"We are-we're going on an adventure!"

Round 3 in the maze went far smoother. Zardy was getting better, but so was the crew. After a final successful showdown everyone broke for the day. With the week starting again it was decided to take a break from practicing and meetings, let everything age for a bit. Tabi and Pompom both noted it would be busy weeks for them. One had some major tests this week and the other said there would be a lot of trees to deal with before summer kicked in. Agoti also mentioned that he had some songs to record.

The fervour off Blindside resided in everyone too. Things were looking good.

With regards to Huggy, you allowed Pompom to have him for the week. He loved it on the farm. The open space, clean air and endless expanse were the exact opposite to the factory. He was in bliss.

Pompom's father also noted that it would be a perfect week to get Huggy to fix things on the farm. With his extreme flexibility, he would be put to good use here.

Still wanting to keep active, Displo and you decided this week that a lot of the 'paperwork' for the heist would be done. Reconnaissance, floor plans and research. "It was time to start coming up with some concrete plans." Displo had said.

A few days had passed since then, now Wednesday's lunchtime.

The ability of magic it made teleportation from school to home trivial. However, the administration wasn't as enthused about it as Pomona originally was. They had a strict 'no magic' policy, on school grounds and nearby too.

In the end her mother was much more understanding about it. It forced Pompom to stick around the school instead of immediately warping upon hearing the bell. Pomona ended up getting around it by teleporting instead to making her way to a nearby corner store and teleporting there, but still forced her to say goodbye to all her fellow classmates.

However today she had a different idea. After her first conversation with Displo she had grown curious about one of the students at school. He was like Displo in a way, an android, television for a head and quiet.

He was in her grade and they'd only spoken briefly before. His name was Static. She knew very little about him other than him getting regularly in trouble for graffiti.

One of the few times they had interacted she had shown off some of her magic but he didn't seem that interested.

However after discovering that Displo was an acquaintance, she started to work up the courage to talk to him, curious about what he knew.

So while on lunch period, she sought Static out, finding him in the courtyard bopping his head to some song. He at first pretended not to see or hear her but she was far too persistent. With an annoyed sigh he stopped the music, motioning that he was listening.

"What do you want, farmer girl?" He asked, bored.

He had a TV for a head just like Displo. Though his was all black and an 'older model' than compatriot. It was the kind that emitted a low hum when nearby, a CRT. It was also a fact a few of his teachers had picked up on, being able to tell when he was sleeping in class. He stood about half of Displo's height, more comparable to Pompom herself. However, unlike Displo his screen didn't display SMPTE patterns. Instead it was just blank, though Pompom knew he was looking at her.

He wore a black windbreaker with a bronze-coloured zipper. Atop his headscreen was a black hat with a speaker symbol emblazoned on it. The hat had speaker holes atop, one of the ways Static was able to communicate. There were two small antennae popping out of the hat.

She might have thought they were ears but the large blue earmuffs on either side of his head must have been instead.

Unlike Displo he didn't wear gloves, not caring who saw that he was an android. At least, one would believe. At present, his metal hands were stuffed inside his coat pockets. Below he had navy jeans and black sneakers with white stripes. Pompom preferred brighter colours but understood the look he was going for.

"I found out you know one of my friends!" Pompom smiled. "I was at his restaurant the other day. Name's Displo."

"Huh? How do you know Uncle Displo?" He took his hands out of his hoodie, now curious.

"Well I started working with him and his group. We're on a major assignment. He said he knew you."

"Secret assignment huh? Well if he's in charge, I'm sure it's gotta be big."

The two continued talking through the rest of the lunch break, Static lightening up and becoming friendlier towards Pompom. She felt she could tell Static about the operation, after all they were close enough. Static explained he was an 'agent-in-training' with IRIS and also the 'youngest of the TV-guys'. She found that he didn't like magic, mostly because he didn't understand it. It was then Pompom decided she'd show him it wasn't as scary as he thought.

He said that he knew of her before but always figured she was too popular for him to hang out with. She must not have cared about anyone not in her friend group. It was a perception that Pompom explained, could not have been more wrong.

When the lunch break came to a close, Pompom invited Static to the farm for a sleepover. She mentioned she needed help studying and wanted to show him magic wasn't as scary as he thought. Static seemed more that interested and agreed to spend the night. Just had to ask his parents but a quick message later he got approval.

And with that the end of the day came and the two were off to the farm. The evening was spent studying, showing off the farm to Static and Pompom trying to get him to cast a fireball. Due to Static's 'lack of humanity' it was challenging but Pompom believed it was possible.

She introduced him to Huggy as well as her pet macaron, Mackie. About half the size of Pompom, he was a strawberry-coloured macaron, Amelia had brought him to life for her years ago. She referred to him as a dog, Static deciding not to question it.

Huggy found Static to be like a smaller version of Displo and took to the boy immediately.

Zardy had spent the day prepping the field and overturning the earth, ready for more corn. Pompom had wanted to show Static the maze but Zardy was too busy fixing it up. He apologized.

The school day had long ended and the sun has retired for the day.

Late at night. Static was charging himself slumped in a corner of the room, hooked up to an outlet. Huggy slept outside, having built his own nest, hypnotized by the night sky. He wished to spend as much time outside as humanly possible, still in disbelief such a place could exist.

Mackie snored at the foot of Pompom's bed snoring along. And though everyone was asleep, Pompom laid on her bed, not tired in the slightest.

She had thought about waking either Static or Mackie to play but both were sound asleep. Not much she could do either, she'd already scrolled through her phone a bunch and it was still charging.

Staring up at the ceiling she thought to herself. Maybe I can call Sonic? Nah, he's probably sleeping. Did someone like him even sleep? Bored she got up quietly and peered out the window looking out into vast farmland.

The sky coloured a deep shade of blue, stars present in the night sky. Nothing looked to be going on in the fields. The sky was empty, at least for the few minutes as she watched it.

What happened next caught her full attention, destroying any possibility of sleep that night.

Something emerged from the sky, steadily gaining speed, pieces falling off, more and more erratic until it smashed into the ground somewhere on the horizon. It didn't take long for smoke to rise from it. Pompom couldn't tell what it was, just that something crashed in the fields, falling from out of the cosmos.

She knew she had to investigate. Quietly as she could she started whispering Static's name.

Zardy was the first one to see it, far before Pompom did. Some sort of commotion, an unidentified object flying about the sky, chased by a few others. Zardy watched as they danced above. He lay on a large vine, a few metres off the ground, staring up at the battle. His so-called perch.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

One of the objects managed to hit one the target and knocked it down. Falling fast, Zardy watched as it lost altitude before coming to a nosedive crash landing somewhere in the field beyond. His field. Well within the farm's property and thus, Zardy's territory. Smoke rose in the distance from the crash site. At worst it could've cause a fire and at best it was just some rock from the sky. Either way, it damaged the field. Zardy was on the case.

"You sure that's what you saw?" Static asked groggily. He stood beside Pompom staring out the window. The column of smoke emitted from the crash was well visible. Mackie had woken up, now also trying to see what all the commotion was about.

"I swear on it! C'mon. We gotta check it out!" Pompom said. She'd already changed into her farming dress. She was determined.

"Ugh. Fine. This had better be cool." Static mumbled. He removed the cord from his back and put it aside. Stepping as quietly as they could, Pompom, Static and Mackie made it past the parent’s room into the living room.

Dark was the living room. A single kitchen light lit the corner and moonlight seeped through the large windows. It tinted everything blue but made it possible to manoeuvre.

Pomona realized it too late, not remembering that Huggy had built his nest just outside the back door. With a crack of the door Huggy stirred, lifting his head out of the makeshift nest of corn stalks and straw. He emitted a quizzical sound, curious as to their actions. Before he could emit another sound, Pompom shushed him. "We are-we're going on an adventure!" She whispered to Huggy. "You wanna come boy?" Huggy nodded, smile returning.

"We gotta be as quiet as possible. Alright?" Huggy nodded again. He no qualms about that. He fancied himself a pro at stealth. It came with his turf.

"You sure it's okay for him to come?" Static whispered.

"Of course! If anything happens he and Mackie can protect us!"

With Huggy lumbering behind them stepped into the field, smoke still a far walk away.

Zardy moved quick and silent, a feat he had been able to do with the vines and lots of practice. A few of his minions were behind him, just in case. He arrived at the crash site, a wall of stalks just blocking the entrance.

He was still unsure of what had crashed but judging from the nearby vegetation still intact it hadn't damaged much. The object had crashed near the outskirts of the property, in a grain field that had been overcome by nature. There was nothing important the crash damaged. The field itself in disrepair, a summer project that kept getting pushed back.

The smell of burning grass and some material Zardy couldn't identify permeated the air. It was pretty evident that whatever had crashed was not of this planet. With a swing of the hoe he slashed the tall grass in front of him. Just as he did he heard rustling from the site.

"What do have here?" He remarked, aloud.

Most of the vegetation directly around had been burnt to a crisp, the ground now a blackened colour. In the centre of it all lodged in the ground, the wreckage. It was a large object that Zardy could have only described as looking like some sort of insect. Dark grey and shiny, streaks of red flickering throughout it. The nose end was been dug into the dirt, a result of smashing into the ground nose first.

The resulting impact had also knocked down a lot of the grass surrounding. If the ground wasn't still hardened from the winter it could've made a crater. Smoke emitted from the object and parts of the ground glowed yellow, indicating it was still hot. The vessel had been opened, a glass pod roof raising him. But despite a seat being visible, there was nobody around.

Zardy could tell that whoever was the owner of this, was hiding behind it. That much was evident. He could hear someone breathing behind, trembling.

"You wanna get out here and face me? Don't worry. I won't hurt ya." He said with a wicked grin.

The brute and the cable crow had arrived behind Zardy, a few tiny pumpkins behind them. With the vines still at his disposal he was ready for anything.

Despite his confidence what occurred next he could not have predicted.

"What do you think you're doin'?" Someone had said. Zardy was confused, because the voice sounded exactly like his. It lacked the confidence and malice but it was his voice. The brute looked at Zardy strangely.

From behind the wreckage someone crawled out. In his nocturnal vision he could make it out was some humanoid woman. She had glowing salmon-coloured eyes that shone in antithesis to Zardy's yellow ones.

"Uh, who are you?" The person said. They sounded exactly identical to Zardy. Such uncanny-ness was not lost on him and he readied his hoe for combat.

"What the hell is this?!" He shot back.

"I asked first."

"Why do you sound like me? What is this?" Zardy said. He was getting frustrated.

"I am you. Just as one another." The figure said cryptically. "I am the real one."

"I don't know what this is. You two, get him!" Zardy said, commanding the cablecrow and brute. The brute raised its hammer and cable readied his hookshot.

"No! Get him! He's fake!" The figure shot back. She cleared her throat, voice starting to sound more like Zardy's.

The brute and cable crow lowered their weapons and looked to Zardy, then back at the figure.

"What! You can't be serious. I am your master! Not this...this thing! SHE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE ME!"

"He lies! Get him!"

"Why you little!" Zardy jumped, ready to slash at the imposter. Just before Zardy could jump one of the pumpkins lashed out a vine and grabbed his leg, slamming him back to the ground.

"HOW ARE YOU EVEN GETTING CONFUSED? THAT THING IS CLEARY NOT ME!" Zardy shouted in frustration.

Despite this the pumpkin refused to let go. With a shot of the vine through the soil, it smashed through it releasing Zardy.

Seeing Zardy recklessly destroy his units further solidified him as a fake, so the brute and cable crow thought. The Brute swung first, unleashing his hammer down on the animated scarecrow.

"You fools!" Zardy shouted.

In mere seconds, Zardy grabbed his hoe and blocked the shot, shooting another vine up to grab the hammer.

"You won't be getting away alive now." Zardy cursed. He got back up, the brute now suspended in the air by vines. The cable crow moved next, intending to hook shot through Zardy's stomach.

In the ensuing confusion the figure turned and started running. It took nary a second for a vine shot up in front, effectively blocking their path. The figure backed up, turning around.

From behind her a smaller vine shot up, grabbing both of her arms, locking her movement.

"Zardy! What's going on?" Pompom shouted, entering the crash site. She heard the confusion and with her little group in tow ran right to it.

"Pomona, stay back! This person is dangerous!" Zardy shouted. He was locked in duel with the cable crow, its claws trying to shred through the handle.

As the figure laid eyes on Pompom she froze. "Wait!" She shouted.

"Y-you aren't agents?" The figures voice changed again, now sounding like Pompom.

"Wha-how did she?" Pompom said, surprised.

"I don't know. Did it to me. I think she can control-" With a push Zardy knocked the cable crow forward. Vines immediately sprung from the ground grabbing both of its arms. He slammed it to the ground, knocking the wind out of the crow.

"Now. You." Zardy said angrily, focusing on the figure. He had the vines raise off the ground, rendering the figure unable to stand.

"W-wait. You aren't with them right?" The figure pleaded.

"What? With who?!" Zardy said. "And stop copying everyone's voice!" He spat.

"I-I can't. I-I'm sorry."

"Well then start talking." Zardy said.

"I-I-I" The figure struggled to say. Between the restraints and the crash she was failing to maintain her composure.

"Zardy put her down!" Pompom shouted. With the figuring copying Pompom's voice it had the opposite effect. It made Pomona more sympathetic.

"Argh. Fine. But don't try anything." With the flick of his hand he released her. She fell to the ground, struggling to get up. She seemed heavily fatigued.

Huggy, sensing danger went to his 'mini-Displo' and guarded him. Static was just surprised by the whole situation. He had plenty of questions, though the intruder looked in no state to answer them.

She started weeping, trying pulling herself up onto the ship. "I-I'm sorry. I-I can explain."

Pompom stepped forward wanting to help her but Zardy stopped her. "No." He said sternly. He still wasn't convinced she was being genuine. He kept the large vine up so she couldn't easily escape.

After a few seconds, she spoke again.

"I don't have a voice." The figure said, still using Pomona's voice.

Static, still unsure what to do shined his face towards the figure, better illuminating the scene. It only served to make Zardy more annoyed who used the vines to forcibly move the brute and cable crow head to look at the figure. She looked nothing like Zardy.

She had coral coloured hair, curled and unkempt. A dark blue turtleneck covered her upper body, matching with her pants. A belt separated them, the same colour as her hair. A strange symbol emblazoned the front, one nobody present recognized. Her boots were the same navy blue, socks or a red part of the boot reaching up to her knees.

She looked humanoid but was clearly not human. Her snow white skin and immediate lack of a nose gave it away. Static's first thought was that she was alien of some sort, though he kept quiet. Her eyes were large and black, no colour in the iris.

A lone baseball cap was next to her that fell off in the struggle, revealing more messy hair.

"I have to use others. T-they removed my ability to communicate normally. I-i-I was trying to escape when they, they, they shot my ship down. Sorry, I didn't mean any harm. I just thought you were them." She trembled as she spoke, just on the precipice of a nervous breakdown.

Zardy crossed his arms, still annoyed.

"Who were you running from?" Static asked.

"I d-don't know their names. People in lab coats. People that keep asking questions. They keep saying I did something. But they won't tell me..."

Though unseen, Static raised an eyebrow. That sounded to him a lot like his own company. He thought of contacting Displo.

"I keep seeing three guys. Large guy, a guy in gold and a guy with wings." She said, distraught, mumbling stuff under her breath.

"Y-you're really not with them?"

"No..." Zardy said.

"Definitely not!" Pompom shouted.

"My name is Nikku Moriaka. I'm not from this planet. I'm a...I'm not sure. All I can remember is that. That ship is mine I think. It had my name on it."

Zardy looked to Pompom, with a look of "what should we do?" This was far beyond what he was used to dealing with. This was Pomona's call.

"Well we won't hurt you." Pompom said. Mackie barked in agreement. "You should come back to my house. My mom will know what to do."

"I-T-that would be nice." Nikku said. She reached down and picked up her hat.

The whole conversation was confusing Mackie who wasn't used to someone else sounding exactly like Pomona. Huggy likewise was confused, instead gripping Static tighter in confusion.

"You don't know anything about these people?" Static asked. He was still unsure. To him, it still sounded like IRIS.

"I-" Nikku gasped. As she got up her eyes went in shock at something behind the group.

"I-i-t's th-e-mmm." She barely whispered, terror gripping her.

"Who?"

"Them!"

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The next chapter will be called All the Kings Men.