Link to Life Chapter 9

Okay, I just want to give a heads up right now that this story is going to be EXTREMELY off chronological from the various series featured in here. Such as some of the Final Fantasy characters haven’t aged that much. Just wanted to alert you all.

Chapter 9 – Heroes Unite!</i>

“Move your asses, everyone! This is a code red invasion!” bellowed a familiar woman to the dozens of trained mercenaries known as SeeD. As lively as ever, the Great Ninja Yuffie commanded them all to their stations located throughout the citadel Hollow Bastion and outside to do battle with the raging army they faced. “Come on, come on! We’ve got no time to way! Get to your positions, you maggots!” Yuffie snickered briefly to herself. “I always wanted to say that.”

“How’s about you lead your team outside first, you runt,” Cid said with a growl as he lightly tapped her head with his fist.

“Oh, hey Cid,” Yuffie greeted awkwardly. “I thought you were taking Rika to see Leon?”

“That was three hours ago,” Cid deadpanned. “Point is: I’m back. In charge. And you’re to get your little patoot out there to lead the attack!”

“Eh, fine by me.” Yuffie shrugged. “I’ve been itching for action for a while now! Now where’s my team? Team Yuffie, LINE UP!” She grinned. “I always wanted to say that, also!”

Through the massive chaos of the SeeD locating their necessary weapons, items, and stations, five specific cadets marched forward. “Kim Possible, reporting for duty!” a bright and exuberant redheaded teen called.

“Ben Tennyson, reporting for duty!” a young and bold teen with green eyes declared.

“Manny Rivera, reporting for duty!” an excited Hispanic child said cheerfully.

“Yin, reporting for duty!” a little anthropomorphic pink-furred rabbit answered with a proper salute.

“Yang, reporting for kicking butt!” a blue-furred anthropomorphic rabbit shouted with a cackle, and then burped obnoxiously.

Yin sighed as she shook her head, ashamed. Cid frowned as he eyed the five. “These brats were the best we could get?” he said to Yuffie worriedly.

“Wait, wait! Sorry! I got my pants stuck in a door!” a young, nasally voice yelled. Running toward them was another teen with blonde hair. “Don’t leave with out me – WHOOP!” Losing his balance as he tripped over his loose shoelaces, the young cadet crashed into the other five, leaving a large dog pile. Smiling awkwardly, the teen saluted. “Ron Stoppable, reporting for duty?”

“Yeah, the future doesn’t look very bright, does it?” Yuffie said with a light pout. “All right, Team Yuffie! This is it! Your first actual confrontation with the enemy known only as the Heartless!”

“I thought they’re also known as the Darkness?” Manny asked.

“Don’t interrupt me!” Yuffie snapped loudly, prompting Manny to flinch and imitate zipping his lips. “Now where was I? Oh, right. Defeating the undefeatable! Now, I didn’t have to choose you cadets; and you aren’t exactly the best we’ve got, but you were chosen by me for a reason!”

“We were the last ones there left without a team general?” Yin asked.

“Yes, but that isn’t the point!”

Kim coughed. “May I suggest we head out to the battlefield before we’re the last ones here?”

“Too late,” Cid said with a sigh. Everyone’s head turned left and right. Indeed, Team Yuffie was the only group left in the barracks.

Yuffie slapped her forehead. “Screw the inspiration speech! Let’s just go out there and kick some ass!” She raised her massive shuriken and swung it toward the door leading to the battle. “CHARGE!”

“YEAH!” Team Yuffie cheered, pumping their right fists eagerly. Without another thought (or strategy) in their minds, all of Team Yuffie dashed straight out the door, screaming their little heads off with their individual battle cries.

“She’s going to get all of ‘em killed,” Cid declared simply.

RG-RG-RG</i>

Meanwhile, in a Kwik-E-Mart in the market area of Radiant Garden, a Japanese man known only as Jack focused all his attention at the task he had at hand: Working the Squishee machine. Never had he faced a more difficult challenge, or one as perplexing. Jack placed his hand on his square chin confusedly. He lowered himself to stare at the bizarre liquid (solid?) swishing around inside the machine. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He’ll overcome this puzzle yet!

“Please, sir, If you are just going to stand there all day, please leave!” the overly-stereotypical Indian accented Kwik-E-Mart clerk said, pointing out the electrical sliding doors. “You are frightening the other consumers with your sword weapon and white kimono!”

Jack turned to him and said, “I am sorry, um…” Jack leaned forward and read the clerk’s nametag, “Apu Nahasa…pee – ma? My, that surname is far more complicated than any name from where I come from.”

“All right, all right!” Apu snapped, waving his hand exasperatingly. “You want a Squishee? Fine! Have a Squishee!” Picking plastic cup, Apu swiftly filled it with delicious soft drink, shoved it into Jack’s hands, and stabbed a swirly straw into it. “Pay for your drink, please go – and thank you! Come again!” That last comment seemed almost like a verbal tic.

Jack stared at Apu, and then glanced down as his drink. It started bubbling and making gurgling noises that almost sounded like “death….” Jack blinked. Shrugging, Jack took a little sip through the usually shaped straw.

His eyes shot wide open. He began sucking on his lips, quickening rapidly over seconds. “This is magnificent!” Jack declared, holding the Squishee with both of his hands, almost reverently.

As soon as Jack had exited his shop, Apu clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Ack, foreigners.”

RG-RG-RG</i>

Clark Kent stepped out of the Daily Planet elevator and into a raging sea of his fellow reporters as they each claimed they had the “scoop of the century.” Locating who he was looking for, Clark waved to her. “Lois!”

A beautiful woman with waving black hair turned to him with a deadly glare that caused Clark to flinch helplessly. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to interview Squall Leonhart today?” she asked dangerously.

Sensing her anger, Clark anxiously pulled on his tie. “I, um, you see. You were out at lunch at the time, and we just got a call that he was willing to do an interview for the Daily Planet. Naturally, I had to secure that interview for us before anyone else could snatch it up from us. So….” Lois grabbed Clark’s necktie and pulled – taking the tie off. “Erm, it’s a clip-on,” he said embarrassingly.

“Heh,” Lois scoffed as she rolled her eyes, handing back the tie. “You’re learning. But the point…” she grabbed a fistful of Clark’s blue jacket and pulled him down to her eye level, nearly knocking his glasses off, “…is that you have to let me know when you do these sorts of things. Capiche?”

Clark adjusted his glasses and nodded. “I got it.”

Lois released him and smiled. “Good. Now saddle up. Everyone’s heading for the castle.”

Confused, Clark asked, “Why? What’s going on?”

“Apparently the world’s being attacked by the Heartless,” Lois said offhandedly as she picked up her bag with her equipment.

“Er, shouldn’t you be a little more alarmed by that?” Clark asked, following her as she began heading for the elevator.

“Not when you’re a reporter for the Daily Planet, Smallville,” she answered with a smirk.

“Um, you go ahead, Lois,” Clark said. “I’ve really got to get this interview with Mr. Leonhart written.”

Lois raised an eyebrow. “You’re willing to allow a helpless woman like myself head toward a dangerous area where I could be most like injured, or possibly killed, by myself?”

“Erm….”

“Calm down, Kent. I was kidding,” Lois said. “I can handle myself. I’m a big girl.” She lightly punched Clark in the shoulder.

Lois waved good-bye as Clark waved back, flustered. As soon as the elevator doors shut, Clark Kent’s face quickly took on a serious expression, almost if he was a completely different person. Taking off his glasses and loosening his buttoned shirt, he declared, “This looks like a job for –”

“A job for whom, Mr. Kent?” a voice asked.

“Whoa!” Clark yelped, quickly closing his shirt and placing his glasses back on. Standing behind him was the Daily Planet janitor, Penry Pooch, an anthropomorphic dog with an oversized purple shirt and red cap. “Oh, Penry. I didn’t see you there. A job for whom, you say? A job for…erm, um, SeeD! Yes, that’s it! SeeD! They should be able to handle the Heartless without any troubles at all!”

“Heartless, eh?” Penry responded curiously. “I don’t know about that. It would seem like they’d need help.”

“Uh, yeah. I agree. Excuse me, Penry. It’d really be best if I got going,” Clark said as he excused himself.

“Have a good day, Mr. Kent!” Penry called after him; Penry’s pet cat with stripes running down its back strolled next to the janitor and gave a deadpan stare at its owner. “Did you hear that, Spot?” Penry said. “Heartless have invaded the town. And you know what that means, right?” Spot rolled his eyes and held his deadpan face. “This looks like a job for Hong Kong Phooey!”

RG-RG-RG</i>

In yet ANOTHER part of Radiant Garden, a lone police car rolled down the cobblestone roads. Inside, an inspector with a buttoned overcoat and a usual hairstyle drove. Sitting next to him was his blonde-haired niece, who had a rather troubled look on her face. “Erm, Uncle Gadget?” she piped up. “Should we REALLY have arrest this guy?”

“He’s a menace to society, Penny,” the inspector by the name of Gadget replied with a highly nasally voice. “He has to be brought in for justice!”

Penny turned around to see that said menace to society has his naturally blue face pressed up against the glass that separated them from him and making funny faces. “Yes, ‘menace to society’,” Penny muttered.

“I demand someone to call me a lawyer!” the criminal shouted, bouncing impatiently in the backseat with handcuffed hands and dressed in a red jumpsuit with a large F and exclamation point on his torso.

“All right, you’re a lawyer,” Gadget said.

“Thank you!” the “Freakazoid” said with a grin. “Besides, I did nothing wrong! I was merely stopping an actual criminal!”

“You tackled an old lady!” Gadget said incredulously.

“Yeah, but she was pulling a truly heinous act!”

“She was trying to get into her house!”

“‘Breaking into,’ I say!” Freakazoid argued.

“Oh, hang on. I’m getting a call from the Chief on the Top-Secret Gadget Phone.” Gadget parked his Gadgetmobile and stepped out. Turning back, he said, “Watch the criminal for me, will you please Penny?”

“No problem,” Penny said a slight frown.

“That’s a good girl.” Inspector Gadget pulled on his right thumb, pulling out an antenna, and held up his hand to the side of his face like an actual phone. “Hello, Chief? You’re where? I’m on my way!”

Penny sighed as her Uncle Gadget quickly ran off to his chief’s hidden location; and, almost on cue, another police car pulled up to the side of the Gadgetmobile. Its passenger’s window slid down and showed an aged police officer in the standard blue uniform. “Hey, Penny,” the officer greeted in a deep and gravelly voice.

“Hi, Sergeant Cosgrove,” Penny replied, waving with a smile.

“Hey, Freakazoid, some Heartless are really tearing up the cathedral area of the world,” Cosgrove said. “You might want to look into that.”

“Right-o!” Freakazoid boomed. Opening the unlocked backdoor, Freakazoid casually stepped out, took off his free handcuffs, and handed them to Penny. “Tell your uncle that I went out for a walk, okay?”

“No problem, Freakazoid,” Penny said nonchalantly. “Same time next week?”

“Sounds good to me!” he said with a massive smile. “I’m off!” Penny and Cosgrove shielded their eyes as a flash of lightning shined from Freakazoid, about to make his amazing trek to Hollow Bastion. He held up his arm and starting running rather slowly, making “whoosh!” sounds.

“Hey, Penny, wanna go tie a whole bunch of balloons to a house and fly off to South America?” Cosgrove asked serenely.

“I’ve got nothing else better to do outside of this cameo,” Penny replied with a shrug.

Gadget looked all around. “Chief? Where are you?”

“In here, Gadget! The mailbox!” a voice hissed.

Turning his head, Gadget spotted a hand waving him closer that was sticking out of a mailbox. “Your ability to hide anywhere will never cease to amaze me, Chief Quimby!” Gadget said.

“You’ve got a new mission, Gadget,” Chief Quimby said as he held up a little piece of paper that couldn’t possibly be anything else nor do anything else other than being written on or read from.

Gadget raised the note close up to his face, his eyes dotting left and right and a strange typewrite sound went off as they did. “‘At twelve-thirty-three this afternoon and massive explosion destroyed several buildings. Massive legions of Heartless invaded soon afterward. Your mission is to assist SeeD against the invading Heartless and discover their leader(s) and their leader(s)’s hidden motives. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.’ Don’t worry about a thing, Chief. Gadget is on the case!” Gadget crumbled up the note and obliviously tossed it into Quimby’s mailbox as he ran back to the Gadgetmobile.

“NO!” the chief screamed.

BOOM!

“Ooooh, I should have really seen that coming…” Quimby grumbled, covered in soot as he drummed his finger on the now topless mailbox.