Field Day, Part 5: Eve of the Renaissance

Cleveland, Virginia

Chris Uno and his partner, Weiss Schnee landed on a street in Cleveland – or should I say, they landed on a car. "Whoops! Sorry!" yelped Chris as they both jumped off.

"I don't understand, why did we have to escape?" Weiss asked. "They're just Sandbags, we could've fought them!"

"Did you not see what they did to Maddy, Mocha, and Sheila?! I don't know what happened to those things, but they're vicious! All we have to do is regroup and think of a way to destroy them all. The only problem is figuring out where Nebula warped them all to. She can be real panicky sometimes."

HONK HONK!

"Ugh!" Chris angrily turned to the car driver. "Look, we're sorry we…?!"

The "Home-Run" music played—a Sandbag was in the car! "WHAT?! How did they get here?!"

The car revved up, sped forward, and whirled around. Chris grabbed Weiss and activated rocket shoes, soaring across the street as the car chased them. The Sandbag SPRUNG out of the car, and the two looked above with a gape as it was dropping down. "WAAAAH!" Chris threw Weiss onto a roof just before the Sandbag crushed him. BWING!

"CHRIS!" cried Weiss. Chris crashed onto the ground, terribly injured. Weiss heard plops behind her and whipped around to find two Sandbags. She drew her sword, ready to fight them… "No… I need to get to Chris's treehouse." She waved her sword over the edge of the roof and conjured an ice path, surfing over the streets. She saw the Sandbags sliding after her and sliced the path behind her so they would fall.

Coruscant

"Why the HECK would Nebula warp us here?!" Anthony shouted. He and Morgiana had landed on top of a skyscraper.

"I can't believe what happened back there." Morg said. "Just what kind of sand was in those bags?"

"I dunno, but let's get down. Heights still creep me out." The two approached an elevator and pushed the button.

The "Home-Run" music rang throughout the city, the two instinctively readying their selves. There was nothing behind them. "Maybe it's just being broadcasted from Aquaria." Morgiana said. "We need to calm down. They couldn't come here."

"Sigh… You're right." Anthony said as the elevator dinged. "Let's just find a ship or something and-" They turned to enter—a Sandbag was waiting. "AAAAAAHH!"

BWING! Anthony blasted across the city and crashed through the windows of a building. Fearing for herself, Morgiana leapt off the roof and used Rocket Kicks to stay airborne.

Ashland, West Virginia

"Where did we end up?" Tronta asked.

"SM3LLS L1K3 4 C1TY." Terezi replied.

"I know THAT. But I can't really tell WHAT city. Although it seems like an Earth city. I'll ask that guy for directions." Tron approached an unsuspicious man in a brown jacket, hat, and mustache.

The "Home-Run" music played again, Terezi clenching her teeth and looking around. Tron reached the cylindrical man and asked, "Excuse me, Sir, could you tell me…"

Terezi sniffed. "Why c4n't 1 sm3ll 4nyth1ng from h1m…! TRON! G3T 4W4Y FROM H1M! TH4T'S 4-!"

"You know, it's hard to understand you when you talk like that, so can you please-"

BWING! And Tron was blasting off as well.

"TRON! Grrrr, COM3 4ND G3T SOM3!" Terezi ran up and started stabbing the Sandbag. She knocked it down and repeatedly poked holes in it. "You w1ll p4y for 4b4ndon1ng your pl4c3 4s 4 tool for our 4mus3m3nt."

The music started up again. "GO 4H34D! PL4Y YOUR MUS1C! 1t w1ll b3 th3 l4st th1ng you h34r b3for3 1… Yuck, talking like this is giving me a headache." A Sandbag that was dressed like a robber snuck up behind her. "I do this all the time, I don't know why I'm suddenly-"

BWING! But Terezi wouldn't have time to understand before she flew.

Flora

"I can't BELIEVE I had to be stuck out in the forest with YOU!" Terry shouted as he and Ruby trudged through large bushes.

"Well, I ain't too happy about it either! And you should be thankful. I could burn down this whole planet with firebending, but I ain't because you might die!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna try contacting my friends." Terry pressed his wristwatch. The "Home-Run" music played from it. "It sounds like they're still on Aquaria. I hope they haven't become slaves to the Sandbag Regime. Ruby, let's see if the Floran KND have any ships-"

Terry turned, and in Ruby's place was a Sandbag. "R…Ruby?"

"LOOK OUT!" Ruby leapt out and PUNCHED the Sandbag away. "Geez, I walk away for one second, thinking I heard something," Terry saw a Sandbag ziplining down a vine from behind Ruby, "and you almost get-"

"RUBY!" Terry pushed her aside. BWING! Terry bounced around several giant trees in the forest with rapid speed.

"Terry…" Ruby looked his direction with remorse. She glared at the Sandbag with fire in her eyes. "You SON OF A BITCH!" Ruby unleashed rapid fire upon the Sandbag, scattering it into sparkly glass shards. She heard three more move the bushes behind her and whipped around. "WHO'S NEXT?!"

Gallagher Elementary

"Hat Kid… just… where did all these things COME from?!" Cheren asked. Twenty Sandbags were surrounding them on the playground.

The school speakers were playing the "Home-Run" music as five approached them. "Cheren, watch out!" Hat Kid threw her hat in a circle to knock them away. Another approached, so she threw her hat onto it and possessed the Sandbag. Have a taste of your own medicine! Hat Kid bounced toward and BWING! sent a Sandbag flying!

"ALRIGHT, Hat Kid! Kick some Sand Can!"

Hat Kid hopped up to whack another Sandbag, but dealt the most minimal damage. "?" When that Sandbag tried to retaliate, Hat Kid hopped out of hers just before her host went flying. "Why couldn't I do it that time?!"

"Let me try something." Cheren ran up to that Sandbag, but it backed away as others approached, prompting him to do a spin attack. "Maybe they can each only do one strong attack before they lose their power."

"Then all I have to do is keep making them waste it!" Hat Kid possessed another Sandbag and sent another flying, repeating the process to destroy half while the other half lost their strength. Once these Sandbags were cleared, the two ran.

Kateenia

"WHOOOA!" Sind and Sunni crash-landed just outside the city boundaries.

"IT'S A MONSTER!!"

"Wait, it's a human!"

"Humans aren't THAT big! Maybe it's from Avalar!"

"Where are we?" Sind asked, getting up. "What are those squeaky noises?"

"This looks like Kateenia." Sunni replied. "If we landed any closer, we could've killed millions. Sind, I'm going to shrink you down. No offense, but you're kind of a danger here." She focused her psychic and teleported Sind into her hands.

"Why did Nebula warp us here, anyway?" the miniaturized giant asked.

"I don't know, but I don't see anyone else. Unfortunately, I can't teleport to other planets myself. ('Guess Space really is the superior element.)"

A squeakier version of the "Home-Run" music rang from the Kateenian city's speakers. Sunni looked over. "What's going on over there?"

Sind looked down and gasped. "SUNNI, BY YOUR FEET!"

Sunni looked down. "WAH!" She flew up just before a swarm of tiny Sandbags touched her. "There are TINY versions of them?!"

"They're piling up!" Sind yelled. Sunni quickly flew higher before the piling swarm could reach her.

"Well, have a taste of this!" Sunni formed a Psycho Sphere and chucked it at the pile- BWING! The Sandbags bounced it back with bullet speed and sent Sunni flying.

"WAAAH!" Sind was dropped and landed bumpily on the ground. In the sky, he saw an explosion. "SUNNI!" The boy fearfully looked to see the Sandbags approaching him next. "Whoa!" Sind instantly grew back to normal size. Seeing the speck-sized white bags on the ground, and hearing the music start up again, Sind hurriedly backed away and ran. "It sounds like whenever that music plays, they're about to knock somebody out. But as long as I keep running, they can't possibly get to-"

Sind stepped on a Sandbag. BWING! He felt incredible pain surge through his leg as he flew across the valley. "WAAAAAH!" In seconds, he would land right atop the Kateenian city. The townspeople were screaming at death in his form, and Sind instantly had flashbacks of Punk Hazard.

The image was cloudy in his mind, but Sind was screaming and demanding more candy, willing to crush anyone in his way, including the little Kateenians and Minish at his feet.

But as if by a miracle, Sind was shrunk again as a saucer flew by and caught him, rescuing the people from certain doom. "SHEESH, what are the Earthlings FEEDING people like you?!" asked Kateenian KND leader, Minksman. "And what happened to your leg, kid?"

Sind seethed in pain, clasping his shattered and bloody leg. "It was the Sandbags! They ended up here, too! They got Sunni and then they broke my leg!"

"Someone get this boy some first-aid! Don't worry, kid, we'll find your partner. Then we'll wipe those things off the face of the universe!"

"Great… mmm…" Sind couldn't bring himself to say anything else. Being around these Kateenians only plagued him with guilt.

KND Central Bike Hub

"Gotcha, Cheren." Mike responded to his wristwatch. "We'll be over at your treehouse in a heartbeat. Just gotta grab my bike." He hung up and glanced up at his hair. "Hey, I'm gonna have to put my hat on. Will that be okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine." Gonshiri replied, lying on a hammock she sewed between his hair. "I must say, you do a MUCH better job cleaning your hair than Shelly."

Mike entered the Bike Storage room and gasped. The Sandbags were waiting, and the music started up. "GOOD GOD! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!"

"Don't just stand there!" Gonshiri used plantbending to make tree branches burst through the walls and block the Sandbags. However, three of the monsters were riding up from down the hall on bikes.

"Oh, darn! We're screwed!"

"OH COME MAH WAAAY!" Bon Clay, Jr. twirled over and SLICED the Sandbags with his sharp swan slippers. "That's how we do it in Miiiami-"

But one more Sandbag came rolling on its side and BWING! sent Clay hurdling out of the treehouse.

"Talk about convenient." Shelly hurried up to Mike. "You're the guy that has my sister, right?"

"Your… sister?"

"Yes, it may not seem like it, but we're twins." Gonshiri showed herself from his hair. "Naturally, I'm the role model."

"Shut up or I'll crush you before those things do." The music played again. "Oh, speaking of which." Five more Sandbags were rolling in on bikes, but Shelly was able to grab them with her bending and make the sand rupture their bags. "Hah! Send as many as you want at me," she kept doing this with more Sandbags, "because I'll tear you all to shreds," one final Sandbag was coming, "one by o-" When she ripped it, another Sandbag burst out, lunging at Shelly. BWING!

"SHELLY!" Mike and Gonshiri cried as she blasted through the same hole Clay made.

"PROTECT MY SISTEEERRR…" Shelly echoed as she crashed into the forest.

Mike glared at the Sandbag responsible. He so desperately wanted to pound it, but two more were sliding up. "Well, what are you going to do?" Shiri asked. "Fight… or run?"

But Mike had made his decision.

Gravity Falls

Nel was bravely kicking Sandbags left and right. At least 30 were ganging up on her, but her strength and reflexes seemed boundless. "Wow, you're amazing!" Dipper exclaimed. "I wonder if martial artists learned their techniques by studying cave drawings?"

"Every kick burn with love for Augustus. Nel will find Augustus and perform-"

"OKAY, don't need to hear all that again. Let's hurry and get to the Mystery Shack; there's a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. underneath there. We'll use it to regroup with everyone else."

Secco

"Geez, who turned up the thermostat?" Jinta asked, shielding his eyes from the sun as they walked through Tatooine Town.

"Would you like me to cast a Sunshade Charm on you?" Wendy asked.

"Nah, I can take a little heat. Anyway, think you can magic us a way back home?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, I actually have a bit of Floo Powder in my bag, but we need to find a fireplace. I doubt anyone would require such a thing on a desert planet."

"Not unless it's night. But no telling when that'll happen, either."

"Hey, look over there!" Wendy pointed at Romeo and Karin standing by an alley. "It's Romero—I mean, Romeo!"

"And Karin! HEY, GUYS!" Jinta ran up.

"Oh, look who's here." Karin said. "Nebula sure has a weird randomizer function. Anyway, I don't know about any Kids Next Doors on this planet. We'll have to steal a ship."

"Isn't that wrong?" Wendy asked.

"Who cares. As far as I heard, this planet's full of thieves."

"Hey, here comes a ship right now." Jinta said as a light-brown, dusty spacecraft landed on the street. A hatch opened on the bottom and the "Home-Run" music played.

"SANDBAGS!" Romeo screamed, igniting flames.

"These things are resourceful, I'll give 'em that." Karin said.

Romeo jumped forward and grabbed the Sandbags with purple flames, throwing them away. "Come on, we can take THIS ship!"

Wendy noticed something burrowing through the sand up to Romeo. "ROMEO!"

"Huh? WAAH!" BWING! The Sandbag sprung up and flung Romeo skyward.

"ROMEOOOOOOO!"

Jinta bashed the Sandbag away. Karin became a ghost and flew up to catch Romeo. She flew back down as they entered the ship. "Hang on, Romeo, I'll fix you!" Wendy cast healing magic on her friend.

"Err… I feel like… we did this before…" Romeo grunted with a smirk.

"Just keep it together." Karin stated, starting up the ship. "Hopefully, the others are at GKND H.Q.."

Legola; Construction Yard

Ally Mitchels was swinging a Lego wrecking ball against the swarms of Sandbags. "I remember playing with Legos when I was little." The giant said. "But the Earth versions are just too small for me now. Are you almost done?"

"Am I ever!" Philip Blakely said, standing atop a Lego-made spacecraft. "And if my calculations are correct…" Phil climbed in the ship and pushed a button, opening the roof, "it should JUST be fit for a giant! Gonna be a tight squeeze, but get in, quick!"

Ally ran onto the ship and crouched as Phil closed it. He started the engines and lifted off. "Man, this technology is amazing! I am DEFINITELY coming back here!"

"Me, too! …!" Ally gasped. "PHIL, WATCH OUT!"

The music started as a massive, Lego-made Sandbag was rolling their direction. "Heh heh. I ain't scared of you. Get a taste of my BIG BLOCK BLASTER!" Phil charged a powerful laser in the ship, and just as the music ended, he FIRED and shattered the titanic Sandbag into pieces. "Perfect! Let's get outta this toy box!" Phil steered the ship skyward and was off to space.

Sector V Treehouse

Weiss Schnee froze Sandbags and shattered them on her way to the treehouse. Once there, she created an ice path up to the hangar and slid up. "Glad to see you made it." Cheren said. "Weren't you Chris's partner? Where is he?"

"They got him!"

"Oh, no!" Hat Kid gasped.

"We'll just pick him up on the way." Artie said, starting a C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.. Constanze was with him, curiously examining pieces of 4x4 tech. "When is Mike going to get here?"

"He sure is taking his time." Cheren replied. "Sigh, he could've gotten ambushed by them, too. No way he's that slow."

KND Bike Hub

"WAAAAAAAH!" The tracks leading to the Bike Hub were over 20 miles long. Operatives always had bike races on them, but the sight of someone running the tracks on their own two feet was a rare thing to see. Yet, here Mike was, running like a little girl from the slowly pursuing Sandbag. "HEEEELP! I'M BEING CHASED BY A PUNCHING BAG! YAAAAAAAH!"

"Well, you're the epitome of masculinity." Gonshiri remarked. "You know, I think you can still outrun him if you walk normally."

"Waaaaaahhhh!" Mike was too afraid to listen. He tried to run up a loop-di-loop, but his legs did not have the speed or strength. So, he jumped to the other end of the loop. "Waaaaahh…" He kept running for his life, despite the massive gap between him and the Sandbag. And he still had 19 miles to go.

Aquaria; Sandbag Shack

Sandbags were coming out of a teleporting machine as Victini touched them one by one. The shack was guarded by Magikoopas, with their leader being a purple-clothed one with glasses. "Kammy, we picked up Vweeb and Aisa's location. They're in the Valley of Avalar."

"Mweh heh heh. Thank you, Prince Bowser. OI! Valley of Avalar, hop to it!" At her command, four Magikoopas channeled their magic and warped a Sandbag. "Mweh heh heh. I can't believe how well this plan is going. And those fools have no idea that WE own the Sandbag Factory that supplied them!"

"Victini…" The creature brimmed with a dark aura, continuing its job.

"And this power… I had forgotten just how terrifying the Firstborn are. These 'Newborn' will certainly be interesting specimens to observe."

"Kammy Koopa!" a Magikoopa reported. "The KND are entering the atmosphere."

"Curses. Well, it was fun while it lasted. We can't let them find out about us, yet. Retreat, but keep this transporter active." With that, the Magikoopas Disapparated. (Play "Final Destination" from Smash Bros. Brawl!)

Cheren's group, Karin's group, and Minksman's saucer were reentering Aquaria. "The Sandbags have taken the audience hostage!" Wendy shouted. Indeed, Sandbags were lined up along the tops and bottoms of the stands, the audience terrified.

"They already got Nebula, too!" Cheren noticed his leader laying defeated on the game area. "Grrr… just what on Earth happened to make these things so dangerous?"

"We were keeping them inside a shack before all this started." Minksman said. "It's over there."

"Let's see what's up!" Phil declared, the ships steering that way.

A platoon of Sandbags were guarding the shack in question, eying the operatives as they disembarked the ships. "RAAAAH!" Jinta hit five of them away with a mighty swing of his bat, and Wendy used a tornado to sweep ten of them up and away. Twenty more came out of the shack, but Karin kicked her soccerball to knock a combo of them down, and Ally and the Kateenians took them down with brute force.

The group was able to get inside the shack. "They're coming from that machine!" Cheren pointed.

"I don't remember that being there." Minksman said. "But what is… THAT thing?!"

"Victini…" The creature smirked at its visitors.

When another Sandbag came out, Victini touched it. "Is THAT what's been giving them power?!" Jinta shouted.

Fi leapt out of Cheren's sword. "Master Cheren, I have identified the creature as Victini. Referred to as the Victory Spirit, Victini is said to appear during contests and special events and grant incredibly good luck to whomever it pleases."

"Incredibly good luck…?" Jinta mumbled.

"So, THAT'S why you were so good in the Home-Run Contest!" Karin realized. "I bet it's also why Sind and Lulu won their contests, too."

"So, we got touched by that thing? But why is it making the Sandbags attack us?"

"I can feel a Dark Chi radiating from the spirit. Master, you may also like to know that this spirit possesses immeasurably high Power Levels. Its chi resembles that of the Firstborn."

"A TWELFTH Firstborn, are you joking?!" Artie asked, he and Constanze shooting laser rifles to puncture the Sandbags' heads. "Just how many MORE has Arceus not told us about?"

"I don't really care at the moment." Cheren stated with anger, drawing his sword at the spirit. "Do you even realize what you're doing?! I'm putting a stop to you once and for ALL!" Cheren leapt at Victini with fury, but the spirit turned invisible and dodged. "Victini…" Cheren searched around for the source of the voice, but Sandbags were closing up on him.

"Cheren!" Karin grabbed him in her ghost form and turned invisible.

"Time to stop production!" Jinta declared, raising his giant bat and SMASHING the transporter.

"You idiot!" Minksman shouted. "I wanted to use it to see where they were coming from!"

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about any more!"

"Darn it, where did Victini go?" Cheren asked impatiently. He and Karin searched around for the spirit when- "Victini." it appeared right in front of them.

"YAH!" Cheren whacked it out of the air with his sword immediately.

Victini angrily recovered as the Sandbags gathered around it. "Victini!" Its body brimmed with a golden aura as it transferred more power to the Sandbags, their eyes shining yellow.

Jinta crushed one with his bat, but the iron weapon snapped in two, and they were too heavy for Wendy's wind to move. "They're even STRONGER now!" exclaimed the mage. "If they hit us, we're done for!"

"Grrrrr…" Cheren could feel only anger for the little creature. Victini's mischievous smirk remained unchanged. "We just got done saving the universe… everyone is finally remembering what happiness feels like… just what gives you the right to RUIN THIS DAY?!?"

"I couldn't agree MORE!" The Hat Kid fiercely threw her hat onto one of the empowered Sandbags. Despite its dramatic upsurge in strength, it was still a mindless creature, so she could easily possess it. She about-faced the Sandbag and rolled up to Victini, who was royally confused. "I think YOU need to LEARN SOME MANNERS!" She bent the Sandbag back and swung its head into Victini.

If an ordinary Sandbag were to do this, the impact would be less than satisfactory, but with this one's raw power, the entire planet seemed to shake. Victini felt every bone in its body rattling, shattering, and rearranging, and as the spirit went ZOOMING out of the atmosphere with unmatched velocity, tidal waves brushed the ocean. Victini had lost all senses as it was swirling through outer space, headed straight for Galaxia's Sun. With a terrific SPLASH that lit up the whole universe, Victini was gone.

On Flora, Ruby was protecting Terry's body from the surrounding Sandbags. She watched as a golden aura left their bodies, raising a brow. As the Sandbags exchanged glances, Ruby smirked. "Lost your power, didn't ya? TAKE THIS!" Now there was nothing to stop her from laying the furious beatdown.

On Coruscant, Morgiana found Anthony injured in the building he was flown to. Sandbags managed to surround them, but Morg caught wind of the dissipating aura. With a passionate expression, Morgiana began kicking each and every Sandbag out of the building.

At Rozeland, Akko and Lee Andrew were hugging each other as Sandbags crept up to them. "Lee, I just want you to know, I enjoyed our short-lived friendship."

"I did, too. I just wish I could've introduced you to…"

But that's when the Sandbags lost their auras. The weak bags hit the cowering pair, but dealt no damage. …Lee and Akko exchanged wicked grins and began to lay waste upon them.

On Earth, Terezi could smell the aura leaving the Sandbags' bodies. "Hmmm… so, 1t w4s h1m."

On Avalar, Vweeb was shrinking all the Sandbags down and letting Aisa happily dance over their squashed bodies.

At the Final Brain ruins, Maggie Simpson ordered all the Sandbags to line up, shooting each one in the head. "You still creepy as heck, kiddo." Harry Gilligan said. His partner, Sapphire nodded. (End song.)

One hour later

Eventually, all the operatives had returned to Aquaria. Wendy, Haruka, and Melody were the leading medical operatives in treating everyone's injuries. "Are you okay, Sind?" Ally asked her leader.

"I'm fine, Ally." Sind replied, his leg bandaged. "I didn't get it as bad as everyone else."

"Oh, blimey… I can't believe Ah was bested by a punching bag." Sheila was nearly fully bandaged. "Me pirate record is ruined…"

"Don't be a baby." Maddy remarked.

After Brett Gunkan and Chancellor Phyronix finished cutting the Sandbags that held them hostage, the GUN Commander took his place at the podium again. "Ahem, well… after that very strange and unexpected turn of events… allow me to continue. I think what we have just witnessed here was another sign of the Kids Next Door's brevity. Even during the middle of a day of fun and public amusement, they won't hesitate to protect our universe. Yet, I understand how and why some would fear the Kids Next Door. Ever since they were founded, they acted around the law. And they're stubborn enough to tear down corrupt world governments. But these kids have been through more pain and turmoil in their childhoods than MANY people have in their whole lives. And yet, despite everything that's happened, they're still kids.

"Now, you may be wondering why we've all gathered here to watch a bunch of kids goof off and play games. And the reason is, this Field Day serves as a reminder. It reminds us that the Kids Next Door are still people like us, with their own special skills, traits, and weaknesses, and no matter which powers or origins they possess, we must not dare to see them differently. It reminds us that the Kids Next Door fight for us, to see us smile and live happily with our friends and families. And after their brave performance against the notorious Sandbag Rebellion, the Kids Next Door remind us that they will always be here, and we will continue to look up at their treehouses with hope. And that is why, with no doubt in my mind, they will always be… heroes."

The audience rang with claps and cheers. Sheila, Maddy, and all the other injured operatives could feel their injuries softening, smiling in gratitude and pride. Cheren stood with Hat Kid as they waved to all their fans. This final event caught them off guard, and would unfortunately bring Field Day to a close, but they weren't ready to stop pleasing their audience. It was a New World. A New Era. And they would continue their adventures and continue to bring happiness to all. Nothing could stand in their way.

Karkat and an injured Terezi were viewing the broken transporter at the Sandbag shack, the latter using crutches to stay up. "Hmm… I wonder if someone else knows…" Karkat said.

"Knows what?" They turned to find Cheren and MaKayla. "Do you two know something about Victini?"

"…Well, yes. Cheren, when you first arrived at Hivebent, do you remember when I said that, even if we defeated Lord-… You-Know-Who… the universe would be anything but peaceful?"

"Uh… yes…?"

"Well, we had another project going on before we got involved with you. And it looks like that project is baring fruit. The question is… do you want to know what it is right now?"

"…" Cheren glanced at MaKayla, who eyed him with a look that said, 'Whatever you choose.' Cheren responded, "No. I think everyone deserves to rest for now. …But if you ever think it's gonna be important, you have to tell us."

"Okay. We will."

Koopa Kore

"I'm almost sad that the festivities had to end so soon." Dr. Eggman said as Team Gnaa entered Bowser's Castle.

"Gwah hah hah! Either way, I think we gathered more than enough intel!" Bowser, Jr. said. "Our troops are already primed up and ready to sock it to those so-called 'heroes.'" The six villains overlooked a large room where Koopas, Kremlings, and even Eggman robots were training, while a golden Koopatrol spoke to them. "And soon, we'll have all we need to know to CRUSH them all!"

"As you can see, this Chris boy has an eye naturally tattooed on his forehead." The Koopatrol said to his class. "This is called a Combustion Eye. If he shows this, it's gonna hurt, but dodge left or right, and you MIGHT be okay. This eye is what we gotta hit. We strike here, he can't use combustion, and his normal bending might get weaker, too."

"Shadowbenders hide in shadows." A Boo officer was speaking to another class, showing pictures of Dillon York, Lee Andrew, and Terry. "They strike from shadows. They ATTACK with shadows. So, what do we do? Shrink the shadows. Bring Bulb Berry-powered flashlights, super bright and super effective. Get rid of as many shadows as possible, the smaller they are, the weaker they are. But don't just shine on them from one side, otherwise it'll make them stronger. Surround the shadowbenders, see that all sides are bright, give them nothin' to work with."

"This blue-haired girl can make impenetrable shields." A Shy Guy commander was saying to his training Shy Guys, showing pictures of Wendy, Maddy, Aisa, Sapphire, and others. "THIS girl is a Haki Master. And a lot of them are good at sensing movements, either with Observation Haki or psychicbending. If we're gonna beat them, we gotta learn Haki. Both main forms. We gotta be able to predict their movements faster, be ready to break their defenses, and hide our own, and we'll keep training until we can do every one."

"THIS girl." A Kasplat wacked a stick at a picture of Aranea. "THIS girl." A picture of Aeincha. "THIS girl." One of Yuzu. "THIS guy." One of Philip. "This thing." One of Sollyx. "And all the others up here. We've identified these kids as the 'weak links' in their respective sectors. We've deemed them as the weakest fighters and the easiest to capture. Don't get me wrong, they can be tricky. Heck, some can even put up a fight. But our best chance at crushing the whole sectors will be to capture these members. Restrain them in any way you can, lock them in a cage, chi-block them, shrink them, hold nothing back, and their teammates ain't gonna take no chances until they're safe. Needless to say, don't give them any opportunities for a quick rescue."

"I am impressed, I must admit." Gruntilda said. "These soldiers really do seem fit. I'm sure the tools from my new factory will also prove satisfactory."

"HEY, that wasn't a real rhyme!" Bowser shouted.

"Calm down, Bowser." King K. Rool said. "Ahhh… it seems that our 23-year training period is finally nearing its close. Soon, we will know the locations of the Newborn… and Team Gnaa will begin our renaissance. MWEH HEH heh har!"

Bonus: The Neo Nextgen Rap

This one-shot draws heavy inspiration from Donkey Kong 64's "DK Rap," as well as the "Yooka-Laylee Rap" from that game. I would say this song is a parody, but those songs kind of parody themselves. XD

Harry Gilligan began playing the DJ as spotlights shone upon the stage.

So, here they are

Performing for you!

All the operatives from Sectors V, W, W7, SA, and others posed on the stage. (Zach Murphy was wearing a tutu.)

If you know the words

You can join – in – too!

Maddy whispered something in Zach's ear. The boy panicked and ran off.

These kids are the best

You can count on that!

Zach returned in his normal clothing.

And we'll prove it…. with

This non-infringing rap! HUH!

K. N. … Kids Next DOOR!

The kids danced, jumped, and kicked to the left—Mocha sent Jinta flying by accident.

The stage went dark, and when the lights were back, Sector V took up the stage.

The top dogs here are Sector V

Friends with all, including you an' me!

Aurora's the leader, both hot and cool *Aurora throws fire and ice fireworks to the air*

Chris will blast you away in a duel! *Chris punches his flaming fists together*

Haruka's the doc, and she has the cure *Haruka holds syringes between her fingers and winks*

Mason will supply you with sodas and more! *he shakes sodas and squirts them out*

When Sheila fights, she'll brighten your day *she winks and holds a Light Sphere*

No one gets in Dillon's way! *he uses Veil to slip past an Ice Cream Man and punch him*

Harry, Artie, Haylee all got the smarts *Harry plays the DJ, Haylee twirls her wrench, and Artie is holding a blowtorch*

Kirie will strike you with her poison darts! *she dances gracefully and throws bladed flowers out*

Vanellope's sportin' her glitch attack *she glitches around the stage*

So, get on their bad side

AND YOU WON'T – COME – BACK!

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

Mason and Haruka were throwing up Gas Bombs while the Uno kids shot fire at them to make fireworks. Sheila threw a Light Sphere up that burst into raining light droplets.

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

The lights hit Sheila's teammates and knocked them out. She grinned and shrugged at the camera. Afterwards, Sector W took the stage.

They may look small… but make no mistake

Anthony ain't gonna give you a break! *Anthony stomps the stage and flings some boulders up*

Fybi's got it covered up in the sky *the Nimbi soars around the air and shoots arrows down*

Sally's yo-yos will choke you dry! *she whirls her yo-yos around*

Harvey's got heart, but he plays it cool *his arms are folded and he smiles at the camera, eyes covered by his hat*

Aranea never falls short in a duel!

"That's the best line you could've come up for-" she tried to say.

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

The five kids were balancing on Sally's yo-yo, which was tied around two posts like a tightrope.

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

Naturally, the string snapped under Anthony's weight, and they all fell, while Fybi remained hovering in midair. The next ones to take the stage were Sector IC.

What do – I – see?

It's Sector IC!

George will stop ya

Oh, yes sirree! *George King freezes his team in time*

MaKayla's doin' the Time Warp thing *MaKayla makes Paradox Clones*

Lola here will do the span-king! *Lola flies around and throws Spank Hands*

Terry ain't friendly, just so ya know *Terry drags Kremlings into a Veil and throws them out unconscious*

If Miyuki gets ya, you'll be movin' slow! *she expands a Time Bubble to Agify a group of Koopas*

And any time they're feelin' down…

Suki's here to turn their frown upside-down! *Suki skies around her friends on an ice path*

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

Sector IC were skating circles around the stage, with Miyuki on the outside.

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

Miyuki's high-heels cut clean through the ice, causing all her friends to collapse below the stage. Sector W7 posed pretty on the stage.

These girls got style, strength, and joy

They haven't got one single boy

"Except Gonbe-chan!" Chimney shouted.

Chimney's drivin' and flyin' the train *she sits in a makeshift train*

Mocha's here to BRING the PAIN! *the giant lifts the train above her and grins proudly*

Apis can hear what the animals speak *Apis raises her arms as butterflies gather on her*

Aisa feels pride every day of the week! *she dodges an Egg Pawn's punches and kicks him away*

April brings the artistic flair *April dips a brush in her palette and whirls the paint around like a ribbon*

And Aeincha is there to style – your – hair! *Gonbe comes to a halt as Aeincha raises her scissors*

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

Aeincha was balancing on her tippy-toes, holding up Apis and Aisa in either hand, while April stood on their feet with a triangle pose, followed by Chimney standing on her head with one foot, and Mocha propping herself on her via her finger. (Sunni was using psychic to hold them in place.)

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

Gonbe lifts the whole stack onto his back and hops off. This allowed Sector JP to take the stage.

From Japan, let's give 'em a hand

Karin is stronger than ANY man! *she kicks a soccerball up and down and sends it flying*

"'cept me!" Jinta said.

Jinta here will BREAK your skull *he swings his giant bat and hits the soccerball away*

Kodama is gonna destroy you ALL! *she launches fireworks around the stage, exploding into color*

She's small, she's fast, that Ururu *a tiny figure whizzes left and right before growing back to normal*

Then it's time for lunch, from Chef Yuzu! *Yuzu stirs a pot and serves soup to her friends*

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

The five kids are kicking the soccerball around.

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

When Kodama kicks it to Karin, it suddenly becomes a firecracker, and it explodes. Sector SA was next onstage.

They're few in number, but don't you doubt

Nagisa will slice you before you shout! *Nagisa throws his rubber knife up and catches it in his teeth*

Goombella's brain is always on point *she flipped through her book and winked*

Morgiana's legs pack triple joints! *she swings and kicks her legs powerfully*

Index here can sometimes bite *she dances with a fork and knife in hand*

"'Sometimes.'" Nagisa remarked.

But she never forgets when it's time for a fight!

KND

Kids Next DOOR!

The other three members form a trampoline with their arms and spring Goombella skyward.

Friends of you an' me, and

Crossovers galore!

A giant Goombella crushes them. Vweeb snickered at the act.

And DON'T forget our Moonbase crew

Makin' sure these sectors all do what they do!

Cheren's the master, and his sword is proof *he raises the Master Sword skyward*

But Panini is there to give him a boost *she happily lifts Cheren up by the arms*

Maddy's punch brings lots of might *she fist-palms her Haki fist*

Zach – just – may – be the weirdest, right? *Zach was upside-down, propped up by a giant mustache where little squirrels were serving tea*

Sunni and Darcy see everything, yo *the sisters are floating and meditating*

And nothing gets by that crazy Mako! *the stage explodes as Mako jumps out and makes her signature pose*

"Come on, Harry! Kick it up a notch!" Mako ordered.

"You got it." Harry said as colorful spotlights began to shine around.

Action! Adventure! All this and more!

Bad guys beware of the Kids Next Door!

The KND bore serious poses as Team Gnaa and the Four Emperors surrounded them in the darkness.

Action! Adventure! All this and more!

Bad guys beware of the Kids Next Door!

A bender from each element unleashed their element toward the air.

Action! Adventure! All this and more!

Bad guys beware of the Kids Next Door!

Miniature versions of the treehouses grew around the stage with the sectors posing on them. A mouse king was watching the performance from his room in the darkness.

Action! Advent-

The mouse turned the screen off.

Moonbase Bridge

"THAT was embarrassing." Aranea said.

"I can't believe you talked us into doing that, Zach." Maddy said.

"Come on, Mads! Everyone loves a rap song opening! All the popular shows use them."

"Well, it was a good way to advertise the KND, at least." Cheren figured. "A shame that we couldn't include more sectors."

"We don't mind." Wendy said. "It's better if a song doesn't drag on too much, and there are a lot of us."

"Great job with the special effects, Sunni!" Aurora praised.

"I got my own artistic tastes, you know!"