"This is boring! Why don't we just go after the animator instead?" Ben ranted, his voice echoing as he shifted into Ghostfreak, his spectral form rippling in the dim light.
Gwen folded her arms, calm but sharp. "Because so far, the most suspicious person of the two is North."
She raised her staff, chanting softly. A shimmer of violet mana wrapped around her, cloaking her form. "Invisibility," she whispered. Then she gestured for Fred and Ben to step closer. "Now—silence." A second spell pulsed outward, muffling their footsteps and voices.
"There. With this we won't make any sound, but we can still talk to each other just fine," Gwen explained.
Ben's ghostly grin widened. "Whoa, that's awesome! Like, ninja‑mode but with magic. Man, I wish I had that trick." His tone carried that classic Ben mix of excitement and envy.
With two votes to one, Gwen and Fred agreed to tail North. The trio slipped through the corridors, shadows bending around them.
"Shhh. Listen," Fred whispered, also in Ghostfreak form, his voice eerie but steady.
They entered North's dressing room—and gasped.
North's voice cracked with anger. "Enough! This is going too far. I don't want to be part of your schemes anymore!"
A deeper voice thundered back. "Schemes? You'd be nothing without me! I made you. And you think you have the right to order me around?"
North staggered back, knocking over a curtain. Behind it, Tim Dean was revealed—tied up, mouth taped, struggling desperately.
The mysterious figure stepped forward, clad in a Kangaroo Commando outfit. His eyes burned with fury. "I'm the real Kangaroo Commando! And Dean stole MY idea for Super Alien Hero Buddies!"
Ben's eyes widened. "Of course! Episode 10, season one—Commando's twin brother, Cain!" He pointed dramatically. "That's him!"
Fred's voice was dry. "And now we've got our motive. North and Dean stole his ideas, got famous, and left Cain in the shadows. So now he wants revenge. Crude, but classic."
Gwen sighed, exasperated. "What is it with celebrities and their overly dramatic lives?"
Cain raised his gauntlet. A dart shot out, striking North. He collapsed instantly.
Gwen canceled her invisibility spell. Fred and Ben shifted from Ghostfreak into battle forms—Fred into Kickin' Hawk, feathers bristling, talons gleaming; Ben into Wildvine, vines twisting around his body.
Ben whistled. "Whoa, Fred—that one looks cool. Like, scary‑cool."
Gwen, now Lucky Girl, floated forward, mana glowing. "It's over, Cain. We know everything. You're not getting away with this."
Cain laughed, voice sharp. "And who do you think you are meddling in my affairs."
Fred's eyes narrowed. "Us!? We're just a group of heroes on summer vacation." He lunged.
Kickin' Hawk sprinted forward, claws scraping sparks off the floor. Cain fired a volley of darts from his gauntlet, each whistling through the air.
Fred spun mid‑air, his talons slicing the darts aside in a blur. He landed with a sweeping kick, feathers slicing the air like blades.
Cain countered, pulling a gadget from his belt—a whip crackling with electricity. He lashed it forward.
Fred ducked low, then launched upward with a rising talon kick, the impact snapping the whip aside. Sparks exploded, lighting the room in flashes.
Cain staggered, pulling out twin Kangaroo daggers. He slashed wildly, but Fred's speed was relentless. He spun into a cyclone kick, each strike hammering Cain's defenses.
Cain's eyes widened as Fred's final kick slammed into his chest, feathers slicing across his armor. The villain crashed into the wall, gadgets scattering.
Cain tried to rise, but Fred's talon pressed against his throat. "You're done."
Meanwhile, Lucky Girl and Wildvine freed Dean and the unconscious North. Gwen scanned the room—no cameras. She raised her hand, chanting. A glowing circle appeared, replaying the earlier conversation between Cain and North. She transferred the memory into North's computer, embedding it as if it had been recorded live.
"There. Now the cops have enough evidence to arrest him," Gwen said firmly.
Ben grinned, vines retracting. "Nice!"
Cain lay unconscious, bound by Wildvine's tendrils. Sirens wailed outside. The cops stormed in, taking him away.
Later, reporters crowded the scene. Cameras flashed, voices overlapping.
"Breaking news: Cain, the twin brother of Kangaroo Commando, has been arrested after allegedly attempting to murder his brother North and Tim Dean, creator of Super Hero Alien Buddies."
Another reporter added, "Authorities say Cain had been plotting revenge for years, claiming his ideas were stolen. Thanks to timely intervention, both North and Dean survived."
The trio watched from the sidelines. Gwen crossed her arms. "Well, that's one way to end a show."
Ben shrugged, sighing. "I think I've had my fill of celebrity hereos for today."