"This is a bad plan. A plan which will have horrible repercussions. Repercussions mean consequences, consequences which will effect my well being negatively. Therefore, this plan is bad. Really, just a horrible idea in general. Henceforth, I will make my displeasure known for the involvement of this plan-"

"Would you shut up already?!" the woman towered over the chattering ape. "God, just… crack open the file already."

The mutant, the technologically advanced villain called Mojo Jojo, muttered to himself bitterly as he continued to type away on the computer.

Rojo shook her head and turned to Charmcaster, a temporary alliance within this society of villains.

"What's his deal, anyway?" she asked the young witch.

"Hmm… well, the way I heard it," she explained, "Professor Utonium was working on a version of the super soldier serum. The one that made that Sentry lunatic. Instead, he ended up synthesizing the infamous Chemical X."

"Woah," Rojo glanced back at the green tinged chimpanzee before returning her look to Charmcaster. "Why don't more people use it then?"

She cut her eyes to the biker. "Because its unpredictable. Take our friend Mojo here. He's built several machines and death rays and whatevers, but he can barely complete a thought before rambling onto the next."

"So…" Rojo thought for a minute, "Those Powerpuff freaks…"

"Are miracle children in more ways than one," she completed the thought. "You should have seen what they looked like when they first showed up. You'd get prettier kids with a gamma bomb."

"Hey, the monkey got us in!" Rojo looked up at the computer. Files poured onto the screen. The trio scanned through the words and blueprints.

"Hmm…" Charmcaster glanced through them. "I can't make sense of the technical stuff, but I know those symbols."

"So?" Rojo questioned, not a shred of patience within her or the alien armor that covered her. "What's the geek planning?"

"It's…some kind of summoning ritual," she answered. "But I can't tell for what."

"I thought it would be obvious," Mojo spoke up smugly. "A simpleton could figure it out."

The two ladies looked to each other before glaring down at the mutant genius.

"Then you won't mind explaining it to us," Charmaster leaned down to his ear, sparking the tips of her fingers.

"Since we ain't simpletons," Rojo leaned down to his other ear, a wrist cannon whirring to life.

Mojo coughed, before pointing out one of the blueprints. "This is-"

"None of your business."

The three spun around, spotting the child genius and a superhuman with a green sweater drifting next to him.

Mandark stepped nonchalantly to the computer, all three of them stepped out of the way for him to press a button, and the screen became encrypted again.

"Mojo," Mandark softly scolded, "You're supposed to be working on those parts I asked for. Get back to work."

The mutant gulped and scampered off and out the door.

"As for you two," he turned to the young women. "Is there no trust among the Masters of Evil?"

The girls looked at each other.

"Nope."

"Uh-uh."

Mandark sighed.

"Look, uh," Rojo offered, "I just…I gotta know. Is this a Nazi thing? Like Red Skull or that Baron Zemo guy? I mean, as long as I get paid, I don't care, but I gotta know."

"I think what my colleague here is saying is," Charmcaster intervened. "It would help with morale if we had an end goal in mind. Something we know we're striving for."

"Yes, and make it all the easier for you to betray me, apparently."

The two flinched as he glared at them.

"I will take your words into consideration," Mandark offered, "This is a team, after all. And if we succeed, we all get exactly what we want."

The two seemed suspicious, but the offer was too promising to object.

"Now," he said, "Do whatever it is you need to do to get ready for a mission. We have a target."

He walked past them and towards the door, Butch waiting eagerly with a sinister grin.

"Who's the target?" Rojo wondered.

"Doctor Stephen Strange," he answered, "Also known as the Sorcerer Supreme."

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary," Dexter dismissed.

"Look, I'm just saying," Percy offered, "Break into the Xavier mansion, have Angel here borrow Cerebro, find our guys and break them out. Easy!"

"It will never be that easy, Percy," Dexter sighed. "You're talking about assaulting a school. A school with children, Percy. We can't allow that."

Percy sighed, leaning against the console, shaking his head. He looked up at the seven-year-old Angel, who just stared back at him.

"I just…" he threw his arm up. "I'm scared, Dex. I sent Tyson home so he could take it easy and be with Ella. Annabeth's been putting up a brave face, but her cousin is missing. Again, but I don't know… We're all scared."

Dexter nodded. "As am I. Nigel may not want to admit it, but Abigail once told me that the only thing that stops him from doing something crazy is a clear line of sight. I know there's nothing he wants to do more than assault whatever secret base Mandark is holding our friends in."

He paused the calculations he was punching into the computer.

"I don't Professor X personally," he admitted. "But maybe I can call him. Maybe if I ask him nicely enough we can-"

"Dexter!" Angel cried out suddenly.

The two boys jumped, and Dexter spun around in his chair to the younger child. Her eyes were wide, and a tear streaked down her cheek.

"Someone's dying," she whispered, and pointed at the wall to her left. "Over there."

Dexter shot out of the room with Percy close on his heels. Dexter hobbled more than he ran, his leg still in a brace. The demigod scooped up the telepath on his way out and carried her in his arms. Dexter burst into the main hall where some of their friends were hanging out. He didn't see anything wrong with the scene.

"Angel," he turned to the girl. "Where are they? Who's dying?"

"What's going on?" Max approached them. Others approached them.

"Not sure," Percy answer. "Angel just started freaking out-"

A piercing scream boomed in their ears, as Nudge collapsed to the floor, clutching her head. Max rushed over to help her, but everyone else's attention snapped when another scream echoed throughout the lab. Sadie collapsed. Then Carter. Then Zia. Walt was writhing in pain. Annabeth staggered and fell to her knees. Even Mabel puked in a far corner before curling up into a ball. Percy didn't understand what was happening, until he too felt it.

It felt like he was punched in the gut by a firetruck. His knees started to buckle, and it was all he could do to set Angel down gently before retching dry air and falling himself. His eyes watered, his mouth was dry. His head pounded with something he has never felt before.

He had fought gods and goddesses. He fought titans and monsters and demons. This…this felt more powerful than any of that. Like Gaea had woken up. Like she was here, in his head, tearing it apart.

But it wasn't Gaea. It didn't feel like an attack, it felt like… a cry for help. It felt like it lasted hours, but the reality was that is was a couple of minutes.

"Help us," a collection of voices said. "Save our champion, or all is lost."

That's it. That's all that was said. And as soon as the words were spoken, Percy felt his head clearing. He sat up, breathing heavily and looked around. The flock huddled around Nudge, who was heaving. The Kane family was starting to recover. Annabeth looked worse for wear, eyes red with tears and breathing heavily. The only ones unaffected were the ones who rejected or couldn't use magic. Or had magic blood within them.

"Annabeth…" He called out. "Are you…?"

She nodded, eyes half lidded. She tried to pick herself up.

"What…" Percy coughed. "What was that?"

"No idea," Annabeth wiped her mouth of drool. Percy knew she hated saying that.

"It's the Vishanti," Walt spoke up. If Percy remembered correctly, he merged his soul with the dog guy, Anubis. Like what Shu tried to do with Nudge, except fully realized. The way it was explained to him, Walt and Anubis were the same person. Whatever hit them, it must have hit him harder than the rest.

After a few breathes, he spoke again. "The Vishanti go beyond the pantheons. They're the guardians of earth. More so than Odin, or Zeus, or Ra. They're way more… ancient…"

Everyone slowly rose, trying to recover. The Powerpuffs and KND kids helped the Kane's clan. Katniss did what she could for Mabel, rubbing her back.

"Why isn't Oregon over there heaving?" Percy accused. Dipper was trying to get Mabel back on her feet.

"Because I cheat," he said, "a lot. Mabel… is little more connected, in some ways."

Nudge seemed to be standing, with a little help from Iggy.

"What did they want?" she asked.

"Their champion is in danger," Zia answered. "The Sorcerer Supreme."

"Is that like a regular wizard," Gazzy nervously joked. "but, like, with all the toppings?"

"It's Doctor Strange," Dexter clarified. "He's in trouble."

"What do we do?" Bubbles wondered.

Everyone turned their heads to Dexter. Percy didn't envy the kid. He had been there. For both the Titan and the Giant wars. The kid was no Atlas, that's for sure.

To his credit, he set his jaw. He took a deep breath, and started to answer.

"I'll take a team and-"

"Dexter, no," Blossom scolded. "You're still recovering from your last mission."

Percy looked down at the brace around Dexter's leg, and the velcro band wrapped around his arm. The nanites in his system turn months of healing into a couple of weeks, but it was still too slow for Dexter's tastes, apparently.

"It's okay, Dex," Percy volunteered, "I'll go."

He gritted his teeth.

"Fine," he said, turning on his good heel, "I'll give you the address to Strange Manor. Pick a team and meet me in the hangar."

Percy nodded and looked to the crowd, boy was it a crowd.

"Okay…" Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "What to do…"

He felt a tug on his shirt, and he crouched down to Angel's level.

"Someone's still in trouble," she told him.

Percy blinked. "So that thing that we all felt… that's not what you were talking about?"

She shook her head. "I think I can find them again, but…"

"Okay," Percy nodded. "We'll split into two teams. Let me pick my guys so I can save Gandalf, or whatever his name is, and I'll be sure to leave some for you. Deal?"

Angel nodded, looking relieved and determined. "Deal."

They tapped their knuckles together and Percy turned his attention back to the group.

"Alright," he decided, "Annabeth, Carter, Fang, and… Bubbles."

"Why Bubbles?" Max asked him.

"Because we have the same favorite color," Percy smiled. Angel stepped up.

"Okay. Let's see…" she pondered. Max watched her with an arched eyebrow.

"Iggy, Gasman," she started off. "Katniss... and Buttercup."

The two boys gave each other a high five, and Buttercup gave a rocker hand gesture to Angel before she turned to Max.

"Forgetting something?" Max asked the little girl.

Percy left them to their conversation. That was a family matter for them, it's probably better he not get involved.

The others had scrambled to the hangar, they waited outside the ship as Dexter was imputing the coordinates.

"You should be good to go," he told Carter as Percy approached. "I can always take control remotely if something goes awry."

"Thanks, Dexter," Carter nodded, "We can count on you." He paused. "There's…something we should tell you."

Dexter turned to him and waited for him to continue.

"With the whole… Mandark business," he told him, "I just… We've been away from home for a long time, and I'm worried about… my students. My kids."

"You want to go home?"

"Not me," he insisted, "Sadie and I are staying here with you. Mandark obviously can't be ignored, but I'm sending Walt and Zia back to Brooklyn."

"Didn't you guys register with SHIELD?" Percy wondered. "Aren't you guys going to get in trouble for that?"

"Zia is one of the scariest magicians in the House of Life," Carter explained, "If anyone can keep the kids safe, It's her. And Walt thinks Anubis can conjure up some new ways to hide everyone. They'll be safe, but…"

"Carter," Dexter put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I completely understand. You have people to protect."

"Sadie and I will do everything we can to stop Mandark," Carter assured him. "Promise."

"I have no doubts," Dexter agreed. "Go."

Carter joined the others on the ship, and Dexter stopped Percy before he could get on.

"Be careful," he told him. "Dr. Strange is one of the most powerful and knowledgeable superhumans on the planet. I don't know who or what could challenge him, but whatever it is..."

"Sure thing, boss," Percy nodded. "We can handle it."

The trip was shorter than expected. Over an hour's trip to the middle of Manhattan. The team gathered at the front door.

"So," Percy turned to the others. "If anyone asks, we're selling girl scout cookies."

Annabeth just blinked at him, and the others just kind of looked at each other.

"Just wanted everyone on the same page," he muttered as he opened the door. "Uh, hello? Dr. Strange? What's his real name, again?"

"We got thin mints, apparently," Carter called out sarcastically. Annabeth tried to hide her snickering.

"Ugh," Bubbles complained, "I could eat a truckload of samoas right now."

"Hm." Fang agreed. Real Chatty Cathy, that guy.

They entered the lobby and saw the massive staircase at the center of the room. Artifacts and ancient pottery and weapons were displayed at the corners like a personal museum. At the top of the stairs was a mass huddled on the floor.

With a look to the others, Percy rushed up the stairs to the crumpled form.

"Hey!" he called as he knelt next to the man. "Uh, sir? Are you…?"

The others joined him as he shook the man's shoulders.

"Hold on," Fang checked him over. The stranger was bruised and battered, but he was breathing.

"Only got a few of these left," Carter handed over a healing potion.

After feeding it to the stranger, his muscles seemed to relax. He murmured something, but Percy couldn't make out the words.

"What was that?"

"He said they took him to the wardrobe," Bubbles answered, standing the furthest away from the group. "I…don't know what that means."

The man managed to lift his finger to point. A wardrobe was up against the wall with the door cracked.

"Guess we're going to Narnia," Percy shrugged. He looked down at their victim. "Will he be alright?"

"The potion takes a while to work through his system," Carter told him. "Best thing to do is leave him to heal."

The group stood and made their way to the wardrobe. They opened the door to find a massive dome shaped room with a glass ceiling. Rows after rows of shelves with things wiggling in glass jars. Percy saw a massive creature with wide fins paddle its way past the glass overhead. He couldn't help but step back and look behind the wardrobe, seeing that it stood apart from the wall, and that it was stood up on normal looking wooden legs.

"Right," he shook his head. He stopped trying to apply logic when he was twelve. "Let's go."

They stepped inside and looked around. Almost immediately they heard a cry of pain. Instinctively, they rushed forward, passing isle after isle of shelves with questionable things looking at them with evil intent.

"Stick together," Percy reminded all of them. "That's how we're going to win this."

They stopped suddenly at the sight. A group of people, standing around a colorfully dressed wizard. One of the group had his hand extended, his fingertips digging into the older man's chest. The perpetrator looked like a college boy, with blond hair and a mischievous face. He wore a casual "I *Heart* New York" t-shirt and cargo shorts. His tennis shoes still had the wing tips, undoubtedly allowing him flight and speed. His half-and-half sword, Backbiter, was in his free hand.

"Luke," Annabeth breathed. Percy looked at her and saw the pain in her eyes warp into fury. He placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, and she nodded.

They looked back to the group and were able to identify a few others. The biker chick with the battle suit is Rojo, a well known gangster in the Midwest and on highways. Another was the ghostly apparition of Vlad Masters, one of Danny's bad guys. He seemed to be Coaching Luke Castellan in doing… whatever kind of magic curse he was doing to Dr. Strange. Another girl paced in front of the scene.

"Hope you don't mind, honey," the silver haired teenager twirled a golden baton on her fingers. "I think I'll be taking this for myself. The Wand of Watoomb is too good an artifact to pass up."

Carter gasped. "That's Charmcaster," he whispered. "She's a witch, one who's made enemies with every magical user she could. Everyone short of a demigod."

"Well, she's made about two of those," Percy muttered, nodding to Annabeth. "Who else we got?"

"I think Mandark is there too."

"You think so?" Percy craned his neck to see, but paused, as a shiver ran up his spine. He realized that that voice didn't come from any of his teammates. He turned on his heel, swinging his sword at the intruder. The green sweater and greasy black hair told him it was one of Bubbles' bad guys; Butch of the Rowdyruff Boys.

He moved faster than Percy had ever seen before. He palmed Percy's wrist with his super strength, forcing him to drop his sword. He palmed Percy's side and he felt his feet leave the ground. Percy soared through the air like paper airplane, his heels grazing the tiles beneath him.

Percy slammed into a far shelf, rattling all the jars stored there. He staggered on his feet before collapsing to his hands and knees, gasping for air.

"Percy!" he heard Annabeth's voice from afar.

He looked up and saw a pair of scrawny legs walk in front of him. He looked up and saw the madman they'd all been looking for. He wore a white collared, button up shirt with an ugly greenish yellow tie. He wore blue shorts and brown shoes with black knee-high socks. His glasses were thick and his black hair was in a bowl cut over his ears. He looked like a regular, nerdy kind of guy. Aside from the black belt filled with death tools and the black cape on his shoulders, he looked normal.

"Man… dark…" Percy huffed.

"In the flesh," he agreed. Echoes of conflict were heard in the background. "And you are Percy Jackson. A demigod son of Poseidon himself. I must say, I have a lot of respect for the god of the seas. He did a lot of heinous things, but he stayed true to his nature. He did as he pleased like a force of nature. Like the ocean itself."

"How…? Why…?"

"Demigods, like all things, have their uses," Mandark explained. It had gotten quiet behind him. "Your friend here, Luke Castellan, is the son of Hermes. A god well known for protecting the roads. This includes messengers, merchants, and- for today's pertinence- thieves. Thanks to your time as a public hero, I was able to determine how far your powers were able to progress. Particularly when you and that mutant girl fought Daniel Fenton at the former Hydra complex.

"So, with the help of Masters' knowledge of the occult and all things dead, I excavated your friend's body from his grave to use his powers of thievery. All to steal our dear Doctor's powers."

Luke turned from the doctor crying out in pain and spoke to Percy directly.

"For what its worth," he said, "Your friend isn't in any pain. It's just his body I'm using."

Percy looked from to Vlad Masters, drifting nearby.

"Think of him as a demigod puppet," he offered, snidely, "I know teenagers have trouble with logic."

Percy looked beyond them to see Charmcaster pulling a sleeping Bubbles through the air on her wand. Butch carried the unconscious forms of Annabeth and Carter under his arms. Fang was nowhere in sight.

"What do you want us to do with them, boss?" Rojo reported.

"Oh, just… throw them around anywhere," Mandark waved them off. "We'll bring them back to base with us when we're done here."

Percy's sword, Riptide, was enchanted to reappear in his pocket whenever he lost it. With Fang missing… maybe he can back Percy up when he made his move. He just needed a few more minutes…

"So, what's your plan, exactly?" Percy questioned. "You raise the dead, you assemble some supervillains, you attack an old wizard-"

"Not. That. Old!"

"For what?" Percy demanded. "What could justify… All of this?"

Mandark looked at him. Eyes glaring down on him through his glasses.

"Money?" Percy guessed. "You seem… above that? Respect, maybe?"

Mandark pulled a weapon out of his belt and leveled it at Percy's head.

"Tell me," he asked. "What's your mother's life to you?"

Percy blinked at the question. Another voice echoed throughout the room.

"Winds of Watoomb! Shackles of Sheol!"

Chains of light shot out everywhere while vicious winds whipped up around them. They whipped at the villains and distracted them, while scooping up the unconscious heroes.

"No," Charmcaster looked to the source of the light construct. "It's her. Again!"

"Personal grudge?"

"You have no-"

Charmcaster paused as she realized the one who answered her was not an ally. She spun around too late and was knocked out. Fang seemed to revel in stealth.

Mandark opened fire on the light tendrils, as Percy pulled out Riptide from his pocket and swiped at him. The blaster was cut in half beyond his finger. He swiped again at Vlad's back, cutting through his cape and whatever ghosts have instead of shoulders.

He called out in pain and turned with fury in his eyes. He threw his hand out to fire a laser, but one of the tendrils pulled him back.

"Easy there, hero!" the spell caster pulled him back. Fang joined them. "Seven Rings of Raggadorr!"

Percy found himself sitting inside a glowing dome of rings next to Fang, and some hooded girl; their friends gathered behind them. She pulled it back to reveal orange hair and green eyes.

"Hey," she breathed, holding her hands up to the shield.

Percy took a moment to glance out at the other bad guys. Vlad was on one knee with Mandark barking something into his ears. Charmcaster was knocked out, and Rojo was unloading onto the dome that protected them now. Butch was screaming muffled obscenities as he fought to break the light constructs that bound him to the ground. Luke still hand his hand on Strange, stealing his powers.

"Name's Gwen. You're friends with my cousin? The obnoxious one with the watch."

"Ben?" Percy nodded. "Yeah, I know him. These guys took him."

"Great," Gwen shook her head. "I go out for lunch one time, and I come back to find Wong TKO, and my teacher being tortured."

Percy's friends were starting to stir and rise. Annabeth was able to shake off the grogginess and draw her knife.

"Percy?" She shook her head again. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He watched as Bubbles and Carter joined him. They looked as miffed as he was. "New plan. Carter, I want you to take out Rojo."

"Woof," he complained. "You owe me one."

"Annabeth and Fang grab Man-dork," Percy continued.

"With pleasure," Fang agreed.

"Bubbles, smash Butch."

"Ew! Phrasing!" she answered.

"Gwen," Percy then ordered. "I'm going after Luke. You think you can cover us and take out Vlad?"

"Can do," she answered.

"Okay," Percy readied. "Let's go team!"

"Vapors of Valtorr!" Gwen cast. Mists appeared from nowhere, replacing the glowing rings that stood over them. The chains containing Butch broke free, and Charmcaster was starting to stir.

Percy charged forward, just as the Possessed Luke turned around to cast his own spell. Percy should have known better.

"Bolts of Balthakk!"

He should have called for backup.