The Build Driver produced more piping, forming a long, gold staff with Time Lord decoration on it. “TIME TRAVELSTAFF!” it announced. Build swung the staff into the Cybermen, causing their metallic forms to corrode and spark quickly. The Cybermen screamed after there was enough corrosion before they fell dead. Jandro was doing well as Cloak. Wilson was handling his new position as Lash splendidly as he sent an electric charge through his tail and smashed it into the Cybermen, causing them short out and deactivate permanently.
“I must admit,” he called over to Agus as Tox, “while this IS necessary, I find this whole affair quite distasteful!”
“I suppose YOU prefer the simplicity of a sculptor’s studio!” hissed Tox.
“You have to admit, it’s much more civilized!” replied Lash. Just then, there was an explosion.
“Sentry down!” called Construct.
“Never mind the Sentry!” called Batman as an electric batarang hit a Cyberman square in the chest unit. The charge fried the Cyberman’s internal mechanics and killed it. Just then…it happened. Build hit a Cyberman with the Time Travelstaff, but nothing happened. He hit it again, still nothing. He swung the staff one last time, but the Cyberman caught it.
“Upgrade complete,” droned the Cyberman.
“Er, guys!” called Build. “They’ve adapted to the Time Travelstaff!”
“I hate to add to the bad news,” announced Cloak as his blows were being blocked, “but they’ve just learned the intricacies of Tal-nar-thendir!”
“I think they’ve adapted to me and Lash!” gulped Tox.
“We have to take down RABBIT!” suggested Touché.
“And why are we concentrating on RABBIT?!” asked Royal.
“It’s how Gi’s coordinating her battalion!” replied Touché. “We just need to use a different form and Batman’s Keystone!”
“I’m a little hesitant to use it!” called Batman. “They saw me use it on Mondas!”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!” replied Megumi. “Do it!”
“Shift Keystone, activate!” called Batman. “Magenta, on the crosswalk of the street! Yellow, above the lamp post! Cyan, behind the mailbox!” The portals appeared.
“All right, come on!” Touché taunted RABBIT. “Come on! Come on! Come on! HIT ME!” RABBIT charged at Touché. Closer…closer…closer…”BATMAN, NOW!” called Touché.
“Shift! Construct! Cyan! Shift! Royal! Magenta! Shift! Batman! Yellow!” commanded Batman. All three chosen people were taken into their respective colors and then came out of the portals, swing a super-powered wrench, a broadsword, and a batarang at RABBIT. RABBIT’s leap towards Touché came up short as it fell apart. Just then, the Cybermen convulsed in pain, before their torso units exploded. As they fell dead, Cyber-Planner Gi clutched her head in pain, collapsing to her knees.
“Not as perfect as you believed?” snarked Royal.
“…You defilers!” replied Gi in a hiss, an ANGRY hiss. This was not unnoticed by Royal and her comrades.
“Was that…anger?” asked Touché.
“How’s that possible?” asked Construct. “I thought the Cybermen don’t have emotions?”
“We don’t!” snarled Gi. “At least, I didn’t, until you freaks destroyed RABBIT! When he freed the Cybermen, Caan removed my emotional inhibitor subroutines and had insured that I would feel emotions again! I altered RABBIT to fill in that deficiency until they were restored! Now, thanks to you…” she then pulled out her phone, “I’M NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE CYBERIAD! I’VE BEEN REMOVED AND MY RANK AS CYBER-PLANNER HAS BEEN PASSED ON TO ANOTHER CYBERMAN! YOU FILTHY DEFILERS! I’LL KILL YOU!” She pressed 2, 3, and 5 on the phone’s keypad, then held the phone to her ear. “HENSHIN!” she roared. She then folded the phone until both long sides were connected. She then inserted the device into a belt buckle and handles popped out of the sides to form a Cyberman’s head.
“Adaptus: online,” droned a Cyberman’s voice. She glowed gold before her Rider Armor appeared.
“Maximum deletion!” declared Gi, Kamen Rider Adaptus. She pressed a combination of the buckle’s eyes and mouth.
“Summoning Gunblade,” reported the belt. A modified Cybergun then appeared and she pressed a combination on the gun to make it extend its blade. She then swung wildly.
“Welp, now we ticked her off!” yelped Touché.
“A perfect opportunity!” declared Royal. “MINNA! NOW!” Build turned the crank on his belt. Cloak, Lash, and Tox, followed Construct’s movements as he pressed the top of his belt.
“Final Pen Stroke!” called the Chronicle Drivers. Royal and Touché spun their belts’ wheels.
“Final attack!” announced the Vortex Drivers.
“READY, GO!” declared the Build Driver. “VORTEX FINSH! YEAH!” Everyone, even Batman, leapt into the air and performed a flying kick.
“RIDER ROYAL KICK!”
“RIDER TOUCHÉ KICK!”
“RIDER CONSTRUCT KICK!”
“RIDER TOX KICK!”
“RIDER LASH KICK!”
“RIDER CLOAK KICK!”
“BAT KICK!” Everyone’s kicks hit and caused Adaptus to spark. The heroes then turned away because cool people never look at explosions. After she exploded, Adaptus’ transformation was canceled. As she returned to being Gi, it was revealed what Build’s finish did. Her organic bits were aging until she looked to be in her seventies. The heroes then canceled their transformations and moved towards her. Megumi knelt down to help her up…only to be punched in the gut! Gi then somersaulted over the heroes and landed on her feet as if she were still a young woman.
“Her cybernetics!” realized Dell.
“Exactly!” confirmed Gi. “Just because you aged my organic half doesn’t mean you rendered me as weak as an old organic life-form! Even if I have my emotions, I don’t see the logic in fighting you after this defeat! I’ll see you later!” She activated her own rift and disappeared into it before it vanished. Emily helped Megumi up and called for a rift to Vorton.
“I’ll see you all later,” called Sento as he walked off. When he left, a rift opened for the heroes and they returned to Vorton. Emily brought Megumi straight to the medical ward and laid her down on a bed before activating the medical scanners. When she got the readings, she whistled.
“Amazing,” she whispered.
“Which ribs did she break?” asked Megumi as she still held her hand over the area that was punched.
“None, if you can believe it,” replied Emily. “She just winded you. Now, a little rest, and you’ll be up and about.”
“Emily, do you really think disbanding would be a mistake?” asked Megumi.
“…With all my heart,” answered Emily. “I’ve made more friends in the F.N.S than I did in my entire life. I had the worst handle on my depression until we founded the F.N.S. To see it break up would really affect me.”
“I see,” replied Megumi. “I still haven’t decided what to do on that.” Emily sighed.
“If you do disband us,” she mumbled, “just keep in touch.”
“Wouldn’t dream of cutting you off,” assured Megumi.
After she had rested up, Emily released Megumi and she returned to her room, cracking open a text book and her notes and tried to study…only to be constantly distracted by a nagging doubt. She then left her desk and flopped face-first onto the bed. She turned herself upwards so she looked at the ceiling as tears of frustration formed in her eyes. “What do I do?!” she wailed to herself. “Why can’t I focus?! All I want is a straight answer! I can’t be honest with myself! I’m causing my friends to be angry with me! I can’t shake this feeling of despair! WHAT CAN I DO?!” She then sat up on the bed and brought her knees to her face as she sobbed in confusion and frustration. “…It’s Hiro, isn’t it?” she sniffed to herself. “It’s always him! His superior numbers! His amount of people loyal to him! His power! He’s always going to haunt me!” She sobbed again, this time, in fear. “He just has to have a fallen Maiar like Sauron! He’s got forges and training camps in Mordor and now it’s augmented with Hiro’s technology! …But…it’s not totally invincible, is it?” Then, she remembered the opening of Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring. “Neither is Sauron, I mean, we just need to…” Her eyes then went wide. “We need to destroy the Ring! Sauron was weakened when Isildur chopped the Ring from his finger! We first met Gandalf when he was fighting the Balrog! Then Hiro and Vortech kidnapped Frodo, rescued Sauron’s spirit, snatched the Ring from Frodo, and used it to complete Sauron again! …Well, two can play at the Ring removal game!” She then ran to the comms and pressed the button. “Minna-san, I have made my decision! Please assemble in the Gateway room!”
Everyone had assembled in the Gateway room, trying to figure out the reason why. The prevailing thought was that they would disband. Megumi then arrived with a fat grin on her face. “I assume everyone can guess why I’ve called you all here?”
“Well, we thought we would be disbanded,” replied Moon-kyung, “but the grin says otherwise.”
“As it should,” confirmed Megumi. “Minna, I’ve figured it out!”
“Figured what out?” asked Gandalf.
“How to make it easier to beat Hiro,” explained Megumi. “It has to do with your home, Gandalf.”
“Oh?” quizzed Gandalf.
“We’re going to complete the quest of the Fellowship of the Ring,” declared Megumi. “Once this truce is over, we’re taking the Ring off of Sauron’s finger and throwing it into Mt. Doom’s lava. Once that’s done, Mordor will be destroyed, the forges and production lines will be flooded by lava, and Sauron will vanish from Middle-Earth, robbing Hiro of one of his lieutenants. Can’t exactly disband us with a chance to reduce Hiro’s forces to two-thirds of ours, can we?”
“Are you saying…?!” gasped Emmanuel as hope filled his heart.
“I’ve made my decision!” declared Megumi. “The Feudal Nerd Society will NOT be disbanding!” You had never heard such a cheer of happiness in all of time and space! Megumi was hugged on all sides.
“A splendid decision!” praised War. Just then, Tarantulas came into the room.
“Tarantulas, so nice of you to join us,” snarked Megumi.
“I’ve heard everything,” dismissed Tarantulas. “So, you and your friends are staying together in one giant group hug. Hooray, hooray, hooray! Now, if we can turn our thoughts to more serious matters, I have something to tell you.”
“What would that be?” asked Megumi.
“I’ve located a Temporal Stop on the northern edge of Beyond City,” explained Tarantulas. “The equipment needed is all set up, so, adieu.”
“Adieu?” repeated Wyldstyle.
“I’m leaving you lot,” elaborated Tarantulas. “So, forgive me if I don’t see the end result of you detonating the mine field.”
“Where will you go?” asked Megumi.
“Somewhere away from the fighting,” replied Tarantulas. “Bye.” He punched in coordinates in the Vorton Gateway and vanished through the rift.
“…I won’t miss him,” remarked Emily.
“So, the Feudal Nerd Society is staying together!” squeed Rosadera.
“Thank goodness,” sighed Verdutha in relief. “I always want to see them at full strength.”
“Oh, this is too thrilling!” giggled Rosadera. “Megumi is, without a doubt, a shoo-in for the 3V2R!”
“Speaking of which,” interjected Verdutha, “Queen Phury and Cassandra are both worthy.”
“And Lord Shadowflame and Ultragingana are participating as well,” supplied Rosadera. Azuliterii, Moradelia, and Rojenthi came into the room as Azuliterii and Rojenthi helped Moradelia to a seat. “You look like you’ve been with Naratelto and made her pregnant again,” mused Rosadera.
“I did,” gasped Moradelia. “This was after I declared the Great Demoness, Alfalna worthy. Because I allowed Naratelto’s favorite fighter to participate, she wanted to reward me by carrying my children!”
“She’s obsessed with getting pregnant by everyone from our generation!” complained Rojenthi. “Man, woman, transgender, it makes no difference to her, does it?!”
“She IS the princess of Fertility,” conceded Rosadera.
“Well, in any event,” sighed Rojenthi, “Empress Mel’s joining the roster.”
“And so is Elizabeth,” reported Azuliterii.
“Splendid!” cheered Verdutha. She then turned to Moradelia. “Come, there is a healing mud bath with your name on it.”
“Could you join me?” asked Moradelia.
“Of course,” replied Verdutha as she led her to the gardens.
Sauron entered Hiro’s office. “I trust things are going well for you?” he rumbled.
“Quite well,” replied Hiro. “At least, except for one thing. Where are the Nine? I have not seen them since they were given new clothes and personal transportation.”
“I regret to report,” replied Sauron, “that the Nazgûl departed us as they were bored of this truce.”
“…I see,” hissed Hiro.
“I have a team of investigators finding them,” assured Sauron. “They are working round the clock to find them.”
“Once they ARE found,” ordered Hiro, “wipe their memories.”
“…Hiro?” asked Sauron.
“Have new memories implanted in them,” continued Hiro. “Perhaps they need a new way of thinking to understand obedience.”
“Of course,” replied Sauron.
“How many people know of this incident?” asked Hiro.
“Only the investigators and your wife,” answered Sauron.
“Good,” affirmed Hiro. “This problem is none of the troops’ concern, nor should it concern Dr. Borg or Megatron. They may be our allies, but they are not to be trusted. We must not show weakness.”
“This breach of discipline will be corrected,” assured Sauron. “I won’t rest until the Ringwraiths are back under control.”
“See that you don’t,” warned Hiro.
“The little glitch-spawn’s losing control of his men!” hissed Soundwave to Megatron and Dr. Borg as they listened in.
“We need to confront him about this!” snarled Dr. Borg.
“I have a plan,” declared Megatron as he grinned.
Hiro rang the door chime outside the quarters he and Igura shared. “Come in,” Igura called from inside. Hiro took off his shoes and entered the room to see Igura, five months pregnant and eating chocolate cake batter. “Hiro-chan!” she cheered as she got up from the table and hugged him.
“How are you and our daughter?” asked Hiro as he reciprocated.
“We couldn’t wait for the cake to bake in the oven,” explained Igura as she broke off the embrace, “so I just ate the batter immediately.”
“I’m sure she liked that,” chuckled Hiro. Just then, they heard clapping.
“…That…came…from the closet,” gulped Igura. Hiro pulled out his gun and inched towards the closet door, then quickly opened it, and leveled his gun at the occupants, Megatron’s holo-form and Dr. Borg.
“Congratulations, I’m sure you will have a healthy child,” praised Megatron.