The Silver Crystal

[BeakerSqueedom]

Wow, I read the white part.
That.IS.AWESOME!

;D Aw come on, you'd think I'd cringe at that?
I am a horror movie fan--I have seen it all!

Great chapter.

Van Neuter may have been very very pleased in the start...
but we see he gets a little queasy in the end.

Wonderful.

 

[The Count]

Very powerful indeed is this Von Doom now. Not so powerful that he will prevent you from posting the next chapter(s). Look forward to know how this will eventually turn out.

 

[BeakerSqueedom]

*Cheers for Sean*

 

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Seventeen​

A large explosion rocked the C.O.V.N.E.T. base, shaking the whole structure to its frozen foundations. The bitterly cold weather had made the steel walls rigid and brittle, and they cracked like plastic in the face of Victor’s fearsome new power. The explosions in the containment lab reverberated throughout the entire compound and the Fantastic Four’s team felt the blasts all the way in the rear conference room. They watched the thick glass of the window there splinter and crack while dust fell from the ceiling like snow.

In the pandemonium that ensued, the team rushed out of the room, following their armed guards down several hallways to the containment facility that once held the board and still harvested the Crystal of Thra. Upon seeing the destruction, none of them had any doubt that Victor or his cronies had caused this. Their disappearance from the conference room minutes before the blasts had not gone unnoticed by any of them.

Ben and Cornelia led the way, using strength and Guardian power to push scorched and burnt debris out of their path. Johnny and Taranee ignited their powers and drew most of the remaining flames into their own burning cores, dousing the hungry fire. Hay Lin blew off the flames on the equipment that was still burning, while Bunsen formed a crystal shield over some others, depriving the flames of oxygen and thereby smothering them.

While the others were taking care of the chaos, Will’s gaze fell upon the Crystal of Thra, as it was being contained in its glass cell. It looked just as how she remembered it from her dreams, glowing brightly and looking more beautiful than any average crystal found on Earth. Its silver hue was more mesmerizing than the Heart of Kandrakar.

She was quickly snapped from her hypnotic state, as soon as she heard the frightened tone of Reed Richards’s voice. “Dear God!” Will looked in his direction and wished that she hadn’t, as soon as he spotted the slightly charred remains of the body of General Luft. Even with the fire damage, the gore was apparent, as was (soon) the smell. They all fought the urge to retch as they made their way past the empty glass containment case, only to see Victor speeding away from the site. They lost sight of him as Victor’s speed turned him into just another silver speck in an already crowded sky.

The lab was ruined. And next to the flames and rubble, Victor Von Doom left behind Phil, Mulch, Zuko, and Iroh, who were the firsthand witness of Doom’s destructive rampage. Phil was the first one to admit his misguidance of his former boss. “All I wanted was to study up on the power of this magnificent crystal. Tap into it to discover what wonders the universe holds. I never wanted any to get mauled to death like General Luft was.”

The team found the honesty of his words a little hard to believe. Neuter had worked for two of the most vicious men on the face of the earth—and one of them was now dead. What’s to say he hadn’t learned a thing or two from either of them over the years? For all they knew, he or the other goons could’ve assisted Doom in the murder of General Luft.

However, the time for judgment should come later, because there was a great threat that had just emerged and needed to be stopped as soon as possible. The group ignored Phil and the others and focused on forming a plan.

But before any suggestions could have been made, a voice only familiar to a few in the group had spoken up. “You might’ve not desired a mutilation in order to achieve the crystal, but I would have surely welcomed it for the great entertainment.”

Heads turned in the direction that the voice had spoken from, and right near the gaping hole that Victor Von Doom created moments ago, there stood Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, gazing upon the wake of Doom’s rampage and admiring it greatly. The eyes of Will, Zuko, and Iroh widened in shock at the surprise appearance of the vicious princess and her companions.

“Azula!” Will exclaimed.

The other Guardians looked towards Azula with odd expressions. “This is Azula?” Irma asked, sounding almost disappointed.

“I expected someone more threatening.” Taranee commented.

“I was expecting someone more older.” Hay Lin said.

“I was expecting someone with more fashion sense.” Cornelia uttered, noting the royal Fire Nation outfit that Azula had on. “The medieval century called, honey…they want their costume back.”

Azula’s hands crackled with lightning, as she glared at the other Guardians. “I have no time for insults! I have come for the crystal!” Her gaze switched from the Guardians to the contained Crystal of Thra, its silvery hue glowing in her eyes.

“You can have it!” Phil van Neuter shouted. “I’ve had enough of people with lightning shooting out of their hands!” He nudged his assistant, Mulch, as he was making his way out of the room. “C’mon, Mulchie! Let’s see if we can’t get our old jobs back!”

Mulch grunted a question for his boss.

“No, no! Not that job.” Phil remarked. “Our other one.”

Mulch stopped and pondered for a moment what his boss was talking about. Once he realized it, he grunted a pleasant remark, while rushing out of the room with Phil van Neuter.

Ignoring the two strange beings that exited the room, Azula made her way towards the Crystal of Thra, until Will suddenly stepped in her way. “I’m not going to let you lay one finger on it, Your Highness!” Will said.

Azula just stood there for a moment, rolling her eyes with exasperation, and then she fired a blast of electrical energy from her hands that sent Will flying into a wall. The other Guardians, seeing the trouble she was in, went to her aide. Zuko and Iroh attempted to defend themselves with their own Firebending skills, but Ty Lee quickly put a halt to that, as soon as she hit their chakra points, paralyzing their muscles to prevent them from bending. The two instantly fell to the floor as soon as this happened, rendering them defenseless. She had done the same to the guards inside the room.

Bunsen, Beaker, and the Fantastic Four then stepped up to confront the three Fire Nation girls. But they were soon showered with stilettos being thrown by the Shuriken-jutsu warrior, Mai. This proved to be enough of a distraction for Azula to make her move, rushing over to the contained Crystal of Thra. As she approached it, Will weakly looked up at her and held her hand up in protest.

“Azula, don’t!” she exclaimed. “You have no idea how much power that crystal contains! It’s the life force of everything!”

Azula stopped and looked in Will’s direction, with a sinister glare in her eyes and a demented smile. “That is where you are wrong, child. I know much about this powerful tool. I have seen it in my dreams, just like you and your queen have. It calls to me…tells me of its power…shares with me its secrets…it harvests so much energy…enough to turn anyone into a god!”

“Oh, great. Just what we need,” Irma uttered, “another godlike figure.”

“But I do not wish to be just any god!” Azula snapped. “I wish to be…an Avatar myself!”

She then used her secondary Firebending ability of generating lightning to break away the glass container, showering everyone and everything in the room with glass and causing the Crystal of Thra to collapse to the floor. Upon impact, the Crystal had chipped, a small piece of it breaking off from it and ending up in the corner of the room. Azula never saw the piece break off the Crystal, because she was too focused on the Crystal itself. She didn’t even notice how its silvery hue had dimmed, changing slowly into a purple one.

Lightning crackled from Azula’s fingertips, as she placed her hands over the Crystal. She felt its energy being absorbed into her, sensing the power growing inside. And then, as if there was some magnetic force surrounding the Crystal, her hands were suddenly pulled and suctioned onto the surface of the Crystal.

“NO!” Will screamed.

Everyone watched as Azula’s entire body glowed brighter than the Crystal had before it cracked. Despite all of the intense pain that coursed through her body, she laughed maniacally, taking the sensation as pleasure rather than torture.

“The elements…Yes! I can actually feel them!” Azula yelled. “Water…Earth…Fire…Air! I now control them all! I am now a full Ava…”

Then something went wrong. Something Azula did not want to happen.

The pain grew to an unbearable point, as Azula’s entire body began to morph into another living creature. It contorted and twisted until it shaped into something that resembled a reptile, a predatory bird, and a dragon. Her eyes became hooded and uneasy, and her jaw became beaklike. She gained arched talons and a long neck.

In only mere seconds, the Crystal had transformed Azula into a creature that the inhabitants of Thra would refer to as a Skeksis.

Azula let out a loud, inhuman screech that sounded close to the way a bird squawked. It might’ve been the pitch of the screech or the intense power brought into transforming Azula into a Skeksis that made the Crystal of Thra shatter into a several pieces all over the floor. Mai and Ty Lee were stunned over the drastic changes that the body of Azula underwent because of the Crystal. They knew from the beginning that it wouldn’t have brought anything good to the Fire Nation princess.

Zuko and Iroh, even in their paralyzed state, were just as shocked to have seen what had happened to their sister and niece. They knew Azula was a monster in her own way. But to see the state she was currently in, they knew it suited her well, yet it was still horrifying to witness.

The stunned crowd of people watched as the Azula-Skeksis let out a squawk that was louder than the one before and then used some sort of mixture between Earthbending and Firebending to break the ceiling above its head and then use a mixture of Airbending and Firebending to shoot out like a rocket into the sky.

For a moment, there was complete silence. And then Irma spoke up, saying, “Okay…now we have a problem.”

Angered at the horrifying display that she had just witnessed, Will quickly got to her feet and approached Mai and Ty Lee, grabbing both by the collar and bringing them closer to her face. “You two better tell me right now where she’s going, otherwise I’m gonna tear both of your lungs out!”

The two girls were speechless, not because of Will’s threat, but mostly because of what happened to Azula. Out of them both, Ty Lee was the only one who bothered answering Will. “W-We don’t k-know,” she said. “She could’ve gone a-anywhere on this p-planet.”

Finding them totally useless, especially now that their “bold leader” had become a real freak of nature with the ability to bend all four elements like an Avatar, Will turned to her fellow Guardians and held up the Heart of Kandrakar. “We’re gonna go after her and do whatever it takes to get the Crystal back together again.” Will said, before uttering the magic words that changed them to their Guardian form. “Guardians Unite!”

And…nothing happened.

“Guardians Unite!” Will repeated, but the Heart of Kandrakar didn’t do anything to them. It was not glowing or unleashing fragments of energy to change them into their Guardian forms. It just seemed like an average, useless pendant.

“Uh, Will?” Irma said. “Did you forget the password to…you know…poof us into five-foot-something freaks with wings?”

Will and the other Guardians looked closely and puzzlingly at the Heart, wondering what had happened to it and why it wasn’t altering their forms. And that was when it hit Will like lightning (normal lightning, not Azula’s)…

The broken Crystal of Thra had robbed the Heart of Kandrakar of its power.

“Oh, no!” She shouted. “We can’t go Guardian, because without the Crystal powering it, it’s just a stupid necklace!”

“So while Azula’s out there, wreaking havoc on our planet…” Taranee began.

“…we’ll have no choice but to…” Hay Lin continued.

“…sit here on our butts?” Cornelia concluded.

“Well that sucks!” Irma added.

With no more stilettos showering them, Bunsen and Beaker stepped forward with the Fantastic Four and John Crichton, addressing the Guardians. “It is not just Azula who we have to fear. Dr. Doom is out there as well.”

“Great! This is turning out to be a good day after all!” Crichton said with great sarcasm. “How the h*ll are we gonna stop these two psychos?”

“We need Aang and the Surfer,” Will stated. “They’re the only ones who’re familiar with the powers these two are wielding.”

Ben shook his head. “Are you nuts?” he asked, keeping one eye on the frozen tundra now visible through the missing wall of the lab. “Even if we break them out of here, how are we going to catch up with Victor and that girl?”

Reed’s face lit up. “Leave that to me.” He pulled out his PDA and the Fantastic Four logo came up on the small screen. He punched it immediately, sending a signal back to his lab at the Baxter Building. There, in the darkened space, a large object hidden beneath a thick plastic tarp sprang to life. The object had been waiting silently for weeks, as Reed had busied himself with other things: the wedding, the geographic anomalies, and the sensor he’d built for Luft. But the time for waiting was over. The strong, almost silent engine could be heard igniting, an electronic purr echoing in the lab.

END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN​

 

[The Count]

So much... Azula Skexus... And the others' powers... Aw, come on, we gotsta see their sweet new ride... Pooooost more please!

 

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Eighteen​

Ben once again took the lead as the team moved through the maze of hallways and prisons in the center of the Arctic base. The soldiers were in disarray following Victor and Azula’s attacks and the death of General Luft and were much too concerned with that to pay much attention to the actions of the group. The team was simply no longer a military concern now that the entire base was under attack.

Sue and Hay Lin led the team to the cells of their friends and the Surfer. Hay Lin shared the code to the keypads with the other Guardians, Bunsen, Beaker, and Crichton. The Guardians went to the cell containing Aang and his friends, opening it up and going inside to free them. Irma and Hay Lin worked together to use the small fragment of their powers they had left as ordinary girls to freeze the restraints and break them free.

Aang and his companions regained consciousness a while ago and, after being filled in on the Azula situation, were now ready to stop her and save the world. Although, Katara didn’t quite think so. “Aang, if Azula can bend all four elements like you can, you’ll never be able to stop her. You only know Waterbending, Earthbending, and Airbending.”

“I have to try, Katara.” Aang remarked. “As an Avatar, I’m depended on by many people to protect them from any threat, no matter what world I’m on. I have to do whatever I can to protect this one from Azula.” As Aang spoke, Bunsen and Beaker accomplished their task in setting Elyon, Caleb, Vathek, Blunk, and the KMUP crew free from their cell, regrouping with the Guardians and the Benders.

“Looks like we were right about that Crystal being connected to the Hearts of Meridian and Kandrakar, because I felt that energy drain right out of me as soon as it had shattered.” Elyon said, obviously alerted by Bunsen and Beaker of the situation before being set free.

“You mean you don’t have any powers left?” Cornelia asked with concern.

“Only small bits, but not enough to stop that horrible Fire Nation princess.”

Will knew there was nothing major the Queen of Meridian could do at that time with only “small bits” of her powers. But perhaps she could do something minor that would still be of good use to the situation. Will thought about the Crystal of Thra, and the many pieces of it that were scattered all over the lab. If Elyon could use whatever’s left of her powers to form it together again, she thought, then maybe that’ll take away Azula’s upgraded power and—if she’s lucky—turn her back to her “normal” self.

“I have a plan.” Will spoke up, and while she was sharing her idea with her friends, Crichton was having a hard time trying calm down his crew from the Leviathan ship and the Gelflings.

D’Argo, out of all them, was the most upset of their imprisonment. “I will not be held prisoner anywhere, even on this foul planet!”

“Just chill out, man!” Crichton shouted over his tone. “The guy responsible for putting you guys in here the first place has been murdered!” Their fury seemed to have ceased a little as soon as Crichton informed them of that. “Yeah, Dr. Doom ripped him to shreds and is now unleashing all h*ll over this planet, along with some young chick named Azula. And if we don’t get our act together, it could be the end of everything.”

“Isn’t it all coming to an end anyways?” Chiana asked. “I mean, what about this Gah Lak Tus thing we heard about? It should be here at any time, right?”

“I say we get the frell out of here, while we still have our lives.” Rygel suggested.

“I am not leaving here at a time when all that I’ve known and cared about before I even met either of you is at risk!” Crichton snapped. “Now what is the plan?”

Noranti and the other crewmembers looked to each other with confusion before turning back to Crichton and giving him the same look. “What are you asking us?” Noranti said.

“Because…I think I’m having a nervous breakdown and can’t think of a d**n thing.” Crichton replied.

“Well, that would explain the sweating then.” Aeryn said, indicating the sweat marks showing on Crichton’s shirt.

It wasn’t long before the others joined in on their conversation and helped out in their problem of coming up with a workable plan. “I’ve got something for ya,” Will told them. “You guys are going to stick with Elyon, Blunk, and the Muppets and help them get the Crystal of Thra back together again, while the rest of us go after Doom and Azula.”

All of the sudden, D’Argo roared a demand to her that she didn’t quite catch, because it was in his native alien tongue. Will stepped back with fear as he yelled at her; she was more scared than alarmed over the fact she no longer understood him like before. After D’Argo made his apparently threatening demand, Will looked over in Crichton’s direction.

“What the heck did he just say?” she asked him.

Crichton, at first, was confused himself as why Will didn’t understand what D’Argo was saying. But then he remembered of the power the Crystal of Thra had to translate alien languages, and with it now destroyed, none of the earthlings understood his crew. “He doesn’t want to stand by on the sidelines, while all of the good stuff is happening outside,” Crichton translated.

“How come I can’t understand him anymore?” Will inquired.

“Because without the Crystal helping translate him, you can only heard him speak in his everyday tongue.” Crichton stated. “But never mind about that. We have to get things together here, most particularly that Crystal.”

“It’ll take years before we can get the Crystal back together.” Jen stated. “And we do not have that much time before Gah Lak Tus comes to destroy your world.”

“Don’t worry, Jen.” Elyon said. “I have enough power to weld it back together, as long as you guys are able to find all of the pieces in order for me to do so.”

“Well, dat doesn’t seem so bad, h’okay.” Pepe said.

“It exploded into about a million pieces, Prawnie.” Irma said.

“Oh, dat bites.” Pepe remarked.

While the others were getting themselves together on who was staying to help get the Crystal together and who was going into battle, the Fantastic Four was in the process of setting the Surfer free. Ben eyed the keypad on the side of the door, shrugged quickly, and let loose. His large, rocky fist made quick work of the door; it caved in under his powerful punch. An alarm started to sound immediately, adding to the general chaos in the base.

Ben ran into the cell, and found the Surfer still chained in his special restraints. “Pal, this is the luckiest day of your life,” he said.

The Surfer looked up at Ben, his face still expressionless. It was not until he saw Sue arrive in the room that a glimmer of recognition crossed his dull, tarnished face.

“It’s all right,” she said to him. “Come on.” Ben worked quickly on the restraints, careful not to hurt the Surfer’s limbs. He lifted the Surfer from the ground and helped him out of the cell and into the hallway. As soon as the others had joined them, they all took off running, eager to be as far away from the cells as possible when the guards came in response to the alarm.

They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the general’s aide, Captain Raye, and the father of John Crichton, Jack.

Their usual calm demeanors were obviously shaken by the chaos of the day, and the sight of the team helping the aliens escape did nothing to help that. Raye reached for her weapon and drew it quickly, taking a protective stance. “What the h*ll is going on?” she yelled loudly, over the still ringing alarms.

“John…son, what are you doing?” Jack asked. “Where’s General Luft?”

Crichton stepped forward with his hands up, not wanting to further startle the captain as he addressed his father. “He’s dead, Dad,” Crichton said softly. A look of disbelief crossed their faces as Captain Raye raised her gun higher.

“And if we all don’t get out of here, we’re going to be as well.” Aang added.

“I can’t let you do that,” Raye said, her voice shaking a bit, along with the hand holding the gun.

Johnny watched the expression on Frankie Raye’s face closely and felt a twinge of compassion for the stricken woman. She had obviously been very close to General Luft, and it couldn’t have been easy hearing about his death. He had to do something. “Frankie,” he said softly, “the world is literally at stake here.” He reached out for her hand, the one holding the gun. “Trust me,” he said. “Please.” Johnny managed to wrap his hand around hers slowly and bring the gun down to her side. He looked deep into her startlingly blue eyes and could see the hurt and confusion there. He would help her, he vowed to himself—once this was all over with.

The captain regained her composure just as a team of armed soldiers began making their way down the hall. Sue concentrated for a moment and turned her team and the Surfer invisible, giving the appearance that Captain Raye and Jack Crichton were standing alone in the hallway. The soldiers arrived at the captain’s side, looking to her for direction, as she outranked them and the orders were hers to give.

Captain Raye hesitated for just a moment before telling them to head toward level two, a section on the other side of the base. She followed the soldiers on the wild goose chase, giving the team the room they needed. Captain Raye looked back for a moment to watch the group reappear before she, too, exited the hallway.

“Dad,” Crichton addressed his father, “You have to help me and some of my friends get the crystal that’s being contained here back together. It’s the only way to help stop all of the madness that’s happening around here right now.”

Jack was highly confused; all of what was happening had come like a blur to him. But he knew there was not enough time to give a good reason for why he should help some people that he had never before met in his life—even on Earth, for that matter. The only thing he could do was trust his son and his friends.

“Okay, son.” Jack said. “Just tell me what I’ve gotta do, and I’ll help in every way I can.” Crichton then led Jack along with Elyon, half of the Moya crew, the Gelflings, Blunk, and the Muppets from the KMUP station in the direction of the lab, while the Fantastic Four, the Guardians, Caleb, Vathek, the Benders, D’Argo, Bunsen, Beaker, and the Surfer remained in the hallway.

Before the others were completely away from the team, Elyon looked towards Aang and gave him some important information. “Aang! They’re keeping Appa on the roof of the building. I can almost sense his presence there. And don’t worry, the arctic weather hasn’t affected him.”

“Thanks, Your Majesty.” Aang told her, with a smile, just before she cleared the hallway with the other part of the team.

“Then the roof is where we should head to,” Reed said. “It should be there by now.”

A look of confusion crossed Ben’s face. “What should be there by now?” he asked.

“My hobby,” Reed said with a smirk.

They made their way up the stairwell to a door marked “Roof Access.” Ben put his fist through the door, sending it flying out of the doorjamb and onto the snow-covered roof, where Appa had been chained, moaning with aggravation as the cold wind blew past his fur. The group braced themselves for the cold and joined Appa and the ruined door outside.

While Aang went to Appa and freed him from his shackles, the others stopped in their tracks when they saw it.

There, hovering in the air, was Reed’s latest hobby.

More of a sleek jet than a car or boat, the vehicle, with its smooth, curved lines, was obviously designed for speed. The hull, made of burnished adamantium, glowed in the moonlight. The shape was similar to that of a manta ray, its dipped sides curving down into flat, short wings on either side of the craft. The open-air seating in the jet looked similar to that in a canoe, its elongated form allowing for a cockpit in the front with one seat for the pilot, two seats behind the cockpit, two additional seats behind that particular section, and one in the rear. Each section looked self-sufficient and separate from the rest of the craft. The flat design of the jet was years ahead of its time. The front hull displayed the familiar number-four with the squared number logo, the banner of the Fantastic Four Plus Two.

“Meep mee!” Beaker exclaimed.

“You said it, Beak-Man.” Ben said. “Holy crap!”

“Reed, you used my blueprints for the Fantasticar!” Bunsen excitedly cheered. “Oh, you are indeed a wonderful friend!”

“I still don’t like the name ‘Fantasticar’.” Irma said. “But I have to agree that it kicks some serious butt.”

“I’d like to cruise around with the ladies in that hot machine for sure.” Caleb uttered, not long before he heard Cornelia clearing her throat near him. “Uh…I mean ‘ladies’ as in you Guardians, of course.”

“Aww, that is so sweet of you, Caleb.” Hay Lin said.

“It’d be even sweeter if it were just him and me.” Cornelia said under her breath.

“Reed…” Johnny stammered, his face lighting up like a kid at Christmas. “This…is the coolest thing you’ve ever done!”

Reed only smiled in response to all of the wonderful comments. Bunsen couldn’t wait to get his hands on this, his eyes crawling all over the exterior before spying a rather familiar yet subtly placed Dodge logo.

He shot Reed a look. “Hemi?”

Reed shrugged, struggling to make himself heard over the vehicle’s powerful, purring engine. “Of course.”

“Good choice.” Bunsen acknowledged with a smile.

“Oh, man!” Sokka yelled. “I’d definitely want to ride in this rather than Appa’s funky back!”

“Appa’s back is not funky, Sokka!” Aang retorted. “Besides, why would you guys wanna ride on something that Appa can fly a lot more faster than?”

“Because Appa doesn’t have that new car smell!” Toph exclaimed, who—although she could see it—wanted to ride the Fantasticar just as much as Sokka did.

Aang was about to come back at them with another retort, until Katara stepped in between them and broke up the argument. “Hey, as much as it does look cool, we all can’t fit in it.”

“It looks like it was designed just for the Bunsen, Beaker, and the Fantastic Four anyways.” Taranee added.

“That’s right.” Reed said. “So Ben, you and Beaker & Bunsen get in! Johnny, you fly behind us!”

Fly behind us?

Reed and Sue began helping the Surfer—who still wore a look of perfect astonishment at the actions of Johnny and his teammates—up and into the sleek machine, with Ben, Bunsen, and Beaker following. Meaning no more room.

“Dude, you have got to let me drive!” Johnny shouted at Reed in protest.

“Forget it!” Ben shot back. “I’m the best pilot here, I should drive!”

“Gentlemen…” Bunsen began to plead, attempting to defuse the situation.

“Are you kidding me?” Johnny flared. “We’ll be lucky if this thing can stay in the air carrying your two-ton butt.”

“Guys, come on…” Reed said.

“I could fly circles around you blindfolded!” yelled Ben.

Before Johnny could even utter another word, Beaker reached out and touched his arm, generating a power switch (or in their case, a “dialect switch”).

“SHUT UP AND MOVE IT!” Beaker screamed, before touching Johnny again and returning both their powers and speech respectively.

Beaker’s unexpected outburst instantly silenced their escalating argument. With Johnny’s unstable molecules, this was the only time for something like that to happen. And as creepy as it was, Johnny could’ve only acknowledged the demand, taking it as serious as possible. Plus, better to stay on Beaker’s good side if he ever wanted to have a crack at driving the Fantasticar before Ben could, since Beaker was in close connection to the men responsible for the thing being built.

“Right,” was all Johnny said.

“Yes, sir,” Ben piped up, defeated, quickly climbing into the cab with Bunsen and Beaker following.

“Flame on!” Johnny shouted, and his body was instantly engulfed in a familiar inferno. Reed was already in the driver’s seat, taking hold of the navigation controls and guiding the vehicle off the roof, taking to the cold air and jetting off into the ink-black night. Appa soon had done the same, as soon as the Guardians, the Benders, Caleb, Vathek, and D’Argo were on his back.

As Johnny followed, out of the corner of his eye he saw the rooftop burst open and soldiers spilling and racing out of the opening. Sucks to be you, guys, he thought with a smile. You’re a day late and a dollar short.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN​

 

[The Count]

Yaey! FantastiCar! And I laughed with all the individual comments. You might want to clean up a few things though. The first two words uttered by Bunsen upon seeing the car were a bit out of character. I take it you meant that Tof "couldn't" see the car. Also laughed at the exchange of powers between Johnny and Beaker. Sure hope the other half of the team can get the crystal back together in time. Almost seems like piecing together the Millennium Puzzle, but that's another franchise for another story if you're interested.

At any rate, I look forward to the rest to be posted when you get a chance.

 

[BeakerSqueedom]

Ok, the previous chapter was heart wrenching in the start. Dr. Van Neuter admitting his regret for ever working for them really did surprise me. He usually isn't the type to admit things fowardly (he's such a prick). Then, Azula forming into that awful creature made me look around my room (I was paranoid--I got real scared, lol), good job...not many can have that scary effect on me. I got too into it really.

“Uh, Will?u201D Irma said. “Did you forget the password to…you know…poof us into five-foot-something freaks with wings?u201D

LOL! When I read this part...I slowly calmed down.
But oh gosh...I was a mess. ;D

Had to bring my blanket over to the computer when I was reading this particular chapter. ****! Isn't that wierd? (I have the strangest habits)

---

This chapter is filled with laughs and unexpected utters.
XD I just died when Beaker hushed them up--I was a little shocked as well.
Continue, I'm still your dedicated reader!

*Cheers*

 

[BeakerSqueedom]

Um...*realizes she still has the blanket*

Er...ig-ignore that.

*Reddens* XD

 

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Nineteen​

Appa and the sleek new jet carried the team quickly away from the barren wastelands of the Arctic, crossing the sky and soon entering the airspace over Asia. Reed was quietly impressed with his own craftsmanship; the controls of the jet were working smoothly, and its speed could top two hundred miles per hour. Other systems aboard, however, still felt a little clunky to him. He made mental notes to check on the radiation sensors and navigation systems. They showed no sign of any anomalies, and Victor & Azula should be putting out massive amounts of energy. The kind of power they both now had should be showing up somewhere. Unless one of them has figured out how to hide, Reed thought.

Reed was hoping that at least Victor had not yet mastered the power of the board any more than Azula had mastered all four elements. He thought that lack of precision would be their one shot at defeating Victor and Azula, if they were still unaware of the raw power in their possessions. But now, as Reed’s eyes surveyed the many quiet instruments across his cockpit console, he feared they no longer had that advantage.

The rest of the group was slightly distracted by the surprise existence of the jet. Sue recalled how many times she’d begged Reed to find them some private way to travel, and now he had done it. Without a word to her, he had done it. Sue sat about a foot behind Reed’s right shoulder, next to the Surfer. Bunsen and Beaker were situated a foot behind them, while Ben had shoved himself into the back section, behind them all. As they flew, their relation about Reed’s new vehicle faded, and a silence fell over the group as they realized that a hard struggle lay ahead of them.

Ben Grimm broke the silence with his deep, gravelly voice. “Okay. We’re now officially enemies of America. Victor is out there somewhere with unlimited, with a psycho kid that’s turned into some dragon-lookin’ thing. And we’ve got a giant, intergalactic force that’s about to destroy our planet in less than twenty-four hours. Did I miss anything?” His words were meant to be sarcastic, but he sounded defeated.

“If it makes anybody feel better, I forgot to TiVo American Idol,” Irma quipped from outside on Appa, in an effort to dispel the gloomy atmosphere all around them.

Cornelia ignored her comment. “So what do we do now?” she asked. Cornelia’s question seemed to mirror the thoughts of her teammates as they each struggled to think of away to stop Victor, Azula, and the imminent threat of the destroyer. Everything they had been through over the past few days—the geographic anomalies, the ruined wedding, the attack on Meridian, the encounters with the Surfer, the new allies and enemies from other worlds, Johnny’s new ability to switch powers with the others, learning that Victor was alive and once again a threat, and the gruesome death of General Luft—all these events were leading them to this place. To a final confrontation. How and when that would occur was still a mystery to everyone, so Cornelia’s query was left hanging in the air, unanswered.

“Norrin Radd.” It was the ethereal voice of the Surfer, coming from the middle of the craft.

Reed, Sue, Bunsen, and Beaker were a bit startled, as the Surfer had been silent since they’d broken him out of Luft’s containment cell.

“I was once called Norrin Radd,” the Surfer repeated.

“That’s one weird name,” Johnny remarked, looking from the outside at Ben.

Ben stared at Johnny for a split second in disbelief. “Shut up,” he responded, shaking his rocky head in frustration.

Sue recovered her voice and gave him a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Norrin.”

The Surfer continued staring at Sue, his deep-pooled eyes now looking for some kind of recognition in her soft, human face. “Serving the destroyer meant sparing my world and saving the one I loved,” he offered as explanation for his actions. Once he had made his confession, the Surfer looked down at his tarnished hands and became quiet once again.

Sue understood his intentions. She had sensed that the Surfer was not a malevolent force since their encounter in the Black Forest. She wanted to believe he was a victim of circumstance, someone whose duty to the ones he loved made him merely an object of sacrifice. She could understand that, the need to protect the ones you loved. She had seen it cross all their faces in the heat of battle. It was the foundation for the camaraderie of the group that was also like a family. Sue held no doubt in her mind that should the situation arise, she would undoubtedly make the same choices the Surfer had made.

“Norrin,” she said, “please help us save our world, as you have your own.” She knew her words had touched him, as she could see his face change. His brow furrowed and his eyes, usually bright, dimmed a bit. He seemed to struggle with her plea, perhaps fearful of what such a decision could cost him—or his homeland.

Suddenly the relative calm atmosphere was shattered by a tremendous shock wave. Light flooded into the jet and onto Appa, a cosmic cascade of energy that almost blinded them. Reed held on to the steering mechanism tightly, trying to maintain control as waves of energy rolled over them, tossing them like ships in a stormy sea. The jet shook violently as its passengers were thrown about in their seats. The ones on Appa tried holding on for dear life.

Ben slammed his head against the back wall of the jet, creating a large dent in the metal, but Bunsen was quick to repair the damage by crystallizing the dent. Sue threw a force field around the craft, but it wasn’t strong enough. The jet continued to shake and the navigation equipment popped, on the verge of shorting out altogether. Reed struggled to keep the jet upright, diverting more power to the thrusters and engine. He stared out the cockpit window and found the source of the great disturbance. In front of them stood Victor Von Doom, shining and resplendent on the Surfer’s board. His skin glowed with power as his hands extended toward the new craft, fighting Reed for control.

He saw Sue fighting to maintain her force field in an effort to offer the team some protection from Victor’s powerful wrath. A thick stream of blood began to slowly drip from her nose.

Suddenly the jet took a strong dive as Reed started evasive maneuvers to avoid Victor’s grasp. He could see Johnny, fully aflame, riding right by their side, sending a stream of fire toward Von Doom’s board to try to break his fearsome grip on the jet.

The team sped quickly through the night sky, with Victor right on their tails. They soared through the Gullin Monoliths, the tall, austere mountains appearing black against the shadows of night. Von Doom, remarkably fast on the silver board, gestured toward one of the peaks. The ancient mountain cracked and fell toward Reed’s jet and Appa. They both pulled aside just in time to avoid a collision and the rocky edifice fell to the ground just below them.

Reed could hear the crash of the mountain below, a deep shudder rising from the crust of the landscape, a shower of pebbles and dust scratching the underside of the jet. They had bounced off Appa painfully as well, but the flying bison was able to make a quick recovery.

The Fantasticar’s steering controls were turning a bit sluggish and the engine was showing signs of strain from Reed’s evasive piloting. The navigation systems were almost totally shot, buckling under the strength of Victor’s attack. Reed feared the new engines would also give out, having been used at full throttle for so long. The jet, while compact, was simply too cumbersome for such tricky maneuvering and fast flying. He had built it more as a transport than a combat weapon. He knew he would have to resort to Plan B.

“Hold on!” Reed yelled as he threw a number of switches. Components emerged in each section of the craft and extended into position. A smaller version of Reed’s steering mechanism extended into Sue’s lap. She locked eyes with Reed, who nodded as he pushed the last button, splitting the sleek jet into four separate vehicles: the front section holding Reed, the middle section holding Sue and the Surfer, the second middle section holding Bunsen and Beaker, and the tail section holding Ben. The smaller jets, each resembling a small submersible, had stronger maneuvering capabilities. Reed surmised that only by separating could they have a chance at outmaneuvering Victor and the surfboard.

Bunsen was extraordinarily impressed at the additional function of the jet, which he hadn’t included in his blueprints. “I must say, that is a rather good improvisation on Reed’s part,” he said.

“Meep moo!” Beaker agreed.

Reed watched the other components of the jet cast off. His design and construction worked perfectly. Ben, Sue, and Bunsen & Beaker easily maneuvered away from each other, with Appa and his passengers soon following, drawing Victor’s fire into four separate directions. Reed watched Johnny hurl a barrage of fireballs at Victor, with Katara and Aang assisting by combining their Waterbending and Airbending skills to shoot out a volley of icicles.

Sue and the Surfer took to the higher ground, behind a thicket of clouds. Reed felt some concern about leaving Sue alone with Norrin Radd; Victor would need to destroy the Surfer if he was to keep the board permanently, and Reed didn’t want Sue’s jet to be any more of a target than it already was.

He careened through the sky in the front compartment of the jet and dove down once again, toward the now visible Great Wall of China. Ben, Bunsen, and Beaker followed suit in their own crafts, giving Reed’s jet plenty of room but keeping protective watch on his blind side. They always have my back, Reed thought. Friends ‘til the end, Ben always said. Even if that end was coming tonight.

Reed flew so low to the ground that he could make out the indentations of the stones that made up the Great Wall. The moon cast long shadows over the structure, making the wall appear half-hidden from the fight above.

Victor watched the four jets with amusement, impressed once again with Reed’s ingenuity. But his goodwill didn’t last long. With a single wave of his hand, Victor unleashed the stones from the Great Wall, pulling them easily from the ancient mortar. The stone missiles flew obediently toward their mark, raining dirt and boulders over the flight path of Ben, Reed, Bunsen, and Beaker. Reed dove lower to dodge the stones and Bun, Bunsen, and Beaker pulled up, taking to the higher air to avoid the deadly debris.

As Victor watched his prey try to elude the flying stones, he felt a current of air coming up swiftly from behind him. He turned to see Sue piloting her small part of the jet, aimed right for his head. Victor dropped immediately and she flew right over him, nearly decapitating him in midair with the wing of her small craft.

Victor recovered quickly, using the power of the board to speed up and begin chasing the section holding Sue and the Surfer. He flew on the currents of the swift engine’s exhaust, ignoring the turbulence and fumes, gaining on her quickly. The board’s speed was incredible and navigated the cold night air with ease, as if nothing could stop it. She always liked to be chased, Victor thought. And now I’ll have her. Finally. Victor was just about to reach Sue’s jet when a bright, thick stream of living flame flew up between them, burning Victor’s hand. Victor could see Johnny providing cover as his sister attempted to escape, another futile protective gesture to keep Victor at bay.

Just then, Bunsen and Beaker’s section of the jet launched up from below, slamming into the underside of the board, sending Victor spinning through the sky. The two Muppet scientists could see Victor on top of the board, twirling like a toy top, a silver speck trapped in a blender of air—which was thanks to some remarkable Airbending by Aang. The violent rotation, however, was stopped by one single thought from Victor’s mind.

Victor ascended then into the dawning day, letting the board take him higher into the air. He continued rising, watching the landscape below and the jets, Appa, and the Human Torch fall away quickly, becoming insects hovering in dirty air. He rose higher and higher, drawn to great heights by the euphoric power of the board. He could feel the sun, though it lay walking halfway around the world. He could sense the tides in the water, though they swam oceans away. He could smell the air, each living molecule of it, and he could feel it whipping all around him in a meager display of supplication and worship. Suspended and cradled by the board, Victor could feel everything in the world move and shudder, warp and bend to his whim. Every living thing on the planet was humbled in his wake, prostate before him. He could feel it all and wanted nothing more than to gather it entirely, down to every last cell. Herd the entire living organic spectrum and corral it into his grasp. And then squeeze.

He turned back to Appa and the meddling bits of the Fantasticar, trying to circle around him in a futile attempt to contain him. But the power of the board was not to be contained. It was to be unleashed. Victor raised his hands, glowing madly from the ambition he now felt. “My turn,” he said but his voice, deep and universal, was no longer recognizable, no longer of this world.

He brought his hands together in an almighty clap. The energy blooming from his hands pulled together in a godly display of light and electricity. The entire horizon was alight with his power and fury as if dawn was breaking in half. Victor rained vengeance down upon those who dared try to thwart him. The sonic boom from his powerful blast rattled the Great Wall and the Gullin Monoliths. It hid the moon, punished the waking sun. It was as if the entire Earth shuddered under the gaze of Victor’s endless power.

Victor felt every inch of his scarred face smile as he watched Appa, the four jets, and Johnny’s extinguished human form tremble before the awesome display of energy before they were thrown, unconscious, out across the landscape, falling to the earth like forgotten stars.

~~~~~~~~~~​

Back at the C.O.V.N.E.T. base, the Crichtons were doing much they could to assist Elyon, Blunk, the Gelflings, the rest of the Moya crew, and the KMUP crew in piecing together the shattered remains of the Crystal of Thra, while Zuko, Iroh, Mai, and Ty Lee just stood by and watched with some ambition. So far, there were many pieces of the Crystal collected into one large pile, but not enough to reform it back to its original form. Some pieces were buried under bits of rubble that the group were forced to dig up in order to reach them, almost as if they were on a treasure hunt.

The task of searching for the crystal fragments was easy for Blunk, being the expert scavenger that he was. There were often moments when he attempted to save one of the fragments for himself, believing it would be worth quite a bit of money if he were to sell it on Meridian. But John Crichton made certain that the Passling didn’t get away with his scheme.

“Don’t even think about, Slimy!” Crichton exclaimed. “We need every single piece of this thing if we want to get it back together.”

“Blunk can’t help himself.” The Passling remarked. “Force of habit.”

As the group continued on searching for more pieces to collect into the pile, they suddenly heard the sounds of multiple aircrafts rocketing overhead. They stopped and looked out through the hole in the wall of the lab, seeing hundreds of alien ships heading in the direction that Doom, Azula, and their friends had headed in.

“Are those what I think they are?” Crichton said, with a pale expression on his face.

“If you’re thinking Peacekeeper Prowlers,” Aeryn answered, “then yes.”

Although his outside demeanor wasn’t showing it, Crichton was panicking deep inside of himself. The sight of so many alien fighters could’ve meant just one thing: Scorpius was in the process of unleashing an invasion. Even if it sounded like a bad cliché, Crichton and his crew knew that it was just the half-Scarran/half-Sebacean’s type of scheme.

“We have to go out there and stop them before they make things even worse than they already are.” Crichton said.

“There are C.O.V.N.E.T. jets parked in a hangar not far from here.” Jack informed. “You can set them on autopilot to save yourselves the headache of a long tutorial, leaving only their plasma cannons operational. All ya gotta do is just aim and shoot.”

Crichton couldn’t suppress a smile, as he gazed upon his father. “Thanks, Dad. You’re one in a million.”

Jack returned his son’s smile as he said, “Just get out there and kick some alien a** for your old man.”

Acknowledging his father’s demand, Crichton summoned Aeryn and Chiana—the two only good fighters/pilots left on his crew—to follow him out of the lab and towards the hangar that Jack told them about. As soon as they were out, Zuko brought himself to head out as well, much to the surprise of his uncle, Mai, and Ty Lee.

“Nephew, where are you going?” Iroh asked.

Zuko stopped and looked back to his uncle. “Seeing what happened to Azula has convinced me of something: it’s about time I started doing something smart. I’m no longer depending on others to make my choices. I should start following my own path.” As he said this, one person came to mind: Taranee. Her words back in the conference room made him think for quite some time. How could he ever go on trying to please his father or himself, if it meant ending the life of the Avatar? Even now, the Avatar was sacrificing his life to save a world that he was not born into. He was following his destiny…something Zuko needed himself to do. The lives of everyone and everything on that planet was at stake…even Azula’s…and the time had come to make the right decisions.

Quickly, Zuko had departed from the lab, bringing a smile to the face of his uncle. Along with him, Mai had watched him depart. Ever since childhood, she had a crush on Zuko and seeing him again on Earth made her feel a little happy, a feeling that she had scarcely felt since she, Ty Lee, and Azula left their world and joined up with Scorpius. Even now, seeing Zuko risk his life to save the world they’re on, she gained more interest in him and couldn’t leave him alone in his task. So she ran out of the lab herself, catching up with him.

Ty Lee, noticing Mai’s surprise move, followed after her. Although she was not certain why she was joining Mai and Zuko, she did know that she didn’t like being by herself…or dead, for that matter.

END OF CHAPTER NINETEEN​