April 2002
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mei: Besties, assemble! Miriam!

Miriam: Hey!

Mei: Priya!

Priya: Yo.

Mei: Abby!

Abby: [shouting in Korean at other students] Hey, what are you trying to do? [turns to Mei and in English] Yeah! What's up, Mei?

The girls all put in their hands in the middle.

Mei: Ready to change the world?

Miriam: So ready!

Priya: I was born to do this.

Abby: LET'S BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND!

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Outside of the Lester B. Pearson Middle School, in an alleyway, a portal opened, dropping a particular CIA agent onto the ground.

Adler: [grunts]

As Adler got up, he dusted himself off and looked around. It looked like he wasn't in Verdansk anymore. In fact, he was in another world, 18 years into the future.

Adler: Where am I?

As he walked around Toronto, several people noticed him briefly before going on to do their own things. Adler was dazed and confused. At first, he was planting explosive devices in Verdansk to stop Stitch and the Perseus organization, and now he's in another city where things looked more advanced than his time.

Adler then went inside a convenience store called the Daisy Mart. He browsed several of the items for almost half an hour until the store clerk got his attention.

Devon: Can I help you, sir?

Adler turned around and went to the counter. A teen in the Daisy Mart uniform was there, adjusting a sign on the top of the counter.

Adler: Yeah, can you tell me the date?

Devon: It's April.

Adler: April what? What year is it?

Devon: It's April 2002. Dude, everybody knows that.

Devon then studied Adler. To him, Adler looked like a foreigner.

Devon: You're not from around here, are you?

Adler: Isn't that obvious, kid?

While Adler was talking with Devon, he had a feeling that he was being watched...

5 minutes earlier

Miriam: Mei Mei Mei Mei Mei Mei! Come see this!

Miriam rushed over and grabbed Mei and pulled her over to the front of the store. The 4 girls sneakily crawled behind the door to a wall and peeked through the side of the window.

Mei: Huh?

Abby: Mmmm!

Priya: Ahhhhh.

Miriam: Mmmmmm, Devon.

At the store counter was a teen, wearing the Daisy Mart uniform and his nametag that read "Devon".

Abby: My mom cuts his hair at the salon and I've felt it! It's very soft!

Priya: Woah. Can I have some?

Miriam: Yeah Abby, hook a sister up.

Mei: Eugh! [notices Adler] Hey, who's that?

The 4 girls then diverted their attention from Devon to the mysterious man talking with him. He had an assault rifle, a holstered pistol, and tactical gear on him.

Miriam: Is that a rifle?

Abby: Have we seen him before?

Miriam: No, it looks like he's not from around here.

Adler then thanked Devon and went out the store. The four girls watched as Adler stopped in his tracks then immediately looked at them. After a few seconds of silence, Adler spoke up.

Adler: Why were you girls spying on me?

Mei: Wait, how did you know we were watching you?

Mei and the other girls went up to him.

Adler: It's just an instinct. I've been in the agency for years to know that.

Miriam: Agency? Who are you?

Adler: Apologies for not introducing myself. I'm Russell Adler of the CIA.

Miriam: CIA?

Mei: What's someone like you doing here?

Adler: It's a long story. I was on assignment in Verdansk until some door I opened teleported me here, and everyone 'round here's been saying that it's 2002 instead of 1984.

Mei: 1984?

Adler: That's the year where I came from. And if you're wondering, Verdansk's a city in the Soviet Union.

Mei: I don't recall learning about that city in history class. Also, the Soviet Union broke up 11 years ago.

Adler: Really? So the Soviets are gone in the future. Now, what are your names?

Mei: I'm Meilin Lee, but my friends call me Mei.

Miriam: It's Miriam.

Priya: Priya.

Abby: And I'm Abby!

Adler: Nice to meet you girls.

Mei: Ahem, about Devon, he looks like a hobo.

Abby: A hot hobo!

Adler: So that's who you were spying on?

Miriam: Yep. What do you think about him, Adler?

Adler: No comment.

Mei then pulled out a 4-Town magazine from her backpack.

Mei: May I remind you what real men look like.

Miriam, Priya, Abby: Oooooh. 4-Town.

Adler: 4-Town?

Mei: Yes! 4-Town! Jesse went to art school. Tae Young fosters injured doves. Robaire speaks French. And Aaron T and Aaron Z are, like, really talented, too. We are 4-Townies, remember? Ride or Die!

Adler: Okay, so... they're some kind of band.

Priya: Yeah, but tickets to 4-Town are, like, a bajillion dollars, and Devon's right here.

Abby: And free!

A tram bell rang as it passed them, making Mei close her magazine and started walking away.

Mei: Ah, fudgesicles! I gotta go!

Miriam: Wait! We're going karaokeing today. We can even bring Adler with us.

Abby: Yeah!

Priya: Come with us. Please..

Miriam: Please.

All three looked at Mei with sparkling puppy-eyes. Adler just watched.

Mei: I... can't. It's cleaning day.

Adler: Since when was cleaning day a thing?

Miriam: Mei! Every day is cleaning day! Can't you just get one afternoon off?

Mei: But I like cleaning. Plus, I got this new feather duster and, oh my gosh, you guys, it picks up so much dirt, it's bananas!

Miriam: Fine. I'll let you go... ifffff you can pass The Gauntlet! Come on.

All four girls, one by one, came in and started an acapella of one of 4-Town's songs, Nobody Like U.

The 4 girls: All right!

Abby: Yeah! Go, Mei!

Miriam: See, that was good!

Abby: That was dope!

Adler: I gotta admit, that was some good coordination there.

Miriam then took out a CD out of her pocket.

Miriam: You passed, and here is your reward. '99 Australian tour, with the Girl I Love Your Jeans remix.

Mei gasped, kissing the CD casing frantically and hugging Miriam.

Mei: OMG Mir, I'll guard it with my life! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Adler: Maybe this world isn't so bad, after all.

Mei: 4-Town!

Miriam, Priya, Abby: 4-ever!

Mei then ran off and paused for a second. She turned to Adler.

Mei: Wait, Adler. Don't you have a place to stay at?

Adler: What are you talking about? I just got here.

Mei: Well, if it's alright with my mom, you can stay at our place.

Adler: Thanks, kid.

Both Mei and Adler then got onto the tram.

Mei: We'll karaoke another time! I promise!

Miriam: Okay, sure Mei!

Mei: It'll be on me. The snacks, the tunes.

Priya: Whoo.

Abby: You're my jam, girl!

Mei waved goodbye to the girls while they waved back.

--------------------

Adler and Mei both sat by each other. While Mei was fidgeting around with her charmed 4-Town CD, Adler sat in silence, staring outside.

How in the world did he travel through the years into the future? Was Perseus still around? What happened to Mason, Woods, and Hudson? All types of questions went around Adler's mind. His time in the field for years have made him forget that there were still good people out there.

"Adler, we have unfinished business."

That voice. It sounded familiar.

Stitch.