"Guys, huge problem," Jerry ran into the dojo as everyone expect for Ivy was stretching on the mats. "Kelsey Vargas, the coolest girl in school, is on her way down here."
"Don't panic," Jack rushed to Jerry. "We've trained for this. Guys, bust out the emergency deodorant."
Jack, Milton and Eddie ran in opposite directions, leaving the rest of them confused.
"I don't need deodorant," Jerry said, getting Ivy to scoff.
"You sure about that?" she asked earning a glare in return.
"We all need deodorant," Milton shrugged. "We're teenage boys. Our bodies are a smorgasbord of smells."
"Gross," Ivy muttered, trying to ignore what Milton had just said.
"I don't take any chances," Eddie spoke up, pulling out a necklace from under his shirt. "I'm wearing a necklace of air fresheners right now. This week I'm Alpine Meadow."
Jerry shook his head before turning back to his other friends. "I told Kelsey I was a martial arts expert and the youngest sensei in history."
"Jerry," Rudy walked out of his office and held out a helmet for Jerry to take.
"Oh, Rudy, Kelsey's on her way," Jerry gave his sensei a pleading look. "Dude, please hook me up with that black belt."
"You can't have this belt," Rudy looked down at the black belt he was wearing. "It's a symbol of hard work, honor and respect."
"Well, then why do you use it to walk your dog?" Jack asked, getting Rudy to turn to him quickly.
"That was one time and it was an emergency," Rudy defended himself. "I had a pug with the squirts and new white carpet."
"Ivy," Jerry sat next to her on the bench, "you have a black belt and you won't be using it any time soon, can I borrow it for the day?"
"Do you think I carry around my black belt wherever I go?" Ivy raised an eyebrow toward him.
"No," Jerry forced a laugh. "But we're here at the dojo, so you have it on you, right?"
"No," Ivy gave him a tight-lipped smile. "It's currently in my closet collecting dust as we speak. And even if I did have it on me, I wouldn't give it to you so you could just lie to some girl."
"Look, can we stop talking and get to sparring, please?" Rudy asked, interrupting their conversation. "Jerry, you're up against Kim. Milton, you're with me. Eddie, you're with Jack."
"Jack?" Eddie repeated with fear clear in his voice.
As if on cue, Jack did a combination of karate moves, making Eddie eyes widen.
"Uh, hold on," Eddie backed away as Jack finished his last move. "My phone's vibrating. You know, I hate to be that guy, but... Hello?"
Ivy tilted her head, watching Eddie pretend his wallet was a phone. "You mean the guy that pretends his wallet is a phone?"
"Please, shh!" Eddie held out a finger, trying to quiet the girl down. Jack and Ivy watched as turned and left the dojo. "Can you hear me now?"
"At least he committed," Ivy looked at Jack who nodded in approval.
"Come on, guys, let's go," Rudy clapped as Jack made his way to be Milton's new partner.
"Hi, Jerry," a new voice entered the dojo making everyone stop before they even started training.
"Kelsey," Jerry spun around with a smile on his face, "what a surprise."
"So these are your student that fear and respect you?" Kelsey asked, crossing her arms, not believing it.
"Yes," Kim answered for him, "we are. I'm about to fear and respect the living grits out of him right now."
"Oh, no, not my grits," Jerry expression turned into one of panic. "I'm gonna need my grits."
Before Jerry could say another things, Kim took his wrist and flipped him onto the floor.
"Yeah," Jerry stood up, blinking hard. "I'd say you've got that move down pretty well. Oh, you guys take a five. Kelsey and I are gonna get a froyo. Come on, Kelsey."
The group watched as he walked passed Kelsey and wrapped his arm around Rudy, taking him with him.
"God, he's an idiot," Ivy laughed.
***
"Do you understand any of this?" Jack pushed his textbook in front of Ivy's face as she, Jack and Kim tried to study for their biology test.
"Well, if I could see it, maybe," Ivy readjusted the book so she could read it properly.
"Hey, thanks a lot, Kim," an upset Jerry walked up to the trio. "You cost me a date with the coolest girl in school."
Kim looked up at him and shrugged. "What are you gonna do, sensei, throw me out of the dojo?"
"Kim," Jack bit back a laugh, turning to the girl, "in the future, let's respect Jerry enough not to embarrass him in front of the girls he's lying to."
"Thank you, Jack," Jerry nodded, not catching the sarcasm from the boy. "It's called decency, Kim."
"Maybe just don't lie to girls," Ivy pointed out. "It might be better that way."
Before Jerry could respond, laughter erupted from the halls, causing the group to look toward the crowd. They didn't expect Milton to be walking down the hallway dressed as a king and playing the kazoo.
"All hail Miltonius," Milton held up his scepter in triumph, "the newly-crowned king of Narnia!"
"Narnia?" Ivy looked at Jack. "Is he talking about the books I read when I was in fourth grade?"
"I don't know," Jack sighed, standing up to talk to Milton. "See, Milton. This is the reason you had to go to the spring formal with the biolab skeleton."
"I'll have you know that Bonita is an excellent dancer," Milton stated.
"Hey, I know what's going on," Eddie walked over to the group, looking at Milton's outfit choice. "It's that time of year when all the dorks come out to play swords and magic in the park."
"Or if it rains, we use the bingo hall at the senior center," Milton added. "We tear it up."
"Why can't you guys just play it online and save everyone else from this?" Ivy asked, closing her textbook.
"Hey, Jerry," Kelsey nodded her head toward him as she passed by.
"Hey, Kelsey," Jerry pushed Milton out of the way to get to her. "I was just talking to this kid I've never seen before. I don't even know his name. Right, Milton? Really, Jerry?"
"Guys, big news," Milton announced as Jerry walked over to Ivy, helping her pick up her books, "this year you all are gonna participate in the battle with me."
"What happened to all your other friends?" Kim questioned. "You know, the ones that throw up whenever Ivy and I try to talk to them?"
Ivy laughed thinking about all the times she walked up to them just to see them run for the bathroom.
"Well, this year things are a little complicated," Milton explained. "Francis has a bassoon recital, Jeffrey is a finalist in the Mathlympics and Louis got grounded for teaching his cockatiel bad words."
"Dude, we're not going to be a part of your nerdfest," Jerry shook his head causing Milton to laugh.
"Very funny, Jerry. NerdFest is in Minneapolis in October."
"See, Milton, a bunch of dudes in tights," Jack cringed at his own words, "running around the woods beating each other senseless with foam swords... It's just not our thing."
"Well, it's my thing," Milton shrugged. "And I wanna share this moment with my best friends. That's you guys."
"I don't know," Eddie sighed. "I just quit the cello and threw out my panda bear backpack. I'm just starting to get cool."
"Come on," Milton begged. "Just give it a chance. Soon you'll know the exhilaration of bounding down a hill, cape aflutter, to slay a half-elf with a foam rubber axe."
Milton continued talking as the group looked at each other. It was obvious that Milton was in his own world, so the group snuck away without getting caught.
"Yeah, no thank you," Ivy muttered to Jack as they walked to biology together. "My brothers' and I spent a lot of time growing up trying to hit each other with plastic baseball bats. I don't need to have flashbacks from that."
***
"Oh, guys, check it out," Jerry ran up to Jack, Ivy, Kim and Eddie as they exited the dojo. "I smoothed everything out with Kelsey. I promised I would never lie to her again, and I got a date with her this afternoon. The kid is back in the game. Whoo!"
"Congrats, Jerry," Ivy smiled and gave him a high-five.
"Nerd alert," Eddie pointed to a group of kids dressed up in costumes and walking their way.
"Greetings," the kid said as they stopped in front of the group. "We are the Dark Knights. Warriors known for being brave and ferocious and-"
"Ferocious," Ivy snickered. "Sidney, you cried in science when your fruit fly died."
"That fruit fly left behind 3,000 babies," Sidney shook his head in sorrow. "Milton said he put together a band of loyal warriors that will finally capture our grail and defeat us. Like that's going to happen."
Sidney then tried to do an evil laughter but it ended up sounding like he's trying to call a goose.
"Dude, dude, dude," Jack shook his head, getting the boy to stop laughing. "That evil laugh is so not working."
"Thanks, Benny," Sidney glared at the kid beside him. "You told me it was intimidating."
With a shrugged from Benny, Sidney left with the rest of his team following close behind.
"Whoa," Jack looked deep in thought as the others sat down at an empty table. "Guys, Milton called us his loyal warriors. Now he's gonna be out there all alone against a flock of dweebs hopped up on Honey Buns."
"Uh, Jack," Kim raised an eyebrow, "are you saying we should go to the park and help him? Because, uh, I can't. My aunt Charlotte, she's coming in from, uh, Charlotte and we're gonna go watch 'Charlotte's Web'."
"I haven't been doing my job, you're a terrible liar," Ivy sighed, more disappointed in herself for Kim's lying problems.
"Yeah, I am not a good liar," Kim left out a breathy laugh and sat down, leaving Jack the only one standing.
"Look, Milton's always been there for us," Jack said before turning to Jerry. "What about the time where you tried to get Kelsey jealous by making her think you were dating a cheerleader? who helped you out?"
"Wow, you're right," Jerry nodded. "He was there for me. Did you know that Brian Donnelly actually asked him out?"
"I hope he said no, Brian's a creep," Ivy shuddered at the thought.
"Eddie, what about you?" Jack pointed at the boy. "You hate going to visit your nana."
"That's because she always wants to do things to my hair," Eddie explained.
"But who always goes with you?"
"Sometimes I think nana loves him more than me," Eddie said thoughtfully. "And I'm okay with that."
Jack eyes turned to Kim. "What about that time at the St. Patrick's Day Concert when you lost your voice? Who got you through that?"
"Weirdest show ever," Kim replied. "But it didn't go as badly as if could've."
"And Ivy," Jack looked at the girl who's usual sarcastic smile was replace with a frown. "Who's always there to step in for you whenever you conveniently twist your ankle the day of the family baseball game with your dad's company."
"He's been playing for me for 3 years now," Ivy nodded. "Four if you count this next summer. My ankle is already sore."
"Guys, I think you know what we have to do."
***
"Come on," Jerry rolled his eyes as the group met up outside the dojo now in their costumes, "let's go to the park."
"I don't get it," Kim sighed looking down at her princess dress. "Why do I have to be the princess?"
"Because I tackled you when you tried to go for my sorceress costume," Ivy smiled, looking down at her costume.
"I am not swapping," Eddie held up his hands.
"Let's go, guys," Jack sighed as they started to walk towards the battlefield.
***
"I can't take this anymore," Eddie gasped out of break as the group climbed over a fallen tree. "It's hot, my feet are killing me and these elf ears are starting to get sweaty."
The group watched in horror as Eddie ripped off one of his elf ears and wrung it out, sweat dripping from it.
"You don't get to complain," Jack snapped. "We could have stayed on the path to the battlefield, but no, you knew a shortcut through the woods." Jack gave the ear from Eddie's hand. "This is not a shortcut, Eddie!"
"Relax," Eddie said as Jack gave him back his ear. "I'm an Explorer Scout. I was trained to navigate by the stars."
"'I was trained to navigate stars,'" Ivy mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Well, let me help you see stars."
As she took a step closer, Jack pushed her back. "Hey, hey. Come on, guys, we have to focus."
"You were just yelling at Eddie ten seconds ago, you don't get to be the mediator now," Ivy scoffed and crossed her arms.
Jack sighed and looked at his watch. "Milton's battle starts in a half-hour."
"Hey," Jerry eyes widened as he spotted something a little further on the path, "it's a groundhog."
Jerry walked up to it as Ivy took a step closer to Jack.
"Well, you're a cute little fella, aren't you?" Jerry asked in a baby voice. "How are you doing? How are you doing?"
"That's not a groundhog, Jerry," Jack tried to explained, staying away from the animal. "That's a porcupine. I wouldn't get too close to it either."
"Uh, thank you, Jack," Jerry looked at the boy like he was dumb, "but I think I know the difference between a groundhog and a porcupine, okay."
He turned back to the porcupine as Jack tried to stop him, causing Ivy to stop Jack.
"Just let it happen," Ivy sighed, knowing what was going to happen. "He has to learn somehow."
"Are you looking for your mommy or something, cutie?" Ivy grimaced and looked away as the porcupine shot off it's quills. She turned back to see Jerry face full of quills. "This dumb groundhog thinks he's a porcupine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go over there."
The group watched as Jerry walked off and Ivy mentally counted down. As she got to one, Jerry let out a painful scream.
***
"You got a little something here," Jack said to Jerry as the group entered a clearing in the woods. Jack pointed to his face where a single quill was left. Throughout their walk in the woods Jerry spent most of the time pull out the quills in his face, adding a little scream afterward.
"Where?" Jerry asked as Jack pulled out the quill, making Jerry scream.
"Where were you?" Eddie asked Kim as she caught up to the group.
"Let's just say I did something I've never had to do before," Kim said quietly. "And hope I never have to do again."
Eddie nodded in understanding. "I felt that way when I had to take my cats' temperature. They fight it. Oh, they fight it."
"You know what?" Jack laughed to himself. "I just realized, I have a GPS on my phone. I'll get us out of these woods."
"you couldn't have realized that sooner?" Ivy asked as Eddie started to shake his head.
"No, no, no," Eddie tried to stop Jack from using his phone. "I said I'll get us out and I will. Explorer Scouts do not rely on GPS."
Eddie tried to take Jack's phone from him, causing the two boys to start fighting over it. After a few seconds the phone flipped out of the boys' hands and landed in a log.
"Now are you happy?" Jack asked, getting annoyed. "My phone just flew into that log."
"Relax, I'll get it," Eddie reached into the log and felt around for the phone. A few seconds later he turned to the group with a smile on his face. "Hey, I got it. I think you got a call, it's starting to buzz."
Eddie stood up taking a beehive with him where Jack's phone should be.
"My phone's not buzzing," Jack inhaled sharply. "That's a beehive!"
Eddie yelled and threw the beehive to Kim, who threw it at Ivy, who threw it a Jerry, who threw it to Jack, who's first instinct was to kick it, breaking it into pieces.
Jerry and Kim ran back into the woods, leaving Ivy, Jack and Eddie behind.
Jack tried to outrun the bees but he wasn't paying full attention to where he was headed. He ended up running into Ivy before hitting his head on a tree.
The bees turned their focus onto Eddie, who decided to run into a pile of mud for protection.
"I think I lost them," Eddie sighed, now full of mud. Kim and Jerry met up with them after hearing the all clear.
"What happened to you?" Kim asked Eddie.
"I had a little mud situation," Eddie explained as Ivy tried to get up from the ground.
"Ivy, are you okay?" Jerry asked helping the girl up.
"Yeah, I'm good. Jack just ran me over," Ivy tried to laugh it off but a sharp pain traveled to her shoulder when she moved it slightly. "Oh, wow! Never mind, I think I fell on my shoulder."
"Are you gonna be okay to fight, cause I can bring you home," Kim asked quickly.
"Um, no," Ivy shook her head, rubbing her shoulder. "I did not travel all the way out here just to give in before the fight. I'll just have to work with my one good arm and ice my shoulder when we get back to the dojo."
"Wow," Jack coughed, getting off the ground. "I really hit my head. Is there a bump?"
Ivy gasped seeing the size of the bump on Jack forehead, and before she could reply Kim beat her to it.
"Just a teeny one," Kim lied.
"Dude, your forehead is jacked up," Jerry told the truth, getting Jack to touch his forehead.
"Great, now two of our best fighters are injured," Eddie sighed.
Jack's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Wait, who else is injured?"
"Ivy," Jerry pointed at the girl who was rolling her shoulder, making sure she could still move it. "You plowed over her, her shoulder's messed up now."
"Oh, my god," Jack turned to the girl worried. "Ivy, I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," Ivy waved him off as something caught her eye. "You were trying to outrun the bees. Which I think we should do again because they're coming back and they still look angry."
Ivy pointed to the swarm of bees, causing the kids to run back into the woods.
***
"I think we finally lost the bees," Jack gasped for air as he, Ivy and Jerry slowed down. "Where's Kim and Eddie?"
"Kim got her hair tangled up in a thorn bush," Jerry explained out of breath.
"Eddie's trying to get her out," Ivy finished Jerry's explanation.
Eddie ran up to the group with no Kim to be seen. "It took a while, but I finally got Kim's head out of that bush. Luckily I have my official Explorer Scout pocket knife."
Kim walked into the clearing, her hair was sticking up all over the place. "Guys, the battlefield's right over there. Come on."
The kids watched as Kim ran ahead before turning to Eddie.
"Eddie, even if you make it out of this battle alive," Jack told the boy, "Kim's gonna kill you."
Jack ran ahead as Jerry looked at Eddie and Ivy confused. "Wait that was Kim?"
***
The group arrived at the battlefield as Sidney pushed Milton to the ground. "Prepare to taste my foam."
Jack grabbed Jerry axe and throw it at Sidney, hitting him in the chest and knocking the sword out of his hands.
"Ow! Who threw that?" Sidney looked around as the group let out a battle cry, running out into the fight.
Sidney's army retreated as the group met up with Milton and Rudy.
"You guys made it," Milton smiled at his friends.
Jack shrugged. "This may not be our thing, but if it means something to you, then we're with you, King Miltonius."
"Thank you," Milton's smile grew wider until he looked at Kim. "Who's the dude with the punked-out mullet?"
"All right, guys. Hands in," Jack quickly changed the subject, getting everyone to put their hands in the circle. "We've got us a grail to capture."
"Wasabi!" They all cheered.
"Charge!" Milton ordered, getting everyone to raise their weapons.
Ivy ran down the hill and was quickly met with four knights from the other team.
"Okay," Ivy sighed, readying herself for the battle. "Let's do this."
Ivy quickly dodged one of the swords, making the knight accidently hit another one of his teammates, causing him to drop to the ground.
Ivy swung her sword toward the first knight hitting him in the chest before rolling over her good shoulder to get out of the middle of the last two knights. One knight swung his sword at her as she blocked it with her sword, disarming him in the process and stabbed him in the chest.
Last knight and Ivy fought for a minute before Ivy dodged his sword going down on one knee and slashing her sword at his abdomen, getting him to fall at her feet.
She looked around noticing the grail flying through the sky and Milton chasing after it. Milton ran up the hill, catching the grail and slammed it on the table next to theirs.
"Victory," Milton held up his hands in triumph, getting his team to start celebrating and run to join him on the hill.
"Way to go, Milton," Jack patted Milton on the back. "You did it."
"No, Jack, we did it," Milton held up his hand for a high-five.
"Here you go, Milton," Kim held out the grail to the boy. "You've earned your gr-" Kim shrieked as she saw her hair in the reflection of the grail. "My hair. What happened to my hair? Eddie? You are so dead!"
Eddie ran away but Kim quickly caught up to him, leaving the group with nothing to do back just watch.
***
"How's your shoulder?" Jack asked, taking a seat next to Ivy on the bench.
She finished strapping the ice pack to her shoulder and gave Jack a smile. "I'm fine. A little ice is all I need."
"I am really sorry," Jack apologized for the hundredth time that day.
"Don't worry about it," Ivy laughed. "It can heal."
"Thanks again, guys," Milton said to his friends as he entered the dojo. "I know you were embarrassed by those costumes. But don't worry, you'll never have to wear them again and no one at school will ever have to know."
"You're right, Milton," Jack nodded from his seat on the bench as a smile slowly grew on his face. "They don't, but they will."
***
The next day at school the group dressed up in their costumes and walked down the hall like they own the place, ignoring the laughs that came their way as they lived in their own fantasy worlds. Nothing would be able to bother them at that moment.