been able to touch him – he is more agile than anything we have ever have seen. But he has not even tried to attack, he has just stood there unmoving. He will not even respond to speech!"

Mojo frowned. He stepped past Yadda to approach the man. Behind, the other heroes were now descending from the carrier. Mojo signalled his minions to hold and let them join him. The group moved to the front of the crowd, the simians in front still pointing their guns at the man in white. And now, Mojo could see, that-

"Hey, he's dressed like a samurai!" Ben exclaimed.

Mojo shot him a dirty look, but Ben was right. The man was in fact draped in a white and grey kimono; his black hair pulled up into a tight knot. At his hip was a sword resting in its curved scabbard.

Ben moved in closer, now grinning, Mojo following close behind. "Hey man, cool outfit!" Ben said. "Is that a real sword? Man, that is so cool if it is. I got a similar set for my player on SSO, but the kimono's more of a mid-grey with these printed designs on it. Probably not that authentic, but you know?" He smiled. The samurai did not respond.

Mojo pushed Ben out of the way. "You are in my territory, samurai, territory that is mine, on land that belongs to me. State your identity!" he ordered. The samurai stared at him blankly. Mojo bared his teeth, feeling his temper boiling. "You are testing my patience. I do not like my patience being tested. I said state your identity now, or you will be regretful!" Nothing.

"Hey, who do you think you are, pushing me?" Ben said as he marched back up to get into Mojo's face. Mojo met his eyes with a look of disdain. "Get out of my face, boy."

"Ohhh, boy? So that's how it's going to be, huh? What, you think I won't take you now just 'cause I told Blossom I wouldn't?" Ben leaned in close, standing up straight so that he dominated Mojo's height. Mojo continued to meet his gaze unflinching.

"Ben," Blossom said sternly. Ben rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine," he said. "But try push me again and you'll see what happens," he said as he moved away from Mojo.

Dexter narrowed his eyes as they watched the silent samurai. Not counting the obvious, there was something about him that made him suspicious. The more he stared, the more something seemed… off. Despite there being nothing superficially unordinary about his appearance, Dexter's eyes were having trouble accepting what they saw. Almost like noticing an optical illusion that didn't quite work. He turned to see Blossom and Numbuh 1 beside him, and found that they too were observing the samurai with a similar gaze. They could all feel it. Something was wrong.

"Enough, nobody makes a mockery of Mojo Jojo! If you do not state your identity and your purpose, nor tell me who you are and why you are here at this instant, I will have you removed by force. And I do not care how much force is used." Mojo strode toward the samurai as he spoke, invading his space, and it was this act that provoked him. The samurai suddenly drew his sword and stepped back into a duelling stance, aiming his blade's point at Mojo's throat. Instantly, the minions stepped in to surround the samurai with their weapons, covering him from all directions to shoot him down before he could harm their great leader.

"Woah!" Ben began yelling, "What are you doing? Get back from him now!" He moved to pull Mojo away but was stopped by the minions turning their guns on him too. The other heroes found themselves surrounded as well, the minions no longer in the mood to play pretend allies and ready to execute on the Simian Supreme's command. "Mojo, tell your men to stand down!" Blossom shouted while Dexter and Numbuh 1 put their hands up in the air. Mojo wasn't listening yet, still squaring off with the samurai. "Damn it, Mojo!" Blossom yelled, fists clenched, unwilling to engage in a fight with the boys compromised. She shifted her position, glancing around at the weapons surrounding them, calculating whether she could pull them up in time, when-

"STOP!" a new voice cried out in the distance.

From the edge of the field, they all turned to see two men running towards them. On the left, lagging slightly behind, was a burly fellow with fiery red hair, a kilt, and a machine gun for a leg. And on the right… was the samurai's identical twin.

The voice came from the second samurai, who waved his arm as he ran, his face scratched with worry. He skidded to a stop as he came upon them, raising his hands too when more simians aimed their guns at him.

"Wait, wait, listen to me!" he pleaded. "That creature over there is not what you think it is, you must get away from it!"

They all stared. What was going on? Even with the first samurai threatening him, Mojo turned to look over his shoulder at them incredulously.

Blossom was the first to respond. "What do you mean by creature?" she said.

"It is not human," the second samurai said. "It has the power to camouflage – to present itself as something else, like my form it has taken. It is highly dangerous!"

Dexter now understood. "The creature, was it originally green?" he questioned.

The second samurai's eyes widened. "Yes."

Dexter turned to study the first samurai again. That uneasy feeling he felt, that something wasn't right – it was because it was one of Fuse's spawn. But this one was different to the others. In fact even now, with its sword drawn, it had not done anything else but stand in a guard position while continuing to watch them like before.

Numbuh 1 spoke up. "Why isn't it attacking like the other fusion monsters?"

"We think it is still learning," the second samurai said. "It won't do anything if you do not engage it, so please, lower your weapons and back away from it." He placed his hand on his own sword, meaningfully. "We can take it from here."

"Nonsense!" Mojo finally roared. "Creature or not, Mojo Jojo will not be disrespected in his territory, territory that belongs to him, and get away with it. Open fire!"

"No!" Ben dashed to interrupt Mojo, but it was too late. The minions obeyed their leader's order and released a shower of bolts.

Instantly, the first samurai reacted. It flipped up and out of the way, impossibly high into the air, and in doing so, dropped its camouflage. As it darted between the bolts that whipped past, its once white robes appeared to bleed with black, staining them until they changed completely. Its skin began to melt, dissipating to be replaced by a layer of all too familiar, pulsating, glowing green. Even its mouth was erased, leaving only a flat space to remain. Then its eyes changed – stretching into horrible angular shapes, congesting with solid clots of sanguine red. The creature landed several yards away from the furthest minions as they ran out of bolts and scrambled to reload. It stood up to its full height and tilted its head.

It attacked.

Desperately, the simians tried to counter its movements. It slipped like fluid between the soldiers, cutting down their guns and stabbing through their armour, stripping them. The minions were thrown to the side like forgotten ragdolls, dragging their own to the ground with them, those who remained conscious having no choice but to crawl away humiliated for any chance of escape. Finally, in mere seconds, the creature had made its way back to face Mojo and the heroes. Mojo levelled his gun to aim. Blossom entered a fighting stance, and Ben raced through the Omnitrix to select a transformation.

The creature adjusted its grip, and darted forward – only to be met by the samurai's blade.

Flitting past the heroes in a blur, the samurai drew his sword to engage the creature. He stepped into the creature's path, his own sword soaring in an arc to interrupt the creature's momentum. The creature was forced to a stop, its blade brought down by the samurai's, each of their fists gripping tight around their hilts as they pushed their guards into the other. The samurai shifted backwards. He pulled his sword to slide along the edge of the creature's steel, until only their tips touched. With the space opened up again between them, the two opponents were now face to face in a duel.

"Scotsman!" the samurai shouted, calling to his companion. "Aye, I got ya!" the man shouted with a thick accent, reaching up behind his back to produce his own claymore sword. The Scotsman ran to crouch low behind the samurai, sword also in a guard position. He moved in the shadow of his friend, covering his blind spot, ready to jump to his defence. The understanding they had of each other's roles was clear as day.

The creature stepped forward with its right foot, bringing its blade up to hold diagonal over its head. And in doing so, it entered the fifth stance of the master swordsman. The samurai saw and responded. He entered the position of he who receives, moving a half step back while twisting the point of his sword to aim at the creature's eye. The samurai stood tense as he watched the creature, muscles tight like springs, knuckles burning white from their grip.

The creature approached a single step, and the samurai countered with one of his own.

The creature stepped two more, and the samurai did too.

The creature paused… then rushed forward, driving its blade towards the samurai's head with impossible speed, its right foot stamping into the ground as it threw all its weight onto it. The samurai twisted to the side, swinging his sword up to answer the creature's deadly question, hitting it at just the right moment to deflect its attack so that it ripped through the air an inch away from his shoulder. Immediately, the creature stepped back, bringing its guard back up before the samurai could exploit the opening. The samurai felt his breath quicken, his heart thumping. He had not faced an enemy this skilled in a long time.

Now, the samurai challenged the creature with a proposition. He stepped forward with his left foot, his sword crossing past his head and coming to rest over his right shoulder. The creature recognised the fourth stance of the master swordsman, and responded. Becoming he who receives, it took a deep step back, and brought its sword with it to point behind, concealing its length from the samurai completely. The samurai took a deep, steady breath, and released it.

He took three rapid steps forward, and brought his sword up high to whip down towards the creature.

The creature mirrored with three steps of its own, and it too brought its sword up high from behind it, stretching its arms out to meet it in the air. The blades sang to each other, siblings locked in battle, equals by the blood they promised to draw. The opponents brought their swords down slowly to guard, testing each other's grip with minor pushes, feeling for an opening. Suddenly, the creature twisted its point and stabbed, aiming straight for the samurai's throat. The samurai threw his weight to the side, dropping his blade completely to pass under the creature's, stepping into its opening he stole back to cut it. The creature stumbled, dropping its sword too as it evaded the samurai's counterattack. But the samurai's blade pierced the creature's robe, and the heroes saw how the contact made the material curl open.

The samurai followed through, chasing down the creature, but the creature recovered. It grabbed its sword with both hands and dived, blade swinging wild for the samurai's wrist. The samurai deflected the blow, turning to follow the creature's path as it continued past him. The opponents entered guard once more, the Scotsman still lying in wait for when the samurai needed it. Back and forth they went - trading quick, vicious blows; testing and experimenting to learn more about their partner in this relentless dance.

The heroes had accepted their role of audience to this scene, Ben more than most as he eagerly followed. However, something particular had caught Dexter's eye. Each time the samurai's blade made contact with the creature, be it its robe or sword, he could see that the material that made it all up shrink away as if it had been burned. It would be a split second, and often the goo knitted itself back together again, but it was consistent. It was as if the sword had a quality that made it toxic to the creature's very essence.

The samurai pulled away from the creature's tip and took several steps back. Panting heavily now, the heroes watched as his grip loosened, allowing his sword to lower until its point was below his knees. Beads of sweat coated his forehead, and his hair was beginning to slip loose from its knot.

The creature saw the opportunity, and closed in to finish him. It ran forward, blade arcing through the air, soaring to cut through his shoulders. But the samurai stepped in sharply, closing the gap before it could, and now the creature found its blade flung from its hands as the samurai brought up his sword in its path. Then the samurai continued his journey, his movement taking him past the creature's side, his blade dropping to slice right through its torso. He finished right behind it, landing on his knee, sword pointing outwards, its cutting edge dripping with green goo that boiled and evaporated before the heroes' very eyes, and revealing that he had tricked the creature into letting him end it with the ninth and final stance of the master swordsman.

The creature stumbled one, two steps forward, and collapsed to the ground. As soon as it hit the earth it began to melt all over, its body, robes, and weapon dissolving into a dark patch.

The samurai stood up and inspected his sword, finding it clean, before returning it to its scabbard. The Scotsman put his own claymore away too, and walked over to him. "That was a risky move," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"I know," the samurai replied. "But I would have seen the opportunity to deal the finishing blow, and so naturally it did too. I am just glad I was able to counter my own moves."

The samurai took one final look at the creature's remains, his face unreadable, then turned to face the heroes. He walked over to join them; the heels of his wooden sandals soundless on the earth. "Now, if we may introduce ourselves properly," he said. "This is my friend, the Scotsman." He indicated his companion, who folded his hairy arms over his massive chest, mouth breaking open to reveal a gap-toothed grin. "And you can call me," the samurai continued as he pointed a finger to his own chest,

"Jack."

END OF PART 7

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 8: THE PRIME TERRAFUSER

The samurai known as Jack stood before the heroes as he recounted the events that brought him here. "Several days ago," he began, "We were camping in the forest when a strange creature attacked us. It was small, and green, and made out of a liquid that held itself together. Whatever it touched burned like acid.

It fought us, and during the fight, I lost my sandal. The creature pounced upon my sandal and ate it, and immediately after doing so it began to change form - shapeshifting until it took on my appearance. It managed to get away, but the Scotsman and I have been tracking it since. We have encountered many monsters in these woods on our journey, but none like this one."

The samurai paused, considering the information he was about to reveal to them. "These creatures," he said. "They came from the sky. They are not of this world."

"We know," replied Dexter, surprising Jack. "They're the spawn of an alien planet. The creatures have the ability to absorb the objects around them and take on their properties." Dexter observed the dark patch where Fusion Jack had disintegrated. "It seems that this extends to living beings too."

The Scotsman guffawed, his laughter surging from his belly in incredulous relief. "Aliens, would ya believe it, Jack!" he said as he slapped Jack on the shoulder. "Aku's got nothing to do with it!"

Dexter tilted his head in curiosity. "Aku..?" he questioned. Jack shook his head while he rubbed his shoulder. "It's a long story," he said.

Seeing that the samurai wasn't interested in elaborating, Dexter changed the subject back to focus on the details of Jack's story. "You said you saw it come from the sky," he said. "We know that these creatures emerge from larger masses we call terrafusers. Have you seen any land?"

"Yes, several as we made our way south," Jack replied.

"South?" Mojo interrupted. "You were coming from the north? How far north were you?"

"We originally set up camp in the valley, but had to leave when the creatures started coming."

Mojo turned to Dexter. "The valley in the north is where my furthest scouts are stationed. They may have already discovered the source. We must meet them!" Mojo turned back to Jack. "Tell me, samurai, did you see any simians on your way?"

"No, we did not," Jack said. His face showed confusion over what Mojo was talking about.

"We think that the terrafusers lead to something bigger further north," Dexter explained. "Did you see anything else before leaving your camp?" he pressed Jack.

"Actually… yes. There was something else," Jack said, his eyes widening as he recollected. "The sound the terrafusers made when they landed - it was deafening. But among all the noises, there was one that was much louder. And with it, there came a beam of green light that appeared in the sky… But it was too far away to see what was casting it."

Dexter nodded, mulling over the new information. "Whatever is casting the light must be related to the signal. That is where we have to go," he concluded. Dexter turned to look at the carrier, before turning back to Jack. "Would you be willing to show us?"

Jack and the Scotsman glanced at each other. "We will come with you," said Jack.

In agreement, the group made their way to board the carrier. Now that the threat of Fusion Jack had been eliminated, the simians were also beginning to recoup. Yadda had taken charge of the operation, barking orders at his subordinates as they jumped to action around him. Medics swooped in to carry the injured back to the clinics for treatment, while those who were still standing formed into troops, already heading out to secure the colony, reinforced with larger numbers and stronger weapons. A team had even cordoned off the site where Fusion Jack had perished, commencing sample collection for analysis. Indeed, the simians' movements coordinated like a well-oiled machine, determined to learn from their defeat and grow even stronger for it. Mojo had undeniably trained them well. Before climbing onto the carrier elevator, the Simian Supreme paused, and turned to salute his general, who immediately returned the gesture along with all those who saw it. Knowing that they would be able to carry on, Mojo turned away from his people and followed the group aboard.

Once on the deck, Blossom and Ben lead the way to the bridge, Numbuh 1 and Mojo close behind. The Scotsman strolled after them, marvelling at the complexities of the carrier's design much like a tourist in a gallery. Meanwhile, Jack and Dexter found themselves walking side by side, joint in quiet contemplation. Just before they arrived at the bridge's doorway, Dexter pulled his hand from where he had been clasping it behind him to reach out for Jack's elbow, discreetly asking him to hold back for a second. Jack obliged, tilting his head. He sensed a great intelligence in the boy, a wisdom of a soul that ought to be much older than his youthful appearance indicated. It was familiar.

Dexter's eyes moved to Jack's hip as he spoke. "I wanted to ask you… I noticed something out there while I watched you fight the creature. There is something about your sword that makes it particularly effective against fusion matter. Almost like it is corrosive to the material. Does it have any properties that enhance it?"

Jack held Dexter's gaze for a long moment. Then, his face broke ever so slightly into a small smile. "Just the one," he said. "Magic."

He walked past Dexter into the bridge, leaving the boy genius dumbfounded.

Behold, the dark lands of the north, for they are a waking nightmare.

Black became the earth that the carrier flew over, for it had been desolated by the infection that sought to eat it alive. Here was where mother nature had lost her children, forsaking all hope of sanctuary from their fate. All that grew stunted, and all that stunted withered away. Here, the dead lived! As beasts from a time forgotten roved once more, loose remains held together by that sickly substance green. They howled and cried as they grappled with each other, writhing in the dirt, for no reason than it being all they knew how to do. The sky was coloured pallid, its bed of rest the cataclysm beneath it.

And cataclysm it was, for Fuse's influence had broken even the rules of gravity. Gliding over, they saw how the earth was rife with great cracks, and from those cracks huge pieces had not only come loose, but had been seized by a force that cast them up so that they levitated in the air. The carrier lurched as Dexter piloted to avoid them, eyes fixated on the phenomenon unravelling on the screens. Hundreds of islands floated all around, their undersoil laced with fusion matter that dripped down in steady drops. Some still had fusion monsters clinging on, that continued to ravage the ground at their feet in a feeding frenzy, not even aware of the precarious position they were in. Inevitably, the group saw how one behemoth buried its claws in to dig up some earth and instead pulled the structure apart, causing it to slip through the crumbling remains and slam into another island below. Only for it to get up and resume its activity like nothing had occurred.

The rainforest on this side had been destroyed, broken down by rivers of fusion matter that swept the trees away to be digested in the mud. All that was left now was a toxic swamp, bubbling lazily, its surface swirling with bilious colours, broken in spots by puddles of black that seemed to be oil or tar that had spilled out from the displacement. Beside Dexter, Mojo paced in front of the screens, scouring them for signs of the scouts he knew he had stationed here, looking for a shelter or a boat or something. He tapped into the carrier's radio, Dexter allowing him, his voice raising as he repeated his requests for them to respond. No success.

Finally, as they sailed into the valley towards the heart of the infection, they saw a beam of light appear in the distance. And as they flew closer to it, the source was revealed.

A colossal terrafuser, thousands of times larger than any they had seen, planted firmly into the earth. Surrounding it were thousands of smaller terrafusers, sitting embedded in a web of vines that connected each of them to a sprawling network converging at the giant terrafuser's base. The terrafuser was so immense that the gas it released from its tip emitted in a solid, visible stream straight upwards, feeding the luminous clouds that circled above it as it passed through, its concentration so thick that it appeared as a beam of green light. Around the tip, the chill of the air also caused much of the gas to condense into liquid fusion matter, that trailed down its sides in great beads of ghastly sweat. The fusion matter soaked the vines that squirmed beneath, nourishing the network, coaxing new tendrils to branch out and form more connections between the smaller terrafusers as they watched. It was impossible to even see the ground it all occupied anymore, because of the impossible number of fusion spawn that slithered in the filthy gaps like maggots in a festering wound.

Dexter brought the carrier to a hover so he could join the group gawping at the screens. On each of their faces was the same look of total and utter horror. Silence was all they could muster for a moment, before Ben spoke.

"What… is it?" he asked, his voice betraying his dread.

Dexter struggled to keep his own voice flat. "It must be the first one," he said. "The one that controls all the others. And that," he said as he stepped forward to point at the beam, "Is the signal."

"It's going all the way to the planet," Blossom whispered, voicing everyone's realisation.

Ben nodded, his head bouncing in small rapid movements as he scanned the screen. "Okay, well then, let's get to work!" he said a little too loudly. "We take the big one out, right? Then let's go, it's hero time!" He made to move, strategy already forming in his head.

"No Ben, wait," Dexter stopped him. "It's not that simple." Ben paused and waited for Dexter to continue. Dexter scanned the screen too, clearly seeing something different to the others. "You're right that targeting the prime terrafuser is key – but look at how all the others are connected to it. If you damage only one, it will feed off the others to recover. We need to take them all out at the same time. It's going to have to be something a lot bigger than just us. An electro-pulse cannon would do it."

Ben shrugged. "All right, then I guess we head quickly back to Dexlabs to pick it up."

Dexter shook his head. "No, I don't have one in my possession. But I know someone who does."

"Well, I don't see what the big deal is, we just ask. You know, alien invasion and all," Ben replied.

"The problem is," Dexter said, "The person who owns it… is Mandark."

END OF PART 8

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 9: MEETING WITH MANDARK

Dexter piloted the carrier in silence whilst the rest of the group lost themselves in thought. Ben leaned against the edge of the table; arms crossed as he stared at nothing in particular. Blossom and Numbuh 1 sat together at one end, whilst Jack and the Scotsman sat at the other. Mojo stood in front of the screens with his hands clasped behind his back, face hidden. Dexter's dropping of Mandark's name had caused an argument to break out between him and the others: the latter debating with the former about whether the infamously nicknamed 'Bad Businessman' was as difficult to deal with as his reputation would have them believe. But Dexter held his ground, reassuring them that if there was one person he knew better than most, it was Mandark. Negotiating with him was going to be just as insurmountable a challenge as stopping the invasion. Reaching a standstill, the others relented. There was only one way they were all going to know for sure.

They sailed, until they were passing Monkey Mountain again, flying till they cleared the rock and were continuing over the Wilds, then leaving them with a temporary sense of finality as they came upon the Pimpleback Mountain range. The mountains gave way to the Prickly Pine forest, where families of conifers, beeches, and birches still fought strong. Eventually, even they fell behind, and the suburbs of Townsville rose up once more in their place to meet them, with the city beckoning in the distance.

The carrier returned to the city to find that the battle, whilst still going, had significantly calmed down. The group gathered around the screens to see that numerous assorted vehicles belonging to the military, the police force, the Plumbers, and the KND had been landed in clusters throughout the city, supporting a system of barricades they had erected to block off and funnel the fusion monsters down specific streets, where firing squads lay in wait to mow them down. At the same time, more squads sat on the rooftops, watching the skies for new terrafusers. It seemed that the rate of their descent had also reduced as only the occasional one could be seen falling now, giving the squads plenty of time to light them up before they were anywhere near the ground. Dexter also noticed a number of his Dexbots among them, surely sent by Computress to help in his absence.

As they approached Tech Square, they saw Bubbles and the Justice Friends spread out above it. They were taking turns to dive into the streets to wipe out waves of fusion monsters at a time, launching themselves back to the square to recuperate until their next turn. In the middle of the square, they could see that the heroes had also cleared the debris to set up a makeshift base of operations for the non-combatant. Major Glory saw the carrier gliding towards them and signalled to the others, who turned to wave greetings at the carrier. They shifted their positions to let the carrier pass through smoothly. Dexter manoeuvred so that it slid into the square's airspace, then after a brief thought decided to bring it to a hover over an open area beside the base rather than navigate all the way to Dexlabs' private bay. The carrier began to sink, lowering until it landed with a soft thud. The group filed out of the bridge and rode the elevator down from the deck, where waiting for them on the ground were Professor Utonium, Computress, Numbuhs 5 and 2, and… Dee Dee.

Dexter's eyes widened when he saw his sister. "What are you doing here?!" he shouted as he ran towards her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, moving her so he could check behind her in case he had missed them before next asking, "Where are Mom and Dad?!"

Dee Dee pushed him off. "I came to find you!" she said. "Mom and Dad are safe at home with some of the neighbours," she continued, "I activated the old lab's defence systems before I left."

"What possessed you to come here, Dee Dee?! It's not safe!"

"I just thought I could help-"

"What business do you have here to help with?! You should have stayed home and waited for me to come to you! Now I've got to get you a babysitter?!"

"I'm sorry…" Dee Dee's bottom lip quivered as her brother berated her. Dexter saw this and sighed. He raised his hand to pat her awkwardly on the arm. "Forget about it," he said. "Just… stay close so Computress and I can keep an eye on you." Dee Dee nodded.

Meanwhile, Blossom was pulling her father into her arms. She hugged him tight for a moment, then pulled back so they could look at each other. "How are you doing?" she said. "I'm okay. Bubbles too," Utonium replied with a soft smile, before glancing past her shoulder to cast a wary eye at Mojo standing with Jack and the Scotsman. Beside them, Numbuh 1 consulted with his team. "Numbuh 2. Numbuh 5. What do you have to report?" he inquired.

"Actually, it ain't been half bad since you left, Numbuh 1," Numbuh 5 said. "With the Justice Friends here plus the other reinforcements we've been gettin', we've managed to get things pretty under control. 3 and 4 are still back out there helpin' direct the KND reinforcements that are comin' in."

"Yeah, and from the reports I've been getting from the suburbs, the KND have barely needed to provide any kind of help over there," Numbuh 2 chimed in. "The guys have been telling me that the local kids have built a fortress made out of cardboard that's somehow resisting all the monsters' attacks!"

"Interesting," Numbuh 1 said. "Keep tabs on those kids regardless, prepare to send backup if necessary."

"Already done," Numbuh 2 confirmed.

"So… how was it? Did you find what you were lookin' for?" Numbuh 5 asked, her and Numbuh 2's curious gazes on him.

"We did," Numbuh 1 said. "It's… bad. Very bad."

"What did you find?" Professor Utonium interrupted them to join the conversation, Blossom, Dexter, and the others in tow. Numbuh 1 looked to Dexter for explanation.

"The source of the signal coordinating the invasion's movements is a supersized terrafuser acting as prime," Dexter took over. "Judging from the root pattern it is most likely part of the first wave that landed, if not the very first to make contact with Earth. Destroying it is the obvious solution to destabilising the invading forces, but as it is supported by an extended network of sub-terrafusers, we need to target the entire network at once to prevent it simply regenerating. To do this we need an electro-pulse cannon."

"I see," the Professor said. "And judging by your expression, you don't have one. Who does?"

"Mandark."

"Ah. How are you going to get it from him?"

Dexter shrugged. The two scientists contemplated the notion of just walking up to Mandark Industries and somehow persuading its owner to share one of his most valuable inventions with them. Maybe, in light of the current situation he would be reasonable… Yeah right, and maybe one of those dozens of fan-made remakes of that Sumo Slammers MMORPG from back in the day would actually see release.

But then, Dexter's face illuminated with a look of realisation. He turned towards his sister. "Actually, Dee Dee… there might be something you can help with after all…"

Dee Dee brightened up with excitement.

Minutes later, the excitement had keeled over and died when Dee Dee found herself face to face with the front doors of Mandark Industries; Dexter and Computress standing expectantly behind her. The entrance loomed over them, taller than it was wide, a nauseatingly obnoxious love letter to every gothic cliché imaginable. Blood red spikes protruded all along the frames of the extra black doors, as well as around the windows and along the sidewalk around the building. Even the doorknobs were spikey. A low, sinister hiss jeered at them as they stood in its presence, the sound coming from the countless generators that grinded away deep within.

Dee Dee felt her lip curl as she eyed the intercom lodged in the wall beside the doors. She turned to look over her shoulder and called out to Dexter. "Do I have to do this?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, this is the only way," he said hurriedly. He kept looking around him, paranoid eye out for one of those pesky Mandroids that might dare attempt a sneak attack.

"Can't you just build one?" she tried.

"I'm sorry Dee Dee, but there's just no time."

"Computress, is he telling the truth?"

"I'm afraid he is, Dee Dee," Computress confirmed.

Dee Dee sighed. "Fine." She stepped forward and reach up to gingerly push the button for the intercom, cringing at its rough yet oddly greasy surface. She wiped her finger on the back of her thigh while she waited. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, the intercom sputtered out a crackling noise which was followed by the rude voice of a Mandroid answering.

"What do you want?" it asked.

"Uh… We need to speak to Mandark," she said.

"Only those with the authorized access are allowed to speak with Mandark. Who are you?"

"Uh… Dee Dee?"

The Mandroid paused. "Access authorized," it said before switching off the intercom. Dee Dee waited, only for nothing to happen. She turned to look at Dexter again, who shook his head in confusion. She motioned for her to try the intercom again. Dee Dee rolled her eyes and reached up once more when

"WHO DARES CALL UPON THE GREAT AND POWERFUL MANDARK?" boomed a thunderous, but distinctly nasal voice. Suddenly, a great big hologram projected into the space above them. In it was a towering, sharply angled silhouette of a giant figure, with massive shoulders and an immense collar shadowing its face. It stood there, allowing its presence to speak for itself.

Dexter reached forward to nudge Dee Dee. Dee Dee sighed again.

"Hi, Mandark, it's Dee Dee. We – uh, I – need your help."

The silhouette seemed to freeze. Then it flickered, as the lighting in whatever room it was projecting from changed to reveal a pasty teenage boy with crooked teeth, gangly limbs, and bowl-cut hair trimmed so that it hung in the shape of an 'M' over his temple. Mandark pushed his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose as he peered into the camera. His eyebrows jumped when he saw who he was indeed talking to.

"Dee Dee?" he squeaked, his voice cracking as he spoke. He coughed and cleared his throat before he continued. "Yes, yes, anything for you my love! Tell me what you need, I am yours!"

"Can we borrow your electro-pulse cannon?" Dee Dee's face muscles strained to keep faking a smile.

"My electro-pulse cannon?" Mandark's voice adopted the unpleasant sugariness of overcooked caramel. "Why would you need such a thing?" he cooed.

Dee Dee grimaced, then quickly hid her face in her hands before he could see it. She took a deep breath to compose herself, then looked back up to power through.

"Well, I don't know if you've seen but we're currently in the middle of an invasion and we could really use it."

"Hmmm… Yes," Mandark mused. "But it is one of my prized possessions, something that only I know how to use… What do I get in return? Maybe you and I could-"

"Oh come on Mandark, just give us the stupid cannon!" Dexter barged in front of Dee Dee to yell at the hologram, sick of Mandark's creepy antics.

"Dexter!" Mandark snarled as he saw his mortal enemy. "I should have known. You will never lay your hands on my superior technology!"

Dee Dee shushed Dexter before he could roar in reply. "Mandark…" she pleaded, "Pretty please? You would make me really happy if you let Dexter use it."

Mandark appeared to swoon. "Oh… How can I say no to you, my love! But on one condition – I have to come with you! I don't trust that fool to understand the complexities of my invention."

Dexter threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, this is a waste of time. Computress, prepare the lab, we'll make our own." He made to march back to Dexlabs.

"Dexter, come on!" Dee Dee reached out to grab him. "Without his help, we'll never beat those things! You said so yourself – there's no time to make an alternative so we have to team up!"

Dexter sighed. "Ugh, fine." He walked up to the hologram and jabbed his finger towards it. "But I'm only doing this to save the world!"

Mandark smirked before he switched the hologram off.

END OF PART 9

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 10: THE BATTLE OF HERO'S HOLLOW

With the electro-pulse canon in hand, and yet another unlikely ally joining the party, it was time to formulate the plan that would defeat Fuse once and for all.

Dexter led the way back to Tech Square base with Dee Dee and Computress at his side. Behind them, they could feel Mandark's lingering sneer reach for their heads; hear the sound of his ridiculous cape rustling as it swept the ground, as well as the creaks of his Mandroid entourage that trailed after. The crowd at the base parted to let them through, their shocked and disturbed faces accusing them as the news spread about whom Dexter had brought into their midst. They ignored it, and pushed onward to the central hub, where the rest of the group were stood around a round table, pouring over the data the carrier had brought back to analyse. Utonium looked up to see them, frowned when he saw Mandark, then met Dexter's gaze, understanding. The rest of the group did similar.

Dexter came forward to join them at the table. Computress followed, while Dee Dee skipped over to greet Bubbles who had flown down just before their arrival. The group watched him as he placed a hand on the table's curved edge. Steadying himself, he composed his thoughts, reigning in the infinite orchestra of his mind. Dexter looked up to see them: to Utonium and Computress, his two closest friends; to Ben, a good friend in the making; to Dee Dee and the Powerpuff Girls, who surprised him with their strength every day; to the operatives of Sector V, who defied all expectations and belief; to Mojo Jojo, whom he still kept the utmost vigilance against; and to Jack and the Scotsman, who watched him with intelligent eyes, a mystery yet for him to solve. He avoided only Mandark, his sworn nemesis, knowing that he would meet his gaze with arrogance, basking in the knowledge that even he was needed for this final operation.

Dexter saw them all, and took a breath. "Okay, let's begin. Computress, prepare to commence live broadcasting to the world."

Computress glided into position opposite Dexter while he took control of the projections over the round table. He passed his hands over the interface - arranging the maps the carrier had plotted, the images of the infection it taken, and the ultimate target it all led to. The glow of the holograms reflected off his glasses, illuminating his face and cutting through the silhouette his figure cast. Ready, he met Computress' gaze and nodded. She returned the gesture, then the briefest of flickers in her eyes indicated that she had started recording. The image of Dexter was now being streamed to all platforms within Dexlabs' reach, from which millions of people across the continent and further would rapidly begin tapping in to watch.

"Greetings, this is Dexter, speaking to you live from Tech Square," he announced. "I come to you with an urgent message: with the aid of my companions, we have identified a way to defeat the forces currently invading Earth.

Far to the north of our continent, we have discovered a supersized terrafuser that is coordinating the activity of all fusion monsters via chemical signal. If we can destroy this prime terrafuser, the signal will be interrupted, and all fusion monster activity will be forced to a halt with nothing to command them. By doing this, we can wipe out their numbers and take back the time we need to respond directly to Planet Fusion.

However, to do this we will need to fly close enough to the prime terrafuser to fire a blast that completely covers it. We have the firepower, but following the initial blast it is highly likely that any remaining terrafusers in the network will attempt to restore it. For this reason, we will need a force of volunteer heroes to assist with cleaning up the terrafusers and fusion monsters that escape the blast, ensuring no traces remain. High-level conflict is not expected, but you would be dropping down to ground level in the most infected area on the planet. We ask you to join us only if you are willing to take the risk."

The words of Dexter's plan echoed through countless screens around the world. Heroes and fighters of all kinds huddled together, tilting their heads, swapping glances as they contemplated if they would be the one to step up. In Tech Square, the crowd at the base surrounded the group at the round table, gazing at them in awe, the paragons that would lead them to victory. There was doubt and there was fear, of course there was, but as they listened to Dexter's voice empowered by such assertiveness and certainty, they were inspired. It was possible. They could do it.

"It's almost over!" Dexter cried out all of a sudden as he pumped his fist. The world cheered in reply.

Over the next hours they came. A legion of heroes, here to help. They came in droves, from everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. They were superhuman - flexing in spandex with great capes billowing in the wind, or armoured with powersuits and an arsenal of tools that enhanced them. They weren't human at all - their muscles coated with fur, or scales, or feathers, or a hundred features more that identified them as members of their proud species. They were seasoned legends of the old generation, or new stars emerging for the first time. They were robotic champions from the district of Polyneux; aliens from Undertown repaying a favour Ben did them; warriors of the New Simian Nation taking up arms at Mojo's command. They were Plumbers and KND operatives, soldiers and officers, and agents of organisations that no one had ever seen before. They all boarded the carrier, some in groups, some in pairs, some alone; and banded together as one toward the end.

The noise of activity spilled over the carrier's edges as it flew into Wild territory and continued on in the direction of the Darklands. Held down by the artificial gravity, the volunteer heroes stood on the outside deck, waiting with a mixed air of anticipation and excitement. What started out as hushed whispers quickly exploded into loud chatter, as ice broke and people got to know who would be fighting alongside them. Fighters showed off their weapons to each other, comparing abilities, and giving each other tips on how to deal with certain types of monster or get that perfectly crisp line ironed in their uniform. And amongst the crowd, catching the eyes of many as it dominated the scene even from the corner it sat in, was an all-too-familiar giant steel blue robot.

Coop and Jamie sat on the roof of MEGAS, snacking and making idle conversation as they watched the natural scenery sweep by beneath them. They returned the waves of a group of lady Plumbers walking by, clearly fans, and in doing so Jamie spilt his soda in his lap. The Plumbers giggled as they carried on, the helmets they tucked under their elbows swaying with the motion of their hips. Jamie's hands scrambled to pat at his crotch as he watched them leave, then when they were gone from his sight he turned back to Coop. "Alien chicks, man," he sighed to his friend.

Coop grunted through a mouthful of potato chips. "Uhuh," he said, nonchalant.

"You think they're into human guys?"

Coop shrugged, cracking open a can with one hand while he rummaged for another bag of chips. Jamie stared wistfully into nothing, already reminiscing the moment just passed. "Man," he said as he shook his head, "Plumbers know how to hire." He glanced at the stash Coop had piled up behind them and grabbed a bag of corn chips. He pulled it open, sniffing the scented air before popping one in his mouth to chew. "We got any hot sauce?" he maffled, having a thought, and Coop produced a bottle of Weasel brand 'I. M. Spicy!' sauce. Jamie grabbed it, leaned back and shook out a dollop into his open mouth, grunting appreciatively as it mixed in with the mashed chip. The guys munched in silence for a little while, before Jamie began pining for yet another girl.

"Hey… You know who else knows how to hire? That Foster's place we saved, man."

"The redhead?"

"Yeah. That whole punk thing… You think she's single?"

"Isn't she the owner's granddaughter or something?"

"Aww, sweet, then she's hot and she's got a fat inheritance incoming!"

Coop turned to grimace at Jamie. "Dude, not cool," he said. Jamie looked back then his gaze faltered in embarrassment. "My bad," he mumbled.

"Those kids were pretty cute, though," Coop said to change the subject.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, the kid with the red shirt and his blue friend? Yeah, they were cool."

"Remember when they tried to sneak onto MEGAS when we were gonna leave?"

"Haha, yeah. Kids thought it was their chance to become proper fusion fighters."

"Well, maybe next time," Coop said. They both mused on it for a moment, watching groups of heroes that had started playing idle games between themselves to pass the time, when Coop frowned. "Dude… Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Jamie questioned.

"Like a… squeaky noise."

"Dude, that's your stomach."

"Oh," Coop said, although not quite convinced. He turned to examine the car, poking through the half-eaten snacks out of curiosity, but coming up with nothing. Shrugging, he turned back and resigned himself to accept it.

Little did Coop know though, that he was right to be suspicious. For the squeaky noise was not indeed coming from his expansive digestive system, but from under a pile of forgotten stuff in the car's back seat.

Meanwhile in the bridge, Dexter and Mandark were arguing again.

"… No one asked you, Mandark!"

"Of course you didn't, because you just didn't want everyone to know how inferior you really are! You call this a carrier? You can't even afford to put the heating on!"

"If you're cold, Mandark, why don't you just wrap yourself in that big stupid sheet you've got hanging from your shoulders?"

"Oh, so you are jealous of my superior fashion sense too!"

"I would rather dance down Marquee Row in Dee Dee's ballet skirt than ever dress like you!"

"You wouldn't!"

"Watch me!"

"BOYS!" Blossom shouted, cutting them short with an exasperated plea for the two bickering geniuses (debatable now) to please, just… shut… up. Dexter and Mandark stared daggers at each other from either end of the pilot's console, while the rest of group watched them through the fog of a migraine sure to be coming on. Between the boys, Utonium and Computress looked up from the data they were monitoring to share a knowing glance, choosing not to get involved lest they stoke the flames further.

A beep from the console alerted the group's attention. "What's that?" Ben asked. Dexter glanced at the message the alert came with and looked up at the screens. "We're entering firing range," he stated. The group gathered around the screens to watch as the prime terrafuser came back into view. Dexter's gaze flicked between the screens and the console as he piloted, bringing the target into the sights of the electro-pulse cannon installed in the body of the carrier. Gradually, the carrier slowed to a stop until it hovered in place. It was time.

Dexter tapped at the console to project his voice to the volunteers waiting outside. "Attention, this is Dexter. We have set eyes to fire on the target. Prepare for contact." He signalled Mandark, who made a face but then began to type in a chain of commands into his end of the console. The group watched as the interface lit up with a series of notifications and diagrams, until Mandark tapped in the final line and halted.

"Electro-pulse cannon is ready," he said.

"Do it," Dexter replied. Mandark slid his hand across the console to reveal the launch button, then slammed it down.

The carrier began to vibrate as the electro-pulse cannon built up power. The heroes clutched onto their surroundings to hold steady, as they felt the sheer force of the device almost shake them from their feet. Suddenly, there was a deafening hum, which penetrated the carrier's entire atmosphere, droning out all other noises but it. And then the screens exploded with a blinding flash of brilliant white light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes and look away.

Instantly, another revolting sound took the place of the hum as the terrafuser ruptured. The white onscreen was swept aside by a shock of green as the massive volume of gas contained within burst out in all directions. The group wrinkled their nose as the smell managed to slip through the carrier's advanced filtration system, a scent of rot and rancidness bidding a resentful farewell in the wake of the terrafuser's untimely destruction. But eventually, this all faded away too, and the screens revealed that the only thing that remained was a large dark patch where the prime terrafuser used to be, stained in a few places with puddles of green goo.

The heroes aboard the carrier cheered, but Dexter projected his voice again to remind them. "The job isn't over yet," he said, "Stand at your designated stations and prepare for warping."

Outside on the deck, people split into squads to form lines behind one of several warp pads along the carrier's edge, each manned by two Dexbots. When the squads were formed, one Dexbot from each pair promptly turned around and zipped straight off. The heroes watched as the Dexbots' hover technology kicked in, allowing them to glide gently down until they touched the surface, spreading out to dozens of points across the entire area. Upon landing, each Dexbot ejected a small package from a compartment in their torsos, which dropped to the ground and began unpacking itself, until it morphed into a warp pad identical to its sister back on deck. Receiving a signal from their partners on the ground, the Dexbots on the carrier rolled forward to usher the first heroes in. The heroes stepped onto the pads, some rushing on with excitement, some slow and tentative, and the Dexbots moved into position. "Prepare for transport," they said, and commenced warping the fusion fighters to the ground.

Coop and Jamie climbed down from the roof of the car to get back into their seats. Waiting to go last due to MEGAS' size, they leaned out of the window, whooping and calling out words of encouragement, shaking their fists to cheer their allies on. And now that they were in the car making all this noise, as well as letting in the hubbub from outside, there was enough din to wake up their stowaway slumbering in the back seat – Cheese.

Groggy, Cheese rolled over, knocking the stuff he had pulled over himself to the floor of the car, and sat up. He rubbed his eyes, mewling to himself as he wiped the stickiness of sleep from them. Barely registering that he was somewhere completely new and utterly forbidden to him, he looked around, spotted a window, and crawled over to it; too short to ever be noticed by the guys in the rear-view mirrors. Finally, seeing that it had been opened about halfway, Cheese reached to grip the edge of the window glass and pulled himself upwards, his feet clambering until he toppled through the gap and out onto MEGAS' shoulder.

Still undetected, Cheese hopped with impossible agility down the body of MEGAS until he landed on the carrier's deck. He waddled forward, buggy eyes taking in this new playground, until they settled on the doors leading to the bridge. "Grocery store! I want chocolate milk," he exclaimed, and pattered off towards it.

"GO GO GO!"

The battle had begun. The field illuminated with flashes of white and blue as fighters came spilling out of the warp pads. Heavy boots crunched into the earth, splashing through filthy puddles that littered the fusion matter-soaked ground as the squads spread out into position. Sensing their presence, the terrafusers rose up to meet them, ready to attack with extreme prejudice, and the fighters raised their guns to take on the enemy.

Violently, the terrafusers contracted their forms, ejecting puffs of noxious gas that sent the fusion spawn at their roots into a frenzy. The fighters dodged, rolling out of the way to avoid the spawns' snapping jaws, then threw themselves back onto their feet to shoot them down. But the terrafusers were relentless – all around the fighters, waves of snaking vines snapped up from the ground to surround them. They twisted in the air, sharpened points dipped in poisonous fusion matter, and rained upon the fighters like a folly of arrows. Still, the heroes were not to be underestimated - they saw the attack and aimed true, their bolts ripping through the fleshy tendrils so that they fell in writhing, dismembered sections.

The fighters pressed forward, seizing new ground. Behind them, the giant robot MEGAS shot a rocket from its shoulder, which zoomed past to blast another cluster of terrafusers to oblivion. The fighters approached the crater it had formed, confirming the area was clean, and moved on. More terrafusers emerged from hiding, cloaked within the mist they streamed from their tips to conceal their numbers. The fighters shifted formation, rearranging to cover their angles. From the right, a wet groan grabbed their attention as a terrafuser heaved to release a mass of wriggling spawn, prompting the fighters to squeeze their triggers, sinking their bolts to drop the fusion monsters hurtling one after the other. The terrafuser quivered, and the fighters saw it glow as it reabsorbed the fusion matter from its melted spawn to immediately begin reproducing new ones. They fired again, bolts hammering into the terrafuser's surface, gushes of fusion matter squirting out as the fighters closed in. But as they got close, there was a bloodcurdling roar, and crawling over the terrafuser's surface came a hideous beast to devour them.

The fighters dived to the ground to avoid its clutches. The beast landed behind them, turning on its heel to face its prey. It was a creation of the Darklands, formed of the savage plant life mother nature had planted here and of the fossilised remains of the ancient dead. The fusion monster bared its fangs, teeth covered with dripping moss, ready to pounce. The fighters held their ground, determined to defeat it… until there was another roar, and from either side of the fighters two more beasts emerged to flank them. They faltered, guns loosening from their grip as the monsters took their turn to close in. The fighters stepped back, frozen in terror, unable to escape… when an explosion came from behind them followed by a rush of wind, as the Powerpuff Girls came slamming down to save the day. Blossom and Bubbles punched straight through a beast each, bursting them apart into messes of fusion matter. Blossom turned to the third, her eyes alight with fire, and it burned to the ground. The fighters stared at them in awe. The Powerpuff Girls shot them a smile - then took back to the sky to join a force of fellow superheroes in flight.

The superheroes flew through the air with grace, stretching out their arms, or spreading their wings, or manoeuvring their jets. They fell in line behind the Powerpuff Girls, who led the way to the outer reaches of the terrafuser network. Beneath them, they saw as the terrafusers here swelled with excess fusion matter, rhythmically pumping out spawns that mutated into fusion monsters charging to ambush the centre of the battlefield. Blossom and Bubbles split into two flight paths, their squads following on their trails, and the girls began their descent. The superheroes ploughed through the earth, digging up dozens of the swollen terrafusers in quick succession, swerving to avoid the showers of fusion matter that burst from the parasites collapsing in on themselves. The network's vines desperately clawed to defend it, but the superheroes used this to their advantage, grabbing onto the tendrils to pull up more of the network like a weed.

Realising they were outmatched, the fusion monsters began to move erratic to escape the assault. They split and regrouped like bacteria, learning from the superheroes' movements in real time. They began adapting – slinking into hiding by burying into the ground, feeling for the superheroes' patterns from underneath the surface. Then, when a superhero passed too low, the fusion monsters sprang their trap, launching from the earth to hook onto their capes and ankles to drag them down to their level. The superheroes struggled, suddenly finding themselves grounded without wanting to be, and panicked as more and more monsters climbed out to overwhelm them. Blossom and Bubbles dived to help, but were forced to pull away, as the swarm coagulated so thick that for every monster that was destroyed another was already there to take its place. Blossom and Bubbles dug as fast as they could to penetrate the chaos, eyes red with lasers, breaths panting, fingers burning, when

BOOM

The fusion monsters were blasted away, liberating the trapped heroes. Blossom and Bubbles turned to see the source of their aid, and found that it was none other than Mojo Jojo. Mojo roared another order, finger stabbing at the air, and another blast from the Plumber artillery he was commanding tore through more of the monsters. The Plumbers swivelled on their turrets, assistants stepping in to load more canisters into their energy guns. Mojo nodded at the Plumber leaders of each firing squad, who returned the gesture, then raised his fist to shout out a new signal. As he brought his fist down, the sound of animal howling erupted from within the Plumber ranks, and from them emerged the forces of the New Simian Nation.

The simians charged past the turrets towards the superheroes in need. Ahead of the pack, the twin gorillas Rocko and Socko sprinted, reaching up to tap at the jewel in their helmets to release a shot of Chemical X into their enhanced muscles. They bared their teeth that glinted in the light, and came down upon the monsters to bring their reckoning.

Pieces of monster flew as the simians rampaged in. Splashes of fusion matter sizzled on their fur, but they ignored it, for their superior strength and agility desensitized them to such pain and granted them the ability to take on the monsters bare-handed. As one simian tossed the remains of a fusion monster away, another followed in their step, reaching down to pull the fallen superheroes to their feet again. The heroes grasped their hands in appreciation, then immediately took off to assist the rest of their allies. Thanks to the newfound aid, the superheroes began pushing the monsters back, herding them to be pulverised by a simian fist or by a blast from the Plumber artillery. The monsters snapped blind as they felt the wrath of the heroes' counterassault from all directions, until eventually, the heroes made sure they could snap no more. Satisfied, the Powerpuff Girls signalled Mojo that this area was clear, and they were ready to move on to cleaning the next one.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, other heroes were dispatching terrafusers the old fashioned way. Muscle-bound aliens swung axes and hammers, cutting through the enemy with ease. Some, much like the simians, also preferred to use nothing but their hands, punching down vines so that they could grab them in bundles to rip apart with raw ferocity. Alongside them, their robotic allies made non-stop adjustments to damage their targets at optimum rate – sliding in to drive their metal fists into the network's pressure points, delivering shock after shock that traumatised its connections. The terrafusers shrunk instinctively into hardened forms to protect themselves from these blows, but this only invited the heroes to step in for the kill: exploiting the opportunity to shatter the terrafusers into hundreds of glassy shards that melted when they hit the ground. The champions of Undertown and Polyneux boxed through the waves of fusion monsters, laughing as they competed to see who would take out the most.

However, the enemy was not to be underestimated. With each strike it received was also an opportunity to learn. Fusion spawns disengaged with distracted heroes in order to slither among them, seeking out broken and discarded material they left behind. To the heroes' shock, their squads were forced apart as the spawns contorted into new mutant forms, rising up as twisted mirror images that now wielded the same weapons they did. The heroes threw up their guards to defend against the hacking blows the mutants returned on them, stumbling as the monsters appropriated not only their appearance but their fighting moves too. Fusion robots latched onto each other, stacking up to form juggernauts, which spread dozens of arms at a time to hunt down the heroes. The aliens grunted in pain as the fusion matter burned their arms and legs, the prolonged contact from the blocking becoming too much to resist. The robots stepped in to protect their allies from the brunt of it, immune to the sensation, but they were also taking damage nonetheless. The heroes began to fall back, calling each other to retreat, but it was then that they saw him.

His sword singing the song of triumph, his pure white robes a source of light on their own, the samurai Jack painted victory with his blade. He flitted through the mutants, carving a path through, splitting them like a knife does paper. Enraged, the monsters swung at him, and Jack moved with the grace of a dancer, stepping in time to avoid their blows. A pair of fusion robots accosted him, one going for his head while the other went for his stomach – and Jack evaded by dropping backwards, bending at the waist until his torso was level with the ground, his remarkable core strength holding him in place while the robots swiped through empty air. Jack threw himself forward again, and using the momentum returned their gesture with one of his own, cleaving them in one blow that collapsed them in place. Jack held his sword out for a moment, letting the fusion matter boil from it, then rushed forward to challenge the rest. The heroes roared with approval, their battle spirits revived, and charged to help the swordsman seize back the upper hand.

Further on, Numbuh 1 fired off bolts of his own alongside his fellow operatives of the KND. They stood back to back, encircled by fusion monsters, holding back the never-ending tsunami as it came crashing down. Numbuh 1 counted off each bolt as he discharged it, tracking each monster he felled, until he counted enough to know his magazine was going to run out. He called out an order, and then like a well-oiled machine his section of the frontline ring stepped backwards to allow a new set of operatives to take their place, weapons primed to aim and instantly resume the continuous firing. Number 1 followed his squad members into the inner ring. Operatives crouched to reload their weapons, swapping clips or picking up entirely new guns because theirs had broken. Damage goods were picked up by runners to pass back to the centre, where Numbuh 2 led his own squad of 2x4 specialists in making emergency repairs. Gun reloaded, Numbuh 1 grabbed a couple of extra clips to pack into his utility vest, before looking around to check on the squads commanded by the remainder of Sector V. On the far opposite section of the ring, he could see Numbuh 4 chanting as his operatives fired rhythmic blasts from their shatterguns, never leaving the frontline even when he needed to reload; instead trading his gun with the squad member he kept safe behind him. Meanwhile, Numbuh 1's attention was caught by Numbuh 3 calling out with glee as she ordered her own squad to dispense a volley of grenades, surprising the enemy with colourful Rainbow Monkey plushies made lethal by 2x4. The plushies exploded into vibrant clouds of whimsy, dyeing the fusion monsters in pastel shades of pink, orange, and yellow as they unleashed devastation. Finally, Numbuh 1's gaze was met by Numbuh 5's, who tipped her hat at him and grinned, before mounting a fully-loaded bazooka on her shoulder. Numbuh 1 watched as her squad split in two to allow her to take a knee between them, and heard her shout "CLEAR!" as she fired off a rocket. The projectile slammed into the monsters with colossal impact, blowing them into pieces with a hundred times the force of Number 3's grenades. Numbuh 1 allowed himself a small smile, then turned back to order his squad members to swap frontline position.

As they fired, Numbuh 1 heard an operative call out to his left when a fusion monster suddenly broke free from its ranks. It was another mutant – Numbuh 1's eyes narrowed as he saw that unlike the others, this monster sucked in each bolt that hit it, using them to create guns of its own that began shooting back. The operatives shouted as they took fusion bolts, ripping off armour before the fusion matter ate through to their skin. More fusion monsters followed through the gap the mutant had created, seizing the chance to swarm towards the frontline. Numbuh 1 bellowed at his squad to hold the line. He shouted for the rest of Sector V to shift formation, tightening the outer ring to allow the injured operatives to fall inside for recovery. The KND strained to keep the fusion monsters away, struggling to sustain their damage rate, the enemy's increased ability warring with their reduced active numbers. Numbuh 1's brow glistened with sweat as he fired bolt after bolt, heart sinking as too many were now being absorbed by mutants rather than taking them down. Knowing it was only a matter of time, he tapped at his earpiece. "Assistance required!" he shouted, "This is Numbuh 1, we are being overwhelmed, assistance required!" Numbuh 1 fumbled for another clip, ejecting his empty one to the ground so he could slam the next one in. The operatives continued to fire, but the monsters continued to advance, until

"I'm on my way!" responded a voice in his earpiece, followed by a flash of bright green light behind them.

The monsters were knocked to the side by a blur of black and yellow. The operatives watched in shock, almost dropping their weapons by surprise as groups of monsters were blown apart by the blur speeding towards them. Like a pinball, it bounced from point to point in a frenzy, colliding with impossible accuracy into each enemy, leaving them flattened, burst, or smeared before launching itself into its next target. The operatives huddled together, terrified of being hit, but the blur breezed past them with zero threat. And finally, it rolled to a stop before them, surrounded by the mess it had made of the monsters, and stood up to reveal it was Ben transformed into Cannonbolt.

Cannonbolt grinned, raising a hand in a cheeky wave. "Thank you," Numbuh 1 said. "Don't thank me just yet," Cannonbolt replied, "it ain't over." He pointed over their shoulders, to a horde of fusion monsters in pursuit, and beyond to the cluster of terrafusers spawning them. Numbuh 1 saw this and nodded. "Kids Next Door! Battle stations!" he roared out to his operatives, and the KND sprinted past Cannonbolt towards the enemy. Cannonbolt chuckled, marvelling at the kids' relentlessness, and dropped into a roll after them.

The heroes progressed, working together to seize back the Earth, collaborating to dominate the invaders that were gradually losing their grip. The Powerpuff Girls drew arcs of pink and blue through the monsters' shrinking tide, guiding their teams of fellow superheroes to turn it back until the enemy was literally crawling over itself to evade them. Below, the Plumbers and simians dropped an endless barrage into the network, sending waves of fire and energy into its flailing tendrils so that they struck in such a panic they harmed only themselves. Jack reunited with the Scotsman to lead the others in slicing through the rest, moving until they encountered Cannonbolt and the KND on their own paths of destruction, pausing only for them to all team up so that they could conquer more.

The heroes began to grin and cheer. They were doing it. This was easy. Soon, the world would be saved!

Or so they thought.

As the heroes reached the cusp of success, the light of all possible victory was eclipsed by a piercing scream.

The earth began to shake. As it shook, there was a horrible, thunderous CRUNCH, and the world wailed as it split asunder. Beneath their feet appeared a web of cracks, which stretched out in all directions. The cracks became wounds, and the wounds rifts, from which torrents of fusion matter erupted onto the surface. And from the distance the heroes could see them appear, thousands upon thousands of fusion monsters stampeding towards them from every point of the ruined Earth.

The heroes buckled under the sudden shift of tectonic plates. Before they could recuperate, they were besieged by the enemy, its new numbers washing over them in a vengeful flood. Those who could fly took to the air, but to their shock hundreds of flying monsters rose up from their ranks to give chase. The superheroes zigzagged to avoid the enemy's vicious attacks, finding themselves now trapped between layers of hate suffocating them from above and below.

"Dexter, guys, what's going on!" Ben shouted into his earpiece as he rolled into cover behind the Plumber lines, fumbling with the Omnitrix to prepare his next transformation. Back on the carrier, Dexter, Mandark, Utonium, Computress, and Dee Dee scanned the screens, searching for the answer but unable to find it. But then, Dee Dee noticed something. "Why's that number going up so fast?" she asked, pointing at one of the graphs. Moving over to join her, Utonium's eyes widened as he realised. "The gas that was released when we blew up the prime terrafuser… It contained a signal calling all remaining forces to return and protect it!"

Dexter met his horrified gaze with one of his own. He turned back to the screens, recognising now that every single fusion monster that had spawned on the planet was making its back to consume them.

He turned to Mandark. "We need to fire the cannon again," he said.

Mandark shook his head. "It's too soon. The cannon hasn't cooled down yet."

Dexter glared. "Then we make time until it does." He moved to speak to Ben via the carrier's mic. "Ben, we need to prepare another shot from the electro-pulse cannon! Get everyone back aboard the carrier now!"

"Understood," Ben replied. Forgoing the Omnitrix's still-red face, he grabbed a gun and began running. "RETREAT! RETREAT!" he cried to the heroes, dodging and shooting to move further with his message, "Everybody head back to the warp pads, there's too many of them!" The squad leaders heard his call and began pulling their troops back to safety. Ahead, Ben saw flashes of pink and blue as the Powerpuff Girls began baiting the monsters away, distracting the enemy to allow their allies to escape the swarm.

Ben continued to shoot to cover a group of KND operatives running past him. One of the kids squealed as she tripped over a vine, falling down hard as the tendril snaked out to wrap around her. Ben dived to pull her away, aiming his gun with one hand at the vine's root to sever it while he dragged her from harm. The operative mumbled a thanks, skin pale, and scrambled back to her feet with the help of her fellow squad members. Ben nodded and resumed shooting at the fusion spawn who were now approaching him from multiple directions, when he heard the Omnitrix beep as its face switched to green. Eyes narrowed, he threw his gun to the side to bring his open palm over the watch face, and murmured, "It's hero time," before slamming it down.

But instead of transforming, Ben screamed in agony as a fusion spawn jumped over his shoulder to latch onto his wrist. Searing pain shot through his hand as he accidentally pushed it into fusion matter, the viscous substance pulling him further to be sucked in by the spawn's form. His palm made contact with the Omnitrix, but there was a spark of electricity as it malfunctioned, the fusion matter seeping into its open crevices. The Omnitrix surged with energy, obliterating the fusion spawn, but the damage was done – looking for a ground it jetted back into Ben's body, forcing itself through his muscles so that they began contracting and relaxing in rapid succession. Ben collapsed to the ground with a groan and went into a seizure.

Blossom looked up from what she was doing as her ear picked up the sound. "Ben!" she shouted as she saw him from afar, and dove into flight to save him. She bore down on his position, hand reaching out, when she was suddenly whipped back by a huge mutant hooking onto her ankle. She yelped as the mutant twisted, flinging her far back in the opposite direction, and cried out as it followed through to barrel into her. Blossom spun in the air before forcing herself to a stop, then roared as it jumped in her direction, her eyes exploding with red that decimated it.

But she had wasted too much time, and the other fusion monsters had surrounded Ben. "NO!" Blossom cried as they closed in for the final blow, hurtling, but then

BOOM

Her momentum was interrupted by none other than MEGAS XLR coming to the rescue. The robot threw itself over Ben as the monsters rained down, taking the brunt of their attack for him. In the car, Coop and Jamie sweated as they piloted, working in tandem to shift MEGAS' massive limbs to keep Ben protected. Blossom slid through an opening to land beside Ben, checking his pulse to confirm that he was unconscious. She looked up at the car and met the gaze of the guys inside, who nodded, then she grabbed Ben and took off towards the carrier.

Satisfied that the heroes were out of harm's way, Coop and Jamie swerved to bring MEGAS back to stand at its full height. A lone rock, facing a sea teeming with monsters, it became the final shield for their allies fleeing to safety. The Mechanized Earth Guard Attack System, eXtra Large Robot crouched into a fighting stance, and charged forward to defend its friends.

Coop's thumbs swivelled his controller's joysticks as he directed MEGAS to trample the waves of fusion monsters. Those that escaped dived onto its shins and forearms, clawing and biting as they attempted to eat through the metal. Jamie tapped a button and a series of jets sprang up all along MEGAS' limbs, from which an outflux of fire burst forth, superheating their surface and incinerating all that was attached to it. While they were still inflamed, Coop used the opportunity to drive MEGAS' fists into the ground, stamping craters that the fusion monsters fell into and boiled to liquid, the heat cooking them like a frying pan. But as MEGAS knelt, the enemy saw an opportunity to concentrate its forces on the robot's back, throwing everything into its joints to keep it down. Coop yelped as the pilot's interface scolded him, struggling to manoeuvre MEGAS away from the fusion monsters' grip. He managed to shift MEGAS onto its side, freeing up a hand, which prompted Jamie to flick another button that launched it clean from its wrist. The rocket hand shot out into the air and curved back in a wide arc, returning to slap the monsters from its owners body.

Pulling itself back to its feet, MEGAS looked down to see it now had only one hand. But Coop and Jamie grinned, knowing what it meant – time to activate That Cool Giant Energy Sword Thing. Coop pulled down on a lever, releasing the sword from deep within the cavity in MEGAS' forearm. A blade of brilliant fluorescent orange emerged, the edges blurring from the heat they generated, glowing with the same excitement that the pilots in the car exhibited.

MEGAS took on a duelling stance, and dashed to action, slicing through the swarm flying around it like vile insects. As the robot cut through them, Jamie remembered something. "Yo Coop, what was that electric sword combo thing you said you wanted to try?"

Coop's eyes widened. "Dude," his voiced buzzed as Jamie reminded him. He pulled up the controllers to get a good look at them for confirmation, then scanned the pattern of fusion monsters left to form his plan. "Check this out," Coop said, and tapped at a combination of buttons in quick succession. Suddenly, the orange of the sword pulsed with a cold blue, and as MEGAS swung to make contact, the blade surged with electricity, darting out in tendrils that coursed through one monster then jumped to the others surrounding it, creating a circuit of damage that took out a hundred of the enemy at once. The guys howled in delight, high-fiving each other as they watched the spectacle unfold, until the sword reverted to orange in the wake of the mayhem it had caused.

Coop and Jamie panted, faces beaming. They shifted in their seats, getting ready to take on more, when a voice came crackling from the car's speakerphone.

"Hello, this is Dexter. I am speaking to Coop and Jamie, correct?"

Coop raised his eyebrows at Jamie, then leaned forward to turn up the volume. "Yooo, that's right. How did you get this number?"

"That isn't relevant," Dexter replied. "We are almost ready to fire the cannon. Can you make your way to the carrier?"

"Ah, don't worry about us, Dexter my dude!" Coop boomed with confidence. "This robot's been through a whole lot worse. Fire the cannon, we'll be safe in here!"

"Very well," Dexter said. "Prepare for impact!"

Aboard the carrier, Dexter scanned the screens for confirmation from each Dexbot that their warp pads were closed. After the last one, he tapped a command to activate the carrier's shields, then outside, a translucent sheen spread out to cover the deck, its honeycomb pattern cycling past the edge to indicate the entire carrier was protected.

SHIELDS ACTIVATED, announced the console.

The heroes huddled close as the fusion monsters continued to assault the shields, screeching as they rebounded from its surface, throwing themselves with shocking violence over and over even as their limbs broke from the impact. Dexter turned his head away from the carnage to check on the group in the bridge. In one corner, Mojo sat with Jack and the Scotsman as they nursed their injuries, while in another Professor Utonium, Computress, and the girls tended to Ben's still unconscious body. Sector V watched the screens in silence. Dexter followed their gazes back to see the shields withstanding the enemy's blows, then finally turned to Mandark.

"Mandark, how much longer?" he asked.

"Almost, almost," Mandark said haughtily. "You know you can't rush genius, of course you wouldn't know-"

SYSTEM ERROR, announced the console.

"What?" Dexter's head jolted back to see the glaring warning on the screens. He turned to meet Computress' gaze, who for the first time looked just as visibly confused as he did.

SYSTEM ERROR, announced the console, and Dexter turned back to see a small yellow being slamming his hands all over it.

"What the-" Dexter exclaimed

SYSTEM ERROR, announced the console. "Vending machine!" the yellow being shouted in reply.

"Who are you-"

SHIELDS DEACTIVATED, announced the console

BOOOOOM

The carrier was rocked by the impact of the fusion monsters breaking through the shields.

The console began to scream, alarms sounding all over the carrier as the engines took a critical hit.

SEEK IMMEDIATE LANDING FOR RECOVERY

The heroes were thrown into the floor and the walls as the carrier was bombarded with attacks. Outside, the heroes barely had time to raise their weapons before the fusion monsters were upon them.

SEEK IMMEDIATE LANDING FOR RECOVERY

Computress dashed toward the console to help Dexter and Mandark pilot the carrier

CRITICAL POWER FAILURE, the console announced

The heroes were thrown up into the ceiling as the carrier went into freefall. Dexter scrambled to reach for the console, fingers brushing the surface as all around him people cried out in terror.

Blossom and Bubbles shot from the bridge, flying over the deck to grab onto the carrier to slow it down, but

Too little too late.

The carrier crashed.

END OF PART 10

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 11: ENTER THE REAPER

Why is it so cold..?

Dexter woke up gasping for air.

The carrier is crashing.

His head was throbbing, his vision was blurred and spinning with dizziness. He needed to get to the console - he needed to save them. Dexter reached out to push himself up from the floor and felt the cold touch of concrete.

Wait - concrete?

Dexter paused. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, and looked around to find that he was in Tech Square.

Dexter turned his head to discover Computress hovering at his side. As he watched, her blank eyes lit up to indicate she was coming out of rest mode. Dexter frowned, then his eyes widened as he looked past her to see Utonium and the girls rubbing their heads as they also came to. A murmur to his right revealed Dee Dee on his other side, her hands tucked under her cheek so she could continue to dose – then a little further ahead Ben, being helped into a sitting position by the Kids Next Door. Dexter's heart raced as he took in the scene, observing a whimpering Mandark on the stairs below, Mojo Jojo surrounded by his monkey minions, Jack and the Scotsman stretching their stiff limbs, the Plumbers, the aliens, the other superheroes…

Everyone who was at the battle.

But how did- who piloted the carrier? Dexter searched the grounds… only to realise that the carrier was nowhere to be found. In fact, there was not a vehicle in sight. All around him, Dexter's expression of total puzzlement was mirrored on everyone's faces as they each awoke from their slumber. So then

"You're probably wondering how you got here." Dexter's train of thought was disrupted by the sound of a deep voice, enriched by a distinct Caribbean accent coming from behind him.

Dexter span round, and found a skeleton draped in a long black cloak, leaning on a scythe and smiling at him from underneath a pointed hood.

"Hello, I'm da Grim Reaper," the skeleton said. "You can call me Grim."

Dexter sputtered and threw himself backwards, scrambling to get away from its reach. The skeleton frowned. "Hey, hey, relax," he said, "I'm not one of dem fusion monsters. Although I do understand da confusion, considering da current circumstances."

Dexter paused when he saw that the skeleton was not going to pursue him. Finally, he uttered a sentence. "I must be dreaming."

Grim tilted his head. "No, you're not. I'm da real deal."

"That's impossible."

"Well, evidently it isn't." Grim leaned closer and narrowed his eyes. "You know, I expected a little more gratitude after I saved you all from dat awful swarm."

"Oh." Dexter was beginning to feel light-headed. "Sorry… Thank you," he said uncertainly.

"You're very welcome." Grim smiled.

Dexter's head lolled as he passed out.

Grim tutted. "Must be da resurrection sickness."

A little later, when Dexter had reawakened and the shock had all but subsided, the heroes gathered at the foot of Dexlabs with the Grim Reaper stood before them. Dexter sat on the stairs, nursing his head as he engaged in the most surreal conversation of his life.

"So, you're the Grim Reaper."

"Dat's correct."

"The real, actual Grim Reaper."

"Call me Grim."

"And… we're not dead."

"Well, to be honest we don't really use dat term anymore in da business. 'Crossed over' is more accurate."

"Okay, 'crossed over'. And that's because you decided to close the gates to the Underworld for the time being."

"Aye, dat's right."

Dexter felt like he was going to throw up. "So without your intervention, we would have… why did you save us?"

Grim paused to look at Dexter for a long moment. Then his face broke into another grin. "Ah, da job wasn't worth it, plus I didn't really need da numbers for dis quarter anyway. Of course, da guys downstairs are not going to be happy… and technically, I still haven't told Mandy…" Grim spoke with a nonchalance that unnerved them.

Dexter didn't say anything in response. He couldn't – what was there to say? His head hurt. His entire worldview had just been shattered, and by a voice that sounded more like it should be telling him that life could be dream.

But still, there was one thing left on Dexter's mind.

"So that means… the prime terrafuser was able to regenerate. We failed."

Grim's face was sombre. "Aye, I'm afraid it does."

The heroes erupted into worried chatter. Ben jumped into the conversation. "Well, we just have to go back, don't we?" he asserted, "He's given us a second chance!"

Professor Utonium shook his head as he also joined in to answer. "I'm afraid that's not a good idea. Now that the prime terrafuser has been fully exposed to the electro-pulse cannon, it will have mutated to adapt to it. A second attack would be ineffective."

The heroes looked at him in shock.

"So that's it?" Ben said. "We've lost?"

"No," Dexter spoke. "It means we have to team up."

The heroes looked at him in confusion.

Dexter met Grim's knowing gaze as he explained the reality of the situation.

"It is true that we have lost the battle. But losing the battle only means that we have lost the luxury of time. Thanks to Grim, we still have a chance. But it also means that now, more than anything, we need to team up. We need to take the help of all who can offer it – and be prepared to set aside a lot of old history to focus on the matter at hand." As he finished, he cast a meaningful glance at Mandark and Mojo to highlight his point.

The heroes reacted with disbelief. Ben shouted, "You can't possibly suggest we keep working with villains?!"

"We don't have a choice."

"How are we supposed to trust them?!"

"We are just going to have to."

Dexter held Grim's gaze with iron will.

"You say that the gates to the Underworld will remain closed as long as you decide?"

Grim nodded. "Yep."

"You would be willing to do that for us?"

"It would be my pleasure. But I must warn you, if da physical world is lost, dere is nothing I can do."

Dexter nodded, and stood up to face the crowd surrounding him.

"Then that settles it. We are going to work together and work fast. We may have lost this battle, but the war isn't over. Not by a long shot."

END OF PART 11

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL ZERO OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 12: WAR BEGINS

In the morning they gathered to listen to Dexter speak.

They watched as he walked to the lone microphone set up in front of Dexlabs, adjusting his glasses as he prepared to address them. They saw his companions waiting behind him – the loyal assistant, Computress; the scientist who discovered life itself, Professor Utonium; the heroes who would always save the day, the Powerpuff Girls; and the hero known by ten thousand alien faces, Ben 10. Dexter, the boy unparalleled in his genius, became their spokesperson; their figurehead. He met the world's gaze, took a breath, cleared his throat. And his words were thus:

"Yesterday, we launched a full-scale attack on the invading force's primary source of control with the aim of destroying it. This attack failed, and we have lost the advantage that we were hoping to obtain."

The world's breath caught in its throat.

"The weapon that we hoped would defeat the fusion monsters is no longer an option, due the invading force's ability to mutate and adapt post-contact. We now have to seek out and identify an alternative."

The world felt fear rise up and swallowed it down.

"But this is not the end. We still have time. We still have hope. We have been given a second chance to keep fighting and we will not waste it."

The world allowed itself a moment to consider.

"We are calling one last time upon everyone who is able to step up and fight. And this time, we mean everyone, regardless of who you are, regardless of where you come from. If you have a hand to offer, we will take it."

Could they do it this time?

"If you wish to help, but lack experience, do not be concerned – myself and Ben will be dedicating ourselves to guide you into becoming the best heroes you can be. It is going to be hard, I know, and it is going to take the effort of all of us setting aside all of our differences. But we will do it, because this is the most important thing we will ever do."

They could.

"We have the tools. You have the talent. The time is now. The hero is you. Because I am certain that if we work together, we will make Planet Fusion… Fall!"

Time to go.

As the world cheered Dexter on, Ben leaned over to Blossom and Bubbles.

"Are you sure you don't want to be guides?" he asked quietly.

"We're sure," Blossom said. "We're just… not ready yet to take on that kind of responsibility," Bubbles added.

"It's okay. I understand."

They continued to watch as Dexter outlined the new plan.

END OF PART 12

Chapter Text

FUSIONFALL OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

EPILOGUE: THE FOURTH GUIDE

Dexter reclined in his seat aboard his private jet as he skimmed the headlines. He shook his head and exhaled through his nose. Mojo had done it. After serious campaigning and negotiations, he had garnered enough support in his corner of the war effort to be officially elected as a third guide. Dexter studied the image of the Simian Supreme making his triumphant speech until he lost interest, then switched tabs so he could read through his notes once more.

"Dexter, we are approaching our destination," Computress informed him from her seat opposite. Dexter looked up to meet her gaze then turned his eyes to the window. Outside, he could see the squat houses of the Suburbs beginning to spread out along more rural roads, until gradually, the cardboard fortress rose into view. A massive structure that had garnered infamous reputation early on in the war for the impossible defence it sustained. Built by children from scraps, yet erected with the magnificence of a royal citadel. Fitted with battlements, strong towers to look out from, an intricate system of bridges that connected the youthful community thriving within. And guarding the front were two gigantic planks of wood acting both as great gates, and as totems with their painted faces to ward off the evil that tried to enter it.

As the jet slowed down, Dexter and Computress could see dozens of kids in colourful uniforms patrolling the border, wielding the makeshift weapons that had first intrigued the press for their surprising and unexplained effectiveness. Dexter watched as these kids, not much younger than he was, noticed the jet and began running to signal the others. Dexter took the cue and signalled in turn to Computress to commence landing. The jet sunk until it landed in the soft grass in front of the gates. They stepped out.

The kids stared at them with shining eyes as they approached. It's really him, he could hear them gossip. He really came here, they whispered in excitement.

The guards let them through. Dexter and Computress stepped for the first time into the cul de sac neighbourhood the fortress had been built around. All around them they could see kids hard at work. They were building weapons, training drills, adding reinforcements to the fortress' inner walls. Kids jumped like acrobats from bridge to bridge, carrying baskets of food and clothes to run down lines to their delivery targets below. A number of the kids had their imaginary friends with them, also getting stuck in; and there even a few adults doing their best to assist the leaders of this new world.

As they walked, more and more of the fortress' inhabitants stopped what they were doing to watch them. Many of them called out:

"Yeah, Dexter, right on!"

"We love you Computress!"

"You're gonna love Double D!"

"Yeah, Double D's the man!"

"Three cheers for Dexter meeting Double D, all right!"

Kids rushed down to wait for them at the end of the cul de sac, gathering in a crowd. All eyes were on Dexter and Computress, finally here to meet the person they had heard so much about, the enigmatic architect of the cardboard fortress, "Double D".

Dexter arrived at the centre of the cul de sac and found an old armchair with a boy sitting in it. He open his mouth to offer his greetings but the boy glared at him with daggers and jumped off his seat to march right up into his face.

"Heeey, I know you, you're that Dexter kid!"

"Uh, yes. Yes I am. You must be-"

"Eddy! Or King Eddy, to you." The boy, a short and stocky fellow, had a greasy undercut that he slicked back constantly with his hands as he spoke. "What do you want from my kingdom?"

"Your kingdom? I was under the impression that this territory was governed by Double D," Dexter questioned.

"Double D? He can't even govern his own wardrobe! Listen here, dude, I'm Double D's best friend so all public affairs are dealt with by me."

"Hey!" a new voice interrupted. Dexter and Eddy turned to see another boy, tall, with dark features and a beaming grin on his face torpedoing towards them. "Don't you forget me, Eddy! I am Double D's best friend too!" The boy elbowed Eddy aside so he could shove a huge hand into Dexter's face. "Hello sir my name is Ed."

"Ed, get your big hand out of his face!" Eddy cried out as he bounced to push Ed back in revenge.

"Oh I'm sorry Eddy is he one of our customers?" Ed said, wide-eyed, "Will you be selling him a jawbreaker? Can I sell him mine?" Ed dug into his jacket pocket to produce a sticky ball covered in buttons, paperclips, and lint.

"Um…" Dexter stood frozen, unsure of what was unfolding in front of him. Eddy scowled at Ed, then turned his attention back to Dexter to poke a finger in his chest. "Forget what he's saying," Eddy growled. "Now you listen – Double D is our best friend, so you better watch your back before you try any funny business."

Dexter opened his mouth again to reply, but was interrupted once more by a third voice, this one meek and nervous. "Uh… Guys? Please, stop, leave him alone."

Dexter, Ed, and Eddy turned to see a small, skinny boy, wearing baggy clothes and a large sock hat pulled low over his brow. Dexter watched as Ed and Eddy backed off and he finally understood.

"You must be Double D." Dexter smiled.

"Uh, Eddward is fine," the boy said as he took Dexter's hand.

"Well Eddward, I've been very much looking forward to meeting you," Dexter said as they shook, "Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure."

"Excellent."

END OF EPILOGUE