Once they were far enough away from Olympus, Floyd placed Synth's file into a projector, and the first thing Willow, Plasma, and the adults saw through the feed was something they wouldn't fully describe, but will never be able to erase from their own memory.

“Start the incision here," they heard a voice say as the video showed two people ripping into baby Synth's skin and flesh. “Keep calm. Hold it still."

“I can't! It won't stop moving!" Ræm groaned in frustration as Synth bawled in agony.

Viva sobbed on Floyd's shoulder as she watched the Troll she loved get torn apart and put back together multiple times. John Dory felt a fiery rage burn inside of him as he covered Hope's eyes, not wanting her to see this nightmarish image. Never could he have imagined someone doing something like this to an innocent baby. And knowing that it could've been Branch...

“Why did he never tell me about any of this?" Trollex asked tearfully.

“This is worse than what my mother did to me," Willow muttered quietly. John Dory looked over at her in sympathy.

“What about the passkey? Is it there?" Viva asked, still a blubbering mess. Floyd wiped his own tears away and scanned through lines of data.

“No," he answered, “but a file was removed today. Downloaded and deleted, a million characters in length. Says here it was done by this man. Recorder R83-Mu."

“Hey, that's the guy who almost stepped on me!" Willow realized. Plasma took a good look at Ræm.

“Looks like one of the Idealist's recorders."

Trollex's eyes widened. “The Idealist? You mean, the founder of Genesis?"

“Genesis is just a way for him to fund his experiments that lie outside intergalactic laws," Plasma explained. “He's created whole societies. Yunarians, Cronitors, Rageons..."

“You mean, like, Mount Rageons?" Floyd wondered.

“Corners of the universe consider him God," she added. John Dory glanced at the image of Ræm.

“I'm not exactly tech savvy," he said, “but if I had to take a wild guess, which I may as well, I'd say he stored the passkey into that computer thingy on his head."

“I think you're right, bro," Floyd agreed, zooming the image in on the cybernetic implant. “That could store the passkey."

“We find him, we save Synth," Willow said in determination. “F.I.O.N.A.!"

“Yes, Willow?"

“Take us to the Idealist!" she ordered.

“The Idealist is based on a planet called Eden," F.I.O.N.A explained. “Retrieving coordinates now."

“Wait, what?" Plasma asked. “Are you kidding me? What he wants is that gutted tuna in the healing ward, and you're just gonna bring it straight to him?! It's obviously a trap!"

“A trap isn't a trap when you know the trap is trying to trap you," Willow said. “It's a face-off."

“A face-off is a trap if you're facing off against a guy a thousand times more powerful than you!" Plasma argued. “Do you know who the Idealist is?!"

“Yeah, he's some 🐬🐬 who dissected my best friend!"

“Willow! Language!" John Dory scolded.

“The Idealist isn't someone you want to think about messing with!" Plasma warned.

“We won't think about it when we do it," Viva said in a low, intimidating voice.

Plasma groaned and stormed towards Viva. “Do you even hear yourself, you stupid blonde?! This guy—"

Suddenly, she was cut off by a blast of energy at her feet and Willow stepped in between the alien and her friend.

You better show some respect!

Check your behavior!

No one speaks to Viva that way...!

Did you expect us

To sit back and take your

Insolent, brutish display...?!

Plasma laughed at the teenage Pop Troll. “Okay..."

You got it twisted

I'm not the one who needs a new attitude

Maybe you missed it

But I'm the galaxy's BITCH and I will do

Nothing less than what I please

Achoo!

I could kill with just a sneeze

Mad that I acted respectless?

Well, it's 'cuz no one could respect this!

Sorry Trolls attending

But clearly, none of you can really fight

The suns are setting

Sorry, folks, but y'all won't last the night

You have no competence

“We're willing to face any consequence," Floyd insisted. Plasma scoffed.

No wonder I'm so respectless

They're gonna eat you for breakfast!

Willow's eyes began to glow white as she held herself back from using her magic.

You're just a girl

Who's inane and uninformed

Stuck in your world

And can't heed when you've been warned...

Plasma let out a smug grin.

Oops! Did I strike a nerve?

'Cuz when I asked if your mom was dead

Couldn't help but observe

That your purple face was turning red

And why are you so terrified?

That angry mask looks built to hide

Thanks to my being respectless

One thing I'm starting to suspect is

The reason why your mommy's dead is

You dealt her that fatal blow...

“It's time for you to go!" Willow shouted, and the two of them glared at one another.

“Well, this is awkward," Viva muttered.

“Hmm, fine," Plasma huffed. “I already did my job. Have fun getting slaughtered, losers."

“And I thought my sister was a problem child, rest her soul," Trollex laughed nervously as Plasma walked away. Willow sighed from exhaustion and headed for the washroom.

“Willow..." John Dory said, but she had already shut the door. He pressed his ear against it and listened to her soft cries.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Back on Olympus, Gromlik shoved a Nebularauder into a chair in the security room, accompanied by the injured technician, Starlene, and George. The pirate was accompanied by a tiny, fluffy creature that resembled a blue chinchilla with three eyes and six ears.

“Found him on the outskirts of the first shield, pirating supply ships," he explained to them as the creature jumped off the pirate's lap.

“Thank you so much for your help, Mister," Starlene said to the sentry.

“Thank you for your generous donation to the Genesentry retirement fund."

Starlene turned to the Nebularauder. “Your associate, an Alevartian named Plasma... Where is she now?"

“No! I'll never talk!" he spat.

“Never say never," Starlene said with a smug grin, and turned to George. “Georgie, sweetie? Show him we mean business."

George wasn't quite sure what she meant, but shrugged in agreement and shot a beam of hot energy from his bare hand at the Nebularauder. The tech and Gromlik looked on in horror as the pirate was burned to a crisp. Once he was finished, George smiled proudly at Starlene as the body smoked. All that was left of his torso and face were a charred up skull and ribcage.

Starlene groaned in frustration. “I said show him we mean business, not murder him!"

“What more business could we have shown him?!" George argued.

“But now, he's useless!" she shouted.

“Well, let's just question the man's friend!" he suggested, gesturing to the little creature.

“Friend?! You think that's his friend? It's an animal!" Starlene pointed out as it glumly curled up to its dead owner's foot.

“She looks sad," George said, rubbing his abdomen. “I don't enjoy how it's making me feel, honestly."

Starlene whined as the tech laughed at George.

“Your friend's a moron," Gromlik said to the teenage prodigy. “I got one of those, too. I get it."

“Outpost? This is Plasma, you there?"

After hearing Plasma's voice, Starlene eyed the smoldering body curiously.

“Kurji-rak, come in!"

Careful not to burn herself, Starlene reached into Kurji-rak's pocket to find his comm and pulled it out.

“Outpost, come in!"

“Plasma, hey, girl!" Starlene greeted into the device. “How you hanging?"

“Well, I need you guys to come pick me up. I'm gonna upload the location-link to the craft I'm on."

“Sure thing, sister!" Starlene said, and turned to George. “Come, George."

“Yes, Mother," he replied, picking up the creature and stroking her head with his giant finger as he headed out with his creator.