Firstborn Prequels: Tales of the Fallen

Below is a collection of one-shots introducing characters that will have roles in the Firstborn Saga. Most of them belong to friends of mine. This first features Dynamite Girl's character, Scarlet Vargas.

The Path of Scar

My name is Scarlet. Scarlet Vargas. My parents died when I was little, so I lived with my aunt, Victoria, and my cousin, Violet. She was as caring as a mother, but she worked two shifts, for her husband died. I always felt bad for her, but Violet never seemed to care. Especially after what happened. Violet was meant to take part in an experiment, which would result in a massive raise for my aunt. But Violet ran away, and shortly after that, Aunt Victoria disappeared. I was forced to live in an orphanage, and my life became worse.

When next I heard from Violet, she had apparently signed her soul away to a bunch of relentless demons! She used the catlike abilities she had gained from the experiment to aid in the freedom of the Demon King. In the end, the King betrayed her, which made me scoff at first, but I was angered when the KND allowed her to be with them, and fight the demons together! After Numbuh 1 and his friends killed Malladus, they let my cousin become an operative! I heard she recently went on some oceanic adventure with her new friends. I can only hope she got major seasickness.

I hate her so much. And I hate the Kids Next Door for forgiving her so easily. Violet didn’t bother to even look for me. I desperately wished for revenge. Fortunately, my wish was granted just recently when I spotted a group of robotic soldiers in the junkyard and decided to follow them. I was then led to this strange parallel dimension and to a dark, nightmarish mountain, where I made my way through this fortress.

After getting through to the center of the fortress, I was met with the nastiest bunch of villains, as well as their Master. He called himself Negatar Gnaa. And his aura was brimming with pure malice and evil.

Gnaa and his minions gave me deadly looks, and I expected trouble. They demanded to know my business there, so I told them. I told them my story, my hatred for both Violet and the KND. After my tale was finished, the Dark Master smiled and accepted me.

Right now, I was following some turtle-like soldiers; called Koopas, down the hallway of a high-tech base. I stopped in the chamber of some sort of machine, and there were Gnaa’s allies: Bowser, the Koopa King; Eggman, the mad scientist; Ganondorf, the Dark Lord; and Darth Genious, the Sith Lord. Also known as ‘The Brain.’ As well as the Dark Master himself, via hologram. I stood in the center of that room, awaiting for what’s to come.

Eggman chuckled. “Now then… Scarlet Vargas: it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Team Gnaa! Now, if you would be so kind as to step into the right pod… we can begin the initiation.” I looked at the machine. There were two pods. In the left pod was a black cat. Was this what they used on Violet?

I took a deep breath and stepped into the right pod. Eggman then pushed a button and closed the pods. “Now… all we need to do is insert this Chaos Emerald…” I watched as he placed a big, glowing red gem into a slot, closing it. He must use those gems as power sources a lot. “Push a few buttons and…AHA!” Once he was finished, the scientist pulled a lever and the machine activated. In the second pod, the black cat turned into a puff of pink smoke and went through a pipe connecting to mine. When the smoke reached and spread through my pod, I screamed as I felt the transformation overcoming me.

Finally, the transformation was done and Eggman opened the pods. I stepped out of the smoke to study my new form: I now had a black cat tail and black cat ears. I then felt more pain in my fingers as my nails extended to become long claws. I felt the same sensation in my toes and looked down to see my toenails stretched through my boots.

“Heh heh heh!” Eggman chuckled, a devious smirk on his face. “ATTACK!” At that instant, he pushed a button and a door opened, releasing a squadron of robots that began shooting blasters at me. I quickly used my new reflexes and dashed over the walls, reaching the robots, and sliced them all in half with my claws. Bowser then stomped the ground and several Koopa soldiers spun around and shot towards me. I counterattacked by sticking my claws into their shells and throwing them back to knock the others out. Ganondorf made a gesture and his demonic henchmen drew out bows and began shooting arrows at me. I immediately took out my new huge cat shurikens and tossed them over, slicing the demons and exploding them.

The Brain’s dome glowed, and several white armored soldiers, known as Stormtroopers, began shooting blasters. I defended with my claws, then leaped over to stab them through their armor. I always heard their armor was never that strong. Once I finished, I retracted my claws back in, and Eggman walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. “He he he! What’d I tell you, Gnaa? My creations never cease to amaze! And this little catgirl will be our most imposing threat, yet!”

“Eh, I don’t trust her.” I frowned at Ganondorf’s statement. “How do we know this won’t end up the same way as Violet with Malladus?”

“Malladus was a fool. He could not sense the evil in others like I can!” Lord Gnaa said. “And I sense the true hatred in this girl’s heart.”

“Your powers guarantee nothing, Lord Gnaa!” Ganon said hatefully. “The only way to truly have someone follow you is by force!” I then gave a horrified look as Ganon approached me. He bent down, and lightly put his hand over my face, his fingers gripping the edges of my face as he transferred some dark energy. When he released, I looked down as a small, purple flame appeared by my chest. “You are officially recruited as my lifelong servant. And by extension, you serve Negatar Gnaa.” Ganon seemed to clench his teeth at the statement. “The Dark Flame is a symbol of your contract… and is connected with your heart. For now, it’ll remain hidden. But at the first sign of betrayal… it will shrink.” I watched the flame disappear, but still felt its heat. “When it is gone… your life is finished. Understand, Scar?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Good… Now, help us clean this mess up and order us some pizzas.”

“OOOH! I’ll take the one with anchovies!” Negatar Gnaa exclaimed.

Well, there you have it. My name is Scarlet Vargas. Little girl on the Dark Side and loyal servant to Negatar Gnaa. Or should I say Ganondorf. And if I so much as think to betray them, then death will be my savior. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And now that I’m here, I wouldn’t rest until these new claws were rammed through Violet’s chest… and riddled with her blood.

This next one-shot was written by Dynamite Girl herself. Sadly, she has been long gone from Fanfiction, having deleted all her stories after losing her confidence to write.

iNSaNiTY

Her name was Danika Anderson. Twelve-year-old student at McClintock Elementary. She didn’t have very many friends. She was a goth. Black, long, smooth hair, brown eyes, black leather open jacket, brown shirt, thin gray pants, small black and white shoes, and lips with black lipstick. She also had a midnight-blue streak through her hair.

No one respected goths at their school. They were bullied a lot. And Danika was no exception. However, there was something about her that made her stand out from other goths. She had a special power that only her family knew.

Danika walked through the empty halls slowly, on her way outside for recess. A group of smug girls stood by the doorway, wearing vicious smirks. Danika stopped as the leader of the bunch got in the way. “Danika, it’s a little sunny outside. Why don’tcha turn around so you don’t make us look bad?”

“You don’t need me for that.” Danika said in a low, shallow tone. “You better step aside.”

“Silly Danika. You can’t push us around. Freaks like you don’t belong in a world of NORMAL people. So just get lost.”

“Hmph. Okay then.” With that, she turned around, not another word.

“Ugh. Why can’t she stay in the stairwell like the others.” one of the girls said hurtfully.

“Relax, girls. We’ll make sure she doesn’t come to school at all.”

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow rose up from behind one of the girls. She muffled a scream as a hand cupped her mouth, and a dagger stabbed into her back. The girls turned, seeing their friend fall as Danika appeared behind, a smirk on her face as she held two daggers. They ran away quickly, but Danika became a shadow that slid along the ground, going below the next bully as she shot up and sliced. She hurled both daggers in separate directions, stabbing two more bullies. Finally, it was just their leader. She ran away, filling with fear, but Danika stood in place and reached an arm forward, her hand open as a shadowy arm stretched along the ground. The hand grabbed the girl by the legs, and she screamed frantically as she tried to grab the floor, looking back as she drew closer to Danika.

Danika’s shadow held her up, pulling her against the wall as she cupped her mouth closed, a devious, white grin on the shadow’s face. Danika stepped over, tipping a dagger to her neck. “Silly, Cathy. You can’t push around shadowbenders.”

Cathy muffled a scream, but couldn’t escape.

A slice was heard, and Danika casually walked away, covered in blood. As she stepped out into the park, the bright sun shone on her face. Danika raised a hand and blocked, stepping into the building’s shade. She spared a glance at the frolicking kids before walking away within the shadow. She stopped and looked up when she spotted a slim woman in a black robe, smoking a cigarette.

“Not bad.” she said in a French accent. “I know some vone who may have need for you.”

This one-shot HEAVILY ties in to ’s series, which provides a better understanding of Nolan York’s background and conflict. So, if you want more info on this character, you can read his stuff. Primarily, you'll want read this one. www.fanfiction.net/s/7448590/1…

Another Friend Lost

It was a peaceful Summer's day in Quahog, Rhode Island. Just recently, Nolan York had joined the KND, and was Numbuh 2030. He should be excited… but he wasn’t. He recently had to watch several of his friends' decommissionings, the most important one being his friend, Dillon's.

Of all the friends he had, Nolan felt the closest to him. Nolan felt that he and Dillon had that kind of friendship that would last forever, and even "transcend lifetimes" if what that crud on TV says is true. But as any operative would know, such a thing was impossible in the KND. They were all doomed to become crazy, disgusting teenagers, forced to live the rest of their lives without the memories of those who were closest to them. Nolan was even coming close to thinking the whole Decommissioning Process was designed by some childlike empress who fed off of people's misery, or something. 'Course, he knew THAT was unlikely… wasn't it?

He just shook the thought off. It didn't really matter now. Now, Dillon was a teenager, and they were forced to be enemies. Nolan then shot a look of disgust as he noticed the teen himself loitering by a stop sign, nodding his head up and down to some music in his headphones.

"Stupid teenagers…" Nolan mumbled, walking by his former friend, then stopping. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY?!"

Dillon stopped nodding to his music and shot a glance to him.

Nolan sighed and said, "Oh, what's the point? We're all gonna turn into them someday. You can't be young forever. What's the point of fighting adult tyranny when we're only going to turn into them, anyway? I should just give up now."

"Come on, Nolan. That's not how an operative talks."

Nolan immediately shot his head up and turned at the teenager. "Y…You-"

Dillon took off his headphones and faced the child. "Now, where's that kid that was all excited to be an operative?"

"But… that's impossible! You were decommissioned! I saw you!"

"I was PRETENDED to be decommissioned! I'm not supposed to tell you this, but certain operatives who are trustworthy and good enough are chosen to join the higher ranks, called the Teens Next Door, where we infiltrate and spy on teen and adult facilities to retrieve information for KND Global Command."

"So… you remembered me all along?"

"Mm-hm. I couldn't say anything without risking blowing my cover. But after that, well, I had to speak. Listen, Nolan, I know decommissioning's a sad thing, but the truth is, it's just like death. You can't avoid death, and you can't avoid growing up. That's why people enjoy their lives, and kids enjoy their childhoods while they last. But just because people die or grow up, it doesn't always mean their friendships die, too. If a friendship is strong enough, it can survive. And that's why our friendship will live on, even if we're both decommissioned."

"It will?"

Dillon smiled. "Count on it."

Nolan smiled as well, feeling a sudden sense of relief. He jumped and high-fived with his friend.

"Well, I better get home. Teen or not, I still have chores." He said, walking across the street.

"Hey! Let's hang out sometime!"

"I'll make time for that!"

However, Nolan's expression turned to horror when he noticed a runaway bus swerving uncontrollably down the street. "DUDE, WATCH OUT!"

"Huh?" Dillon turned to face him, then was frozen in fear at the sight of the oncoming bus. Before he could react, the bus came, and Nolan watched in shock as the bus rammed and ran his friend over.

The bus passed right over him and finally crashed into an unsuspecting house, Cleveland Brown sliding down the tilting floor in his bathtub. "What the hell?! No no no no NO NO!" He crashed once again. "Darn! I wanna be aggravated at this, but I can't, seeing as this is an earlier point of the timeline, so I'm forced to say that accidents happen!"

Nolan instantly ran over to his friend on the ground, tears in his eyes as he held his head up. "Dillon! Speak to me!"

"Er…Nolan?" Dillon could barely speak or get up.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…buses…suck." His eyes closed and he fainted. Nolan felt around for a heartbeat or a pulse.

"D-Dillon?" He desperately searched for any signs of life still in him. But to his pure sadness, nothing. "No!"

That's when the bus driver ran over with a horrified expression. "Oh no! I-I'm sorry! The bus went out of control, I-I couldn't drive-"

Nolan couldn’t have been more enraged. "GO AWAY! I DON'T EVER WANNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!"

"I don't blame you. The fault is all mine. I'll go now." With that, the bus driver walked away, leaving Nolan to cry over his friend.

After going behind some random house, the bus driver smirked and rubbed his face, his whole body transforming into that of a slim woman with black hair, rose red lips, and a red jumpsuit. The woman took out a communicator and said in a French accent, "Madame Rouge to Brain: mission accomplished."

"Excellent work, my top operative. With his closest friend gone, Nolan will slowly be destroyed on the inside. With his new conflicting emotions, he will be easily turned to the Dark Side in time, and the Kids Next Door will be eliminated."

"I am still not used to having children in our group. But understood. I look forward to seeing how this vorks." With that, she hung up and turned to look at the crying child. "So, as it is promised: you vill never see my bus-driver face again!"

This is a one-shot co-written by myself and , and it connects to his 2030 Trilogy, which is canon to the Gameverse. I namely recommend you read the story, Ethics, which can be found here. www.fanfiction.net/s/7448590/1…

Declaration of Intent

Unknown location

“Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

No reply.

“I take it you two aren’t going to talk then?”

Same response.

“Well… I won’t lie… I have questions… and you two are going to answer them… one way… or another.” The speaker revealed a modified M.U.S.K.E.T..

KND Moonbase; one month ago

It was one of those days. A day when you got on your knees and begged for something interesting to happen. And just like that: your whole world gets turned upside-down.

“Excuse me. Coming through. Hey William, how you been?” said one Numbuh 2030 as he raced down the corridors of the Moonbase.

Most kids today would be running to the cafeteria to get their hands on some delectable pizza beagles. But no, not this kid. Numbuh 2030 was running to, what he considered, the upside of his day.

Not so long ago, Numbuh 2030 was contacted by the M.I.A. diplomat himself, Numbuh Infinity, for a special assignment. Said assignment was to deactivate the Moonbase’s defenses for a tune up. But in all honesty, he wasn’t asking for anything that’d get him shot at today.

If only he knew.

He entered the Moonbase’s command HUB. It was about lunch time, so everyone was at the cafeteria. Numbuh 2030 walked over to the nearest computer console. He accessed the automotive defensives main frame. It wasn’t long for him to deactivate the weapons systems.

Numbuh 2030 smiled with pride at his work… until he spotted an armada of starships. Numbuh 2030 went back onto the computer to bring the weapons system online. He was one key away from bringing the defensive systems onboard, until the unthinkable happened.

“Numbuh 99, GET THE-” Numbuh 86 stopped herself as she and Numbuh 99 took notice of Numbuh 2030. “You STOOPID boy, what have ye done?!”

“I know this doesn’t look good Numbuh 86, but I can explain it!” Numbuh 2030 said, waving his arms defensively.

“Tell it to the judge, I bet it was YOU who disabled the weapons systems.” the officer yelled.

“Uh, well… actually, yes.” Numbuh 2030 said just before the two operatives began to shoot at him. The boy leapt out of the way, allowing the M.U.S.K.E.T. rounds to hit the computer console, destroying it. “Will you two stop shooting at me?!” Numbuh 2030 pled, drawing out his modified M.U.S.K.E.T..

“No way, traitor!” Numbuh 99 said in-between M.U.S.K.E.T. rounds.

That’s it, I’m out! thought Numbuh 2030. The boy jumped out of his cover and ran towards the nearby escape pods.

“STOP HIM!” Fanny bellowed into Numbuh 99’s ear, causing the operative to wince in pain.

Numbuh 2030 jumped into the closest escape pod, closing the hatch behind him. The pod launched the moment the hatch closed. “You STOOPID IDIOT, you let him get away!” Fanny yelled into 99’s ear once again.

Numbuh 2030 sat in silence, drifting into deep thought. How could this happen? He tapped the device on his head. “Please answer…”

“Hello? Who is this and why are you interrupting our conquest of the Earth?”

“Wait, you’re not Numbuh Infinity!” 2030 yelled into his H.E.A.D.S.E.T..

“Hey, Red, isn’t Numbuh Infinity the name of that kid Ava impersonated for us?” asked the same voice from last time.

“Yes indeed, Purple… Why?” replied a new voice.

“That kid Ava duped was asking.”

“Oh… well, tell him he’s the most stupidest person ever for falling for that trick.” Red said, laughing.

Numbuh 2030 cut the transmission. He heard enough. He was now in a state of anger and shock. And he was clearly peeved off.

The pod landed a few minutes later. The pod just so happened to land near Gallagher Elementary. Numbuh 2030 kicked open the hatch of the pod. He exited the pod, M.U.S.K.E.T. in hand. This is the plan, we go to the nearest, get ourselves a ride, and then we bring those gunk-munchers down to the Arctic Prison, get their confessions, and then go to Lime Rickey’s for a nice cold root beer. Numbuh 2030 thought as he ran through the school’s yard.

He looked at the world around him and stood bewildered at the sight: spaceships in the sky, shooting at the very earth he stood on.

Numbuh 2030 was so caught up in the sight that he failed to notice the L.O.C.K.A.H.-S.O.C.K.A.H. that just jumped out of the school. The L.O.C.K.A.H.-S.O.C.K.A.H. landed on Numbuh 2030.

The driver of said device heard a small crack sound. She looked around, but saw nothing. She drove off, leaving a broken Numbuh 2030 behind.

The operative began to twitch. He opened his eyes to see his broken legs. He was in immense pain. And he was a fugitive from the very organization he dedicated himself to since he was eight. He couldn’t even walk. Things can’t get any worse. he thought to himself.

And just as if it was planned: a delta class Prisoner Transport ship came soaring out of the sky, landing ten feet away from him. The pilots exited their ship and ran towards Numbuh 2030’s broken form. And to add insult to injury, he recognized the pilots. “You know, it was one thing to break up with me… but now you’re here to haul me off to get decommissioned… Fantastic.”

“You brought the latter upon yourself, Nolan.” Said the pilot with the number ‘58’ on her helmet.

The pilots bandaged up Nolan’s legs, then threw him into one of the cells of their transport ship. Nolan stared at the floor of the cell. It was going to be a long flight.

“This is Numbuh 58, calling Kids Next Door Moonbase. Do you read me, Moonbase?”

“This is Numbuh 35, we read you. You surely chose the worst time to show up.” replied the communications officer.

Gwen tried to keep her mind off the other situation and focus on bringing in the guy in the back of her prison transport. “Well, I can’t just drop everything I was doing before these snack-crazed freaks showed up.”

“True.” The sound of M.U.S.K.E.T. fire began. “Hey, Docking Port 13 is the only one close enough to the Decommissioning Chambers that isn’t completely overrun, I suggest you land there.”

Before Gwen could reply, the sound of an intense firefight broke out. Gwen slightly frowned, then looked to her copilot, Numbuh 59, and shook her head. “You know you could be somewhat helpful if you would go and check on the prisoner.” She didn’t want a repeat of the Numbuh 206 incident.

Numbuh 59 grunted in acknowledgement and left his seat. He drifted to the prisoner’s cell door. He peered in through the small barred window. “Hey traitor, we’re almost at the Moonbase.”

The “traitor” glared at the floor, because in his opinion, he wasn’t a traitor. “If you’re going to talk to me, you could at least address me by my numbuh or name, Doug.”

“Don’t you dare say my name, you lost that privilege when you sold us out.” snapped Doug.

The traitor shook his head. “I didn’t sell anyone out… I was following orders.”

“Who? Who in the whole KND would order you to disable the Moonbase’s automotive defense systems?”

Nolan was at a loss of words. What was he to say? He was ordered by an M.I.A. operative to perform a list of tasks that he didn’t even know of until he got them in the mail? He was just following orders.

It was a whole minute before someone broke the silence. “Numbuh 59, what’s the status on our robot fanboy?” yelled Numbuh 58.

“He’s just sitting there.” Numbuh 59 answered, not taking his eyes off the fugitive.

“Alright, get back in your seat and prepare to dock.”

Numbuh 59 grunted, then drifted back over to his seat. “So, Gwen, any idea why our so-called colleague did what he did?”

Gwen’s frown deepened at the thought. After they all graduated from training, they were assigned to Sector Q for some time. It was only after the whole sector was offered chances to join the Decommissioning Squad after most of the old members were caught conspiring to skip out on their decommissioning dates. While everyone else accepted their offer, Numbuh 2030 declined.

I still don’t know why he declined, thought Numbuh 58. Both pilots turned their attention to the ship’s controls to begin the landing procedures.

In the cell, Numbuh 2030 was in mid-thought. If I find the girl who did this to me, I’m gonna… He fell to the floor as the ship landed. He let out a growl. He’d have to put his plans of revenge on hold for a while.

Numbuh 59 was the first one to leave their transport. He looked around to see a destroyed S.P.R.A.Y.S.H.I.P., a J.A.I.L.E.R., and a few intact S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s. Numbuh 58 walked out as soon as Doug gave her the all-clear signal. They both drew their side arms and carefully opened Numbuh 2030’s cell. He was crippled, but he wasn’t one to take lightly.

Nolan crawled his way out of the confines of the prisoner ship. He made a mental note on whom to exact his revenge on. Let’s see, that girl who masqueraded as Numbuh Infinity and the girl who was driving the L.O.C.K.A.H.-S.O.C.K.A.H., who also landed on my legs.

Numbuh 59 grabbed his former leader’s shirt collar and began to drag him away. Numbuh 58 walked behind them, M.U.S.K.E.T. in hand. When they reached the service elevator, Nolan grabbed Doug’s arm and dragged him down to the floor. With a loud yelp, Doug was now on the ground, in a headlock, with his own M.U.S.K.E.T. pointed towards his head.

“Drop it now, Twenty-thirty!” shouted Gwen, holding her own M.U.S.K.E.T. aimed at the fugitive.

“I know you won’t shoot me Gwen, especially when I got a bargaining chip in play.”

Gwen knew he was right, she couldn’t shoot him. It was a combination of her being a lousy shot, Doug was too close, and she still cared about him.

“Shoot him!” yelled Doug, who was desperately trying to get out of the headlock.

“We both know she was the worst shot out of our sector, Doug, she doesn’t want to risk hitting you.” Nolan informed him.

Doug glared at his former friend/leader. It was over a year ago when he accepted the offer Global Command presented to him. He was also more than glad he was paired up with his best friend, but sad to know their team leader declined his offer. Maybe it was his best friend’s doing. He didn’t know and he no longer cared. He just wanted to beat the snot out of him.

“I swear, Nolan, I will shoot.” threatened Gwen.

“And I swear I will shoot.” Nolan retorted.

She didn’t know him, anymore. All she knew was he was the one who disabled the Moonbase’s main defensives. She was caught between her best friend and her ex. Take the shot and possibly hit Doug or let Nolan get away.

“Fine.” Gwen said, lowering her weapon. “Let Doug go and I’ll let you go.”

It was silent for a few minutes. Doug was bewildered at his partner’s words. Gwen simply hoped Nolan would do it, and Nolan was beating himself up inside.

“Deal.” Nolan released Doug from his hold, but kept his M.U.S.K.E.T. trained on him. Doug got up and walked towards Gwen as calmly as he could. “Here.” Nolan tossed his 2x4 weapon to Doug. “I believe that’s yours.”

Doug made no effort to catch the weapon and let it fall to the ground. He kept his eyes trained on Nolan. Gwen did the same, but kept her M.U.S.K.E.T. at her side. Nolan rolled himself to the nearest S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. When he got inside, he crawled into the pilot seat. The two decommission pilots watched as Nolan took off.

Nolan kept the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. steady as he flew back down to Earth, his rage boiling at the thought of the girl that crushed his legs, and that girl called ‘Ava,’ who apparently was masquerading as Numbuh Infinity, tricking him into lowering the defenses. He’s never felt so much rage before in his life.

First my legs get broken and I’m accused of being a criminal. Nolan thought to himself. Things can’t get much worse than this. But he was too early to think as his ship was suddenly attacked by other 2x4 aircraft on his way through the atmosphere. “NO! Not now!” he begged. But before he could do anything, his ship crash-landed into some neighborhood.

Nolan struggled as he tried to haul himself out of the wrecked S.C.A.M.P.E.R. with his broken legs. But when he finally made it out, he was suddenly surrounded by decommissioning troops. “Alright: HANDS UP IN THE AIR!” the female leader of the squad yelled.

“You don’t understand! It wasn’t me! It was Ava!” Nolan exclaimed.

“Ava? Who the heck is that?”

“Uh…”

“That’s what I thought. You’re coming with us!”

“Oh…” Nolan groaned.

“Huh-Hey!” the squad leader was suddenly lifted into the air by some unknown force by her neck, as she gasped for air. The troops looked behind to see some brain inside a dome on a canister. The kids aimed their weapons and fired at The Brain, but he simply defended with a barrier. He then forced the squad leader to take her weapon and shoot off all the troops. When they were all gone, The Brain tossed the leader several feet away.

Nolan panted and watched as The Brain moved over to him. “Seems you can’t always trust the ones that are closest to you.” He spoke in a robotic monotone voice.

“You…” Nolan panted. “Who are you?”

“I am Darth Genious. Better known as ‘The Brain.’ I am here because I wanted to ask you to join my group.”

“Group?” he panted again.

“The Brotherhood of Evil. An organization built for criminals and evil masterminds everywhere. And after witnessing what events you just went through, I have decided to make you our new member.”

“I’m with the Kids Next Door. Why should I join you?”

“Because the Kids Next Door do not want you. Would you honestly want to stay with them after they arrested you without hearing your story? Especially after what treatment they give your OTHER friends…”

“W-What?”

“The Prospectors. A group of dubbed ‘freaks.’ Those who only want a place in the world, but get the worst disrespect. Those who cannot find their place because of everyone’s hatred toward them. My organization is made of those people. Our goal is to find our place… by banning together. Join me, and you can take your revenge on all of the ones who shunned them. And you can take your revenge on the ones that caused you these problems. Such as Ava and Lizzie.”

Another pant. “I don’t know… is it right?”

“It is fact. While good may appear strong, evil always prevails in the end. Right now, I am serving under a much higher power. A power that will soon be the greatest in the universe. When that happens, all good will be lost and evil shall rule all. But despite this, your friends who were deemed ‘freaks’ shall have their place, as rulers. You’re welcome to join me… and claim your victory over those fools.”

Nolan was lost in thought. If he didn’t go with Brain, he wouldn’t be against his friends… his former friends. And he would also get decommissioned and lose all memories of his childhood. But if he did go with him, he could keep his memories and have his revenge on the ones that did this to him. And he could make a better world for all his Prospector friends. But he would be hurting all the other people he cared about. But if they don’t care about him now, why should he care? Why should he still give a crap about them? It was then that he made his decision.

“I’m in.”

“Good. Monsieur Mallah, bring him his new weapon.” Nolan watched as a big brown gorilla with a bullet sash approached him, pushing a wheelchair. Mallah lifted him up and placed him on the chair. “This wheelchair serves as an all-purpose battle mech. It can fire missiles, lasers, nets, boost rockets, etc.. The perfect device for the fiercest handicap. Do you like it?”

Nolan decided to push a button, firing two missiles over to an already-destroyed house. “Hey! This is cool! Wait until Ava and Lizzie get a piece of this! Where would I find Ava though…”

“You will find them in time. But for now, I’d like you to meet your new partner. Oh, Danika?” With that, Nolan watched as a goth girl in a black jacket emerged from a shadow.

“Hey, I remember you! You were that goth chick with the weird powers!” Nolan exclaimed, remembering her from Arctic Training.

“Hmmm. Nice to know someone remembers me.” Danika said in a dull tone.

“You can catch up later. Danika, take him to the base.” Brain ordered. “After what he’s been through, he must rest. Then he’ll awaken to perform his first acts of evil.”

“Whatever you say.” Danika said glumly as she walked over and wrapped her arms around Nolan. “Better hold on.” Nolan closed his eyes as he and Danika became a shadow, flying off to the sky.

Brain watched them leave and spoke to himself. “After years of planning, he is ready to become my apprentice. I shall use his rage to turn him into the ultimate Sith. Soon…” his dome glowed green, and his canister’s eyes red, “our kind will rise again, and all heroes of the universe will be ours.”

Unknown location, present time

Numbuhs 41 and 43 both lay on the ground in pain. “Now, I’m going to ask you again.” Nolan rolled out of the shadows. “Do you know anything about ‘Firstborn Guardians’?”

This next one features Buddygirl1004’s characters.

Powers

A normal, cloudy day at school, in which Buddy Utsukushii sat glumly on a bench outside school, many children shooting him dirty looks as they walked by. “What’s wrong?” a girl asked.

Buddy looked to his left to find his blonde-haired friend in the big, oversized blue sweater. “Oh. Hey, Noah. The usual.”

“You and your sisters still getting the bad treatment?” she asked, taking a seat by him.

“E-yup. That’s what you get for being a family born with the amazing powers of telekinesis. You ever get that problem?” he remarked sarcastically.

“Well, you shouldn’t listen to what they say. Just because those powers were used by bad people doesn’t make you evil.”

“But why were we born with them? Why do we have this power to begin with?”

“I don’t know. And I’m not sure why people would hate them. Still, you shouldn’t let those guys get to you. If you’re ever going to prove them wrong, the four of you need to show them just what good can come out of them.”

“How could we do that? Stop a war?”

“I dunno. But I know you will someday.” Noah smiled. “Besides…” she planted a kiss on his cheek, “I believe in you, Buddy.”

"Uh, hehe." Buddy blushed and chuckled sheepishly.

“Hey, Buddy, we need to go.” Morgan said as she and her sisters came running out.

“Why?”

“Why do you think?” Athena asked.

At that instant, Boba Fett flew up from above the roof and landed on a tree branch. “Hey, kids!”

“IT’S BOBA FETT!” the students exclaimed.

“And hey, hey, hey, psycho freaks! Ready for another round? I’d take off my helmet and stun you with the sexy Boba Charm, but I ain’t gonna risk yo’ little old mind tricks. So instead, LIGHTSABERS!” He drew his lightsabers as he jumped down to them. “What’s red and blue mixed together?”

“Yeah, yeah, purple rain, can we get this over with?” Morgan interrupted.

“Oh-ho-kay! You asked for it!”

“I’ll see you later.” Noah said as she turned and walked to Boba. When she was close, she simply punched him in the crotch.

“OAF! Hey, little lady, the Boba gems ain’t fer you, they’re fer the big ladies.”

“I think she’s got it covered.” Buddy said as they walked away.

“OH!” Boba screamed when Noah twisted his arm. “Hey, hands off; old Boba ain’t wantin’ to tangle with ya—OH, the foot! Old Boba ain’t likin’ this one—OW! AH! OOF!”

This next one introduces Numbuh 6.13’s character! To set up the mood, play the “Prologue” theme from Beauty and the Beast!

Mika’s New Life

I inhaled the salty air of the sea as I stood along the shore of this island fortress with windmill towers. It’s been so long since I’ve been off this place, since I’ve seen the outside world. So long that my parents passed away and I was taken into the care of my new guardian. My name is Mikaela Corella. I bet you’re all wondering how I came to be on this island, huh? How all this came to be? Of course you are, why else would I be talking to you. Anyway… it all started around 6 years ago… when I was 6.

I was on a cruise ship with my parents. It was the summer, and we were taking our vacation away from home on the Philippines. Every summer, we’d like to get away from home into some far off land. It was just like any other. We were playing games with friends, we had snacks… it was all peaceful; they were fun times and everyone was happy. Until…

One night on the ship, we all went out to the starboard (“right” in nautical terms) to look at the stars. Then, suddenly, we saw a fog, and our fear showed at the sight of a dark and terrifying pirate ship, with teeth. I looked through a telescope I got and barely noticed the silhouette of a tentacle-faced man. I was terrified at first, but since our ship was so much bigger, I thought we would be safe. But I was wrong.

All of a sudden, the ship quaked, and a large tentacle shot up and grabbed some random passenger, dragging him to the depths. We all screamed and ran in terror when more giant tentacles rose from the depths. I was just frozen in shock, and just when a tentacle was about to come down on me, my dad came and grabbed me, carrying me away. He set me down in a safe area, but was suddenly grabbed by a tentacle himself. “DADDY!” I called. But it was too late.

The men used guns to try and shoot them, but they kept getting grabbed. My mom took me to the lifeboats to try and escape, but they were destroyed pretty quickly. The might of whatever monster that was soon tore the ship limb from limb, and we all fell in the water. I was a surprisingly good swimmer at that age, so I swam to one of the floating pieces and held on. The strange pirate ship was drifting over to me, so I tried to stay hidden. I then climbed up the side of the ship, just to see what was up there.

I peeked over the side, horrified at what I saw: my mom and some other passengers held captive by mutant fish zombies. The man with the tentacles approached my mom, looking her straight in the eye, as he spoke the words, “Do ya fear death?”

As a response, my mom just spat in his eye. He didn’t seem too bothered by it. But what struck me the most… was when the man took his sword… and stabbed through my mother’s chest. I suddenly fainted from the shock and fell into the sea.

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I woke up to find myself along some rocky shore, the kind where I am now. I looked up at the sight of a huge fortress, with large windmill towers. I rubbed my eyes as I stood, wondering where I was. I looked to the ground and noticed a trail of fruit. Now, I knew better than to eat food on the ground, of course, so I just followed the trail, up some stairs to an enormous door. It almost seemed like it was a giant’s keep. I was too tiny to push or pull the big doors, and I tried knocking, until I finally noticed a little sign to the side. It read ‘Use Psychic’.

I kept this a secret from most people, except my parents, but I am what they call a psychicbender, someone who is able to move objects with their mind. I was only 6, so my powers weren’t that good… but I mustered all the strength my 6-year-old form could carry, and focused my energy on the doors. Slowly, but surely, they flew open, and I walked inside.

Inside was a large room, with a spirally walkway leading upwards on the other side. In the center was a golden table with a fruit bowl, and sitting on the other side was something I’ve never seen before: a pure white being with a pinkish-red tail and stomach (they looked sort of attached), two necks, three fingers on each hand, and dark purple eyes. I slowly approached the figure and said, “Excuse me, Mister… is this your castle?”

He was silent for a moment. “…So, you are finally awake.” he said in some echoey voice. Did he even move his mouth?

I walked closer. “Awe you the one who bwought me here?”

“Correct. My name is Mewtwo. And this is New Island.”

“Mewtwo? How awe you talking without moving your mouth?”

“Psychic.”

“Huh? You mean wike me?”

“Yes. I am a psychicbender, and the most powerful one you’ll ever see. When I heard of Davy Jones’ attack on that ship, I came flying immediately. The only passenger I found was you. I sensed the psychic energy within you was very powerful, and knew you were a bender of the element. So, I brought you here.”

“Then… can you take me home?”

“Home? Don’t you want to know why your parents didn’t want your powers to be known? Don’t you want to know the history of psychicbenders?”

“Uh…”

“Psychic is a dangerous element. It was one of the dark ones, and still is. The power to control objects and people is far too great to be in any human’s hands. Beings who control psychic control the world if they don’t have the knowledge to control it properly. The humans know this, so they shun us away, just as with every dark element. Psychicbenders will be tempted by the darkness they hold, and take control and conquer all. That’s why they can never coexist with humans. It’s why… I can never leave here and interact with others, no matter what good I do.”

My expression turned to sadness as I looked down. “Oh… what should I do?”

“You must stay here with me. I will keep you safe from any harm.”

I looked up. “You will?”

Mewtwo levitated over to me. “Yes… and I will teach you the full ways of psychic. In the care of the most powerful half-spirit on this Earth, no harm shall come to you.”

I smiled and embraced the tall being in a hug. Mewtwo gave no expression, and only pat me with his right hand.

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Six years have passed since then. I was 12 years old. I spent the rest of my days here on New Island, living under the care of this powerful half-spirit. And I liked it. I was almost a full master at psychokinesis. I stood along the rocky shore, watching the waves of the ocean wash by. I had good clothes, good food, everything, and my life was peaceful here.

The half-spirit as mentioned above then drifted over to me, and I turned to face him. “Time for lunch, Mika.”

“Sweet! I’m hungry!”

“But first, show me a Force Sphere.”

I did as told, focused the psychic energy in my hands, forming a pink psychic ball, then launching it far in the distance.

In some far off land, the ball exploded on a house, destroying the front part, and Cleveland Brown began sliding down the tilting floor in his bathtub. “What the hell?! No no no no NO NO!” He crashed. “Isn’t any distance safe from these long-range attacks?!”

“So, how was that?” I asked.

“Good work. Let’s go eat. Afterwards, it’s more practice.” I proceeded to follow him inside.

However, I stopped for a moment, seeing a floating white catlike creature over the edge. “Mew! Mew Mew Mew! MEW Mew Mew Mew.” It flew away. I shrugged the strange phenomena off and went inside.

This next character belongs to Yougotburned.

Yuki’s Coldness

My name is Yuki Crystal. What? Got a problem with that? Sigh, whatever. I don’t give a crud. But you probably wanna hear this story, so yeah. Anyway, I used to be in the KND. I joined when I was five, and I worked at Sector F. But a bunch of cadets were assigned, so I was sent to Sector IC in Iceland. They wanted to call it Sector I, but they already had one in India, so yeah. I was Numbuh 1-Ice for the heck of it. Didn’t really mean anything until… well, just listen.

Anyway, I worked in Sector IC for a few years, but when I was 9, during a mission, I was hit by an ice gun, giving me these weird powers. Powers over ice. It wasn’t a big deal at first, but as time moved on, they got stronger. Soon, everything I touched turned to ice, and I was cursed. When I was 10, I went up to Moonbase to see if Numbuh 362 could help me out, but while I was there, I accidentally bumped into that pest of a brother of hers. He was about to yell not to touch him, but my powers froze him in an instant. I was kinda glad, because that brat annoyed me. But Numbuh 362 saw this, and she was furious. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t unfreeze him. Sonya looked worried, too, but that Lee kid didn’t seem to care TOO much. But Numbuh 362 definitely wouldn’t let it slide. And so, for that reason, she banished me from the KND, though I couldn’t be decommissioned for fear the officers would share the same fate.

Oh, but I think I’m getting ahead of myself. Before the accident, I didn’t have that many friends, at least compared to Sector V. My sector didn’t really like me that much for some reason. But the only real friend I had was Jagar King. It’s spelled J-A-G-A-R, but it’s pronounced “Hagar” with an “H”. I’m not sure why, I don’t even think he’s Spanish. Anyway, Jagar was the only one I hung out with. He had his own weird powers: the power to control time. Timebending, they called it, a great and rare power. He always felt alone, having his power, so I guess that’s why I hung out with him. And when I got my powers, we understood each other a little more then, I guess. We hung out almost all the time, and I thought we had the perfect friendship, and would always stick by each other. But when Numbuh 362 had me banished, Jagar didn’t come with me. When I turned and left out the door, he just stood by and watched. I thought he would quit and come with me… but I guess he only cared about himself.

I wore only black clothing; black shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Black clothing was supposed to absorb heat, so I thought it would lessen the effect of my ice powers… but it didn’t. Over time, I heard that Numbuh 363 was unfrozen, and Jagar was murdered, probably for his powers. Eventually, I decided to run away to the coldest place I could think of, far away from those KNDorks: the North Pole. Not a soul in sight. Except for Santa, but who actually believes in that load of ***?

I came to an area in the North Pole known as Zuzu’s Valley. Not sure why it was called that. But anyway, there were lots of caves in the valley, so I decided to lay low in one of them. Soon, I was getting hungry, and colder than usual. I left my cave and searched around for any food, like anything could survive out here. I saw the Aurora Borealis, with the bright Northern Star looming over it. I don’t know what, but something about that star drew me in closer.

I finally got the closest I could below the star and fell over, all energy exhausted from my body, and I was gasping for air… where do I feel like I heard that line before, several times? Anyway, it was all far too cold for me to handle, and just when I felt my own light dimming, a miracle occurred, surprisingly. A great and powerful spirit being lowered itself from the star down to Earth, and it used its powers of ice to give me more life.

I felt revitalized, but still cold, though I was able to stand up. I looked up at the spirit and said, “Who are you?”

“I am Polaris.” It answered. “God of Snow and Ice. I created the Winter Season, and all snow and ice you see on this Earth. It was I that assisted the Kids Next Door with the building of their Arctic Base long ago, much like Celebi helped build their treehouses. We spirits played big roles in making the KND to begin with. It was a spirit responsible for starting it in the first place.”

I blew some breath into my hands, rubbing them for warmth, like that’ll help. “Well, thank you spirits for nothin’.”

“You do realize your ice powers aren’t just a curse, given to you by an unknown assailant. They are a symbol of your cold nature. Your heartless and unfriendly ways are the very thing that make your powers such a Hell on Ice. If you had more friends and more people to love, maybe they’d be a bit warmer.”

I blew into my hands again. “Keep your spirit mumbo jumbo to yourself. I don’t need Jagar and I don’t need anyone else! I’m just as good on my own, if not better! I don't need anyone in my life, don’t want any.”

“And for that reason, you will be cursed with your powers forever. But all mortals find the right path eventually. I’ll let you remain in my domain, and even teach you to control your powers. Or, what you’re able to control of them. An eternity in this realm of cold lifelessness may be just what you need.”

Whatever. I just turned and walked away, back to my cave. I didn’t give a crap what he said, I didn’t need anyone. I'll spend the rest of my life in this Frozen Hell if I want to. And heck, if he’s giving me all the food I need to survive, why should I care? I don’t need anyone, don’t wanna. My life’s been a hell enough with them already, so I don’t care. But if there’s anything I could ever want in my life… who was it who held the ice gun.

To cap off these one-shots, this one centers on Negatar Gnaa.

Gnaa’s Training

There is a story that tells of a dimension parallel to ours. And in that other dimension, a child was born. A child with unique and incredible powers. Powers that could very well change the whole universe. But this boy was hated by his own people. His people, the Fear Nomads, mistreated him. They ridiculed him, shunned him, and even tortured him. He endured worse treatment than anyone could ever imagine. And because of this hatred, he was corrupted by the Darkness. And so, he sought to master his powers. His first step… was to slaughter everyone that wronged him.

Negatar Gnaa. That was the name the monks gave him. He would keep the name even as he walked away. The Southern Fear Temple was far at his back. If people would ever visit it again, they would find only blood and death.

Negatar Gnaa nearly drowned in the ocean sometime later, after curiously seeing a bright reflection of himself in the waves. He found himself upon a cursed ship, captained by a man with no heart. This man… became Gnaa’s first friend.

It was a cold, yet peaceful night in the South Pole as a strange, glowing boy, and a large white bison sat frozen in a spherical iceberg. A dark pirate ship, its front designed like a mouth with sharp teeth, sailed out of the mist. As the Flying Dutchman stopped next to the iceberg, Davy Jones and Negatar Gnaa walked to the ship’s side to look at it.

“This is him…” Jones said.

“So, this is my Positive counterpart.” Gnaa observed.

“Correct. Frozen in time by his own Avatar State. Pity, the fate that’s become of his people. I always knew Fire was a dangerous element-ah.”

“And this is the reason I was prevented from aging?”

Phantom Gnaa emerged from his shadow and said, “Yes, Master. You see, each Positive and Negative share a connection. When one dies, the other dies as well. And since Aang here is frozen and prevented from aging, you are free to roam the world in your 12-year-old form!”

“Then I am immortal…” Gnaa said lowly. “As long as he is in there… I can’t age. We must make sure no one ever finds him. Jones: seal him away.”

“As you command, Master.” With that, Jones used his powerful waterbending to make the iceberg sink below the sea. Afterwards, he created an even bigger iceberg right on top of it, to hold Aang down on the bottom. Once he was finished, Jones turned to Gnaa. “Now… just how long do you plan to use my ship-ah? I let you stowaway on here because I know you’re the Negatar, and the one that will help me flood all worlds, but I have other matters to attend to-ah!”

“Relax, Davy. I won’t be needing your services long. Just drop me close to Avalar’s Silver River Forest and you can be on your merry way.”

“Very well-ah. Negatar or not, little children like yourself annoy me.” With that, the Flying Dutchman sailed away.

It was then that the sun came up and a giant metal ship came sailing in the area. Fire Lord Sozin searched around for any signs of the Avatar… but didn’t see Aang below the iceberg.

Negatar Gnaa traveled the many worlds, searching for masters that will teach him to control his elements. Over time, he found the perfect teachers and fully mastered them.

He learned Poison… from the spirit, Hexxus.

“POISON… is the Element of HURT!” the toxic spirit said as he drifted around Lord Gnaa, toxic smoke spreading around the area. “When hurtful things, like little insults, are thrown at you, a feeling of inner pain attacks your heart! At least, that’s what MOST children your age go through. But I can tell you have been through much more terrible pain. That pain is the inner poison that slowly floods your mind over time!”

Gnaa was coughing and choking at the toxic smog that came from Hexxus.

“Poisonbenders have taken that mental poison… and turned it into physical poison! You must THINK of all the pain you’ve endured… and turn it into sweet, beautiful, TOXIC LOVE!”

Gnaa closed his eyes and remembered all the pain he’s endured.

“You deserve to DIE, you demon!”

“I can’t believe WE got cursed with the Negatar!”

“Wow, he actually bleeds like a PERSON!” a boy wielding a knife shouted. “Maybe we can make him run dry!”

Gnaa shot his eyes open, spread his fingers apart, and held his hands toward the ground as gas emerged and seeped into his fingernails.

“Yes! SLIME beneath you!” Gnaa erupted some poison breath to the sky. “SLIME up above! Can. You. Feel. The… TOXIC LOVE?!”

He learned Shadow… from the wizard, Voldemort.

“Shadow… is the Element of Hiding.” The dark wizard said as he slowly walked around Gnaa, who was wearing a black robe identical to Voldemort’s. “Shadows hide from the sun… and hide from the world. Dark beings who are turned away, like us, hide with the shadows. We stay and speak with them for so long… until we finally understand their ways. We’re able to take their forms… and bend them to our will. Into so much more.” Voldemort went into his shadow and slid over to Gnaa, coming out and punching the backside of his head.

As Voldemort grinned maniacally, Gnaa ran over and tried kicking, but Voldemort became a shadow and the attack phased through. Gnaa became a shadow himself, then flew around before he knocked Voldemort into a wall. He leaped a few feet away from him, and the wizard shouted, “REDUCTO!” and fired a spell at Gnaa, but he simply became a shadow, slid along the ground, came up, and kicked Voldemort to the ground, then aimed his staff at him.

Voldemort gave an evil grin as he stood up. “Well done, my boy, ha ha ha!”

Gnaa smiled sheepishly.

His smile soon went down as Voldemort came over and wrapped his arms around him. “You deserve a hug for that!” Gnaa was royally grossed out.

He learned Psychic… from the Sith, Darth Sidious.

“Psychic is the Element of the Mind.” Darth Sidious said as the future Dark Master dressed in a dark robe like his, wearing a blind fold and holding a purple lightsaber. “A very powerful element used by nearly all the gods. Psychicbenders are able to take this power and control objects with simply their powerful mind. Having psychic will allow you to move things, manipulate them, and even warp them through space. Not to be confused with spacebending, however. Now…” Some doors opened, and in stepped several squadrons of droids. “Show me your strength.” Gnaa started defending blindfolded with his lightsaber as the droids shot him.

Gnaa jumped behind some droids and sliced them in half horizontally. He grabbed some more with his psychic and threw them over to another squadron. As for the last bit, Gnaa just leapt and landed in the center of them, slamming his hand on the ground, and creating a psychic shockwave that stunned them all. He then spun around and sliced them all.

When he was done, he removed his blindfold to see Sidious cackling. “Gooood, Young Negatar.”

Gnaa smiled, then looked behind him as he noticed a cradle. He approached that cradle with curiosity to find a small baby. “I meant to ask about this one. Who is this?”

“Ahhh. This is my newborn son. He seems precious and adorable now, but one day, he will become a fine Sith Lord. I shall call him… Darth Genious.”

“I’d love to meet him then.”

And finally… he learned Fear from the Nightmare King, Darkrai.

“Fear is the Element of Conflicting Emotions.” Darkrai the Second said as he sat in his throne, looking down at Lord Gnaa. “When you experience something too terrifying to behold, the emotion of fear clouds your mind, so whenever a task involving that experience is to come, your emotions get the best of you, and you hesitate. But while fear may just seem like any other emotion, when it becomes strong enough, it becomes a dark power that controls you. You could either let it control you… or YOU can control it. Now… let’s see what you’re most AFRAID OF.” The spirit used his power on Gnaa and showed him visions of his fears.

His visions included demonic versions of the people that tormented him, trapping him deep inside a dark well where he was never heard from again.

“…AAAHHHHH!” Gnaa erupted a scream, unleashed a blast of dark red energy from his lungs. Darkrai was forced out and landed in front of his throne as Gnaa stopped. Darkrai recovered and floated as he nodded to Gnaa, who smiled and bowed in return.

After years of training, he finally became the dark being he is today.

“Excellent work, My Master.” Phantom Gnaa said as he drifted around him. “You mastered your elements exceptionally! Now, unleash your newfound power that the world will soon know!”

Gnaa opened his eyes and unleashed his elemental powers in all directions: a blast of poison gas down south, his shadow stretched to the east away from the setting sun, a psychic beam to the west, a fear scream to the north, and finally, a beam of pure dark energy straight up into the sky.

Gnaa finally stopped as Phantom smiled. “Good, Master! But first, we must find the fire that feeds your Darkness! Let us go.” With that, his phantom was absorbed into him once again.

You see, Gnaa was not yet complete: he needed something else to truly spark his inner darkness. And that spark… was a reminder of his past.