Ariel paced constantly in the lobby of the Squadron building in Selenium City. Buddy's eyes went back and forth as he watched her pace from the couch, with her movement increasing his anxiety.

They had yet to hear anything on the issue of Neuman several hours now, and the uncertainty was painful. He could be dead from this world and they wouldn't know any differently.

Eventually, the camouflage wearing Masamba came down the stairs and into the lobby, and treaded towards the two thirds of a trio. "Good news! Neuman is safe!"

They let out a sigh of relief.

"He was found by Juno, and was taken back to Celestia. It seems that they want you guys to meet him there."

"She found him alone?" asked Buddy, now getting up on his feet.

He shrugged. "Don't know. All that I know I have just told you."

"Well then we have to go, now!" shouted Ariel!

Right as she said that there was the sound of heavy footsteps running down the stairs, and then the sound of someone falling down them. Kayson and Bishop rolled onto the floor in a mangled mess.

"My face hit the ground first!" proclaimed Bishop, proud of his apparent victory.

"Na-uh! My scarf definitely beat your head to the punch!" argued Kayson.

"Clothing doesn't count!"

Marion calmly stepped down the stairs and over the other two. "No, I win because my feet are both planted firmly on the ground. It was a foot race after all, not a face race."

"Ugh. Just as long as this loser doesn't win," said Bishop, standing up.

"Just as long as that winner loses," replied Kayson. "Wait what?"

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Well there goes the tension, thought Ariel, looking amused at the other group's entry.

Masamba didn't know how to react, so he just cleared his throat.

The Defenestrator Squad paid attention and got quieter.

A lightbulb went off in Masamba's head. That's right! I can use this opportunity to get rid of these hooligans! "Hey Defenestrators, why don't you--"

"Hey what's up?!" Kayson asked Ariel and Buddy.

"Don't ignore me!" commanded Masamba, who was ignored anyways.

Ariel sighed. "Things happened and we got separated from Neuman, so we're going to head out and meet up with him."

"What got you guys separated?" asked Marion.

"It's a long story," answered Buddy. He scratched the back of his neck as he thought up what to say. "Well, let's just say we were kind of attacked."

"Attacked?!" they all said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, but it's cool now. I don't think they were bad people."

Ariel nodded. "I think there's more to the situation than we understand. Well, I guess we'll just have to figure that out when we meet back up with Neuman."

"Yeah, so if you'll excuse us, I think we need to catch up with him as soon as possible."

"What, you mean you aren't taking us with you?" asked Bishop with a smile.

Please take them, Masamba thought to himself, silently begging. He hadn't been finding enough assignments to keep them busy so they ended up just hanging out in the building and causing all sorts of problems for him.

"Oh, I don't think we should do that," said Ariel.

"Why not?!"

Masamba got worried. "Yes, why not?!"

The blue haired girl was confused. Why do they want to come along with us? "Well, we don't know for how long we'll be gone for one, but also we don't know what we'll end up doing."

Buddy crossed his arms and looked down. "And something tells me we'll end up in a heap of danger."

"So?" asked Marion. "These two idiots heard 'go now' and tripped in excitement."

"Hey!" they said in unison.

"It's true!"

"No it's not!" proclaimed Kayson. "Bishop tripped and took me down with him!"

"Yeah, that's the truth," he admitted.

"Regardless, I think we're all itching to do something exciting."

Ariel didn't want to be a burden to them, especially since she thought this as strictly their problem. "But what about the danger?! And I would hate to pull you away for so long if it ends up being a long trip."

Masamba saw his chance. "If it's the latter then don't worry about a thing! We're a volunteer organization so we don't actually have the right to keep anyone here!"

"Can the rocket couch even carry that many people?" asked Ariel.

"Well, there aren't enough seats, but weight-wise yes."

"Wait, a rocket couch?! Why didn't we ride that with the dragon mission?!" Bishop's eyes lit up. "Let's go!" He ran towards the window without a second thought, and Kayson ran with him.

The chair at the reception area spun around to reveal Brook reading a book. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The two tried to leap through the window, but ended up pancaked on the side of it.

The receptionist smiled. "I made that window a solid block of glass several feet thick."

"That probably looks really weird from the outside," said Marion. "Well, only one way to find out. Come on guys, we have a couch to ride!"

The other two fell to the ground and she dragged them out of the building.

Soon as they were out Masamba shouted for joy. "Thank you so much for taking them with you!"

"Well, sounds like we didn't have a choice," said Buddy. He smiled. "That's okay though! Regardless of their reasons, I'm glad to have more people to travel with us!"

Thus the Odd and Defenestrator Squads began their journey to Celestia. They had no idea what sort of trouble they were getting into.

-----

"Hm, the blight has almost spread to a tipping point," said Hades observing his test subjects.

Fantasia, Sandra, and Arlen were all strapped down on medical tables under burningly bright lights. There was a purple blemish seeping out from underneath Fantasia's metal cheek pad, Sandra's sleeves, and over Arlen's exposed side. They were cringing in pain.

"Y-you monster!" yelled Sandra. "Let us go!"

"Now why would I do that?" asked the deranged Scientist. "You, my experiments, are so close to coming to fruition! The spreading of the blight will be exponential in nature, and it won't be long before you either lose yourself or perish in the process." Dark matter spilled out from underneath his body, like rogue shadows seeking out new hosts. "I thoroughly look forward to seeing which way you three go. Or maybe, just maybe, we'll get a result that even I haven't anticipated. You've lasted longer than all your predecessors after all."

The three gritted their teeth and tried breaking free.

"Give up already! You've tried to escape for hours upon hours now! Not even Arlen's teleportation will work in this room." He threw his hands up in the air, pointing out the bright white walls with wiring splayed out in alien patterns across them. "No powers but mine will work as long as we're in here! Just face it already, your new purposes in life are to further my plans!"

"No!" shouted Arlen. "I still have something to live for here! Let me go you control freak!"

Tentacles like goo and with the color of the blight that stained their bodies came out from under the table and wrapped around his mouth.

"Ah yes, you got me there. I am a control freak. Oh, what am I doing, I don't need to be bothering with you all." He stuck his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and walked out of the room. The sliding door slid open and closed automatically as he passed through.

He entered a room with lots of flashing things and buttons, as well as a massive electronic screen stretched out on the wall. A few lab coat wearing people scurried out of the room as soon as he came in.

Hades pressed a few buttons on a control board and the screen came to life. Static formed, but eventually collected into a comprehensible image of another person.

"What is it, Sid?" asked the newly formed figure. He wore white robes with two golden sashes forming an "x" over his torso. His equally golden hair was cut just above his eyebrows in front and it draped down over his back. His skin entire skin was colored somewhere between blood red and a dark magenta.

"What? Can I not call my associate when I want to, Odin?"

"Hmph. If you dare bothering me you better have a good reason."

"Alright, I do. I just wanted to tell you that my plans are coming along smoothly, and I wanted to check up on how things are holding up on your end."

The Sentinel who went by Odin sat back in his chair. "I see. Well, I wasn't able to make the Squadron take as heavy of a hit as I wanted, but all in good time I suppose."

"That's all I needed then! Just remember our deal, and say 'hi' to Osiris for me." He shut off the screen.

He paused and touched the side of his glasses. Numbers and other information zoomed over the lenses. "Well, how convenient! Even Catherine is almost ready for the picking! I'll have both pieces to the puzzle at about the same time!" He smiled devilishly. "The nightmare is only beginning."

On the other side of the severed connection, Odin swiveled in his chair to face a Chess set. There were only a few black pieces on the board, but they all were in advantageous positions compared to the multitude of white pieces. He paid special attention to the white and black kings, who were both at the far ends of the board.

"I don't understand you, Prometheus. It's like you anticipate every move I take, but give up shortly before I take action. What are you playing at?"

He stared at the board, and almost moved the black king forward, but then removed his hand from the board swiveled away from it.

"What do you think, Osiris?"

Across the dismally dark room there was a cage, and inside that cage was a man wearing nothing but rags. His dirty blonde hair hung over his eyes so that he had to brush it away. "I think the same thing as always: what the hell are you thinking? What gives you the right to mess with the lives of so many people?" Even though he had been trapped for an incredibly long time, his resolve did not waver. His green eyes spoke of freedom and righteousness, even if he couldn't enact it himself.

"What gives me the right? Ha! I don't need a reason like that!" Odin's red skin curled into a smile that hid behind it more lies than truths. "The world will change because I said so."