Fusion and Iron - Chapter 17 - Nicccoll (2024)

Chapter Text

Three months passed.

Rays of the sun beamed, scorching the earth below it in a basking glow. The air hung heavy and still, devoid of even the slightest whisper of a breeze. Not a leaf stirred on the trees, and the gentle hum of cicadas filled the air, creating a tranquil symphony that echoed throughout the vast Sector V neighborhood. Shadows stretched lazily across the pavement, casting intricate patterns on the ground below. Granted there was a humid and dry atmosphere but there was a sense of serenity in it all. It was like a comforting blanket on a cold night, bringing just the right amount of coziness. It was a day for taking things slow, for savoring the simple pleasures of life and finding beauty in the stillness of the moment.
Its streets laid quiet, the occasional citizen or family spending this weekend outside in their backyards and public parks. There was a bit of normality in it all, a vast majority of men and women ignoring the large bundle of planets in the sky. They knew it was there, as well as the occasional fusion monster which roamed the earth, yet they still tried. The citizens of earth tried their best to resume life like how it was, living an american dream of picket fences and outside grills. By this point, any could have guessed that it was a strained comfort.
On an elevated hill overlooking a large portion of the suburbs, handfuls of people were at work. Sitting right beside one another were two S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s currently being packed with supplies. A platoon of boys and girls dressed in yellow shirts and badged blue vests currently armed them with crates full of ammunition, bigger guns, medical equipment, snacks, repair kits and much more. They had a sense of urgency, a particular man in a purple scarf barking orders at them to move it. His gaze was serious, piercing yellow eyes which had a malice if looked at for too long. Sitting on his back was a large purple hammer and in his holster: a cherry red pop gun. Softly chewed on in his mouth was a stick of pink bubblegum, blown out a little bit.

Pop!

Occasionally one or two of the boys in line looked up at the man, though kept their heads down and continued the boarding train.
Standing together in their own little corner, two older figures were arming themselves up. Their bodies were covered in padded black armor, poorly painted letters of ‘KND’ spray painted on the front chests in gold. Since it wasn’t a suit, neither of them had to worry about getting a heatstroke. However, if pushed for long enough, one of them could collapse from the extreme heat.
A dark skinned hand held up a grape pop gun, the other smacking a magazine underneath it in place and loading it with a satisfying click. It spun once in her hand, then was holstered under her belt. She smacked the top of the gun twice on her waist before speaking, “Been waitin’ for this day for a looooong time.”
“You taking the charge on this one, Five?” The other agent asked. He was currently busy with a large weapon on the ground, fidgeting with a makeshift powercore he had just whipped up for it: a microwave with a handful of wires attached to a fat-barreled gun.
“I don’t mind if you call the shots, so long as I get Stickybeard,” Five remarked, looking at her other pistol and eyeing it carefully. “Ever since operation A.F.L.O.A.T., Five’s been itchin’ for a good fight.”
It took him a moment to recall that day as Two held a finger to his chin, then raised his eyebrows. “Oh yeah, that was a rough one. Though, I still remember when we got saved and the pile of candy. Mm, caramel cannons~” he replied, sitting back and daydreaming a little bit.
The other pistol was stowed on her other hip. Afterwards she gently punched him in the shoulder, “Say, speakin’ of caramel cannons. Once we get this whole thing done, Eddy says we get first pick on his loot.”

“You’re kidding.” Two smiled.

She shook her head and gave him a toothy smile back, crossing her arms. “I ain’t.”

The teen snickered a little bit and threw the microwave backpack over his shoulders. It was built more like a mobile turret, weighing his back down quite heavily. The gun took both of his hands to hold up, one on the trigger and one holding its long barrel. “How’d you even manage that? The eds take their whole candy stash very seriously.”
“We had a little talk,” she replied. In the back of her mind, a rather threatening and one-sided argument took place between the two. With her and Eddy, Eddy was the one too scared to even move. “He says it’ll be a payment for our good work.”
Two checked the rest of his belongings and slapped his goggles over his eyes again. He stood up straight, turning to watch the group behind them do their last minute work. Compared to them, they felt like just kids fresh to this whole ordeal. “You think the Urban Rangers here can handle Stickybeard’s crew?”
Five gestured a thumb over toward the man watching them work with his hands on his hips, “Chris has got ‘em wrangled up like sheep. Plus, Ranger Becky and Jenny are here to help reinforce. Just gotta focus and look good, ya dig?”
A thought popped into Two’s mind and he spoke out loud coyly, remembering a conversation he had a while ago, “Hard to.”
“Why?” Five raised an eyebrow, looking back over at him.
Hoagie chuckled coyly, “Well, since you’re around! It’s hard for me anyway.”
“Well then don’t focus on me,” Abby replied with a smirk, leaning forward and poking at his chest. “Not too much, anyways. Just don’t get lost in your head~”
“Aheheh-”

Stepping up to the plate beside the two of them, one of the rangers’ faces turned pink. She was gorgeous, her white hair wrapped up in elegant rings by the sides of her ears. A pair of pink diva goggles were strapped over her forehead, bringing out the smaller and cuter features in her face. Held carefully over her ranger’s uniform was a complex weapon armed with razors and also a little shaving kit on the go: a SHAVERAMA rifle.
“Pardon me operatives, am I interrupting?” she asked innocently.
Two got flustered under his hat, holding his hands behind his back as his head turned red. “Uh, no!”
Five covered her eyes with her red cap and clicked her tongue, “Not at all, Jenny. You need somethin’?”
“Oh, I was just going to say we’re about ready to go! You got any last minute orders or advice?” she asked, nodding her head over to the rangers currently assembling themselves to board the vehicles.
Two nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, actually we do. Get their attention will you?”
“On it!” Jenny smiled and gave a thumbs up. She jogged a little to the crew and cupped her hands over her mouth. Loudly she billowed, “Alright platoon, listen up! Two and Five have got something to say before we take off! All eyes and ears on them!”
The chattering quickly fell silent when the two operatives stood in front of all of them. Among the several dozen faces were a mixture of boys and girls from all ages, starting off at the age of twelve all the way to eighteen. All of them were armed, carrying their own unique weapons and gear with them. While the Urban Rangers shared the same uniform, many of them had little statements from small pins to unique caps and so on.
Ranger Chris withdrew a pair of aviator glasses from his backpack, slipping them on. Realizing something was about to start, he leaned off to the side and spat out his gum-wad on the ground. He casually took a few steps forward and stood by them, giving a casual two finger salute to the two.

“Alright rangers, let’s get this started!” Two clapped his hands and rubbed them together, looking between all of them. “We’ve been planning this for a while so, by all means, STAY FOCUSED! Stickybeard and his crew have been a problem for all of us for a long time; you all have been chosen for the counterassault because you’re some of our top rangers! He’s not gonna step on our turf and act like he’s the king of the playground!”
A young kid, enthusiastic about this, threw his little fist up in the air and gave a bucktooth smile. “Yeah! I want my taffies back!”
Ranger Chris shot a glare at the kid until another one also raised her fist up and shouted, “Yessir!”
Numbuh Five pushed her cap up and continued right afterwards, “We’re comin’ in hard and fast. Odds are the second we land, our pilots are getting outta there so them sticky shots don’t send ‘em outta the sky. We may be on our own but we’re together. His crew do it simply for the job. Us? We do it for each other! Stick together and protect one another! Keep your heads held high and your eyes sharp! Got that?!”
“Yes ma’am!”

Five nodded, “Alright! Let’s do this!”
“Rangers, move out!” shouted Ranger Chris.
The bundles quickly picked up their gear and started heading for the two S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s; lines were formed, climbing on and cramming into the two like a pair of clown cars. They moved with haste, a newfound motivation from simply just the presence of operatives Two and Five there beside them. This fight, so they thought, was going to be a story to tell.
Chris turned and said, “Thanks for warming them up you guys; no matter how rough I might treat them, they seemed to be itching for this fight like it was something to look forward to.”
“Well yeah,” Ranger Jenny joined in and rolled her eyes. “We’ve been at it with those lollipop looters for weeks!”
He huffed, “Like I don’t know that, Jenny. Anyway, you get what I mean.”
“Don’t mention it, Chris! It’s what we’re here for.” Two smiled.
Five took a deep breath, “As much as I don’t wanna mess with him, we gotta get Stickybeard on our side.”
“That’s not gonna be easy,” replied Chris. “How are you gonna do that, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Jenny leaned in, listening intensely.
“When we get done here, assuming we succeed, we’re bringing him back to the Cul-de-sac,” Two explained. “That way we can discuss terms in a safe place and possibly end this tug-of-war for the candy stashes.”
“You think Eddy’s gonna like that?” Chris snorted.
Five puffed out her lower lip, “That nimrod ain’t gotta say in the matter; orders are orders.”
“She handled it,” Two motioned toward Five. “We’re just here to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
Jenny nodded, “As long as the tug-of-war ends today, I’ll be happy.”
“We’re gonna try, though there’s no telling how Stickybeard will feel after this.” Two worried.
Chris responded, “Alright, well I’m gonna make the call official for nonlethal. Is that alright with the two of you?”
Five nodded, “Yeah, we just need to rough ‘em up anyways. Les go.”

The four of them altogether climbed into one of the transports and quickly took to the skies, holding on as the view of the suburbs grew smaller and smaller. A vicious wind blew into the vehicle itself, throwing everyone’s hair around wildly.
Ranger Chris pressed a finger against his earpiece and spoke out through the sharp wind, “This is Ranger Chris speaking. Everyone, let’s make this efficient and professional! They may be our enemy but this is the one mission calling for nonlethal action! I repeat, nonlethal action! Good luck, over and out.”
In the other S.C.A.M.P.E.R., the majority of the squadron were crammed in there like a bunch of sardines. Many of them had their weapons hugged to their chest, others fidgeting with their armor while others started counting their ammunition. Despite the anxiety spread out among them, the rangers looked mostly ready. Being away from the Cul-de-sac this long was beyond what they were originally meant to do, though they fought hard every time there was an invasion. For a while the suburbs were fine, thanks to their handy work and the leadership of Troop Leader Chris.

There was a time in which Captain Stickybeard and his crew were stranded near the Cul-de-sac, during the first phase of this long conflict. His pirate ship, the Sweet Revenge, had gotten stuck and transformed into a fusion infected zone crawling with twisted versions of his crew and candy-crafted fusion monsters. With the help of S.A.C.T., Providence, the Urban Rangers and the KND, the ship was reclaimed and the infection zone restored back to its natural state. The villain, along with his crew and ship, left ensuring things were diplomatically neutral between all of them. However, several weeks later, he went back to his same old ways when dozens of suburban houses reported their candy being stolen and roads carved open from his massive land-ship.
From that point on, Eddy had declared Stickybeard an enemy of the Cul-de-sac and banned him from ever stepping foot in their territory. Now with no worry about fusion monster invasions thanks to the destruction of the terraformers, the Urban Rangers have been desperately at work in order to stop his plot and get candy back to not only the kids who were robbed but the good families who also wanted it as well. As soul protectors of the streets, this street fight between them and the pirates left many of them tired and wanting this to end. Today would be one last final stretch, a desperate race to the finish line in hopes of forming a treaty or calling a truce.

For some of these rangers, especially Chris and Jenny (who helped cleanse the infected zone), this was personal.

Deep in the outstretches of Sector V’s vast territory, the ground shook beneath a relentless advance. A tall shadow loomed over the horizon, blocking out the sun. Almost like an earthquake, a crushing rumble echoed for miles. A massive ship cut a destructive path through the once-peaceful streets underneath, its hull taking the dirt and concrete with little damage below. The air was thick with a foul scent of burning rubber, though accompanied by the sickly sweet aroma of sugary sweets.
Massive red and white sails fluttered in the wind, pulling onward with its own breeze that valiantly held them high. Raised just above a small crow’s nest on the top of this massive ship, a pirate’s black flag fluttered in the wind. The skull smiled wickedly with its crossbones, staring out toward the sheepish land below it. It was a symbol many had come to fear, a rare few coming to idolize.
Rugged men swarmed the decks of the ship; most of them wore the colors of red and white, covered in sweat and mysterious stains on their clothes. Strapped over their hips were holsters for fashionable flintlock pistols, others an entire blunderbuss over their back. In various scabbards, many of the crew carried a curved and dangerously sharp cutlass. The blades themselves were striped in red and white, signifying their candy-caned origin. Surrounding each other over this main deck, a large pile of assorted colors sat before them. Treats of all sorts of shapes, flavors and sizes were being distributed between these men. Some of them were eaten in the instant they were taken, treated like some twisted market share.
“Three for your sugar dip!”
“No, that won’t work. Give me your screamers instead!”
“Forget his offer, I’ll give you a berry blast!”

With greedy hands, they eagerly divided up the spoils of their raids, snatching handfuls of candy and shoving them into their bulging pockets with reckless abandon. Others plotted their next target, their voices carrying through the air in a cacophony of sinister whispers.
“What would the Delightful Children think if we hit their neighbors?”
“Surely they wouldn’t like it now-”
“Should we consult the captain?”

Rapidly climbing down the rope to the crow’s nest, a younger man with a set of cleaner clothes panted heavily. In his elbow was a long spyglass, cluttering with each careful step he made. His red eyes widened, a bit of sweat running down the side of his head. “Outta the way! Outta the way!”
A couple of the men trading lollipops gave him worried looks, stepping aside for him.
His dirt-ridden barefoot smacked across the smooth wood as he pushed himself hard. He held his breath, occasionally puffing out of his nose as he started for the back of the ship.
A pirate swabbing the deck turned his tired head and watched the man go, swaying left and right. The broom plopped into the bucket, then back out onto the deck.
Quickly the man made his way up the steps, waving a hand up. His voice pushed through his pants, “Captain, captain!”
Standing beside the main wheel of the ship were two figures; between them, a large map was held together fluttering gently in the wind. One was pointing at a scrappily detailed drawing of every single house in the sector for miles, tracing his finger across. “Cap’n, we might be stretchin’ it a bit far. We can’t get past their barriers now can we?”
“Captain!” the younger man shouted, nudging at the map.

The map was folded up, revealing the formidable man standing at the ship’s wheel. His towering frame was draped in a tattered coat, the colors faded now into a weathered hue. Patchwork stretched all across the count, representing the scars he had from the many battles he had been a part of. Beneath this coat, layers of worn leather and fabric indicated the lack of a wardrobe he really had. A gleaming hook candy cane hand protruded one sleeve, slightly dragging the wheel left and right in a pattern. His other hand rested in his pocket, balled up into a fist.
His face was obscured by the shadow of his tricorn hat, its brim pulled low to shield his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. In his long, now graying beard, the bits of candy stuck in his hairs either melted deeper into it or had fallen off.
He lifted his head up, revealing a singular eye fixated on the young man. His lips puffed out in frustration, glaring. Something about him today was cold and calculating, cut out from his regular silly charade.
“WHAT?! Out with it boy! Can’t ye see we’re busy chartin' course?!”

The young man huffed, placing a hand on his chest and leaned up against the railing. “Captain, I.. came to tell you.. it's Kids Next Door. They’re getting close.”
“What?” he asked shallowly, squinting his good eye. His free hand reached out, grabbing onto the butt of his candy cutlass hiding in his shadow.
His crewmate pointed up to the sky, gesturing with a hand. “Two S.C.A.M.P.E.R.s coming our way, sir! They’re movin’ fast!”
“This far out?” he scoffed, huffing his chest. “This better be good! Get back to the crow’s nest laddie and prepare yerself!”
The fat man made his way over to the railing, nudging his other pirate to go along and leaned over the railing. Holding his hand and hook up to his face, he took in a deep breath and roared,

“TO YER BATTLE STATIONS YE SCALLYWAGS!”

Captain Stickybeard stood valiantly at the top, his hands rested together. He was getting old, slightly more wrinkles on his face and a little bit slower in his pace. Although most of his beard maintained that bright auburn color, some graying hair took form on it. Despite this, he was a veteran. He had a sickly sweet aura of menace to his look, striking fear into the hearts of kids and teens who opposed him. With the world around him nearly in the clutches of Lord Fuse, candy was ripe and for the taking almost everywhere.
The crew got to work as shouts were being traded between ranks; the large pile of candy in the battle started getting stuffed into bags to be hauled in the belly of the beast. The cannons in the lower decks were armed with huge balls of chewing gum, made simply for the purposes of ammunition. Many of the pirates were quick at their work, chewing up entire packs of gum only to spit them out as extra ammo.
Up and down men ran along the decks, one or two occasionally tripping while they were fast. None of them wanted to have to deal with the pain of the Kids Next Door, especially given their previous encounters from before.
Stickybeard reached into his pocket, pulling out a smaller spyglass. It clicked open and his good eye turned into an eagle’s, gazing out toward the open sky before his marvelous ship.

The outline of the two jets coming for them got bigger and bigger; they didn’t split up or go into any specific formation, just simply soared onward towards the ship.
“Arrrgh,” he mumbled, stowing his glass for now with a grumbled look on his face. “What are ye doin’, Kids Next Door?”
He turned his head to the side and pointed a glove hand forward screaming, “Top cannons! Fire!”

BOOM! BOOM!

Two large clusters of gumballs pitched into the air like baseballs, flinging scattered gum in its wake while it went forward.
One missed both of them by a wide shot.
The other crashed into the side of a S.C.A.M.P.E.R., damaging it severely as smoke began to billow out.
“HAH!” Stickybeard smiled. His teeth were yellow, almost trashed to the core. Dozens of cavities littered his mouth, showing what terrible dentistry he had.
The stray transport curved its way around, now directly going for the Sweet Revenge. His eyes widened, taking a hobbled step forward to get a good look at it. He blinked as he couldn’t believe his own eyes, “What..”

Despite its damage, it was heading straight for the deck.

The other S.C.A.M.P.E.R. followed from a distance, quickly maneuvering out of range from any of the cannons. It began its rounds by circling the ship up top, searching for the best possible spot to land as part of protocol.
Stickybeard hastily hobbled over and drew his candy cutlass. He shouted, “Laddies! Clear the decks! These kids ‘ave gone stray!”
Panic ensued onboard at the top as the pirates quickly scattered the top of the deck; the jet was soaring in at an incredible speed, somehow gaining momentum despite losing a thruster. The cannons from down below continued to fire off, though their shots couldn’t reach high enough into the air to hit the second one. Many of them drew their handguns and cutlasses, preparing for a fight on the deck while it came fast. A few of them had glares, watching where this stray plane was flying.
In a split second reaction, the door to the side of the transport was forced open. The outline of a figure formed right before it was about to hit the deck, the arms and legs flailing into the air.
Stickybeard raised his head up high, holding his hook over his eyes just to get a glimpse at who was coming down.
Reaching for a pair of pistols, the figure falling in the air glided to land right on top of the fat man.

“STICKYBEEEARD!”

Numbuh Five’s eyes gleamed in the sunlight, a red flare flashing under one. Her landing was precise, aiming for a deadly landing right on top of him.

KER-BLAM!

Wooden splinters and nails flung into the air, creating a deadly rain. Crewmates shielded their eyes and started drawing near, letting out a battlecry toward the vehicle which had just busted the ship wide open. Planks sunk into the ship itself, the sheer weight of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. slightly pulling down underneath it. The entire ship shook from its impact as some of the crew from below looked up just to see what happened.
Coming out from an open door, handfuls of rangers sweeped the deck with their weapons. Their pitiful teenage and child cries matched the voices of grown men, gunning them down on their own ship in rows. The rangers meant for melee swiftly had their weapons in hand directly charged for the frontlines, clashing their steel with candy.
Two smaller pirates dressed in red and blue cabin boy outfits drew their own cutlasses, hoisting them up into the air and let out a cry as they charged forward.
“Chewy! Gooey! With me!” cried one of the pirate men as he pushed forward.

BOOF!

The man’s head got flattened by a hammer, causing him to stumble and collapse backwards from the dizziness. “Ugh..”
Standing together, Ranger Jenny and Chris held their weapons up in defense. They both looked at the crew swarming them, though set their eyes on the cabin boys coming forward. The girl simply just stole the cutlass from the man Chris had knocked down and turned to face her opposition, getting into a fencer’s stance.
The four quickly engaged in a two on two duel, throwing swings and jabs at one another. The sounds of clanging metal flooded the top deck.
“Ho ho!” laughed Chewy, parrying one of Chris’ wide swings and jabbed at his armor. It was cut open, exposing a weak point in his ranger gear.
Seconds later his face had been met with a bottom foot, reeling him back. Chris put all of his lower weight into it, charging the cabin boy afterwards with a yell in frustration.
The engaged fight between the crewmates and the Urban Rangers gave a perfect time for the other S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to hover carefully just above the ship. The pilots kept a close eye on the ship and the kids now jumped out from behind. In groups of two more rangers joined the fray, crowding the deck now even more.
Once they had been fully unloaded, one of the pilots reached into his earpiece and spoke up. “This is S.C.A.M.P.E.R. two heading out; good luck, sir!”
The thrusters let out a fiery blast as it took off, quickly setting its course back for the Cul-de-sac nearby.
“Understood!” Chris struggled, narrowly dodging a cutlass swing and held up his hammer in defense. “J-Jenny! A little help over here-”
The girl was having her own problems, treating her fight with Gooey like a fencing match. Both of them were expeditious and fierce, parrying each other’s attacks with an incredible defense. Sweat ran down the side of the girl’s head as she panicked, “O-One second!”
Her arm had been cut, slightly drawing a little bit of blood which began to stain her ranger uniform. “Ack!”

By the top wheel, Captain Stickybeard had been charged into the ground. His large weight created a crater in the wood, causing a plank to fall into the room underneath him. Standing on top of him was a flat-footed Numbuh Five, forcing him down with a hand grabbed onto his belly and a pop pistol aimed right in his nostril. The landing made her dizzy, spinning a little bit while she huffed a bit of breath out. “I’ve come for you.. s-stickybum!”
“Yaaar-” he huffed, then threw his hand up. Five was backhanded, forcing her off of his stomach. The pirate stood up, breathing in heavily as he held his chest. “If it ain’t the wee lass that’s been a problem all these years-”
He lifted his cutlass up and posed, preparing for a duel as he looked at her. Insidiously he beamed, eager anticipation building up in his sugar-high blood.
“You’re gonna give us our candy back, like you owe us!” she snapped, quick-drawing her second pistol and took the first shot.
It hit him dead square in the chest, though only felt like being shot with a pellet. He jumped, then started stumbling forward. His pegleg aggressively smacked the ground with each step, swinging the cutlass wildly toward her.
She ducked and weaved, avoiding each swung and took another shot in his thigh.
“Yarr!” he huffed, turning to look back at her. “I believe I don’t owe ye nothin’!”
The girl started just unloading both of her pistols into the man, lighting him up. It was fairly easy, given how large he was compared to her. Each shot hit him, causing a new icy sting which slowed him down a little bit. He remained unaffected otherwise, agitated with the pain she was causing him.

Numbuh Two emerged from down below, throwing his big gun forward and finally started his main purpose: playing support. From the end of his weapon, small stuffed animals and plushies crammed into the microwave were fired off at exhilarating speeds. He smiled at his technological genius, watching toys stun and trip grown men into near submission with high speed and impact. “Hahaha! Man, I love T.H.U.M.P.E.R.s!”

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Teddybear after teddybear pummeled the pirates forces, helping out rangers get the upper-hand and put them down for a good while. His head turned to the side, seeing both Chris and Jenny get caught up in their fight and reached in back to reload some of his stuffed ammunition.
“Awe shoot, hold on guys!”
Without a warning, a large and hairy hand grabbed onto his head and flung him onto the ground. A large, bursley man with a full coat of chest hair snarled through his patchy beard. He kicked Two while he was down, slamming his cutlass into the gun and obliterating the microwave entirely.
Sparks flew loosely and the gun powered down, completely destroyed by this one man.
“Noo!” Two shouted, turning to look back up at the man on top of him. Anger built up in him, gritting his teeth. That gun took him way too long to build, only for it to just be snapped at the start of this fight.
The pirate raised both of his hands into the air, holding up his sharp sword aimed straight for his back. “Ahahaha!” he chuckled. “Got ye!”
A tiny voice of a young teen called out, “Hey ugly!”
“Huh?” He turned his head back.

SMACK!

A flat wooden board hit him upside the head, bringing him down to his knees and off of Two. His eyes spun, slightly dizzy from the impact.
An Urban Ranger looked to Two, holding up a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. He smiled widely, helping Two up and jumped. “What’dya think of that?! Huh? Huh?”
“You did good,” Two smiled, then took it from the young boy. “I’m gonna need this, though. I didn’t bring a backup!”
The kid gave a thumbs up, then charged back into the fight and leaped over a man like a gremlin. “HYYA!”
“TWO!” screamed Five from the top.
He turned to look up, seeing the girl suddenly pinned onto the railing. She outstretched a long hand, trying to get as close as she could. “Sword!”
“Uhh..” his eyes wandered all around him, until finally going back to the man who had just been knocked out and rummaging around with him. He stole his scabbard altogether, then threw it back up toward the girl.
Not another second passed by when she grabbed it, disappearing back up top to continue her fight with Stickybeard.
Utilizing his weight, he went into a running jog and started to catch up with Jenny and Chris. “Aww yeah, fast feet!”

Gooey and Jenny were still at neck and neck, some of their clothes cut from their vicious swings toward one another. When the girl had collapsed onto the ground, the young cabin boy went for a finishing strike and smacked his sword down on her. She held hers sideways, equally meeting his strength and grunted with struggle.
Two came in to save the day, swinging his big foot and kicked the young man right off of her.
“AHH!” he shrieked, tumbling and falling backwards onto the deck with a bruise on his face.
Jenny smiled and shouted, “Two!”
“I got you!” He held out a hand, his cap slightly drifting in the breeze.
Lastly, Chris swung his hammer. This little man somehow managed to avoid every single swing, making him angrier and angrier by the minute. “Argh! I’m gonna get you, you little twerp!”
Two did a slide roll in, throwing his S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. up and whacked Chewy down onto the ground. The cabin boy held his hands over his nose, dropping his sword and let out a wince in pain. “Owee!”

“Well that works,” Chris huffed, resting his weight on his hammer for a moment and huffing. He darted between the two who stood beside him, then out toward the rest of the deck. “We’ve got a lot more downstairs. Who is going where?”
Jenny pointed toward the stairs, “I’m gonna lead the rangers down below! They’ll swarm the deck if I don’t!”
“Okay, Two?” he turned.
Two pointed up top, “I’m taking this cutlass; I gotta help Numbuh Five!”
“Alright,” Chris took off his aviators and put them in his pocket. “I’m with you, Jen.”
The three all shared a fist bump between another, then split up to complete their tasks.
“Rangers! With me!” Ranger Chris shouted, quickly drawing his pistol and stormed the decks below.
Jenny followed him from behind, reloading her rifle with a second cartridge. To shield her face, she pulled up her bandana and prepared for the fight ahead.

From below, more crew doubled in size compared to the ones on the top turned to face the rangers. Guns and swords in hand were held up and pointed at them, as well as many grumpy faces.
All of the rangers bundled up together in a line, raising their guns and weapons in the air to counteract that. There was a silence between the two forces, until Chris decided to say something to fit this whole siege.
“Alright, you candy-snatching snakes! I came here to kick butt and chew bubblegum,” his glare hardened, a finger pulling back on the hammer of his pistol. “And you stole my bubblegum.”
His hand reached underneath his armor, fidgeting with a device hooked up to his arm. It was a NanoComm, made sleek and complimenting his uniform with a deep sea blue.
Popping out from beside him into the air, a small chibi formed an appearance. He was dressed in dark black robes, holding a tiny scythe in his grasp. Underneath the black and red hood was a small skull, overlooking the pirate line in front of him. The tiny skeleton blinked, widening its eyes. “I wasn’t expectin’ dis today! Goodness!”
Several of the pirates look at the new figure: a tiny grim reaper. One of them scratched his head saying, “How’d he do that..”
“CHARGE!” cried Jenny, firing off several shots at the pirates in front of her and pushed forward.
Heroically the line sieged the decks and locked on with the marauders in front of them. Together, working as a team, the band of rugged misfits and thieves that called themselves men were no match. Nano Grim, under the command of Ranger Chris, fully harnessed his dark powers into strengthening their resolve.

Back on the top, Stickybeard and Five were at wit’s end with one another. Both of their candy cutlasses clashed and smacked with one another, each time parrying or missing completely. Their ferocity for one another sucked the energy out of each other, beaten under the hot sun. The wheel slightly tilted and turned, though it remained dormant for the majority of the fight. Off in the distance, the end of the current street they were on went straight for the Pokey Oaks North school. They were running out of road, aiming to crash into the building if not steered out of the way.
“Ye just don’t quit, do ye lassie?!” Captain Stickybeard huffed, wiping a little bit of saliva from the edge of his lip.
Five lifted her hat up a little bit, gripping onto the cutlass with both hands fully. “You ain’t gettin’ away this time.”
Coming from the stairs, Numbuh Two nearly climbed on all fours to get to the top. He was drenched in sweat, his cheeks burning a bright red while using the candy cutlass as a walking stick. “I.. guys! We’re gonna crash!”
“Blast! Another one of ye?!” Stickybeard turned back, a nasty hot sugary breath coming out of his mouth. His gaze fixated on the school coming up fast and widened his eyes, “When does it end?!”
Two grabbed onto the wheel from behind, “It ends now!” Forcing all of his upper weight, Two threw the steering wheel to the right.

The Sweet Revenge took a sharp cut, changing directions. The entire hull steered off to the right, tilting over into an unbalance.

All three of them on the top of the deck suddenly fell over to the right, letting out shouts. Two grabbed onto the railing beside the wheel, fighting gravity to get back onto it and take control.
Both Stickybeard and Five stood back up on the other side of the deck, fighting on an uphill plane now.
“I’ve no use for stickin’ with ye! The other one is right!” he gestured and started climbing to get back to Two.
Five chucked the cutlass aside and darted forward, wrapping her arms around his legs and tripped him. “I don’t think so!”
“YAARG!” he pierced, his fat belly bouncing onto the wooden ground below. His candy cutlass fell out of his hands, sliding perfectly in between the railing and landed in someone’s backyard.
“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, stickybum!” Five snarled, climbing up on him and started whaling on him right there. “Two! Get us back!”
“Right! Hold oooooon!” he fought, pulling the wheel back into place.
Now the ship had steered courses, instead of going north now going a full east. Two squinted his eyes and climbed up to get the best view he possibly could, carefully navigating in between suburban houses.
Near the sides of the ship, a third S.C.A.M.P.E.R. appeared in the air. Currently it was keeping up with an accurate pace, though the pilots or agents inside hadn’t shown themselves just yet.
“Where are we going?!” a faint voice shouted from the top of the crow’s nest.
Two looked up, widening his eyes behind his goggles. He completely forgot they had a lookout, smacking the top of his forehead and sighed in frustration. He screamed back, “The Cul-de-sac! Help so we don’t crash!”
“Aye! I can agree to that!” the faint voice replied. “A little to the right!”
In a strange, newfound coordination, Numbuh Two and the unidentifiable pirate on the top carefully navigated the streets. Nudged in between rows of houses and crashing through traffic lights, extreme efforts were taken to ensure the most minimal amount of damage itself. The ship could handle going through houses quite easily, though for Two’s sake he knew many families wouldn’t be happy to go home to their house getting flattened by a bunch of candy pirates.

Captain Stickybeard’s face was swollen and slightly purple, struggling to even get back up. The ferocity of Five kept him down and in his place, her hands now slightly bloodied. Her knuckles were bruised from punching him so hard, almost making an attempt to kill the old man.
“Alright lassie alright! I yield! I yield!” he shrieked, holding his candy hook up to block any more attacks from the girl.
She grit her teeth, grabbing onto his collar and holding a fist up just in case. “You backin’ down for real?!”
“Parley! A captain’s word!” Stickybeard begged out of fear.
Five let out a sigh, popping her neck and turned to Two. “How long ‘till we reach the Cul-de-sac?!”
“Not that long! Someone’s gotta tell the others downstairs it’s parley!” Two looked back at her. He gulped, pulling at his neck a little bit, “I can’t even imagine how messy it is downstairs!”

There was stillness in the air, for just a moment.

Quickly the crew started rounding up their seriously wounded mates and had them sit together; those who were capable of helping with the ship started charging for the top deck. Their weapons had been stowed, panic ensuing while they tried to make sure things didn’t go from bad to worse. The rangers started making their way together like a little scout group lined up to the top deck, helping the kids who got hurt by putting bandages and bandaids on them.
“Well, I don’t know if we call this a win?” Jenny asked while she made her way back to the top.
Chris replied, “Regardless, we’re landing in the Cul-de-sac. I can’t remember the last time I had a fight like this except for the hydro hammers.”
“Don’t remind me!” the girl replied, grabbing onto a young boy with her arm to help him up.
The scenery on the top of the deck had completely changed; by now, the ship was tearing through a construction site, the view of the Cul-de-sac within just a short eyesight now. Several of the rangers ran up to the edge of the deck, cheering and waving their weapons to see if anyone could watch their display of prowess.

The Cul-de-sac stood as a bastion of defiance. Enclosed by a rugged wall, patched and reinforced over the years, it bore the scars of countless battles fought to protect its inhabitants. Cardboard boxes of different shapes and sides were glued together, still somehow standing as if made from pure stone brick. Banners fluttered defiantly in the breeze, their colors gleaming against the backdrop of the sky.
On the top of just one watchtower, a singular ranger squinted her eyes and looked out. The entire Sweet Revenge was almost rubbed up against the walls of the fort, one bad steer off from making an impact. Although the familiar sound of her comrades shouting in triumph was comforting, seeing the massive landship back was not. Quickly she made her way over toward the other side of the wall and shouted, “Guys! The candy pirates are back! Prepare yourselves!”
Standing in the middle of the streets, a couple of young men were currently talking with one another.
“Well like I said Eddy, that’s why we gotta leave it to those guys. They do it a lot better than we do!”
The other crossed his arms, sniffling a little bit. “Yeah well, when it comes to jawbreakers that’s a tight line!”
Both of them looked up at the ranger shouting from up top, then widened their eyes. They looked at each other.

“WHAT?!”

Eddy smacked his hands up against his face, slightly squirrely in his movement and gestured to Edd. “Get the rangers! We gotta barricade the wall!”
“WEALREADYSENTTHERANGERSYOUMORON!” Edd scattered, suddenly booking it for the main circle of the small outpost.
A tall, lanky red monster scratched the side of his head. His gaze had been fixated on the tall outline of sails passing by, then steering off somewhere else. “Huh, now that’s something you don’t see everyday.”
When he turned to look at the two men booking it, his eyes widened in shock. “Woah dudes! What’s going on?”
“Wilt! Gather up the townspeople!” Edd desperately requested, stopping in front of him. “That ship might crash into the Cul-de-sac!”
Wilt, the imaginary friend, joined them in their little dash forward and nodded his head rapidly. “I’m on it!”
The three of them started giving orders to any willing to help; the people currently in the settlement itself quickly left their homes, though in an organized distress. As the ship drew near, the rangers stationed prepared to help in any possible way they could.

Back on the top of the ship, Two threw the wheel back to the other side and spotted the pirates flooding the deck. “Gah! They’re back!” In an attempt to get them off their footing, he threw the wheel off to the side again.
The ship turned and everyone on the top of the deck was struggling to hold on.
“Two!” Numbuh Five shouted, holding on for dear life. Tears clouded her eyes as the vicious wind blew her hat off. “Just get us there for cryin’ out loud!”
Stickybeard used his hook to climb forward, “Alright, laddie! Give.. me.. the WHEEL!”
The wheel spun in the opposite direction too hard and the ship tilted over. Pirates and kids alike grabbed onto the railing and posts of the ship, mustering all of their damaged might into saving themselves from falling off. Thankfully the Cul-de-sac had been completely missed, though the Sweet Revenge took an uncomfortable and rugged landing into the water behind it. Its vicious speed was quickly halted by the rut it had been drilled into, squeezed perfectly between the Park n’ Flush trailer park and the open park behind it. The river had widened even more and finally it came to a sharp halt, stopping on its side.
Two found a good spot to save himself and exhausted his breath in relief, rubbing his side from the sudden impact and looked over toward Stickybeard.
“Ye blasted bildrats!” the pirate snarled, having stabbed his hook into the wood just to hold on. “Now she’ll be stuck ‘ere fer a week!”
Five stood up, standing on the railing from below and put her hands on her hips. “Relax, Stickybeard. There’s still plenty of time to discuss your ‘parley’.”
Faint shouts came from below as more rangers flooded the scene; the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. following the ship came into view, soaring around in a circle from overhead just to get a look at what exactly happened.
One by one, rangers and pirates quickly hopped or climbed off of the ship just to land on the riverbank. A team was formed to help rescue everyone, offering ropes and safe falls for everybody just to get onto the ground.

Amidst the wreckage, the defeated pirates lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies battered and bruised from the fierce onslaught. Their faces were contorted in expressions of pain and defeat, their eyes dulled with resignation. Some groaned softly, unable to nurse any wounds at the time as the ones who had lost the most blood were taken away first. Others simply stared blankly into the distance, their spirits broken by the crushing weight of defeat. Their once-proud roguish garments were torn and tattered, soaked through with sweat and grime from the heat of battle. Bruises marred their skin, darkening the flesh in shades of purple and blue. Chewy and Gooey were the only two tied up in bondages, wrapped together over each other’s backs.
Sheathing his massive hammer, Ranger Chris looked over the majority of them with his arms crossed. The sun glared over his aviators as he put them back on, simply as a symbol of domination. He had a wide smile on his face, his bottom lip busted with a hue of dark purple too. His uniform was ruined, not only drenched in sweat but torn apart by the narrow cuts he had avoided.
Jenny gently shuffled next to him and stowed her rifle, gripping onto the strap. First she took in the presence of victory, then to the troop leader. “Is it over?”
“Yeah it’s over, for now,” he looked back down at her. His hand reached out from his armpit and patted her on the back, “I’m proud of you. Never seen you fought so hard before, ranger. In fact, none of the kids fought so hard. They were great.”
“Thank you sir,” she did a slight bow, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “I think we’re gonna need a break after this.”
The troop leader nodded, turning to look back over at the scene playing out behind them. “Maybe I’ve been a bit too hard on them..”
The group of young boys and girls who stuck together laughed and paraded, their arms wrapped around each other and hugging one another. Compliments were shared between each other, as well as some playful roughhousing from their heightened adrenaline.

Captain Stickybeard stood dejected, slightly hunched over. He was escorted by Numbuh Two and Numbuh Five into the heart of the fort. His hands were bound in heavy metal handcuffs, giving his wrists a tight uncomfort. He couldn’t believe what just happened today, his face bearing the signs of his recent struggles. The man was frustrated, tired and simply resigned. Not only was his high coming to an end but he fell far from his high throne of candy.
Two walked with a weary but relieved expression, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Deep down, his spirit buoyed with their victory. He looked up at the defeated captain, feeling both satisfaction but also pity. A hand reached out, patting on the captain’s back as he spoke empathetically.
“Captain, I know we’re enemies and that we’ve been through a lot together, but I gotta ask you something.”
Five’s easy determination was evident in her eyes, even in her step. Despite pushing herself to her absolute limit, she walked it off today just fine. Although hearing her friend’s words, she furrowed her brow at him with a sharp gaze.
The fat man turned to look over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Speak up, lad.”
“You don’t want those cuffs, do you?” he asked.
Five raised her eyebrows, “Numbuh Two, what are you doing?”
He gave her a pleading look, changing his gaze between her and the captain.
“Particularly not, no,” He grumbled in return. “I think it’s a wee bit much.”
Two pulled out the key and subliminally asked for Five to give him a chance, moving to unlock them.
The captain lifted his hand and hook up, stretching his arms out and rubbing on his wrists a little bit. He raised an eyebrow at the young man, curious about him. “What’s with the sudden change a heart, boy? Yer makin’ me nervous.”
“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Two replied, holding onto the cuffs while they walked. “It wouldn’t be right to leave you in those.”
There was a clear and distinct dissatisfaction on Five’s face, her hands swaying at her sides while her guns jangled with each step. Regardless, she put her faith into her friend and kept her side-eye off to the side away from them.

As they approached Eddy's throne, the atmosphere in the Cul-de-sac was tense. All three of the eds were together, watching them casually approach in the center of the street. None of them were able to come up with a coherent set of words, though Eddy had an idea. His face immediately went into a glare, his arms rolling up his sleeves. His hands formed into fists as he stomped forward.
When they met face to face, Stickybeard looked down at him with a prideful eye. Eddy just pointed his finger up and tilted his head, “Why, some NERVE you’ve got pal! You think you can just raid our streets and take what’s ours?! If it weren’t for the two KND dudes here, I’d tear you apart buddy! I ain’t messing around here!”
“Holy schmoly..” Ed widened his big eyes. A hand rubbed on the back of his head, listening to the two of them.
The pirate scoffed, “To think a young man like yerself deserves them treats? Nay. Ye treat candy better than yer own little town here.”
“Why I OUTTA-”
Edd quickly jumped into action and wrapped his arms around his friend, using all of his weight to hold him back. “Eddy! Please! They already handled it!”
“Hey man, why don’t we take a break? Let’s find a place to sit down and relax for a minute.” Among them stood Wilt, the towering figure with a face of concern. His calm and composed demeanor had been met with not only disbelief for Stickybeard’s capture but Eddy’s ferocity. He exchanged a glance between everybody, giving a little wave to Two and Five.
Two waved back, while Five gave him a two finger salute with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah that sounds great! Ed, why don’t you help me with the captain here?” Edd said with a nervous smile, handing Eddy back over to Wilt.
The imaginary friend gently took him, wrapping an arm over his shoulder.
“Whatever,” he snarled, giving the captain a dirty look. “Hope you’re happy with the problems you’ve caused us, buddy.”
The two of them ended up walking away, heading over to a house nearby to sit down and take a break. With the presence of Wilt around, Eddy naturally calmed down a little bit. He made things slightly easier.
Ed and Eddy took over for the two agents, linking their arms around Stickybeard. “Come on sticky! Let’s get you to your room-” Ed blurted with a big smile.
Two let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head as they walked away. “Jeez, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought.”
“Why’d you take his cuffs off, Two?” Five asked, taking a step closer to him.
He turned to look at her, still slouching. “It’s for the negotiations, plus no sense in keeping him cuffed like that.”
“Ahh, I guess you’re right,” Five nodded, taking off her hat. She wiped the sweat off her brow with her wrist. “I’ll let you deal with it when we get there. Numbuh Five’s a bit bruised and tuckered out after today.”

Two took the initiative and wrapped an arm around Five’s shoulder, carrying her over. The two moved in a silent unison, looking for a good picnic bench to sit on. His arm provided adequate support, tightening around her. It was protective, clutching her defensively. In the silence that hung heavy between them, there was a warmth in the air. His eyes occasionally flickered toward her, filled with concern over the small bruises and scuffs over her body. He grinned, his face a little red just thinking about her resilience.
“What?” she asked, turning to look over at him.
Hoagie fell out of his trance, shaking his head. “Oh, nothing.”
Beside him, Abby walked with a quiet strength. She turned to face forward and fixed straight ahead. She aimed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, despite a pulsating pain in each step. Having Hoagie’s support gave her some solace, his unwavering support achering her down. She just looked away, doing her best to hide her rosy cheeks.
When the two found a cozy spot to get comfortable, Hoagie set her down on the bench and let her go. She slouched her back and grabbed onto her chest, spreading another arm over the table and tilted her head just to get extra comfortable.
“At least it’s all done and taken care of,” he replied, sitting down next to her and snickered. “Ain’t that just sweet!”
Abby side-eyed him like an annoyed cat, her arm hugged up against his back. “Puh-lease don’t start.”
“Alright, alright! I just couldn’t resist!” Two grinned.

Hoagie stretched his arms and wrapped one around her.

Abby slowly slid her arm up and wrapped it around his shoulder, pulling him in a little closer. Together, the two held tightly on to one another. Hoagie slightly tilted his head over, meeting with hers. The events of the crash played out, followed with the return of the civilians back into their homes. A few of them lined up at Chowder's stand, bugging his catering grill to get some extra food and drinks. It was a perfect day for a barbecue.
“You did good today.” She said.
Hoagie sighed, “You did too.”
As for the pirates, the wounded ones were pulled in on stretchers; the on-hand medics made an attempt to do a good service, making sure no one had suffered any serious injuries.
“You wanna get some smoothies after this?”
“That doesn’t sound too bad. You gonna pay?”
“For a girl like you? Always.”
A big toothy smile reached up to the edge of her cheeks, “Oh, when did you become such a charmer?”