On A Doorstep (unedited version)

Chapter 21

Hey! This chapter is pretty long but there's a good reason for that. Enjoy!

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The day of battle came, and the team quickly got to work.

"Now make sure none of them get in. That includes Angela." Chiro said to Neeketa, handing her a communicator.

Nikita nodded as Chiro went back upstairs.

The kids sat in the living room, all worried and scared of what may happen. Roland meanwhile sat in his room on his bed, clutching his knees to his chest.

Chiro came back into the main room were the others were.

"The allies are in position?" He asked Gibson.

"And ready for the invasion. The citizens are already making their way towards the bunkers." Gibson said, putting a few of the sticky bullets into his drill.

Mandarin then left one of the rooms where the weapons were. Chiro turned to him.

"Oh Mandarin, you should be downstairs with the-" but Mandarin cut him off.

"No I'm going." He said,

The others turned to him worriedly.

"Are...are you sure? Because..." Nova's voice trailed off.

Mandarin eyed her and crossed his arms.

"I will not let him terrify me anymore. My children are out there and I intend to bring them home." He said.
Otto smiled widely and jumped onto Mandarin's shoulder, nuzzling him.

"Then let's go bring them home." Otto said, pulling back to face him.

Mandarin smiled and leaned his forehead against his.

Antauri had a small smile on his face until the scanner alerted them.
They all looked at the screen as it showed the huge formless army and the robot monkeys marching towards the city.

"They're already making their way into the city." Antauri said.

Chiro nodded and turned towards the others.

"Hyperforce go!"
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Angela marched ahead of the others, clutching a blaster to her chest.

"Remember! No survivors!" She yelled back to them.

Cosmo gulped as everyone got out their weapons, including his dark green claws. He didn't want to do this, he really didn't. They made it into the city as they began to destroy everything in their path.

Meanwhile the bulky robots were right behind the Leader and his crew. The heavy artillery mechs were charging up and getting ready to take off.

"This is it, the morning of reckoning." Leader muttered before turning towards the others.

"Prepare to take back the subject! Leave no stone unturned or scathed!"

"Yes sir!"

They rushed towards the hatch to leave, but was suddenly shocked by the amount of stairs there were. It was silent before a robot said, "Maybe we shouldn't have put so many stairs."

"Probably." Leader sighed as they began to walk up, using their spider feet like appendages.

Shuggazoom will pay.
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Roland clutched his knees as no doubt the team already left. He felt so distraught, he wanted to do something. Angela was being an total idiot right now and he was stuck here! The others could save her but who knows what will happen. Roland closed his eyes for a second before he looked over at the gloves and the shrunken down version of his mother's armor. He got up and put all of them on. The armor felt a bit loose but he didn't have time to worry about that. He grabbed one of the spare sticky guns and began to rush out when he heard cooing. He looked down at Erin in his playpen, standing up and holding onto the net like wall. Roland smiled and patted his head.

"Don't worry. I'll be right back." He said and began to walk towards the tube.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Roland turned to Maurice as he crossed his arms and frowned.

"Maurice I have to go. Angela's out there and-!"

"Hasn't it sunk in yet?!" Maurice snapped.

Roland stepped back at his sudden tone. Maurice stepped towards him.

"They kept telling you not to fight because we don't want to lose you! Don't you realize how much people would miss you if something happened?! You can't just go out fighting because Skeleton King-!" Maurice began before Roland interrupted him.

"I know that!" Roland snapped.

Maurice was silent as the green monkey sighed.

"I know, that's why I'm not going out there to take down every single formless. I want to find Angela and talk some sense into her, if I have to defend myself I will. But I am not going to fight them." Roland said.

Maurice was still silent.

"I know how much you care about me, that's why the team has been protecting us this whole time. They're out there right now making sure the city will be a safer place for us and I know they'll do everything they can to bring Angela home." Roland went on before stepping forward.

"But I need to help her too! She might listen to me because she cares about me, but the only way for me to help is if you let me go right now!"

Maurice raised his arm a bit but dropped it.

"I promise, I'll stay away from the crossfire and hide in alleyways. If I need to fight then I'll remember-" Roland went on before suddenly being pulled in an embrace.

Maurice held him tightly.

"Just bring our sister back." He said before letting go, turning him around and pushing his back.

Roland stumbled before turning.

"Thanks Mo, I love you." He said before running off, leaving Maurice standing there.
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Most of the city was beginning to go up in flames as the army was searching for humans.

"Where did you say the bunkers were Angela?" Artemis asked.

"Near the subway, once we get there the humans will be ours!" Angela replied.

Suddenly Janice's voice piped up.

"Hey I found one!" She said as a young girl curled in a ball, putting her arms over her head.

"P-please don't hurt me!" She begged, shaking.

Cosmo's stomach churned as he watched her.

"Well don't just stand there! Take her out!" Trixie said.

Janice held up a thumb.

"You got it."

"No! Don't do it!" Cosmo thought as he was ready to betray his siblings.

Janice's hand turned into a lobster claw and held it up, ready to strike. The young girl screamed. Suddenly a loud bang was heard. Janice blinked before she felt something making her immobile and was spreading throughout her body until she could only move her head and hands.

"What the hell?!" She yelled as pink foamy gunk covered her body.

The young girl blinked in confusion as the others were just shocked.

"What-?!" Angela asked before she dodged one of the sticky bullets.

"What the hell is happening?!" She demanded.

"The end of Skeleton King's hold on you!"

The others turned to see the Hyperforce standing a few feet away from them.

"None of you are going back there!" Chiro said.

Angela stepped back and glared. She then turned to the others.

"Take them down but keep the subject alive!" She ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The others yelled before the formless started charging the team.

Artemis suddenly grabbed Cosmo's hand as she and him ran off.

"We gotta go back and get project Titan! It's the only way to fight our mother!" She explained.

Cosmo wanted to wriggle out of her grasp but he only looked back, watching as Angela sneaked away and the others fighting.

Nova began to block Jerica's attacks, which were long whips.

"You don't have to do this! You don't have to follow him!" She said.

Jerica growled and kicked her from under her feet, causing Nova to fall. Jerica then began to go after her neck when she got back up, but was then shocked by Sprx. She yelled and fell to her knees before turning and growling.

"Sorry kid, nothing personal." Sprx said.

Jerica began to get up and attack when she felt something hit her hand and the gunk overtook her.

"Damn it!" She yelled.

Reid punched Gibson in the face and then slapped him with his tail.
Gibson coughed before using his spin shocker to subdue him. Reid fell to his knees before Jubilee hopped over him and turned her hands into gauntlets and slammed her fist on the ground. The shockwave sent Gibson in the air. Gibson then used this as an opportunity to shoot out the sticky bullets. Jubilee dodged them quickly, letting one of them hit Reid as he was getting up.

"Jubilee!" He yelled.

"Sorry bro!" Jubilee said before continuing to fight Gibson.

Otto fell to his stomach as a large formless smacked him down. It was about to step and crush him when it felt a energy blade going through it. The formless then collapsed as Mandarin huffed. He then was smacked by another large formless and used his energy tail to squeeze the formless until it exploded.

"I forgot how easy these things were." He said.

Otto nodded before seeing a blur blur flying at him.

"Mandarin-!"

But Mandarin caught Maximus before he could hit him. He smiled as the blue monkey wriggled in his grasp.

"Let me go you mutant!" Maximus demanded.

Mandarin eyed Aurora six, who nodded and aimed.

"Okay." Mandarin said before throwing him up a bit, causing Maximus to yell before being shot.

As he was immobilized, Mandarin leaned down to his son.

"I hate you." He huffed.

Mandarin smiled.

"Love you too." He said before kissing his head.

Trixie tried to blast Chiro and Jinmay as the kept trying to go after her. Jinmay was about to use her eye beams when she
dodged one of Jubilee's attacks. Chiro kicked Trixie out of the way and ran over.

"Chiro spearo!" He yelled, throwing a lightning bolt at her.

Jubilee yelped and blocked it by holding her arms up to her face. Trixie then huffed.

"Seriously? You're gonna announce your attack name?! What if someone has the same powers and steals it? You'd be screwed! Besides it's so lame!" Trixie scoffed.

Chiro blinked.

"Uh no they wouldn't, it doesn't work like that. Besides it isn't lame! Don't you have any names for your attacks?" Chiro huffed.

Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Of course not! I would never-!"

"The attack she just used is called 'Lemon Peppermint Blast'!" Jubilee yelled.

Trixie widened her eyes and stomped the ground.

"Jubilee!"

Jubilee shrugged.

"Can't be a hypocrite Trix!"

Trixie growled before she was blasted into the wall. Jinmay grinned as her eyes cooled off.

"Lemon Peppermint Blast." She said cooly.

Trixie growled before feeling one of the sticky bullets hitting her.
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Roland kept hearing the fighting not too far away as he walked down the desolate streets. He kept looking side to side, hoping to find Angela. Fear crept into him as he heard a loud explosion.

"Jeez, you guys better be okay." He muttered when he felt someone behind him.

"I don't think it's them you should be worried about."

He turned his head a bit to see Artemis and Cosmo right behind him.

Roland froze, his brain told him to run or punch but his body wouldn't let him.

"Give me the gun Roland." Artemis ordered.

Roland shakily took off the gun and gave it to Artemis, who gave it to Cosmo.

"Well, I never thought we would have one of our other sibling back in just one week! That's amazing!" Artemis said, smiling.

Roland glared a bit.

"You ain't getting me back, it's the other way around." He said.

Artemis chuckled and patted his head.

"Are you still under the notion that you weren't meant to be one of us? That Skeleton King deserves to turn this planet into his own tomb? Because if so than the Hyperforce has been teaching you the wrong things." She said as Cosmo looked down.

Roland glared at her.

"So does brainwashing, which is what happened to you." He pointed out.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Please! It was only to show us how amazing Skeleton King is. You will understand too, it is why we were born."

Roland growled.

"So you're perfectly okay with having mom go back to the labs and suffer?!" He snarled.

Artemis stepped back, taken by his question.

"N-no of course not! If anything he deserves to fight by our side." She said.

Roland raised an eyebrow.

"But do you really think bony butt will agree? What are you gonna do when he's forced back in there? Are you gonna break him out?" Roland questioned, trying to get to her.

Artemis flinched, causing Cosmo to stare at her.

"I...I..."

"Cause I know you love and care about him too, and I know he wants you back." Roland said softly.

Artemis shook before scoffing.

"Whatever, your words mean nothing. I'm taking you to your real home, Cosmo you know what to do." She said, crossing her arms.

Cosmo's eyes widened before he looked at Roland, who looked like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Cosmo gulped and held up the gun, finger on on the trigger.

Roland tightened his fist, ready to use the shield. Cosmo pointe the gun at him before turning it to Artemis and shooting her in the leg.

"Ack!" Artemis yelled before the gunk spread throughout her body and froze her.

"H-hey! Cosmo!" She yelled, turning her head towards him before seeing the tears in his eyes.

He dropped the gun, backed up, shook his head, then ran off.

"Cosmo!" Artemis yelled.

Roland quickly grabbed the gun and waved.

"See ya at home Artemis!" He chirped before running off.

"No wait!" Artemis yelled but Roland turned a corner and kept running.

She groaned and dipped her head, causing her chin to be stuck.

"Great."
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