Sector $, Part 3¢: Judgment Day

Midway Gala; three years ago

"I'm glad you weren't there to see it, Mr. Schnee." Preston Northwest said to his fellow noble. "Commonfolk touching my floor like…like house pets coming in from the rain!"

"Ho ho ho! If you want house pets, try dealing with the Mobians!" Jacques said. "A disgusting bunch, the lot of them. And they have the gall to mate with… humans…"

Pacifica quickly grew bored of the conversation and went to explore the party. She overheard the conversations of other nobles. "Sometimes, I sneak downstairs and set the Minish sleeping quarters on fire." Doffy Jr. whispered with a snicker. "The guards just think they committed suicide!"

"It's the easiest scam ever!" said a loud man with only three strands of hair on his head. "Just cut down the trees, paint 'em gold, and BOOM! You're filthy rich! People will fall for anything! They're suckers!"

That's how the world works: people lying and cheating to get where they are. That's how most of those nobles got so rich. But inside, they're criminals. Criminals that were above the law and were legally immune. Including my own family. That's why I decided to join the Kids Next Door, to be able to fight those criminals.

Pacifica fixed on a pair of metal cuffs with five turrets. She flicked them forward and fired chains that wrapped around Killer Moth and Tubbimura, then she pressed a button to squeeze the villains.

Raleigh created these for me using GKND technology. I call them the Chains of Judgment. They look small, but they can conjure endless solid energy chains. I use them to bind villains and punish them for their crimes!

Gravity Falls; current time

"But that's pretty much what they are." Pacifica said to Dipper Pines as they waited in line at an ice cream stand. "A weapon to catch bad guys."

"Heh heh heh! And here I thought they were a magical spirit weapon or something." Dipper laughed.

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Pacifica bought two glass bowls of Flavor Mountain ice cream and gave one to Dipper. "Still, it feels kind of pointless if villains just keep escaping from prison. What is with the security at Arctic Base, anyway?"

"Well, sometimes they bribe the security operatives, other times they break through the ice and brave through the freezing waters." They took their seat at an outdoor table. "Heh heh, it's a wonder they've gotten stronger. I honestly think it's better to let GUN handle most of the prisoners."

"Yeah, but didn't they let Doflamingo go?"

"Probably because he was a noble. But for the most part, they got decent security."

"Good morning, Time Zone, and thank you for tuning in to Channel 10 News!" There was a small TV in the ice cream stand, hooked up to megaphones to amplify Eva Jackson's voice around town. "Our top story today, the officers at G.U.N. have decided to release notorious criminal, John C. Fright, a.k.a. Affright."

Pacifica spat a glob of ice cream out at Dipper. "WHAT?! ?"

"It never gets old…" Dipper sighed, wiping himself off.

"Yes, I hope all of you are as flabbergasted as I am. Despite the horrid amount of chaos he caused on Halloween Night, G.U.N. Doctor Agna has declared him mentally fit to reenter society again. We now go to a recording of Dr. Agna himself." Pacifica pulled out her phone to watch the news directly, Dipper looking over her shoulder.

Dr. Agna was an ancient man with a white beard, a wrinkled bald head, and a white labcoat. "Mr. Fright has suffered terrible amnesia from the incident, and has lost all criminal motives he might have had. We will provide him with a new living quarters and enough money for him to make a new start."

"And as if the bullcrap couldn't get more real, President Jessie signed his official seal of approval. John Fright will be freed just like fellow notorious criminals, the former Big Mom Pirates and CP10 agents. So, since we're just getting away with crimes now, I'm gonna enjoy a smoke." Eva lit up a cigarette.

"She's setting a bad example for her daughter." Dipper said. "Huh? Pacifica, where you going?" His friend began walking away in anger.

"To get to the bottom of this! Starting from the top."

Iceberg Gala

The Corporate Presidents had met up again, and with the diner free of other nobles, the five could talk in private. "Gruntilda, I am truly sorry for my daughter's actions the other day." Jacques Schnee said. "I swear, I had no idea she was a part of those… hooligans!…"

"Hooligans, schmooligans, I don't care! No matter who, children are nightmares."

"So, let's get to the main issue: how to deal with those pests?" Mom said. "'Cause if you haven't noticed, we're smack at the bottom of the food chain!"

"I hate to say it, but she's right." Doflamingo, Jr. said. "This universe is ruled by Three Great Powers, as it has been for ages. There are the World Governments, run by kings, rulers, and us Corporate Presidents. There is the Criminal Underworld, run primarily by the Pirate Emperors. Then, there are the Kids Next Doors, all interconnected via the Galactic Kids Next Door. And because of everything that's happened, many of the planets' governments are weighing in favor of the KND. We're the only ones against it."

"And worse, they're not the only ones." Jacques said. "As you know, the pirates seem to think they have their own form of law, and part of that law reads that there must always be Four Emperors. For 20 years, there had been three since Davy Jones' defeat, and with Big Mom out of the picture, there were two. That unbalance had lasted for too long. So, it's no surprise that the revived Sherry Linlin would reclaim her ancient title. And, as for the Fourth Emperor… not much can be said."

He switched on a large TV, displaying dark images of the Four Emperors. Mandy's deadly glare shone on her form, King K. Rool's golden belly took up most of his screen, Sherry Linlin displayed a wide, hungry grin, while the fourth picture displayed an impish figure with one yellow eye and pirate hat. "All we know is that his name is Skaios, and that he is an airbender. This pirate was reported to have caused massive damage on hundreds of planets. They have decided he is the perfect candidate for an Emperor."

"But if the Four Emperors prove to be a real significant threat, the Kids Next Door will most likely challenge them." Ted Wassanasong inferred. "Perhaps we could let them destroy each other?"

"That is a chance I will not take!" Grunty argued. "Jacques, a word with you I would like to make."

She led the Schnee president away from their colleagues. "Jacques, I'll just cut to the chase: I know you have an advantage in this race. You wish not for the others to know, the secret to your success, oh ho."

"You… What are you talking about, Gruntilda?"

"Eee hee hee hee. You want me to forgive your little Schnee? Then take me to your factory, so I can see."

The White House

Sector $ landed at the base of the White House stairs, Pacifica leading the team as they marched to the front doors, guarded by two guards. "Hold up there, kids! Where do you think you're goin'?!"

"We're Kids Next Door operatives and we need to speak with the president." Pacifica answered.

"We can't just let any operative in here."

"We're also rich nobles." Carol said.

"I'm a prince." Raleigh commented.

"I brought this non-infringing Phantomhive SpongeJoe toy for him." Ciel held up a Spongebob ripoff with an eyepatch, cane, pipe, and top-hat.

"Uh, well… Sigh, go on in." The guards gave in and stepped aside. "Darn rich kids."

The five made their way to the president's office, approaching the 10-year-old Indian boy that had earned the title three years ago. "Dammit, can't anyone see I'm trying to do homework?" Jessie asked angrily. "Wait, you're not…"

"We're from Sector $ and we need to talk to you." Pacifica began. "President Jessie, why did you sign off on Affright's freedom?! It's barely been more than a week since the Horrorverse!"

"Stop yelling, okay?! Sigh, my head feels like mush lately. I know Affright caused a lot of sh** on Halloween, but this voice in my head kept saying to let him go."

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard! If you just let criminals go on an impulse, you're only putting more people in danger!"

"Yeah, Jessie!" Carol agreed. "We thought you were smarter than all the other presidents, but if you're doing THIS, maybe you need to step down."

"Uhhhh…" Jessie passed out on the desk.

"I didn't mean LIE down!"

"Wait, look." Ciel noticed what seemed like a bug fly out of Jessie's ear. In a flash, it grew to the size of a human man with silver hair, a red eye, and a dark cloak.

The kids gasped and stepped back. "Y-Y-You're… Lord Vaati!" Weiss stuttered.

"Please, don't get the wrong idea, kids!" Vaati said with a blush. "Yes, I have been manipulating Jessie into releasing criminals. I had Dr. Agna infiltrate GUN to study the prisoners, and many of them have abandoned their evil intentions. Of course, the law wouldn't permit them to leave, so I had to speed the process up. Give them the freedom they deserve."

"How do you know they aren't just deceiving you?" asked Pacifica.

"Believe me, Dr. Agna can see through any lie. You don't need to worry about these villains causing trouble again."

"Or maybe YOU'RE the reason the KND keeps HAVING trouble! You're just like my parents and ALL those rich adults, using whatever power they have to get what they want, even if it means hurting others!"

"I am NOTHING like them! My wish is only to help people who want a second chance! I want to give them the chance to be something better, but they need the freedom to do so! Besides, according to my recollection, none of the prisoners I've released have done any sort of harm to anyone."

"President Jessie, a little girl with a mustache is attacking the White House! She's painting goop everywhere! Should we call GUN or the KND?!" a nasally voice from the phone speaker shouted.

Vaati flushed. "Er, except for her. But I've been working on that. Ahem, excuse me." He turned into a gust of wind and blew out of the office.

Carol smiled and pulled out a tape-recorder. "See guys, I knew turning this on before walking in would come in handy. Let's get out of here and show Cheren."

"That can wait. I'm not buying any of this crud. Come on, team!" Pacifica began to march out. "We're gonna clean up their mess and put all these criminals back where they belong!"

"It sounds more fun than holding a sign up for Carol, at least." Raleigh remarked.

Roguetown, Oregon

"Legally acquired goods! Get your legally acquired goods right here!" Nickel Joe was yelling into a megaphone, riding a basket in a Fat Jack balloon. "Guitars, VCR players, a bunch-a things no one uses anymore, but they still hold classic value! Hey, I got a ton of old Steamboat Willy tapes!"

Sector $ were among the Mushroomian townspeople, staring curiously up at them. "Not those guys again!" Carol huffed.

"Let's see, a team of criminals floating around in a balloon." Raleigh thought aloud, drawing his Pokéball. "I think I know how to handle this."

"Do it, Raleigh!" ordered Pacifica.

"Magnemite, use Thunder Shock!" ("Magnemite!") The Pokémon followed its order the second it was released.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Nickel Joe cried in pain, while Fat Jack gave a more exhausted wail. A hole was pricked into the balloon's body and they zoomed around the sky before crashing down.

Joe scrambled to lift Jack off him, but he was quickly wrapped up in Pacifica's chains and squeezed. "It's back to jail with you, Joe!"

"You got the wrong guy! I ain't Joe, I'm Slim, Trader Slim! Come on, tell 'em, Carol! Remember me, I'm Nickel Joe from- oh, dang it."

"That's what I thought."

Fizz's Fizzy Soda

In the Fizzy Soda factory, Lime Rickey was among the other workers screwing bottle caps onto soda bottles as they moved down a treadmill. Weiss Schnee was hiding under the treadmill, sticking her finger up to freeze one of the bottles. When it came up to Rickey, it exploded, covering him in cold soda, and Weiss proceeded to freeze him entirely.

Leslie Meijer worked in this same factory as a receptionist. She returned to her desk with some coffee and sat down—Pooooot! She felt something underneath and got up, thinking it might be a whoopee cushion. However, it was actually a Slurpuff, emitting a pink gas that seeped into Leslie's nose and put her to sleep.

L.A. Spa Resort

Girls were lain on massaging tables and receiving well-deserved treatment after a hard day's work. Megan Parker's massager was a muscular man with black hair and a charming smile. As soon as Megan settled on the table, Sebastian raised his hand and CHOPPED down on Megan's back, knocking her out.

A clown was entertaining children at a backyard party, but chaos ensued when Game-and-Watches jumped in and fired 2-D flamethrowers. They did no real harm, but they convinced the kids to panic and run, leaving the Programs to seize the clown.

A red-haired lifeguard was taking part in a game of volleyball with some kids. Suddenly, the pool was frozen, and Weiss carved out his frozen body and took him away, leaving the other pool-goers frozen.

Former Big Mom Pirate Bobbin was selling bobble heads at Chuck E. Cheddar's, wobbling his own head along with them. Ciel crept up behind him, looking curiously between him and the toys. Ciel kicked and shook the shelves to make the bobble heads shake faster, and this caused Bobbin to shake faster before eventually becoming dizzy and passing out.

Arctic Base

Sector $ flew to Arctic Prison real quick to toss the former villains into a cell. "Sweet! Over 30 escaped convicts collected!" Pacifica said proudly. "Who's next on the list, Carol?"

"Big Mom Pirates' Pekoms Lionheart was also released from GUN," Carol read from their private files, "and that he returned to his homeworld, Mobius."

"Then our next stop is Mobius! Let's go!"

"Are you crazy?" Weiss asked. "You don't seriously want to go all the way to Mobius just to catch this guy. We don't even know where on Mobius he lives; I mean, he could've been arrested there, too!"

"There they are, Sir." Hearing Marcus's voice, they looked down the passage to see the Drill Sergeant along with Cheren Uno.

"Perfect. I'll take it from here, Marcus." Cheren approached the team. "Sector $, Marcus tells me you've been bringing in hordes of villains. But I nor anyone at Global Command recall assigning you any missions to capture these people."

"We can explain, Cheren." Pacifica said. "Lord Vaati was manipulating the president and GUN into releasing these criminals."

"It's true." Carol nodded. "I have it on a tape-recorder."

"And I have a list of complaints." Cheren grabbed a long list from his pocket and gave it to Pacifica. The team skimmed it and read things like, 'Kids Next Door ruined my son's birthday party!,' 'Froze the pool and kids are sick,' 'They attacked my husband at work,' 'Spa Center is disgraced,' 'Broke my uncle's leg and kidnapped him,' among many others. "And that was just me scrambling to write them all down. According to these people, none of these villains were doing anything wrong when you attacked them."

"For your information, that lifeguard used to have a secret dungeon where he brought kidnapped children!" Pacifica pointed at the ashamed lifeguard. "That clown used to make explosive balloons that blew up parade floats, and don't get me STARTED on what THAT guy used to do!" She pointed at an ordinary-looking man with a casual smile.

"Five years ago, I choked two million frogs." the man said. "Now, I work at a pizza place."

"Pacifica, my point is that you attacked these people without any orders or physical evidence that they were causing harm at the given time. If you uncovered political corruption on Lord Vaati's part, then I commend you for that, but you should've told me about that before going on this little hunt!"

"Cheren, some of these guys were major threats to the Kids Next Door! If we let them go free, they would've attacked us when we least expected! It doesn't matter if they weren't doing anything at the moment, because the fact is they would have done something, so it's better we catch them early than later. If those people are mad at us for crashing their parties, then fine, we'll pay them compensation later. But for right now, we have one more criminal to recapture." Pacifica bypassed the Supreme Leader, her team shortly joining. "Time to pay a visit to GUN, team."

"I loved the way their eyes inflated when I squeezed them." said the same guy from before. "I am very ashamed of that twisted nature now."

G.U.N. H.Q.

Dr. Agna walked out of the base with Affright and two soldiers. The supervillain had bandages around the stub that used to be his left arm. The doctor took a whiff through his nose and asked, "Isn't it great to be out of that messy base?"

"But… why…Why was I in there?" Affright asked. "All I remember is… a lot of screaming… and a jack-o-lantern…"

"It may come to you someday… and if it does, your choice then will be up to you. Until then, I'll take you to-"

"Hey, it's a Kids Next Door ship!" a soldier pointed up at Sector $'s S.U.P.E.R.-C.O.O.L.-B.U.S.. The ship landed as Pacifica hopped out and launched her Chains of Judgment around Dr. Agna and Affright. She clicked the button and squeezed the two.

"It's over, Agna!" she declared. "We know you're in league with Vaati and we have proof!"

"Vaati?!" a soldier gasped. "The Revolutionary? Dr. Agna?"

"Hm hm hm." Agna closed his eyes and smiled. "So, you caught on to my charade, eh? Well, I wasn't expecting it to go forever. It was all just a game to me. I'll take my leave now."

"As if! You're going to prison, Affright too."

"Heh heh." Agna opened his shining eyes. "I think not."

"What-" Pacifica was enveloped in a psychic aura, and a second later, she and Agna teleported.

"Pacifica!" cried Carol.

Grassy field

The two reappeared in a field of tall grass and a partly cloudy sky, with Agna free from the chains. "So, you're a psychicbender, huh? Well, I don't need my teammates to take YOU down!"

"Heh heh heh! I admire your courage, but your predecessors will tell you." The doctor grabbed his neck and pulled off his skin mask. His bald head had no wrinkles, but an arrow, and his beard was brown. "No normal human could take ME down." He took his gloves off to reveal the arrows on them.

Pacifica's jaw dropped: the arrows truly gave away his identity. "N-No way… y-y-you're… Lord Gnaa…"

"That's correct." The Negatar nodded. "After the battle, I was met with Ganon's old apprentice, Vaati. It turned out, we had a lot in common. He devised this entire scheme and I decided to go along with it."

"But why?! Those people were criminals, you of all people should know that! You can see the darkness in their hearts, can't you?!"

"Yes, I felt darkness in their hearts. Gray darkness. The darkness of guilt and regret. The hatred and ambition they once bore had long faded away, and in their hearts they longed for a second chance. So, we decided to manipulate GUN and the presidents to setting them free early."

"Who cares if they felt regret?! They were evil, they can't just be released back into society as if nothing happened!"

"Heh heh! Pacifica, when I was your age, plus 100 years, I used to think Good and Evil was just… black and white. But one day, I realized there are all kinds of colors out there. Look around you."

Pacifica observed the lush field, seeing goats grazing and horses racing. Her golden hair blew with the grass in the wind. "By day, this field is a paradise. By night, it is plagued with monsters. And there is always dawn and dusk in-between. There is light and darkness to everything, and yet people unjustly label something as either wholly good or wholly evil. People like you, who think they are heroes of justice, will never look at both sides of a person's heart. Even I was surprised to have found the light inside my dark." Gnaa conjured a ball of darkness in his hand, and a light aura surrounded it. "Do you truly believe people don't deserve a second chance?"

Pacifica was silent for a moment. Of course she believed that, otherwise she would be just like her parents. Otherwise, her family and Dipper would have died. "You were right about me. I am just another link in the world's worst chain."

"But just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them." Dipper told her.

"…Look, even if you're right, what you were doing was still wrong. I want you to stop it." she demanded.

"Don't worry, I will. Believe me, I don't have the strength to put up a fight. That last battle took a lot out of me. …Well, I still have a little strength. I mean, we ARE on Planet Hyrule, so… not bad for teleportation! …But first, let me ask you something, Pacifica: do you know what the most beautiful thing in this world is?"

"I dunno. What?"

"Change." Gnaa smiled. "You don't realize it now, but in the era before Nigel Uno joined the GKND, the Kids Next Door was a dark and terrible place. Full of ignorant, selfish, and prejudiced people. Even though your organization and your entire world is much more open-minded now, some people are still ignorant and prejudiced. When I was still in power, I wanted to flood the universe in darkness in the hopes it would make people stronger and seek to realize their ambitions. But I know now that the true purpose of darkness is to make it easier to find the light. With too much light, people will crave darkness, and with enough darkness, people will seek light. That is the balance of this universe and perhaps all universes. And so, I desire to continue that tradition."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Because of my actions 23 years ago, the Kids Next Door has grown to accept benders and all kinds of non-human peoples. And I am certain, by creating more chaos and spreading more darkness, it will continue to open peoples' minds. Why, just look at the wondrous changes that resulted from the Twenty Keys Quest. There is no reason for those changes to stop now."

"Hold on, you do realize what you're saying, don't you? Just what kind of chaos are you thinking of?"

"The very best kind. I'm sure you are aware by now, the appearance of these new Firstborn."

"How much do you know about the new Firstborn?"

"Quite a handful, actually. We've been calling them Newborn, and our data reads that they've been creating mischief on a number of planets. I can't imagine the mayhem they would cause if all of them were together. Why, it might break the boundaries of the multiverse all over again." Gnaa formed a smirk.

"What are you thinking?! Who are you working with?!"

"I'd love to tell you more, but I'm afraid my ride's here." Engines roared in the sky as a massive red ship appeared. The ship had a very distinct logo of a face with a mustache. A blue beam swallowed Gnaa and began to draw him into the ship. "Farewell, Pacifica. I look forward to your performance in the Renaissance."

"Wait! Aren't you going to warp me back to Earth?!"

"There's a Kids Next Door in Hyrule, ask them for a lift! Byyye!" Soon, Gnaa was inside the ship, and Pacifica could only watch as it zipped into hyperspace.

The Northwest heiress was left alone in the wild, seeing nary a treehouse in sight. "Sigh. Worst. Day. Ever."

Sector $ Treehouse

Eventually, Pacifica was able to acquire the aid of the Hyrule KND and she was reunited with her sector. "Pacifica!" Carol rushed up first and embraced her in a hug. "We were so worried! You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No… though this horse wasn't too happy with me taming it out of nowhere."

As Sebastian was cooking dinner for the group, Pacifica recapped what happened. "I guess you were right to be suspicious, Pacifica." Weiss said. "If the Negatar is up to his old tricks, then we need to be prepared."

"Yeah. Still, I feel kind of bad for arresting those people. Thinking I was doing the right thing by recapturing them… I'm as bad as my parents."

"Don't say that! Pacifica, you just didn't want to see anybody get hurt." Weiss reasoned. "Even if you were a bit paranoid… well, I think it's the instinct of a good leader."

"Really?" Pacifica looked at her with shock.

"Yeah! …Not that I'm voting for you quite yet though, just saying." Weiss gave a wry smile.

"Well, I still get points for effort, so I'm in the lead." Pacifica smirked.

"Oh, is that how we're doing it?" Raleigh asked. "Well, I might as well take part in this game, too. I would like to propose our next mission!" He stood with a proud posture and faced his teammates. "And that is to research these so-called Newborn!"