Into the Hole

Story
Shizune and Jennifer are using heal materia to heal Chopper and Ian, Ian waking up.

Ian: Ugh. Where am I?

Jennifer: You’re on the Highwind. You’re recovering nicely.

Ian: Did we win?

Jennifer: Yes. Midgar is in complete turmoil, with Shinra destroyed. Just like you wanted, right?

Ian: That was never what I wanted. I wanted to save the planet, to have a home for my kids, and my grandkids. Something that doesn’t seem like it will happen.

Jennifer: Well, there is still time. If you wanted to, do something.

Ian: (Sighs) You’re right. There’s no time to complain. (Ian gets up out of the bed.) We’ve got a planet to save. Thanks, Jennifer. (Ian leaves the Infirmary.)

Jennifer: Not what I meant.

Shizune: Men can be so clueless, especially when they have a mission.

Ian makes it to the conference room, where John, Kai, Vector, Gwen, Sakura, Kevin, Logan and Rook were sitting around the table.

Sakura: Ian! You’re alright!

Ian: You ever doubt me?

John: Glad you’re feeling better. We were just about to determine who gets the materia we gained.

Ian: Well, don’t feel obliged to give me any new ones. Just give me Swampfire, and I’ll be fine. (John grabs a red materia, sliding it across the table to Ian.) Thanks.

John: Now, I think the summons that were used already should stay with that person.

Sakura: Which means I get Heatblast. Score!

Logan: The yellow possum guy is mine. Need a strength guy alien.

Vector: Gymosis is mine to rock and roll with!

John: Just use him sparingly. You saw what happened before.

Vector: Yeah, yeah. I’ve got it.

Kai: I get Stinkfly. And I’ll be taking Blaze Spear back.

Kevin: No arguments there.

John: That leaves AmpFibian, and Water Hazard.

Kevin: I’ll take that AmpFibian guy. I should probably have another summon. (John slides him the materia.)

John: In that case, I’ll leave Water Hazard for Chopper. How’s he doing?

Ian: He was still out earlier.

Rook: There is one more matter I would like to address. (Grey Matter climbs up Rook’s shoulder.) I know that Grey Matter is not very useful in combat, however, the two of us agree that he will be better used if with you guys.

John: In that case, I’ll take him. Good to have you back, Grey Matter. (Grey Matter runs across the table, and puts its hand on the Omnitrix. The Omnitrix glows, as he is absorbed into the Omnitrix.) Now, tell Sunder to take us to the North Crater.

Rook: Right away. End Scene

The Highwind pulls up next to the North Crater, the mana barrier still surrounding it. The Highwind lowers a rope ladder, the group climbing down and standing at the edge of the crater.

Kevin: So, how are we going to get into this thing anyway?

John: It is a mana barrier, so I’m hoping it can be absorbed. (John transforms.)

Granodite: Give me a minute to find out.

Granodite flies up the barrier, and places his hands on it. Energy flows from the barrier into Granodite, him moaning in the process. He tries to hold steady, but the energy begins to overpower him. He breaks away, landing and reverting.

Vector: Looks like this is a job for Vector and Gymosis! Let’s rock and roll!

Vector’s red materia glows, Gymosis appearing. It grabs onto the barrier, starting to absorb its energy. An energy surge occurs, and Gymosis is sent flying back, landing on its back. It returns to the materia.

Sakura: That didn’t do anything.

Vector: Hey, at least I tried!

Chopper: Now what?

Kai: It seems almost completely resistant to the level of attacks we could throw at it.

John: Then it’s time to level up. (John transforms)

Alien X: Alien X! (Alien X then floats there, motionless.)

Logan: Hey, Kevin. You still have that materia cannon?

Kevin: Yeah. (Kevin pulls it out, tossing it to Logan.) What are you thinking?

Logan: Just a little renovation. Jury Rigg! (Logan’s materia glows, Jury Rigg appearing.) Turn this into blasters, one for each of us.)

Jury Rigg: RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH! (Jury Rigg quickly dismantles the materia cannon, forming eight materia blasters. He throws them to the others, except Logan, wielding his blaster for itself.) RAH RAH RAH!

Logan: Yeah, yeah, you little gremlin. Give me that! (Logan takes the materia blaster from its hand. and recalls it to the materia.)

Sakura: Sweet! I’ve always wanted a side arm.

Ian: Do you expect to run into more of John’s aliens?

Logan: I think that we haven’t seen all of them yet.

Sakura: Now, (She goes over to Alien X.) Wake up already! (She punches Alien X, the vibrations traveling up her arm.) Aah! (She backs away.) That’s solid!

Kai: We need to be patient. If this thing is powerful enough to destroy the barrier, we have to give him time. End Scene

John is floating in Alien X’s dimension, Bellicus and Serena appearing.

Bellicus: (Sarcastically) Oh, boy! You’re back! (Grumbles)

John: Nice to see you too. Now, can we get rid of that barrier?

Serena: I’m sorry John. But we can’t.

John: Can’t?! Together, we are one of the most powerful creatures in the galaxy! Maybe the universe! And we can’t get rid of a simple mana barrier?!

Bellicus: Well, sorry! But we can’t mess with mana! That’s just how it is.

John: Can’t we do anything about that?

Serena: I’m sure there’s a way. (John ponders for a second, then snaps his fingers.)

John: I’ve got it! We’ll manipulate the space so that the barrier is uprooted from the spot. Then, we’ll launch it at the cosmic storm, and let it destroy it.

Serena: Oh, what a clever little idea! Don’t you think, Bellicus?

Bellicus: Eh, it’s alright.

John: Now, I vote we throw the barrier at the cosmic storm.

Serena: Seconded!

Bellicus: (Groans) Fine. Just know that I don’t enjoy being bossed around by a punk of a kid.

Alien X raises his arms out to the side, scaring Sakura and causing her to fall over. Ian goes to help her up.

Alien X: Motion granted!

Alien X points his hands at the barrier, as the ground underneath it crumbles. It breaks free from its roots, and Alien X swings his arms up to the sky. The barrier zooms off at light speed, an explosion occurring as it collides with the cosmic storm. The storm has a hole, which quickly reforms.

Gwen: Wow. That was,

Chopper: (Starstruck) Amazing! So cool! (Alien X reverts.)

John: There we go. (John looks down the crater.) That’s a big hole.

Kai: It goes down all the way to the Lifestream most likely. That’s how Phantom is gaining all of his power.

John: Then I suggest we start climbing. End Scene

The group is scaling down the skinny ledges, transversing down deeper into the crater.

John: Alright guys. I’m sure we’re going to run into something on our way down. So in the case that we get separated, get with the closest people you can and form groups of three.

Gwen: Wouldn’t it be safer to travel together?

Kai: We’re a bigger target if we stay together. It’ll be easier to maneuver through the caves in small groups, but that won’t ensure we won’t be spotted.

Then, a buzzing occurs, as insects swarm the crater. Soon the air is flooded with wasps, approaching the group. Gwen raises a mana shield, as the wasps slam into it.

Gwen: Ugh! It’s not going to hold!

Vector: Then it’s time to rock and roll!

Vector breathes a flamethrower, burning through part of the swarm. Logan swings Air Claws, as Vector continues his flamethrower, a large wave expanding to exterminate the wasps. Kai looks down to a lower ledge, spotting a blue skinned man wearing a heavy coat. She fires an arrow at him, as wasps form around him, protecting him.

Kai: There! That’s the source! (Clancy looks up at them, red lines going across his face.)

Gwen: The same marks Alviss had.

Clancy: The Curse Mark, given by Lord Phantom. It is proof that we are his loyal servants.

Clancy’s body glows, as his body transforms into a large, bipedal insect, with extra arms and insect wings. He roars, and opens his mouth, a new swarm of wasps flying at them. John helps Gwen hold the mana barrier, as Vector and Logan attempt to repel them. Chopper smells something, and turns, seeing Ball Weevil crawling on the ledges, away from their position.

Chopper: What’s that smell? Something gooey. (John turns to see what he means, and sees Ball Weevil going around the crater.)

John: Ball Weevil. Explosives! It’s a trap!

Plasma lines explode, destroying the ledges all around the crater. The group fall, safe from the explosion, but plummeting down. Ball Weevil makes it over and crawls onto Clancy’s shoulder.

Clancy: (In mumbled sounds) Good. Now, let us feast!

Kai reacts first, summoning Stinkfly and landing on it. Stinkfly dives down and catches Vector, and flies towards a cave entrance.

Kevin: Oh, come on Kai! Battle Tails! (His materia glows, as Battle Tails appears, catching him and following after Stinkfly.)

Ian extends his Octopus chains, breaking into and catching onto the wall. His fall stops, as he extends Octopus chains down, catching Logan and Sakura. He swings the two into a cave near them, and lowers himself down to join them.

John: Hold on to your lunches!

John turns into XLR8, and spins, creating a vortex. Gwen and Chopper are caught in it, as the vortex goes further down the crater. The vortex eventually lowers itself down onto a bottom, XLR8 coming out and landing on his feet. Gwen and Chopper were lying on the ground, too dizzy to move.

Gwen: (Slurred) Don’t ever do that again.

XLR8: Sorry. Seemed more efficient to cushion the landing then to find a cave.

Chopper: (Slurred) What about the others?

XLR8: They’ll make their way down, eventually.

Characters

 * John Spacewalker
 * Kai
 * Vector
 * Ian
 * Chopper
 * Gwen
 * Sakura
 * Logan
 * Kevin
 * Highwind Crew
 * Rook
 * Shizune
 * Jennifer Nocturne
 * Bellicus
 * Serena

Villains

 * Clancy

Summoned by Rook

 * Grey Matter

By John

 * Granodite
 * Alien X
 * XLR8

Summoned by Vector

 * Gymosis

Summoned by Logan

 * Jury Rigg

Summoned by Clancy

 * Ball Weevil  (first re-appearance)

Summoned by Kai

 * Stinkfly

Summoned by Kevin

 * Battle Tails

Aliens Re-Unlocked

 * Grey Matter

Trivia

 * The gang finally makes it to the Northern Crater, with nothing stopping them from fighting Phantom.
 * John makes a video game joke, saying he should "level up."
 * Clancy's appearance reveals that there are still more members of the Shadows to be dealt with, with curse marks.
 * Jennifer makes one last move on Ian, who fails to see it.
 * The gang is once again separated.