The Black Pearl Brigade chapter 10: On A Clear Day, I Can See Justice (originally posted on June 14, 2022)
AN: Once this chapter is up, we'll only be six chapters away from the finale of The Black Pearl Brigade and we can move on to greener pastures. I've already got quite a bit planned for the future of the Alternate Future-verse, and some of the characters that'll feature here will be seen again down the road.
Synopsis: The young superheroine Sylvia Spectre believes the Black Pearl Brigade to be evil, and they must prove her wrong.
Cast:
Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade
Avi Roque as Cinnabar
Awkwafina as Kyanite
Allison Janney as Pyrite
Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper
Zehra Fazal as Zoisite
Lena Hall as Bloodstone
Kathleen Barr as Púrén
Featuring Nicole Sullivan as Sylvia Spectre
Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania
Rob Paulsen as Saturn Brickhead
John DiMaggio as Uranus Brickhead
Chi McBride as Leader of the Coalition of Galaxies
Elisabeth Moss as Grace Spectre
And George Newbern as Samuel Spectre
--
On a dark, cold night on a city planet in a different galaxy, two thugs who dressed like Earth truckers had finished a big robbery and were racing for their lives away from the cops with their loot. The driver had his eyes firmly fixed on the road, and brick-skinned hands tightly gripped the steering wheel of the hover vehicle they had stolen, while his larger sidekick was right next to him with their loot in his arms.
"Step on it, bro! They're gaining on us!" the bigger thug yelled to his small-built compatriot at the wheel. "I told ya we shoulda used those meltin' sticks on the vault!"
"Oh, quit your whinin', ya big palooka!" the smaller driver complained to his hefty brother. "Those meltin' sticks would've taken forever to get through the door! I prefer to get things done quick, ya hear?!"
"No need to give me any lip, shrimpy!" the big brother hollered hotly. "You're the one who decided to blow the dern thang up!"
As the pair of thugs growled at each other, a third party phased through the car door and turned herself visible while sitting between the two with arms around their shoulders, revealing a young woman with blue skin, long red hair with rainbow fringes, cerise eyes, and wearing advanced armor. "What are you Brickheads arguing about this time?"
"AHH, SYLVIA SPECTRE!" the driver Brickhead shrieked at the sight of superheroine Sylvia Spectre sitting between the two crooks. "GET HER OUTTA HERE, YA IDJIT!"
"Why do I always have to do all the work?!" the bigger brother whined before he grabbed Sylvia and tossed her out of the vehicle, never once letting go of their stolen goods.
"Because I'm the only one between us with a driver's license, moron!" the smaller crook argued with his fatter brother again while Sylvia tumbled on the street behind them.
"Oy, must we do this every time?" Sylvia rolled her eyes at the arguing brothers with a smile before closing her eyes and phased straight through the road below her. Using the sewers to hide from the pair of crooks, Sylvia raced through the city's sewage with a loud, cheerful laugh before making herself tangible again and cornering the brothers when they least expected it. "Miss me?!"
"I always keep forgetting she could do that!" the smaller Brickhead brother shouted before the intangible heroine held out her hand and put the brothers' heist to a screeching halt. The hover vehicle was left severely dented while the Brickheads were sent flying out into the streets, where the cops patiently awaited them.
"SATURN AND URANUS BRICKHEAD, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" the police chief barked at the Brickhead brothers through a megaphone. "Get on your knees and put your hands in the air at once!"
"I blame you for this, Anus." Saturn growled at Uranus as the two brothers did as the police told.
"Same to you, Sat-Turd." Uranus snarled back before Sylvia touched down on the ground before the bickering brothers.
"Alright boys, let's hug and make up here. We all get better things to do than watch you argue." Sylvia said confidently before returning the brothers' stolen loot to the proper authorities. "Here you go, officer, all in one piece."
"We congratulate you for your assistance once again, Miss Spectre." The police chief thanked Sylvia with a shake of her hand. "Once again, the city planet of Novira is in your debt."
"Hey, all in a day's work for this super girl." A blushing Sylvia declared before she prepared to fly off. "Laters!" She took off to the skies, laughing once again as she flew above the city with her arms out, spinning around like a pinwheel in the air and pulling some extreme flying stunts before finding a skyscraper to perch on. "Man, I love fighting evil." The free-spirited supergirl sighed to herself as she lay on the edge of the building to watch the night sky, just as her wrist communicator began beeping. "What's the sitch, chief?"
"Sylvia, good evening to you, my little see-through superhero." The chief of Sylvia's workplace, the Coalition of Galaxies, greeted her with a fatherly smile. He was another humanoid creature with fifteen eyes decorating his head, a few of them being covered by cybernetic eyepatches. "I hear you successfully stopped the Brickhead Bros' latest job."
"Yeah, those two knuckleheads were too busy arguing about using melting sticks versus blowing up a vault door to focus on getting away from me." Sylvia explained to the Coalition's chief as she sat up and playfully kicked her legs. "Anything else for me to do, or am I free for now?"
"Actually, I do have one more mission for you to complete tonight." The commander revealed as he presented a wanted poster of Torius Vosania. "Torius Vosania has recently been spotted by Coalition spies in what we refer to as the Twilight Zone." He explained to Sylvia before revealing another wanted poster, this time dedicated to Cinnabar. "Word has it he is now in league with a former Gem commander wanted by the Great Diamond Authority known as Cinnabar. She has been on the run for the past couple of weeks for crimes against their new order, such as reclaiming old colonies for her superior's empire."
Upon hearing about Cinnabar, Sylvia's expression darkened, the previously energetic, tomboyish agent of the Coalition grimacing in disgust and hatred at the mere mention of Gems. "Those guys again. Where can I find them?"
"As I stated, Sylvia, Cinnabar is in the Twilight Zone with Torius." The chief said worriedly. "Look, my dear, I can see you're still grieving the loss of your planet and your parents. If you want, I can give you the rest of the day off and send another ranger after her."
"No, chief, this is a score I have to settle myself." Sylvia snarled quietly before cutting off her line to the chief and flying off. "I knew that Steven brat was lying when he said he reformed all the Gems." She muttered to herself. "Once a colonizer, always a colonizer."
--
The Twilight Zone, in keeping with its name, was a perpetually dark and dreary system infamous for having multiple moons that perpetually eclipsed the sun. It is a perfect place for criminal lowlifes to do their business without anyone noticing, and the target of the Black Pearl Brigade's next job.
The Servant hovered quietly through the Twilight Zone as the Pearls gazed in awe of the darkened planets surrounding them. "Welcome Pearls to the Twilight Zone." Púrén declared to her passengers. "I suppose you already know where the name comes from."
"How is it possible for there to be an eternal eclipse?" IQ gasped while examining the planets on her computer systems. "The consequences of such an event would be most dire! There would be constant floods from the tides always acting up, not to mention the effects it would have on food and the ecosystem! Don't even get me started on how many species require sunlight to survive!"
"Still the perfect place for criminals to lurk, though." Cap mused on the Twilight Zone as well. "Where did they say this Torius Vosania guy is hiding out?"
"Our contact stated Torius was hiding on this planet." Púrén answered as the screen indicated an ice planet that it called Frozone. "Plus, there have also been rumors that a certain someone has joined forces with him too."
"Oh please, those rumors about Cinnabar still being active are just rumors!" Braids brushed the AI off. "But if she really is still out there, then we can just take her down once again as we gloriously did before!"
"You can say that again." Tails smirked at the strong Pearl.
"Okay!" Braids replied. "We can just take her down once again as we gloriously did before!"
"No, I didn't mean literally, you goof." Tails groaned at Braids' literalness.
"Focus, everyone. We should be nearing Frozone any minute now." Cap stated. "Just a few more lightyears, girls!"
"Hey, did anyone check the security systems lately?" Pony wondered aloud. "Because I have a feeling we've been boarded, and none of us noticed."
"What makes you say that, Pony?" Cap asked her right-hand Gem.
"Because I feel like someone is watching us, and they're not very happy." Pony replied nervously before Sylvia Spectre made herself appear before the Pearls, looming over Pony with a fierce frown on her features. "Someone, stop her!"
Immediately, Sculder emerged into the bridge and displayed its arm cannon to fire at Sylvia. Still, the heroine let the ammo phase through her body before marching up to the attack robot and punching it in the face. This caused the Pearls to decide to take up arms against the invisible intruder, but not before Pony spoke up. "Wait!" she yelped. "Before we get violent, can you please explain who you are and what you're doing here?"
"Glad for one of you to ask." Sylvia stated, never once dropping her stoic, businesslike demeanor. "I'm Sylvia Spectre, agent of the Coalition of Galaxies. I am on a mission to the Twilight Zone and would like to ask you some questions about Torius Vosania and his alliance with Cinnabar."
"Wait, you believe those rumors about Cinnabar?" Cap asked Sylvia. "Everyone knows she hasn't been seen in ages!"
"That is where you are wrong, Pearl." Sylvia declared. "Recent reports from our spies have claimed that this Cinnabar has been active lately, and you might know a thing or two about her. Tell me, do you still worship the ground she walks on?"
"What? No!" Cap exclaimed. "You got it all wrong! We're not working for Cinnabar or Black Rutile anymore! As a matter of fact, Era 3 has freed all Gems from the Diamonds' rule!"
"Oh sure, all Gems are free now." Sylvia scoffed. "That's what they want the whole universe to think, but I know how they think. This is all just to lure us into a false sense of security before revealing they never changed to begin with and conquering us all!"
"Looks like someone has issues with Gems." Tails said to IQ.
"Indeed, she's awfully prejudiced and snappy for a law officer." IQ replied nervously. "Hello there, Miss Spectre. I am IQ of the Black Pearl Brigade. I can see you are a little racist against the Gems, but maybe there's a reason for it. Did I get that right?"
"Yes, there is a reason." Sylvia nodded. "But I prefer not to speak of it. Now come quietly, or I will have to use lethal force."
"I have your lethal force right here!" Braids roared and charged right at Sylvia, who simply dodged the Pearl's attack by disappearing, causing Braids to crash into one of the surrounding consoles.
"Careful, everyone!" Púrén exclaimed. "I am very delicate equipment, you know!"
"Don't worry, Púrén; I'll ensure you're still in one piece when we chase her away!" Tails declared and aimed her rifle at the Coalition officer before firing, but Sylvia just ran away from the gunfire following her, causing more damage to the ship.
"What part of delicate do you not understand?!" Púrén yelled as things escalated into an all-out fight between Sylvia and the Pearls.
"Just hold still!" Sylvia yelled as the galactic enforcer tried to restrain any of the Pearls, punching the central console and causing the ship's hyperspeed to go haywire. "Uh, that's bad, right?"
"Very bad!" IQ yelled. "What did you just do?!"
"What did I do?!" Sylvia argued with IQ. "Well, I admit this is definitely my fault, but you're just as much to blame! Where will this take us?!"
"We have no idea!" Pony replied.
"INITIATING HYPERSPEED." Púrén robotically declared. "DESTINATION: UNKNOWN." With that, the Servant vibrated violently before it completely vanished from the Twilight Zone, leaving no trace that the Pearls were ever there.
--
The Servant exited hyperspeed over a desolate planet and began falling to its surface, while the ship's boosters began catching fire. The alarm systems blared non-stop as the Pearls scrambled to try and keep their vessel from crashing, but unfortunately, the damage done during their fight with Sylvia proved too great to fix in such a short amount of time, and the ship finally crashed.
"Well, that could've gone better." Cap declared as she emerged from the Servant mostly unscathed, along with the other Pearls and their opponent.
"On the plus side, at least the ship is still in one piece." IQ sighed with relief. "Apologies, Púrén, we just didn't look where we were fighting."
"It's alright, girls, just try to take your conflicts somewhere else." Púrén accepted IQ's apology before noticing Sylvia wandering off to gaze up at the sky beneath them. "I think something might be wrong with her."
"What isn't wrong with her?" Tails asked. "She just popped in to be racist and cause us to crash on wherever we are!"
"I think there may be something more to her than we think." Pony pondered. "Come on, let's try and hear her out."
"Fine, I guess we can try to talk to her." Braids proclaimed and walked over to a suddenly introspective Sylvia. "Excuse us, Miss Spectre, is something the matter?"
Sylvia remained silent, only turning to the Pearls she prejudiced with a teary-eyed stare. Then she finally spoke up. "I'm home."
"Your home?" Cap repeated in shock at what the Coalition agent had just declared. "What are you talking about?"
"This was my home, Invisibo-9," Sylvia answered shakily. "Or at least, it was. Then twenty years ago, the Gems tried making it into another colony."
--
The citizens of Invisibo-9 lived relative peace until the Gems invaded their home planet. But when the Diamonds threatened to drive them all to extinction by stripping their world of its resources and creating Kindergartens that would slowly kill its ecosystem, the Invisibons refused to accept surrender. Some of their most outstanding soldiers were sent out to eliminate high-ranking Gems who were participating in the colonization of Invisibo-9, and either capturing or assassinating them with their invisibility powers.
It wasn't until the Diamonds decided to personally take action that the Invisibons, with the assistance of the Coalition of Galaxies, were forced to flee their home. Sylvia was among those who escaped, but her parents weren't as lucky.
During the violent war between the Coalition and the Diamonds, the Spectre family had escaped under the camouflage of gunfire, falling corpses, and orders being barked. Invisibo-9's capital city of Griffin was on the brink of collapse, and there weren't that many ships left to escape in. However, Sylvia's parents Grace & Samuel had to make a very tough choice.
"Come on guys, let's get out of here!" a younger Sylvia cried eagerly as she boarded the escape ship and awaited her mother and father to come join her. "Mommy, Daddy?"
"How do we tell her?" Samuel asked his wife morosely.
"Let's just try to be honest." Grace replied and walked toward her daughter. "Sylvia, sweetie, I don't think we'll be coming with you."
"W-why not?" Sylvia asked her mother in shock. "Do you not love me?"
"Oh no, we truly love you!" Samuel responded. "You're the best daughter we could ever have, on this world or any other world! But our dedication to our people's survival is just as important, yours included, darling."
"So, you're not coming?" Sylvia kept asking while on the verge of tears before her parents gave her one last hug.
"We may not be coming with you, but know that we'll always be with you no matter what." Samuel declared with tears in his eyes.
"Here, as a reminder to never give up hope." Grace said while handing Sylvia a ring with the words 'ALWAYS WITH YOU' engraved on it. "No matter what happens, my dear, just know that there will always be people who will stick by you through thick and thin. Can you keep that in mind for us?"
"I hope so." Sylvia sniffled and gave her parents one last hug. "I love you."
"We love you too, Sylvia." Samuel declared, now on the verge of tears himself. "Forever and always." With that, the Spectre couple let their daughter go for the last time and set the escape ship's coordinates to the headquarters of the Coalition of Galaxies. "Are you ready, Grace?"
"For our people, and our daughter." Grace responded bravely as their daughter's ship lifted off and flew away from Invisibo-9 as the married couple turned invisible to fight the Gem threat. That would be the last time Sylvia ever heard from her parents.
--
"All troops, we need backup at once!" the Coalition of Galaxies' leader barked orders to his men as they moved out to contain the invading Gems on Invisibo-9. "Medic, we got injured coming in! Come on, we gotta get these Invisibons to safety!"
"Uh, sir, I got some news for you." A soldier of the Coalition said to his superior.
"Speak, soldier, I'm on a tight schedule here!" the chief barked.
"We seem to have found another escaping Invisibon that just arrived at our HQ." the soldier revealed as he pushed the young Sylvia towards his boss.
"What's your name, sport?" the chief said with a knee to the child.
"S-Sylvia Spectre." Sylvia muttered nervously, having just escaped the invasion of her planet without knowing if her parents were still alive.
"Sylvia, as in Samuel's girl?!" the chief cried in delight before letting out a booming laugh. "Your old man was one of my best guys back in the old days; he and I were like brothers!"
"You knew my daddy?" Sylvia asked, finally looking up at the chief.
"Of course! Didn't you hear me?!" the chief smiled, only to realize that the little girl of his brother in arms wasn't smiling herself. "Oh, what happened?"
"My mommy and daddy sent me here before they went off to fight the Gems." Sylvia revealed. "Now I'm not sure what happened to them?"
"Oh, I can tell you what happened." The chief said with a sneer, as if he'd been replaced with a different man. "I'm sorry to say this, little girl, but your parents are as good as gone. Those Diamonds have ended so many lives in their quest for dominance over this part of the universe! Homes have been destroyed, families torn asunder, bringing chaos and genocide undreamt of!"
"S-so they're gone?!" Sylvia asked as she began to sob about the death of her parents. "Mommy! Daddy!"
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" the chief yelped and gave the despairing Sylvia a hug. "I didn't mean to say that in your face. It's just that I've seen this so many times." That was when he got an idea. "Hey, since you're an Invisibon, you can turn invisible, right?"
"I think so." Sylvia stopped crying enough to try and demonstrate her invisibility powers. However, only her head vanished from sight. "My family gave me some training before now."
"Well, how would you like to come train under my wing?" the chief offered with a knowing wag of his finger. "As a proper member of the Coalition of Galaxies, you could become a shining beacon of hope and justice for this dark and unfair universe! And who knows? Maybe you could finally give them Gems what for." He then extended his hand, offering the Invisibon girl to shake it. "We got a deal, Sylvia?"
Looking down at her ring that Grace gave her, Sylvia gave a glance to the Coalition's chief, who responded with a fatherly smile before Sylvia finally accepted the handshake. "Okay, I'll do it, sir."
"Wonderful! We can get started as soon as we're done with the evacuation." the chief exclaimed before leading Sylvia away. "And please, call me Chief. That's what everyone calls me, even my mother."
In the following years, Sylvia would grow as a devoted agent of the Coalition of Galaxies, honing her natural abilities under some of the best teachers the Chief could offer her. However, the loss of her old home and her family still resonated with Sylvia. The trauma would turn her into a completely different person whenever her dark past was brought up. Coalition doctors chalked that up to a mental disorder developed because of the event. Nevertheless, Sylvia continued living her best life possible by defending planets from the forces of evil, until today.
--
"So, all this was because of who the Diamonds once were?" Cap gasped once Sylvia finished her backstory. "That's horrible! No, wait, I can totally understand."
"But please, it's not like that anymore." Pony said as she took Sylvia's hands in her own. "Aside from a few bad apples who have taken their hatred for the current status quo to unhealthy levels and are proud to be irredeemable, everything's different now! The Diamonds no longer hold power, they've ditched their old colonies! Heck, they're even switching to democracy!"
"I know, but I don't buy it." Sylvia responded quietly. "They're not redeemed in the slightest, that Steven kid just got them to shut up and play nice with the rest of existence. And if they choose to ignore his words and go back to the way things were, that's okay with me."
"Wow, you are a real tough nut to crack." Tails nodded curtly. "What's it going to take for you to get on our side, us helping you stop a villain you've been chasing?!"
--
At that moment, Cinnabar watched the debate between the Pearls and Sylvia from the primary warship of Torius Vosania's massive fleet with great interest. "Hm, a proud hater of Steven's ways? If she weren't already a member of that cursed Coalition and not super racist against Gems, she'd make a perfect addition to the Rutile Rebels!"
"So Sylvia Spectre is back on Invisibo-9?" Torius asked as he crawled into the light to stand by his new companion. "That wretched girl has been a thorn on my empire for far too long, and now she has joined with the Pearls?! As if taking down the Brickheads yet again was bad enough!"
"I wouldn't say joined Tori, more like forced to work together even though she really hates Gems." Kyanite corrected Torius. "Hey, I remember being on Invisibon-9! Man, turning that place into a colony was real fun!"
"Your energy remains positively infectious, Kyanite dearie." Pyrite beamed while filing her nails. "I'm quite nostalgic for how I sold weapons to both sides during the conflict, like I always did."
"So, anyone up for some good ol' terrorizing?" Dalmatian Jasper suggested while choosing which weapons she should bring into the forthcoming battle.
"Oh, I haven't had any action in ages!" Zoisite responded just as eagerly.
"As eager as I am to finally get revenge on the Pearls, let's try and think about what to do first." Bloodstone cautioned everyone. "There's no doubt the Pearls might be better prepared for any encounters with us. But thankfully, Torius has given us all the manpower we need in addition to Black Rutile's override command."
"Correct." Torius hissed before skittering over and looking down upon a small army of Black Pearls reprogrammed by the override command. No longer did they rebel against Black Rutile's fractured squad of insurgents. Now they loyally served her once more with no memory of having turned their backs on her cause.
"Now rise my Pearls!" Torius roared sadistically as the Pearls began looking up at their current masters. "RISE!"
--
Meanwhile, back on Invisibon-9, the Pearls got to work on trying to repair what they destroyed on the Servant, and Sylvia had reluctantly decided to help them out. "Now, if you want the best performance possible for your AI," Sylvia analyzed. "you're going to need to replace these wires. It's clear that they aren't fit to be used anymore."
"I can definitely concur. These wires are too far gone." IQ nodded in agreement. "I'll fetch some spares I might have in my workshop."
"Púrén, any signs of other lifeforms within our vicinity at the moment?" Cap asked the Servant's artificial intelligence.
"None so far, mercifully." Púrén replied while continuing to scan the general area. "Though I'll continue to keep an eye out."
"Unfortunately, that will have to wait." IQ said as she returned to the bridge with her spare wires. "Sylvia suggested that I replace some wires for you to have the best performance possible, which means I'll have to shut you down for a while."
"I understand, IQ, but don't say I didn't warn you." Púrén declared before going into sleep mode, thus allowing IQ to get to work on recalibrating her systems.
"Wow, you guys work pretty well together." Sylvia declared while watching IQ at work.
"Pretty well? We are far beyond pretty well!" Braids exclaimed proudly. "We are like a family!"
"Yeah, we've basically been stuck together since we were created at the Reef." Tails agreed. "It only took until, like, blowing up Black Rutile's headquarters for us to see each other as family."
"Wait, that was you?!" Sylvia gasped. "I was convinced it was some kind of accident!"
"Oh, far from it!" Pony replied eagerly. "You should've been there! We were backed into a corner by these Concrete monsters, but when we found their weaknesses, Cinnabar decided to turn tail and run while leaving the joint to self-destruct!"
"Man, talk about a coward." Sylvia grinned cockily after hearing the story. "And she's supposed to be Black Rutile's apprentice, right?"
"I know, right?!" Cap began laughing uproariously when suddenly, the six heard a strange hovering sound. "Hey, anyone else hear that?"
"I got a bad feeling about this." Sylvia replied warily as she prepared for a potential fight, which she got in the form of a massive warship and surrounding fleet that she recognized all too well. "Torius!"
"Torius Vosania." Cap repeated as the intergalactic crime lord was beamed down to Invisibo-9's surface with Cinnabar's team, an army of Black Pearls, Concretes, and various other alien thugs. "And Cinnabar!"
"Hello Pearls, we meet again." Cinnabar coldly responded. "For the last time!"
"It was only a matter of time before we'd see you again." Tails declared as she pumped her rifle. "And what's with the Black Pearls with you?"
"Oh, so glad you asked." Cinnabar responded before presenting a wrist device she made to produce a laser weapon. "This machine was built to house an override command personally delivered to me by Black Rutile that I can use to restore her Pearl army. One shot, and they're instantly reverted to their original settings, and the process is completely irreversible."
"You dare threaten us?!" Braids exclaimed. "We shall have your head for this!"
"Not if we take yours first!" Torius responded just as intensely. "Attack!" On Torius's command, his and Cinnabar's combined armies charged at the mercenaries and the Coalition agent, who immediately began charging themselves.
"Ready for round two, Tails?!" DJ said to the sniper while she and Zoisite faced off with her. Zoisite had also summoned her naginata to clash with Tails' bayonet.
"Or are you ready to become a trophy?!" Zoisite added excitedly.
"Don't count your Gems before they emerge in the Kindergarten." Tails smirked before aiming her double-barreled rifle at DJ's face and fired, knocking the Jasper down. "You can thank Bismuth of the Crystal Gems for this upgrade." She then smacked Zoisite in the face with the butt of her firearm.
Meanwhile, Pony had engaged Kyanite in another duel of swords vs. quindent while also engaging in polite conversation. "So, how have you been doing since we last met?"
"Oh, just straggling along without many resources to rely on." Kyanite responded. "Torius has actually been pretty generous to us, if a little off his rocker."
"How off his rocker, if I may ask?" Pony wondered.
"Oh, rambling to himself about getting revenge on his brother who may be one of the Universal Lords." Kyanite revealed to her opponent. "Though I'm not sure if he's just talking crazy, or maybe there's something deeper. Who knows?"
Braids stood face to face with Pyrite, confident that she would win again as Pyrite seemingly had no weapon on her. "Ha ha, your wily words cannot deceive me this time, you naughty fool's gold!" the strong Pearl boasted. "Don't think this will turn out like that deal we had at Bopbe!"
"Oh, how rude of me, I don't think I ever revealed my weapon yet." Pyrite declared and pulled her cane from her gem that she promptly turned into a bo staff. "How do you like it? I consider myself quite good at stick fighting, you know. Girl's gotta protect herself when doing business with unscrupulous characters."
"Intriguing, but can it compare to my ax?!" Braids bellowed and swung her ax at Pyrite's cane, seemingly chopping off the stick portion before it suddenly regrew even longer than before. "It can't be!"
"Yes, my cane can regenerate from any damage given to it." Pyrite explained her cane's capabilities before it collided with the handle of Braids' ax. "Fascinating, is it not?"
"Okay, I shall admit, it's very fascinating." Braids confessed to being wowed by the new weapon before her.
Finally, Cap's spear collided with the massive blade of Cinnabar's broadsword, the two neck in neck as they glared at each other with fire in their eyes. "How were you able to survive crashing into the Reef?!" Cap asked. "We thought you were shattered!"
"We retreated into our gems at the last minute before the crash, if you desperately wanted to know." Cinnabar responded. "We spent the last few days in hiding afterward, hoping to find a way to regain power while Black Rutile's empire crumbled around us. But like a phoenix from the ashes, thanks to Torius Vosania, we live again!"
"Torius is known for stabbing any other criminals he allies with in the back, and it's only a matter of time before you become one of them!" Cap warned her counterpart.
"That I find doubtful." Cinnabar objected with a grin. "After we helped him enforce his rule over the Third Vector of the Binary Galaxy, he placed his full trust in us and helped us take back what's ours. Though I have heard, he can be a little paranoid and unstable."
Speaking of Torius, he was using the big wings on his head to face Sylvia in a battle in the sky, nimbly dodging her energy blasts while firing bullets from his cybernetic lower half to keep her on her toes. "So, you're so desperate to stop me that you decide to enlist the aid of Gems?!"
"You're wrong; we had no other choice since they understood what I went through!" Sylvia responded and phased through Vosania to attack him from behind. "Plus, they aren't completely horrible! They're like a family to each other!"
"Yes, family." Torius mused on Sylvia's declaration. "My family had cast me out because they disapproved of how I treated my brother once he ascended to the throne. This spider-like body was a result of a battle between us siblings that nearly killed me, and I cobbled together the cybernetics needed to keep me alive while I was in hiding. Surely you must understand, my dear."
"I do, I lost my family too, but I won't let anyone destroy any other families!" Sylvia declared bravely and tackled Torius to the ground. Still, he let out an animalistic shriek and tried to bite her face off with his sharp fangs, but Sylvia turned invisible at the last moment, leaving Torius gnashing at the air.
"That should leave him distracted for a bit." Sylvia said to herself as she gazed at the battlefield below her. The Pearls had already defeated Cinnabar and her minions, leaving only the Concretes, the brainwashed Black Pearls, and the Vosania Syndicate's thugs for them to fight. However, the invisible heroine spotted Cinnabar preparing the watch device she proclaimed would force-reset the Pearls back to being her loyal soldiers. "I have to stop her!"
"One shot, and they'll be back to serving me." Cinnabar repeated what she explained earlier while aiming the laser out of her watch at Cap. "Just hold still now, and the rest shall follow."
However, what Cinnabar didn't account for was Sylvia Spectre sneaking up behind her and grabbing her shoulder. "Lali-ho, who do we have here?" Sylvia asked as she revealed herself to the Gem. "I don't think that watch belongs to you."
"Of course it does; now get your hands off me!" Cinnabar yelled as she wrestled with the superheroine to keep her watch out of her hands. No matter how much the apprentice of Black Rutile tried to keep her overriding watch away from Sylvia's clutches, it proved too easy for Sylvia to use her invisibility powers to keep taking Cinnabar by surprise before ripping the watch off her wrist and smashing it to pieces, saving the Pearls. "No!"
"There, now you can't control the Pearls anymore!" Sylvia declared, striking a stereotypical hero pose as she stood triumphant over Cinnabar. "How's about you run off and never show your face on my planet again?!"
"Your planet? This is barely even a planet anymore!" Cinnabar laughed. "And besides, you may have destroyed my device, but the override command that Black Rutile gave me is still saved in my database, which means I can just rebuild it over and over again!" She then turned to her troops and began calling to them. "All forces, retreat at once!"
"Wait, already?!" DJ yelled in disappointment. "What about your watch?!"
"The blasted thing has been shattered!" Cinnabar replied. "Quickly, we must re-strategize!"
On Cinnabar's orders, her troops began racing away from the Pearls. At the same time, Torius's goons carried their distracted boss back to his leading ship, thus leaving the Brigade and Sylvia to decide that they've effectively won.
"Yes, we are triumphant!" Braids declared happily.
"And it was thanks to me." Sylvia announced as she presented Cinnabar's crushed watch. "Cinnabar was planning to use this on you to add to her reprogrammed Pearls. If I hadn't stepped in, you would've lost everything you knew about yourselves."
"So that's how she got all those Pearls." IQ deduced as she took the device and began examining it. "Maybe we can use some of this one's parts to fix the ship."
"But why did you do it?" Cap asked the Coalition heroine. "You could've just left us to fend for ourselves once you knocked out Torius."
"Because you guys are like family to each other, people who will stick by each other through thick and thin," Sylvia stated. "and I don't want anyone else to lose their families the way I did. I may not have completely turned around on Gems, but you guys ain't half bad. Maybe I can put a good word in for you when I report back to the chief."
"That would be amazing." Cap nodded gratefully. "Hopefully, we can work together again soon."
"Maybe." Sylvia agreed before presenting a special device shaped like the Coalition of Galaxies' sigil. "Anytime you think you need me, just press the button on this, and I'll be there."
"We'll keep that in mind." Pony accepted the device. "Bye now!"
Sylvia turned around with a knowing smile and flew away from her old home planet. Once she had left it despising the Gems for what they did to her people, but today she goes with a newfound respect for at least some of them.
"Guess all she needed was someone to relate to." Pony sighed with a contemplative look on her face. "Someone who knew how valuable family was like her."
"Like us." IQ replied. "Now come on, we're wasting daylight here! I want to see how Cinnabar made this thing tick!"
"Púrén isn't going to believe what we've been through today once we wake her up." Tails added as the Pearls returned to work on getting the Servant back into space.
--
"NOOO! NOOO, NOOO!" Torius wailed furiously as his ship sailed away from Invisibo-9. As a result of losing to Sylvia Spectre yet again, he had started throwing a terrifying tantrum that Cinnabar and her crew could only watch as he began throwing things about and turning over tables like a wild beast. "RRRRAAAAGGGGHHHH!"
"Calm yourself, Torius." Cinnabar tried to soothe her ally's nerves. "I always lose to the Pearls, yet I don't go that ballistic."
"No mercy. Mercy is but a lie." Torius began muttering to himself. "Nothing more than a delusion for the weak to make themselves strong! I ask not for mercy."
"Told you he was nuts." Kyanite whispered to Cinnabar, which earned her being grabbed by one of Torius's spider legs and tossed to the ceiling.
"Now, now everyone, perhaps there's a silver lining to all this." Cinnabar proclaimed. "Torius, my boy, are you still open to working together to help us conquer all Gems in the name of Black Rutile?"
"They must be dragged through the filth! INTO THE GRAAAAAVE!" Torius roared and pinned Cinnabar to the wall, only allowing a brief moment to regain his sanity with a heartless, unblinking stare. "Do not worry, Cinnabar. I already hired someone to follow them."
--
Meanwhile, in a bar on another planet, a young woman with hair colored like lava, orange eyes, shining yellow skin, and hints of rock on her body sat in a bar drinking a mai tai while slowly melting the stool she was sitting on. This was Envyrno, a Magman mercenary and one of Torius's most favored bounty hunters. She was patiently waiting for her next orders after turning her latest target into a partially melted corpse in the bathroom nearby, and was helping herself to a nice cold drink to cool her literally hot body down.
Just then, Envyrno's phone began ringing, and she picked it up to read the message, which only said: "NEXT TARGET" followed by mugshots of the Black Pearl Brigade. Melting the drinking glass in her hand, Envyrno accepted the job with an evil smile.
--
Hope you enjoyed this chapter everyone! Yeah, it's basically no secret that Sylvia Spectre is basically Mira Nova with a few elements of Rainbow Dash and Superman, while Torius Vosania is a bit like Darth Maul. I know, I'm a total reference whore. And with that, I leave you on that chilling scene foreshadowing our next villain. Catch you next week!
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Members of the Film & TV Music community, made up of composers, songwriters, music editors, music supervisors, studio executives and more, are contributing their talents to SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES: A CELEBRATION FOR THE FILM & TV MUSIC COMMUNITY, an online benefit event for MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund. This specially produced program debuts June 25th, 2020, at noon pacific on YouTube, and will honor the talented people whose scores and songs transport, inspire, uplift and entertain us by creating the "soundtrack of our lives." The fun, delightful and heartfelt hour-long special will feature leading and iconic singers, composers, songwriters, actors, celebrity guests and others while celebrating glorious Film & TV Music moments with heart and humor. Donations to MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund will be encouraged throughout the show.
"Thousands of music professionals and creators are struggling during this pandemic and remain in desperate need of assistance," says Debbie Carroll, Vice President Health and Human Services MusiCares®. "The continued support from the music community during these turbulent times has been heartwarming and inspiring. The power of music unites us all and gives us hope for better days ahead."
Over 75 film and television composers and songwriters, "From A to Z, Abels to Zimmer," will appear in this program. Collectively, this prestigious group has been nominated for 273 Grammys (with 87 wins), 216 Emmys (with 51 wins) and 136 Oscars (with 34 wins).
Confirmed performers and special guests include Sting, Catherine O'Hara, Ming-Na Wen, Patti LuPone, William Shatner, Elisabeth Moss, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Marla Gibbs, Jane Levy, Mandy Moore, Richard Kind, Alex Newell, Zachary Levi, Paul Reubens, Kiernan Shipka, Harvey Fierstein, Ginnifer Goodwin, Anika Noni Rose, Kasi Lemmons, Ted Danson, Auli'i Cravalho, Darren Criss, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Reba McEntire, Bob Saget, Ken Page, Lucy Lawless, Mary Steenburgen, Dave Coulier, Kevin Smith, Peter Gallagher, Naomi Scott, Annie Potts, Clive Davis, Jodi Benson, Harvey Mason Jr., Susan Egan, Paige O'Hara, John Stamos, Andra Day and Rita Wilson.
Composers and songwriters participating include Michael Abels, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Angelo Badalamenti, Glen Ballard, Lesley Barber, Nathan Barr, Tyler Bates, Jeff Beal, Marco Beltrami, Alan Bergman, Terence Blanchard, Jongnic Bontemps, Kathryn Bostic, Kris Bowers, Jon Brion, Nicholas Britell, Bruce Broughton, BT, Carter Burwell, Sean Callery, Joshuah Brian Campbell, Lisa Coleman, John Debney, Tan Dun, Fil Eisler, Danny Elfman, Charles Fox, Germaine Franco, Harry Gregson-Williams, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Alex Heffes, Joe Hisaishi, James Newton Howard, Justin Hurwitz, Ashley Irwin, Mark Isham, Steve Jablonsky, Amanda Jones, Laura Karpman, Christopher Lennertz, Joe LoDuca, Robert Lopez, Mark Mancina, Gabriel Mann, Clint Mansell, Dennis McCarthy, Bear McCreary, Alan Menken, Bruce Miller, John Murphy, Starr Parodi, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Daniel Pemberton, Michael Penn, Heitor Pereira, Rachel Portman, Mike Post, A. R. Rahman, Tim Rice, Lolita Ritmanis, Dan Romer, Anna Rose, Jeff Russo, Arturo Sandoval, Lalo Schifrin, Marc Shaiman, Teddy Shapiro, Richard M. Sherman, David Shire, Rob Simonsen, Mark Snow, Tamar-kali, Dara Taylor, Pinar Toprak, Brian Tyler, Nick Urata, Benjamin Wallfisch, Diane Warren, Mervyn Warren, Paul Williams, Austin Wintory, Alan Zachary, Geoff Zanelli, Marcelo Zarvos, David Zippel and Hans Zimmer.
Some highlights of the special include:
Members of the Film & TV Music community deliver heartfelt messages of hope, solidarity & encouragement.
"Musicians!" - a humorous musical tribute to the Film & TV Music community featuring Zachary Levi, Patti LuPone, Alex Newell, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Peter Gallagher and Harvey Fierstein.
Tony Award winner and Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose highlights the history of African American composers, songwriters and artists who have contributed to the Film & TV Music industry through the years.
Performers Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Reubens and Ken Pagereunite to perform a song from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Eight-time Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken performs his timeless song, "A Whole New World," alongside his daughter Anna Rose, introduced by Aladdin (2019) stars Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott.
Stars from beloved animated features step out from behind the microphone to lend their voices to inspirational messages, featuring Irene Bedard, Jodi Benson, Auli'i Cravalho, Holly Hunter, Mandy Moore, Susan Egan, Ginnifer Goodwin, Linda Larkin, Paige O'Hara, Annie Potts, Anika Noni Rose and Ming-Na Wen.
John Stamos hosts "Name That TV Tune!" with celebrity panelists including Elisabeth Moss, Drew Carey, Ray Romano, Eve Plumb, Reba McEntire, Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, Marla Gibbs, Lucy Lawless and Kevin Smith competing to identify famous TV themes.
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist actor Jane Levy invites us into the dreamworld of her Extraordinary Soundtrack Playlist.
Various performers, including members of the original cast of La La Land, sing a parody version of "Another Day of Sun."
William Shatner explores how different scores can give the same film a different meaning as an exasperated director, played by Richard Kind, leads a composer in multiple directions for a short film starring Kiernan Shipkaand Christian Coppola.
Songwriter Paul Williams performs his classic song "The Rainbow Connection," from The Muppet Movie, joined by various special guests from the Film & TV Music community.
Tony- and Emmy-winner and seven-time Oscar® nominee Marc Shaimanperforms an original song tribute to end title sequences.
MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund was created by MusiCares® to provide support to the music community during the pandemic crisis. The music industry has been essentially shut down with the cancellation of music performances, events, festivals, conferences and the many other live events that are the cornerstone of the shared music experience. Since the fund's establishment in March, over 14,000 clients have been served, with many more still needing help.
Show co-creator Peter Rotter says: "When the pandemic tragically hit our world and began to shut down our film music community, I felt that something needed to be done to help those who were in need of support and care. Through MusiCares® we have found the charitable vehicle that can come alongside our hurting musical family.
"Music has always played a role in history; reflecting both the subtle and monumental moments of our lives through its unique DNA. Music connects each of us, acting as a common thread of unification, opening the hearts of all people.
"Regardless of the color of one's skin, status or station in life, music powerfully breaks through boundaries as its message permeates deep within us; healing our human frailties and condition at our cores. Music is transformative and personal. It powerfully underscores our lives."
"Music has always helped transport, uplift and inspire us through wars, economic hardships, health crises and societal upheavals," says show co-creator, Richard Kraft. "When COVID-19 hit, it threatened the lives and livelihood of much of our Film & TV Music community. So, we decided to create an online special that both celebrates the soundtrack of our lives and benefits, via MusiCares®, the artists who create it."
Starting June 25th at noon pacific, watch the video on Youtube via Rolling Stone, Variety & GRAMMY's channels, as well as on www.soundtracklives.com. Donate at soundtracklives.com now!
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