Cool Kids

Cool Kids is the fourth episode of Bonds.

Plot
''The episode begins with a shot of a young green-eyed female human/Kineceleran hybrid standing in a spacious training room opposite a young boy with quills on his face and arms; Helen and Pierce. Both of them wear black armor. An observation deck with a control panel is positioned a few feet off the ground, surrounded by a glass window. Servantis and Alan (in his human form, also wearing black armor) spectate from within. Servantis' voice booms through the speakers as he speaks through the microphone attached to the control panel.''

[Servantis]: No holding back. Remember, pretend that your opponent is an enemy.

''Helen's visor slides down as she runs towards Pierce at a high speed. As she gets closer, he backs away towards the wall and fires several quills in her direction. She swiftly moves out of the way to avoid them.''

[Helen]: Come on, you'll have to do better than that!

''With a confident smile on her face, she charges at him. At the very last second, he moves away from the wall, and Helen's smile disappears as she is unable to stop or change directions in time. Her body hits the wall and she bounces off, falling to the ground. From inside the observation deck, Alan winces and looks away.''

[Pierce, smiling]: Don't get too confident, sis.

''Helen groans in pain on the ground, her visor retracting. Pierce's smile is replaced by a look of genuine concern.''

[Pierce]: Do you yield?

Helen then lets out a low growl as she rises to her feet, wobbling.

[Helen]: No.

''Pierce turns to face Servantis in the observation deck, hoping for him to cut the training session short. Much to Pierce's chagrin, he shakes his head. Helen's visor comes down as she runs circles around Pierce. She creates a tornado that lifts him in the air before he is able to do anything.''

[Pierce]: Whoa!

''She stops and hits him with her tail with great force as he is suspended in the air for a moment, sending him flying to the other end of the room. He lands on the ground on his back with a thud. Helen runs towards him once more. Pierce places his hands on the ground behind his head, bending his knees. As Helen approaches him, he launches himself in the air in an attempt to kick her, but she runs behind him. He manages to get up from the ground, but his arms are immediately pinned behind his back by Helen, who holds his wrists. She leans in closely to whisper something in his ear.''

[Helen]: (whispers) Just give up. I don't want to hurt you anymore.

Pierce grunts with effort as he struggles to break free from Helen's grasp.

[Pierce]: (whispers) That won't be a problem.

''Quills grow out of his entire body which causes Helen to let go of him. As she is distracted, Pierce turns around and kicks her right in the stomach. He cocks his hand back for an uppercut, but a small chunk of the ground beneath him rises a few feet into the air and knocks him over. Helen looks around to see that other chunks of the ground also rise in the air, stopping at different heights. Pierce gets up and his quills retract into his body.''

[Pierce]: (loudly) A little warning would be nice next time!

[Servantis, through the microphone]: Expect the unexpected. The battlefield is hardly ever fair.

''Pierce runs towards Helen, extends a quill from his left arm, breaks it off and holds it with his right hand. He raises his arm to hit her with the quill, but she grabs his wrist with her tail, forcing him to release it. She kicks him in the chest rapidly multiple times, which causes him to stumble and fall off the platform. He manages to hang on to the ledge with his hand.''

[Alan]: No!

A smirking Helen bends over the ledge to get closer to Pierce.

[Helen]: Give up yet?

''Pierce lets go of the ledge and jumps on another platform that is closer to the ground, bending his knees to break his fall. He stands up and smiles at her.''

[Pierce]: Not even close!

''Helen runs vertically down the platform she's standing on. As she is about to run up the platform Pierce is standing on, he jumps off it, holds his legs to his chest and slams Helen, which sends them both tumbling to the ground, groaning in pain.''

[Alan]: That's gonna hurt for days.

[Servantis, through the microphone]: Helen, I assume you yield?

''Still lying on the ground, Helen raises her arm, mumbling something incomprehensible. Servantis clasps his hands.''

[Servantis, through the microphone]: Excellent work, both of you. Now, please get some rest. You're going to need it if you want to be ready for your first mission.

Helen and Pierce sit upright, the latter's visor sliding up.

[Helen and Pierce]: First mission?!

''They high-five, wide grins on their faces, and Alan pumps his fist in the air. At long last, their training will be put to good use.''

[Alan]: Woohoo!

[Servantis]: Debriefing is in two hours.

''We get an establishing shot of the main hub of the headquarters. It is a large dome-shaped, three-level room with glass walls and a glass roof. Stairs connect the different levels, and a thick support beam with an elevator within is positioned in the middle of the room, surrounded by red screens and extending to the roof. Servantis and Magister Coronach stand next to a large computer on the highest level, with Alan and Pierce standing a few feet away from him. Seconds later, Helen zips into the room and takes her place next to Pierce.''

[Pierce]: How can you have super speed and still be late?

Helen grins sheepishly.

[Helen]: Sorry! I was taking a nap!

[Pierce]: For two hours?!

[Helen]: Well, when you get body-slammed...

[Servantis]: Now, now, let's focus on the task at hand.

The kids turn to the computer screen, which shows an image of four Incurseans and their emperor, Milleous.

[Servantis]: These are the Incurseans, a technologically advanced species out for war. They are known for having destroyed many planets.

[Magister Coronach]: We have intel that they've recently procured a device powerful enough to destroy planets with the push of a button, making it easier for them to cause destruction. Your mission is to infiltrate one of their ships, retrieve the device and bring it back to us.

[Servantis]: Milleous will be briefly leaving the ship for a meal, giving you-

[Helen]: I think he's had one too many of those.

''She giggles, but nobody else shares her sentiment. Magister Coronach stares her down.''

[Magister Coronach]: You should know better than to interrupt your superior.

Helen hangs her head in embarrassment.

[Helen]: Yes, sir.

[Servantis]: As I was saying, Milleous will be leaving his ship for a meal, giving you three an opportunity to sneak aboard.

Pierce crosses his arms.

[Pierce]: If this device is so powerful, how do you know it's inside the ship and not with this Milleous guy? Do you expect us to just walk right up to him and take it from him?

[Servantis]: Of course not. We wouldn't want to send you to your deaths.

[Pierce]: Could've fooled me. We're literally going to board a ship full of warlike aliens.

[Magister Coronach]: That's why we'll be giving you ID masks. Use them to disguise yourselves as Incurseans and stay close to Milleous. If he keeps the device with him, you should be able to steal it from him when he's asleep. If not, you can roam the ship to find it.

[Servantis]: Acting the part should be quite simple. Incurseans are loyal to their leader. You must address him as "Lord Emperor Milleous, light of the Incursean empire, destroyer of galaxies, all beings tremble-"

Magister Coronach rolls his eyes, slightly annoyed.

[Magister Coronach]: They get it.

[Alan]: How are we getting there?

[Servantis]: Ah, good, you're participating in the conversation! I was beginning to think you were lost. Opening a portal directly to Fllrton would attract too much attention, so you will be transported there by ship. Once you've retrieved the device, let me know, and I will open a portal to your location and bring you back here.

Helen lifts her head.

[Helen]: What if stealth doesn't work?

[Magister Coronach]: Take it from him by any means necessary. (pauses) Anymore questions?

Silence fills the room for a few seconds.

[Magister Coronach]: No? Good. Move out.

''A while later, we see outer space. Although there is seemingly nothing, the screen zooms in to show Alan, Helen and Pierce buckled in on a row of seats, which indicates that their ship is invisible. The interior of the ship is rather small, as it has two rows of four seats opposite each other, with two horizontal rectangular windows above each row of seats. The walls, roof and floor are colored different shades of red. Helen and Pierce wear earpieces and, along with Alan, each hold an ID mask.''

[Pierce, turning to Helen]: Don't you think this is a bit much for a first mission?

[Helen]: You don't think we can pull it off?

[Pierce]: You tell me. We're just kids, Helen.

He lets out an exasperated sigh.

[Pierce]: Stealing something powerful enough to destroy planets from a race of war-hungry aliens doesn't seem so cut-and-dry. Something's gonna go wrong, I can feel it.

[Helen]: Well, with that attitude, of course they will. You need to have faith. We've trained for months now. As long as we're careful and remember what we've learned, we'll be fine.

[Pierce, raising his voice]: Their leader is literally the destroyer of galaxies!

[Helen]: If they trust us enough to steal from this guy, it's a good thing!

Servantis speaks through their earpieces.

[Servantis]: Your sister is right, you know.

Pierce gasps, startled.

[Pierce]: How long have you been listening?!

[Servantis]: That is irrelevant.

[Pierce]: Not cool!

[Servantis]: Pierce, you have shown exceptional skill in your training sessions. As long as you remember your training, I can say with complete confidence that I trust you to lead your team to success.

[Pierce]: If things go south, it'll be on me, and that's way too much to handle.

[Servantis]: They will not. Regardless, I will offer you assistance should you need it.

Even though he is not entirely convinced, Pierce decides to end the conversation, sighing in resignation.

[Pierce]: Okay.

''Alan puts the ID mask on his face and is covered in a white flash as he takes the form of a typical Incursean soldier. Helen and Pierce do the same with their ID masks and look at their hands.''

[Alan]: Time to kick bad guy butt!

''In the pilot's seat, Magister Leander presses a button that renders the ship visible to reveal that it is light blue and box-shaped. The camera pans out to show it approaching a green needle-shaped building with three large horizontal U-shaped compartments along its body and a disc-shaped one at the top. A large green ship with purple accents hovers near the building. Helen turns her head to peek out the window, taking note of the green ship. She removes her seatbelt again and kneels on her seat to get a better view. Pierce does the same.''

[Helen]: We may have a problem.

[Pierce]: There's no way we can sneak aboard the ship directly. Looks like we'll have to find Milleous in there and follow him.

[Servantis]: Godspeed.

''We see the main room in the building, illuminated by dim purple-tinted lights. Many tables surround the main attraction in the middle; the bar. It consists of a grey machine surrounded by tables placed in an octagonal formation around it. The room itself is shaped in the same way and the floor and much of its decor is colored blue. Robot waiters hover around and take orders from patrons. The sliding doors at the entrance separate, and Alan, Helen and Pierce enter, still disguised as Incurseans. They take a few seconds to survey the area, scanning the crowd. Pierce spots Emperor Milleous sitting by the bar, drinking a dark green drink out of a tall glass.''

[Pierce]: That's our guy. Follow my lead.

''Pierce walks towards Emperor Milleous, with Alan and Helen following closely behind him. As he gets closer, he clears his throat to get his attention. Emperor Milleous takes his eyes off his drink and looks him in the eye.''

[Emperor Milleous]: You better have a good reason for interruptin' me.

Pierce gulps.

[Pierce]: Uh, all hail Lord Emperor Milleous, light of the Incursean empire, destroyer of galaxies, all beings tremble-

Emperor Milleous holds up a hand to stop him mid-sentence.

[Emperor Milleous]: That's "Lord Emperor Milleous, light of the Incursean empire, destroyer of galaxies, keeper of the Conquest Ray" to you!

[Pierce]: Uh, yes, sir. Sorry.

[Emperor Milleous]: What do you want?

[Helen]: We... wanted to know if we could do anything to help you.

Emperor Milleous' right eye grows larger, which is the Incursean equivalent of raising one's eyebrow.

[Emperor Milleous]: A female? Weren't most of you eradicated after I married my wife?

Helen's eyes widen as she attempts to come up with a lie.

[Helen]: I'm-

[Emperor Milleous]: Whoa, hey, I didn't ask for ya life story, alright? As long as you do what I say, you're of some use to me.

An awkward silence hangs over the four of them.

[Alan]: So, how can we-

[Emperor Milleous]: You can 'help' me by leaving and goin' back to the ship.

[Alan]: Yes, sir.

The kids are about to turn around and walk towards the entrance, but Emperor Milleous lets out a loud groan.

[Emperor Milleous]: (sarcastically) Congratulations. You ruined my appetite.

He gets up from his seat and pours what remains of his drink all over the table, gaining a few stares from some of the other patrons.

[Emperor Milleous]: Back to the ship we go.

He speaks into an earpiece in his left ear.

[Emperor Milleous]: Raff, beam us up.

The kids stick close to him as a white flash of light engulfs them all.

''They reform in the control room in the green ship, which has windows all around it and a gold floor. The main attraction, the elevated throne, is colored purple and overlooks a long line of computers that other Incurseans work on. A male Sylonnoid, Commander Raff, stands a few feet away from the throne.''

[Commander Raff, bowing]: All hail Lord Emperor Milleous, light of the Incursean empire, destroyer of galaxies, keeper of the Conquest Ray-

''Emperor Milleous puts a hand up to cut him off. Commander Raff straightens his posture and looks at Alan, Helen and Pierce in bewilderment.''

[Commander Raff]: We... We didn't authorize any exits from the ship since the emperor left.

[Emperor Milleous]: Oh, yes, before I forget... seize 'em!

''The other Incurseans in the room leave their seats and rush towards the kids. A few of the Incurseans bind them by the wrists, while the others stand near Emperor Milleous.''

[Pierce]: Sir, what-

[Emperor Milleous]: I'm not an idiot.

''He yanks the ID mask from Pierce's face and drops it on the floor to reveal his true form. The emperor's eyes widen in shock.''

[Emperor Milleous]: A child?!

He bursts out laughing.

[Emperor Milleous]: You... You really thought... (wheezes) You thought you, a child, could pull the wool over my eyes?

''He removes Alan and Helen's masks and drops them on the floor as well. His gaze lingers on Alan for a few seconds.''

[Emperor Milleous]: This one's, what, a toddler? A human toddler! How adorable!

[Helen]: Well, actually-

''He laughs loudly in their faces, which causes them to wince. He then adopts a serious expression, joining his hands behind his back.''

[Emperor Milleous]: What a shame. You three came here to die!

[Commander Raff]: Sir, if I may-

[Emperor Milleous]: You may not.

Commander Raff shrinks in place.

[Emperor Milleous]: What say we put 'em in stasis for now? I'm feelin' generous today. We can execute 'em tomorrow. Give 'em a nice meal, why don't ya?

[Helen]: And... that's our cue to leave!

''She elbows the Incurseans holding her with great force, then grabs Alan and Pierce and runs out of the room at a high speed. Emperor Milleous shakes his fist in the air.''

[Emperor Milleous]: (loudly) Now, see, you just made this a whole lot harder!

''Helen stops in an empty hallway in the ship and sets Alan and Pierce on the floor. The walls are colored grey with horizontal purple lines running through them.''

[Alan]: He's kinda scary.

[Helen]: And sexist. I don't like him.

Pierce lowers his hand in front of him.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Keep your voices down.

He puts a finger on his earpiece.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Servantis, you there? Our cover's been compromised.

Servantis does not respond.

[Pierce]: Servan-

A beep is heard as Emperor Milleous' voice booms through the speakers of the ship.

[Emperor Milleous]: Attention, my loyal army! We have a group o' teeny-weeny kids intrudin' the ship; a Kineceleran, a human and... I dunno, some spiky freak. Ya can't miss 'em. Bring 'em back to me alive and one o' ya might get to eat the leftovers from my next meal, but y'know, don't count on it.

Another beep signals the end of the announcement.

[Alan]: (whispers) What's the plan?

[Helen]: (whispers) Servantis?

She waits for a few seconds, then shakes her head at Pierce at the lack of response from Servantis.

[Pierce]: (whispers) We have to split up and cover more ground.

[Helen]: (whispers) Are you sure that's a good idea? They can pick us off one by one.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Hey, you were the one who said remembering our training should be enough to help us pull this off.

He looks at an air vent directly above him.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Alan?

[Alan]: Flame on!

Helen and Pierce put a finger to their lips, shushing him.

[Alan]: (whispers) Sorry!

''He is bathed in fire as he transforms into his Pyronite form. He conjures a stream of fire in his hands and aims it at the grill plate that covers the vent. It falls to the ground, producing a ringing sound. Loud footsteps are heard from the hallway in front of the group.''

[Pierce]: (whispers) Sneak through the vents and see if you can figure out where the Conquest Ray is. I'll stay here and hold them off. We'll keep in touch through comms.

Alan is engulfed in fire once more, reverting to his human form.

[Helen]: (whispers) Wait a minute. He doesn't have an earpiece.

Pierce slaps his forehead.

[Pierce]: (whispers) It'd burn up if he transformed.

[Alan]: (whispers) Don't worry. I think I'll be fine.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Are you sure?

[Alan]: (whispers) Yeah, yeah.

[Helen]: (whispers) Don't do anything stupid.

[Alan]: (whispers) Of course. Gimme a boost.

''Helen stretches her palms out and lowers them. Alan steps on them and she lifts him up, allowing him to enter the opening of the vent. He crawls through it and disappears from view.''

[Helen]: (whispers) I'll run around and see if I can find the Conquest Ray.

[Pierce]: (whispers) Be careful.

She gives him a firm nod.

[Helen]: (whispers) You too.

''Her visor slides down and she speeds off into the hallway behind Pierce. 20 Incursean soldiers enter the scene and aim their blasters at Pierce.''

[Incursean 1]: Hands in the air!

[Incursean 2]: Where are your friends?

[Pierce]: Not here, duh!

''With an annoyed grunt, Pierce picks up the grill plate from the floor and tosses it right at Incursean 2's head, knocking him down. The others begin shooting at Pierce with their blasters. Gritting his teeth to bear the pain of the lasers from the blasters, he extends his quills and fires them at the Incurseans.''

[Incursean 1]: Move outta the way!

''They spread out to avoid being in the line of fire, but a few of them get hit anyway, groaning in pain and falling to the ground. Pierce rushes towards the remaining soldiers as they continue blasting him. He uppercuts one of them, grabs their blaster and jams it into the chest of another. He drops the blaster and, with considerable effort, he lifts the body of one of the unconscious soldiers and throws it at the group, hitting two of them. Helen's voice comes through Pierce's earpiece.''

[Helen]: (whispers) Keep it down, will you? It's hard to concentrate when there's a war zone in my ear.

Pierce roundhouse kicks a soldier in the chest, who stumbles back and causes another one to hit the wall, sending them both to the ground.

[Pierce]: Uh, do you not realize how stupid you sound right now?

[Helen]: (whispers) Oh.

She pauses as he realizes the pointlessness of her question, then clears her throat.

[Helen]: (whispers) Oh, yeah. Forget I asked.

[Pierce]: Anyway, did you find it yet?

He punches a soldier square in the face, which renders him unconscious.

[Helen]: Don't you think I would've told you if I did? (mockingly) Do you not realize how stupid you sound right now?

[Pierce]: Hey!

''The scene shifts to a large, luxurious, dimly-lit bedroom in the ship. The furniture is mostly colored purple, gold, grey, black or some combination of the four. The bed is elevated, with steps leading up to it. The doors slide open as Emperor Milleous saunters in, heaving a sigh. Footsteps are heard moving outside the room, across the hallway. Emperor Milleous trudges up the steps to his bed and plops himself down on it with outstretched arms. He turns his head to look at a fishbowl on the end table next to the bed. A fist-sized tadpole-like creature swims around in it.''

[Emperor Milleous]: Daddy's tired o' people thinkin' they can board my ship and get away with it. My ship! For cryin' out loud, it's like they have a death wish or somethin'!

''Loud grunts and groans are heard outside the door. Emperor Milleous runs his hand down his face in frustration.''

[Emperor Milleous]: (grumbles) Why do I even keep 'em around? (loudly) RAFF! What am I not payin' ya for?!

''The bedroom doors open and Helen enters, slightly shocked. Emperor Milleous bolts off the bed and adopts a battle stance. Helen speaks into her earpiece.''

[Helen]: Bad news. I couldn't find the thing, but I found Milleous. He... uh, he looks mad.

[Emperor Milleous]: Mad? No, no, not at first! You kids gave me somethin' to laugh about, but now... after tossing my men around like ragdolls and comin' into my room as if you could dream to take me on, I'm sick o' you.

[Pierce]: Helen, see if you can distract him long enough for us to fight him together.

[Helen]: That shouldn't be a problem. (to Emperor Milleous) You're all bark and no bite.

[Emperor Milleous]: Girlie, you're really not familiar with my work, are ya?

[Helen]: (smirks) Maybe that's your fault for not being relevant enough.

Emperor Milleous growls, then closes his eyes to calm himself down.

[Emperor Milleous, opening his eyes]: Let's push the banter aside for a second, hm? That... thing you mentioned?

''He takes out a gold octagonal device with brown arrows on it, pointing in the direction of a red button on top of it. Helen's eyes widen.''

[Helen]: Pierce, he has the Conquest Ray with him!

[Pierce]: Hold him off for as long as you can! I'm on my way.

[Emperor Milleous]: You kids are tryin' to play hero. I hate heroes.

[Helen]: Someone needs to stop you.

[Emperor Milleous]: And that someone is you? Let's get real. Who sent you?

Helen shrugs.

[Helen]: I don't see how that's your business.

[Emperor Milleous]: You made it my business when you decided to interrupt me. It was a decent drink, too. When I'm done with you, I'm gonna hunt down whoever sent you and make 'em pay.

Helen points an accusing finger at him.

[Helen]: What gives you the right to go around destroying planets? You've wiped out so many innocent people! Who made you judge, jury and executioner?

[Emperor Milleous]: Isn't it obvious? Me.

''Helen runs towards him, but he smacks her across the room with his long tongue. She hits a wall and falls down. Emperor Milleous tucks the Conquest Ray into his pocket and pats it. As Helen slowly gets up, Emperor Milleous wraps his tongue around her right wrist and uses it to throw her in the direction of the doors. They slide open and she flies out of the room, to the opposite end of the hall. Emperor Milleous walks out of the room and retracts his tongue, looking around to see unconscious Incurseans scattered across the floor.''

[Emperor Milleous]: I need new men.

[Pierce]: Helen, hang on! I think I'm almost there.

[Helen]: (winces) I'll try.

She grunts as she gets up, holding her hand to her head.

[Emperor Milleous]: My generosity is wearing thin. You and your little friends stop now, and I'll grant you all quick deaths.

[Helen]: Not until you give me the Conquest Ray.

''She closes in on Emperor Milleous and throws rapid punches all over his body. While he is disoriented, she slips her hand into his pocket and grabs the Conquest Ray.''

[Emperor Milleous]: (loudly) NO!

''He kicks the nearest unconscious Incursean hard. Alarmed, he immediately stands up, clutching his stomach with one hand and saluting Emperor Milleous with the other.''

[Emperor Milleous]: Don't just stand there! Go after her! All of you!

Some of the other unconscious Incurseans get up.

[Emperor Milleous]: (loudly) MAKE YOURSELVES USEFUL FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE LIVES!

Helen runs down the hallways of the ship, smiling.

[Helen]: Pierce, I have it! I'll find Alan and we can regroup!

[Pierce]: That's great!

''Commander Raff sprints down an empty hallway with a group of Incursean soldiers behind him. Suddenly, the grill plate covering one of the vents above him is blown off its hinges. Alan lands on the ground in his Pyronite form, stopping them all in their tracks. He creates a fireball in his right hand.''

[Alan]: Where's the Conquest Ray?

[Commander Raff, slightly afraid]: I-I only answer to Lord Emperor Milleous!

[Alan]: He's not the one made of fire, is he?

[Commander Raff]: I won't be made a fool of by a child! (to the Incurseans behind him) Well? Defend your commander!

''The Incursean soldiers aim their blasters at Alan. He shoots fireballs a few of their blasters, causing the soldiers to drop them to the floor as they burn.''

[Alan]: I'm not gonna miss next time. Where's the-

[Helen, off-screen]: Here!

''Alan whips around to see Helen running towards him. She comes to a stop inches away from him, to show him the Conquest Ray, her face beaming.''

[Alan]: Awesome!

[Commander Raff]: Oh, no, no, no! This- This is bad!

Alan turns his head to smirk at him.

[Alan]: Yeah, for you.

[Helen]: Let's get outta here!

''The Incurseans begin shooting at the duo. Alan reverts to human. Helen picks him up and hangs him over her shoulder, speeding away. The Conquest Ray begins to beep loudly as she turns right, into another hallway.''

[Alan]: Why is it-

''The beeping speeds up. Upon realizing what's about to happen, she throws the device behind her and runs even faster. The beeping ceases as a large explosion knocks her off her feet. She throws Alan in front of her and falls, her body skidding across the floor. While in the air, Alan transforms into his Pyronite form and shoots a blast of fire at the ground to land safely. At this point, smoke from the explosion obscures most of the screen.''

[Alan, frantically looking around]: Helen?

[Pierce, off-screen]: Alan!

[Alan]: Pierce, where are-?

Coughing loudly, Pierce runs right through the smoke to meet Alan, covering his mouth with his hand.

[Pierce]: Wh- (coughs) What happened?!

[Alan]: Helen took the Conquest Ray from Milleous, but it blew up!

[Pierce]: Helen!

''As the smoke begins to clear, Alan and Pierce notice that a sizable chunks of the walls and roof are gone to reveal some of the wiring and piping within them. Alan begins to turn around and walk forward.''

[Pierce]: Careful. There's a- (coughs) a lot of debris around.

''The boys walk with caution, maneuvering over pieces of the walls and floor littered about. They see Helen a considerable distance in front of them, lying on her ground on her front. Pierce picks up speed, but stops in surprise as he sees Emperor Milleous approach Helen from the other end, with Commander Raff a large group of Incurseans behind him.''

[Alan]: Hey!

He crosses the space between Pierce and Emperor Milleous, who lifts Helen's unconscious body by the arm.

[Emperor Milleous, to Helen]: Did you actually think I'd keep my most prized possession on my person?

[Alan, running towards Emperor Milleous]: Let her go!

[Emperor Milleous]: Come any closer and you can kiss your friend bye-bye.

''Alan stops, but gives Emperor Milleous a fiery glare. The emperor looks between the two boys, slightly confused.''

[Emperor Milleous]: Where's the human?

[Alan]: You're looking at him, ugly! Now, let her go!

[Emperor Milleous]: 'Course, but only if you turn yourselves in.

[Pierce]: Why should we believe you?

[Emperor Milleous]: Are you willing to put your friend's life on the line?

[Pierce]: She's not my friend. She's my sister!

[Emperor Milleous]: All the more reason for you to surrender.

Another group of Incurseans arrives behind the boys, surrounding them.

[Emperor Milleous]: You have nothin' else to lose.

[Commander Raff]: Emperor Milleous is being generous. Please take him up on his offer.

Alan turns his head to look up at Pierce.

[Alan]: (whispers) Pierce, we can take him!

[Emperor Milleous]: You better be very sure of that, or this'll end badly... (laughs) For you.

Pierce considers his response for a few moments, then shakes his head.

[Pierce]: I don't want to put Helen's life at risk.

[Alan]: But the mission!

[Pierce]: Doesn't matter now.

[Alan]: He's playing us!

Emperor Milleous looks at his wrist, pretending to check the watch he doesn't have.

[Emperor Milleous]: Can we hurry this up?

Begrudgingly, Pierce kneels on the ground and puts his hands behind his head.

[Pierce]: I surrender.

[Alan]: Pierce!

[Pierce, stern]: Do as he says.

His expression softens.

[Pierce]: For my sake... and Helen's. Please. We'll figure something out later, but for now, she's what's important.

''Alan sighs and reverts to human as fire covers him. He kneels on the ground and puts his hands behind his head.''

[Alan]: You better know what you're doing.

''Emperor Milleous signals to his soldiers behind Alan and Pierce, who begin to approach them. Out of nowhere, a red portal opens in front of them, which spits out a cylindrical device that emits a bright beam of light, blinding everyone.''

[Emperor Milleous]: What's happening?!

''He drops Helen on the ground and rubs his eyes. Chaos ensues as the light covers the screen, which makes it difficult to make out what's happening. However, we do hear the Incurseans murmuring among themselves, as well as Alan and Pierce struggling.''

[Pierce]: Hey!

[Alan]: Whoa!

''The overpowering light stays on-screen for a few minutes, before slowly dying down. Emperor Milleous, Commander Raff and the Incurseans are the only ones who remain, with the Amalgam Kids nowhere in sight.''

[Emperor Milleous]: (loudly) NO!

He punches Commander Raff in the face, causing him to fall over with a cry of pain.

[Emperor Milleous]: (loudly) NO FOOD FOR A MONTH FOR ANY OF YOU! INCOMPETENT IDIOTS!

''The portal reopens on the lowest level of the headquarters' hub. Servantis steps out with Alan folded between his right arm and his side. Magister Wheels and Magister Coronach follow behind him with Pierce and Helen, respectively, hung over their shoulders. All three adults wear black helmets with red-tinted visors.''

[Pierce]: Put me down!

''Magister Wheels drops Pierce on the ground, making him land on his butt. Servantis does the same to Alan, albeit more gently so he is able to land on his feet. Magister Coronach hands Helen over to Servantis, who gingerly takes her in his arms.''

[Magister Coronach]: You know what to do.

Servantis walks away without another word.

[Pierce, getting up]: What are you gonna do to her?!

The two Magisters still in the room remove their helmets.

[Magister Wheels]: Help her recover, but that's not your concern. You failed the mission.

[Pierce]: I know that! Did you actually think we were gonna pull it off?

[Magister Wheels]: We thought we trained you well enough, but clearly we were wrong.

[Pierce]: Training does nothing if we have no experience in the field!

[Magister Coronach]: That was supposed to be your experience.

[Pierce]: You gave us really vague instructions! How were we supposed to know how to board the ship, or where the Conquest Ray was supposed to be?!

[Magister Coronach]: As team leader, you were supposed to improvise.

[Pierce]: Oh, so it's my fault?

[Magister Coronach]: Actually, yes, it is.

[Pierce]: We're just kids! Sending us on that big of a mission would've ended badly no matter what! Helen almost-

[Magister Wheels]: Enough. We made a mistake we won't make again. From now on, you'll be training harder than ever.

[Pierce]: You're so busy being my superior that you're hardly even my mother anymore!

[Magister Wheels]: (flatly) That's because I'm not. Your real mother's dead.

''Pierce covers his mouth as he stifles a sob. Fighting back tears, he shakes it off, clenching his fists. Magister Coronach's neutral expression changes to a slightly sympathetic one.''

[Alan]: (softly) Pierce, are you-?

Pierce wipes his tears away with the back of his hand, then steadies himself, exhaling a shaky breath.

[Pierce]: Sometimes, I don't get why you adopted us.

He grunts and turns around, walking off.

[Magister Wheels]: Turn around! We're not done yet.

[Pierce]: I don't care.

Magister Coronach puts a hand on her shoulder out of concern.

[Magister Coronach]: (softly) It's best to let him cool off.

''Magister Wheels shrugs off his hand. For a moment, the three people left in the room say nothing.''

[Alan]: Magister, will Pierce be okay?

[Magister Coronach]: We'll see how things go. Let us handle him. You should wait in your room until dinner.

[Alan]: Yes, sir.

''Head hung low, Alan walks away feeling a little awkward, leaving the Magisters alone. Once he is out of range, Magister Wheels speaks up.''

[Magister Wheels]: You're starting to care about them.

Magister Coronach guiltily casts a sideways glance at her.

[Magister Coronach]: It's hard not to. I work with kids every day at the Academy. You can't tell me you don't care about your kids after raising them for the past decade or so.

[Magister Wheels]: They think I do, on some level. It's about mastering the art of manipulation.

A sinister simper forms on her face.

[Magister Coronach]: Right, well... (clears throat) Speaking of that, purposely setting them up for failure was clever.

[Magister Wheels]: Play your cards right and they'll do exactly what you want.

''Several minutes later, Servantis exits a room in the headquarters, tiredly leaning on the wall outside the door. He closes his eyes to rest. The walls of the hallways are light grey with horizontal grey pipes running through them. Vertical support beams stretch from the ground to the roof, about five feet apart. The roof is black with red square-shaped lights.''

[Magister Wheels, off-screen]: What could have possibly made you tired?

''Servantis' eyes shoot open and he straightens himself, surprised. Magisters Wheels and Coronach approach him.''

[Servantis]: Caring for your daughter.

[Magister Wheels]: I trust my daughter will be fine?

[Servantis]: (sarcastically) Why, you almost sound like you care.

''Magister Wheels glares at him, unamused. Servantis rolls his eyes.''

[Servantis]: Helen will be fine, yes. I gave her a mild sedative to help her rest.

[Magister Coronach]: When can she resume training?

[Servantis]: It's not that simple. While her physical body will be back to normal within two to three days, she will be emotionally distraught for considerably longer than that.

[Magister Wheels]: That's not important.

[Servantis]: For a parent, your parenting skills are disgustingly lackluster.

Magister Wheels narrows her eyes, unconvinced that he's making any sort of point.

[Servantis]: Children are more emotional than adults, and Helen is no ordinary child. Aside from being forced to train as a child soldier for months, she was the most optimistic about the mission. She distinctly told Pierce that they would succeed in the mission if they just remembered their training. As Pierce very insightfully pointed out, training only took them so far. She battled Milleous and thought she had the Conquest Ray with her. She obviously did not, which led to her being caught in the explosion that caused her current state.

[Magister Wheels]: Get to the point.

[Servantis]: How do you think Helen will react upon waking up and realizing that not only did she inadvertently doom her team, but also that she was wrong to be confident about their chances of success?

[Magister Wheels]: Hm...

Although she doesn't openly acknowledge it, she thinks Servantis makes a compelling point.

[Servantis]: If you want her to get back to training as soon as possible, you have to be more than her superior. You have to start acting like her mother. Provide comfort and care, and her recovery will be swift. The same goes for Pierce.

[Magister Wheels]: I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep up the tiresome facade.

[Servantis]: You must also allow all three of them to properly rest and relax. All these factors combined will push them into the right mindset, which will make them train harder.

[Magister Wheels]: One thing at a time.

''She brushes past Servantis and walks away, leaving him with Magister Coronach. He stays silent for one, two, three beats.''

[Servantis]: I suppose you still don't see anything wrong with using children to fulfill your goals?

[Magister Coronach, raising an eyebrow]: Excuse me?

[Servantis]: If your intentions were to have them succeed the mission, would you have left them to die if they failed?

[Magister Coronach]: What's the use in asking hypothetical questions?

[Servantis]: To express my genuine concern for the poor souls you've reaped into doing your dirty work.

Magister Coronach rubs the back of his neck, feeling uneasy.

[Servantis]: When you look at them, when you watch them train, do you see innocent living beings or tickets to fortune and leisure?

[Magister Coronach]: I... (gulps) I care about them, to some extent, I'll admit that much.

[Servantis]: And yet you stand by while they risk their lives. Tell me, do you feel the same about your cadets at the Plumber Academy?

[Magister Coronach]: I...

He angrily shakes his head as if he were coming out of a trance.

[Magister Coronach]: I don't have to answer to you!

[Servantis]: Of course not, because you're too caught up in the guilt that's eating you up inside to properly come to terms with the fact that, yes, you care about them.

Magister Coronach opens his mouth to speak, but Servantis speaks over him.

[Servantis]: And all the while, these kids are training for deadly missions far too dangerous for them that they will soon embark on, one of which they may never come back from, but you will never tell your partners to take a different approach lest they banish you from their little club, or worse. To put it simply, you are an enabler. I am right, aren't I? After all, you haven't punched me in the face or threatened me and you seem to have... what is that expression, a frog in your throat?

''He chuckles lightly and shakes his head and walks in the opposite direction Magister Wheels walked earlier. Magister Coronach is left alone with his thoughts, feeling as if he'd just been dissected.''

''We cut to Alan's room in the headquarters. It is rather small and dull-looking, the floor being a pale red and the walls being light grey. There is a thick metal slab with a thin mattress on it in the corner; a poor imitation of a bed, on which Alan lies down. There is an end table next to the bed and a wardrobe opposite the bed. The doors slide open and Servantis walks into the room. Alan immediately sits upright and hangs his legs off the bed, making himself alert.''

[Servantis]: How are you feeling?

Alan does not dare face him, so he looks at the ground instead.

[Alan]: Are you disappointed in me?

Servantis kneels on the ground and lifts Alan's chin with his pincer, forcing him to look him in the eye.

[Servantis]: You... could have done better, but it's alright. Take this as a chance to improve.

[Alan]: (grunts) I should've done something! I could've-

[Servantis]: Yes, you should have and you could have, but you didn't, and you failed. What you can do now is make sure you don't repeat your mistakes.

He offers him a kind smile.

[Alan]: Would my mom and dad be disappointed?

''Servantis' smile disappears just as quickly as it came. He puts both of his hands on Alan's shoulders.''

[Servantis]: Alan, your parents loved you more than anything else in their lives. They would not be disappointed in you. You have to know that.

[Alan]: What- What were they like?

''As Servantis and Alan's conversation continues, we see Adriel sitting on the couch in his house, wearing a maroon short-sleeved T-shirt and light grey pants. He sobs as he holds a framed family photo of him, Adalia and Alan, all smiling happily and dressed in formal clothes.''

[Servantis, voiceover]: I didn't know your mother very well, but your father... (hesitates) Your father was one of the best people I have ever known. He always put the needs of others before his own, yours above all.

[Alan, voiceover]: Sometimes, I feel like they're right here with me. Other times, I feel like I'm all alone. Why don't you ever talk about them?

[Servantis, voiceover]: Old wounds are difficult to open.

[Alan, voiceover]: Huh?

We return to Servantis and Alan.

[Servantis]: I miss them too. It isn't easy for me to talk about them.

[Alan]: I wanna know more about them.

[Servantis]: And you will, in time.

[Alan]: You keep saying that.

[Servantis]: That doesn't make it any less true. I promise you, I will tell you more about your parents soon enough.

[Alan]: When?

[Servantis]: I don't know yet. Regardless...

He stands up, turns around and continues talking as he heads towards the door.

[Servantis]: You should be focused on resting. Trust me, you're going to need it.

[Alan]: Train me.

Servantis turns around.

[Servantis]: You just got back from a mission. Training now would only tire you.

[Alan]: Good. I want to get a head-start on the others.

[Servantis]: Are you sure?

He jumps off the bed with a grunt, nodding resolutely.

[Servantis]: If you insist.

He stands aside to allow Alan passage and follows him out.

''Pierce sits by an unconscious Helen, worry written all over his face. Much like the rest of the building, the room is primarily themed red, grey and black. There are five more beds in the room; two on the same side as Helen's bed and three on the other side. Helen's breathing is steady, but nearly inaudible. The doors slide open and Magister Wheels peeks her head through. Pierce turns his head to see her with his peripheral vision. He leaves his spot and walks out the door to meet Magister Wheels outside. He does not initiate a conversation, folding his arms instead.''

[Magister Wheels]: I went to your room to look for you. I didn't realize you'd be here.

[Pierce]: Where else would I be? Helen's hurt and someone has to be here when she wakes up, especially since nobody else seems to care about her.

[Magister Wheels]: I do.

[Pierce]: (sarcastically) Sorry if I'm starting to doubt that.

Regret washes over Magister Wheels' face.

[Magister Wheels]: I'm sorry about what I said.

[Pierce]: That doesn't make things right. I'm not just going to hug you and let bygones be bygones. You've been pretty hard on all of us, which I was willing to let slide. We're doing good, so if we have to train for hours on end, so be it.

He points a finger at her, but she doesn't budge.

[Pierce]: But it's not just what you said that gets to me. It's what you did. You made us risk our lives on that mission knowing we weren't ready for it and you still had the guts to put the blame on me!

The quills on his body extend as his emotions overtake him.

[Pierce]: You wanna know the funny thing about this? I blame myself too! You think it's easy being the leader knowing that one small screw-up could mean the end of our lives?! If it weren't for you guys showing up at the last second, who knows how long we would've survived? We were this (puts his thumb and index finger together) close to being put in stasis or whatever. Oh, and of course, Servantis was no help at all, even after all that talk about being there for us every step of the way.

[Magister Wheels]: The Incurseans must have blocked external communications.

[Pierce]: (raises his voice) See? You didn't know that, did you?! You make mistakes, and so do we! Think about that the next time you-

His shoulders sag and his quills return to normal length as he realizes the futility of his outburst.

[Pierce]: I'm wasting my breath. I know there's something you're not telling me, but I'll play your game. You want me to train harder? Just you wait.

''He turns his back on her and enters the room without responding to her, the doors closing behind him. Magister Wheels leaves the scene, her frown turning into a devilish grin as she laughs to herself. Meanwhile, Pierce sees Helen sitting upright on her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest with a somber expression on her face. Taken aback, Pierce stands in place. Helen speaks up, but doesn't face him.''

[Helen]: I'm sorry.

[Pierce]: Don't be.

As Pierce approaches her, Helen lets out a pity laugh.

[Helen]: Don't try to make me feel better, Pierce. I messed up.

[Pierce]: It wasn't your fault. I'm the leader. I shouldn't have split us up.

[Helen]: I should've been more careful. I played right into Milleous' hands! I'm such an idiot! You told me training wouldn't cut it and I didn't listen!

Pierce sits on the chair by her bed.

[Pierce]: Try not to think about the mission, okay? You need to get better and I don't think stressing out does you favors.

Helen whips her head to address him.

[Helen]: This isn't something I can just stop thinking about!

Pierce flinches.

[Helen]: I'm responsible for the destruction of the planets Milleous chooses to blow up from now on! I'll have to carry this for the rest of my-

She wipes a tear away.

[Helen]: It's too much.

[Pierce, rubbing his arm]: I didn't mean to-

[Helen, hanging her head]: I know. Neither did I. (exhales sharply and lifts her head) But you're right. Let's talk about something else.

[Pierce]: Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we were never adopted?

[Helen]: That's heavy.

[Pierce]: Humor me.

[Helen]: I guess I do, sometimes. It's kinda hard not to. If you're asking, that means you've been thinking about it a lot.

[Pierce]: Only for the past two hours or so.

[Helen]: Any specific reason?

[Pierce]: I don't get what we're doing here. Don't you think it's weird that Mom made us train our whole lives, even before we turned into... (lifts his hand) whatever we are now?

[Helen]: We're helping people, or at least we're trying to.

[Pierce]: That's just it. It feels less like we're helping people and more like we're just lackeys. Mom and her buddies sent a bunch of inexperienced kids to do their dirty work and we barely made it out in one piece. They knew they wouldn't have done any better than we did, so they let us do it for them!

[Helen]: Whoa, back up. You're right about us needing more experience, but I think you're wrong about Mom. (squints) A-And besides, what does this have to do with us being adopted?

[Pierce]: This is gonna sound crazy, but-

[Helen]: I don't like where this is going.

[Pierce]: But, what if Mom adopted us just to have people to do her bidding?

[Helen]: You're right. You do sound crazy. I know Mom's been hard on us lately, but she loves us!

[Pierce]: Does she, though? Ever since we got here, has she checked up on us? And I don't mean our training, I mean us.

Helen opens her mouth to speak, but words fail her, so she clutches her pillow tighter.

[Pierce]: If she really cared, wouldn't she be here?

[Helen]: (timidly) She's a busy person.

[Pierce]: She always seems to be. I didn't think much of it at first, but before you woke up, I realized that she's been distant all our lives. We don't know much about her or these Plumbers she's a part of. I mean, you're a computer whiz. Have you ever found anything about them online?

[Helen]: They're secret. Mom told us that from the get-go.

[Pierce]: You can't tell me that you've never looked them up at least once.

[Helen]: All I've found are conspiracy theories.

[Pierce]: Doesn't that seem fishy? If they're good, why are they so secretive?

[Helen]: Exposing themselves would just paint a big target on their heads. I think it makes sense that they're hiding.

[Pierce]: Aren't you curious, though? Aren't you mad that they turned us into these... these things- that they let you get hurt?!

[Helen]: Look, I get it. Something doesn't add up, but we only just went on our first mission. For all we know, Mom will tell us the truth about everything once we get the hang of things. (smiles) Besides, you gotta admit our powers are pretty cool.

[Pierce]: (half-heartedly) I guess.

[Helen]: Promise me you won't go snooping around for answers.

[Pierce]: Oh, no, you can't expect me to-

[Helen]: Actually, I can. You said that we weren't ready to go on that mission, right? Well, then I say we're not ready to learn the truth about what we're doing here and why we got our powers. We just have to wait it out.

''Helen smirks at him, confident that she won their argument. He rolls his eyes.''

[Pierce]: You have an answer for everything, don't you?

[Helen]: Do we have a deal?

''She extends her right hand for Pierce to shake. He shoots her a long, unsure look before giving in.''

[Pierce]: Just to be clear, I'm doing this for you, not them.

[Helen]: That's good enough for me.

THE END!

Major Events

 * The Amalgam Kids embark on and fail their first mission.

Character Debuts

 * Magister Maverick Leander
 * Emperor Milleous
 * Commander Raff
 * Princess Attea

Minor Events

 * It is revealed that Alan's memories were altered some time before this episode, as he thinks his parents are dead.

Characters

 * Braylon Servantis
 * Adriel Albright (cameo)
 * Amalgam Kids
 * Alan Albright
 * Helen Wheels
 * Pierce Wheels
 * Princess Attea (first appearance)

Villains

 * Rooters
 * Magister Coronach
 * Magister Maverick Leander (first appearance)
 * Magister Jacelyn Wheels
 * Incurseans
 * Emperor Milleous (first appearance)
 * Commander Raff (first appearance)

Allusions

 * The episode is named after the song of the same name by Echosmith, which is one of Ulti's favorite songs.
 * The episode was originally titled We R Who We R, named after the song of the same name by Ke$ha.
 * Fllrton (pronounced "flur-ton") is named after Charlotte Fullerton, one of the head writers of Omniverse.
 * Alan's quote, "Flame on!", is the catchphrase of the Human Torch from Marvel Comics.

Trivia

 * Although it was not directly stated in the episode, Fllrton is the unnamed space cafe that made its debut in the Alien Force episode Con of Rath.
 * This is the first and only episode of the series in which Adriel only makes a cameo.
 * The Incurseans had the Conquest Ray long before this episode, but since the Amalgam Kids didn't know any better, Magister Coronach told them they had only recently obtained it.
 * Similarly, Magister Wheels lied about the Incurseans blocking external communications. Servantis exited the communications channel, but hacked it so he could still hear the Amalgam Kids. This is why and how they were rescued when Emperor Milleous forced them to surrender.
 * The episode originally featured a lengthy scene at the end in which the Rooters gave the Amalgam Kids the rest of the current and next day off. After that, the Rooters would be seen poring over security footage of Helen and Pierce's conversation in the sickroom. The scene was removed due to not seeming natural.