At the Watchtower, Tenderheart was tinkering with the communication system but sighed as Bright and Champ walked in.
“What’s wrong, Sports fan?”
“Oh, hey you two, been trying to communicate with the others down on earth, and the pandas in the valley, but so far no luck. The only communication system working properly is the one for Care-A-Lot. Course, it only started working when Good Luck’s badge was retrieved.”
“How do you know that?”
“Easy Bright Heart, I checked the logs for when it was and wasn’t working. When our badges were stolen it went offline, once Good Luck’s was returned like…two minutes after, it started working again.” Tenderheart sighed and put his earpiece on the charger. “Well, hopefully when we get more badges back it’ll work properly. It was close, but the final little bit needed wasn’t there.” Champ and Bright silently exchanged glances as Tenderheart stood up and stretched.
“I better head back, Mend volunteered to put Wonderheart to bed for me. You two keep your eyes out and don’t break anything.”
“Sure thing, Sports fan.” Bright and Champ waved Tenderheart off as they both sighed knowing what their plan was.
Tenderheart got home and saw Mend was looking over some plans.
“You seem busy." Mend flinched and some papers and pencils flew away. Tenderheart chuckled and helped Mend gather the materials.
“Sorry, I was so focused I didn’t notice you came in. Wonderheart went to bed no issue, besides a bedtime story.”
“No problem getting her to wear one?”
“Nope, She let me put her in one with the promise I’d read whatever story she wanted.”
“Alright, well fair is fair, baby Mend.”
“…Can you not use that name, Tenderheart? I…” Mend gently gripped their arm, Tenderheart gently put a paw on Mend’s shoulder.
“Sorry, I know you know I don’t know your past but I promise I won’t use it again. Still, how about we put you in one? Earlier when everyone was scattered, I secretly went and grabbed a pack for you.” Mend blushed but allowed Tenderheart to lead them upstairs and, per Tenderheart’s instructions laid down and let Tenderheart put them in a diaper. Afterwards Mend walked around a bit and the diaper wasn’t falling off or too tight. Tenderheart hugged Mend and wished them goodnight as he went to get some water and brush his teeth.
Thief in the meantime, was walking around Care-A-Lot. He told Swift Heart he wasn’t tired and true to his word, he wasn’t. He could sometimes go three days without sleep, although he’d sleep for a long time after. Thief however couldn’t risk sleeping until shift change. Thief silently slid into the Garage of the Watchtower. He prepped the driver seat with a bag of Smoke Bombs. He also made sure he had a change of diapers for the three cubs and slid a skateboard into the trunk and silently left, going to collect the three. He’d have to be quick and silent, if Grams or Tenderheart woke up, it’d be bad. It’d be worse if Mend Heart woke up, since he didn’t want to explain his somewhat reckless plan. He first arrived at Tenderheart’s and silently opened the window, glad that the window wasn’t creaky or locked. He silently slipped in and gently shook Wonderheart.
“Hey, Wonder, it’s Thief Heart.” Wonderheart yawned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up and looking at Thief quietly. They both did the ‘shhh’ finger motion and Wonderheart put Floppy on her bed, tucking her in before Thief left a small card saying ‘The child will be returned before or by morning. Safely’ on her nightstand, and he silently slipped out and had Wonderheart hold onto his back as he did. The two then silently headed to Grams house. Thief sighed in relief as he silently opened the twins’ window and slid in. Wonderheart was lifted in as they both woke the twins up, Hugs yawned and rubbed her eyes, while Thief chuckled as Tugs sat up with a pacifier in his mouth. He took it out and put it on the night stand as Thief left the cards and silently slipped out, helping the three out as they silently and sneakily left towards the Watchtower. Before they did, Thief stopped by Grumpy’s workshop to grab some trackers Grumpy had been working on to track the others when exploring Void Heart’s castle.
“Ok…now we need to hide in the trunk. Luckily there’s air holes normally.”
“Yeah, True and Noble made sure there were, so that anyone inside didn’t lose oxygen. Plus it’s made of clouds.” Wonderheart let Thief put her and the other two cubs in before he slid in himself. There was just enough room for all 4 as Thief looked at the tracker’s time display. 11:45 PM. They went over the plan until they heard the elevator ding. The three went silent as Thief turned on their earbuds to hear Champ and Bright Heart.
“Ok, Champ, please…If you realize it’s too dangerous, retreat. We can’t risk your Badge again.”
“I know, little buddy. I still have to make sure I get Thief’s badge back…Huh, smoke bombs? Why were they here?”
“Maybe Thief set them there for tomorrow’s group? Never know when they’d come in handy. Maybe you can use it to blind Void Heart to steal and escape?”
“Maybe, and it’d make sense for him to leave them. We’re getting into more dangerous territory with less badges now.” Champ drove toward Void Heart’s castle. Thief messed with his knives handle, the cubs could tell he was both nervous and in thought. They scooted over and hugged him. He was a bit surprised but ruffled their heads and gave them forehead kisses. Eventually the car stopped.
“Ok, I’m going in little buddy.”
“Please be careful, I’m keeping track of your position. Don’t try to do anything dangerous, try to avoid unnecessary battles.”
“Hear you.” Champ sighed. “Ok, it’s time to ace this mission.” Champ rushed in as Thief opened the trunk from inside and changed the cubs, who were wet. He slid the used diapers into a bag he could open, as ammo and changed all three, much to Wonderheart’s chagrin as he put the skateboard on his back and strapped it in. He had the three cubs hold onto him as he used a grappling hook to scour the outside until he saw Void Heart in his throne room. He silently went in and got onto a higher area and stayed low with the cubs. Eventually Champ barged in.
“Void Heart, hand over Thief’s badge now!”
“You barge into MY castle into MY throne room and demand ME to return something? Ignorant bear. This time, I won’t just TAKE your badge, I’ll execute you!” Champ paled a bit as Thief gritted his teeth. Not planned, Champ and Thief were both in unfavorable situations. Champ HAD to steal the belly badge back and NOT get caught, otherwise it was curtains for him.
“Champ, please…Just retreat.”
“I can’t little buddy. He’s got me trapped. One move and he’ll go for me.”
“And that’s now!” Void Heart got ready to attack before a soaked diaper smacked him in the face, distracting him. It took Champ a confused second to understand what happened but he rushed forward and uses the bracelet to steal Thief’s badge back. As Champ was inside the darkness, he saw the orb of light. He reached for it before the darkness pushed him away. Champ felt himself get expelled from Void’s body, rolling forward as Void Heart turned on him.
“Champ, escape now!”
“I can’t little buddy. The window is locked.” Champ paled, he’d have to dodge Void Heart and escape through the front or another window to survive. Void Heart prepared his claw before another diaper was catapulted into his face. Thief smirked from his hidden spot as his foot was on the skateboard, the catapulting trick worked again. Champ rushed out the door of the throne room. Thief put the third diaper, now balled up on the skateboard and smirked.
“Countdown. Three…Two…One! Lift off” Thief’s foot smacked the board’s tip, and sent the diaper right into Void Heart’s eye making him roar as Thief grabbed the three cubs and skateboard, rushing out of the room.
“Ok, that was dangerous!” Thief rushed and saw another window and used his grappling hook to swing.
“Thief, we’re going to fall!”
“No we aren’t. Wonderheart, on my left shoulder there’s a button. Hit it.” Wonderheart did as told, and the glider opened up, covering the four as Thief glided in the air.
“Hey, little buddy, I escaped! I got help from something mysterious.”
“That’s great, Champ. But we got BIG problems over here. The Cubs and Thief Heart are missing.”
“What?!” Thief grimaced as he overheard the conversation.
“I woke up and Wonderheart was missing. Grams also woke up and was looking for Hugs and Tugs. We’ve sounded the alarm.
“…You guys don’t have to search for us. We hid in the Cloud Car’s trunk.” Thief landed near Champ.
“What the hell, Thief Heart?! Also WHY are you at Void Heart’s alone, Champ?!”
“Well…I went to save Thief Heart’s…Alone.”
“I overheard them earlier today, Tenderheart. I…I recruited the cubs to assist me with this. If it came down to me having to actually use my knives to help, I’d have Champ take the Cubs.”
“…You two are BOTH in big trouble. Return, now.” Noble Heart’s voice made the two pale. Thief and Champ got the cubs all buckled up in the back seat.
“Um, here Thief…”
“Hold onto it. Wait until we get back to the Watch Tower. We’re going to get an earful so…” Thief got in the passenger seat. Champ sat down and had Wonderheart hold the Badge carefully as he drove the group back.
After the five returned and returned to the Watch Tower, EVERYONE was there. Noble stepped forward.
“First off, Champ, this was incredibly reckless and hard headed. Rushing into the enemies hold alone? Too dangerous. Thief Heart, while good intentioned you took the three cubs into a dangerous situation. Yes, now looking at these cards you did think of their safety first, it would have been better to have a DIFFERENT idea. Neither of you will go on the next mission at all.” Thief and Champ hung their heads a bit. Champ lifted it and lifted his hand.
“Can I speak…When I was getting Thief’s badge back, inside of Void Heart was a white orb.”
“Ok so I’m not crazy nor was I hallucinating from lack of sleep.” Thief spoke up. “I saw the same thing myself, and I think it may be his conscious?”
“If so, I may have a theory.” Mend stepped up, forgetting they were still in a diaper.
“Hey Mend…”
“Hm…Ack!” Mend didn’t even try to hide it, all eyes were on them.
“Mend? You got a night problem? It…*yawn* Happens to a lot…” Bedtime yawned.
“No, Mend wasn’t wearing one this morning and I woke them up.” Wonderheart walked over still holding Thief’s badge.
“Um…It’s a long story…I’d rather not explain right now, since we got important stuff going on with this orb and Void Heart issue.”
“You have a point Mend. Oh Wonderheart, could I get my badge back please?”
“mmhmm! Here you go Thief.” Wonderheart handed Thief his badge, once Thief held it to his badge his fur went from it’s monotone look to it’s gray fur and his eyes got their shine back. He walked over to Champ and hugged him.”
“Ah, Thief?”
“Even through it was dangerous…You still risked it for me. Thank you.” Champ smiled.
“Ah it was nothing, Sports fan. Anyway, let’s sit.”
Mend started drawing on paper, despite their early embarrassment they were focused on the plan.
“Ok, so Void Heart is a being of the void. But they still have an orb inside that may be their conscious.”
“Which means they’re not fully corrupted.”
“Exactly, which means if we can find a way to reach it, we might be able to stop them.”
“We wouldn’t have to fight them and eliminate them is what you mean?” Grumpy spoke, laying his cheek on a paw.
“That’s my theory. But what can we do…”
“Well, maybe if we get our badges back we can use the Stare and Call together, and Thief could enter and reach it, maybe if our badges work together we can create a barrier to protect?”
“Or at least stop the darkness from pushing us out. It's a good idea, Brave Heart.” Tenderheart suddenly moved towards the communicator and looked.
“Come in, anyone?”
“Oh, Tenderheart is that you?” video feed of two pandas appeared.
“Perfect, Polite! Finally.” Tenderheart explained everything that was going on. The Pandas were shocked and said they’d tell everyone else on earth. After signing off, Tenderheart sighed.
“Alright, the Pandas are handling the earth communications, meanwhile it’s only 2 AM. We’re all tired from what I can tell. At Breakfast we’ll chat about everything.” Everyone agreed and True called the meeting to a close. Thief, Champ, Bright and Swift stayed in the room.
“So…Guess Swift and I can take over now?”
“Yeah, and Thief, we’re going to talk about what you did ok?”
“Yes Swift Heart…” Bright and Champ headed out as Thief and Swift sat down. It was going to be a long six hours for sure.
