Cool thing about this chapter is we get some foreshadowy lore for later stories.
Chapter 11: Luvbi the Neglectful Planet Glacia Nigel, Ava, and Dib made land on the snow-ridden world, where they saw Luvbi’s ship parked in the coordinates they discussed earlier.
The mariachi band was standing on its wings, playing their music.
“W-Welcome to P-Planet Glacia.” The band leader stuttered.
“Here on this g-godforsaken planet, m-many outsiders s-struggle to survive the h-harsh environment.
It is so d-dark and… cold and… lonely and… we wanna go home.” “W-When is h-he going to die?” “H-Hopefully s-soon.” Luvbi shot an infuriated look as her teammates disembarked their ships.
“‘Tis about time thou hast arrived!
Doth thou know how long I hath been waiting?!
HARK!
The moon shineth bright in the sky thanks to thy lingering!” “You left us behind to get captured and dragged into an arena!
If you stayed behind to help, we would’ve been here earlier!” argued Nigel.
“I could hath fought off those ships on my own AND destroyed all in yon arena!
‘Tis not my fault thou art slow!
Anyhoo, since I am the only who hath any idea of where this Star lies, I declare myself leader.” “What kind of leader leaves her own team behind to nearly be squished by a giant robot gladiator?!
If anything, I should be leader!” “Oh, I beggeth thy pardon.
And just where dost thou think we should be headed?” “Look, you may be our navigator, but that’s not the same thing as-” “Pah!
I hath no interest in thine lecture.
Now, wasteth no more time!
Yonder Ice Palace awaits.
Let us go!
But avert thine eyes, lest thou succumbeth to my cuteness!” She flew ahead.
“Well, aside from having to work with Princess Nagules,” Nigel thought aloud, “this place isn’t so bad.
I’m actually quite fond of cold places.” “H-How nice for you.” Nigel looked over to see Ava shivering for she was wearing a sleeveless dress, skirt, and sandals.
“Now, where have I seen this before?” Nigel smirked.
“H-Hey!
If you can survive the desert, I-I can survive this!” “Wherefore art thou waiting?!
Hasten thine legs and let us go!” Luvbi called from a distance.
(Play “White Acropolis Snowy Peak” from Sonic 2006.) Stage 6: Glacian Snowfield Mission: Follow Luvbi across the snows.
The team of four began their venture across the frosty fields.
The snow was coming down hard, and the team had difficulty seeing through the darkness of night.
They saw glowing light-blue figures in the pitch-black, and when they came close, they were revealed to be the ice-skeleton warriors, known as the Chilfos.
Luvbi glided past the monsters as they pulled out ice spears and chucked them at the operatives.
Nigel tried to hit them with his Z.A.P.P., but the electrical weapon had no effect, and Ava pulled Nigel out of the way before a spear pierced him.
Ava ran and swung her blades against a Chilfos’ spear, eventually breaking the spear, then slicing the soldier into shards.
Two more soldiers marched to Nigel with spears raised, but the bald Brit tossed a grenade and blew up their spears.
Afterwards, Dib knocked both of them down with his mech arms and crushed their heads.
“I waiteth for thine legs to remind thee something!” Luvbi called from the distance.
The team rolled their eyes and kept after the Nimbi.
As they passed around several icy hills, a pack of white wolves, called White Wolfos, emerged from the snow.
Luvbi simply flew ahead again, leaving the others to deal with the wolves.
A wolf charged and leapt at Nigel, who dodged to the side and shot the wolf with his triple S.H.O.O.T.E.R..
Two wolves came at Dib, but the bigheaded human grabbed their faces and held them back with the strength of his mech arms before shoving their heads against the ground.
The last wolf kept running around Ava and trying to leap at her, but she kept slipping away until, eventually, she sliced against the Wolfos’ side.
The three saw Luvbi waiting by a cliffside, but when they hurried over, she yelled excitedly, “Catchest me if thou canst!” and soared over the dark chasm.
The three peeked over the cliff ledge, staring down into the endless darkness.
“I don’t suppose any of you two can sprout wings?” Nigel asked.
“Well… I have designed my backpack to become a glider, buuut… this canyon feels a little too small.” Dib replied.
Ava looked to the wall on their left and noticed a metallic pathway leading downward.
“Hey, check it out.
You can probably reach the other side with those M.A.G.N.E.B.O.O.T.S., Nigel.” “Good a plan as any.” Nigel replied, slipping on his new boots.
“I’ll see if I can find a way to get you all across.” The operative stepped onto the metal pathway, and he felt his feet latch tight onto the surface.
His boots felt a little more heavy, but he was able to walk down the cliff via the metal pathway.
The path went along the underside of the wall, turning Nigel upside-down as he progressed over the chasm.
Below the underside, several ice bats, called Ice Keese, were flapping around.
Nigel had to shoot them away with his triple S.H.O.O.T.E.R., easily taking out several at a time with the upgrade.
As he continued forward, his right foot accidentally stepped off the pathway, and he nearly fell into the abyss, but he regained his footing and followed the path up the cliff on the other side.
He found a long, metal bridge that was tilted upwards, and a lever next to it.
He pulled the lever and lowered the bridge for the others to cross.
“I thought the boots could only go over titanium surfaces?” Dib questioned.
“That was only for the acronym.” Nigel corrected.
As they continued forward, it wasn’t long before they found Luvbi fluttering around the front gates of a large, Irken-designed base.
She noticed the trio and smiled cheerfully as she soared over the walls of the base.
At that moment, several alarms from inside the base could be heard.
“Well-p, she blew her cover.” Nigel stated.
“Now to go about getting in there ourselves.” Ava said.
“There’s one of those shop-thingies over there.” Dib pointed.
“Step right up, step right up!” the hologram of Numbuh 20×40 called.
“Get your equipment hee-yuh, if you’re gonna freeze ta death, it’s best ta go with some decent equipment, so that when archaeologists unfreeze you years later, they won’t think you were ill-prepared because ya didn’t have some good equipment, step right up!” Nigel approached the stand as it opened up, revealing a new weapon with a missile.
It costed 4,000 Bolts, which Nigel was able to save up plenty of during the arena.
He placed his Infi-Cube under the transporter and let the sales-operative take the Bolts.
Nigel took his new weapon and let the acronym play.
Galactic Kids Next Door: V.I.S.S.I.L.E.
Vision Intelligent Seeker Soars Into Lounging Enemies “With that, you can probably take out some of the watchtowers around the base.” Ava figured.
Nigel aimed his new launcher upward and looked through the crosshair, releasing the missile.
Through the crosshair, he could see from the view of the missile, and he was able to control its path.
The missile soared fast across the air as Nigel directed it downward.
His sights locked onto one of the guard towers as he closed in and blew it up.
When it was down, Nigel fired another missile, driving it over the walls of the base.
He was going to ram into another watchtower when he suddenly took notice of Luvbi flapping cockily over the base.
Feeling the temptation, he drove the missile and crashed into the bratty angel.
Skill Point acquired!
“Yon missileth hurts me so!” Chuckling to himself, Nigel unleashed a third missile to actually take out a watchtower this time.
Afterwards, he released a fourth missile into the skies.
He had to make a tight swerve to get into the base, and it only missed the guard tower by a few inches.
However, he was close enough to set it off on his own and blow the tower up.
The alarms rang across the base, and the front gates opened, the Irken soldiers readying their guard as the operatives charged in.
“GKND troops have entered the base!
GKND troops-” His voice was cut off, and a ringing sound was heard.
“Whoop, dropped the thing… ahem, GKND troops have entered the base!” Before the Irkens could attack, Dib tossed a Groovitron ball.
The disco ball levitated in the air as the troops began dancing to the tune.
They were too distracted to defend when Numbuh One tossed a N.I.N.S.T.A.R.
and sliced a few of the Irkens, while Ava also ran around to strike a few with her swords.
The Groovitron exploded afterward and blew away any remaining Irkens.
But when the music wore off, some gates opened and allowed entry to Hunter Destroyers.
Nigel flipped and dodged to the right as the first one unleashed missiles.
He pulled out his V.I.S.S.I.L.E.
and launched a missile at the large mech, wiping it out in one hit.
He couldn’t avoid in time when another Destroyer threw missiles that crashed beside him, blowing him against a wall.
Ava charged toward the Hunter Destroyer, swiftly avoiding the missiles as she leapt onto the head of the robot, then kicked into the cockpit to do away with the Irkens.
Dib looked as another Hunter Destroyer came for him, but also looked into the garage where it came from to see some kind of generator.
The human simply tossed a Groovitron and distracted the robot with dancing before charging into the chamber, where he dealt a few powerful punches with his mech arms into the generator before it was destroyed.
Nigel recovered from his fall in time to see the electrical wires around the base power down.
He also noticed a walkway leading up to the area by the wires.
“I bet I can find something useful up there.” He said before hurrying to the walkway.
He shot his S.H.O.O.T.E.R.
to take out some Irkens before running and jumping onto the electrical wires.
He was able to grind over the wires, having to jump the connector points on the wall that were still electrified.
He was eventually able to grind into a bigger watchtower, where some Irken soldiers geared up in what seemed like Battle Ready Armor.
“Hey, guys.
Ever notice this stuff seems like Earthican bras?” one of the Irkens asked as Nigel started to hit them with his Z.A.P.P..
“You mean those girl clothes?
Man, that’s ridiculous.
These are the latest fashion in Irken armor, second only to these man-skirts.
Seeing girls in them would be ridiculous.” The Irkens hovered around using their armor’s built-in jetpacks, trying to shoot Nigel with lasers.
Nigel was able to take out several of them using missiles from his V.I.S.S.I.L.E., and once he was finished, he hurried up a spiraled staircase to a higher floor.
A single Irken sat at the command station, holding a microphone as he tried to shoot Nigel with a blaster.
“GKND operative has entered my station!” he spoke, his voice heard across the base.
“I am shooting him with my blaster, but he appears to be avoiding.
He is pulling out some kind of missile launcher, and I believe he is about to shoot me with it.
I am really not liking the look of this.
Please, may I remind everyone to not steal my CDs after I am-” From the ground below, everyone could see an explosion erupt from the windows of that tower.
The operatives then watched as the back gates of the base opened, revealing Luvbi impatiently waiting on the other side.
Nigel jumped out of the watchtower and joined his friends as they left the base and met with the angered angel by the edge of a vast canyon.
“Pray, wherefore dost thou possess the desire to keep me waiting so?!” “Do I even need to say it?” Nigel retorted.
“Nay.
Neverthelesser, it seemeth yonder chasm lie within our wake.
Me waiteth for thee to catch up because methinks thou dost not possess the wings to fly.” “Well… no.” Nigel said.
“I don’t suppose you…” “Unless thou all shrinketh down to reasonable height, doth not expect me to break mine wings carrying thee.” “Wait!
Didn’t Dib say he’s been working on a glider?” “Oh yeah!” Dib exclaimed as his mech arms instantly transformed into a mechanical glider.
“Come on, you two, there’s plenty of room!” Nigel and Ava smiled as they grabbed onto the glider with Dib.
“Give us a boost, Luvbi.” “UUUGH.
Pray, must I do everything?” She sighed.
“Verily well.” Luvbi got behind the glider and waved a gust of air, setting their flight off.
They flew the glider around a canyon wall and glided between two parallel walls, while Luvbi remained under them and kept them aloft with her gusts.
There were Irkens sitting in turrets along the cliffsides, so the group had to maneuver up and down to avoid their shots.
They were coming up to a wall that had an avalanche pouring down.
The avalanche had a tiny split in the center, so the group turned the glider sideways to slip right through.
They flew under a cave area, navigating around some stalactites.
To their right, they caught a glance of the mariachi band on a platform, frozen solid in ice cubes.
The glider soared out of the cave and was coming to another vast snowfield.
By this time, the blizzard began to calm, and it snowed peacefully as they had a view of the blue night sky, covered with stars and a crescent-shaped moon.
The heroes took land on the snowfield as Dib’s glider turned back into mech arms, and a pack of White Wolfos emerged from the snow.
Dib once again beat them away with his arms as they came, and Nigel blew them back with missiles.
Ava tossed her swords like boomerangs and damaged them, but the wolves were still on their feet as they snarled and prepared to pounce them.
However, Luvbi sent them flying with a powerful blast of air before they had the chance.
“Pray, I canst not wait for thee forever.
We must presseth onward, and ignore petty distractions like yonder wildlife.” Once again, the team rolled their eyes as they continued to follow the angel.
“So, Luvbi,” Nigel began, “what planet are you from?” “Pray, what business hast thou to know where I am from?!” “Just thought I’d start a conversation.” “Well, if thou must know, I cometh from the graceful realm of Skypia, home of the Nimbi.” “Nimbi?” Dib asked.
“You mean the tribe of people that are said to live in the skies above our world?” “Yea!
Thou hast heard of us?” “Well, yeah!
Your people are quite famous to us paranormal investigators!” “So, you come from Earth as well?” Nigel asked.
“Nay, we come from above Earth.
From above various worlds, verily.
We were the original airbenders.
We learnt our bending from the Sky God, Rayquaza, before thine humans learned it.” “Humans can airbend?
Since when?” “Since forever, I wouldst assume.
Though, I hath once heard tale of a tragic planet that hast lost all its airbenders.
‘Twas the work of evil firebenders, so I hear.” “Are there still some human airbenders left on Earth?” “Pray, wherefore should I know of such?!
Now, enough babbling, for we hath a mission to accomplish!” The three soon trekked up a small, snowy hillside, but when they walked over the top, they suddenly slipped and slid down an icy slope, finding themselves in a small, round ice gorge that almost looks like it was carved by something.
Luvbi flew over them and exclaimed, “Thou canst solve this.
Now, catcheth me if thou canst!” as she flew ahead.
The gang tried running up the icy slope out of the gorge, but ended up sliding down.
They tried running up the other way, but ended up sliding down there as well.
“What now?” Dib asked.
“HEY!
LUVBI!” Nigel called, but no answer.
Just then, a squadron of Chilfos appeared over the other side, looking down on them.
“Alright, boys, the Ice King wants us to keep these brats away from the palace at all costs.
Hope you like ice hockey!” With that, big pucks of ice with red eyes appeared by the Chilfos.
The Chilfos drew ice sticks and began knocking the Mini-Freezards down to where the heroes were.
The ice pucks slid up and down the slopes over and over.
Nigel tried shooting them with his blaster, Ava with her swords, and Dib with his mech arms.
Each attack made them crack a little, but it only made them slide around more, knocking the heroes off their feet.
“There’s too many!” Ava yelled.
Just then, a Mini-Freezard containing a pink Wisp with spikes appeared by one of the Chilfos, who then knocked it down to the heroes and was instantly slapped by another Chilfos.
“Not that one, you idiot!” Nigel saw the ice puck holding the Wisp and ordered, “Take out that one!” The team sprang to their feet and began attacking the ice puck.
Soon, it was destroyed, and the pink Wisp was released.
The Wisp flew into Nigel’s body, who then absorbed it and felt the Color Power activating.
In an instant, pink spikes began sprouting all over his body, and he even grew an armadillo-like shell with spikes.
“This feels so weird… and yet so cool!” With that, he curled up into his shell and began rolling over all the ice pucks, destroying them.
He then rolled up to the Chilfos and fired pink spikes at them through his knuckles, chopping off their icy body parts bit by bit.
Once they were all gone, he rolled down, grabbed Ava, curled her up in his shell, and rolled up with her.
He then repeated the process with Dib, just in time for the Wisp to wear off.
“I hope I never have to do that again.” said Ava, dizzy.
“Let’s go find Luvbi.” said Nigel as the three continued along the path.
They were close to a steep, towering mountain, watching Luvbi soar over the top.
They walked closer to the mountain as more Chilfos came out of the snow, whacking Mini-Freezards over to knock them down.
Nigel fired a missile at the first Chilfos while Ava whacked the Mini-Freezards away with her swords.
Nigel tossed grenades at the Chilfos to blow up their ice-hockey sticks, leaving Ava to jump over and slice them to bits.
When they got close enough to the cliffside, they wondered how they could climb up.
Dib got an idea and took out his Golf Bomb, locking on and swinging a Golf Bomb into the lower wall to blow it up, causing a hill of snow and rubble to come down.
The trio walked up the snow hill onto the first ledge around the mountainside.
A couple of Chilfos came out and chucked spears, but the group avoided as Nigel shot them enough times to take them out.
The group then noticed a jagged rock with pink lights leaking through the cracks.
Already knowing what this was, the Brit tossed a grenade and blew the rock open, releasing the Spike Wisp.
“SPIKES!” Nigel yelled as the spikes grew along his form.
All he had to do was grab Ava and Dib into his shell and begin to roll up the steep mountainside.
A few boulders dropped from up above, so Nigel had to roll around them in order to make it up safely.
Once they were at the top of the mountain, the Color Power wore off, and they found Luvbi hovering over a rock, praying to herself.
The group approached her with an angry look on Nigel’s face.
(End song.) “Doo-bi-doo-bi-doo…” Luvbi sung to herself, her back turned toward the operatives.
When she heard their footsteps stepping through the snow, her expression reverted to anger.
“What taketh thee so long?!” “We had to climb up this mountain and deal with ice people!” replied an angered Nigel.
“That dost not excuse thine lateness!
By now, we would hath been at the Ice Palace.
Or at least, I would.” “Well, of course you would!
You have wings, you don’t have to walk for miles just to get somewhere ’cause you can just fly there!” “Had I used mine legs instead of wings, I would hath not dared to be allowed into GKND.
Which maketh me more surprised you were!” “The only surprise here is that you were invited!
You’ve been nothing but a pain in the neck this entire mission!
You’re a spoiled brat who doesn’t deserve to be leader and doesn’t even deserve this title!!” Nigel’s words caused tears to well in her eyes.
“Fine!
Find the Ice Palace on thine own!
I will not be helping!
I will be sulking!” And so, she flew off crying.
“I… don’t know if I should feel bad.” Dib said.
“If you ask me, she deserved it.” replied Ava.
In spite of this, Nigel felt a twinge of guilt.
He sighed and said, “You guys go on ahead.
I’ll try to talk this out with her.” Nigel walked in Luvbi’s direction while the other two pressed ahead.
“Hey, Ava, ever wonder why we didn’t just land close to the Ice Palace and not miles from it?” “Too many Irkens and enemies this far in.
Wouldn’t be safe.” With Luvbi A harsh blizzard had enveloped the Nimbi.
Her wings growing weary, she went to sit on a rock in a small cave.
She sniffled.
“Luvbi?” Luvbi looked her behind her to see Nigel.
“Pray, wherefore hath thou followed me?!
Hither to yell at me some more?” “No!
Luvbi, I’m sorry for going off, but I’d like to try talking to you.” “Oh, save thy breath.
Thou doth not careth for me.
Just like no one.” “I care about you Luvbi, but I feel like you don’t care about us very much.
You keep leaving us behind to fend for ourselves.” “Hmph.
‘Tis what happens.
My old team on Skypia wouldst always leave me behind.
Always mock me.
Thus, I trained myself to surpass them.
I hath left them in my cloud-dust.
So much so that I wast bound for greater skies.
‘Tis why I was joyful when Infinity and 74.239 came to take me away to yonder GKND, so that I could leave behind everyone who mocketh me!
And still yet, I am determined to prove my talents and surpass my peers.
They canst not catch up to me, so they hate me instead!” “I’m sorry if your old team was like that, Luvbi, but that doesn’t mean you should treat your own teammates that way.” “Thou must work faster and harder to be good operatives.
That is what I wast taught.” “Sigh… Luvbi, these missions aren’t just about working quickly and efficiently.
They’re about working together.
Having friends to fight beside and divide up the work.
That’s part of why I love the KND.
It’s like… playing a multiplayer game.
It’s fun!” “What ridiculous notion is this?” “It’s my ridiculous notion.” Nigel smirked.
“Luvbi, it’s good that you’re fast and efficient on your own… but wouldn’t you rather have friends to play with?
Would it really be bad if you had to slow down and join us on the Irken-bashing fun?” “I… am swayed by thine words, yet…” “Look, regardless of what your old team did, we don’t plan to leave you behind.
So, don’t leave us behind, ‘kay?
We could even have mini-contests to try and take out the most enemies in a single battle.
Otherwise, we should rely on each other to keep moving forward, like you did with Dib’s glider.” “…” No one had ever tried to be so open and reasonable to the young Nimbi.
Even on this frigid world, her heart was warmed.
“Oh, verily well.
Then mayhaps I shall walk the same ground as thee.” Giving her wings a rest, Luvbi walked with Nigel on her own two feet.
“So, Luvbi, you said you actually came from the sky above Earth?” “Yea.” “That’s crazy though.
We fly around the sky all the time, we’ve never seen any angel people living up there.” “Oh, thou poor-sighted human.
Alas, God Rayquaza hast willed it so no Earth-dwellers may lay eyes upon our society.
Humans must achieve special means to enter our realm, but due to thine growing corruption, pollution, and horrid airplanes, Rayquaza thought it safest that we were not discovered so easily.” “That’s hard to believe…” “Ignorance is truly bliss to thou humans.
But just as the universe’s doors hath opened for thee, they may yet open to the rest.” “Yeah… and maybe then I’ll be allowed to see them again.” As they walked, the mariachi band performed on another nearby rock.
“A-And so, the bald boy m-made up with Luvbi and continued on their way t-to the Ice Palace, s-slowly trekking to their t-terrible demise.” “L-Let’s hope h-he dies before w-we do.” One of the band members froze and fainted.