We all stared at the flower silently, the dread in the atmosphere becoming heavier as his grin grew. Majima, Galacta and Jenny all glared at him, while I slowly made my way behind Ralph with Vanellope, Hilda, Alfur and Maple.
"You teamed up with a flower?" Buttercup asked Him with a glare. She then broke out into a mocking laughter, pointing one of her stub arms at him. "Wow, and here I thought you were some elaborate mastermind."
Him's eyes flashed with fierce anger for a moment before he faced his ex-partner. "Well, yes. But simply because he gave me something I could not refuse."
"Let me guess", Steve said in a bored tone with a flat look, "World domination?"
"Right on, block guy!" The flower suddenly said, "Well, kind of. See, I was just saying I'd give him a chance. Never meant I was going all the way." He gave the Satan stand-in a smug look, making Him fume in rage. This only made the flower grin in a sadistic way. "My end goal goes against what I want anyway."
"Which is what, exactly?" Jenny asked. It was clear she was a bit on edge, as my fear of the flower was spreading to everyone. Except Galacta, who just stared at the flower silently the whole time, his magenta eyes burning with a fierce fire.
Flowey just stared at all of us, his face slowly twisting from a small grin, to a toothy smile, to a psychopathic look. He let out a crooked, echoing and straining laugh that was high pitched and twisted. I locked up when the flower's once dot eyes gave way to hollow voids with small white pupils in them.
"Why, to see everything buried six feet under, of course."
We all stared at the flower with wide eyes as he unleashed another wicked laugh that almost seemed to make the world darker. Hilda ducked behind Majima as he, Ralph, Jenny and Izzy all shook off their fear and glared at the psychotic flower. I could see Galacta was carefully reaching for his lance.
After a minute, the flower finally calmed down enough to look us all over with a villainous glint in his eye. "Well, this was fun, but I have stuff I gotta do. See ya'!" He sunk into the ground and vanished just as the knight slashed his lance at the flower. All he was able to achieve was ripping apart some of the boardwalk. He silently looked over the mess he made, while everyone began to discuss amongst themselves about what to do next. The Powerpuff Girls went off to lock him up in prison, the demon complaining all the way.
I, meanwhile, was feeling my heart slam against my chest. I stared off vacantly towards the crashing waves of the ocean. The cool sea breeze made my hair whip around, and I let out a deep sigh. The sounds of footsteps hit my ears, and Steve had walked up next to my right side. Gladius hovered over next to my left, and my two friends stared out towards the ocean with me.
"So, I'm guessing by how quiet you are Flowey is a big deal?" The crafter said calmly.
I sighed again. "Yeah... Honestly, he's probably worse than Galacta in every regard."
"What makes him so bad?" Gladius asked.
"He knows of the fourth wall, and abuses it", I said, growling through clenched teeth. I looked at Steve and saw he was giving me a very confused glance. "Basically he knows he's a fictional character, and abuses stuff the audience would usually have access to, like pausing, saving, all that."
Gladius made a nervous throat clearing sound, and Steve looked back to the ocean. He had a fearful glint in his eyes, yet he did his best to remain, something I was grateful about. I closed my eyes as I let the cool air kiss my skin, and the tension within me slowly began to die down. I looked over my shoulder to the others, and saw they were all still planning out something. Spinning on my heel, I clapped my hands, earning all of their attention.
"Alright", I began, "We need to fan out and split up. Flowey is extremely dangerous, and we need to stop him ASAP." I walked into the middle of the group. "Go with whoever you want, but do not engage Flowey. Just call the rest of us if you ever spot him." I faced Jenny. "I'll need you to go and find the girls. We'll need all the help we can get." Jenny nodded. "Let's do this guys!" Everyone let out cheers, and we all split up.
I was joined back with Izzy, Manolo, Maria and Gladius as we dashed down a road that followed the beach. The city down this way wasn't as wrecked, but the damage was still noticeable.
"So, what's the complete plan?" Manolo asked.
I came to a full stop, making my friends stumble a bit. "I... I don't know..." My mind began to work for any sort of idea. "Because Flowey could be anywhere..."
"Well, we can't just stand around, let's go!" Izzy cheered. We all stared at her in flabbergasted shock, as she was now wearing camo face paint, a headband, and night vision goggles.
"Izzy... where did you get all of that?" Maria asked, looking at Izzy carefully.
"I always knew the pretty flowers on Wawanaka couldn't be trusted. They were always looking at me...", The Psycho Hose Beast growled, ignoring the question. "We're on borrowed time, people. Explosivo will lead us to our target." She let out a war cry that was more akin to a dying cat, and dashed ahead. We all jumped at her sudden action, and chased after her.
"She is insane!" Gladius shouted. "Izzy, slow down!"
"And we let her join us why, exactly?" Maria said, giving us a light glare.
"Because she helped us with the movie lot monster", I answered, "And because I have a soft spot for crazy."
"That's comforting", Manolo said. We returned to chasing the redhead, shouting her name for her to stop.
~X~
We had checked out at least a complete 6 city blocks, and I was absolutely spent. I rested my aching legs, sitting between Manolo and Maria on a bench. Izzy was lying on the ground in front of us, groaning about how her legs felt like they were gonna shatter. Gladius hovered above us, idly letting time go by as he glanced at people cleaning up the last of the red flowers. The sword hummed as he continued to scan the surroundings.
"What's up with you, Gladius?" Manolo asked.
"I'm just surprised how quickly everyone is moving on", he said, his attention grabbed by a store that was opening for the rest of the day. "The city was on the brink of destruction, and they all just act like nothing happened."
"That's what happens when you live in a comedy cartoon with superheroes", I said, "It's just another day."
Maria raised an eyebrow, then looked over the whole street. "Seriously?"
"You two had your wedding right after a murderous bandit king invaded your town", I shot back playfully, pointing between both wooden people. "So you got nothing to say."
Maria gaped at me while Manolo chuckled and Izzy giggled. Gladius looked down lazily, and even if he couldn't show it, I could tell he was grinning. Maria scoffed at their reactions, crossing her arms and pouting. I smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes and smirked back.
"I guess that's fair", she said, giving me a playful shove. I closed my eyes as I let out a laugh, and when I opened them again...
I was standing back at the dock looking out into the ocean.
My eyes bulged, and I looked to either side. Steve was back to my right, and he was just as floored.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Majima screamed. Me, Steve and Gladius all spun around and saw the rest of the gang, standing back like hours before. It was like nothing happened.
"Oh, I feel light-headed", Hilda said. She nearly fell over, but Vanellope luckily caught her when the adventurer's legs gave way.
"But, me and Ruby were just..." Iris said, her eye wide in shock. "And Zomboss... But- I..."
"Kid, what the heck happened?" Ralph asked me. Everyone all looked at me for an answer, and I frowned.
"It was Flowey", I said. "He must have done something to knock us back in time."
"You said he could abuse stuff like saving and stuff", Steve said. "He must've done that, reloading a previous save he set to mess with us."
I was going to say he was right, but then I noticed something. It was dead silent. I looked back to the ocean and saw that the massive body of water was frozen.
"He didn't", I said, "He knows this is a cartoon, so he skipped backwards and paused." Everyone joined beside me and faced the still ocean.
"How can we be so sure that's what happened?" Zomboss asked.
"Uh, guys?" Jenny spoke up. We all looked at her, and all of us let out a gasp. The teenage robot's eyes were now pitch black, with her pupils replaced with white pause symbols. She darted her strange pupils around at us, as if she was trying to wiggle something off.
"Jenny, oh my gosh!" Star cried. She and Marco were immediately at her sides, and I walked up to her carefully, staring into her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Fine", she responded with a shake of her head. "I can see just fine, but I've got this pause symbol in the middle of my view. It's annoying."
I cringed. "Yeah, that sucks. But why it's only affecting you, that's just weird."
"Maybe Flowey has a thing against robots?" Ruby inquired, seeming shook by the whole ordeal.
"If he does, I'm turning that weed into compost!" Jenny snarled viciously. She suddenly winced when her eyes filled with static for a moment, then cleared up instantly.
"We need to find that flower", Galacta said in impatient fury. The rest of us nodded, only to jump when the Powerpuff Girls suddenly shot right into the boardwalk next to us. They all looked frantic.
"Okay, what the heck just happened?" Blossom shouted.
"Long story", Jenny spoke up, wincing again as the static came back. "It's all about that flower. We need to stop him-" The robot was silenced when her head suddenly spun around, and she fell onto the ground like a rock. We all gasped, with Ruby and Steve by her side instantly.
"What's going on with her?!" Ralph cried.
"It must be Flowey rewinding and pausing", Zomboss concluded. "That was the cause. Now it seems Flowey is targeting Jenny in particular."
"That flower is fucking mulch!" Majima yelled, pulling out his knife.
I snarled darkly. "EVERYONE!" I barked. The whole group faced me, most worried, others exhausted, the rest furious. "Calm down, please. I get we need to find Flowey, but screaming into the void is not how you handle it. Obviously, we need to trap Flowey, do something."
Zomboss hummed. "If I had the tech, I could create something that would keep us safe from the flower's reality warping abilities. But since that ape is out of the question..." He looked towards the girls. "I heard your dad is a scientist. If he's willing to cooperate, then we could build something to help us."
The three sisters looked between each other for a moment, then looked back to the zombie. "Just give us a minute." They flew a distance away and began to have a hushed conversation, leaving the rest of us in an awkward silence.
"Even if they say yes", I whispered to Zomboss, "How can you be so sure you can make a device like that?"
"Vanellope's glitch is a part of it", Zomboss whispered back, "And some of Star's spells, since they have reality warping abilities."
I nodded carefully. "Just make sure what happened at Ruby's place doesn't happen again. We already have enough on our plate." The zombie nodded back as the trio of superheroes flew back over to us.
"Alright, we'll take you back to our place. Zomboss can build whatever he needs to, and the rest of you can get comfy." Blossom said.
I smiled up at them gratefully. "Thanks, girls. This means a lot, especially considering the situation.
"I'll head back to camp and get everything cleaned up", Star suddenly added. She summoned Cloudy and flew off towards the park.
Bubbles suddenly shot between Ruby and Iris. "EEEEEEEEEEE, we're having a sleepover!!!" The blonde superhero squealed. "We can do some much while the grouchy old man works on his science stuff with the Professor!" Zomboss grumbled bitterly at that, but Majima and Izzy snorted at the jab. I rolled my eyes and followed the girls as they led us back to their place. Ralph was carrying the still unconscious Jenny in his arm, with Vanellope and Hilda on their usual spots on his shoulders. Maple hopped onto my shoulder, and I smiled at him as we began the long walk to our new home base for the time being.
~X~
The walk to the home of Professor Utonium was a long walk, but luckily nothing too crazy happened during that time. Star joined back up with us halfway, and all the walk was quiet. It was clear Flowey's presence was messing with things a lot more severely, with the sky turning more bleak and grey.
Well, either that or it was about to rain.
As we neared the house, Jenny had finally woken back up, but said she couldn't move her arms or legs. Which only made me worry more.
When we finally made it to the girl's home, they let us in and we all fanned out. The interior was how I expected it, with it being standard and simple. Sleek white walls surrounded us as blue carpet lined the whole floor. I watched as Bubbles and Blossom began to fly around the house, making potted plants dance around.
Probably trying to find the Professor, I thought to myself. I let my eyes wander to the many photos on the wall to my right, and I felt a growing feeling of jealousy that knotted my stomach several times as I Let my eyes wash over all the happy memories. Everything was about to become static in my ears if it wasn't for Marco nudging me as Buttercup led everyone into the living room.
"Alright, so it seems like Professor is gone", the green clad superhero said. "So you guys can check this place out, get your camp set up in the backyard, and do whatever." She sounded bored, which made me a bit frustrated considering what we all caught up in. "I'm gonna go out and see what the others are doing." With that, she flew off elsewhere in the house, leaving us to our own devices.
"I'm going to try and find the lab", Zomboss said, jabbing a thumb into a random direction. He walked off.
"I'm gonna get our stuff set back up", Star said, nodding towards the glass sliding door that led to the backyard. As she left, she was joined by Marco, Ruby and Iris. I let out a breath through my nose and followed them, heading back outside. The wind was brisk and chill, but I shrugged it off as I watched Star cast her spell. In a puff of pink and purple smoke, our tents all formed in the same positions they were in the park. With a tired sight, I sat down on the grass.
"So, whenever Zomboss builds that... device... he described", Ruby mentioned as she sat next to me. "What's our plan after that?"
I shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Flowey is super unpredictable, so our best bet is to just corner him."
Marco hummed, overhearing me as he looked over the tents. "Are you sure that's the best idea? What if he tricks another villain into a team-up?"
I shook my head. "I know Flowey. He was probably just using Him as a way to make an entrance, otherwise he hates everything and everyone. Violence incarnate is the best way I can describe him."
Iris cringed. "That's... kind of brutal."
"That's just how he rolls", I said as I crossed my arms.
Star sighed, her face twisting in disgust as she adjusted the tent she aired with Jenny and Izzy. "Well, let's just hope he goes easy on us. I don't want a repeat of Galacta. Or Zomboss. We've already been through enough, and our time at Gloomsville wasn't any more relaxing anywhere else." She paused. "Makes me really wonder if Saint Olga's was even that bad..."
I frowned at her, and was about to add something only to stop when Zomboss poked his head out. We all turned to face him.
"Star, I need your help with my device", he called out. "If you aren't too busy, I'd like to steal you away."
Star shared an unsure look with me, but when I smiled and nodded, she smiled at the zombie and dashed inside.
"Do you think he can actually build it?" Marco asked. I stood up and he stood next to me with his arms crossed, giving the leaving zombie and magic princess a raised brow. Ruby and Iris chose to head inside to escape the cold.
"It's the best chance we have", I said, my tone wavering a bit. "Hopefully Professor Utonium helps him if he needs it..."
Marco gulped, giving me a mildly worried look. "Well, whatever. Let's just finish setting up camp."
I nodded and worked with Marco to finish up the set up, the sky growing darling by the minute. I paused and looked up, my face etched in concern.
Marco copied my motion and cringed. "Think it's gonna rain?"
"Maybe", I said. "Probably should get some umbrellas set up just in case."
The Hispanic boy nodded and leaned into one of the tents, pulling out a couple of umbrellas, a pair of tarps, and a large picnic blanket. We both were quick to get to work, dashing around till the tarps and umbrellas were a perfect shield from any potential rain. We both stood next to each other, admiring our handiwork, and shared a fist bump.
"Wow, nice job guys!" Jenny suddenly spoke up. We both turned to see her limping outside, Izzy close to her side with a sad frown.
"Jenny!" I said in shock. "How are you already walking again?"
"Zomboss unplugged my pause functions before he snagged Star from you guys", she explained, "And it's really helped with my recovery."
"I'm here because I honestly didn't like how she was stumbling", Izzy said. She walked up beside me and leaned to her right. "She nearly face planted as soon as she stood up."
I cringed a bit as the wild child went into one of the tents. Jenny rolled her eyes a bit and walked over to the tents, sitting under the tarps and letting out a content sigh. I smiled sadly at her, only to jump when Izzy walked back over with what looked to be a sonar dish.
"Uhhhhhh... what's with the dish, Izzy?" I asked.
She gave me her classic grin. "Me and Majima were gonna run a watch for the street. If that flower is anywhere near us, this thing should pick him up." She let out a quiet cackle. "Then he's getting the mower." I watched as Izzy ran over to a nearby, dormant lawn mower and pushed it through the backyard's side entrance. When she vanished around the corner of the house, me and Marco shared a fearful look. I couldn't help but worry she was gonna do something drastic...
~X~
I was on the mark. It was now later at night, and it was indeed raining now. I was huddled under the tarps with the whole gang (sans Zomboss, Star and Vanellope), all of us quietly waiting out the weather. I sat between Izzy and Majima, both faces flushed in embarrassment and rage as they were covered in scratches. Turns out they went a bit wild in some lady's front garden, and she put up one hell of a fight.
As the subtle sound of thunder rumbled above, I subconsciously leaned into Izzy. She put an arm over my shoulders and hugged me close as everyone had their own hushed conversations.
Jenny was back into full working order, and she was looking outside back towards the Powerpuff Girls' home. She watched as the girls helped Professor Utonium do some tidying before they head off the bed. The professor gave Jenny a look, smiled, and headed upstairs.
I was so happy he was more than willing to let us camp out in his backyard after he came home.
With a sigh, I let my mind wander to the thought of tomorrow. Flowey was extremely dangerous, and I was super worried he'd do something when we least expected it. But I pushed those thoughts aside, remembering he wasn't much of a threat without something extremely powerful to give him that kick.
I could feel sleep take me over as I looked down at Gladius. He was in his scabbard and I was hugging him close, almost as a sort of shield. I gave a small, tired smile, and drifted off to sleep.
~X~
Man, those losers sure can be melodramatic, huh? Makes you really think if they can handle me at all. Will I kill them in their sleep? No, of course not. That'd just make things boring.
But, whatever, I have a bigger plan in all of this, so hopefully they stay all sad until then.
Up next: The villains of Townsville use me as a distraction to commit all the crimes they wish. What a bunch of cowards...
~Flowey~