The Enemy of My Enemy

Arg! Thanks for stopping by. Well, it's not like I had a choice. Right. So, let's get to it. You know my sons, octagon and rhomboid? Sure. Sometimes we do business. Sometimes they try to kill me. That's my boys. Course, I wants 'em to have a better life than I had. What parent doesn't? So that's why I signed 'em up at that plumbers academy. Only one of us is laughin', boy. Sorry. I thought you were kidding. The boys ain't doin' too good on their exams. I want you to make sure they do do good. You want me to be their tutor? I want you to fix their grades so that they pass! And if they don't, then I'm gonna fix you. I'm sure that ship landed close by, unless the sensors are off. Or unless you set them up wrong. I didn't set them up wrong. Or unless you got us lost. I didn't get us Or unless you drive us into a ditch! Why don't you just say what's on your mind? Kevin's on the warpath, and you think it's my fault! Okay, yes! That covers it. Absorbing my ultimatrix has driven Kevin every bit as crazy as he was when he was a kid. It's too late to take him back. The only thing we can do now is take him down. You don't know that. You can't stop! Argit? Why'd you jump in the way like that? No, that's okay. I have another one at home. Snap out of it. Right. Snapping. I've been looking all over for you. Kevin's not with u and we're not buying whatever you're selling. No con. Not this time. I'm turning myself in! Why would you do that, Argit? Because Kevin's after me. How about you take it from the top? I needed some equipment for aProject I'm doing. So I flew to earth to see what I could borrow from my old pal Kevin. Kevin? Is that you? It's me. Hey, y-you don't look so good. I'm fine. Taking care of some old business. What do you mean? I've decided to get back at anyone who ever did me wrong Which puts you at the top of my list. Buddy! Pal! Wait a minute! I can explain! Explain what? Pretty much anything! I'm tired of your tricks, Argit. Then maybe you should take a nap! See? That's what I'm talking about. Always double-crossing me, betraying me. This is the last time, Argit. Kevin, don't. The last time you do anything. What do you want from us? Protection. Lock me up. Throw away the key. I don't care. Just put me somewhere Kevin can't find me. We're not running a weasel-relocation program. Such an ugly spirit for such a pretty girl. Hang on. Let me think. What about the lab at Los Soledad? First place he'd look. We could hide you in the null void. There are too many guys in there who don't like me. There's a lot of that going around. Come on. There's got to be some place you could put me. Maybe some police protection? We could take you to the plumbers academy. That's the closest fortified plumbers facility to earth. Where they train new plumbers for galactic police duty?! Not there! Anywhere but there! Or we just let Kevin have you. Like I was saying, the plumbers are a fine organization. I'd love to visit their school. If Kevin figures out that Argit got away from earth, he'll come after him. I'm counting on it. We'll use Argit as bait, and we'll have the whole academy there to back us up. And you're okay with this? I only want to pay my debt to society. And not get killed. Just what pops Vreedle ordered. This is your Captain speaking. Welcome aboard rustbucket spaceways. Please keep your seat belts fastened until it is safe to move about the Would you go already?! What was that? Bad news. It's Kevin. How'd he find us? I don't know. What do you think? I knew nothing about that. I swear. Let him in, or he'll wreck the ship. Why doesn't he just phase through the hull? Maybe he hasn't read the big chill instruction book. Let him in! Doofus, you've got the powers of a ghost! Come in already! We just got this thing fixed from the last time you wrecked it. Don't act like we're still friends. Kevin, we are your friends. A friend of mine wouldn't protect Argit. We're trying to protect you. You're making a mistake. No, helping Argit is a mistake. Trying to stop me is a mistake. And stealing my car big mistake. Come on, Kevin. We weren't stealing Jetray! Hang on to something! Why did you do that? Because you couldn't stop him. Because he's too strong. Because he was gonna kill us. That's right. I just wanted to hr you say it. What are we gonna do now? Get away. And fast. Look at you two all grown up! Nice to see you, Magister Coronach. Thanks for letting us drop in on such short notice. Ah, anything for a Tennyson. How's your grandpa? He's on Galvan prime, recovering from an injury. Max Tennyson is tough as nails. He'll be back on the beat in no what's he doing here? Ben's using him as bait. To catch who? Kevin Levin. He's kind of lost it. So you decided to turn my academy into a war zone without asking me? No. Well, sort of. Okay, yes. Anything for a Tennyson, right? Argit, you're going into a cell. Sure thing. What time's the breakfast buffet? You two, in my office. Now. What's the matter with you? Must have ate something on earth that didn't agree with me. Let's get you to your cell. Then I'll call a medic. You don't understand. I got to use your facilities. My what? Your latrine, your lavatory, your little boys' room! And hurry, or this hall gets a new color scheme! I'm gonna burst! Hang on. I-it's just around the corner. You okay in there? I don't get paid enough for this. This is not a prison or a battlefield! It's a place of learning. Obviously you've never seen my High School. Those cadets out there aren't ready for this. They're rookies. And you've put them in the line of fire. I have half a mind to lock you up, too. What do you say about that? Did I ever mention that I saved the universe? Come on. There's got to be a records room, a data center, something. Space cop. Totally legit. Nothing to see here. Don't these guys ever go to class? Hey! Argit! A plumbers academy strikes one as a somewhat improbable place to find an intergalactic reprobate such as yourself. Keep it down, will you? You guys aren't exactly model citizens. Are too! Octagon and me are what y'all call probational cadets! We're attempting to what you might call improve ourselves and make our daddy proud So he doesn't have us whacked. Again. Unfortunately, our particular kind of intelligence isn't the sort that correlates to test scores. We're flunkin' out. Today's your lucky day, Vreedles. Your dad sent me here to fix your test scores. That changes the complexion of our dilemma considerably. We ain't gonna flunk no more! Hold it down, will you? Now, if anybody asks you, you ain't seen me and you don't know me. Ain't seen you. Don't know you. Exactly. Just play dumb. Scratch that. Be yourselves. Got to be here somewhere. Nope. Wrong. Pardon me, sir. Is this where they keep the cadets' test scores? Why, yes, it is. Oh, good. Wow, they even spelled their own names wrong. Long-range sensors are picking up something coming in fast. Unknown spacecraft, please identify. Unknown spacecraft, please identify. What kind of ship is that? It's not a ship. We seem to have fallen into good fortune, grub-wise. It's Kevin. This is your mess, Tennyson. I hope you've got a plan to clean it up. Me too. Nobody'd ever believe that. How about a 92%? Okay, you got me, but I can explai I mean, I could if I had to. Hold fire till I give the order. You got that? Yeah, but I'm bad at following orders. Get off my station! Not a problem. Soon as I get Argit. This isn't about Argit. This is about you and me. Don't flatter yourself. Your turn will come. Hey, felon! Don't look away from me! I was talking to you! You were right, Magister. I thought your cadets would soften up Kevin for me. But this is my fight. So I'm going to finish it. Humongousaur! Not impressed. Ultimate humongousaur! How do you like me now? That can't be good. Aah! He's here! Kevin's here! Octagon! Rhomboid! "Pardon-ay mois"? Do we know you? What? Of course you kn no, sirree, we ain't never had the pleasure of meeting that particular individual. Oh, for cr we're what you call playin' dumb! Ugh! New rules. You do know me. Well, then, howdy! So, what's goin' on? Kevin's here on the station! You got to help me! "Provisional cadets. " Whatever! What kind of weapons do you have? That could work. For old time's sake, I'll make this quick. Don't you dare! You too? I thought you cared about me. Get him! Get him! Get him! What is that? That is what you'd call a nuclear fusion grenade. Ought to blow up Kevin real good. Not to mention this whole space station and everyone in it! I had not fully considered that fact. Echo echo! Ultimate echo echo: Ultimate echo echo. Kev, cut me some slack, will you? Remember all the good times we had? No. But I'm gonna remember this. No more. Please. Kevin! That's enough! You're right. How could you?! Kevin, he was your friend. Yeah. He was. Give yourself up, Kevin. Don't make me The only reason you're alive is because of what you used to mean to me. Ben? He just came back through the airlock. He's pretty banged up, though. I'll live. That's more than Argit can say. You can get up now. He's dead, son. No, he's playing dead. Come on, Argit. Show's over. Is he gone yet? Hey, if I hadn't shut off my pulse, he would have kept hitting me! Shut off your pulse? How do you think a species that obnoxious managed to survive so long? Well, if you'll excuse me We have some unfinished business. Such as? You assaulted two of my cadets, not to mention the arrest. Or did you forget? Actually, I sort of did. Lock him up. You ain't serious. Oh, yes, we is. Or "are. " Now that we is genuine cadets. Or "are. " I am having a very bad day. What happened with Kevin? He got away. But maybe it's not too late. Maybe we can still help him. And maybe we can't.