Stories: Two Swords

Story written by: Redfork2000 & PeaVZ108

Plot
''Things take a dark turn, quite literally, as the gang finds themselves facing against a somewhat familiar but deadly threat hailing from the Shadow Dimension. On the other hand, Kyoji and the other ninjas are in the forest dealing with one of the more recently dangerous threats - the Grass Sword. With two swords flying around, what is about to come for Echo Creek and the Locked Room Gang? Will the gang and the ninjas be able to take these swords down?''

Cast

 * Shadow Kyoji (NEW!)
 * Hikari, the Light Spirit (NEW!)
 * Kage, the Dark Spirit (NEW!)
 * The Grass Sword
 * Green Shadow
 * Bonk Choy
 * Re-Peat Moss
 * Dark Green Shadow
 * Starcade
 * Test Subject Blue
 * Pink Angel
 * Kyoji
 * Takeshi
 * Sasuke
 * Akasha
 * Sakura
 * The Gemstones
 * Blizzard
 * Tsunami
 * Earthquake
 * Tornado
 * Wildfire
 * Thunderstorm
 * Shogo the Warlord
 * Re-Peat Boss
 * Boss Choy
 * Captain Blowhole
 * Doughleficent
 * Nutty the Squirrel
 * Mimic the Parrot
 * Hissy the Snake
 * Chimp the Monkey
 * Red Fork
 * Blue Ocean
 * Lemon Glass
 * Emily Green
 * Blast
 * Alice
 * Tommy
 * Boulder
 * Boom
 * Blade
 * Electra
 * Scorch
 * Ace
 * Captain Red Shell
 * Gary Guppy
 * Coconut Crab
 * Starry
 * Blowy
 * Night Cap
 * Spark
 * Sting

Story
''Everything seems peaceful one night in Echo Creek. Everyone is asleep, and no villains are attacking at the moment. However, in the forest, we see Kyoji, Akasha, Takeshi and Sasuke having a campfire.'' Suddenly, the ninjas hear a rustling noise. ''Kyoji, Akasha, Takeshi and Sasuke chase after the source of the noise. The following morning, the rest of the gang are seen at Red Spoon's restaurant making plans in case disaster strikes.'' ''Suddenly, the gang hears screams of citizens from outside. They see no villain on the loose, nor any buildings being destroyed, but they do see citizens running around screaming for help.'' ''The gang goes outside to ask the citizens what's wrong. However, they see that the citizens are running in different directions.'' The citizens are too panicked to hear Boom and continue running. ''The gang splits up. First, Red Ruby, Toby Topaz, Amelia Amethyst, Captain Red Shell and his crew are at the east side of Echo Creek looking for villains.'' The gang eventually sees a family of citizens screaming, with panicked looks on their faces, while running towards a dark alley. ''The gang follows the family, who eventually get cornered in the dark alley. They manage to catch up, but as soon as Toby Topaz turns around, he realizes what they have been scared about.'' ''Toby Topaz points at what appears to be a glowing ghost floating around, before screaming in fear and hiding behind the family. The gang sees that the glowing ghost is looking everywhere as if he is searching for someone.'' Hikari keeps searching the alley, but is unable to find who he's looking for. Hikari quickly zips away from the scene, as the gang watches, confused. ''The gang moves on to the direction that Hikari took off to. Meanwhile, back in the forest, Kyoji and the other elemental ninjas are still tracking down the source of the ominous noise they heard earlier.'' ''Akasha, Takeshi and Sasuke follow Kyoji, as he leads the way. The four ninjas stop as they find the Grass Sword, who is strangely asleep while hanging upside down from a tree branch.'' Akasha approaches the Grass Sword and is about to attack him, only for Kyoji to stop her before she can do so. Akasha sets fire to the tree where the Grass Sword is sleeping, only for Sasuke to douse the fire quickly with a water attack before it spreads. Akasha is about to use her shadow powers on Sasuke, but Kyoji intervenes by freezing Akasha's hands to the ground with his ice powers. Takeshi swings his electric hammer, breaking the ice and freeing Akasha's hands. Akasha's Shadow Gauntlets begin glowing and Takeshi points his electric hammer towards Kyoji and Sasuke, who defend themselves with their respective weapons. Sasuke is about to attack Akasha with a water blast, but Takeshi interrupts everyone before Sasuke can even hit Akasha. Takeshi points to where the ninjas last saw the Grass Sword, only to find that he has disappeared. ''Akasha is about to attack Kyoji and Sasuke in rage, only to be pulled aside and get dragged into what appears to be a cloud of dust. As it clears away, Kyoji, Takeshi and Sasuke see the Grass Sword looking at them, with Akasha lying on the ground in pain.'' ''The Grass Sword charges towards Kyoji, Takeshi and Sasuke, as he begins fighting them. Meanwhile, Green Shadow, Bonk Choy, Alice, Boom and his team are at the north side, in a park located at Echo Creek that is strangely empty.'' The gang moves on, and to their surprise, they see Sakura wandering around the park. ''Meanwhile, Hikari is floating towards the park. However, no one notices him.'' Hikari then notices the gang interacting with Sakura. ''Hikari flies towards Sakura, while being unnoticed. Meanwhile, Sakura continues talking to the gang.'' Suddenly, Hikari is approaching towards Sakura's head, unbeknownst to anyone. ''Hikari enters Sakura's head, possessing her, as the gang sees that Sakura's eyes begin glowing and she starts looking dazed.  Sakura's face morphs into an angry expression, ignoring the gang, as she flies away from the scene rather quickly.'' From a distance, Green Shadow then sees Captain Red Shell's team, who have been searching for Hikari only to be rather unlucky so far. Green Shadow's team approaches Captain Red Shell's team. ''Both teams proceed to look for Sakura and Hikari together, unaware that both targets are at the same place. Meanwhile, back in the forest, the battle among Kyoji, Takeshi, Sasuke and the Grass Sword grows more intense. The Grass Sword deals a few sword slashes that hurt the three ninjas even after they dodge.'' The Grass Sword is about to land another sword slash on Takeshi, but Kyoji blocks it with his Sword of the Arctic Seas. ''The Grass Sword and Kyoji exchange sword slashes, but after a few minutes, the Grass Sword is then seen kicking Kyoji into a tree. Kyoji gets injured and falls on all fours.'' ''The Grass Sword raises his sword above Kyoji's neck, only to see huge waves of water moving towards him. The Grass Sword performs a trick that allows him to transform himself to look like the grass, before moving away from the waves undetected and reverting back to his original form. Kyoji, Takeshi and Sasuke turn around, as they see Tsunami approach them.'' ''Tsunami joins Kyoji's side, as they continue fighting the Grass Sword. Meanwhile, Re-Peat Moss, Dark Green Shadow, Gary Garnet, Blue Ocean, Blast, Tommy and Boulder are at the south side, approaching the docks in Echo Creek.'' As the gang continues searching, they eventually see Starcade sitting at the docks, sobbing while looking towards the ocean, while Test Subject Blue and Pink Angel are sitting beside Starcade, comforting her. Meanwhile, from a distance away, a familiar-looking figure with black hair and black ninja robes, with a familiar-looking sword in his hand, is investigating a trail of black crystals left behind by Captain Dark Shell. ??? continues to track down the trail of black crystals, but he is unaware that he soon gets spotted by Re-Peat Moss. ''Re-Peat Moss points at ???, who is still busy looking at the black crystals. Starcade takes a closer look at his face, and immediately brightens up.'' ''Starcade runs towards ??? but before she can hug him, ??? turns around and grabs Starcade by the arm, before judo-throwing her into a tree.'' ''Shadow Kyoji is about to leave, but he gets halted as he suffers a brief shock. An image of a dark spirit appears in his sword, which communicates to him telepathically.'' Shadow Kyoji turns to the gang and points his dark sword at them. ''Starcade charges towards Shadow Kyoji, who throws a smoke bomb which blocks her vision. Shadow Kyoji proceeds to rapidly kick and punch Starcade, before throwing her again into a tree.'' ''Dark Green Shadow and Test Subject Blue shoot peas and proton bullets at Shadow Kyoji. Shadow Kyoji skillfully dodges the projectiles, before unleashing an ice wave that freezes both Dark Green Shadow and Test Subject Blue instantly.'' ''Blast, Boulder and Tommy attack Shadow Kyoji at the same time. Boulder runs up to him and tries to punch him, while Blast shoots energy waves at him, and Tommy summons a yoyo to attack Shadow Kyoji with. Blue Ocean creates a forcefield to defend them from Shadow Kyoji's attacks. Shadow Kyoji dodges all the attacks, before throwing a smoke bomb and seemingly disappear.'' ''Shadow Kyoji then appears behind the gang. The gang turns around, as he calmly holds out a black crystal.'' ''Shadow Kyoji throws the black crystal and leaps high, before catching it and using its power to shoot several shadow blasts at once towards the gang. Blue Ocean uses his forcefield to protect the gang from the shadow blasts.'' ''Pink Angel takes aim and shoots bomb arrows towards Shadow Kyoji. Shadow Kyoji quickly dodges, but gets slightly damaged by the last bomb arrow.'' ''Gary Garnet activates his Garnetronic 6000 suit, before flying towards Shadow Kyoji and tries attacking him. Shadow Kyoji easily dodges the attacks, however.'' Shadow Kyoji levitates Gary Garnet, before tossing him back to the gang, dealing heavy damage to the forcefield. Pink Angel breaks Dark Green Shadow and Test Subject Blue out of the ice. ''Boulder runs up to Shadow Kyoji from the left, ready to toss a huge boulder at him, while Tommy flies up to him from the right, using the yoyos he summoned to attack, while Blast flies up to him from the front, shooting energy blasts at him. Shadow Kyoji dodges the yoyos, but gets hit by a few energy blasts. He proceeds to fly downwards, causing Boulder, Tommy and Blast to crash into one another. However, as he gets down, he gets ambushed by Dark Green Shadow from the nearest bush while Starcade appears from another and kicks him hard, causing Shadow Kyoji to fly towards a tree. Shadow Kyoji teleports to the ground before he crashes, but he has taken some damage from the attacks.'' ''Boulder tosses several boulders at Shadow Kyoji, while Blast shoots electric blasts, Tommy tosses boomerangs, Dark Green Shadow shoots peas, Test Subject Blue shoots proton bullets and Pink Angel shoots bomb arrows. Shadow Kyoji dodges most of the attacks despite getting hit by some of them, before quickly teleporting from fighter to fighter and slashing his sword at them, barely giving them any chance to retaliate.'' Blast and Tommy use their superspeed to get out of the way and avoid most attacks, but Boulder and Blue Ocean aren't so lucky, and get slashed several times. Test Subject Blue, Pink Angel and Dark Green Shadow attack Shadow Kyoji simultaneously, who shoots a powerful shadow blast that sends all three of them flying into trees. ''Shadow Kyoji turns around and starts walking away from the scene. Starcade appears from behind and is about to punch Shadow Kyoji in the head. However, Shadow Kyoji turns around again, punching her in the stomach instead, sending her flying into another tree. Meanwhile, back in the fight against the Grass Sword, the Grass Sword is seen extending one of his grass arms which grabs onto Tsunami, who is sending out huge waves of water while floating in the air. The Grass Sword pulls himself to his arm, before dealing a sword slash on Tsunami that sends her falling.'' ''Takeshi rushes to catch Tsunami. Suddenly, Kyoji hears a loud thud and two familiar voices. It sounds faint, but Kyoji can hear his own voice and the voice of a girl he knows and cares for.'' ''Kyoji leaves the battle scene to search for Starcade. The Grass Sword chases after Kyoji, but Takeshi grabs him and holds him down before the Grass Sword can reach Kyoji. Meanwhile, back in the fight against Shadow Kyoji, Shadow Kyoji approaches Starcade, who has sustained quite a number of injuries.'' ''Shadow Kyoji raises his sword and is about to attack Starcade. The gang then sees Kyoji appear from a few trees, throwing a smoke bomb at Shadow Kyoji before attacking him. Shadow Kyoji takes some damage, but quickly teleports out of the smoke cloud, confused at what's happening.'' The gang then sees Kyoji step out of the smoke cloud, with the Sword of the Arctic Seas in his hand. ''Starcade stares at Kyoji, as her eyes open wide and her mouth opens. Tears start to build up as she slowly approaches Kyoji, with hesitation, as she reaches her hand out to Kyoji. As she touches him, she realizes that he is real and brightens up like she never had before, before hugging him tightly.  Suddenly, Starcade gets levitated high in the air. Kyoji immediately turns around, as he sees Shadow Kyoji using his shadow powers to levitate Starcade.'' Shadow Kyoji throws Starcade towards the forcefield, but Kyoji catches her before she crashes into the forcefield. ''Kyoji charges towards Shadow Kyoji, using his sword to shoot ice waves at him. Starcade, on the other hand, shoots energy beams from her hands at Shadow Kyoji. Shadow Kyoji teleports away from the projectiles, before shooting a barrage of shadow blasts at the forcefield, destroying it. Blast creates a new forcefield to protect the gang, while Blue Ocean uses his multi-elemental cannon to shoot different kinds of elemental blasts at Shadow Kyoji. Tommy summons two yoyos, and uses them to attack from a distance. Meanwhile, Boulder grabs a huge boulder, and tosses it at Shadow Kyoji. Starcade and Kyoji continue dishing out their respective attacks towards Shadow Kyoji. Dark Green Shadow shoots more peas from a distance at Shadow Kyoji, Test Subject Blue shoots more proton bullets and Pink Angel shoots more bomb arrows. Shadow Kyoji begins to take more damage, while continuing to retaliate with shadow blasts. Gary Garnet wakes up from his unconsciousness, confused at what's happening.'' ''Gary Garnet puts his Garnetronic 6000 suit back on, before flying towards Shadow Kyoji from behind at top speed. Shadow Kyoji notices him coming, as Gary Garnet punches him. Shadow Kyoji blocks the punch with his sword, but the impact of the punch is so hard that it causes him to drop the black crystal, causing him to fall back to the ground.'' Blue Ocean levitates the black crystal with his magic, and bring it towards him to have a closer look. ''Meanwhile, Shadow Kyoji is about to attack the gang again but he suffers another brief shock. Kage the Dark Spirit appears on his sword again, communicating telepathically to him.'' ''Shadow Kyoji proceeds to try and snatch the black crystal back from Blue Ocean. Blue Ocean moves it away with his magic.'' ''Shadow Kyoji uses his ice powers to freeze Blue Ocean, causing him to drop the crystal. He retrieves the crystal, before backing away.'' Shadow Kyoji teleports away. Kyoji uses his sword to break Blue Ocean out of the ice. ''The gang, with Kyoji, goes back to find the others. Unbeknownst to them, Sakura arrives at the same scene, with an angry look on her face.'' ''Sakura continues searching the docks. Meanwhile, Red Fork, Lemon Glass, Emily Green, Emma Emerald, Sean Sapphire and Diana Diamond are at the west side of Echo Creek, where hardly anyone seems to be around.'' (W.I.P.)
 * Akasha: Ugh, how long more do we have to stay in this forest?
 * Kyoji: Like I told you, until we capture the Grass Sword.
 * Akasha: But he could be anywhere!
 * Takeshi: I kinda agree. Maybe we should go home, we'll never find him.
 * Kyoji: No.
 * Akasha: But, don't you miss your girlfriend or anyone else in the gang?
 * Kyoji: I do, more than anything. But I can't risk getting out of this forest while the Grass Sword is still on the loose.
 * Akasha: Why not? We've been here for weeks now, he has probably given up!
 * Kyoji: Yes, Akasha, but it's for the best. Knowing Itachi, he would probably not give up in whatever he does until he achieves his goal.
 * Akasha: What?
 * Kyoji: Don't you see? We may be hunting for the Grass Sword, but he's out here hunting for me too. He won't stop until I'm assassinated.
 * Takeshi: How do you figure?
 * Kyoji: On our last encounter, he said something about wanting me dead, and I know he won't give up until he knows that I'm nothing more than a corpse. If he's hunting for me, then by all means I cannot leave this forest. Leading him out will bring danger to Starcade and the gang, and I cannot allow that.
 * Akasha: (scoffs) How dangerous can that be?
 * Takeshi: What was that?
 * Sasuke: That sounded onimous.
 * Akasha: It must be the Grass Sword!
 * Kyoji: Then we shall go after him. Follow me, ninjas!
 * Blue Ocean: Ok, we must make plans.
 * Blade: Yeah. Who knows which threat will be the first one to strike. The Grass Sword? Cosmos? Captain Dark Shell returning from the Shadow Dimension!?
 * Alice: Blade... I find that last one pretty unlikely. We sealed him away with both Amulets of the Dark Seas. He has no way to break out of there.
 * Electra: The other two threats are still very likely, though.
 * Blast: Cosmos said he'd report us to his superiors, and there's no way to know what the Grass Sword has in mind.
 * Dark Green Shadow: I've met Cosmos, but who's this Grass Sword you're talking about?
 * Bonk Choy: Basically Grass Knuckles but replace the "knuckles" with a "sword".
 * Green Shadow: (faceleafs) No, Dark Green Shadow, he's Kyoji's old friend. At least that's what Starcade told me. He was the one who stole the Infinity Cube which released an octopus monster which he used to try killing Kyoji.
 * Dark Green Shadow: But if this supposed Grass Sword is an old friend of Kyoji, why does he want to kill him?
 * Green Shadow: I'm not sure either, but I'm sure it's a long story to tell.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Now that you put it that way, I'm starting to regret even more about what I said to Starcade yesterday. She seemed pretty upset.
 * Red Ruby: (sarcastically) Yeah, way to go on that one.
 * Re-Peat Moss: That was real TRICKY.
 * Diana Diamond: I'm sure she'll forgive you once you apologize.
 * Dark Green Shadow: I hope so.
 * Green Shadow: Well then, let's get back to planning. Any ideas on how we should handle those threats in case they strike again?
 * Boom: I don't get what we're supposed to plan. We can take them out the same way we take out any other villain. We beat them up! We're the Locked Room Gang! We've taken on tougher villains than them! And with all the upgrades we've got, I'm pretty sure we can just beat them up like we always do.
 * Red Ruby: And to think, I'm the only "reckless" one.
 * Sean Sapphire: It's not that simple. We're talking about villains that can prove to be a threat even if we have our upgrades on.
 * Boom: Yeah, right. By now I'm sure we're strong enough to take even PHX-001 down if we had to. I don't think these villains are that big of a deal.
 * Red Ruby: Yeah, yeah, wait until some villain gives you the retribution you deserve.
 * Boom: You're just tired of most villains giving you that retribution, aren't you?
 * Blue Ocean: What's going on?
 * Red Fork: Something strange for sure.
 * Blast: But I don't see any villains!
 * Alice: How about we ask the citizens what's wrong?
 * Green Shadow: Good idea.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Wait, where's the villain? And why is everyone running left and right?
 * Lemon Glass: Excuse me, could someone tell us what's going on?
 * Boom: (annoyed) HEY, PEOPLE! What's going on here!?
 * Red Ruby: Maybe instead of raising your voice like some wild animal, why don't we actually find out ourselves?
 * Boom: Oh, come on! Can't we just grab one of these citizens and make him tell us? It would be a lot easier. Look, I could lift one of these people up, and tell him I'll only let him down if he tells me why on Earth everyone is so panicked. Easy.
 * Alice: I don't think that would be very nice, Boom.
 * Boom: But it's still the most effective way to figure out what's going on!
 * Red Ruby: Nah, I think it's stupid.
 * Boom: Oh yeah? I think you're stupid.
 * Alice: Guys! Stop it already!
 * Boom: (sighs) Yes, Alice...
 * Dark Green Shadow: And I'm not about to start more beef with the citizens after they found out about the ruse I played on everyone before I joined you guys.
 * Green Shadow: Why don't we split into teams? If we hurry, we can figure out what's going on before a villain makes his strike.
 * Blast: That's a good idea. How many teams should we split up into?
 * Green Shadow: Good question. How about four? One team shall follow me to the north side of Echo Creek, one south, another east and another west.
 * Bonk Choy: I'll follow you, Green Shadow!
 * Dark Green Shadow: I'll lead the team to the south.
 * Re-Peat Moss: I'll go with Dark Green Shadow this time, just to see how TRICKY she can be.
 * Red Ruby: Well, I suppose Toby and Amelia can follow me to the east.
 * Diana Diamond: Emma, Sean, follow me to the west side.
 * Emma Emerald: Understood.
 * Sean Sapphire: Will do.
 * Gary Garnet: I'm out of options so I'll follow Dark Green Shadow then.
 * Red Fork: Lemon Glass, Emily, you two will come with me to the west side. Blue Ocean, you take Blast, Tommy and Boulder to the south. Boom, you and your team will be heading north with Green Shadow.
 * Alice: I think I should go with them too. You know how Boom can get sometimes.
 * Boom: Fair.
 * Red Fork: And that leaves Captain Red Shell and his crew to go east.
 * Captain Red Shell: Understood.
 * Green Shadow: Look, things can be different this time so just let each other know if you come across anything that can be deemed a threat.
 * Everyone else: Got it.
 * Green Shadow: Good. Let's go.
 * Toby Topaz: I hope it's not some crazy guy who wants to rule the world...
 * Amelia Amethyst: I don't know, that might be most likely.
 * Red Ruby: Oh, come on, that's just ridiculous. It obviously must be another one of those try-hard villains behind this.
 * Coconut Crab: Whoever it is, we must get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.
 * Captain Red Shell: Even the smallest of foes mustn't be underestimated. Even the most unlikely foe can become the greatest threat we've ever faced if the circumstances make it possible. So remember my words... Do not underestimate anyone ever. One day the villain no one takes seriously could be the one villain to actually take over the multiverse, and no one will ever see it coming. So never let your guards down for nothing, and never underestimate a foe, ever.
 * Starry: Whoa...
 * Gary Guppy: If that ever really happens, it'll be CRAZY!
 * Red Ruby: Yeah, but I'm just annoyed of them appearing everywhere. You would understand if you were with us back when we had to deal with some other villain and his team of superpowered villains. And no, it wasn't Dr. Zack or any other scientist we've faced.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Wait, why are those citizens heading towards that dark alley?
 * Captain Red Shell: Considering that the citizens won't listen to us, I suggest we follow them.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Agreed.
 * Red Ruby: Time to teach villains some lessons!
 * Toby Topaz: Aah! A ghost!
 * ???: Hmm...can't find him. The dark one has to be around here somewhere.
 * Captain Red Shell: Who is "the dark one", may I ask?
 * Red Ruby: And why are you spooking everyone here?
 * ???: I don't mean to spook anyone, I'm just here looking for the dark one! I can't tell you who he is, if I do, this city will be in danger. But I can tell you this. I'm Hikari, the Light Spirit, sent by Elementia herself to neutralize this dark one I'm talking about.
 * Captain Red Shell: Well, Hikari, we're the Locked Room Gang, and we'd be glad to help you find this dark one. However, we can't help if you don't tell us who the dark one is.
 * Hikari: I'm sorry, Elementia knows about you but it is too risky to reveal his identity.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Well, can't you at least tell us who "Elementia" is?
 * Hikari: You don't know who Elementia is?
 * Amelia Amethyst: Sorry, no clue.
 * Hikari: Elementia is the goddess of elements, who aims to ensure the balance of elements throughout the multiverse. She created hundreds of swords and spread them across the multiverse, before sending elemental spirits to possess them and give them strength. I'm the same spirit who possessed the same sword that belonged to your friend, Kyoji. It is one of the many swords that Elementia has created, and ever since Captain Dark Shell broke it, I've been released and Elementia passed the task down to me to track down this dark one.
 * Red Ruby: So are you going to tell us who this dark one is?
 * Hikari: I'm afraid not. Elementia has given me strict instructions not to reveal his identity.
 * Captain Red Shell: In that case, can you lead us to Elementia? We can ask her and explain the situation to her.
 * Hikari: Sorry, captain, but I'm afraid Elementia is quite busy right now. She's busy trying to resolve the eternal war between light and darkness that has been going on for centuries now.
 * Hikari: The dark one isn't here. Perhaps he should be somewhere else. I apologize if I may have scared anyone earlier, but I have to get going. Time is running out. Farewell.
 * Toby Topaz: Phew...he wasn't as scary as I thought...
 * Coconut Crab: But who is this dark one?
 * Gary Guppy: Sounds pretty CRAZY to me.
 * Captain Red Shell: I believe it's this dark one we should be looking for. By what Hikari said, the dark one sounds dangerous.
 * Starry: But how are we going to find this "dark one" when we have no idea who he is or what he looks like!?
 * Amelia Amethyst: Well, if he said that the dark one is around here somewhere, perhaps the other members might have found him?
 * Toby Topaz: That's a possibility, but I'm not sure either.
 * Red Ruby: Oh, this dark one sounds like another villain we have to take down! I think we should follow that ghost or spirit, whatever his name was.
 * Coconut Crab: Hikari.
 * Captain Red Shell: I believe what Red says makes sense. Let's do it.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Let's go!
 * Toby Topaz: I don't know, I'll still try to stay far away in case he scares me again.
 * Akasha: Did anyone see him?
 * Takeshi: Not really, but I think we're close.
 * Kyoji: I'm not so sure. (hears more rustling noises) This way.
 * Takeshi: There he is!
 * Sasuke: And he's...asleep?!
 * Takeshi: Wait a minute, how is that possible? I thought we were chasing him!
 * Akasha: Doesn't matter, he's still asleep. (charges up fire blasts) Yes, the moment has finally come for me! That ninja is so dead!
 * Kyoji: No!
 * Akasha: Ugh, Kyoji, what are you doing?
 * Kyoji: We're here to capture him alive, not dead. He must not be killed.
 * Akasha: Well, maybe for you, but I'd like to see him burn!
 * Kyoji: Wait a minute, do you really?
 * Akasha: Yes, that's what I've always wanted, to see him burn! Ever since the last time I saw him.
 * Kyoji: No, he's my old friend. I know you may hate him, but I'm not letting you kill him either.
 * Akasha: I don't care, you may not be comfortable with murder but I am!
 * Akasha: Sasuke, you too?
 * Sasuke: Sorry, Akasha, but I'm with Kyoji here. I'm not letting you kill him!
 * Akasha: Why not? Don't you hate him too?
 * Sasuke: I don't. Well, even after he was the one who...who...
 * Akasha: Who what?
 * Sasuke: You don't have to know, I'm not letting you kill him. End of story.
 * Akasha: I don't care what you have to say, so get out of my way!
 * Kyoji: Stop this nonsense at once, Akasha. The Grass Sword will not be killed under our watch.
 * Akasha: But aren't you hunting him this whole time?
 * Kyoji: Yes, but not for the purpose of killing him. It seems to me that we have different motives with the Grass Sword, so if you ask me, I think you should stop acting like this right now so that we can work on a plan to capture the Grass Sword alive.
 * Akasha: Alive?! I want him dead! Come on, is no one on my side here?
 * Takeshi: I am.
 * Akasha: Takeshi?
 * Takeshi: Kyoji, you have a point, but I have to side with my sister on this one. The Grass Sword has traumatized me since young, and she was there by my side when we last faced him.
 * Akasha: See? This is why the Grass Sword must be dead, he's been a threat to me and my brother! So if you would get out of the way and let me kill him, I'd appreciate it.
 * Kyoji: He's my old friend, so I'm afraid that's not going to happen.
 * Sasuke: Yeah, he's my old friend too! Only I knew more about him than any of you.
 * Akasha: Then you leave us no choice. We'll just have to fight each other to determine the Grass Sword's fate.
 * Kyoji: Put your weapons down. Right now.
 * Akasha: No!
 * Kyoji: Put them down or there will be consequences.
 * Akasha: No way!
 * Sasuke: Then you leave me no choice but to do this.
 * Takeshi: Uh, guys?
 * Sasuke: Water you want now, Takeshi?
 * Kyoji: Where did he go?
 * Akasha: I told you, we should've just killed him! You...you idiots!
 * Akasha: Ow...
 * Takeshi: The Grass Sword!
 * Grass Sword: Indeed I am. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation while pretending to sleep. I knew you four weren't going to capture me immediately, and knowing that that girl is the one who wants to kill me the most, I thought it would be far easier if I take care of her first.
 * Kyoji: Grass Sword, please stop, we can talk about this.
 * Grass Sword: Talking time is over, my friend. The only way we can truly settle this...is a fight.
 * Bonk Choy: Woomy, this park is completely empty!
 * Green Shadow: Strange, isn't it?
 * Electra: Definitely.
 * Boom: With citizens running around like mindless animals, it doesn't surprise me.
 * Alice: Boom?
 * Boom: Sorry...
 * Blade: So, do you think we'll find something here?
 * Green Shadow: Perhaps. If there's no one in this park, chances are high that a villain might be around here.
 * Electra: That makes sense.
 * Scorch: We'll defeat them with the flames of justice! Fire!
 * Bonk Choy: And I'll defeat them with my fists of fury! Fists?
 * Green Shadow: Sakura? What's she doing there?
 * Blade: Let's ask her.
 * Electra: Hey, Sakura! (waves at her)
 * Sakura: Huh? Who's there? (turns around to see the gang) Oh, it's you, Locked Room Gang.
 * Bonk Choy: What are you doing here?
 * Sakura: Oh, nothing much. I'm just here looking for my brother. I think he might be around here somewhere.
 * Blade: Kyoji might be around here?
 * Electra: What makes you think so?
 * Sakura: I don't know, it's just a hunch I have. But have any of you seen him?
 * Bonk Choy: Kyoji? Nah.
 * Green Shadow: Sorry, we haven't seen him either for weeks. Nor any of the other ninjas - Akasha, Takeshi and Sasuke.
 * Sakura: Oh, that explains why I haven't been seeing them either. But how's the gang lately? We haven't really met for a while.
 * Electra: Pretty decent. We got a whole bunch of upgrades recently.
 * Boom: Yup.
 * Sakura: Wow, upgrades? That's pretty neat.
 * Hikari: (thinking to himself) If the dark one isn't in the alley, perhaps he must be in the park. There seems to be no one around.
 * Hikari: (thinking to himself) More members of the Locked Room Gang? How am I supposed to look for the dark one without anyone else knowing now? Wait, is that Sakura they're talking to? I know what to do, but it won't be long before the dark one strikes, so I have no choice but to do this.
 * Sakura: Pretty impressive. It's nice to know you guys have become stronger than I remember.
 * Green Shadow: Well, Dark Green Shadow has also recently joined the gang.
 * Sakura: Whoa, Dark Green Shadow? How did that happen?
 * Green Shadow: It's...a long story.
 * Alice: But the good thing is that it's a story with a happy ending.
 * Blade: Now she's part of the gang!
 * Boom: We also defeated an impostor who was pretending to be Blast's dad, we defeated one of Starcade's enemies called Cuboy, and Cosmos is gone from this planet.
 * Electra: For now, at least.
 * Sakura: I see.
 * Green Shadow: But there's still the Grass Sword on the loose, and we have yet to know when he will strike.
 * Sakura: Grass Sword? Who's...
 * Hikari: (thinking to himself) Sorry, Sakura, but I have no choice.
 * Green Shadow: Sakura? Are you okay?
 * Sakura: (dazed, not paying attention to Green Shadow)
 * Alice: Sakura? What's going on?
 * Blade: This is scary!
 * Electra: Sakura! Answer us!
 * Sakura: Argh!
 * Bonk Choy: Wait, come back!
 * Green Shadow: That was strange. What came over her?
 * Electra: I have no idea what got into her, but that wasn't nice.
 * Green Shadow: Wait, isn't that Captain Red Shell's team?
 * Bonk Choy: Maybe they found something?
 * Alice: Should we ask go them?
 * Green Shadow: That would be a good idea.
 * Green Shadow: (to Captain Red Shell's team) Hey, guys. Any luck?
 * Amelia Amethyst: Not ringing any bells.
 * Red Ruby: But we did meet some light spirit who's searching for the "dark one". No idea what that means or who this "dark one" is, but that dark one's going down, that's for sure.
 * Starry: If only that light spirit could simply tell us who this "dark one" is, we could help him.
 * Red Ruby: But he said it was "too dangerous" to tell us. Yeah, right.
 * Amelia Amethyst: Pretty weird.
 * Bonk Choy: You thought that was weird? We met Kyoji's little sister and halfway through our conversation, she just got angry and left. Just like that, and I couldn't think that any of us did anything to anger her.
 * Captain Red Shell: Hm... do you think both events might be related somehow?
 * Green Shadow: We don't know, but we're about to look for Sakura. Perhaps you'd like to join us? Maybe you might be able to find that light spirit too.
 * Coconut Crab: I think that's a good idea.
 * Starry: Let's go.
 * Takeshi: Ouch!
 * Sasuke: How did you...
 * Grass Sword: Not bad. I can see that you three have improved from the last time we've fought each other.
 * Sasuke: Wait, I didn't fight you...
 * Takeshi: It doesn't matter, because I don't fear you any more, Grass Sword! You hurt my sister, and no one shall dare to hurt her under my watch!
 * Grass Sword: She's not dead, young one. I just...paralyzed her. To keep her out of my way.
 * Takeshi: Well, you can't keep me out of your way!
 * Grass Sword: Bold words, but can you back them up with your skills?
 * Kyoji: I most certainly can. I can never kill you, but I won't let you bring harm to my friends either.
 * Grass Sword: Well, if it isn't the same ice ninja who lost to me in that duel weeks ago.
 * Kyoji: Yes, I admit I lost the last time. But times shall change.
 * Grass Sword: That's more like it. Killing a stronger adversary is certainly better than killing a weaker one. It's nice to see that you've grown stronger after all this time.
 * Grass Sword: Impressive. You've lasted even longer than I remembered.
 * Kyoji: Grass Sword, please, don't do this...
 * Grass Sword: You would've made a splendid ally, if only our fates weren't determined this way. Now that we've fought a real battle, I'm almost starting to feel bad about killing you. But I have to do this for my benefit, and find out who I really am. Words won't convince me more than finding out the truth, so I'm afraid this is the end for you.
 * Kyoji and Sasuke: Tsunami!
 * Takeshi: Mother!
 * Tsunami: Thank goodness I'm not too late. I was afraid you might have been killed.
 * Grass Sword: What are you doing here, Ancient Ninja of God-Water?
 * Tsunami: Unlike the other Ancient God-Element Ninjas, I'm not about to see a fight go down if my children and my friends are going to be harmed. I'm here to help Kyoji and his friends put you out of commission.
 * Grass Sword: I'm surprised you decided to return, even after I've defeated all six of you before in the past. I may have lost my previous identity, but I have recollections of my current identity, and hence I know how to deal with you. Now fight me so we can get this over with.
 * Tsunami: If you insist. You may be one of the more dangerous ninjas around here, but I'm not letting you bring harm to my children and friends any more. Prepare for the end, Grass Sword.
 * Grass Sword: We'll see about that.
 * Re-Peat Moss: What TRICKY villain could we possibly face?
 * Gary Garnet: It might most likely be a pirate villain.
 * Dark Green Shadow: I don't think so.
 * Blue Ocean: Whatever it is, we have to keep searching.
 * Blast: Right.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Oh no...
 * Blue Ocean: Starcade? Are you ok?
 * Starcade: (continues sobbing)
 * Pink Angel: Locked Room Gang!
 * Test Subject Blue: Funny seeing you guys after hurting my leader's feelings.
 * Electra: We didn't all do it, blue guy! It was mostly Dark Green Shadow.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Hey, I'm sorry about that. I didn't really mean what I said!
 * Starcade: It's fine, just leave me alone.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Oh, come on, I said I was sorry!
 * Starcade: And I said it's fine, I just need to be alone. I know you probably didn't mean what you said yesterday.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Yeah...I didn't...
 * Starcade: (sighs) I just wish...Kyoji will be back, you know? Sure, he came back to me before after many occasions when we were separated, but this is different...I'm talking about a separation that has lasted for weeks.
 * Re-Peat Moss: Don't worry, Starcade, I'm sure he'll be back. He might be busy with other duties, or he might be at another world fighting off some other TRICKY villain. Either way, he'll come back soon, I hope.
 * Starcade: Thanks. But it's been really a long time...
 * Blue Ocean: I'm sure he'll be back soon. Kyoji's a strong ninja, he'll be fine.
 * Blast: Captain Red Shell was away for a long while, and he came back. Kyoji's even stronger than Captain Red Shell, so I'm pretty sure he'll be ok too.
 * Blue Ocean: Besides, think of what Kyoji would like. Do you think he'd want you to be like this?
 * Starcade: I guess not...but I just can't help it but be upset about it.
 * Blast: I know it's tough to be away from someone you love. But it's important that you stand up and continue. You still have many friends here by your side. I know it's not the same, but you need to stay strong. I'm sure Kyoji misses you too. But just like him, you need to stay strong. You're a leader, your friends need you. Don't let his absence bring you down, Starcade. You're a strong girl, you can do this.
 * Blue Ocean: Let us see that pretty smile on your face again. Let us see the leader of the Retro Rebels who never gives up, and is always willing to continue, no matter how hard the situation gets.
 * Blast: Like my brother would say, you have the heart of a warrior. I know I overreacted when you attacked Metalshoe before, but to be honest, I can't blame you. You're a strong warrior, and you did that to protect us. I know it's been a long time since we last saw Kyoji, but you need to stay strong. Not only for your team, not only for him, but also for yourself.
 * Starcade: (blushes) I...I...uh...
 * ???: I saw how the battle against that dark crustacean take place. What do these black crystals he left behind mean? And what do they have anything to do with who I'm looking for?
 * Re-Peat Moss: Wait, who's that?
 * Gary Garnet: Who are you talking about?
 * Re-Peat Moss: Over there! The TRICKY figure by the shadows!
 * Starcade: It's Kyoji!
 * Blast: Really!?
 * Blue Ocean: Just on time!
 * Dark Green Shadow: But he looks...different.
 * Re-Peat Moss: And a little TRICKIER than usual.
 * Gary Garnet: That I have to agree on.
 * Starcade: Different looks doesn't matter, it's got to be him! It's been such a long time! Kyoji!
 * ???: You remind me of someone I know. Yes, I remember now, Duskcade. Always an annoying one.
 * Gary Garnet: Duskcade?!
 * Test Subject Blue: And how dare you throw our leader into a tree?
 * Blue Ocean: Wait, you can't be Kyoji! Kyoji would never do that to Starcade!
 * Blast: Who are you, and what are you doing here?
 * ???: Shadow Kyoji, a name I honestly had no idea how I obtained. I was here investigating these black crystals for clues until that girl ruined my thought of process.
 * Starcade: Hey, I didn't mean that! I'm sorry...wait, did you say you're Shadow Kyoji?!
 * Shadow Kyoji: Yes. You look like Duskcade, but I know you're not her.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Shadow Kyoji? Duskcade? What is all this?
 * Shadow Kyoji: I don't have to tell you. Get out of my way or you're dead meat.
 * Boulder: Hey! You mess with any of them, and you get a big ol' punch in the face from me, shadow guy!
 * Blast: We're not looking for trouble, Shadow Kyoji.
 * Shadow Kyoji: Good. Then stay out of my way.
 * ???: (telepathically) No, do not leave. You must destroy them.
 * Shadow Kyoji: (telepathically) Why should I, Kage? Those fools are wasting our time.
 * Kage: If you let them leave, they will cause trouble. Remember what we're here for, any trouble those fools cause can disrupt our mission. We can't trust anyone in this world.
 * Shadow Kyoji: But they do resemble the gang that I used to be a part of. The same gang back in the Shadow Dimension that I betrayed.
 * Kage: This mission is the reason why I asked you to betray them. Shadow Kyoji, we cannot waste any more time. We must stop anyone in our way, friend or foe. Hikari is also out here somewhere, so we have to be fast. We must find out the truth behind the death of the Shadow Sensei.
 * Shadow Kyoji: You're right. I shall get started right away.
 * Shadow Kyoji: Sorry, friends, but I'm afraid that you're getting too close to all of this. I must take you out.
 * Blast: What!?
 * Blue Ocean: Oh, really? It's a gang against one ninja! Do you really think you have a chance?
 * Boulder: Bring it on, shadow guy!
 * Starcade: I don't care what you have to say, Shadow Kyoji, but you're going down for trying to impersonate my friend!
 * Shadow Kyoji: I was never impersonating your friend to begin with. It's pointless and clearly you're not thinking straight.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Oh yeah? Try saying that to someone who has impersonated thrice!
 * Test Subject Blue: You're not getting away that easy either! You'll pay for hurting my leader!
 * Shadow Kyoji: That wasn't so hard. Step up if you're not afraid to fight me!
 * Blast: Charge!
 * Pink Angel: Where did he go?
 * Re-Peat Moss: I don't like how TRICKY this is.
 * Re-Peat Moss: Wha-?
 * Blast: A black crystal!?
 * Blue Ocean: Where'd you get that from!?
 * Gary Garnet: Wait a minute, we've seen these when Captain Dark Shell appeared the second time. How did he get his hands on one of those?
 * Shadow Kyoji: Just a little loot I obtained after I saw that old crustacean warrior was taken down.
 * Tommy: What do we do?
 * Re-Peat Moss: Maybe if we get that TRICKY crystal out of his hands, we might be able to stop him!
 * Pink Angel: Let's try it.
 * Pink Angel: Almost had it.
 * Gary Garnet: Let me try.
 * Shadow Kyoji: Not much of a fighter, are you, orange one?
 * Gary Garnet: Well, actually, I'm more of an intellectual if I do say so myself.
 * Shadow Kyoji: Interesting. But are you smart enough for this?
 * Blue Ocean: This isn't good.
 * Blast: We've got to do something!
 * Test Subject Blue: Man, that was cold.
 * Pink Angel: Okay, I got them out. What do we do?
 * Starcade: Let's try attacking him from different sides. Shadow Kyoji is going to be tough but after my experience against shadow ninjas, I think it's a good idea if we try that.
 * Blast: Let's do that. Boulder, Tommy, are you ready?
 * Tommy: Yup!
 * Boulder: Ready when you are!
 * Blast: Then let's show him to not mess with the Locked Room Gang!
 * Tommy & Boulder: Yeah!
 * Shadow Kyoji: You youngsters remind me of my former team. They resemble you, a team of young heroes, but most of them have succumbed and fallen to the hands of the darker side. I must say I'm surprised that you've managed to last this long against me.
 * Boulder: We pack many more surprises!
 * Test Subject Blue: Ack!
 * Pink Angel: Aah!
 * Dark Green Shadow: Hey!
 * Blast: Look out!
 * Blue Ocean: Hey, no fair!
 * Blast: Come on guys, if we all work together, we might have a chance!
 * Pink Angel: I don't know, he's tough...
 * Test Subject Blue: We gotta focus, Pink!
 * Shadow Kyoji: Let this be a lesson for meddling with my business.
 * Grass Sword: Take that, Ancient Ninja of God-Water!
 * Takeshi: Mother!
 * Kyoji: Wait, what was that? Did I hear...(hears the voices again)...that's my voice...and Starcade?
 * Takeshi: (puts Tsunami down) Kyoji, what's wrong?
 * Kyoji: Starcade's in trouble. I need you to help hold the Grass Sword off for me. Stay safe.
 * Takeshi: You got it.
 * Grass Sword: Hey, come back here!
 * Takeshi: I don't think so, Grass Sword!
 * Shadow Kyoji: I don't know about the others, but you sure seem to be the most emotional out of them. I think I'm going to have to take care of you first so that my mission can remain a secret.
 * Starcade: You...you're not Kyoji, Kyoji will never do that!
 * Shadow Kyoji: Right. Because I'm Shadow Kyoji, not "Kyoji".
 * Shadow Kyoji: What is this?
 * Kyoji: Keep your sword away from Starcade, I warn you.
 * Starcade: K...K...Kyoji?!
 * Tommy: Kyoji!?
 * Blue Ocean: Is it really you?
 * Blast: You're back?
 * Kyoji: Yes. I wasn't sure at first, but I came as soon as I had the thought that you guys might be in trouble. (turns to Starcade) Starcade, are you okay?
 * Kyoji: Starcade...I...I'm...I'm sorry that I didn't come back as early as you wanted but...
 * Starcade: Nah, it's okay! It's all right! I'm just happy you're real and you're here again! It's been so long since we last saw each other! (starts crying with mixed feelings of joy and sadness)
 * Kyoji: (sighs) I'm just glad to see you're still doing well yourself. I'm worried you might have been too worried about me over the past few weeks, and you might have fallen into a depressed state.
 * Starcade: Oh, no, not at all! Not a single worry at all! I'm a-okay! I'm...
 * Starcade: Argh, put me down!
 * Shadow Kyoji: So, you're that "Kyoji" they've been going on about. And you decided to get involved as well? That's possibly the worst decision you'll ever make.
 * Kyoji: (points his sword at Shadow Kyoji) I don't know who you are despite our similar looks but you had better let her go, right now.
 * Blast: Yeah, stop it already, Shadow Kyoji!
 * Boulder: We're not done with you yet!
 * Blue Ocean: (protects the gang with a new forcefield) Can we just leave and pretend this didn't happen?
 * Shadow Kyoji: Sorry, that's not going to happen. Catch!
 * Starcade: Thanks, Kyoji.
 * Kyoji: No problem.
 * Starcade: But...where are your other friends?
 * Kyoji: They...uh...they're still busy. I'll explain later, but first, we must stop Shadow Kyoji. I think that's what his name is.
 * Starcade: You got that right. Let's take him down!
 * Gary Garnet: (thinking to himself) What is going on? Is it over? Oh, it's not, never mind. Wait a second, is that...Kyoji? As in, the real Kyoji? How the heck did he get here? Never mind that, I must help stop Shadow Kyoji!
 * Kyoji: A black crystal? Those things only come from the Shadow Dimension as far as I know. Could he be...?
 * Blue Ocean: Well, Captain Dark Shell did leave a few black crystals in this dimension before his defeat.
 * Blue Ocean: Yup, it's definitely one of Captain Dark Shell's black crystals.
 * Tommy: So did he find one like Emily did before?
 * Blast: Or... maybe he's from the Shadow Dimension!
 * Blue Ocean: Given his name, it does make sense.
 * Gary Garnet: That's true, considering he was going off talking about "Duskcade" and other gibberish I never heard of.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Well, one side of me is telling me to get rid of me but the other is telling me that it could be useful to us in the future.
 * Kyoji: Hold on, Dark Green Shadow? Please forgive me for not noticing you before. Did you join the gang too?
 * Dark Green Shadow: That's right!
 * Shadow Kyoji: Not now, Kage. I'm trying to get rid of these fools for us.
 * Kage: I'm sorry about that, but time's running out for us. I sense Hikari's presence within the vicinity, we must leave before he shows up!
 * Shadow Kyoji: I guess you're right.
 * Blue Ocean: Hey! No!
 * Blast: Blue Ocean, be careful!
 * Shadow Kyoji: Oh, be careful indeed.
 * Shadow Kyoji: You've won, for now. But don't you tell anyone else about this or else you might be in danger. Farewell now.
 * Starcade: I guess that won't be the last time we'll see him. (runs to hug Kyoji again) Oh, Kyoji, I missed you so much! It's great to see you again!
 * Kyoji: It's great to see you too, Starcade. And the rest of the gang as well. But I can't help but notice that the gang is more different than I remember. Did something...happen?
 * Blast: Oh, it's a long story.
 * Boulder: I think we should unfreeze Blue Ocean first, though.
 * Kyoji: I'll take care of it.
 * Blue Ocean: Thanks...
 * Blast: Well, where do we start? First of all, Emily Green is now part of the Locked Room Gang!
 * Tommy: Dark Green Shadow too!
 * Dark Green Shadow: Tommy, I just told him that.
 * Boulder: Cool, isn't it?
 * Kyoji: Yes, it is.
 * Gary Garnet: There's also a bunch of new people we've met - an ace pilot, someone who impersonated Blast's father, a cube boy, a pony who specializes in weapons and more.
 * Test Subject Blue: Well, besides that, there's also the same old villains we have to fight every now and then.
 * Starcade: And we got upgrades too! Oh boy, I've been so excited to show you these! (shows her new energy powers and wristbands)
 * Gary Garnet: Ever notice how different and better my suit looks? (puts on his Garnetronic 6000 suit again)
 * Pink Angel: My arrows are pretty "fly" now too!
 * Test Subject Blue: My armor is as good as new!
 * Tommy: And I've got new superpowers! Look at this! (flies around while summoning different toys)
 * Blue Ocean: I've got a multi-elemental cannon now!
 * Blast: And I got new powers as well. (shoots a powerful energy wave to show his powers)
 * Kyoji: Wow, you guys are much different from the last time I saw you. It's nice to see that you've grown stronger while I was away. I'm sorry that I've been away for so long, but I had to ensure that the Grass Sword isn't a threat outside the forest. The other ninjas are still taking care of him.
 * Blast: Do you guys need any help with him?
 * Kyoji: No thanks.
 * Dark Green Shadow: Well, what are we waiting for? We gotta go find the rest of the gang and tell them about this!
 * Blue Ocean: You're right. Let's go!
 * Sakura: I think I saw him come this way! Where did he go? He's got to be around here somewhere!
 * Emma Emerald: This is weird. Where is everyone?
 * Sean Sapphire: If it's almost empty, a villain should be around here, right?