We see a cable car going up to the mountains. The gang is inside.
Chapter 8: Unexpected Enemy
Harriet
Wow, we're so high up!
Matt
And it's getting much colder…
Duster
The next tower is supposed to be up in these mountains somewhere.
Delphia
If no one else knows about it, it's probably pretty isolated. We might have to go through some wilderness to find it.
Harriet
The first one was in the middle of a desert, because it repelled water or something.
Matt
Since a tower probably wouldn't repel its own, um, type I guess, it means that the tower of water will
repel air.
Delphia
So there's probably going to be less air to breath? Makes sense. I mean, we are up in the mountains.
The cable car gets to the top, and the gang steps out with other tourists. The sun is going down now.
Duster
Traveling at night in these cold mountains is definitely not a good idea. We should rest for the night at
the resort up here and start searching first thing in the morning.
Matt
I really want to get to the tower before Winston, but… I guess we have no choice. Maybe someone at
the resort would know something about the tower.
Harriet
Besides, it's a mountain resort! This journey is taking us to all sorts of cool places, isn't it?
Matt
Harriet…
Harriet
What?
Matt
… Forget it…
Delphia
So who's going to pay for the rooms?
Duster
I'll go ahead and do it. I don't really spend much of my income… So I've usually got coins to burn…
Harriet
Oh, thanks, Duster! You're the best!
They walk across a scenic mountain overlook and Matt stops for a moment. Across the landscape are the familiar mountains surrounding New Tazmilly. Matt turns around and notices the oddly-shaped mountain hiding behind two other smaller ones.
Harriet
Come on, Matty!
He catches up and they go inside the resort. Inside, Duster goes up to the front counter and gets the rooms. The kids look around the large lobby for a bit. It has a fireplace and photos of the mountains. People are bundled up and drinking hot cocoa and stuff.
Delphia
This place is beautiful. I should've brought some regular old canvases and painted some landscapes.
Harriet
You Painters are so awesome, Delphia. Especially the way you use your PSI like that…
Delphia
You think so? We used to have a lot more power, up until about eight years ago or so. Our chief could
even paint entire mountains. Wouldn't surprise me if she designed the ones we're in now.
Harriet
So your chief disappeared or something, right?
Delphia
Yeah, we don't know where she is… She said she was just going off on another assignment, but
that was nearly a year ago.
Harriet
Maybe she's off fighting the crazy animals or something.
Delphia
Maybe.
During this conversation, we get a look at Matt, who feels like he's being ignored. Cut to the outer resort at night. The dining hall hangs off the edge and is lit up and filled with people. Now we see the gang having a fancy dinner at a table. The first panel shows Delphia and Harriet obviously talking, but no bubbles are needed. Duster is enjoying a glass of water and a simple meal. Matt looks very reserved and is passively forking his food around the plate. On the next panel, Duster turns to Matt.
Duster
Hey, Matthew, something wrong?
Matt
Harriet hasn't really changed… that's what's wrong.
Duster
Hm?
Matt
Well, at least she's made a new friend. Yay. Like she doesn't have enough already.
Duster
… You're jealous, aren't you?
Matt
…
Duster
Well, I was never good at making friends, either.
Matt
It doesn't matter. That's not even what I'm mad about.
Duster
What's on your mind?
Matt
Just forget it…
Duster takes another drink of water. Matt goes back to staring at chatting Delphia and Harriet. Delphia is eating a spicy curry burrito meal and dripping hot sauce over it with her other hand. Behind him, outside of the window, we just barely see a faint blue glow and a hint of yellow… Then, on another panel, we're outside again and behind Starface as it looks in. Close up on Matt's eyes getting wide. He turns around, but nothing is there.
Harriet
Matty, did you hear me?
Matt turns around again. Harriet has kind of a prissy pose with her elbow on the table.
Matt
What?
Harriet
Show Delphia that face you used to make when you were little. You know, the really funny one?
Matt
I… don't know what you're talking about.
Harriet
Oh, come on. You even taught Winston how to do it.
Close up on Matt clenching his napkin.
Delphia
Are Winston and Matty a lot alike?
Harriet
Yeah. They're only a couple years apart. They share secrets from me and probably mock me when I'm
not around. You know, boy stuff…
Delphia
A little brother would've driven me crazy.
Harriet
Ha, try living with two of them.
Matt's face gets redder.
Harriet
Winston's really energetic, and Matty's always been the quiet one. Except when he loses at a board
game or something. Winston will just politely ask for a rematch, while Matty will run to his room and
say nothing for the rest of the night because he thinks he's a failure. That's basically the biggest difference between the two. Most of the time, they act exactly the same—
Matt (angry)
Just stop it, Harriet!
Harriet
What? I'm not making fun of you or anything. Delphia was just asking about Winston, and—
Matt
You don't even care about Winston!
Harriet
Now come on! How can you say that? You know that's not true!
Matt
Oh yeah? At first, you just wanted to find him and get home as soon as you could! But now you're too
busy enjoying yourself at the mall, or at the resort, or wherever we go…
Harriet
Just because I'm trying to relax a little at the places we visit doesn't mean I don't care about Winston,
Matty! Where's this even coming from?
This rant can go across several panels. Duster mostly just watches casually as the two fight.
Matt
You never really cared about Winny or me when we left home! All you care about is yourself and your friends! Winston's being used by those alien creatures and probably doesn't recognize us anymore, and the only thing I want is to bring him home and play with him and share stories, and all you care about is getting him home so that life can get back to normal. But I guess that's okay with you as long as you got to stay at a resort, isn't it?
Harriet
What the heck's your problem? I don't even know why you're yelling at me!
Matt
Even if we got Winston and went back home, you'd just go back to ignoring us! You know what, if you
always ignored us, I probably wouldn't even care! But you used to hang out with us all the time! You
used to be nice… and cool… and you'd take us to the park and stuff like that…
Harriet
I'm not a kid anymore, Matty! I've grown up! I'm sorry if I can't always play with you two!
Matt
You're no better than Uncle Shigo… I'm… I'm going out to find Winston myself!
Matt storms off. Other guests watch him leave.
Delphia
Wow. Has he gone off like that before?
Harriet
Um… no… That was really embarrassing…
Duster
Harriet, I think he might be serious about going off on his own.
Harriet
I doubt it. Will you go talk some sense into him?
Duster
Wouldn't it be better if you did?
Harriet
I think he hates me right now.
Duster
… All right. I'll meet you back in the lobby.
Duster leaves.
Harriet
Geez… I've never seen him like that…
Duster goes outside, where Matt is sitting on a bench near the restaurant. Duster sits near him.
Matt
I guess Harriet probably wouldn't care if I was going off on my own…
Duster
Don't talk like that, Matt. Of course she'd care.
Matt
I just… I don't know how to feel. She doesn't see Winston the way I do. Winston is so important to me,
but to Harriet, he's just… another part of the family.
Duster
You three each share something special that I'll never have. You've got each other for rest of your lives.
You shouldn't spend that life fighting or resenting one another.
Matt
…
Duster
I'm sure Harriet cares very much for Winston and his safety. You're probably just a little impatient and
aggravated that she seems to be the leader of the group, and you can fault her for not being able to
get Winston back. But I've seen the determination she has, especially in battle. And you both need to
get used to working together. I'm sure Harriet is as concerned about Winston as you are. She's just
trying to hide it. Maybe to make herself seem braver… Because she wants her friends to believe in her.
Matt
Maybe…
Duster
Lucas did the same thing…
Matt looks at Duster. Then, snow begins to fall.
Duster
We'd better get to our nice, cozy cabins, don't you think?
Matt
Yeah…
Next page.
We see a cabin from the outside, where it's still snowing. Inside, Matt is looking out the window at the snow while Duster sleeps and snores. There's a knock at the door and Harriet comes in. Matt turns around as she comes up.
Harriet
Um, Matty, I'm sorry about earlier… I know that you have to put up with a lot of things…
Matt
Why are you apologizing? I'm the one that went crazy.
Harriet walks up to the window.
Harriet
It won't be snowing back home for another week or so. It sure is beautiful up here.
Matt
Winston would start making his army of snowmen soon…
Harriet
Heh, yeah. He always covers the yard with them.
Matt
The Solstice Festival is in a few days. We're probably going to miss it.
Harriet
Yeah… I wonder if Winston even remembers the festival. Or his birthday. Or anything in his state.
Matt
… I'm really worried about him, Harriet. Why do you think those aliens are trying to activate the towers,
anyway?
Harriet
Maybe for the same reason Lucas is? To open that chamber in New Tazmilly, right?
Matt
Then why did they steal our brother from us? If we're trying to open the chamber, anyway… why not
just work with Lucas? I still don't even understand any of this. What could be down there? Why open it at all? There's probably a good reason it's closed, and…
Harriet hugs him.
Harriet
Don't worry about it, Matty. We'll see Winston at the next tower. It hasn't been activated yet, so I'm sure
that we can beat him there. And that's where we'll free him from those weird aliens.
Matt
Harriet… Back home, you'd think this is the grossest thing ever…
Harriet lets go.
Harriet
Yeah, well, we're not home, are we? Things are different now. I know this doesn't sound like me, but…
The truth is, I love you two. And as your older sister, it's my job to look out for the both of you. Maybe I
just haven't been that good at it yet. I'll try to improve on it some, okay?
Matt
…
Harriet
Get some sleep, Matty. Tomorrow's another "tower day."
Matt
Yeah…
Harriet leaves. Matt crawls into his bed. He then has a one panel flashback of Winston commanding an army of snow man to invade Matt's ice fort. He then goes to sleep.
Next page. The kids have gathered outside.
Delphia
Where the heck's Duster?
Matt
Dunno. He wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning.
Duster comes out of the main building with a thermos in one hand.
Duster
About time you three woke up.
Harriet
How… early did you wake up?
Duster
I get up with the sun. Anyway, I did some asking around, and I think I have a good idea of where the
tower might be and how to get to it.
Harriet
Really? Good work, Duster!
Duster
T-thanks…
Delphia
So where are we going?
Duster
A few miles from here, there's a large, open valley under the shadow of that weird mountain.
He points up to the mountain.
Duster
There's a hiking trail that passes right by the valley. And supposedly, there's a cavern that cuts right
through the mountain and can lead us to the top. There's something weird about it, though.
Harriet
What?
Duster
The further you go in, the harder it becomes to breathe. And no one's ever made it all the way through
yet.
Matt
So the oxygen levels drop the further you go in…
Duster
That's right. But it seems that there's some explorer out in that cave that might helps us get through it.
That's about all I've heard, though. I say we go there and worry about how to get to the tower once we
meet this explorer guy.
Harriet
Sounds like we've got a lot of walking to do…
Duster holds up hiking boots.
Duster
I bought boots for everyone…
Delphia
Wow, thanks! They look great.
Matt
You're so nice, Duster…
He smiles. Now we see the group walking into the hiking trail with a few other people. A small montage follows that can have some funny moments to show the kids' lack of experience versus Duster just running up the trail without any problems. Someone can also comment about his disability and how it doesn't seem to stop him. Eventually, they get to a small clearing in the trees where they can see the valley. A sign it also posted that mentions not stepping off of the trail. Duster checks his compass.
Duster
That's the valley…
The four look to their left and right, and go ahead and go down into the woods. After a couple panels of walking, a grizzly bear and two wolves suddenly spring out and attack them, obviously crazy.
Harriet
Oh, come on! We're like twenty feet from the trail, and we're already being attacked?
Matt
Let's try Marvin's pellet things.
Harriet
Yeah.
Harriet tosses three of the pellets as the animals start lunging at them. They emit purple vapors that engulf the animals. They become calmer, but are still approaching the group.
Matt
They still look a little angry…
Delphia
I don't want to hurt the adorable little things, so let's try this…
Delphia draws a few bubbles on her glass and pushes them out, creating hypnosis and putting the animals to sleep.
Matt
You put them to sleep… We didn't even have to beat them up or anything.
Delphia
Yeah. We sometimes use it on angry people to calm them down.
Duster (eating cheese)
Even if you never learn any offensive smells… I mean, spells, you can still be very important, Matty.
Harriet
Where… did you get that cheese?
Duster
I usually carry some around with me for a quick snack. Come on. Let's go before they wake up.
Duster leads the way into the valley. The others look at each other for one more panel before following. After a couple of panels, they get to the center of the valley.
Harriet
I wonder why there's no snow in the valley…
Delphia
Yeah, it's a little strange.
Suddenly, a light mist starts covering the group. It's not that thick, but it covers the entire valley.
Harriet
Something weird's going on…
Delphia
Wait… Do you feel that? I sense… PSI.
They all turn around to see Starface hovering there, looking back at them. It stares back, looking over the group over a couple panels.
Matt
W-what is that? A ghost?
Harriet
I don't know. It's strange looking…
Curious, Harriet walks up to it and tries to touch it. Her hand goes straight through. Starface tilts its head and Harriet falls back.
Delphia (reaching for brush)
Careful. It could be another enemy.
Starface
I am… no one's enemy.
Matt
Did it… Was it speaking just now? Did you hear it?
Duster
It sounds like it spoke directly to my mind or something.
Harriet
Guys, this thing is really creeping me out now. I think we should just get away from it.
Starface
Please, do not try to flee… I feel that I should apologize to you… sentients before I… do what must be
done. You will not… be able to understand, but… I must do it.
Delphia
What are you talking about?
Starface
My power… has not fully returned to me… In most situations, I would've already been able to…
eradicate you… painlessly and quickly… That is preferable… I do not wish to induce… suffering.
Harriet
Eradicate us? What? What the heck are you?
Starface
I am a dimensional guardian. I protect the universe, preventing it from being destroyed by sentients
like yourselves. I have been following your people for quite some time. Your planet… has a very
interesting history. One that deserves to continue… However… You are seeking to bring great danger
to this entire dimension… To all of reality.
Matt
What are you talking about?! All we're trying to do is save our brother!
Starface
I cannot permit you to activate anymore of the objects you call "towers." Although I am not yet at full
strength, I will use everything at my disposal to stop you…
Delphia
G-guys, I think this thing is serious…
Starface
Please do not resist.
Over a few panels, Starface's arms grow long, and then curl up into intricate patterns. Its eyes turn into glowing red segments. It opens up two dimensional rifts, causing distortion within its curled arms. Instantly, tesseract spheres, feyets, shadow puppets, nanner-o-wars, rads, and a couple new dimensional enemies pour out. They engage in attack while Starface keeps open the tears.
Duster
I don't know what is going on, but those things look nasty…
Delphia
Whatever that ghost creature is, we can't let it keep following us! Let's get through these guys and then
stop that thing!
Harriet
Right.
Harriet puts up a shield, but the fast shadow puppet can slither right through it. Matt watches, a little scared, as it curls up his leg, squeezes him, and then moves its head around in front of his face.
Matt
*cough* G-get it off!
Delphia
Right!
Delphia draws a lightning bolt, but before she can push it out, Harriet stops her.
Harriet
You can't do that! You'll hit Matty!
Delphia
Oh… right.
Duster comes over and tries to pull the creature off, but his hands go right through it.
Duster
There's no way to touch this creature!
Matt
Can't… breathe…
Harriet
(It looks like a shadow puppet… But how would it even exist? Wait… maybe…)
Harriet uses PK Flash. The blinding light causes the creature to be shocked, and then vanish completely. Matt gasps in air.
Harriet
You okay?
Matt
Let me handle the shields, Harriet…
The spheres begin firing, but Matt puts up a shield that bounces back the shots. Weird grabber tentacles come out of the spheres and latch onto the shield. They seem to overpower the shield, and after it glows brightly, it disappears.
Matt
Come on! This isn't fair!
Creatures rush in. A couple pages of general battle stuff ensues. The Nanner-o-War fires a missile that Delphia blows up with a lightning bolt, and then launches a toy glove that she catches and holds, bringing the nanner to her. Angry, the nanner takes out a machete and waves it around, but Harriet twirls the nanner up and tosses it away. At the same time, Duster has engaged in foot-to-foot combat with the Feyet, and Matt is trying to hit a fast-moving Rad. Elsewhere, a Dodo just watches the entire thing as a Furry Mrowler comes out and starts chucking bombs.
Harriet
This is crazy! There's way too many of them!
Harriet casts Songbird, but it only takes a few enemies down.
Duster (stepping on the Feyet)
We can't stay here. They'll overwhelm us.
Delphia (casting Fire)
They're really tough…
Harriet (whipping a creature)
We're barely hurting them!
Close up on Matt. He closes his eyes.
Matt
(Let's… try… this…)
Matt opens his eyes and unleashes Offense Up on the entire party. They glow a dull orange.
Harriet
Yeah! There you go, Matty!
Duster leaps into the air and leg-slams a sphere, slicing it in half and causing it to explode. Harriet slices a second sphere in half. Matt then smashes some other enemy, maybe a new one. The Mrowler has taken out a big bomb this time and tosses it right in the middle of the party.
Harriet
Look out!
Matt casts Defense Up on everyone. The bomb hits right in the center, sending everyone flying a bit but they're mostly okay.
Delphia
That could've been much worse… Thanks, Matty.
Matt (proud of himself)
(Support PSI… That's what I'm good at!)
The Mrowler leaps with two huge claws out, but Delphia freezes the creature solid.
Delphia
If that ghost thing is using PSI to keep those portals open, maybe I can drain it…
Delphia uses drain on Starface, but nothing happens at all. She also uses hypnosis on it, and then angry, both thunder and fire at the same time.
Harriet
Nothing even touches it!
Suddenly, the Rad comes up and bites Duster on the arm.
Duster
Ow!
Duster swings his arm and tosses the Rad away. He already looks pretty sick.
Duster
Ugh… Don't feel… so well…
Duster looks at the cheese, and then tosses it away.
Duster
I… suddenly have no appetite…
Matt comes up and starts healing him. Harriet puts up another shield as Delphia stands guard, ready to launch out another attack.
Starface
This was… unexpected. I have underestimated your strength. But I have my own beings that I can control… I consider them saviors; people that have saved your world before. I collect and store memories of them. I study how they fight. These memories… you will not be able to counter.
Starface's arms change pattern a little bit, and the portals close. A memory sphere comes into shape in Starface's hands. There's a little tornado of white wind, the memory sphere glows and disappears, and then Ninten forms in the middle, slightly transparent. He gets up and looks at the group with empty pupil-less eyes.
Starface
Attack…
Ninten charges with his bat and then swings. The strike is so hard, that the shield shatters, and Harriet has to dodge as the bat smashes into the ground.
Harriet
Who is that boy?
Delphia launches a fireball, but Ninten dodges it.
Delphia
He's fast…
Ninten takes a puff of asthma spray, and then leaps into the air and comes down with the bat again, at Delphia this time. She rolls away, and then creates a thunder bolt. It blasts a hole in Ninten's body, but in the next panel, it heals up.
Delphia
He's not real. Not like us.
Starface summons Ness and Tracy to join the fight, equally emotionless. Ness leaps at Matt, who has finished healing Duster. Matt defends himself with the monopod. Delphia shoots out a blast of ice at Ness, but it only explodes on contact and yet has no affect. Tracy, who is actually older than Ness because of the way the memory was collected, launches out a PK Puppies at Harriet. She puts up a shield, but the shield is overloaded and some of the attack gets through and blasts her backwards. Ninten backs off as Ness and Tracy position themselves at either side of the group. They bring up their arms.
Matt
(This is bad!)
Looking desperate, Matt puts up a large shield over everyone as a combination Rockin' Puppies hits the group. When the dust clears, the group is clearly badly hurt in a crater. After recovering a little bit, Matt begins using life up on the group.
Delphia
Those two have strong PSI… and the other one is incredibly powerful with that bat…
Harriet
I wonder who they are.
Delphia
Maybe I can use my PSI Drain on them…
Banged up, Delphia tries using Drain on Ninten. He begins fading away, but the Drain wears off, and then Ninten returns to full power.
Delphia
It seemed to be working, but it doesn't last long enough.
Starface
(It seems I must push myself…)
Starface summons young Lucas next. The group looks over. Duster looks particularly shocked.
Duster
L-Lucas…?
Harriet
What? Why did it make a Lucas?
Matt
That's not Lucas! That's just another ghost… or memory, or whatever it's attacking us with!
Lucas doesn't mess around. He casts PK Love, which swarms over the party and decimates them. When Love clears, we see the team very weak, although they're all still conscious.
Harriet
We… can't take another hit like that…
Matt
We have to get out of here…
Matt casts life up on everyone, but then collapse to his knees.
Matt
My PSI is exhausted… We have to run…
Harriet helps Matt up, and the four begin running away from Starface and the memories. The memories give chase.
Delphia
Those things aren't going to quit! Let me give something a try…
While they're running, Delphia begins painting something on her canvas.
Delphia
This takes a lot of paint… and I've only made this once before…
Delphia stops and turns around.
Delphia
But maybe it'll work on them!
Delphia makes PK Tornado. A large twister sucks up all four memories, and as if they're melting and being stretched, the tornado twists them around violently. The tornado clears, and we see that the four memories have become a grotesque, jumbled hybrid mess (scary).
Starface
(These memories have been corrupted… It will take time to repair them…)
Starface absorbs the memories. The group stops for a moment and looks at Starface.
Harriet
Good work, Delphy…
Starface
You force me to take such extreme measures.
Starface begins shifting form again, this time to open up four dimensional rifts at once, almost turning to a butterfly shape.
Matt
Why are you attacking us?! We're not the bad guys!
Starface
I do not have a side. I am a neutral entity assigned to protect this dimension and universe. You pose
a threat to both.
Starface finishes shifting.
Starface
Now become cosmic dust.
It shoots a beam at Matt, but luckily Harriet shoves him out of the way with PSI. The beams begin tearing up the valley. Harriet grabs Matt's hand, and the four run quickly across the plains as everything gets torn up and Starface chases them.
Duster
I think I see the cave up ahead! If we can get inside, maybe we'll be safe!
Blue sparkles come out from the mist. They absorb themselves into trees and rocks, turning them to living things that try to attack the group even as more beams chase them. (Yes, the tree enemies are Trees.)
Matt
(That creature is what's making non-living things… alive…)
They dodge the attacking trees, rocks, and beams for a few more panels. Back at Starface, we see that it is now reverting back to its normal form.
Starface
(My energy… is dwindling… One last attempt…)
Starface uses Starstorm Omega. Massive stars rain down from the sky, slamming into the valley and turning it into a fiery wasteland. The group dodges a few stars, and then leaps into the cave. Boulders then fall and block the entrance. The cave is lined with lanterns. The team slumps against the wall and pants as there's a loud rumbling.
Matt
We… made it…
Harriet
Not even those aliens were anywhere near that powerful…
Delphia
Why is it trying so hard to kill us?
Duster
I think we'll be seeing that… star-face thing again.
One last shot of the team resting as the rumbling dies down. We now see the valley, covered with craters and on fire. All the trees are cinders, the ground has been turned to dust, and thick black clouds cover the sky. In the center of it all is Starface. We go closer in to see that its eyes are nearly shut now.
Starface
(Must… rest…)
Starface extends one arm and opens a single rift.
Starface
(One… last…)
We see paws come out and hit the ground. A close up on Starface as its eyes shut, and then it disappears.
Starface
(Find… them…)
The last panel, a big one, shows Cerberus standing amounts the destroyed valley, snorting out a puff of green. Its hair is larger now, as are its muscles, and it has two heads. It means business.