Tauria: So, at the beginning (or maybe towards the middle) of December, Grungekitty gave me the first one/two sentences of an idea she had, and asked me to write it. I said yes (obviously... I mean, you're reading this, right?). And when I finally sat down and got my fingers in gear, I realized it was going to be my longest one-shot yet! (12,000+ words, people!) She came up with the idea for Krinkle week, with me posting this at the very end of the week. And now we've reached the end of that week! So, here we are, with Krinklezoom.

By the way, Grungekitty... I kind of failed with the whole 'in the monkey team's POV'. I tried! Really, I did. But then the story started writing itself... and that's just not what happened. Hope you like it anyway though!

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys reading this monster of a story! XP

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMT! (I just write fanfics for it for the heck of it! ...and because I might be obsessed... just a smidgen)

Krinklezoom

Tauria

Original Idea and First Two Sentences by Grungekitty

There was that crazy kid again; the one who kept insisting that he was the real leader of the Hyper Force, and Krinkle was just some kook who brainwashed them or something.

Today it was Antauri and Sprx standing outside of the Robot, taking care of some daily duties. Everyday, at the exact same time, the teenager would come around. He would protest for thirty minutes to an hour about how he was the true leader of the Hyper Force. He would tell them stories of their adventures (all of which the team distinctly remembered having with Krinkle).

"I don't know who you are," Sprx said, glaring down at the boy, "but you need to give it a rest. Krinkle is our leader, and if you can't deal with that then you need to-"

Antauri cut Sprx off with a glare. "He may irritate you, Sprx, but that does not give you the right to be mean, understand?"

Sprx held eyes with his second in command for a few moments before dipping his head in assent. He could not argue with the chain of command; that was something that all the monkeys respected. Antauri was second in command; Sprx was a pilot. Therefore, in this situation, Antauri's word was law.

"Go home," Sprx called to the teenager, whose pleas had not stopped during their brief exchange.

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but closed it before he could even form a word. He was done for the day; another defeat and retreat wedged under his belt. He turned and left, using one of the alleyways to head to wherever he lived.

Antauri had noticed this before; all the monkeys had. They had discussed it in length in the past, all of them finding it slightly off putting.

"I'm following him." The words escaped the silver monkey before he could even think about them. Something deep within him – something like the Power Primate, only much stronger – urged him to follow the boy.

"You wanna know if he's working for Skeleton King, don't you?" the red monkey asked, immediately assuming the worst from the young human... It wasn't entirely his fault, of course. Sprx's nature was like that. He hadn't trusted Krinkle at first either. Too many people had hurt him in the past. However, once his trust was gained (unless you did something to lose it), he was as loyal as could be.

Antauri decided to go with it, especially since there was a distinct possibility that the boy was working for the wrong side. However, the silver monkey knew that wasn't the reason he wanted to follow. For some reason, something tugged him towards the boy, and it was something he knew he would regret it if he ignored it. He would just be on his guard the entire time, and have his mind cast out to the boys to make sure everything he said was the truth... even if the Power Primate was telling him there was nothing to worry about. In fact, the mystical force only seemed concerned, confusing Antauri greatly.

"Yes, I do. And even if he isn't, I need to find out if he's a threat at all."

Sprx nodded. "I'll let Krinkle know. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Sprx turned back inside the Robot, and Antauri leapt from the shoulder, landing smoothly without the use of his jetpack. His years of extensive study on the Power Primate yielded their gifts even today.

He followed the boy's path slowly, wanting to hang as far back from the boy himself as possible, in case he was heard or spotted. The boy's path was a bit of a challenge to follow, but pretty basic when one knew the signs. The boy got a bit careless the farther away from the Robot they got (though Antauri could see the head even at this distance, making him wonder why they had never seen the boy when flying above the city), as if he was more relaxed out here.

Finally, Antauri reached the end of the trail... only to find that the boy was not there. It was a dead end, and the trail did not lead over the wall. The trail was fresh, so Antauri knew he had not accidently veered off course and followed an older trail. So where was the boy?

Looking closer - even going so far as to fly above the alleyway to look around -, he still didn't see the boy anyway. It was as if he had just dropped off the face of the planet!

How was this possible? He had followed the boy's trail easily. It had been laid out so obviously, so carefully…

Antauri mentally frowned, chiding himself for the obvious trick. The boy had led him on a false trail.

But why would he have done that? Was it that he didn't want them to know where he was staying... for fear of them finding out he was working for the wrong side? Was he hiding something else?

Or, more obviously, was it a trap?

The soft sound of a body meeting with the ground reached Antauri's senses, and he whirled around, purple claws brandished.

The teenager stood before him, completely relaxed in spite of facing the silver monkey's deadly glowing claws.

'I have trained my senses to detect even the smallest of noises - a feat even easier in this robotic body - and yet I did not hear him approach! Nor did I sense him following me while I followed his fake trail! And how did he lay a fake trail? He would have to have the Power Primate or some other force of powers in order to do so, and I know that I have never sensed that around him! Could it be that he's just adept at hiding it?!' All of these thoughts – and more – whirled around in the silver monkey's head as he gazed at the boy. They were locked within a staring contest, and neither seemed inclined to back down.

This was a first for Antauri. Few people - Krinkle included - could withstand his powerful stare. Even the mindless Formless drones hesitated in their steps when facing Antauri's soul-piercing stare. Mandarin had backed away from the stare when he had been leader... It is what kept them from losing their lives in the training room.

Two pairs of blue eyes - one sapphire, the other cobalt - locked in a powerful staring contest, each with a fierce gaze. Antauri could feel himself growing impatient... he wanted to hear the boy speak; he wished to know everything about the boy... He wanted to know if he was safe, if he was happy, where he lived, how he lived...

Wait, what? He knew that he was concerned for all of the Shuggazoomian citizens, but why did it feel as if this one boy mattered more then even Krinkle to him?

When Antauri realized that the child was content to continue the staring contest until the city burned to ash, he decided to break the silence. He knew he couldn't wait that long.

"Who are you?" the monkey asked. "How did you know that I was following you?"

"My name is Chiro," the boy responded. "I knew you were following me because I could sense your Power Primate... you didn't exactly make an effort to hide it, you know."

Antauri frowned at him. "You can sense the Power Primate?"

"More than that. I can wield it as well," the boy smirked slightly, as if something was funny about their meeting.

"How?" hissed Antauri. "And who are you]"

"I tell you and the rest of the Monkey Team every single day, for at least thirty minutes... sometimes an hour, though rarely more than that. However, none of you really seem to listen to what I'm saying." The boy frowned, but Antauri could detect no giveaway emotions within his eyes. He was as good at this as the monkey team was at blocking him out every morning. Antauri felt a pang of guilt for that all of the sudden. "As for how, the same reason anyone else in the universe can wield it; I was born with it."

"Yet you were not raised at the Varon temple, or any other Power Primate sanctuary!" Antauri couldn't help the scathing tone that entered his voice. "You know how to use it; you know what you're talking about. You can hide your energy signal, and set fake trails when you didn't even come this way!" How could this boy manage to make him feel so protective over him?! How could this boy manage to make him so concerned for his well-being?! How could this boy make him want to forget that he could possibly be a threat to the team, and just want to listen to him talk... to make sure that he was okay... How could Chiro bring out emotions Antauri usually tried to force down, as they rarely helped any situation?!

It was maddening.

"I was taught by someone very strong in the Power Primate," Chiro smiled slightly. "He was taught at the Varon temple, and he wanted nothing more then to make sure I could defend myself from creatures like Skeleton King."

"Who taught you?" 'I wonder if I know him…' Antauri couldn't help his question or his thought... the concern he tried to fight down kept swimming back up to the surface.

Chiro smiled, a smile containing the first shreds of emotion that Antauri had seen from him since the beginning of their meeting. "You would not believe me even if I told you."

"Try me," Antauri challenged. He seemed to yearn for a specific answer, though he had no idea what that answer might be... Then again, he also may not want to know what answer he hoped for.

"You," Chiro said softly. "Antauri, you are the one that taught me everything that I know in the Power Primate."

His heart jumped in its place within his chest. That was the answer he desired to hear; the answer that for some reason made his heart soar in his chest. It made him extremely happy that the child looked up to him so! However, just as quickly as this elation had come, it was swiftly pushed away, for Antauri had unknowingly sided with his mind, even though he had always told everyone else otherwise when they came to him for advice.

"I don't believe you."

Chiro just smiled more, though the smile was even sadder now. "I told you so."

"What happened, Antauri?" Nova asked as the silver monkey walked in the door. She had been waiting by it almost as soon as Sprx had told them that Antauri was going to get answers from the boy, wanting to know exactly what happened as soon as possible... even if it was only a three second walk to the Command Center.

She needed to know that the teenager was safe; that he was in a good place. She needed to know that he was far away from Skeleton King... She needed to know that the boy was happy.

Where are all these protective feelings coming from? Nova thought, frowning slightly. I know that it's our job to keep Shuggazoom safe and what not... but why am I so hung up over this one citizen? She shook her head slightly, trying to dispel these thoughts.

"I followed his trail, and I was lead to a dead end," the silver monkey frowned. He left out the rest, protecting the boy.

Nova was slightly disappointed, though she decided it was for the best. The last thing she needed was to be distracted from their main mission.

Protecting him? I don't even know him! And why should I have to protect him from my own team? Antauri had no answer to his own questions, but he still didn't mention the confrontation.

The two monkeys walked in silent companionship to where the rest of the team was stationed in the Command Center.

"How did it go?" Krinkle asked as soon as the two monkeys sat in their orblike chairs. "Is he working for Skeleton King?" their leader was all business, just like he should be.

"I do not think so, but I didn't exactly get to talk to him. He led me to a dead end. I never even saw him." Antauri frowned lightly, not liking to lie to his teammates... though the others just accepted this as frustration that he did not manage to talk to the child.

Sprx and Gibson both frowned.

"How'd he manage to lead you astray?" Sprx asked.

"I know that some of you may have some preconceived notions that I am perfect, but I assure you that I am no such thing," Antauri said dryly.

"I never said you were perfect!" Sprx protested, though they all knew that they called him Mr. Perfect. Sometimes it was teasing, other times it was an insult, and occasionally it was said in awe.

"My hearing is better then you think it is," Antauri smiled slightly, causing some of the others in the room to blush. "Anyway, I was, er, 'off my game' today, if you will."

They nodded.

"You'd better get back on it, and soon!" Krinkle gently admonished. "Skeleton King is bound to attack any day now."

"Aw, you know we'll stop that ol' bone bag," Sprx grinned at the human adult. "We always do."

"But that doesn't mean we can let ourselves fall out of shape," Antauri smiled slightly.

Sprx nodded. After a few moments of thought though, he said, "And how can you say that the boy isn't working for Skeleton King? You didn't even talk to him!"

"No, I did not. Besides, it's just a feeling anyway... coming from the Power Primate," he added, to quell further protests.

"I agree with Antauri," Krinkle butted in. "The boy is probably a leftover from the Varon Temple who hit his head too hard when everything happened with Xan. His mind then fabricated something and he believes it. Take pity on him, but try to ignore him."

"Shouldn't we try to help him?" Gibson asked, full of concern for the young man.

"I'm sure he's getting it – that's why he didn't want Antauri following him to wherever he was going."

The team nodded, though Antauri was the only one of them that did not believe it. However, he would try to follow Krinkle's order.

The others, however, believed their leaders words completely! After all, it made complete sense. He was embarrassed of the therapy, or perhaps, he didn't want to instill doubt in their minds. Or maybe it was some other reason. Whatever the case, they would try to put him out of their heads for the time being. They had a job to do, and that job didn't include humoring the boy, as hurtful as it may be for the boy. They could never lose sight of their true mission; fighting Skeleton King.

Deep within the Zone of Wasted Years, a black castle with jagged features stood tall. The monotonous black was broken only by cyan blue light, or perhaps some of the soldiers, who patrolled all around the castle. Evil radiated from the structure in waves, causing even the strongest person to tremble in fear.

The fortress belonged to none other then the Skeleton King, and had been named in his honor - the Skeletal Fortress.

A burnt orange ship pulled into the shipyard located near the castle, landing perfectly in a spot meant for exactly that ship. Some of the soldiers patrolling the area stood near the ship, waiting to see who came out of it, in case there were prisoners they needed to escort, or in case the ship had been taken over by enemies of the Skeleton King.

Even when the ships engines had finished cooling down, there was no sign of movement. More soldiers gathered round, holding their weapons higher, waiting for either an ally or a threat to finally step out of the ship. Though they were smarter then the old Formless, none of them were 'programmed' to know that this was the ship of the Skeleton King's mos trusted ally.

Not long after a group of them had gathered together, the orange door hissed open, and a small orange monkey covered in white bone armor (which happened to include a claw-like hand) stepped out of the ship. He scowled over at the group, causing the drones to get back to work.

Once all of them had resumed their duties, he suppressed a shiver. It wouldn't matter how much time he spent around them; those things would always give him the creeps. They resembled true skeletons so much more now. Even for someone who had worked under the Skeleton King for almost two years now, they made him uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was because they looked so similar to Skeleton King himself, and it made him feel as if he was always being watched, even if he rarely stepped out of line.

Quickly, so as not to prolong his discomfort, he headed to the throne room in which the Skeleton King awaited. He knew that the villain expected to hear about a job well done, and Mandarin intended to tell him just that – especially since it was true.

Pushing through the large doors, he knelt before the king.

"How did it go?" the skeletal being didn't turn from where he was closely examining a snow-globe-like copy of Shuggazoom City. Several times before, he used this replica to send his armies to the city, or to cast spells to keep the Hyper Force and citizens busy.

"Excellently, my lord. We are so many steps to getting rid of the boy and his monkeys."

"What boy?" Skeleton King turned from his close examination, looking as if he would be raising an eyebrow if he had one.

"…the Chosen One."

"Oh, you mean Krinkle? Surely, you know that he is not a boy. Unfortunately for us, he's a bit older then that."

"Who is 'Krinkle'?" Mandarin frowned, feeling a shiver of dread running down his spine. He didn't react to it, though.

"The Chosen One, of course. Did you hit your head?"

"But…. What about Chiro?" Yes, what of the boy? Did he miss a correspondence? Was Chiro now dead, and replaced by an adult that was truly the Chosen One? Or was Skeleton King playing a joke on him? Perhaps the evil king had a prankster side he'd never known about.

Okay, now you're just being ridiculous, Mandarin scolded himself. There was no way Skeleton King had a sense of humor. (A/N All the crack fics I could write, just inspired by that one sentence XP Can you imagine?)

"You aren't making any sense, Mandarin. I have never heard of a 'Chiro'." Now there was some annoyance in the dark lord's tone.

Mandarin was now officially weirded out. Was something wrong with the dark lord? Had the orange monkey somehow stepped into an alternate universe without noticing?

"Of course, my lord. Perhaps I did hit my head." Mandarin decided to agree with his earlier out, hoping that Skeleton King would not catch his lie.

Thankfully, he did not. He was too busy preparing the next invasion plan.

"Rest it off then. I need you in peak physical and mental condition for the attack this week."

"Yes sir." Mandarin turned and left, making a mental list in his head.

First, grab some tinfoil. Second, find the boy and figure out who this Krinkle was. Third, find out what happened, and see if he – working with the boy, unfortunately – could reverse it.

Outside of Shuggazoom City, far away from Skeleton King's fortress, a small campfire interrupted the dark dance of the shadows, causing them to grow and sway in anger. In each new step of the dance; in each new movement they made, the young boy pacing around the fire jumped, turning out to face the shadows. None of them dared face him, however, and so he turned back to his circling around the fire.

Chiro ran a hand through the tangled mess of spiky black hair. He was extremely frustrated. He had been trying to get the monkeys to show some shred of recognition for an entire week now. He had tried telling old stories, and throwing out tiny, insignificant facts that he knew about each member. Nothing had worked so far. Everything he said were things they easily deflected with excuses of how anyone knew those things. If only he could say some of the things that he knew about them without exposing character traits and small secrets that the others didn't know, but he knew better than to do that.

He had hoped that the earlier confrontation with Antauri would yield something, anything. To his knowledge, however, it had not. He doubted that he would have been able to tell even if the silver monkey had felt in flare of recognition, though. The silver monkey had always been good at hiding his emotions fro m the others.

However, there had been that one moment… where Antauri had seemed to be arguing with himself. He doubted even Antauri had known that it had happened, but he had seen it. It was just a flicker, but he had seen something. Antauri had also been more… emotional then usual. The stoicism that Antauri normally possessed had been pushed aside.

The silver monkey had been wary of him, and it had shown. But for what reason had he been so wary?

I suppose I'd be pretty upset too, if I was lead on a wild goose chase, only to hear things that didn't help what I had come for.

Chiro was beginning to doubt that he would ever get through to any of the team members. He had hoped for at least a shred of recognition by now! Even just a tiny flicker of 'hey, I almost remember that' or a slip-up from one of the members. After all, Skeleton King would be attacking any moment now, and though Krinkle had fooled all of Shuggazoom, Chiro knew that Krinkle did not have powers to defend himself with! A gun could take out Formless, sure. But Skeleton King and Mandarin? They were a different story.

As much distaste as Chiro had for the older man, he didn't wish for Skeleton King to kill him… no, what Krinkle needed was some extended time in therapy, without the guards getting reprogrammed or time to build inventions to suck the Hyper Fore within his twisted, insane mind.

In a way, Chiro pitied Krinkle. He could not imagine how Krinkle must have felt, knowing that his mother was not there because she loved him, but because it was in her programming. Unlike Antauri, she had never lived (to Chiro's knowledge), therefore she had never experienced emotions such as love, hatred, or even indifference. She only knew her programming; only knew what her computers told her to do.

So, as much as he wanted to, Chiro could not fault Gyrus for being as insane as he was. It wasn't his fault. The teenager admitted (mentally, anyway) that he would probably be insane as well, had he grown up that way. However, he had not, but Krinkle had, and nothing he could do would change that.

None of this excused him taking away his family, however.

Nor did it excuse the fact that he was blatantly putting Shuggazoom - and himself - in danger.

With a long, drawn out sigh, the teenager flopped down on the log resting by the campfire. He needed someone else to help him. He couldn't do this on his own. All of the allies 'remembered' Krinkle, and as did all of the citizens of Shuggazoom. He hadn't tried Skeleton King yet, or even Mandarin… but he wasn't going to ask them.

The monkeys would never trust him working with them! Then he really wouldn't have any hope of ever getting them back!

No, he would have to continue the way he was, or at least try to convince one of the allies to help him…

Yeah, like that would happen.

It was hard enough convincing all of the monkeys he was their leader! He wasn't about to try a group of advanced frogs!

Mobius Quint? Allyanna? Neekeeta? Her brother? The Robot Apes? The Sun Riders? Yeah, right! None of them would believe him either.

No, he was stuck doing this on his own. He would have to convince the team by himself. Or find out how Krinkle was doing all this…

I couldn't do that without the team, anyway! As trivial as the threat of Krinkle is, I'd really rather not try to face him alone. He's still crazy, and who knows what he might do. I doubt he would ever intentionally hurt me, but… who knew?

So, it was convince at least one member of the monkey team that he was their former leader.

This was going to go over well. Thank goodness they had trained him well!

Mandarin had completed the first item off his mental checklist; in other words, he had found the tinfoil. He had fashioned some of it into a hat, and now wore it around the fortress, hoping whatever had altered the other's minds would not alter his as well. He had also left himself a letter that he read every morning, just in case. He didn't want to forget anything, nor did he want any new, unwelcome memories.

He had avoided Skeleton King as if he had the plague, too. He didn't want to be questioned about his new hat, nor did he want the dark lord to find out he planned on going and talking to his worst enemy… that he couldn't even seem to remember.

I should be able to find the boy tonight, Mandarin decided. 'I'll get my answers, get all of this solved, and everything will be back to normal. As long as the boy's mind wasn't affected by all this too, that is...

Checking the time, Mandarin concluded he had best start heading to the city now. On the way out, however, he had the misfortune to run into the mini-chatterbox known as Sakko.

"Hey, Mandarin! Haven't seen you in a while!" the mini-monkey in a mini-skirt and belly shirt said conversationally. Everyone on the bad side knew that Sakko was quite the talker, as well as always up-to-date on the newest fashions. It was disturbing, as the peach furred monkey was in fact, a male.

Oh and then there was the fact that even though they argued when they took down the good guys, Sakko admired and looked up to Mandarin. Sometimes he envied him, because of his closeness to Skeleton King, though. The monkey wanted to be Skeleton King's favorite and most trusted person, but the only one standing in his way was Mandarin. Once upon a time, there had been a witch in the way as well, but whatever his reasons, Skeleton King had killed her when she brought him back.

"I've been busy," Mandarin shrugged, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible. "First I was on a mission for Skeleton King, and for the past day, I've been resting up for the invasion this week."

Sakko nodded. "Yeah, I've been practicing my combat skills… which did you hear that Skeleton King isn't going to be letting me fight?! Can you believe it? He wants me to stay behind, and 'take care of the fortress' while everyone else is gone! Can you believe the unfairness?!"

"That really sucks, Sakko," Mandarin said, suppressing an eye roll, and hoping his eye wouldn't start twitching.

"I know!" before he could launch into a rant about the unfairness of the situation, however, the little monkey's eyes flicked to Mandarin's headwear. "Oh! Is that a new style?"

"…sure," Mandarin shrugged, hoping that would get the little monkey off his back.

The little monkey frowned. "And here I thought I was up to date on all the latest trends, fashions, styles… Sigh. Do you know where some tinfoil would be?"

Mandarin relayed the location of the tinfoil, and the tiny monkey scurried off.

'I hope this isn't going to be like the time where he tried to get all of the Formless wearing belly shirts and mini skirts…' Mandarin thought.

Skeleton King had been so mad. The latest takeover plan had to be suspended for three weeks, just so the Formless could be remade. Sakko had whined that all of the outfits were ruined by the ooze that had just collapsed, staining the precious material. He had also protested about how long it took to make those, since he wasn't exactly welcome at the Shuggazoomian mall.

Then Mandarin shrugged. Oh well. It wouldn't be his problem until he got back from setting everything right.

Once again, the Hyper Force gathered within the Command Center, only this time, because Otto had designed a new weapon. It was a pocketknife sized weapon. At the click of a button, however, it became a full-length sword (though modifications between human, cat, monkey, frog, etc. would have to be made). It also had the option of having an energy field around it that would pack extra sting for the thicker, bigger Formless.

The reason for this new weapon was because too often lately, they had heard of the Anti-Undead weapons running out of charge, and then during hand-to-hand combat, someone would get seriously injured.

The team and small collection of allies that had been brought in for the demonstration were all thoroughly impressed by the weapon, and decided that it should be tested out. The leader of the cat warriors (Neekeeta's brother), Nova, the yellow frog warrior, and Master Offay decided to be the ones to test the weapon in the training room. Each took a sword and left, while Antauri left to oversee the demonstration.

"Excellent job, Otto!" Krinkle praised the green monkey.

"Oh, it was nothin'," the green monkey blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

"So modest!" their leader grinned at him.

"I'd best start making some more of 'em!" Otto grinned, utterly confident of their pass through the test.

"Get right on it, Otto!" Krinkle nodded.

Otto saluted him. How could anyone think that he wasn't our leader? He's amazing! He's our family! Otto thought fondly, racing off to his workshop.

"Are you sure that he should be allowed to make more so soon? We may need to materials for something else! And besides, they haven't even passed through trial yet!" Gibson protested.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Sprx grinned. "Otto's a genius! Just like you, brainstrain! I'm sure it'll work!"

Gibson frowned slightly, though he agreed with his brother. "I still don't think he should, even if the odds are pretty high that it will work!"

Sprx rolled his eyes.

"So professional…" Gibson heard Krinkle mutter.

Well of course, Gibson thought. We're in the middle of a war! Part of the deal is professionalism. Besides, he should know that we are! He's been our leader, and on all our adventures, since he woke us up from stasis! then Gibson inwardly chuckled. After all, it's not as if he was planning to whip our memories so he could overthrow our previous leader... That's just stupid.

Deciding he'd misheard, the blue monkey returned to Med Bay. He had a couple patients he needed to tend to. Bandages needed to be changed, medicine needed to be administered, wounds needed to be checked… there was a never-ending list of what he had to do. Thank goodness, he had an assortment of other scientists/doctors to help him!

Peace radiated from the silver monkey as he floated in the lotus position in the center of his room. His eyes were shut in concentration as he focused deep within himself, searching for his Inner Primate, doing his best to cast all other thoughts aside.

After the demonstration and overseeing the weapons testing, he had a nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. What he didn't understand was why Krinkle wasn't worried.

He must have too much on his mind… Antauri dismissed. He dispelled the doubts he had about his leader; they weren't going to do him any good. Right now, what he needed to focus on was getting rid of Skeleton King. He would worry about everything else later.

Taking a deep inhale, he dispelled all thoughts from his mind, trying to come into contact with his inner Primate. Fully connecting with the Power Primate would allow him to find out whatever this nagging feeling was about. He dearly hoped it wasn't Skeleton King – they weren't ready for him yet. They were still resting up from his attack a week before. It had taken a lot out of them.

He soon encountered his Inner Primate, and he fully embraced the warm embrace that came with accepting the power within. Once he was fully connected, he cast out his mind towards whatever was causing the disturbance.

His mind came close to a familiar presence, and his Power Primate pushed him closer and closer to the familiar being. As soon as mind brushed into contact with the others, the pleasant warmth left his body. He was icy cold - colder then he had been in his entire life - and all pleasant feelings were pushed out of his mind. He was sinking into blackness.

Then, he was yanked out of that blackness and thrust back into his body.

He gasped for air, clutching at the air. He had fallen to the floor, on his back. His vision was swimming, and he was still freezing.

This wasn't like being thrown out of someone's mind - it was worse. It was somenthing he had never felt before, and something he wasn't inclined to ever feel again. The nagging feeling remained, though he had no thoughts of chasing it down again.

Who was that presence? I know I've felt it before but where… have… I… Cobalt eyes widened in realization. Chiro! But why is he causing me this feeling? I know he's not going to do anything sinister… I could tell that much from our meeting. So… why? He sighed. I suppose only time will tell.

Once he no longer felt as freezing cold, Antauri thought back to the attack. He focused carefully on each individual sensation that had plagued his inner self, and each one left him more convinced and confused then the last. All evidence pointed to the peculiar feelings were coming from his own mind, but how was that possible?

It almost seemed that there was something about Chiro he didn't want to remember...

Remember?

Where had that come from?

He didn't even know the boy! He had spoken with him once, and most of the time blocked the peculiar things the boy was saying during the day. So what could he possibly be afraid to remember about the boy?

Mandarin frowned. He had searched all over the city, high and low, for the boy. His feet ached with every step, and he had nearly been seen several times. Yet, he had nothing to show for his efforts. It was as if the boy had just dropped off the face of the planet!

He couldn't even detect shreds of his Power Primate, which normally radiated from two planets over even! Well, maybe not that far away, but still.

Perhaps he isn't in the city… Mandarin thought, after checking around yet another corner. Or maybe I'm just not going to find him because the moment I step into the sight of someone, they'll alert my brothers and I'll be kicked out of the city before I get the chance.

Suddenly, he heard something.

"You guys have to believe me! Krinkle brainwashed you! I'm your real leader!" that was the boy's voice, distinguishable as night and day.

"You sound like a lunatic!" And… that was Sprx.

"Sprx!" Female, therefore, Nova.

"What, it's true!" then, moments later, "OW!"

"Serves you right."

Mandarin couldn't help but chuckle. Those two would never change. He was convinced that even when they gave in to dating, they would still be the same. Sprx had never known when to keep his mouth shut, and Nova had always been strong willed with a violent streak. Not that Sprx ever minded, of course.

Now's not the time to be remembering old times! You have a mission!

Mandarin heard the boy sigh.

"Fine. I'll be back tomorrow though! And you can count on it!"

He sure sounds determined.

Mandarin crept to where he could see the boy. He was effortlessly moving through the alleyways, as if he had done this a million times before. Mandarin would bet that he had taken the back ways long before he even knew the Monkey Team existed, just from the way he seemed to know exactly where he was going. Or perhaps this had been going on longer then he thought... He doubted that however. He hadn't been gone that long, and Skeleton King had discussed the boy in their transmissions.

Mandarin followed the boy easily. However, he soon found that he lost the trail, something that rarely happened to the orange monkey.

Suddenly, there was a glowing hand at his throat.

"What do you-" Chiro paused. "Rephrase; what are you wearing!" Obviously, Chiro wasn't dumb enough to believe that Mandarin kept up with the latest styles and fashions. The boy would be right, but even so...

"The latest fashion trend," Mandarin sneered.

Chiro rolled his eyes. "What do you want? Haven't you heard? I'm not the leader of the team anymore." Mandarin detected more then a little sadness just in that last sentence. He almost felt pity for the boy. Almost.

Welcome to the club, he thought scathingly.

Mandarin sneered more. "Yes, I've heard. That's the reason I'm here. I'd rather have you as leader of the team then some imbecile who has no idea what he's doing. I like the challenge." And what he said was true. Without Chiro, these fights would be boring. They would easily get Krinkle - whom Mandarin assumed did not possess powers like he had deluded the team into thinking he did - and the monkeys would follow their precious 'leader' into captivity. And as wonderful as it would be to finally rule Shuggazoom, Mandarin knew that first of all, they would still be dealing with Chiro... and second, they would lose the thrill of finally getting the city... it wouldn't be as sweet.

"Admit it Mandy – you've grown rather attached to me," Chiro smirked.

Mandarin growled. "Do you want my help or not?!"

Chiro sighed. "Beggars can't be choosers I suppose…" he muttered. "Yeah, I want your help," he said louder, nodding.

Mandarin gave a short nod. "That's what I thought."

Chiro suppressed an eye roll. "C'mon. Let's go back to camp, and I'll fill you in."

"How do you know I don't know more then you?" Mandarin asked indignantly, following the teenager.

Chiro suppressed yet another eye roll. This was going to be a fun partnership. "I could see it in your eyes."

Mandarin glared. Had he really been that obvious?

The rest of the walk was silent.

I think I would have preferred the taunts to the daggers in my back… Chiro thought.

"SAKKO!" Skeleton King's scream could have been heard on the other end of the universe. Though, who could blame him? Finding the Formless dressed in tin foil hats (along with a few other accessories) would have disturbed anyone.

And of course, the only culprit was Sakko.

The small monkey meekly scrambled over to him. "Don't you like their outfits?"

Skeleton King growled. "NO! We're supposed to attack the city in three days! We can't afford to lose more time!"

"And we don't have to!"

"I WILL NOT BE A LAUGHINGSTOCK!"

Sakko cringed. "B-but… it's the latest trend!"

Skeleton King just let lose another growl. "I suppose I'll just have to send them out anyway…" he muttered to himself. "I've put this off for far too long." And I definitely don't have more time to fashion more soldiers…

The worst thing was that his right hand man was still absent. As much as Skeleton King would have liked to have tossed him into battle anyway, he couldn't afford to lose Mandarin.

Especially since the next choice for the right-hand man was..., Sakko.

Sakko; who didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

Sakko; who wore belly shirts, mini-skirts, bows, and other such things.

Sakko; who dressed up his Formless.

Skeleton King inwardly cringed. Mandarin, if you don't get better soon…

"Yo, Kid!" Sprx yelled over to Krinkle. "I need your help with something!"

Silence descended over the room. The red monkey looked over his shoulder, feeling as if everyone was staring at him.

They were, each of them giving him funny looks, as if he had said something wrong. Immediately, Sprx thought back to the nickname.

"…what? I've always called him that!" He paused a moment. "…haven't I?"

I mean... that's his nickname. I've always, always, always called him that. Since the day that we met, practically! ...right? I'm not hallucinating here, am I?

They all exchanged glances, each trying to remember if he had called him Kid in the past. Suddenly, memories of Sprx calling -

Sprx winced, grasping his head. His vision swam, and a pounding echoed throughout his brain, as if some had taken a sledgehammer to his head. His could barely suppress the screams that threatened to erupt from his throat and drive him hoarse. The others were in the same position.

Krinkle, the wonderful and caring leader that he was, was going over to each in concern. When he reached Sprx, he could hear the man muttering something he couldn't quite make out. It almost didn't sound quite like the type of thing you would mutter when tending to your teammates though, judging by the tone.

Stop it Sprx. Now that crazy kid has you doubting in your leader! He's just muttering to himself in concern, like any leader would do. Yeah...

That's what it had to be. There was no way Krinkle wasn't their leader!

"Aaah!" Chiro gripped his head in pain, sinking down onto one knee. His head was throbbing, and his vision was blurry. The only parts of his head that didn't hurt quite so bad were where his fingers were digging into his scalp, though he knew those spots would hurt when this was all over.

Mandarin raced over to his side, knowing that the boy would be no help to him if he was like this!

There had been no warning for it to have happened. He was in the very middle of explaining things, and then suddenly, that scream had torn from his throat and now he was like this.

Chiro soon looked up, slightly bleary eyed. As his vision cleared, he shook his head, as if trying to shake the rest of the pain off.

"What just happened?" the orange monkey asked, confused and slightly worried. Would that start happening to him too? He suppressed the urge to press the tinfoil hat tighter to his head.

"No idea… but it happened to all of us," Chiro said grimly, hoping the others were okay.

"'Us'?"

"The team and I," he explained.

Mandarin nodded.

There was silence for a few moments.

Once Chiro had collected himself, he said, "So, where was I?"

"You were at the part where you woke up not in the Robot …?"

"Right! Okay, so after falling asleep in my room like usual, thinking about how weird it was Krinkle had showed up, and about easy it was to defeat him – normally he was more persistent, you see – I woke up in my pajamas, sleeping near the water around Shuggazoom. I was really confused, so I headed back to Shuggazoom thinking that the team could tell me what happened.'

"I walk in, and they all just turn and stare at me, like they'd never seen me before in their lives! And of course, there Krinkle is, right in the middle of it all. I lunge at him, only to have the team attack me! He just smiles like I'm a two year old he's humoring as he orders them off me, and they listen to him. Then he has Antauri 'escort' me out telepathically.'

"After that, I went back every single day when I knew they'd be inspecting the outside of the Robot, or surveying the city, etc. and I would recite all of adventures and some personality traits, and everything I could to make them believe me."

"Only, it's never worked," Mandarin finished.

Chiro nodded. "Yeah. They still believe that he's the real leader, and I'm nuts."

Mandarin snorted. "I wonder what exactly he did…"

"Who knows?"

"Well, I know how you can get them back…" Mandarin grinned.

Chiro leaned forward as Mandarin began to speak. Once the orange monkey was finished, Chiro thought for a few moments.

"That just might work," he smirked.

It had been a full day since Sprx's mix-up. Each member of the team now had at least a tiny seed of doubt in their leader. They had all heard him muttering peculiar things, and all of them had been there when Gibson declared that there was nothing in their systems that should have caused a headache like the one they experienced.

Each of them tried to dispel their doubt, for he was their leader, and they respected him. After all, he had woke them from stasis, saved them more times then they could count, possessed the most powerful Power Primate they had ever seen, and took care of them like his family.

They should have no reason to doubt him!

But ever since that crazy kid had come around, they had begun to doubt in their leader. He had somehow managed to knock them off balance and cause a disruption in the harmony that they normally felt around their leader.

And the worst thing? They couldn't even believe that he was a leftover from the Varons. Something about him was so familiar... as if they had known him... like, really known him.

When they thought of him, they remembered the Sun Riders, they remembered hoverburgers, they remembered laughter, they remembered paternal/sibling feelings... They felt protective over him.

But why?

That was the question that screamed in all of their minds, and none of them were any closer to figuring it out... not even Antauri, who had a discussion with him!

Krinkle will prove who our real leader is when Skeleton King finally attacks... he'll show us the strength of our Power Primate... he'll prove that he's our true leader! that was the only thought that would stop these seeds of doubt from growing... that was the only way that they could still believe in and work with their leader.

Chiro headed to the Robot as he did every single day, at the same time every day. He didn't really need today, but he had to try. He also couldn't let the monkeys think there was something up, or that he had given up on trying to convince them that he was their leader. He would never give up in that area.

-cue random POV change-

Otto and Gibson were out today.

"Any sign of him yet, Gibson?" Otto whispered, as he checked each of the wires.

"Not yet, Otto. But I doubt he'll come today. The weather is absolutely atrocious!"

Otto chuckled. "Yeah, it is pretty gloomy today, isn't it? But that's never stopped him before. I remember one morning, it was me and Nova out here, and he came and it was storming, thunder, lightening and everything! It was horrible, and yet he stood out there, getting soaked and screaming above the storm and making himself hoarse. He didn't even have an umbrella..."

Gibson blinked. "You never mentioned this before..."

"Should I have?"

"I suppose not..." It does seem like a rather insignificant detail... but why would he stand out in the middle storm? Even if he does think that he is our leader, or wants to convince us he's our leader, what does he gain from standing out in the middle of the pouring rain? Seems rather stupid to me...

Otto straightened. "Alright, everything checks out!"

"He's here," Gibson said softly.

"Just in time for the next bunch of wires, then," Otto said, still cheerful.

Gibson nodded, as Otto shut the door on the wires. The boy immediately started in on his recounts of their adventures, and pleading for them to believe him.

Otto and Gibson walked around to the other side of the Robot's neck, opening the next door of wires. The rain poured down about them, but they were safe beneath the head of the Robot.

The teenager, on the other hand, was not. He was completely drenched, covered in rainwater and shivering from the coldness of the water. However, he didn't stop with his pleas; with his stories. He didn't stop trying to convince them that he was their leader - that he was apart of their family.

Gibson felt sympathy for the boy... and for a moment, he reached out, tried to imagine what it would be like to even just believe that something like that had happened, and he cringed from the immense sadness that crashed over him. He delved no deeper. "You should get out of the rain!" the blue monkey called. "You might get sick!"

The boy smiled a little, and straining with his robotic hearing, Gibson heard him whisper:

"It would be worth it, if only I could convince you I was telling the truth."

Why does he care for us so much? It can't be just some psychological thing... he knows more details then I have ever heard disclosed to the public! Gibson frowned slightly. So what is driving him?

The boy shook his head, heading back through the alleyways like he always did.

Gibson had the strange urge to follow him, to make sure he got home safe. However, he did not. He suppressed the urge and turned back towards the green mechanic, who was bounding towards him.

"Everything checks out!" Otto smiled cheerfully. Then he tilted his head to the side. "Are you okay, Gibby?"

Gibson gave the green monkey a smile. "Of course!"

Otto just raised an eyebrow.

The blue monkeys shoulders slumped. "Its the boy," he admitted. "The more I think about it, the less probable it is that its a psychological problem! He knows more details about our missions then we have ever disclosed to the public, and about some missions that we never, ever told the public about. He's got no reason to sit out here in the rain, risking catching a cold or something even worse... he's got no reason to care about us so much that I can detect! I just can't figure out what's driving him..."

"He is a lot more driven then anyone else with a psycho-... psycho-... mental problem that I've ever heard about. He also throws more concrete and rational reasoning into his stories and pleas..." Otto agreed. "However, there is still a possibility that there is a problem... or even that Skeleton King planted memories into the child's mind."

Gibson nodded. "I suppose you're right... but still... I also can't help but feel... connected to him, in a way. As if we were once friends, possibly even close enough to be family... Yet, I have no memory of him..."

Otto nodded. "Me too."

Before either monkey could begin to discuss the possibilities (or go inside and share their findings with the other monkeys on the team), the alarm blared loudly, making the two jump.

A glance was shared between the two.

"Skeleton King," they said together.

Chiro glanced up as he saw the Super Robot flying to meet with Skeleton King's army, and he raced after the mechanical ship as fast as he could. He knew that they would beat him there - they were flying after all - but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was he got there in time for him to play his part.

As much as he hated the way that Mandarin had chosen to go about this, Chiro also knew that something like this could not have been avoided regardless... he may as well know about it before it happened to make sure the monkey team wasn't hurt by Gyrus's mistake.

He was breathless by the time he was to the battlefield, but that did not stop him from immediately joining the ranks of the allies. None of them seemed to notice the added member - which was good. The hardest part about this was not using his powers... that would attract much unwanted attention. Too much, really. However, he managed it.

So far, so good.

The five multi-colored and mechanized monkeys easily feel into the battle, not noticing what a difficult time their leader seemed to be having. They were severely outnumbered, but based on past battles; they knew that they were not outmatched.

They were quickly proven wrong.

"Check out these hats!" Sprx yelled over the clamor of battle.

"Seriously!" Otto grinned, cutting through quite a number of Formless.

The others let out light chuckles, but they all quickly returned to the seriousness of what was going on. It was getting harder and harder to fight the new-and-improved Formless.

For the past few battles, they hadn't had to fight near as many, nor had they been quite so difficult to defeat. Gibson and Antauri both surmised that these had been test runs, and now Skeleton King had finally improved his Formless recipe.

After all, for every Formless that they defeated, the ooze created two within their place. There were certain points that they could strike to prevent this, but they kept getting harder and harder to reach. Ooze from the destroyed Formless also kept sticking to their fur, the stickiness of the solution making it harder for them to move around quite so easily.

"The Formless are adapting!" Gibson called, just barely ducking under a particularly deadly claw swipe. "They know we're going for their weak points, and they're defending themselves!" He whirled around and stabbed the very Formless that had been trying to kill them in one such weak point.

The others nodded, despite the obviousness of the situation. None of them really had the energy (or the time) to point out the fact of how obvious it was.

"Krinkle, distract the Formless," Antauri instructed their leader. "I'll take them out as quickly as I can!"

The man nodded, swallowing. He pulled out the sword that Otto had made for him and started trying to distract the Formless by 'attacking' them.

Antauri raised an eyebrow at the man, though Krinkle didn't notice. Why isn't he using his powers? the simian thought, though quickly dismissed it. He must be saving the energy for the Skeleton King. Activating Ghost Mode, the silver monkey quickly took out the Formless following Krinkle about. It made a bit of a dent in the army, though there were still many, many Formless.

The battle continued, until finally, the monkeys had been completely separated from the allies, and the army had split in two; one-half for the monkeys and Krinkle, the other half for the allies.

"Krinkle, use your inner primate!" Antauri yelled to their leader.

"What?!" the man yelled back.

"Your inner primate!" Nova yelled.

Before Krinkle could respond, (most likely with, "What's that?") Skeleton King grabbed the man and used his staff to teleport back to the castle. The Formless army collapsed into a gigantic pile of ooze and followed swiftly behind him.

The team and the allies panted, all of them worried for the man that had just been taken by the Skeleton King.

"Guys look! It's the boy!" Otto said.

The other monkeys looked up, and there it was... the teenager was sprinting towards the Skeletal Fortress.

"What is he thinking?!" Sprx growled, surprised at the level of concern and... trust... he felt for the boy following their leader.

"I don't know, but we better make sure he doesn't hurt himself!" Nova said, activating her jet pack.

The others nodded, doing the same.

"Rest up! We'll be back soon!" Antauri called to the allies, before following his brothers and sister.

Chiro was still breathless from the battle, but he knew better then to leave Krinkle with the Skeleton King for too long. His lungs burned for air, his heart raced, his muscles strained to keep going, and sweat poured down his body, but still, he kept going.

"Need a lift, Kid?" a red monkey spoke, surprise flashing across his face at the rightness of the nickname.

Chiro smiled slightly, giving a short nod.

Sprx lifted the teenager up, before joining his brothers in their formation.

"What were you thinking, racing after Skeleton King like that?!" Nova asked, though they still headed towards the Fortress.

Chiro fixed them all with a hard look - one a leader would wear - and said, "Despite what you guys think, Krinkle isn't the Chosen One. He doesn't have powers. He's a normal person, like the rest of the citizens of Shuggazoom. He's not going to be able to get out himself. He's not going to be able to resist Skeleton King for long. Skeleton King is going to get him to join him or whatever it is he wants to do, and then he's going to realize that Krinkle isn't really who he's searching for. He's going to be mad. Really mad."

Sprx snorted. "Even in the face of Skeleton King, you're still trying to feed us this 'Krinkle's not our real leader, you are'?"

"Yes," Chiro nodded. "Because it's true."

The red monkey rolled his eyes, but found he couldn't make himself veer of course... Something inside of him was beginning to believe the boy...

Antauri frowned slightly. "It seems... the Power Primate agrees with him..."

"What?" the others looked at Antauri.

"You all heard me. The Power Primate agrees that the boy is the Chosen One... that he was once our leader!"

Sprx snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Antauri sighed softly, though the others weren't sure if it was in agreement or not.

No further conversation was made.

They soon arrived at the Fortress, and guards were pouring out of every entrance and exit of the entire place. There was no way six multi-colored monkeys and a teenage boy could slip through unnoticed. Unfortunately, Formless weren't quite as dumb as they used to be.

"How are we going to get through this?" Sprx hissed. "This place is crawling with guards!"

Chiro nodded. "Yeah, it is... but there aren't as many guards at the top of the Fortress. Skeleton King doesn't want as many guards near him, becuase he doesn't want them interfering with his magic and stuff."

"And how would you know?" Sprx asked suspiciously.

Chiro rolled his eyes. "Becuase I have nothing better to do then stake out his castle."

Sprx rolled his eyes, but followed the others with Chiro in his grip. They landed quietly on the roof, and snuck into the main hallway. Just as Chiro had predicted, the hallway was mostly empty, and it was easy to sneak past the few guards that were there.

As they were sneaking past one guard station, the team could hear Sakko talking to one of the Formless (as if they really understood him, anyway).

"...and then he chewed me out for the tinfoil hats! I can't help that Mandarin said that was a new fashion! And he was wearing one, but did he get in trouble? I don't think so!" the little monkey sounded downright outraged. "Not to mention, he gave me extra chores and time in the dungeon for trying to make his army look nice! Can you believe it?!"

Sprx covered his mouth to stifle snickers. Who knew that off-duty Sakko could be so entertaining?

Once Sakko and the guard were far enough away, the team moved foward, finally reaching the throne room. Gyrus Krinkle was chained in spider webs near the throne, while Skeleton King was doing the necessary villain monologue. Seriously, if they wouldn't monologue, they would have a lot higher chance of actually beating the hero. Of course, none of them seemed to understand that.

"Can I hit him?" Sprx mouthed.

Antauri shook his head. "Wait."

The red monkey nodded, though he really wanted to hit the villain. He restrained the urge, however, waiting for a more opportune moment.

Mandarin inwardly cursed. This was not the way the plan was supposed to have gone. Krinkle was not supposed to get captured. Skeleton King was supposed to take a shot at him, the way he always did to Chiro, and then Chiro would step in and use his powers, proving once and for all that he was the true Chosen One.

I should have known that things would be different because he's an 'adult'... I should have known that Skeleton King would have taken a few more precautions. He never took Chiro completely serious - a mistake on his part, as so often proved - because he was a 'child'... even if he was the Chosen One.

He hoped that the boy and the team would be able to salvage things. He didn't want to be stuck fighting Krinkle. That wouldn't even be a challenge, as proved today.

He had been so easy to capture! Mandarin had seen it! He had been so weak and foolish. It was as if he hadn't expected to actually end up fighting!

As much as he hated to admit it, Mandarin had grown to admire Chiro. Despite the fact that he was younger; despite the fact that he was still a boy... Chiro was still a difficult opponent! He was resilient and he cared about those around him. He was determined, and he was smart. He made taking Shuggazoom a challenge, and Mandarin liked a challenge. He always had.

But now they were dealing with Krinkle... who wasn't even a challenge.

He was boring.

Five minutes into being in the throne room, the six intruders still had not been noticed, as all of Skeleton King's focus was on gloating to the 'Chosen One'. Chiro smirked slightly. Oh, he would love to see his face when the villain found out he had been tricked... that Krinkle had managed to manipulate his memories.

Oh man, that was going to be a show worth paying admission for. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to see it.

During their five minutes of observation, Chiro had come up with a rather good plan, if he did say so himself. Nova, Antauri, and himself would distract the Skeleton King, pretending they had just arrived, while the other three would go over and untie Krinkle and sneak him out. Once he was out, Otto or Gibson would sneak somewhere else in the castle, blowing something important up, or just making the alarms go off, and pretending that's what this had been about, before they all snuck out and took Krinkle back to the Robot.

The unspoken part of his plan was that he would try to get Krinkle alone so he could pull the truth out of him. He didn't figure the monkey team needed to know about that part of the plan... they probably wouldn't be too happy with it.

Nova jumped out of hiding first. "LADY TOMAHAWK!" She screamed, knocking Skeleton King back.

Krinkle visibly relaxed.

Next was Antauri. "MONKEY MIND SCREAM!"

Skeleton King stood, growling at the two monkeys.

"THUNDER PUNCH!" Chiro landed a punch right in his skull, as the villain expected no human to fight... not when he had Krinkle.

He growled. "And who are you?"

Chiro smirked. "Your worst nightmare." And he proceeded to follow up his punch with, "LIGHTENING KICK!" to Skeleton King's gut.

"Tacky line," Nova told him, just before shouting, "STING RING!"

He shrugged. "Sprx is rubbing off on me," he smirked.

Antauri shot a glare behind him, as Sprx gave an indignant, "Hey!" to Chiro's comment. Thankfully it was whispered, so Skeleton King wasn't able to hear it.

"PHASE AND DAZE!" the silver monkey shouted, before striking Skeleton King from behind.

The battle continued, Skeleton King getting more and more strikes in.

"You all right, Krink?" Sprx whispered, as Otto cut the man free of his bonds.

"Yeah, I'm cool."

"Good. Let's get out of here!"

Gyrus nodded, thankful to get away from the dark king. He had never imagined that leading a troop of monkeys would be so difficult. The boy had made it look so easy!

The three monkeys quickly snuck him out of the Fortress, both surprised and irritated at his lack of stealthy know how. Surely he should know what he's doing! They had done it millions of times before!

...though, thinking about it, the man had been a bit off in battle too...

He also had seemed so... unfamiliar with everything. It ranged from not knowing the allies names, to not remembering that the Sun Riders were actually real heroes now... it was horrible! He didn't know how to work the controls during the training room... had claimed to not want to 'overwork' his Power Primate... there were all sorts of things that had been off!

...could it be that Chiro was telling the truth?

The monkeys shook that thought form their heads. They would revisit these thoughts later, when they were in a more opportune spot for thinking.

Once Krinkle was safely away from the Fortress, Gibson snuck back in, holding a small little bomb that Otto had fashioned from parts he had found laying around while they were leaving. Krinkle was too big for them to carry and no one notice, so they had to find a hall that had a place they could safely climb down from.

Finding one of the many pits of ooze that were scattered about the castle, Gibson tossed the little bomb in, trusting in Otto's mechanical ability. Sure enough, that little bomb caused a big explosion. Gibson was thankful that he had tossed it from a distance so he had time to get out the window before the blast singed his fur.

The blue monkey zoomed back to where the others were waiting. They were soon joined by the other three.

Chiro, Antauri, and Nova were all bruised and exhausted from the fight, but none of them complained. Otto told Antauri that he would get his mechanical body fixed up when they got back, while Gibson promised to tend to the other two.

They returned to the Robot without too many troubles, and Gyrus, Nova, and Chiro were rushed to Med Bay.

Luckily, they had gotten there before Gyrus was messed up too bad, so he was in and out in a snap. Nova's injuries were mostly minor as well, so she was also easily treated.

However, Chiro had taken a blast for Antauri... one that would have shut down Antauri possibly permanently, and had a large burn on his upper arm and part of his back.

"How did you not pass out?" Krinkle asked the boy, flabbergasted. The burn was hideous, and it would definitely scar. "Or at least... I don't know... act injured at all?"

Chiro smiled a little. "Because... first of all, the pain is worth it, to make sure that Antauri is alright. Second... injuries like this are part of being a hero. I learned that a long time ago."

Krinkle frowned a bit in thought, exiting the room. He needed to do some thinking.

Once the sun began to set over Shuggazoom, Chiro joined the older man on the shoulder of the Robot. He had given Krinkle a few hours to think, hoping that at some point, he would come down to where the rest of them were, and confess to what he had done.

Gyrus glanced at Chiro. "How are you walking?"

"It's in my upper body... not my lower," Chiro smiled a bit.

"You should be in too much pain to walk," Gryrus pointed out.

Chiro shrugged. "The monkeys said that too."

The two were silent for a bit, with Chiro thinking about how best to force Gyrus to tell the truth, and Gyrus contemplating if he would be able to walk if he was in that much pain.

"Why'd you do it?" Chiro asked finally.

"Do what?"

"Take over the team."

Krinke thought a moment, before deciding that there was no point in trying to fool the boy. "Because... I'm your biggest fan. I deserve to be apart of this team... not locked up in some mental asylum! I mean... we've had so many great adventures together!"

Chiro licked his lips apprehensively before answering. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, and possibly get tossed off of the Robot. Perhaps this wasn't the best place to talk to the insane guy... "But is this really the way you want to go about it, Gyrus? Do you really want to be apart of the team because you brainwashed the monkeys, citizens, and villains into thinking that this whole time, you're something that you're not?"

Gyrus frowned. "Well... no..."

"And do you really want to be the leader of the team? The one that ends up taking most of the heat from Skeleton King? The one who ends up making life and death decisions?"

"...you made it look so easy!" the man protested.

"I've had practice," the boy smiled a little. "And five robot monkeys who taught me everything that I know."

He frowned a bit.

"Besides Gyrus... I can't imagine how hard it was, growing up with a robot mother... I can't imagine what it must have been like, knowing that she was programmed to do everything that she did... I really just can't fathom what that must have been like for you."

"It was hard..." the man agreed.

"But what you're doing now... the way you've messed with their memories... that's almost the same thing. It's like programming them the way your mother was programmed!"

"...but... I just... I just want to be one of you!"

"And maybe someday, you can join the ranks of our allies!" ...what am I saying? For the monkey team, for the monkey team... just remember that Chiro. "But first... you need to learn how to utilize your own talents. Like building machines! Maybe someday... you can join the allies as a mechanic! And work with Otto, and Gibson."

Krinkle paused a moment. "But then I won't really be a part of the team..."

Chiro smiled a little. "But you'll be with the allies... and they're our extended family... with a free invitation to visit us whenever they want. Meaning, you don't have to listen to Gibson, Sprx, and/or Otto argue all the time!"

"...that does sound kinda nice..."

"See? There are other ways to be a part of the Hyper Force. You can utilize one of them instead... and then I can still be apart of the team..."

"It was a bit lacking without you..." Gyrus admitted. He had always wanted to be apart of the whole Hyper Force... not just the monkeys. Without Chiro, it just wasn't complete!

"There ya have it then!"

The older man nodded. "I suppose you're right... I'll go flip the switch then..."

Chiro nodded. "Right. Anything you need me to do?"

He shook his head, and then headed down to wherever he kept his machine at. Chiro breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that maybe while he was out on his travels, he'd find a new obsession, or someone else would ensure he was put in the right mental asylum.

He wasn't sure Shuggazoom could take anymore of Gyrus Krinkle.

Not to say he didn't still feel sorry for the guy of course...

He was just...

Well, he was creepy.

The memories streamed through Skeleton King's mind rapidly, almost too fast for the evil entity to keep up. Once he fully processed what had happened, he growled, empty eye sockets glowing red.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Who?" Mandarin asked the king, hoping the mindwipe had been undone.

"That blasted Krinkle! No one messes with the memory of Skeleton King!"

Mandarin breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, everythings back to normal...

The Hyper Force watched as Krinkle's ship zoomed off of Shuggazoom.

"Thank goodness that's over..." Chiro sighed in relief.

The others immediately looked up at him.

"We're so sorry we forgot about you Chiro!" Otto said.

"And for all the mean things we said about'cha, Kid!" Sprx added.

"And for the way we would ignore you!" Gibson said.

"And for how we didn't see the signs sooner!" Nova said.

"And for not seeking the truth out faster... even with all of our doubts," Antauri added.

Chiro smiled at them, pulling them into a big hug.

"Don't worry about it, guys. It wasn't your fault!"

They returned the hug, before Otto's stomach growled.

The green monkey blushed. "...can we go grab some cupcakes?" (Just for you, Grungekitty! xD)

Tauria: Phew, that was long! I can't believe it ended up being that long! I coulda split it into two or three chapters at the length that it was! -shakes head- Still, though, I hope that I did a good job! (and that it was worth the wait, for everyone who participated in Krinkle week! Or for those that read about it and wanted to read it!) There are certain parts that I'm iffy on (seriously, I'm never proud of my writing pieces as a whole... bits and pieces, sure, but never the whole thing xP) but there are other parts I'm really proud of!

I wanted to get in everyone's head for just a little, but that was kind of hard, because I really wanted to get to where the action was! So, I feel like things ended up being a bit rushed because of that. But, then again, maybe not.

Oh, and by the way, this may be just me, but does anyone feel that something is missing from the scene where Chiro is convincing Krinkle to let the monkey team go back to living their un-brainwashed lives? Like, do you think that Krinkle should have resisted more? Or there should have been more to it? Or is the scene fine?

Anyways, because I can have a tendency to ramble, I'm going to end this author's note here!

Please leave a review!

(huh... a long author's note for a long story! ...yeah, that's what I was going for... Yep, I like that excuse XP)