Back in the city of Los Angeles, Anne and Olivier were still fused into Olivanne,
and were taking a stroll through town as they headed back to the Boonchuy's neighborhood.
They stopped for a moment to look at their reflection against a window.
Olivanne smiled as they examined their appearance for a moment.
They blushed as they thought how they kinda resembled Anne and Olivier's child
from that one future vision that they both had shared not too recently.
(Which made them wonder if Anne and Olivier's future selves ALSO fused into Olivanne.
It only made logical sense that they most likely still did...or WILL. However that is phrased.)
((*WHISTLE*))
Olivanne suddenly turned, and saw a shady looking man approach.
He looked to be about eighteen, or nineteen...and was giving Olivanne a creepy look.
"Never seen you around here, cutie...You looking to have some fun?" spoke the man.
"no thanks, I am fine." answered Olivanne, with a scowl.
"aw, don't be that way..." spoke the man, approaching Olivanne. "I know a GREAT place we can party."
Olivanne grimaced in disgust. They didn't need any magic to sense the ill intent this man had.
It didn't help that in their fused form, Olivanne looked much older than Anne and Olivier actually were.
(although given the vibes that Olivanne was getting from this man...that probably wouldn't had mattered.)
"sorry, but I need to get back home." said Olivanne, turning and walking away.
Olivanne power walked as far from the man as possible.
but as they began to pass an alley, someone grabbed them from behind.
"HEY!, WHAT THE-!?" exclaimed Olivanne, as they were dragged into the dark alley.
Olivianne looked back at whoever was restraining them, and glared. "LET GO OF ME, YOU SONUVA-!"
"Would you hurry up, and GAG that b*tch!"
Olivanne saw the man who was flirting with them earlier approach
just as their captor slapped some kind of sticky patch over their mouth.
"kind of a scrawny thing, isn't she?" said the man restraining Olivanne.
The first man then drew out what looked like a syringe. "All that means is that she'll be FLEXABLE."
Olivanne glared angrily at the man (their eyes gleaming dark blue.)
As the man edged closer, and tried to grab their arm...
...Olivanne swiftly upper kicked him in the jaw.
"WHAT TH-!?"
Before the second man could fully react, Olivanne swung their head backwards,
striking the second man square in his nose, fracturing it.
"GAHH!" exclaimed the man, as his nose bled.
Olivanne seized the opportunity, and elbowed the man in the gut.
Forced to release Olivanne, the man staggered...which left Olivanne open to kick him in the groin.
"OHHHHH!" groaned the man, dropping like a stone.
Olivanne ripped the patch off their mouth...but then heard a *CLIK* sound.
Turning, they saw the man then had kicked earlier aiming a gun at them.
Olivanne's eyes glowed as they prepared to deflect whatever shot he fired...
...Except, that didn't happen. Something ELSE did.
"-ERK!, AHH...ACK!"
the man grasped his throat, reacting as if he were being strangled by an invisible hand.
Olivanne stared, confused at what was happening right now.
They then gasped as the man neck suddenly twisted, making a loud SNAPPING sound.
"what the heck?" spoke Olivanne, confused.
The fusion then looked back as the second man started to get up. BUT, as he did...he let out a short gasp
from dark colored light beam shooting a hole through where his heart should be from behind him.
He dropped to the ground...DEAD.
Olivanne looked ahead of them...and saw three glowing lights gleaming in the darkness.
Two were red, and in pairs like eyes. The other was a dark purple color, and pulsing.
The purple light flickered out...and Olivanne heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
(("such fools...thinking the Darkness was their ally.")) spoke a voice that echoed unnaturally.
(("but THEY only adopted the dark. while those like ME...were BORN from it."))
The mysterious figure stepped into what little light there was, Revealing itself to be a four foot tall, anthropomorphic toad.
said Toad was draped in a fur cloak that was dark red in color,
wore an armored outfit like Captain Grime, and bore long eyebrows that gave a *V* shape.
Olivanne instantly recognized this toad. "Grunge!?"
Grunge grinned wide, his red eyes gleaming. (("Hello, Clawthorne...AND, Boonchuy."))
The Toad Wizard chortled. (("oh yes, I know who you are...who you BOTH are."))
Olivanne scowled at the toad, BOTH Anne and Olivier disliking him equally. "What are you-"
(("Could you hold that thought, please?")) spoke Grunge, politely. (("I need to take care of something real quick."))
Grunge's eyes then glowed bright purple as he opened his glowing hand in a claw-like gesture.
In that moment, the eyes and mouths of the dead humans glowed as a black energy was drawn from them.
The energy formed into two blacklight orbs for a brief moment,
before becoming wisps that Grunge inhaled into his toothy, gaping maw.
(("Ahhh...nothing like the souls of the wicked to replenish my dark power."))
Olivanne stared blankly, their mouth gaping in stunned silence.
It was then that their body glowed white, and they defused back into Anne Boonchuy and Olivier Clawthorne.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" exclaimed Anne, flabbergasted
Grunge grinned in a manner similar to his brother, Grime.
(("Ah...Good. I was afraid you would stay in that form, Clawthorne.")) spoke Grunge.
"somehow I doubt you are afraid of anything." spoke Olivier, scowling.
Grunge smirked at the Witch Boy. (("No doubt you have questions."))
"Just one: "What are you up to?!" said Olivier (still scowling.)
(("oh, PLEASE. I only recently arrived in this world. What makes you think I am up to something?"))
Olivier glared at the Toad. "Because you're you."
Grunge was silent as he continued to smirk at the pair. (("True.")) said Grunge, bluntly.
Both Olivier and Anne glared at the toad, neither one trusting him.
(("I get the feeling we're not going to be "friends", anymore."))
"Truly you are the World's Greatest Detective." snarked Anne.
Olivier glanced at Anne. (*she beat me by two seconds..*)
(("Well, I can't say that I blame you.")) continued Grunge.
(("Clearly "mistakes were made", and I have no one but MYSELF to blame for that."))
Anne and Olivier looked at each other for a moment.
So far, everything Grudge was saying was...technically true.
(("You must understand...")) continued Grunge, as he paced a distance away.
(("Toads like myself were every bit as oppressed by the Newts as the Frogs were.
But while the Frogs were complacent in their place below the Newts, the Toads NEVER were."))
Grunge looked at Anne and Olivier.
(("The only LAW that matters in Amphibia is this: "The Strongest Survive, while the Weak PERISH."
And there is something wrong with a society where the STRONGEST race,
are subservient to those WEAKER than they are.
The Frogs know their place, and even serve a purpose: The Newts, however...they do not.
They are nothing but pompous fools that reap the benefits off the backs of others.
They are UNDESERVING of their place at the top of the Caste System that they themselves implemented.
With even the STRONGEST among them barely holding a candle to the mightiest of Toad Warriors."))
"Yeah, I've heard all that before." said Olivier. "Mind getting to the froggin' point?!"
Grunge smirked. as he continued to speak.
(("simply put...I wanted to bring down the Tyrannical Newt Regime.
And when the Calamity Box returned to Amphibia after having gone missing centuries,
I saw an opportunity to finally bring down King Andrias and remake Amphibia into a better world."))
"Better for YOU!" snapped Anne, angrily.
"You weren't trying to save Amphibia, You only wanted to CONQUER IT FOR YOURSELF!"
"Which makes you no better than King Andrias is." added Olivier.
Grunge scoffed, unfazed by the teenagers words.
(("I will confess...In my 'eagerness', I may had 'burned bridges' that I shouldn't have.
Blinded by my own ambitions, and lost sight of the best way to achieve my goal..."))
Grunge looked directly at Olivier Clawthorne. (("...I can admit that now."))
"If this is your idea of asking for forgiveness, then you REALLY suck at the Redemption Arc thing." said Anne.
(("Oh, I don't expect you to forgive me...ESPECIALLY after what I plan to do with THIS world."))
This statement alarmed both Anne and Olivier. "What did you-"
Suddenly, Grunge fired a purple beam from his palm at the two teenagers.
Acting quickly, Olivier shove Anne aside seconds before the dark beam impacted his chest.
"OLIVEEERR!" exclaimed Anne, looking back in shock and dread.
Fortunately, Olivier was alive. having been downed onto his back.
The Witch Boy groaned from the burning sensation on his now smoking chest.
Grunge then leaped over, and pinned Olivier down.
(("You're out of practice, child.")) spoke Grunge. (("even a month ago, you could've easily evaded that."))
"HEY!" exclaimed Anne, getting up. "GET AWAY FRIM HI-AHH!"
Anne was suddenly propelled upward, and dangled in the air above Olivier.
"NO!" exclaimed Olivier, angrily. "LET HER G-"
(("AH-AH. I'd choose my words more carefully if I were you.")) spoke Grunge, smirking.
Anne kicked her legs violently, but couldn't free herself from the invisible force keeping her suspended in the air.
Olivier glared at the Toad, his eyes turning black. "If you hurt her...I swear I'll-"
(("Then behave yourself, and MAYBE I won't have to.")) said Grunge, showing no fear.
It was then that Fleetwing appeared, and tried to dive-bomb at Grunge.
However, the brave falcon was intercepted by a bat that was just as big as he was.
Olivier scowled, recognizing the bat as Grunge's palisman, 'Dreadwing.'
(which was one major downside to him planting Palisman trees in Amphibia.)
(("Listen to me, BOY.")) began Grunge. (("You and I both know that King Andrias WILL invade this world.
And when he does, the meager humans of this realm will be no match for his mechanical armies."))
"we'll...stop him." spoke Olivier, glaring at the Toad.
"Me...Anne..the Plantars. We'll get back to Amphibia...and we'll STOP HIM."
(("and, what if you CAN'T?")) inquired Grunge, smirking.
(("Are you REALLY going to risk this world, and it's people on mere Hopes?!"))
Grunge then stepped away from Olivier, and started to walk away back to the shadows.
But he stopped for a moment, and snapped his fingers...causing Anne to drop RIGHT onto Olivier.
"AAAH-OOF!"
Both Anne and Olivier blushed beet red due to the position they were in.
Anne quickly pulled back, but helped Olivier to sit up regardless.
As Fleetwing flew back to the pair, they watched as Dreadwing flew to it's own master.
Grunge stroked the bat's head, but kept his back to Anne and Olivier.
(("In my own world, I was a powerful wizard. but I was only master of my own domain.")) began Grunge.
(("And while it was rare, I often had to fight to keep my power from ambitious upstarts (like that fool, Barry."))
Grunge then turned, and grinned maliciously at Anne and Olivier.
(("But HERE...I could rule this WHOLE world unchallenged.
Not as a King, like that PRETENDER Andrias. no. more like...a GOD."))
"a GOD?!" exclaimed Anne, almost scoffing.
((*chortled*), what can I say?: LORD Grunge is a title that I have grown accustomed to."))
"You're insane." said Olivier. "No one would be so gullible to believe you are a deity."
(("Says the witch boy from a world where even the most powerful of witches
submitted to an idiot in a mask who CLAIMED to speak for their long dead god."))
Olivier fell silent. Unable to think of anything to counter Grunge's statement.
(("You can try to return to Amphibia, and stop King Andrias there...")) continued Grunge.
(("but when you inevitably fail...*I* will ensure this world is protected when his invasion force arrives.
And, who knows. Perhaps once I kill him, and save this world, the humans willing submit to me all on their own."))
Both Anne and Olivier glared at Grunge, equally angered by the Toad Wizard's twisted fantasy.
(("If you were smart...you would try to help me defend this world, rather than fight a battle you cannot win."))
"We will defend this world...from him, AND you." said Olivier, sternly.
"yeah. Siding with you is just trading one crazy, jerkface dictator for another." said Anne (just as sternly.)
Grunge sighed. (("disappointing...but NOT unexpected."))
Grunge then turned his back to Olivier and Anne. (("let me know when you both come to your senses."))
"GRUNGE!"
Olivier got up, and charged after the Toad Wizard...
...BUT all he did was collide into a wall, due to Grunge disappearing into the shadows.
"damn...I hate when he does that." groaned Olivier, rubbing his head.
Anne ran over to Olivier. "Are you okay?"
"yeah...I'm fine." said Olivier. "Are you?"
"a little shaken, but I'll live." answered Anne.
Olivier then hugged Anne. "good...I was worried."
Anne hugged Olivier back. "so was I."
"We should get back to your house." said Olivier. "It's almost late."
Anne looked at Olivier with a concerned expression. "Oliver...what are we going to do about Grunge?"
Olivier paused for a moment. "I don't know...but, we can't do anything about it right now."
Anne nodded with reluctance. "okay."
Olivier took Anne's hand, gripping it tight. "let's go home."
[End of Part Twenty-Two]