Episode 10

No Wyn In Team

“I dunno about this, Chip,” Rob said, the gravel crackling under his feet as he walked.

“Mr. Bradshaw is a good friend of mine,” Chip said. “I used to work for him on his farm during the summer to make some extra money. All we have to do is a couple of chores, and then we can use his land to train.”

“Are you sure there's enough room?” Brittany asked.

“Sure, he owns acres and acres of land. We can train far enough away that no one will suspect a thing.”

“I sure hope you're right,” Tami said.

The four Guardians made their way up the creaky wooden steps of the old farmhouse, and Chip knocked on the door. An older man, his face worn and wrinkled from prolonged exposure to the sun, answered. His sunken eyes seemed to light up at the sight of his young friend. “Well, if it ain't Chip. How's it goin', son?”

“Pretty good, Mr. Bradshaw,” Chip replied. “Say, uh, I was just wondering if there were any chores you needed done.”

Mr. Bradshaw shook his head. “Welp, Chip, we have plenty on our plate, but I'm afraid money's been a little tight lately.”

“Oh, I was thinking of something a little different. See, my friends and I have a...summer project that requires a lot of space, and we were wondering if we helped you out, if you'd be willing to let us use some of your backwoods for a while.”

Mr. Bradshaw chuckled. “Shucks, is that all? You're a good boy, y'all can use my land for nothin'.”

Rob, Brittany, and Tami grinned.

Chip waved his hands in front of him. “No, no, we couldn't do that. We'd be happy to help you out. It's the least we could do.”

Rob, Brittany, and Tami's jaws dropped.

Mr. Bradshaw considered it. “Well...iffin' ya want, I'd sure appreciate the help.”

“Not a problem.” Chip turned and smiled at his friends. “Oh, and these are my friends. Say hi, guys.”

“Hello, sir,” they said, trying to keep their disappointment from creeping into their voices.

Right away, they were all put to work.

“You do realize this is time we could be spending training, right, mister 'we'll be happy to help you out'?” Rob groaned, slinging the heavy pail of water to his other hand.

“Heh. My bad,” Chip said.

Brittany and Tami's jobs, meanwhile, consisted of gathering eggs from the hen house. Not the most glamorous job in the world, but no one said saving the world didn't come without sacrifices.

Tami stared at one of the resting birds. She was born and raised a city girl. She didn't know a thing about chickens. “So...how do I get the eggs without disturbing the chicken?” she asked Brittany.

Brittany shrugged her shoulders, not knowing any more than her friend did. “I guess just reach in there and take them.”

“Well...here goes nothing...” Tami slowly stuck her hand underneath the chicken, and the bird sprang to life, flapping its wings in her face and knocking her to the ground.

And this was why she was a city girl.

A tiring two hours later, everyone, tired, sore, and annoyed, sat in an open field, their strenuous tasks finally completed.

“So, are we ready to train now?” Chip asked his groaning companions.

Everyone groaned louder.

“Perhaps...a few hours of backbreaking labor was enough for one day?” he suggested softly.

Tami fell backwards into the grass and stared into the hazy sky. “I can't feel my face.”

“I can't feel my arms,” Brittany said.

“I can't feel my brain,” Rob said.

Tami forced a chuckle. “Sounds like a personal problem there, Rob.”

More weary than they thought, the four Guardians fell asleep in the middle of the field for a good two hours. Brittany was the first to awake, and found herself staring into the eyes of a cow.

“Eeek!”

“Moooo!”

Brittany scuttled backwards and tumbled over Chip. The commotion woke everyone up.

Tami rubbed her eyes. “Ugh, what time is it?”

Rob looked around to see a group of cows that had surrounded them, lazily chewing grass. “Apparently a bad time to be laying down in a field. Where'd all these cows come from?”

“Well...cows have to graze, you know.” Chip said.

Rob sighed. “Okay, you know what? This isn't gonna work. We spent hours working, fell asleep, and now we're surrounded by cows. I'd rather fight Clonar right now than stick around here any longer.”

“I agree,” Tami said. “Maybe we need to find a better place to train.”

“C'mon, guys, Mr. Bradshaw owns more land than anyone around here,” Chip said. “We just have to go out a little farther is all.”

“Fine,” Rob said. “I feel like I need to blast something anyway.”

After going out a short distance free of animals, the Guardians stood in a circle and got into fighting poses.

And stood.

“So, uh, what're we going to do?” Brittany spoke up.

“I dunno,” Rob said. “I never really gave the training much thought.”

“This isn't going to work, is it?” Tami asked.

Rob threw up his hands. “Phooey, I don't know. I've never trained for anything in my life. How do you train to fight monsters from another world, anyway?”

“Apparently Wyn knows,” Chip said.

“Yeah, Wyn's probably training hard right now,” Brittany said.

Rob grunted. “Probably. That punk. He's strong enough already, he should be helping us get stronger.”

“If only there was some way we could convince him to join us,” Tami said. “He's probably a better fighter than all of us put together.”

Rob immediately got defensive. “Ooh, no. You heard the guy before. He thinks he's too good for us. He thinks he can do things on his own. Well, whatever. We're better off without him.”

The others began mumbling amongst themselves.

“Am I right? Huh?”

“No,” Chip answered. “Like it or not, I don't think we're going to get very far without Wyn's help. He's the only one of us who knows how to train properly.”

Rob shot his friends a puzzled look. “So what, you guys want to go beg him to join us again?”

They all stared at him. He message was clear.

“You're kidding, right? ...right?”

He sighed as his friends didn't answer. “Fine, we can ask Wyn for help. But let me do it. I have some things I want to discuss with the guy mano e mano.”

Brittany looked concerned. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. Trust me, everything will be fine. I'll be back with Wyn before you know it.” And he was off.

“Twenty bucks says Wyn punches his lights out,” Chip said.

“I have a feeling you'd win that bet,” Brittany said.

---

News—or lack thereof—of the earlier assault on the monsters' base of operations troubled the police chief. Surely they must know something of the day prior. “Okay, one more time, just for good measure,” he said to Derek in his office. “Are you absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure you don't remember any form of attack taking place yesterday?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Derek responded right away. “I have absolutely no knowledge of any such attack.”

The chief bashed his fist on the table in frustration and rubbed the top of his balding head. “This is inconceivable. These foul monsters are craftier than I thought. For all the grief they've caused us and our city, I'll see to it that they pay tenfold. No, a hundredfold.”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“It's a blessing that those fiends didn't erase more than your short-term memories,” the chief continued. “We can't let them get away with what they've done. You know what they say: if at first you don't succeed, try try again.”

Those were the last words Derek wanted to hear. That evil dude had let them off easy last time. If they attacked again, who knows what he'd do to them? “With all due respect, sir, I don't think that'd be very wise.”

“What? Why not?”

“Well...you know what they're capable of. I don't think we can defeat them.”

“Oh, we'll defeat them one way or another. We just need reinforcements. Big time reinforcements.”

Derek took a moment to respond. “What'd you have in mind, sir?”

“I didn't want to have to do this, but it looks like we're going to have to get the military involved.”

“Sir, no!” Derek blurted, leaning in towards him.

“Now what?”

“I...we can't. I...don't remember where the base is.”

“You're kidding. They must've erased that information from your mind, too. Those despicable creatures!”

“They sure are, sir.”

A few seconds later, the chief smiled. “Ah, but Nate might still know! I can ask him.”

You just can't make this easy for me, can you? Derek thought.

---

Rob strolled along the outskirts of the Dark Woods. Just a month ago he'd never even thought about stepping foot in the forest, but ever since his wacky misadventures began he'd probably been in there more than any other Feldnaut City resident ever had. Not that he'd wanted to be there, but that's where most of the action seemed to go down. And if there was ever a secluded place to train, the Dark Woods were it. Just...as long as Wyn steered clear of Clonar or his fortress.

Then again, Wyn probably thought that he was more than ready for a rematch, anyway.

The question then was where exactly would he be training?

Rob heard rushing water. A waterfall. If his intuition was correct...

The area was peaceful, serene, a stark contrast to the vast tracks of darkness that spread throughout the forest like a blanket. A waterfall cascaded over a tall rock formation and flowed down into the onrushing stream that zigzagged around the trees. There, letting the rushing water crash over him in a meditative stance, sat Wyn. It was like a generic training scene in a movie. Rob made his way up to the meditating boy and called out over the roar of the falls, “Mmm, training under a waterfall, huh? Just a tad bit cliché, don't you think?”

Wyn didn't answer. Either the waterfall was drowning out Rob's voice or Wyn was ignoring him. He was fairly certain the latter was the case. “What, now you think you're too good to even acknowledge me?” he called out again.

Wyn spoke without moving a muscle. “Can't you see I'm busy? Go away.”

“I came to talk to you.”

“Fine, make it quick.”

“Well...I was wondering if you may have changed your mind about joining us.”

“No.”

“Uh...are you sure?”

“Yes. Now go away.”

“C'mon, Wyn, we need you!”

Wyn popped open his eyes and shot Rob an annoyed look. “How many times do I have to say it before you get it through that thick skull of yours?”

“I've never been one to take 'no' for an answer. “Rob crossed his arms in defiance. “I'm not leaving here until you decide to join our team.”

Wyn closed his eyes again. “Suit yourself.”

So, Wyn was going to play hardball, huh? Two could play at that game. His arms still crossed, Rob plopped down on the ground and sat.

After about ten minutes of silence, Rob impatiently spoke up again. “I'm still here, you know.”

Wyn didn't respond. Rob could tell he was getting a sick kick out of ignoring him. To speed things up, Rob walked up to him and began poking him hard in the arm.

“I'm getting really tired of your high and mighty attitude, Wyn. Pay attention to me!”

Wyn obliged; without opening his eyes, he pushed Rob backwards into the water.

“Oh, that does it,” Rob sputtered. He stood up out of the water, got behind Wyn, and pushed him off the ledge into the water.

“What is wrong with you??” Wyn yelled.

“You are!” Rob said, pointing a finger at him. “You and your delusions of grandeur, thinking you can do everything by yourself. Do you honestly think that you can beat Clonar on your own?”

“Of course I do! I'm stronger than you and your friends put together.”

“I don't think you really believe that. I think you're just scared.”

“Scared? Of what?”

“Of forging friendships with others after what happened to you in the past.” Rob grinned in realization. “Yeah, I'll bet that's exactly it.”

“You don't know anything about me!” Wyn said, his face flushing bright red. “Get out of here now!”

“Hit the nail on the head, didn't I?” Rob said smugly. “You can't fool me, Wyn. I've watched enough anime to know how people like you tick. Just admit it.”

“I said get out of here,” Wyn repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

“And I said not until you join up with us.”

Wyn stood up, looking like he was ready to tear Rob in half. “So I'm going to have to make you leave, is that it?”

Rob stifled a chuckle. “I'd like to see you try.”

“Oh, is that so?” Wyn said, walking slowly towards him. “You really think you could stand a chance against me, huh?”

Rob wasn't sure. But he wasn't about to back down now. “O-Of course. In fact, how about we make a little wager? If you win, I'll never bother you again. But if you're taken down, you have to join up with us and drop the lone wolf act.”

“It wouldn't be fair to you to take such a one-sided wager,” Wyn said, “but if that's what it takes, then fine. Dimensional Guardians, power up!”

“Dimensional Guardians, power up!”

The flow of the waterfall seemed to slow down as the Guardians stood tall in front of it.

Wyn motioned towards him. “Well? Let's see what you've got.”

Rob was really hoping it wouldn't go this far, but he instigated a fight, and now he had to follow through with it. He aimed at Wyn and fired. “Laser Blast!”

Before the attack could even get close to Wyn, he zipped behind Rob. “Not the best way to start a battle, is it?” He elbowed Rob in the back, then disappeared before Rob could counter.

“Where'd you go?” Rob called, shifting his gaze around the treetops. “Afraid to fight me?” No answer. “Seriously. Get out here.”

“Guardian Punch!”

Rob didn't have time to gauge the direction of the blast; it struck him square in the shoulder, sending sparks flying from his armor. Wyn suddenly came down from the trees, but Rob lied down on the ground and kicked him away. Wyn used a tree as a springboard to jet back towards Rob and punched him in the gut. Rob fell to his knees as Wyn loomed over him.

“Not a bad move,” Wyn said. “But as a fighter you should always be ready for the unexpected. You never know what kind of moves your opponent will use next.”

“Thanks...for the tip,” Rob grunted, clutching his stomach.

“So, had enough?”

Rob forced a cocky grin. “You kidding? I've been hit by pillows harder than your punches.”

“Really? That must've been pretty unpleasant then.”

Rob fired again, hoping to catch Wyn off guard, but Wyn was too quick. He jumped over the laser and kicked Rob in the side, sending him rolling along the dirt.

“Once again, you're in over your head,” Wyn said. “Don't you ever think before you do anything?

“Shut up!” In a rage, Rob fired wildly as his target, but Wyn danced around the attacks with ease.

“No strategy at all,” Wyn said calmly. “You just keep blasting away like a fool. You'll never win any battles that way.” He jumped high into the air, got behind Rob again, and began attacking wildly himself. Wild, Rob noted, but somehow focused at the same time. Rob tried to be as nimble in dodging Wyn's volley as he had his, but failed spectacularly. “Not so good at defense either, I see,” Wyn added. “I'm starting to wonder how you've managed to survive as long as you have.”

Battered by Wyn's barrage, Rob fell backwards to the ground.

“I think our little wager has been settled,” Wyn said. “Don't you?”

Rob picked his head up off the ground. “Ready to quit, huh? Well, too bad. I've still got plenty of fight in me.”

“Ah, leading me into a false sense of security, huh? This I have to see.”

Strong fighting skills and a biting wit. Rob wasn't about give in to that. He flipped up and hurled his fist as hard as he could at Wyn's face, but Wyn intercepted it with seemingly no effort. “You really are a pitiful fool. You don't know when to quit.”

“And you don't know when to shut up!” Rob snapped back, throwing his other fist at him.

Wyn grabbed it, too. “Bad at fighting and snippy comebacks. How sad.”

Rob tried to pull his fists away. It didn't even seem as if Wyn had a good grip on them, but he couldn't break free. Then, Wyn began squeezing Rob's fists so hard that the boy fell to his knees.

“Why are you doing this?” Rob asked, fighting back tears. “Why do you turn us away when we just want to be your friends?”

Wyn appeared unsympathetic. “I've told you before, I don't do friendship. Not anymore. And even if I did, you don't seem like the type of person I'd want as a friend, anyway.”

Rob growled. “You...”

“Why waste my talents working with you guys?” Wyn continued. “You're probably the most experienced fighter out of the lot, and I have you on your knees. You're all nothing compared to me.”

“You're wrong,” Rob said. “We have potential. A lot of potential. That's why we need you. We need you to help us realize that potential.”

“I believe the wager was that you'd never bother me again if I beat you,” Wyn said, ignoring Rob's comment. “So, do you surrender?”

“N-No! Of course not!”

Wyn squeezed his fists harder.

“Gah! All right, all right, I give up!”

Rob fell over as Wyn let go.

“Okay, then,” Wyn said. “I highly advise you step up your training, because if you ever come across Clonar again, he'll make mincemeat out of you. But hopefully you won't have to worry about that for long. Clonar will wish he never came to this world when I'm through with him. Later.”

Rob yelled to Wyn as he walked off. “F-Fine. If that's the way you want it. You'll be crawling back to us in no time, I know it!” He stood up and rubbed his aching hands. “Sheesh. What a sorehead.”

In the shadows of the treetops, a dark figure watched Wyn keenly. “Ah. I could have some fun with this.”

As Wyn kept walking, he noticed a strange black powder drifting over him. It was unlike powder he'd ever seen before. Or felt...

“Are you just going to walk away without finishing off your enemy?” a sinister voice hissed.

Wyn felt his head swirl as the powder around him thickened. “W...what?” was all he could manage to say in reply.

Suddenly, what appeared to be a giant black moth with glowing yellow eyes swooped down in front of him. “Yes, the human you just fought is your enemy,” it said. “He wants nothing more than to destroy you. And you're going to let him live? So he can attempt to destroy you again later on?”

Enemy...?

No. Rob wasn't really his enemy. He was a jerk, sure, but not his enemy...

...right?

“Don't give him the chance,” the moth continued. “Destroy him now, while he's weak. You know you have the strength to do it.”

Destroy...or be destroyed...

“Destroy,” Wyn muttered.

“Very good. Then go do it!”

“Destroy...destroy!”

Rob pouted as he shuffled through the forest. “What a waste of time. I should've known it'd turn out like this.”

Then, he stopped. There before him stood Wyn. And he still didn't look happy. “What now, Wyn?” Rob asked. “I'm guessing you haven't had a change of heart.”

“Guardian Punch!”

Rob narrowly jumped to the side to avoid the sudden attack. “Hey, what gives? The fight's over, remember?”

Wyn gritted his teeth. “No...it's not over until you're destroyed!”

Rob took several steps backward as the enraged Wyn came at him and threw a punch. Rob ducked, but was subsequently kicked into a tree. “What's wrong with you?!” Rob asked.

Wyn dug his elbow into Rob's chest. “You're my enemy. You must be destroyed.” He reared back to punch Rob again, but Rob kicked him aside.

“You've lost your mind,” Rob said. “Well, if it's a matter of me or you going down, I'll tell you right now it ain't gonna be me. Laser Blast!”

Wyn sidestepped the blast and elbowed Rob in the back, sending him falling to his knees. “Get up! I'm not through with you,” Wyn said. Before Rob's body could even register the pain, Wyn yanked him back to his feet...by the hair.

“Ow! Don't mess with the hair!”

With his enhanced strength, Wyn picked Rob up and hurled him over the edge of the rock formation into the water below. Rob wiped the water from his face as he tried to get up, but Wyn was already on top of him. “Having trouble staying awake? This ought to wake you up.” He grabbed Rob's head and shoved it down into the stream. Rob struggled to free himself from Wyn's powerful grip and come up for air before it was too late.

Suddenly, he could feel the powerful force exerting against him lighten. He heard words, muffled by the water: “Cool off, tough guy.”

He then felt himself being pulled out of the water. Chip and Brittany, decked out in their Guardian armor, were on both sides of him, supporting him from falling back over. “G-Guys,” he exclaimed between coughs. “You saved me. Thanks. But...why are you here?”

“We had a strange feeling things were going to turn out something like this,” Chip answered bluntly, “so we decided to check up on you.”

“But we didn't expect things to be quite this intense,” Brittany said in a surprised tone. “What'd you do to make Wyn so mad?”

Rob shrugged his shoulders innocently. “I don't know!” He paused. “...well, I did insult him and instigate a fight...but I don't think that's a good enough reason to try to drown me!”

Wyn shook off the icy attack Tami had struck him with, his focus not shaken in the slightest. “Enemy...Rob is my enemy!”

Tami stepped in front of Rob protectively. “That seems a little extreme, even for Wyn.”

“Whatever the case, he's gone off the deep end,” Brittany said. “You're pretty beat up, Rob. I think we need to get out of here and tend to your wounds.”

“Good idea,” Chip said, happy for any excuse to run away. “Let's find someplace to hide.” Brittany and Tami dragged Rob off as he shot at the ground, sending up a wall of dust to shield them from Wyn's sight.

“You can't escape!” Wyn called from other side of the wall. “I'll destroy you!”

But when the dust had cleared, they were already gone.

The Guardians weren't sure at what lengths Wyn would go to pursue Rob, so they searched for a safe spot hopefully far enough away that he couldn't reach them for a while. The spot they settled on was a tiny cave nestled at the far edge of the woods.

“You're not in too bad of shape, Rob,” Brittany said, tending to Rob's minor wounds. “I think you just need to rest.”

“I can't,” Rob grunted. “Not with Wyn trying to do me in. I have to stop him somehow.”

Brittany softly pressed him back against the cave wall. “What you have to do is relax. We'll take care of Wyn.”

Chip swallowed hard. “W-We will?”

Tami crossed her arms. “Something's not right here. Wyn's a hothead, but he's acting like some kind of wild animal. Something strange must've happened to him.”

“Lemme guess,” Chip groaned, “we're going to try and figure out what.”

“He's just like the dark Creturians,” Brittany said. “He won't stop until he's accomplished his goal. But maybe we snap him out of it somehow. Maybe we can reason with him.”

“I dunno, he doesn't seem to be in a reasoning mood to me,” Chip said.

“We have to try,” Tami said. “Rob, you just stay here and take it easy. We'll be back as soon as we can.”

Then, Rob was left alone in the dimly-lit cave. “Those guys...” he said to himself. “Don't they know that in situations like these, one person is supposed to stay behind and keep an eye on me?” He stood. “Good thing they apparently don't. It'll give me a chance to tail them and help out.”

Within moments of leaving the cave, the other Guardians heard Wyn's voice. And from the sound of it, he was closing in faster than they thought he would. “Rob! Where are you?!”

“Well, we shouldn't have any trouble finding him, at least,” Brittany said.

Tami frowned. “Everyone stay on guard.”

Despite his aching everything, Rob managed to keep up with his friends, all the way to their running into Wyn. He stood behind a tree a short distance away and watched intently.

“You,” Wyn snapped at the other Guardians. “Where's Rob?”

“Wyn, what's the matter?” Tami asked in a tone like that of one reasoning with an unhappy child. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Rob is my enemy. I must destroy him!”

“Please snap out of it, Wyn,” Brittany said. “Why do you want to destroy Rob so badly?”

“He wants to destroy me, but I'll destroy him first.”

“What? Trust me, Rob doesn't want to destroy you,” Tami said. “What gave you that crazy idea?”

Rob watched Wyn closely. He could tell Wyn was under the control of something. Whatever or whoever it was, if it had gotten to him shortly after their little spat earlier, it couldn't have gotten far.

Then, he saw it in his peripheral vision: a pair of yellow eyes glowing in a tree above Wyn. They seemed to be quite interested in what they were seeing.

Rob knew what he had to do. In a bold move, he emerged from behind the tree, revealing himself to his assailant. “Heya, pal, you've been looking for me?” he sneered.

Wyn turned quickly at the sound of his voice. “You!”

The Guardians appeared equally displeased to see him. “Rob, stay back!” Brittany shouted.

“He's being controlled by something,” Rob stated, “and that something is right up there!” He pointed to the tree, and the slanted yellow eyes grew wide as the creature realized he'd been spotted. The giant moth jetted out of the tree in a panic, and Rob pursued it. “Sorry, Wyn, I've got bigger fish to fry. We can finish our fight to the death later, 'kay?”

Wyn snarled. “No. We finish this now! Guardian Punch!”

Before he could attack, he was blindsided by another ice blast. “Don't try to stop me, or you'll be next!” he threatened Tami.

“I'll go help Rob,” Brittany said to Tami and Chip. “Can you guys deal with Wyn?”

Tami nodded. “No problem.”

“You're not getting away!” Rob yelled at the moth, who was darting around the tree branches in an effort to escape. With a straight path to run, Rob was able to get ahead and jump onto a tree branch, effectively cutting off the moth's path. “Hey, pal, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

The moth fluttered in front of him. “Guardian! You're a stubborn one, aren't you?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Maremoth, servant of Lord Clonar. I use my Nightmare Powder to hypnotize my enemies.”

“I figured as much. Think you can get away with it, huh?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Nightmare Powder!”

Rob scrambled to a higher branch as the powder floated harmlessly below him.

“'Fraid not. Laser Blast!”

Maremoth dodged. “Ha! You missed!”

Just then, Brittany's hammer came down on top of him, and he plummeted to the ground in a daze. “Nasty, yucky bug. Are you all right, Rob?” Brittany asked, flying up to him.

“Never better, Brit. Let me just finish this guy off.” Rob came down from the tree branch and engulfed the moth in a powerful blast.

Brittany landed beside him and shook her head amusedly. “How did I know you weren't going to stay put, Rob?”

“Am I that predictable? Anyway, let's head back. I'm sure Maremoth's hold over Wyn is gone now. Chip and Tami are probably kicking back waiting for us.”

He was wrong on both counts.

“I sure hope Rob and Brittany are having more fun than we are,” Tami said, her last words forced out as she was slammed into the ground by Wyn.

Chip blasted him, prompting him to let go. “Shouldn't take much effort.”

“Hey, guys!” Rob said as he and Brittany ran up to them, expecting a peaceful scene and not seeing one. “I...oh. He's still out of control, huh?”

Tami dodged Wyn's punch. “What was your first clue??”

Chip ducked under Wyn's kick. “A little help here, please!”

Rob sighed. “Looks like we're just going to have to knock some sense into him. Let's go!”

He and Brittany launched their attacks, but Wyn jumped over them and charged at Rob in a rage. “Now I'll finish you!”

His charge was halted as Chip, Brittany, and Tami restrained him. He struggled to break free like a wild animal struggling to free itself from a trap.

“Sorry, Wyn, but this is for your own good,” Rob said. “Laser Blast!” The force of Rob's point-blank attack knocked Wyn out of his transformation. Tami, Chip and Brittany breathed a collective sigh of relief as he fell limp in their arms, .

“Whew! Glad that's over,” Rob said, happy he could finally relax.

Tami kept a cautious grip on Wyn. “But what're we going to do with him?”

“Yeah, what if he's still under that bug thing's control?” Brittany asked.

“Well, perhaps it'll simply wear off,” Chip suggested. “We just have to keep an eye on him.”

Wyn awoke a short while later to see the other Guardians surrounding him.

“W-What's going on here? Where am I?”

“Glad to see you're all right, Wyn,” Brittany said.

“Yeah. We were concerned for a while there,” Chip added.

“Last thing I remember...” Wyn pointed to Rob. “You. We were fighting.

Rob nodded. “Yup. I whooped you so bad you were knocked unconscious.” Tami cleared her throat and shot him a look. “Er, just kidding. Actually, believe it or not, we just saved you from life as a mindless slave.”

Wyn tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What?”

“You were under the control of one of Clonar's monsters and turned against us,” Tami explained, “but we were able to bring you under control.”

Chip chuckled. “We...kinda had to beat you up to do it, though. Sorry.”

Wyn looked at them skeptically. “...are you sure?”

“You have four witnesses, pal,” Rob said. “It happened. Guess you're not quite as tough as you thought you were, huh?”

Wyn huffed. “I suppose I should thank you all for saving me. I think we're even now.” He stood and started to walk away.

“Still not interested in joining us, huh?” Rob asked. “Even after we saved you like that?”

“I said thanks,” Wyn answered. “Now I'm going to go train some more.”

“Admit it, Wyn, you can't do everything on your own,” Rob said. “If it wasn't for us, chances are Maremoth would've had you polishing the floors at Clonar's fortress by now.”

“Rob's right, Wyn,” Brittany said. “There's no telling what kind of other tricks Clonar has up his sleeve. And if we're going to successfully deal with them, we need to work together.”

“Plus, I'm sure there's a lot we can learn from one another,” Chip put in. “I know there's plenty we can learn from you.”

“Please, Wyn. Won't you work with us?” Tami asked.

Wyn seemed to think it over before answering. “Come to think of it, I guess I actually lost the wager, didn't I?”

This time it was the other Guardians who looked confused. “Huh?” they asked in unison.

“The challenge was if I was beaten, I'd join up with you. And I was. By you guys, no less. And I always keep my word.”

Chip, Brittany and Tami were still confused, but Rob slowly grinned in realization, then stepped forward and gave Wyn a look of sincere repentance. “Look, I'm...sorry about how I acted before. I know how hard things have been for you. But maybe...maybe it's time for a fresh start.” He extended his hand to Wyn. “What do you say? Friends?”

Wyn looked at his extended hand uneasily, then at the other Guardians, then back down to the hand. “It's been a long time since I've had friends...” Slowly, he brought his hand toward Rob's.

“It's been a long time coming,” Rob said.

Finally, Wyn shook it.

“Awesome. Now that's what I like to see,” Rob said.

Everyone huddled around Wyn and began chattering happily, but Wyn pushed them away. “Wait, wait, wait, calm down, calm down,” he said firmly. The excitement died down and turned to anxiety as they backed away from him. “I'll work with you all until Clonar is dealt with,” he stated. “After that, our alliance is terminated. Got it?”

Rob didn't appear disheartened. “Mmm, we'll see how things go.”

“I think you'll have a change of heart by the time all is said and done,” Tami said cheerfully.

“But for now, welcome to the team,” Rob added.

And for the first time, Wyn returned the smile.

Are the Guardians truly united? With Wyn now part of the team, how will their training fare? Find out in the next episode of Dimension Heroes!

TO BE CONTINUED...