Six months later.
"OUWHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The rocky body shatters as a human fist pierces it as if it were a mere wet sheet of paper. The stone monster finally collapses, revealing Finn the human in all his splendor, dressed in simple black canvas pants with a braided rope as a belt. His lack of other clothing reveals his increasingly imposing form after undergoing a significant growth spurt that makes him as tall as PB, or even a little taller. Physically, he has shed all his old fat, transforming it into firm, compact muscle, making him resemble an ancient Greek statue.
His hair rests on his shoulders, retaining its spiky appearance that gives him the look of a lion that has taken human form; his once childlike face now displays a more focused expression worthy of a warrior.
Distractedly rolling his shoulders, Finn scans the landscape in search of his next target. It had been quite some time since Oripon had taken him under his wing to make him a fighter capable of facing all dangers, yet he couldn't complain because he had found everything he loved.
Thrilling battles and a chance to be a better hero.
So far he hasn't made much choice but to train because Oripon wanted him to get used to his new arm which seems to have no limit to its usefulness as its maneuverability is incredible, sword, spear, club, slingshot, as long as he thinks about it everything seems possible for his black bra.
A rather heavy noise puts an end to his thoughts, lazily he watches the titanic shape emerge from the sand like a monster from the depths of the earth, his eyes calmly fixed on the mastodon rising to its full height which must have been greater than the Guardian GumGum.
Then Finn pinched his legs, when he finally bent a sonic boom was lost in the silence of the desert, then the face of the stone titan simply exploded as a human missile pierced it in a second.
With his hair swept by the wind, the young man watched his enemy's body begin to move, a sign that breaking his skull was not enough. Flying through the air, he spun around to imitate a meteor crashing onto the sand. Quickly regaining his composure, the human didn't waste a second before rushing once again at his enemy, who in response tried to crush him like a fly with his enormous palm. Jumping onto the limb, Finn started running up it while watching the giant out of the corner of his eye. Dodging the hand that threatened to crush him, the human began to climb quickly, plunging his fingers into the rocky body of the titan.
"WOWAHHHHH!"
Charging like a comet, Finn crashes into the nape of the golem's neck, passing through the stone without worrying about the danger. The human falls back onto the sand with a satisfied smile as behind him the sand rises with the fall of the Titan.
"It would seem you've become too strong for my creations," Oripon muttered, sipping a glass of pineapple juice. "Your time here is starting to drag, don't you think?"
"What? Am I boring you already?" replied Finn with a tired laugh after his long hours of training.
"I'm more worried about your loved ones," Finn said, referring to his friends who must surely be wondering where he'd gone. His smile quickly faded, as he preferred to look away from Oripon, who continued to stare at him. "Too long an absence could lead them to believe you're gone, so I think it's time for you to leave."
A warm wind shakes the mane of the human who looks at his open palms, he closes them abruptly as a resolute expression hardens his features.
"You're right, I've been hanging around long enough!" Happily pumping his fist, the blond boy is already getting ready to leave in a good prodi-
"A second young hero"
Caught up in the momentum, the young man tries to stop gracefully but ends up with his head in the sand, and no, Oripon does not smile behind his beard, that would be unworthy of a sage of the stars.
"Before you leave us, I have some questions for you," said the entity of wisdom, finally emerging from the sand. Finn nodded gently, removing the grains stuck on his tongue. "Which path have you chosen to take? What will your 'but' be from this moment on?"
The human spits out the contents with dignity, wiping his mouth while narrowing his eyes towards Oripon.
"I'm going back home to set things right. I'm going to find answers to my questions, and I'm also going to apologize to the Flame Queen for what I've done. In short, I'm going to do the right thing!" the young human sincerely declared, very pleased with his upcoming objective. Then a more bitter expression crossed his face, his blue eyes gazing at the warm sand at his feet. "And once that's done, I'll go find the island where I was born."
"Aaah, I'm starting to understand better why you seek to fulfill impossible wishes, but this risks diverting you from happiness, for each wish fulfilled we must give something that is dear to our hearts," he patiently explains to the blond man who nods firmly at his head.
"I know, and I'll make sure it's worth it."
"Hmm! What a valiant and strong heart I see before me!" chuckled the wise man, pointing a luminous finger at the young hero. "That deserves a gift from me!"
Finn was not given time to be surprised as he quickly found himself bathed in a sparkling light; it was brief, but in the end our young hero-in-the-making had no words to express his surprise at seeing that Oripon had dressed him in a new outfit.
A pair of beige boots with an orange stone at the ankle, black trousers tucked into the boots, a white sleeveless top with a dark blue sword pattern printed right in the middle of the solar plexus, over that he wears a jacket of the same color as the sword on his chest, absentmindedly shaking his neck he lifts a white hood with his fingers, looking down at his feet Finn sees some strands of hair that he knows belong to him, running his hands through his golden mane he concludes that his hair now reaches his chin.
Delighted by his new appearance, Minerva's son began to jump around and throw a few punches in the air to test the flexibility of the fabric.
"These clothes can be repaired if you leave them in the sun," he said, exhaling a long cloud of smoke from his nostrils. "Now...go far away, find what you seek deep within your heart!"
"Hmm! Yes! Let's go!" Without any further ceremony, Finn started running while waving his arm, a wide smile on his face. "Thank you for everything!"
Oripon remained there, watching his student leave like a jack-in-the-box, the precious stones replacing his eyes shining with a soft glow, gently he looks back at the sky he must return to, his heart overflowing with joy at having fulfilled his dream.
"It seems I can finally leave with a peaceful heart..." were his last words before he flew away in a cloud of pink smoke.
~O~
Now that the time for the reunion is approaching, Finn readily admits that he feels nervous about how his family and friends will feel after six months of absence without giving any news. Will they be angry, or... the idea that they might not be aware that he has left seems plausible, at least that's what he hopes.
Laughing at the thought of Peebee's stern face or Marceline's, the young hero leaped high into the sky before falling back down with the same force as a meteor, leaving behind small craters with a boot print at the bottom of each one.
Here is something else he will have to explain, his newfound strength which seems capable of achieving the impossible. When he first realized that he could easily explode the stone, it excited him, even finding it incredible that he could do it without magic. Oripon told him that his training and determination were the main cause, which left Campbell perplexed because he had often trained in the past and had never achieved such physical feats.
Sighing heavily, he glances at his black hand; the pink princess will undoubtedly want to know where he got an arm and also analyze it to understand its very nature and thus not be caught off guard if he does something dangerous.
Yeah, she really doesn't like being kept in the dark.
Smiling tenderly at the sight of his princess working on a subject that fascinates her, the young man mentally slaps himself, repeating to himself not to think of her in that way anymore.
Besides, he's going to put love aside for the moment, so he can act in a co-
*FLAP !*
A branch hit him quite hard on the chin, except that with the speed and strength of the blond boy things became uncontrollable, surprised and stunned by the blow received Finn began to roll wildly through the forest, his body breaking the trees unfortunate enough to be in his chaotic path.
"Aie ! Ouille ! OHHHHH ! AIEEEEEEE! Zut ! Flûte de- Aieeee ! OOOOOuillllllleeeeee ! Mon oeil ! Aiee !"
Our hero's fall was truly long.
~O~
Princess Bubblegum, or Bonnibel to her friends, finds herself once again in a fit of rage as she watches the lands surrounding her kingdom fall prey to mechanical beasts come to destroy Ooo.
It all started about three months ago. The western wall of her kingdom was destroyed by a machine that looked like a deer, except its metallic antlers were equipped with a set of drills powerful enough to pierce steel. But why attack her cake wall? Well, according to what she was able to extract from the mechanical deer's memory bank, it all stemmed from an abandoned project. Originally, humanity wanted to fight pollution more actively, which is why Project Helisium was created. Funded by all the governments of the time and supported by the army, which, incidentally, didn't hesitate to give them ideas for weaponry so the machines could defend themselves if necessary, each of the mechanical entities was designed for the sole purpose of preserving the earth from all pollution. Created in old, fully automated factories, no one could have suspected that the project, put in place centuries before, would come to threaten a candy kingdom.
This is how Bonnibel finds himself having to go to war against machines because his people as well as all life forms on Ooo seem to be targets for the Duboulon {the name comes from Jake} surely they have detected the remains of past radioactivity.
Now what should she do? Her troops will not be able to fight because, despite their good will, they really do not have the mental capacity to win.
Today she must find a solution, as always she must rack her brains to find the plan that will prevent this disaster.
"Still no news from Finn?" Peebee asked wearily.
"Sorry Princess, as I told you, he left a long time ago," Peppermint Butler replied politely. "Unfortunately, Jake hasn't heard from him in six months."
"...I see"
Here is another subject that worries her, since the loss of his arm Bonnibel has seen the hero of Ooo become more withdrawn with each passing day, despite her offer for a prosthesis Finn was not getting better, as a friend she thought she had done her best, then one morning when she went to see him to see how he was doing BMO came to tell her in tears that her hero had left for a trip.
The news of his departure affected her more than she could ever have imagined. She was a woman who had always thought rationally, yet the idea that Finn wasn't there made her a little disoriented. It got even worse after a few days, and then at the end of the second week she became really worried about the young boy who was still missing. She finally asked Jake if he had any news of his brother, but nothing. The human was gone for quite some time.
Not wanting to become depressed again because of the young man's absence, the princess raised her head and looked at her butler with a firmer and more resolute gaze.
"Convene the war council, and send a message to the kingdom of flames to inform them of the situation," she ordered in a clear and strong voice.
Bowing briefly, Butler leaves, leaving Peebee alone on her balcony. Her gaze wanders to the machines forming rows on the horizon. Sighing softly, she feels her chest tighten as words from the past return to haunt her memory.
"Wow! I've never seen anyone who looks so much like me! Who are you?! My name is Finnegan, but everyone calls me Finn!"
"Hey Peebee! You'll never guess! I fought a giant! Oh, and Jake and I found a treasure! Can you believe how amazing that is?! This adventure is so awesome! You should come with us!"
Why? These are just memories among many others; she's lived a full life, yet it's only now that she realizes the time spent with Finn isn't the same. Of course, she'll remember Marceline and their relationship fondly, despite the brutal way it ended, but it's not the same with beings who can live for centuries without a single wrinkle appearing. Feelings don't evolve in the same way because you always think that one day things might change if you're patient, because who knows? In a thousand years, perhaps she and Marcy will be able to become close again, like before all this.
But Finn? He lives each day as an adventure because for him this time is precious, he will live a long time but never as long as her, his life will be short but the experiences he will have will be so much more intense, sometimes she compares Finn's life to that of a shooting star, his light lasts only an instant but it shines brightly.
That's why the six months spent without him had the merit of showing her what life would be like without the energetic human by her side. It would have been long and dull because, whether she liked it or not, Peebee had become attached to her valiant-hearted hero. Despite her reservations about emotional attachments, Bonnibel admits that Finn has the gift of slipping into your heart without you being able to stop him. At the same time, how could you not become attached? He is a hero loved and praised for his strength of heart, which seems to have no end.
"I would really like to stay with you..."
Reliving her thirteen-year-old self was a rather strange experience; in absolute terms, it shouldn't have changed her so much, but here she is with memories of days spent with Finn that sometimes make her regret not being the same age as him, once lonely with no one to share moments of joy with, then she ended up living with Finn a glimpse of what her childhood would have been like with him by her side.
Fortunately, the pink princess finally stopped brooding, putting her heavy thoughts away in a corner of her mind; the coming war would not be easy, she had to use all her genius to guarantee victory.
Turning back towards her room, she nevertheless paused to observe the setting sun, her eyes narrowed with melancholy as a thought continued to echo in her heart.
"Come back to us...please..."
~O~
Finally, the mechanical army had a general, or rather an opportunist who really has no common sense. How does Bonnie know? Because she can see through her telescope the sullen face of one of his suitors, Barron Click, shouting at his troops.
Barron Click Von Boulonne is nothing more than a small robot barely bigger than Jake, yellow and blue in color with an oval head, two red eyes that stares hatefully at the candy kingdom.
Originally, Peebee would never have believed that his refusal to marry this bolt-crazy guy would one day lead to a war of this magnitude, except that instead of being crazy and weak, Click was the one who found how to get the Duboulon working again; after taking control of it, the little robot decided that forcing the hand of the pink princess would be an excellent idea.
Standing on the ramparts of her kingdom, Bonnie tried very sincerely not to yell at the robotic dwarf that he had no chance of subduing her; naturally, she had to keep her cool, otherwise what was the point of her centuries of training to be a good sovereign for her subjects if a simple little tyrant annoyed her?
"Then you're going to clean every room in my castle! I don't want a single trace of rotten sugar left when I finally take my rightful place on the throne! I also demand a massage every time you finish preparing my dinner! And..."
The mechanical madman's rant continued, but the princess with the rubbery hair preferred to ignore it because she didn't want to break down in front of her generals—well, calling them that was more to avoid thinking that no one in all of Ooo had come to her aid. Oh no, not after her little escapade with the Queen of Flames, who didn't hesitate to tell anyone who would listen that Bonnibel had destroyed the Fire Guardians, the irreplaceable relic of the Fire Kingdom. The reason? Hmm, undoubtedly the fear that one day someone would use them against her subjects. How did she find out? Thanks to her surveillance system, which allowed her to keep an eye on everything Ooo. Were people angry? Oh yes, everyone expressed their displeasure with her and her paranoia, which had led her to this point where no one wanted to help her or punish her for acting like a complete lunatic.
After the complete shutdown of the system, Bonnie felt almost relieved not to see the rest of Ooo cursing her from a distance, not that she was happy that no one in royalty was willing to send her reinforcements to fight the Duboulons.
Only his closest friends answered the call, Marceline although she promised him a stock of jam, Jake came with the firm conviction that all this chaos will attract Finn, Lady Rainicorn would have come too but she still has to take care of her children who have not yet left the house, if we count all his troops plus some trustworthy generals, ah not forgetting the Gumball Guardians who will be the last line of defense.
"This guy really needs to see someone," Jake said suddenly, finishing his chocolate waffle. "Although I doubt anyone would put up with someone with such serious problems."
"Yeah, having dated crazy guys like him before, I know what you're talking about," adds Marceline, dressed in her sun-protective outfit that leaves not an ounce of skin visible. "So, what's the Bon-Bon plan?"
"The plan is to let him talk while my people evacuate through the emergency tunnels. Once that's done, we'll send the bulk of our troops to lure him to a specific point. Once we've gathered as many Duboulons as possible in one place, all we'll have to do is bombard them with the Dur-à-Croquer cannons."
"Aren't those the big white balls that you have to lick for hours before you get the chewing gum in the middle?" asks the yellow dog.
"Yes, that's right, they're so strong that no one can break them," the rose proudly asserts before frowning. "The problem is that I didn't have time to make enough for today; we'll only be able to fire six times before changing tactics."
"Hmm, it's a shame they're machines, otherwise I could have given them a good, big scare," mused Marceline.
"Couldn't you summon some zombies or skeletons to help against these brain-dead freaks?" asks Jake, curious to know why the vampire queen isn't using all of her powers.
"If I really wanted to, I could crush them all by myself, the problem is that my demonic powers don't work very well during the day," she replied, waving her fingers upwards. A few meters below, two skeletons armed with spears emerged from the ground, but instead of lining up to fight, the two sat down to play cards. "You see?"
"So what, are you just going to punch them or try to rip the head off that crazy guy over there?"
This was Marceline's original plan, but it would seem that Click is well informed about who is teaming up with Bonnie because he pilots a huge gorilla-shaped robot with hundreds of solar panels covering its back and muscular chest, perfectly reflecting the sunlight, the sworn enemy of the half-demon.
"BBBBuh, I'll do what I can," she said, picking up her bass axe before flying off.
"Very well! Jake, I want you to stay here with me to watch my back," Bonnie demands in an authoritative voice.
"Your order is Gum Gum!"
"Alright now," she took a very deep breath before yelling into her megaphone, "All troops, take up positions!"
This is how the war against the Duboulons began.
~O~
Three hours later.
Sending her axe once again into one of the panther-like robots, Marceline cursed the midday sun shining above her head. Because of her usual way of fighting, relying on her demonic abilities, she took some blows that tore her outfit, burning a few centimeters of her pale skin. Growling with rage, the Vampire Queen flew at full speed between the enemy ranks to slash and crush the robots in her path. Then a mechanical hoof struck her face, sending her flying far into the sky before a yellow baseball glove caught her and brought her back to the side of Bonnibel, who was bombarding her enemies with a cone-rocket launcher.
"Hey Marceline, how are you?" Jake quickly asks, creating a tent with his body to shelter her. The brunette then notices the loss of her protective mask.
"A little dazed, but it's okay," she assures, delighted to finally be in the shade. "Sorry guys, but I'm really limited here."
"Don't worry, Marcy, we've got everything under control," the bulldog assured her quickly, moving his face to the other side of the tent to talk to the candy princess. "So, are we going to make it?"
"NO!" she shouts, firing for the umpteenth time at a squadron of flying turkeys which simply explode. "There are far too many of them!"
"But what about your plan?!"
"We're out of ammo, Jake! And the Gumbal Guardians will be useless if they're attacked from all sides, we're going to-"
A violent jolt prevents her from continuing; mad with rage, she looks at the enormous gorilla head with the control station of the giant robot on top, with Click cackling like a madman as he punches the ground, making the walls of Bonnie's kingdom tremble.
"Hey beautiful! So you missed me?!"
A simple missile aimed at him was a more than direct response, but he was not worried, brushing the threat aside with a simple wave of his hand.
"Now that I've routed your strategies and defeated your pet vampire, are you finally going to admit defeat? Or do I have to crush all those damned little sweets you consider your children?"
"You wouldn't dare!" rages the rose, advancing ready to shove a laser beam into its face.
"Why shouldn't I dare? After all, you humiliated me by refusing to become my wife! It's only right that I redress this affront by taking what is rightfully mine! So now you will choose, Princess: either you submit, and I promise not to harm your subjects, or you resist me, and then you will be the Princess of the destroyed kingdom! The choice is yours!"
A choice?! He calls that a choice?! Bonnie has never wanted to hurt someone so badly in her entire life, that piece of junk isn't going to get out of this alive!
That's what she wants, but what can she do now? Her troops retreated as soon as they were overwhelmed by the Duboulons, and as for her Gumball Guardians, they are now on the ground, invaded by hundreds of robot ants that are slowly but surely devouring them. This leaves her as her only line of defense, except that without her inventions, she finds herself powerless against Click, who simply snickers happily while she clenches her fists. She doesn't want to lose; she has never lost so badly. What can she possibly do?
To her horror, nothing can stop Click anymore, her friends can't even move because of Marceline's weakness, and Jake has to protect her.
(I've lost...) thinks the candy princess bitterly, her face sinking into a miserable expression as reality hits her full in the face (...at least I'll be the only one to en-)
"Huh?" Jake craned his neck upwards, pricking up his ear. "What's that noise?"
Even Click looked up at the sky to try and find the source of the noise, surprised Bonnibel on her side recognized that it was the sound of a high-speed flying object, twisting her neck upwards she watched something pierce the few clouds above their heads but nothing to be done she could not distinguish what it was.
"Is that a bird?" asks Marcy, who can't see anything, still inside Jake's tent.
"No, it looks more like a hot dog," replied the canine in a thoughtful voice.
"It doesn't matter what it is! Mo-"
*FUU
For the spectators present, what happened before their eyes didn't make much sense. A second ago, the giant gorilla robot stood proudly above them, ready to deliver the final blow to this war, then the next moment, the metal breastplate of its torso was crushed like papier-mâché, as if something very heavy had hit it. This explains why Click is currently screaming his voice box to the point of bursting as his giant robot flies straight up and crushes a good quarter of his robotic army.
*CRASH !*
Staring wide-eyed at the dust cloud, Jake blinked slowly, trying to understand what he had just seen, though he couldn't quite believe it.
"Did it happen? Or did I fall asleep and are we all dreaming together?" the dog asked in a vacant voice.
The feeling of disbelief rendered Bonnie as silent as the grave, staring fixedly at the strange miracle that had just occurred. The pink princess felt immense relief as she watched Click struggle to lift the body of her robot.
"Good heavens, who did this?! Tell me who just damaged my Donkey Bot!"
All eyes, whether biological or mechanical, began to look at the battlefield to understand what had just happened, then a movement occurred right in the middle of the Duboulon army, a silhouette walking slowly towards an annoyed Click who couldn't see anything because of the dust raised since his crash.
"RRRRR! Who are you?!"
A boot lifts up before stomping the earth in front of him, exposing to everyone's eyes Finn Campbell, the last human of Ooo, who seems incredibly angry, slowly cracking the knuckles of his human hand and then his neck, the blond boy bends his body forward.
"Kill him!" was Click's order.
{One Punch Man-BATTLE}
The first to charge were the unit of gorillas who began to strike the human who merely dodged their attack by jumping over their bodies, spinning in the air Finn quickly observed the battlefield before twisting his body to land in a clear area, quickly surrounded by the three metallic behemoths Finn dodged their blow by ducking, in passing he swept the feet of the gorillas making them jump, arming his black fist the human sent a straight right into the head of the first enemy in his path.
"GYYYAAAA!"
Finn's strike was so strong that the detonation sent the tin can flying through the enemy troops, who were destroyed. Not stopping, the blond man began to strike right and left, jumping onto a gorilla's knee and kicking its head off.
*CRAK*FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU*CRASH !*
Twisting his body to spin like a top, Finn mercilessly slams his heel into the body of a metal panther, cutting it in two. Quickly turning his eyes towards the roar, he grabs the horn of the rhino charging towards him. Placing a hand on its chin, he uses the beast's strength to send it flying towards its companions, who cannot dodge it at all.
Raising his head upwards, Finn bent his legs while letting his will shape his black hand into a blade, exploding his muscles. The human was barely visible to those present, becoming a trail of blue and yellow piercing the robot army.
Peebee's crack team couldn't look at the spectacle before them with wide eyes, except for Marceline who was still in the Jake tent.
"Hey! What's going on?! Jake?!" demands an irritated vampire queen.
"...I'm not sure...at all..."
"What?! Good heavens, Princess, will you please explain?!"
"Uh...it looks like we're saved?" replied the rose in a truly distant tone as a squadron of steel eagles was sliced through, causing them all to explode.
Click could feel his jaw grinding as he rubbed his teeth together like a rabid dog, watching his precious troops reduced to mere nuts and bolts. He watched the culprit land before him like some damned hero, standing with an unwavering gaze fixed upon him, as if he had lost! He was the king of robots! The emperor of evil! The next monarch of Ooo!
"I won't let anyone ridicule me! Cock the cannon!"
The chest of the metallic giant opens, exposing the imposing cylinder of the cannon within which shines a violet light; laughing madly, the yellow robot points the infernal machine at the human who watches all this with a curious eye.
"You wanted to play the hero, flying to the princess's rescue?! Well, you'll have to forget it! Because I'm the next king of Ooo! And I'm the one who's going to have that princess!"
Electric arcs raged around the steel King Kong, at the end of the cannon Finn simply observed the danger with eyes narrowed in anger at seeing someone threaten the lives of others in such a crazy way just to get what he wants, breathing deeply the human got into position, stretching his muscles to their limit making his musculature fully stand out for all to see, exhaling the hot air that escaped like steam the young hero slightly bent his knees.
" Never forget rule number four, Finn, it's one of the most important," was Oripon's advice to him.
Clenching his teeth tightly, the blond man bent towards the deadly weapon which began to fire at him.
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"When faced with danger, never hesitate!"
Arming his right arm, he hurls it against the purple beam, which splits in two. Roaring at the top of his lungs, Finn runs with all his might towards a frightened Click, who is trying by all means to increase the power of his cannon.
Finally reaching the end, Finn swings his armored hand under the barrel, forcing it to swing towards the giant gorilla's head, which was vaporized in an instant. Having no control center to guide it, the giant weapon stopped. In the smoking remains of the cockpit, the Duboulon leader continues to press the button that was supposed to eject his seat very, very far away to avoid taking responsibility for his actions if things ever go wrong.
With an incredulous face and above all consumed by fear, Click continues to frantically press the big red button, even at the risk of losing his index finger.
Click! Click! Click!
Then a foot crashes down on his hand, preventing him from continuing his futile attempt to escape. Raising his optical sensors upwards, he meets the gaze of his enemy, who destroyed his army single-handedly. And now this man looks at him without any ounce of sympathy. Timidly raising the corner of his lips upwards, the robot thinks that trying the card of the beaten poor robot might save him some trouble.
"I-I surrender?"
A hand grabs his throat, crushing his voice box.
Outside the battlefield, Peebee runs towards the smoking carcass of the main robot with the firm intention of discovering who is responsible for saving his people and his life. On his heels, Jake runs with a host on his back containing Marceline, who cannot yet get out because of the damage to her suit, which of course frustrates her to the highest degree!
"I hate playing the kangaroo baby!"
"Yes, I know! But for now we don't have a choice!" retorted the annoyed dog.
In a second a panicked voice rushes towards them, planting their feet in the ground. Ooo's shock team feels their eyes widen as they see Click fall in front of them, crashing with a loud thud. The pink-haired princess feels her skin tremble as she sees that only the former count's head remains, the rest of his body completely gone.
"Ah, he's really lost his mind!" laughs Jake, rolling his head on the ground with the tip of his foot, in return Click tries not to bite him.
"You! All of you! I swear I'll reduce you to ashes! RRRRRR But before that, I'm going to destroy this damned ro-
His sentence was interrupted by the sudden landing of a super-powerful human being, arriving right behind him with a small boom. The robot, reduced to a simple head, opens its eyes wide, sensing Finn's presence right behind him. With a kick, he finds himself looking at the scowling face of the human who slowly raises his boot above him as one would before crushing a cockroach.
"Apologize right now!" Finn ordered in a voice that boomed like thunder. "You've caused a lot of harm to everyone, but first you're going to apologize to the princess!"
"Are you making fun of me?!" the little robot exclaimed indignantly, his remaining pride vanishing as he saw Campbell's sole approaching. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! Really sorry, please princess, forgive me! Please don't crush me like a little ant! I'm not that bad, I swear!"
This day has truly exhausted the princess, who can do nothing but watch the man who saved her and the robot who wanted to harm her not so long ago; that is why her normally always-on-top brain has started producing simpler answers to avoid getting migraines later.
"Excuse me...accept, as punishment I forbid you to set foot on my land," she said firmly.
"...in case you hadn't noticed, I no longer have any-
Finn could clearly not take it anymore, with a roll of his eyes he braced his leg back and then kicked the metal head which flew at full speed towards the horizon line not without letting out a final tirade.
"PIIIIIIIEE
Becoming nothing more than a bright point on the horizon, Click finally disappears from Peebee's sight. She looks at the man who has just saved her with complex emotions: gratitude, perplexity, curiosity, joy. That is why she watches him in silence, taking a deep breath before looking at him. It is at this moment that she truly sees her savior. His outfit is completely different; his body seems to have taken the best of puberty. His once-cute face now displays the features of a young man in his prime, but nothing in the world could make her forget the intensity of his bright blue eyes, like a shooting star. Gently, he turns towards her with a smile as luminous as the sun.
The combination of all these factors surely explains the sensation of heat that invaded his heart, as well as his cheeks turning purple, and the feeling of having lost all his connective functions for a second.
"F-Finn?" she asks softly to the taller young man who timidly puts his hand behind her neck.
"Huh?" Jake said slowly, raising a finger that trembled like pudding. "Finn?"
"Okay guys, this thing should keep me from being reduced to ashes!" exclaims an irritated Marceline, emerging from Jake's back pocket with a visor serving as a cap to protect her from the sun. Confused at seeing the princess and the dog frozen in place, she looks at the human in front of her... "Glob...who is that?"
"Hey everyone," Finn said softly. "Uh...it's been a while, hasn't it?" Seeing that no one was responding, the blond boy sighed, nervously scratching his hair, mistakenly believing that everyone was mad at him and refusing to speak to him. "Okay, fine, you deserve an apology. I left without warning and then it took me a long time to come back. It was inconsiderate of me, so I apologize, guys."
He waited a little while to let his speech have its effect, inwardly hoping that his best friends could forgive his absence.
"...is that you, Finn?" asks Peebee, visibly troubled to associate her lifelong friend with the young man in front of her who is slowly blinking his eyes.
"Uh, of course it's me," he slowly assured her, a little surprised that she hadn't recognized him right away. "Well, I can understand why you're surprised, I've grown a lot," he said with a small laugh while scratching the back of his head.
The gesture with his hand was not very serious, no, Bonnibel felt his skin melt, having raised his arm this caused his jacket to rise, revealing the top which perfectly hugged the young hero's skin, superbly highlighting his abs which resembled marble with the white fabric.
(Is that really Finn?!) exclaimed the pink princess furiously, her voice rising in her head after glancing at his taunting right pectoral muscle. (No, wait, why am I getting so worked up?! It's still the same one! Apart from the outside, nothing has changed! Yes, that's it! I mustn't let myself get distracted by his pretty eyes or...RAAAAAAAhhhh, concentrate!)
"Are you feeling alright Peebee?" the human asked curiously, much closer than she remembered. Surprised, she barely stopped herself from jumping back as if his presence was burning her.
"Huh?! Oh yes, everything's perfectly fine!" Coughing into her fist, she glances quickly around. "You've saved us all again, thank you Finn."
"Hmm, I would have preferred to arrive earlier," he said in a pained voice.
"HEY !"
Suddenly Jake took his brother in his arms as best he could with Marceline still carrying him on his back, laughing together the best friends of Ooo found themselves in a beautiful brotherly embrace.
"So I turn my head for two seconds and BAM! There you are again, all grown up!" exclaims Jake, delighted to see his little brother again.
"Good to see you again Jake" laughs Finn, hugging the canine close, their moment was then interrupted by the human who looks at the face of the Vampire Queen looking at him with half-closed eyes and also a smile...quite strange for the blond.
"Marceline ?"
"Hi Finn," she purrs, completely ignoring the candy queen's squinty gaze directed at her. "So you're the one who demolished the tin cans? Not bad for a lackey."
"Yeah, I'm defending myself now," he admitted shyly, looking at the robotic carcasses around him. Then he took note of the holes in Marceline's outfit, frowning with concern as the young man approached her. "Are you hurt?"
"Oh, that? Don't worry jeeee" her simple and cool speech was reduced to a smaller voice than usual when Finn took off his blue jacket, the brunette felt the skin of her neck warming as he put the garment around her while placing the hood over her head, completely immersing her in the smell of Campbell.
"There, that way you won't turn to dust," smiled the human, unaware of his vampire friend's troubled state.
"...thank you Finn," said the brunette softly, taking the opportunity to leave her perch and float in an angle that would prevent anyone from seeing her blush at the scent of the hero.
The blond boy couldn't really realize it, but the people around him were truly stunned to see the young hero's complete physique; it was like having a vision of masculine perfection, but very quickly their gaze focused on Campbell's right arm.
"Hey buddy, what's with this arm?" Jake asks, pushing the limb in question with his finger.
"Well, I don't know exactly what it's about, but from what I've learned, it's entirely mine, and that's not all, look!" With a thought, the hand undulates to extend in one go, forming a sharp blade, making the yellow dog recoil, who watches the transformation with admiring eyes.
"Oh my god! Finn, do you know what that means?!"
"Uh, that I no longer need to buy a sword?" the human asks randomly.
"No! You and I can have a career and become the Transformable Brothers!" he exclaimed loudly. "I can already see our future taking shape! We're going to become..."
Watching his brother rejoice that they share the same gift with an affectionate smile, Finn can't help but be happy to see that his absence hasn't really changed Jake. He imagines that later they will discuss what he did during his trip, except he doesn't know if it's a good idea to explain his inner nightmare and also the loss of his mental vault. Well, he might be worried, but he'll understand, right?
A grip on his transformable arm pulls him from his thoughts, slightly disturbed to see small, delicate hands caressing or pricking the skin of his arm, he then feels his lips tremble with amusement as he sees Peebee looking at the foreign matter with absolute concentration, his eyebrows furrowing, his lower lip slightly biting, his index finger gently tapping his cheek.
(It's really not just such a cute face...) he sighed mentally, calming his ardor with a thought about his current objective (Come on Finn, focus on what you have to do, besides you know that to her you will never be anything more than a friend...)
"Am I bothering you too much?" Finn teased gently, slightly flexing his biceps, pulling the princess out of her thoughts.
"Oh? Sorry Finn, your new arm seems to be made of a material I've never seen before," she said, still analyzing the sensation by touch. "It's not cold or hot...it's solid but you can manipulate it like a semi-liquid, then harden it and even make it sharp, it's simply incredible!"
Smiling gently, the human lets his friend ramble on before becoming serious again while looking at the walls of the Candy Kingdom.
"Princess, has everyone been able to evacuate?" Campbell asks seriously, the question pulling Rose out of her thoughts as it reflects the blond's mood.
"I have taken the necessary steps but I am worried about those who have taken refuge in the castle," she said, clenching a fist near her heart.
"If you're worried, then you should go and see," he said, frowning at the columns of smoke rising from the ruins.
"Yes, Jake j-"
"Princess! Princess Chew-gum!"
Running at full speed, Doctor Princess arrives at Bonnibel; panting, she clings to the rose with eyes filled with fear.
"You must come quickly, princess! They won't be able to hold out!"
"What?! Tell me right now what's going on!"
"The shelter! One of the guards has crashed into it! I evacuated everyone but—but everything collapsed! We have to hurry or the children will—"
Having understood the general outline, Finn immediately set off, bending his legs as much as possible; the human flew off in a bound towards the place where the catastrophe was taking place.
"Quick, Jake, let's catch him!"
~O~
Running through the devastated streets, the young human breathes heavily, images of innocent people being hurt while he finally has the strength to protect them swirling in his mind. No matter how crazy it sounds to blame himself for things that aren't his fault, Finn believes that after vowing to be a better hero, he shouldn't let people suffer while he's around.
Clenching his teeth, he put more force into his steps, propelling himself in a few bounds towards the place where a large part of the population was gathered.
"HELP! I CAN'T BREATHE! *Cough cough* WE'RE CHOKING!"
A few meters below, Campbell watches the giant head of the Guardian crush the ground beneath which he distinguishes dozens of eyes imploring his help. He doesn't waste a second running towards them, unaware that Peebee has also just arrived. Her naturally calm face breaks when she sees her most innocent citizens trapped by one of her own creations. Not wanting to be left out, she joins Finn who is trying to reassure the children.
"Princess, you're here!" exclaimed the children.
"Yes, I'm here! Don't worry, we'll get you out of here!" she assures, standing next to Finn, who is inspecting the crack in the floor that threatens to give way because of the weight it can no longer bear.
"Don't panic, it's going to be alright kids," the blond boy reassured, but clearly none of the little Candy children wanted to listen to him, being too scared.
"We can't hold on much longer! Get us out of here before we get crushed!"
Bonnibel's hand hides her mouth twisted in a grimace; she feels so helpless, her children are counting on them to save them.
"Humf !"
Without warning anyone, the hero's hands slipped under the giant head, the rose fixed its eyes on him and on what he intended to do.
"Gnnnnnrrr!" he growls, using all his strength.
Before the astonished eyes of the Candy people, the glass head began to move, the relieved earth began to crack, mingling with the admiring gasps of the children who were in the front row to see their hero groaning under the effort, raising his head higher and higher.
"Ggnnrrr ! Harf ! Gnnnnnarrr !"
Gritting his teeth, Finn instantly straightened his back, bending his arms upwards to fully support his head with all his strength. There was a few seconds of hesitation at the sight of a young man carrying an object thirty times his size, but this was cut short by Peebee shouting at the children to run. Very quickly, all the little ones began to join their families, who started crying with joy.
Right behind all this, Princess Chew-gum felt her heart tremble with relief. Seeing her people safe made her feel like she had accomplished something even more important than any experience. Turning her eyes back, she stared at the broad back of her hero as he gently rested Guardian Gumball's head. Strangely, she didn't care where her friend's prodigious strength came from, or what his arm was made of. All she wanted was to tell him how happy she was to see him again, how worried she had been about him during his absence, maybe even give him a punch to teach him to leave without a word.
*PAM*
"Hey!" Finn jumps, startled by the blow to his left arm. He looks at the impassive face of the bubblegum princess who is blowing on his used fist. "Why did you do that?!"
"It's because they left without even saying goodbye!" she said, placing her hands on her hips to emphasize her irritation at having been kept in the dark.
The human was preparing to unpack a bunch of excuses to justify his absence, then the rose threw herself at him for an affectionate embrace, pressing her forehead against his solar plexus; slightly disconcerted by the act, he awkwardly put his arms around her.
"Thank you for coming back."
No one could hear him whisper his words, except for Campbell who smiled slightly, feeling the effects of the hug relax him.
"At your service, Princess"