Brent Cosmos: A Hero's Quest

Chapter 20: The Doctor Is In

    While the girls were being held hostage in Fright Fortress, the boys were having their own problems. Fang had recovered from his little scuffle with Chimera and he was helping the Mystic Brothers round up Fightbot's scattered parts.
    "Is that all of them?" Fang asked Fightbot as they placed his parts in a sack.
    "Yeah, that should be it," said Fightbot's disembodied head sticking out of the sack. Fang then put the sack of Fightbot's parts on his back and carried them.
    "Great, so...now what?" said Mighty.
    "Now we make a plan to save the girls," said Diablo.
    "There's no way we can save the girls on our own!" said Mighty.
    "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mighty's right," said Fightbot. "We need Brent."
    "But he could be anywhere," said Diablo. "How can we find him?"
    "Let's think," said Fightbot. "Brent flew off because Adojo made him upset. So, what does Brent do when he gets upset?" The boys all thought for a moment.
    "Angry dance?" said Mighty.
    "He only does that in his castle," said Fightbot.
    "Blow up mountains?" said Diablo.
    "We would've heard the explosions," said Fightbot.
    "Eat?" said Fang.
    "Hey...that's it!" Fightbot exclaimed.     "Brent eats when he's upset!"
    "But what could Brent eat around here?" Mighty asked.
    "I think I might have an idea," said Fang. Fang then put his nose to the ground and began to sniff. He walked along the ground as his nose led him all over the Dark Lands. The Mystic Brothers followed him and his nose until they finally stopped when Fang came across...a bone. "Here we go."
    "A bone?" said Diablo.
    "Yep," Fang said as he picked the bone up from the ground and sniffed it all over. "A death boar bone. And it's got Brent's scent all over it."
    "Of course," said Fightbot. "Death boar is a Dark Land delicacy, and the perfect comfort food for a carnivorous sulking superhero."
    "Hey, check it out!" said Mighty as he pointed at the ground. There was a trail of death boar bones all over the place.
    "Looks like Brent's really pigging out," said Diablo.
    "We're close now," said Fightbot.   "Let's go!" The Mystic Brothers ran ahead following the bone trail, but Fang and Fightbot stayed put. They were confused for a second until they noticed that Fang was totally zoned out gnawing on the bone he found.
    "Fang!" they shouted.
    "Huh? Oh...sorry," Fang dropped the bone and caught up with his friends. The boys followed the trail and when they finally came to the end of it, sure enough, there I was. I was blasting a death boar with my laser vision. Once it was well done, I pounced on it and starting feeding like a lion.
    "Be careful bro, you might ruin your girlish figure," said Mighty. I turned, surprised to see my friends standing behind me.
    "What do you guys want?" I said with a mouth full of death boar meat. "And what happened to Fightbot?" Fang turned around to show the disassembled Fightbot on his back.
    "The Dark Legion struck back after you left!" said Fightbot.
    "They totally ambushed us!" said Diablo.
    "They kidnapped Ruby, Adojo, and Misty!" said Fang.
    "What!" I said with a surprised and worried look. Suddenly my worried look turned into a sad one.    "That's...bad."
    "That's bad?" said Mighty. "That's all you have to say about this? That's bad?!" I turned my back to them. "But you're Brent Cosmos! When you hear there's trouble, you're supposed to spring into action! You're supposed to get mad and do something totally crazy!"
    "What good will getting mad do?" I asked. "Every time I'm faced with the smallest problem, my first instinct is to get mad. And does that help anyone? NO! It just succeeds in getting me in trouble at every turn."
    "C'mon Brent," said Fang. "Sure your anger may get you into trouble every now and then, but it's also helped you save the day lots of times!"
    "Yeah well not enough times," I said. "I let my anger get out of hand too many times today alone. I want to save the girls, but I'll probably just mess things up again. I always try to use my evil side to help me be a hero, but it just seems to make it harder and harder. Maybe Adojo was right. Maybe I'm just not meant to be a hero." Everyone was silent for a minute.
    "Listen Brent," Fightbot said. "Sure you messed up a little today, but if you're going to let something like mistakes beat you, then you really aren't cut out to be a hero." I remained quiet. "You were born to be a great hero Brent, but nobody's perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, even superheroes. But your mistakes aren't what matter, it's how you choose to deal with them. You can choose to sit around here stuffing your face, dwelling on the past and feeling sorry for yourself, or you can stand up and go fight for your friends who need you. The choice is yours."
    My friends all waited for my response. I then stood up and turned around facing my friends. My face was fierce. Not angry, but fierce. I then held out my arms. Pink sparks started to form around my hands. Then there was a huge pink flash. My friends closed their eyes. When they opened them, they were surprised to see that they weren't in the Dark Lands anymore. They were now on luxurious Cosmos Island. I started walking away.
    "You guys coming? I said with a grin. "If we're gonna save the girls, we gotta get Fightbot fixed first." My friends all smiled.
    "Good choice," Fightbot said. We walked along the beautiful plains of my home until we came across a strange looking building. It was large and looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. I walked up to the steel door and pushed the red button on the side. A small camera then came out of the wall by the door and pointed at my face.
    "Hey Doc," I said. "It's us. We need a hand." The camera retreated back into the wall. A few moments later, the steel door rose up and a shirtless man in a white lab coat with crazy hair, a scar on his right cheek and goggles on his forehead was standing in the door way.
    "Hey there kiddo," the man said.
    "Sup doc," I replied. "We've got a little problem." I pointed behind me at the broken up Fightbot.
    "Ah, I see," the man said. "C'mon in." We all then went into the man's laboratory. Now since this guy lives on a floating island that belongs to Fury's greatest superhero family, you can probably guess that he's no normal man. This man is actually Dr. Aloysius Zooks. He's a brilliant scientist that loves using his inventions and experiments to help benefit Fury in all kinds of ways. He was also my father's partner and best friend.
    Darryl Cosmos and Dr. Zooks were a great superhero duo. They went on all kinds of adventures together and beat the toughest bad guys around. Once my mom came over to the good side, she became pretty tight with the Doc too. When my parents learned that they were going to have a child, the Doc promised that if anything happened to them, he would look after the kid as if it were his own. He really made good on his word.
    He's looked after me ever since my dad made his great sacrifice to save the planet. He helps me learn about my powers when I get confused and every once in a while he gives me some sage advice. With my natural instinct and ever-growing power, I got pretty good at taking care of myself pretty fast. Still it's nice to know that he's always there for me when I need him. He's the closest thing I have to a parent.
    Now if you looked at the Doc, you probably wouldn't be able to tell that he's a scientist (except for his lab coat). His body is very fit and muscular and he's very tough. Still, this is no surprise since he used to be my dad's partner. Ever since my dad died and I took over his job as superhero, the Doc has retired from his life as a heroic adventurer. He now just spends his days cooped up in his lab on Cosmos Island working on his experiments. Ruby and Fightbot live in his lab with him and work as his lab assistants. As the Doc worked tirelessly to put Fightbot back together, I told him everything that had happened.
    "Interesting," he said as he continued to work. "So you're letting Misty move into the castle with you eh?"
   "Seriously!?" I said. "Why does everyone seem to think that's the most noteworthy thing that's happened today?!"
    "Sorry kiddo," the Doc said. "I'm just happy to see you growing up that's all." I huffed.
    "Well if we don't find a way to save Misty, she won't be moving in," I said.
    "Don't worry," the Doc said. "I'll have Fightbot fixed up in no time." I waited patiently as the Doc worked. As he fixed my robot friend, he began to talk to me. "So, it seems like your anger has been causing problems for you again huh?"
    "Oh...yeah," I said reluctantly.
    "I understand," the Doc said. "You can't help being angry. It's in your nature. Your Destructoid nature to be exact."
    "Yeah," I replied.
    "Too bad your mother isn't here," he said. "She might've been able to help you learn to control your anger and bloodlust."
    "Yeah," I said sadly. Like I mentioned before, my mother died right after I was born so I've never actually met her. All I know about her is what my dad and the Doc told me about what she was like. My dad taught me how to use my Cosmos powers, but with my mom gone, I had to learn how to use my evil Destructoid powers on my own. I've gotten pretty good at using them for the most part, but obviously I still have trouble controlling my anger, destructive tendencies, and evil instincts from time to time. Every time that happens, it just makes me wish that my mom was still around. Maybe if I knew her, it would help me better deal with myself.
    "Still, we can't always just hope for people to teach us things," the Doc said. "Some things we just have to learn on our own." I stayed quiet. I was confused. Was he trying to tell me something? "Though I have to say, it must be pretty easy being half Destructoid."
    "Easy?" I said. "What do you mean easy?"
    "Well since you're half evil, that just means you have a built in excuse for losing control of yourself. You don't have to worry about your mistakes when you can just blame them on your bad side. It's almost like you have free pass to not take responsibility for your actions."
    "What!?" I said angrily. "Hey, I do too take responsibility for my actions. When I make mistakes I always own up and admit them...eventually!"
    "Being responsible doesn't just mean owning up to your mistakes," the Doc said. "It also means learning from your mistakes and making an effort to make sure that you don't make them again." I was silent.     "When your anger gets you in trouble, instead of blaming your evil side and doubting yourself, why don't you try working on your anger, or better yet, make your anger work for you." I kept quiet. I didn't know how to respond. I just thought to myself. Suddenly I felt a shooting shock of some kind. Something was off. I sensed evil.
    While the Doc was fixing Fightbot, Fang and the Mystic Brothers were passing the time by watching TV. As Mighty flipped through channels he stopped at one. The couch potatoes gasped in surprise.
    "Guys," Mighty said. "You're gonna want to see this!" Fightbot, the Doc, and I all looked at the TV screen. It was tuned to the news. It was a live report from the city of Utopia, the most thriving a beautiful metropolis in all of Fury. In the background of the report, there were Wrecklings smashing cars and buildings, capturing all the innocent people around, and carrying them off.
    "Breaking News!" the reporter woman said as chaos ensued behind her. "The evil villain team known as the Dark Legion is kidnapping innocent people and rulers from all over, forcing them to be guests at...a wedding! The evil Wrecker is going to be marrying the beautiful Princess Misty Enchantra and apparently he wants to share this moment with...everyone. But this isn't just a wedding folks. Apparently this event is also going to feature Wrecker's defeat over his arch nemesis: infamous superhero Brent Cosmos. Commander Stryker and the Enforcers have tried everything they can to stop this, but they've been captured as well. This is surely going to be an affair that no one can miss, not that any of us have a choice. This is Susan Scoop, and I'm being abducted by a winged imp." Just then a purple imp came down and grabbed the reporter carrying her away. Just then, Slither jumped in front of the camera. His hypnotic snake eyes stared into it.
    "Come to the Dark Landssssss," Slither hissed. "Attend the wedding. Bring guestsssss. Join the party." With that, Mighty turned off the TV. A long time ago Ruby used her psychic powers to make us all immune to Slither's hypnotism, but anyone else watching at home didn't stand a chance. Now Wrecker didn't just have Misty and the girls, but a whole bunch of innocent Furyian hostages as well.
    "Well that's just great," said Fightbot.
    "Where does Wrecker get off saying that he's going to defeat me?!" I said. "I'm not even there!"
    "He's baiting you," the Doc said.
    "Huh?" I said.
    "Wrecker already knows that you're going to show up to save Misty, Ruby, and Adojo. By capturing all of those innocent people he's giving you more of a reason to get mad, more of an incentive to show up, and making sure he has witnesses to his triumph over you. This whole thing is just a long-winded scheme to humiliate and defeat you." I hissed.
    "Why that...he...I'm gonna...," I couldn't even speak. My eyes turned red. My razor sharp teeth showed as I snarled.
    "Oh no," Diablo said.
    "He's going off the deep end," said Mighty.
    "We gotta do something before he-," Fang said.
    "Wait," the Doc interrupted.
    "But doctor," Fightbot said. "If we don't calm him down, he'll just get in trouble again."
    "Brent has two options here," the Doc said. "He can get mad, or he can get smart. Whatever he does, it's going to be his choice" My friends all watched with worried looks as I struggled to keep my anger in. I wasn't about to let Wrecker marry Misty and humiliate me like this. I had to do something. Evil thoughts ran through my mind like marathon racers. All I could think was flying straight to the Dark Lands, shooting up the placing, tearing Wrecker limb from limb, and...well then things get a little hazy.
    I was so mad I didn't know what to do. But then I thought about everything that had happened. How I almost killed Misty's mother, how I got myself caught by the Dark Legion, how I wasn't there for my friends when they needed me, all because I got upset. Me getting angry wasn't going to solve anything. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes they were back to normal.
    "No," I said. "If I let my anger get to me now, I'll be giving Wrecker exactly what he wants. I'm not gonna let that jerk make a fool out of me. The lives of Misty, Ruby, Adojo, and all of those innocent people are at stake. I'm not gonna get two chances at this so I can't afford to mess up. My temper has gotten me in trouble too many times today, but that ends now!" My friends all smiled.
    "Taking responsibility and learning from your mistakes," the Doc said. "That's a mark of a true hero. Your father would be proud."
    "Thanks Doc," I said.
    "But remember Brent," the Doc said. "Raw emotion is part of what made your mother so strong and fearsome. Like I said, anger is in your nature. It's part of who you are, part of your strength. While it's good for you to calm down every once in a while, you shouldn't be afraid to let your anger out when you need to."
    "Oh don't worry Doc," I said. "I'm not calm at all,"
    "You're not?" said Diablo.
    "You mean you're still mad?" said Fang.
    "Yep," I said as I scowled and began to raise my voice. "I'm mad at the Dark Legion for kidnapping all of those innocent people! I'm mad at Wrecker for forcing Misty to marry him and trying to humiliate me! And I'm mad at myself for letting all this happen! But I'm not letting go of my anger, I'm just holding onto I for a while. BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON WHO I NEED TO TAKE IT OUT ON!"
    "Making your anger work for you," the Doc said. "Your mother would be proud too."
    "Yeah, thanks a lot Doc," I said as I gave the doc a hug.
    "Anytime kiddo," the Doc said with a smile.
    "Alright!" I exclaimed. "You guys ready?"
    Fightbot hopped off of Dr. Zooks's worktable. He slammed his fist into his palm.
    "Ready!" he said.
    The Mystic Brothers pulled out their staffs, held them out, and crossed them while posing heroically.
    "Ready!" the twins said in unison.
    Fang whipped out his ferocious claws and growled.
    "Ready!" Fang said.
    "Awesome!" I said. I then shot out my metal tentacles from my back. I stuck my two lower tentacles to the floor and raised myself up. An evil grin stretched across my face and my eyes turned red. "Now, let's go crash a wedding!"