Chapter Text
In a void outer space, a 4-level space station reading “BES” beside the piloting windows is roaming around. Inside it, there is a bunch of panicking caterpillars in a glass box sitting on a desk under a tall, bright lamp in an experimenting room right beside the main room. Astrohero bugs in their operation vehicles are coming in as bug busters are coming for them from the other side of the room.
Captain 1, a not-so-tall praying mantis named Argo: My crew, Kuri’s, and Benji's! Let’s get the busters! The rest get the caterpillars!
Captains 2 and 3, a fire ant named Kuri and bumblebee named Benji respectively: Roger!
The astroheroes split up and shoot the busters and take care of the caterpillars.
Captain 4, a dragonfly named Mason: Luma! You and your crew find a safe passageway for the caterpillars while we try to get them out!
Captain 5, a firefly named Luma: Will do! She and her crew hop off the table and exit through a maintenance door ¡Aqui! (Here!) where there is also a door that leads to the basement level.
An astrohero crane fly, part of Argo's crew, opens the underbelly of the buster and rips the cords out. The buster collapses.
Argo: Nice rip, Rizzo!
Rizzo: Thanks!
Argo looking around: Hey, where’d you leave your bot?
Rizzo: I-in the storage room! Is that ok?
Argo: Yes! Yes, it is, thank you!
Captain 6, a mosquito named Sting, gets a call from Luma.
Luma's voice on space device: Sting! Mason! We found one! ¡Rápido! (Quick!)
Sting and Mason to each other: Let’s go! They both finally break off the glass door so the caterpillars can quickly escape!
Sting: Go to your left, everyone! The caterpillars scurry to the maintenance room. They, Luma’s crew, Sting’s crew, and Mason’s crew herd into the basement staircase.
Luma: This should lead them to the downstairs maintenance where no one spots us!
The captains make it to the basement level and get a call from captains 7 and 8.
Captain 7, a jewel beetle named Kazz, VOSD: The caterpillars are in our ships!
Captain 8, a swallowtail named Joss: How are you guys doing with the others?
Sting: Good and goin’! No one’s turned their heads to us yet! To the caterpillars My ship’s right near us! Let’s go there!
The group sneak out and hurry to Sting’s ship that has its back door connected to a nearby basement door. The caterpillars cheer and thank the captains as the ship door closes.
--
Opening theme song “Time to Step Up”
One night I sleep, then when I wake
I know my life's changed and this is how
I found myself in outer space, wondering how to get back home
But I couldn’t do it alone, no
I made friendships that changed my life, but there were also obstacles
It was sure difficult, woah
And then we reached the Earth, enjoying life like other bugs
And finally breathing the fresh earthly air
But now’s our time to rise and fulfill our duties in space
Wo-oa-oooah!
Let’s take off into space and get started, cause now the station’s departed
Comin’ after them to rescue the bugs and take them home
The job is tough as heck, but we’ll take it
Cause millions o’ lives are in danger
Gonna leave the earth cause it’s our time to step up as astroheroes!
Astroheroes!
Yeah ye-heah!
Astroheroes! Yeah…
In the busy city of Tokyo in 2051, beside the streets are miniscule roads where anthropomorphic tiny animals and insects can use to drive or walk on. They’re bicycle lanes which a lot of people use so the bug race and other tiny organisms have to be very careful. But the bikes don’t come often. The buildings are now constructed in bright, colorful, and sometimes vintage-saturated walls, and the place signs are often luminated. In summary, the Square has futuristic designs along with a few welcoming odd ones out regarding small business buildings or big businesses with small buildings.
Marble is sightseeing from the window of the main characters’ van that Mick’s driving.
Marble, a large purple spider: Whoa… are we close so we can come around here some time again?
Rocky, a short blue cricket: We’re actually gonna live where we can see this view from the back of the house I rented!
Marble: Yayyy! / Mick: For real?? Okay, now we’re talkin’!
Stella, a yellow-blonde-haired bee girl: Well I feel kinda spoiled then! Chuckles in a sense of “lucky me!” / Note: Ellen legally changed her name. She explains why later in the fanfic. And also, I gave her a sleeveless, thigh-length denim romper with a strap tied around along with brown chunky ankle boots.
Rocky: You’ll all love the house! Everything about it and around it.
They all laugh.
Marble: And I’ve also been wondering. Do you guys know where exactly we landed when we reached Earth?
Rocky: Before we moved to Cape Town? Well… When we landed, there weren’t a lot of trees around, but there was plenty of grass. Looked very much like a savanna to me. But even though we landed in a vague location, thank God we landed near where Mick grew up.
Note: I gave Rocky that name as a real name like "Hakase" to follow up with his Japanese naming. I used Mick and Marble from the English dub and Hakase from the Japanese dub to give him the "real name" Rocky since personally I don't favor the name "Socrates". Like I prefer Mick over Midge, and Marble over Marubo. And also, he'll be referred to as "Doc" by other characters throughout the series and sometimes the mains because I actually don't want to rename him completely.
Mick, a sunset-toned yellow, dark brown-legged chironomid with goggles above eyes: We did. Listen, I would've panicked inside if it wasn't Africa-- well of course I'd at least be happy we're on earth. But chuckles I've been around many places in South Africa, so I would know my ways to somewhere. I'd feel lost if we landed somewhere else, so yeah, thank God we landed near-- Takes deep breath home… where I should’ve seen my parents when we got to South Africa.
Stella: Oh right… You'd wanna be near your home, wouldn't you?
Mick: Yeah… that too. But I wanted to hang out with you guys since we're now friends. Now, don't get the impression that I was abandoning my friends from Lookout Rock! chuckles No, never. We're still in contact.
Stella: That's good. I bet you missed them very much… by the way If I may ask…
Mick: Yeah?
Stella: I never asked, but how did you… end up in space?
Mick: Alright, long story! I was in South Africa, almost done with college, I was 21 at the time, and that night, I went to sleep then… basically I time traveled, um, what exactly happened, Rocky?
Rocky: You want me to help you?
Mick: Mm-hmm.
Rocky: So basically, a company of the space station EISS thought that… some of this information may be a little hard to hear, depends on what I end up saying, are you sure you want to hear it?
Mick: You're not giving every little detail, are you?
Rocky: I try not to do that.
Stella: Well… sure.
Rocky: Well, let's put it the best way possible. The experimenters of the EISS have used us insects for experiments…
Marble: Rocky and I were born on that space station.
Rocky: I think she knows that. Back to Stella So Stella, the company thought that with Mick’s uniqueness from other insects and his ability to survive without water as a larva, he was essential for the experiment. So, they put him to sleep and took him to this dimension of 3 years, 5 months, and 16 days into the future. It was time travel.
Stella to Mick: Woah… you didn’t even notice any of that?
Mick: Nah! Hell, I bet it was like pickin’ up a miniature log to them!
They all laugh.
GPS: In 0.5 miles turn right.
Marble: Are we almost at the headquarters?
Mick: Should be, yeah.
Marble: … Do we have to go back to space?
Mick: Huh, what do you mean?
Marble: Remember how Master Yang wanted to be in the company where they save experimented bugs from possibly dying?
Mick: Yeah?... But the old man was born Stella chuckles on Earth, wasn't he?
Rocky: Yeah, but Marble's saying that the company is trying to recruit more people to join the experiment prevention. And knowing that he and I have been experimented on and the experimenting on insects has become very often used, there's a high chance that maybe we could be needed for the prevent--
Mick: Hold on, hold on. Why would we need to join the prevention if we didn't have enough training??
Setlla: What would we do exactly?
Rocky: Very good question actually. Bugs who have been experimented on in the past have been recruited to join the force. So are others who haven't been experimented. Speaking of Master Yang, he's from earth but he wanted to help them ever since he met us.
Mick: Do they train us more after we get recruited?
Rocky: Yeah, exactly.
Mick: That's good. At least we’ll know what to do then.
The van gets closer to the headquarters of a place named ISF (Insect Space Force). The ISF stands a little close to the Tokyo Times Square, but it stands on the other side of some highway roads along with distanced neighboring buildings. It also stands on the hill that helps it tower a little over the other buildings.
In the ISF lobby where the crew are coming in from the front doors
Rocky: Good afternoon, Master Yang!
Master Yang, a small elderly tartigrade who floats on a rock: *chuckle* Ohh, long time no see, my friends! I'm so glad you came early! Now, why don't we meet at my office for a moment?
They follow him to his office. They all take their seats.
Mick: I love how spacious these rooms are. Waves his hands in front of him a bit No pun intended.
Stella snickering: I thought it’d be a pun!
Mick: Well, hehe, think all you want!
Both laugh.
Master Yang: Okay fellas, so I bet you guys have heard about the experimenting on bugs has become more frequently practiced over the months y’all stayed in South Africa?
Rocky: I was sure that it wouldn’t be popular since the EISS was the only space station to experiment on insects at the time Marble and I were aboard the station.
Master Yang: Right, but months after we reached Earth successfully, that's when it started, and I wanted you guys to experience life fully on Earth while my 8 other troops were taking care of the issue. In this case, there's only one station actually.
Rocky: I thought all that was over with. Are you sure it's still going?
Marble: I don't think that's good like, at all cause other spiders and I had our threads pulled out from us. Well… later I got it back but…
An ellipses pops up dot by dot beside Rocky.
Mick: And I was about to get sent somewhere that had really extreme conditions so they could see if I would survive.
Stella: Then the bug experimenting is bad overall?
Rocky: For us it is, it’s nothing to the humans. That's how we lived all our lives until the experimenters left.
Marble: I think we need to find out why it's getting so popular!
Master Yang: Exactly! I don't really know any other space station that would experiment on insects. But someone has to be behind this because we all thought this ended a year ago. It wasn't as bad as the past 4 weeks where it's gone much more frequent. So I have called you guys here because I know you have the qualities to join the prevention.
Marble: I was worried we might go back to space.
Mick comforting Marble: Hey, we won't stay there for too long.
Master Yang: He's right!
Mick: For real? / Marble: Yay! / Rocky: Oh, thank God! / Stella: Awesome!
Master Yang: But to a certain extent. You already have a house to settle in overnight, but sometimes you will have to spend a few nights in space. But don't worry, the staff and I will guide you through all of your tasks of the one mission if you need. You should never be alone for this since you're getting recruited for the first time!
Stella sighing in relief: Oh, thank you Master!
Mick: So like, when does the job start?
Master Yang: We’ve done this for 8 months actually, but you guys join the troop tomorrow. So tomorrow morning, a highly recommended time to wake is around 6:15 so you can be prepared for morning training and to go to space at any time that we call you.
Mick joking: That’s quite early. I usually don't exist until 8 something.
They laugh.
Master Yang: But you'll get used to getting up early once the job starts.
Mick: Yeah I better.
They laugh. / Rocky: Ok Mick. That's enough until you just keep going.
Mick: Yeah.
Marble: What time should we go to bed?
Master Yang: Earlier than your usual times I recommend.
Stella: If we're getting up at 6:15, then we'll have to go to bed at uh… she counts in her head and fingers 10:15's pretty early. So maybe 10:30?
Rocky: 10:30! Cool! Sweating … Yeah…
The rest stare at Rocky.
Mick: What makes you say that?
Rocky: I would hate to complain at this moment, but crickets are meant to be nocturnal, aren't they?
Mick: Ohhhh…
Rocky: I would sometimes lose my sense in telling whether it was day or night since we grew up in space. At least I could sometimes rely on my natural sleep schedule.
Stella: Oh that's good.
Rocky: But since the rest of us are diurnal, I guess I'll have to plan a sleep schedule close to theirs. It wouldn't be healthy for me to sleep during the night.
Mick: I understand, I know how much you want to have enough sleep for when we go back into space-- oh! You know what, whenever we get home during the daytime if ever, you can take a nap!
Master Yang: Yeah! That would give time for him to get the sleep he needs! We now have only 2 nocturnal bugs, and the other named Luma gets her sleep after training and aboard Lightning.
Rocky: But, you know, in the future, we'll have to look deeper into this matter since we don't know… what the future holds for us.
Master Yang: We'll surely look into it in the future, Rocky. Now, any more questions or concerns about the mission?
The crew looks at each other and looks back at Master Yang.
Master Yang: Very well-
Mick raises his hand.
Master Yang: Yes?
Mick: Okay uh… if you were to call us at any time of the day for an emergency task… uhhh how can we prepare if we’re sound asleep?
Master Yang: Like in the middle of the night? We will get to that later on. But for now, in order to be entirely prepared to go up, physically and mentally, just start getting up at 6:15, but you can get up at any time before around 7. But I will schedule training sessions for you guys since y'all are the newest troop.
Mick: And if we get back from space really late…
Master Yang: We will help you more on your sleep schedules throughout the job. Don't worry everyone.
Stella: We'll contact you whenever we raise a question or two.
Master Yang: Very well, my frie– floats to one of his drawers Ohhhh! One last thing! Picks up a badge from one of the drawers For the mission, I grant this badge of captaincy to you lends it to Mick for you're a determined leader who’s always focused on the mission when we were trying to make it to Earth.
All 3 applauding Stella: Ok! Work! / Rocky: Congratulations, Mick! / Marble: Yayyy!
Mick laughs a bit for a few seconds Wow… thank you sir.
Master Yang: Now. I'm going to trust you with this badge, so will you focus and lead your friends safely?
Mick smiling big: Yessir!
Master Yang: Will you step up your captaincy for this matter?
Mick: Yessir!
Master Yang applauding: Ok kid, you got the job!
All 3 applauding Stella: Congrats! / Rocky: Whoo! / Marble: Yipee!
The crew bowing a little: Thank you Master Yang!
The crew leave the office.
Back in the van on the way to a house
Rocky: Mick, put in the address "2-9-7, Oka-Shi Tokyo 437-9865". *sorry Rocky if i butcher a Japanese address*
Mick: Say it again?
Rocky: 2-9-7…
Mick typing on the screen: 2-9-7… and what?
Rocky: Please use voice recorder.
Mick chuckling: Sorry. Turns on voice recorder and pauses for a moment
Rocky: Want me to do it?
Mick: Yeah.
Rocky to the voice recorder: 297, Oka-Shi Tokyo 437-9865.
GPS: Let's hit the road! In a quarter of a mile, turn left.
Mick: Funny! We're already on the road.
Rocky: Remember, it says that every time you submit an address whether you're on the road or not. Laughs a bit Yeah it is kinda funny, you're right.
Mick: Cool! Only takes us 25 minutes to get there! So let's stop by a thrift store so I can get something!
Stella: What are you even gonna get from the thrift store?
Mick: See, I'm going through this phase where I / Stella overlapping: We know. / like to go to thrift stores on the weekends and get something cool, you know. That's why I was usually out of the hotel when you got up from your afternoon nap, Rocky.
Rocky: Oh! Ok!
They park at a thrift store, and Mick gets out.
Mick: Y'all wanna get something before I go in?
Stella: You're going alone?
Mick: Unless you guys wanna come.
Stella: What I'm asking is that you're gonna let us stay here?
Marble: I wanna stay here!
Rocky: Now I'm not sure if that's safe.
Marble: Yeah, but I'm a grown-up too!
Rocky: Right, but remember, we’ve been in this busy environment for 2 weeks now staying at a hotel, and still, a lot of dangerous situations can happen. We haven't heard about anything specific, but I can get an idea of what could happen, I don't know.
Marble: Yeah…
Mick: … okay, everyone's getting out, then.
They laugh a little as they get out.
At the thrift shop / LP by Red Velvet is playing over the speaker as the crew enter the store.
Stella jamming out a little: Oh yay, I love this song!
Mick: A friend of mine who lives here said they were selling nice vests!
Marble: Can I get something too?
Mick: Yeah of course! What's the point of coming here to treat myself to something when we're all here right?
They laugh.
Rocky: Both of y’all hurry. We need to get to our house.
Marble: Will do, Rocky!
Mick: Now, to find those vests! Takes off to a different area.
Mick to worker: Hey sir! Where do you keep the new vests?
Worker: … I don't know what you're talking about.
Mick: That's cool! Enters an aisle and finds a cool one with yellow sleeveless rims and collar that follow down to streaked rims along the bottom of it, and a sheild-like design on the back
Mick: Hooh! Nice! Checks price tag 5000 yen just for a sleeveless jacket? Ridiculous! Leaves the aisle I dunno, man. He returns to the group
Mick: It's pretty expensive.
Marble: It's alright, Mick. I didn't find anything I like.
Rocky: Ooh! Marble, keep your voice down if you're gonna say that.
Marble clasps his mouth looking around in a sweat.
Rocky to the rest: Well, we gotta unpack our stuff in the new house. So we better get going.
Stella: Oh yeah, right!
Rocky, Marble, and Stella proceed to leave. Mick stands behind and decides he wants to get the jacket.
Mick: I'm getting it. Goes back to retrieve the jacket he wants, pays for it with 627 rands at the self checkout aisle (there are no cashiers in this future setting, you check out yourself), and walks out immediately putting it on with “Hypnotize” by Notorious BIG playing. He stores the badge in one of the pockets.
Note: if you're from another country, you can now pay with the currency of the country you're from and the machine will convert it to their currency
Rocky: Mick! Where were y-- dang…
Stella: You’re lookin’ nice! / Marble: You actually bought it?
Mick: Yeah! Decided I would make good use of time in the shop and actually buy something!
Rocky: Well, that suits you perfectly! Thank you! Let’s head on down the road now.
They all get in the car and take off back into the highway.
Eyecatch
The van finally stops at a tall and wide, gold-walled, black and funky Japanese-style-roofed, 3-story house including living basement level that Rocky bought. In this time of future, your car is lowered down on a platform underground and it is closed up after so nothing bad happens to it.
Mick: This one?
Rocky: Yeah!
Mick: It's huge!
Everyone gets out of the van. The van is lowered underground and closed up.
Rocky: I wanted to look for a 5-bedroom house, but our realtor actually offered me, you're gonna think I was acting illogically, but he offered me a 6 bedroom with 2 guest rooms in case a friend of ours wants to come over. I wanted a 5 bedroom with 1 of them being a guest bedroom but the price of this one was actually just almost 4 million yen in rent. For a year, I wanted to save money to buy some needs for the future. Turns out I actually saved a lot! Now, let's go in and check it out!
They enter the house and come into the lobby area with a front bench, and you'll see the staircase to the right of you, and ahead of you is the living room conversation pit and the large windows with the back doors. It's also got a fire put with a long inner chimney and a floating digital clock right in front of it.
Mick: Oh nice!! That Cape Town Scientific Institute must’ve paid you really well, Doc!
Rocky: Those kinds of jobs are a big deal for the world! And it's really a matter of how well you do your job. Oh, it's also got a basement, not that I requested that specifically too.
Marble: What's it got down there?
Rocky: I don't know, probably some extra rooms we don't really need. This one I got just happened to have a basement. I guess I wanted to live in a neighborhood a little near the square… I think I wasted a good amount of money.
Stella: Aww, don't think that. Sometimes you can spend a little more on things. But I do understand you want to save.
Rocky: Thank you. And also, there was a 5 bedroom house bigger than this, but I knew we didn't need that much space, and this cost less than the bigger one even though this has 2 more bedrooms than what I requested. And I didn't know this was gonna have a basement. I didn't need one, but I guess that's alright then.
Mick: Let's check it out, shall we? Proceeds to go down along with Marble and Stella
Rocky stopping the rest: Now, hold on a moment! I would recommend putting our stuff up in our rooms first. Let's just get everything settled-- ah, I guess you can put your stuff down and look at it for a moment.
Marble: Yay!
Mick, Marble, and Stella continue to go down.
Rocky: I'll come with. Goes down with them
At the basement, the crew comes downstairs
Stella: Whoa… / Marble: Oh my! / Mick: How cool!!
Rocky: Y'all, this is a lot of extra rooms. It literally has 2 living rooms and 2 kitchens-- wait a moment, that's a bar. Never mind. turns back upstairsI'm putting my stuff up upstairs.
Mick: Yeah we need to do that too.
Back on the main floor the crew are going upstairs to get their rooms
Stella: I like this staircase.
Mick: Rocky, you take the big room!
Rocky: Where's that?
Mick: You're asking someone who's only been here for a few hot minutes! You know what I'm talking about, right?
Rocky: No?
Mick: The kind of room where parents would sleep and their kids get smaller rooms.
Rocky: I can get an idea of that… but I don't quite fully understand.
Mick: I'll take you. We'll find it together.
Mick throws his suitcase in the corner room to his right and takes Rocky across the hallway on the left. Stella almost takes the room where Mick has his stuff but sees them.
Stella jokingly: Aw man. Takes the room beside Mick's and puts her stuff in there.
As Mick and Rocky go down the hallway, Mick distracts himself with a cool-looking hangout room.
Mick: Rocky, look! You gotta see this!
Rocky heading toward Mick: What?
Mick: This has got to be the hangout room!
Rocky: It is! Not that I specifically requested that either.
Mick smiling: Rocky, you know you don't have to tell us what you wanted anymore.
Rocky: I know but--
Mick: Yeah yeah, let's find that room-- sees Marble looking into the big room hey Marble!
Marble looks up at them.
Mick: That's gonna be Rocky's room!
Marble: I know, I was just looking.
Mick: Ohhhh my bad.
Rocky: Oh that's the one! Makes his way toward the big master bedroom and puts his stuff in there.
Marble: Can we visit your room sometimes? Please?
Rocky: I'll look into it.
Marble: Yay!
Marble leaves the area to look for a room to put his stuff and he finds one beside the hangout room and puts his stuff there.
Mick yelling across the hallway: Rocky! Can we go in your room for a while and talk with you?
Rocky offscreen: Why? Didn't Marble just ask that?
Mick: Oh! Well… your room's huge!
Rocky: So is yours! / Mick overlapping: We just wanna come in! / We can talk together in the living room!
Marble: Please?
Rocky: Oh, not you too Marble.
Marble: But you said we could come in--
Rocky: Well you gotta ask permission first!
Both Mick and Marble overlapping each other and annoying Rocky: Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Pretty please?
Stella laughs at the scene.
Rocky: Fine! Just don't mess up anything.
Marble: Yay! / Mick: Oh we’re not goin’ to! Both come in Rocky's room followed by Stella who quickly catches up to them
In Rocky's room
The room has an office area and a huge king-size bed beside it with a large rectangle window. The bathroom is right beside the office area.
Stella: Now that we're recruited into the Insect Space Force, what else could we be doing for the rest of today?
Rocky: Huh, good question… training starts tomorrow morning so I guess we can hang out for the rest of the night.
Stella: Right…
Mick: Do we need to pack anything tomorrow morning?
Rocky: Ask Master Yang that-- you know what, I'll go on and ask.
Mick: Yeah alright, by the way, since we're now living together and have been for several months, I thought I'd… you know, come up with some games to form stronger bonds with each other!
Rocky: You think we'd have any time for that?
Mick: Rocky, it'll be fine! We're staying here all night! I'll buy some games at a nearby store and we'll go from there, eh?
Marble: I wanna play some games!
Stella; Yeah as long as we actually have the time that is. Emergency task remember?
Mick: Right! But we'll have time. Besides, we'll go back here sometimes.
Rocky: Alright, sure. We can try to make room for that. What games do you wanna play?
Mick: I'll see what's at the store!
5:00 PM the sun is getting ready to set
In the living room
I bought a lot of games we can try here! But I'm itching to play some Truth or Dare!
Rocky: Oh no…
Mick: It'll be fine! The dares aren't so bad! So anyway, we all pick a color card deck of our choice and those contain truths that you have to spill or dares you have to perform!
Stella: Oooooh! / Rocky: Um, Mick?
Mick: Yeah, what's good?
Rocky: If we pick up a card of our color…
Mick: It's still yours and you have to spill the truth or do a dare.
Rocky: And how do we determine the order of who goes?
Mick: Let's just go around the circle! Any more questions?
Rocky: No, but I'm pretty nervous.
Mick: Here. Picks out certain cards from the deck. We'll go easy on the first do, okay?
Rocky: Thank goodness.
Mick: Alright! Pick away!
Marble: I'm red!
Stella: I'm yellow.
Rocky: Uh… I'll be orange.
Mick: Green! Leggo! Slams the card deck on the coffee table
Rocky: Ooh, careful!
Mick: This coffee table's pretty strong-lookin'! It'll be cool. Now, who's going first?
Marble: I wanna go first!
Mick: Okay, Stella? You wanna go next?
Stella shakes her head no.
Mick: Haha, okay. I'll go next, then Rocky, then Stella.
Stella: Thank goodness I'm going last.
Marble picks the top card.
Marble: Rocky!
Rocky: Are you kidding me?
Mick: It's easy, Rocky! Easy!
Rocky giving Mick an irritated look: Fine! What?
Marble: Truth or dare?
Rocky: Truth.
Marble: Name a habit you would like to break any time soon.
Rocky: I thought this was going to be easy!
Mick: Eh, not the kind of easy you’re thinking right now!
Rocky: W-What do you mean?! What are the hard ones?!
Mick: No no no! The dares aren’t dangerous or anything!
Rocky: I’m talking about the truths!
Mick: Listen, Rocky. You’d rather choose truths here. But you still gotta perform a dare or two eventually. But it’s not dangerous or anything.
Rocky: I don’t know where this is going anymore.
Mick: Okay, Rocky… Do you have any habits you want to break soon?
Rocky: … Okay, this was a while ago… when I had the neck bandage a year and 3 months ago, I would… keep adjusting it and itching my neck since it was so itchy at first. But over time I got used to the bandage and I finally broke the itching habit.
Mick: Is it ok if I ask how you got it? You don’t have to go into detail.
Rocky: I sprained it badly during a freak accident from an experiment. My friends found it for me…
Mick: Wow. Picks up the next card Stella, truth or dare?
Stella: … um… truth.
Mick: Ok, have you ever spoken to someone you think is really hot before?
Stella: Well, I spoke to 1 person who was good-looking but I didn't find him hot.
Mick: Is there someone you found really hot that you've spoken to before, that's what the question's asking.
Stella: … No? Cameron, but I don't think he's hot anymore.
Mick: Oh… that still counts… alright… to Rocky Go on, Rocky.
Rocky picking up a card of his color: Are you kidd-- not again! Truth!
Mick: Read us the question…
Rocky again gives an irritated look and sighs.
Rocky: What's your most irrational fear?
Mick, Marble, and Stella lean a little close toward Rocky with wide eyes. Rocky glances at each of them then looks down and inhales.
Rocky: … I hate wolves… I can't do my computer things when I hear their howling… *inhales through teeth* it just creeps me out.
Mick: Ouch. They sound weird sometimes, not gonna lie.
Stella: picks up a cardMarble, truth or dare?
Mick: I just realized I hadn't done anything…
They laugh a little.
Marble: Uh… truth.
Mick: Y'all, pick a dare already!
They laugh again.
Stella: Uh… what's the naughtiest thing you've ever done in public?
Marble: Ummm… I… I can't think of one really.
Rocky: Yeah, me neither come to think of it.
Marble: Okay, uh… I ate some corn from the harvest field on the EISS.
Rocky: Yeah that was like 3 years ago!
Marble smiling eagerly: And can someone pick a dare please?
Mick: You could've said dare!
Marble smiling and flicking his hand a bit: Nooooo!
Mick: You know what, whenever someone calls me to do something, I got ya covered.
Marble: picking up a card Mick!
Mick: Dare!
Marble: The next time you go to the grocery store, take a fruit that has not been bought yet and eat it.
Mick starts laughing.
Mick: I did that when I was 5!
Stella: For real??
Mick: Yeah!! Continues laughing
Mick: Marble, give me the card. I gotta hold onto it until I do the dare so I won't forget!
Marble hands the card to Mick as Mick picks up a card of his color.
Mick: Dare! I have to get a full spoonful of food I hate the most and eat it.
Rocky: So the next time we go to the grocery store, we're gonna buy it.
Mick: Right. He keeps his card, still giggling.
Rocky: picks up a card Stella! Truth or dare?
Stella: Truth.
Mick: Stella, come on! Continues laughing some more
Stella laughs a bit back.
Rocky: What is the silliest dream that you've ever had that you don't want to share?
Stella: Uhhhh… alright… I rode on a cloud… and the sky was a very pale pink… and I saw every mythical creature that you could imagine like some kind of… show or something-- laughs nervously
Mick: If I ever had a dream like that, it would be in my top tier! I'm jealous, Stella!
Marble: I wish I could dream of that!
Mick: picks up a card Marble, truth or dare?
Marble: Truth.
Mick jokingly: Wha- what is up with you guys?
They laugh.
Mick: Okay… what is the most embarrassing thing someone's caught you doing before?
Marble sweating: Oh gosh…
Mick laughs a little.
Marble: … I was… dancing to the astronauts' music--
Rocky with a smile: Come on, be specifi-
Marble grinning: Shut up! Okay, I was twerking and Rocky caught me!
Rocky laughs a little.
Marble: I felt so uncomfortable!
Mick: Don't worry, man. I can twerk some too!
Rocky: Mick, don't do it right now. Laughs and picks up a card
Mick: I know but like…
Rocky: Mick--
Mick: Dare.
Rocky chuckling: Can you just say "truth" for once?
Mick: I only said dare twice, Rocky.
Stella laughing: But if you keep telling us to say "dare" then we're gonna keep telling you to say "truth"!
Mick: I already said dare! You can't go back to the other!
Rocky: Oh my gosh… let the person to your left draw something embarrassing on your face.
Mick: Got any writing utensils or somethin'?
Stella: I do! Goes through her bag and gets out a pen and gives it to Rocky.
Rocky: Is it washable?
Stella: Should be yeah…
Rocky: Cause hopefully it's not poisonous or anything like that.
Stella: It shouldn't be.
Mick: Why would it be poison?
Rocky: Because this kind of ink can be considered toxic, containing phenol and ethyl glycol which obviously shouldn't be digested, but for the skin in this case we just need to take caution…
Rocky, Marble, and Stella huddle over the coffee table.
Rocky to Marble and Stella: Anyone wanna give me ideas?
Stella: Uhhhh unicorn?
Marble: Chicken? Belly dancer?
Stella: Hahaha, belly dancer???
Rocky: I think that's a good idea.
Rocky takes a few seconds before drawing a simple chibi belly dancer on Mick's left cheek.
Mick: And in case you don't know, please don't tell me what you're drawing. Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?
Rocky, Marble, Stella laugh as Rocky continues to draw.
Rocky: Okay… and… I'm done!
Mick: That was quick! Go on, Stella.
Stella picks up a card of her color: Aww rats! Truth. Have you ever pissed in your bed after you dreamt? Chuckles Oh gosh… no?
Mick: No?? That happens to a lot of people!
Rocky: I don't think that many.
Stella a little disgusted: I don't think I have…
Marble: picks up a card Rocky. Truth or dare?
Rocky: Truth.
Mick: We're gonna have to start choosing for each other!
They laugh.
Marble: If you wanted to kiss a friend on the cheek, who would it be?
Rocky: Oh sweetness… *inhales a little* I guess… Mick?
Mick: Ooh!
Marble: Ooh!! Do it! Do it! Stella laughs.
Rocky: Um… maybe next time cause you guys technically didn't dare me to.
Mick: Yeah yeah yeah, I understand.
Rocky: And let's keep our earholes open for Master Yang's notifications. / Mick: Oh yeah, right! / Remember we can start an emergency task.
Mick: Will we actually though?
Mick shrugging at Marble: I personally don't think so.
Stella: What time is it?
Rocky pointing up at the analog clock in front of and above the fireplace: We have a clock above the fireplace! Isn’t that cool?
Mick looking up at the clock: Oh very!
Stella: 5:35, huh.
Rocky’s phone rings and he picks it up to see the notification.
Rocky: Master Yang just said he wants us to meet him back as soon as we can.
Mick: What?? So depending on how far the ISF is and whether there’s gonna be traffic, I think we should go now.
Rocky: Yeah, Tokyo’s pretty busy- however, it’ll be a much shorter ride from here to the ISF. And I say we should take anything we might need.
Mick: Right, cause we could stay in space for a few days.
Rocky: Okay, let’s go up. This is probably an emergency task!
The crew goes upstairs and packs their stuff.
Mick: So we’re not gonna sleep here our first night? That’s interesting…
Rocky: Don’t worry. We’re gonna come back here and sleep before you know it. It’ll be soon, alright?
Mick: Hopefully…
Rocky, trying to hold his laugh: Oh um… Mick… you should wipe the drawing off before we get there.
Mick: Oh that’s right! Heads to the bathroom, he sees the drawing before he gets a towel to clean it off. The rest of the crew starts laughing and Mick joins in.
At the ISF lobby
Master Yang: Oh boy, you fellas actually got here a few minutes early! This is an emergency task for you guys! We need y’all included this time.
Rocky: We thought for one second that we had to drive through downtown Tokyo and we actually got to our house from here quicker than we thought.
Master Yang: Well, everyone else oughta be here soon, so why don't we all have a seat, eh?
They all 5 sit at the round white center table.
Marble: Wait, who’s everyone else?
Master Yang: There are other squads that the ISF has drafted to help prevent the lives of our kind from danger! It takes a lot more than you guys to do the job!
Mick: Oh cool!
Master Yang: And I also dig the vest you got on, Mick!
Mick: Ayy, thank you! Straight out the thrift shop!
Master Yang: Thrift shop? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.
Mick: It’s like a clothing store, but with clothing and other things that people give away for sale.
Master Yang: Good to know! I oughta check that out myself in the future!
Stella softly nudging Mick a few times: He’s really been into thrift stores recently!
Mick: Haha, why not though?
Marble: Look!-- Oh… sorry.
Rocky: What?
The rest of the recruited teams come from the entrance to the main table. They greet the new crew with hello’s and hi’s.
All waving hi Stella: Hello! / Rocky: Hello there! / Marble: Oh hi!
Mick: How cool…
Master Yang: Good evening! Now, as you know we have to do this quickly! Sorry we're not training first but we need to prevent the cases just being heard about today. We have no time for questions, so we will need you to contact us with space devices we will provide for you as you walk out the door.
Marble’s looking outside the window through the spaceships for Stoke.
Master Yang: Now is everyone ready to take off?
Everyone else: Yessir!
Outside
Marble worried: Where’s Stoke?
Master Yang: Over the past year, we had it repaired some so it could work to its full potential. So don’t worry, my friends. Stoke’s just waiting for you along with the other ships!
Marble: Yay! Let’s go in!
The crew rushes over to Stoke.
Inside Stoke
Stella breathing nervously: Oh I miss this so much!
Mick: Hopefully it’s still automatic and we can still interact with it.
Master Yang: You guys can still talk to it. Now guys, contact me through the space device whenever you guys need me, alright? You guys are heading course for the space station BES that took off from Planet Terria! Leaves the ship
Marble: Oh I’m nervous now.
Rocky: Remember what we said earlier, we won’t stay in space for the rest of our lives. We’re gonna go back to Earth. Is that what you’re worried about?
Marble: Well… a lot of things could happen out there--
Rocky putting his hands on Marble’s arms: I understand. We’ve not had the best experiences in space. But now you got us and Master Yang… you can do it alright?
Marble looking down uneasy: Thanks…
Mick: Hey Rocky.
Rocky: Yes?
Mick: I was thinking… this job can actually be tough, and with me being granted the ship captain and all…
Rocky: Yeah?
Mick: I figured… I may need some help from someone who’s grown up in space all his life so… extends hand co-captains?
Rocky looks at Mick’s offering hand for a few seconds. He smiles.
Rocky: Definitely! Takes hand Co-captains!
They shake hands. Mick looks off to the side nervously and hugs Rocky. Rocky hugs back after a few seconds.
Rocky: Are you ready?
Mick: Takes a deep breath I mean, we gotta come to the rescue quickly, so yeah. Lets go We gotta be ready.
Rocky: Stoke! Can you hear us?
Stoke: Certainly!
Rocky: Let’s set a course for the BES!
Stoke: Roger that, Rocky!
Stoke prepares to take off into the air and she flies into space!
--
Mick's voiceover: Coming up on The Space Bug Asteroheroes Saga!
We are stoked, ok sorry haha, yet nervous to go back into space! But! Now we have to go back cause we’ve finally become public heroes!
Marble: How are we gonna follow the spaceship if we don’t know where it’s going now?
Mick: We might have some kind of tracker to find it easily.
Mick's voiceover: We are tasked to follow a space station and take the insects back to Planet Terria where they belong!
Mason: Y’all, let’s split the group in half!
Stella: Roger!
Mick to the Terria bugs: Guys! We're here to get you out!
Mick's voiceover: Hopefully nothing bizarre happens in our first round…
Rocky and Marble: No!!
Rocky: Get to Stoke now!
--
Ending Song - “Your Heroes”
When you see a star that restores your hopes
And it rescues you, we want you to know
Trust it and take its hand from your heroes
Your heroes!
We have come to reach out to you!
From all the pain that you're going through!
There will be someone to call your heroes!
Your heroes!
You will stay alive before you know it!
We won’t let your life end too soon!
Your place is home where you belong!
Get ready to shout it out, "home sweet home!"
May you forever see the light of day!
Saved from the villains and their vile ways!
May your lives touch all of the future days!
And many more years to come!
We are wishing you the best from this point on!
Make the most of all your days from this point on!
We're so glad you have someone to call your heroes!
Your heroes!