Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ribbon Girl drummed her fingertips on her seat’s armrest as she wearily gazed out the car window at the beautiful sun-bathed city they were now passing through. “We’re gonna be late...” She mumbled quietly, starting to think her morning stressing might have gone on a touch too long. “There’s no way we’ll arrive before ten.”

“Oh?” Min Min jumped, her eyebrows raising above the sleek green sun shades she was wearing. “ Well shoot! Maybe we should have left an hour earlier than we diddddd...”

Ribbon Girl shot back a pouted glare and shook her head. “We weren’t ready to leave yet.”

“I was!” Her girlfriend interjected quickly. “Hell, I was ready two hours before we left.”

“...You aren’t ready until I’m ready.” She huffed back, a sweet air of royalty in her tone. “ That’s how it works!~”

Min Min sighed, though a bright smile broke on her face. Ribbon Girl could certainly be difficult to work with at times - like, just for example, when it came to ‘preparing’ for a short trip out that really didn’t require any preparation at all - but there was an undeniable charm to her bothering that somehow made it undeniably fun. “...Well, late shmate. It’s hardly a big event we gotta be on time for.”

She nodded back slowly, hoping that was true. “...Are you sure it’ll just be the League fighters? I didn’t really prepare for more than fifteen people...”

“That’s what the invite said.”

“...But no fans? Are you sure? And no management, too? ...Not even Biff? ” Ribbon Girl questioned, a little in disbelief.

Min Min raised her shoulders before lowering them carelessly. “As far as I know it’s just a nice quiet trip out for the League fighters and only the League fighters. Well, ‘cept some Plus One s I guess. It’s kinda like a free holiday ‘cept we’re not goin’ anywhere special and we’re only goin’ for a few hours, yeah?.” Her brow creased for a moment. “...Sounds kinda like a copout, when I put it like that... The League isn’t trying to cheap out on us, right? This isn’t, like, in place of an actual holiday or anythin’, right?! ”

Their destination for today was the oh-so familiar Buster Beach. But while they’d ordinarily be heading there for some ARM-swinging action, today’s trip was purely one of leisure - a nice trip out on the beach, just the fighters themselves, for some swimming and sunbathing and any other summer fun-in-the-sun activity they could hope for! No crowds, no cameras, no hassle. And with Master Mummy helming the barbeque? Things were soundin’ good.

Ignoring Min Min’s sudden concerns, Ribbon Girl gazed at the shimmering ocean on the coming horizon, which had only just come into view. “...I really hope I brought everything we might need...”

“I’m sure you-” ...A pale pink caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She glanced at Ribbon Girl quickly, before putting her eyes back to the road again. “You’re checking again? ”

“I like to be prepared...” Ribbon Girl mumbled, for the billionth time, flicking through the pastel-pink tote bag now on her lap.

“ Tell me about it! ” Min Min laughed. This was her sixth time running an inventory check since they’d left the house, and fourteenth if you counted the multitude of checks before they left. They’d run through Ribbon Girl’s internal checklist so many times now that Min Min was pretty sure it’d be locked in her head as a permanent memory.  “...Got chapstick?”

“Yes.” She nodded quickly, spotting the currently unopened tube in her bag. “In case we get dry lips...”

“First aid kit?”

Another nod as her eyes did the locating. “For medical emergencies...”

“Wrist watch?”

“With a built in compass, yes. For if we get lost.”

“Could just use our phones...” Min Min mumbled dismissively.

“ Not if the battery dies. ” Ribbon Girl puffed back, steam shooting from her nostrils like the ‘triumph’ emoji.

“And you’re not even gonna wear it on your wrist?”

“ No! ...It’s so not in fashion right now.” She scoffed playfully.

Min Min rolled her eyes. “Four thousand piece Via Dolce puzzle...?”

A rattle sounded out as Ribbon Girl lifted the puzzle box part way out of her bag. “For if we get bored!”

How they would find a suitable surface for such a thing - or why Ribbon Girl thought a puzzle would be more fun than literally anything else they could do - was to be left a mystery. “Alright, let’s see... Flashlight?”

She flicked it on in the bag for a quick check, then turned it off again. “It could get dark early.”

“It’s the middle of summer, but sure.” Min Min laughed. “Sandwiches you spent all morning making? ...Despite this being a barbeque? ”

She turned to look at the unoccupied backseat of the car, where a small cooler lay quietly, tucked into place with the seatbelt. “Mummy might think he’s the ‘King of the Grill’ but food burns prettyyyy quickly when you get distracted.”

“That’s just when you cook, hun.” Min Min smirked. “Towels?”

She gave a small glare for that comment, then counted her towels. “Five. One for you, one for me, and then a backup for each of us too, and one for someone else if someone else forgot to bring one.” She bit her lip for a moment and wondered if that’d be enough... What if they needed a backup for their backups?!

“Did you remember your protractor?”

“Y-” She cut herself off as she flicked things around in her bag. “...Hold on...” She rummaged around again, then looked over her shoulder at the back seat, then checked her bag again, rummaging around with the concern of a mother bird unable to find its eighth hatchling in the nest. “I-I’m not sure I-”

“Hun...” Min Min sighed, almost ashamed that she could get her this easily.

A pause, as realization hit. She let out a deep breath as her face scrunched up in embarrassment. “ No protractor. ”

With a cheesy smile on her face, Min Min put on her best ‘worried’ voice. “B-But hunnn! ” She quivered her lip. “ How am I gonna measure the angle of thingsssss!! ”

Ribbon Girl shook her blush-filled face as she set the bag back down at her feet. “Mock me allllllll you like, but when you’re stuck in the dark and you’re bored and you’re hungry and you’re lips are chapped, who are you gonna come to...?” She struck a thumb to her chest proudly. “You’re gonna be plenty thankful that you’ve got me around!”

“Sounds like a deal.” Min Min nodded back, a bright smile on her face. “I’m ready to party!”

Ribbon Girl smiled back softly, finally thinking she may be ready too.

Chapter Text

Ribbon Girl adjusted her wide-brimmed sun hat as she stepped out of the car. “It smells like the ocean!~” She chimed happily, her dress fluttering in the wind.

“I wonder why...” Min Min pondered, looking out at the vast sea now only a short stretch ahead of them. “Hold on...” She sniffed a little harder, turning a bit to her right. “...Barbeque located! Let’s roll. ”

Without another thought, she began making her way toward the slight smokey smell in the breeze. With a short jog, Ribbon Girl caught up to her side and took her hand in her own.

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“That’s gonna be a real beaut’.” Spring Man nodded, admiring the sizzling steaks on the hot wireframe.

“Sure is, sure is.” Mummy nodded back, pleased with the progress so far. “The trick is all in the wood chips. Gotta get the quality stuff. Bang for your buck, y’know?”

“I hear ya.” Spring Man nodded again. He felt a strange kinship with Master Mummy right now. Was this what it was like to be a balding past-your-prime father living in a suburban neighbourhood probably somewhere in Florida and your wife is the kind of person who shares memes about wine on facebook and maybe once a week you’ll stop by the local bar with a couple coworkers after a long day at the office and you’ll play darts together but it’s just for fun really and no one takes it too seriously and man Jim is such a good guy, real down to Earth, but he just can’t seem to catch a break, like why is the boss always on his back like that it just doesn’t seem much fair s’all I know, right? He figured it was. It was that pure ‘American Dream’ life boomers have that he had always wished he could achieve, even if he didn’t know it. But maybe he was finally there. Maybe this was it. Maybe he was just born too young, and in another life he’d be the one playing darts in the bar and swearing to Jim that he’d have his back. Maybe he’d be the one to-

“ Smells good! ” Min Min grinned, approaching with Ribbon Girl in tow. “You get them good wood chips?”

“Of course.” Mummy nodded proudly.

Wait, Min Min knew about the wood chips? But her hip and young demeanor didn’t fit at all with Spring Man’s vision of late adulthood... Was he wrong about Florida?? But he’d just envisioned his future wife leaving in the family SUV to pick Lil’ Tommy up from soccer practice...! Easy come, easy go. Easy come, easy go...

“You good?” Min Min questioned to the rather distraught looking Spring Man.

“...Huh?” He blinked, shaking out of his daze. “Oh, yeah, I’m good! Just been standin’ in the barbeque smoke a lil too long I suppose, heh.” He gave a big thumbs up to the two girls that had now joined them. “You two are lookin’ great! Still up for some V-Ball later?”

“ You know it! ” Min Min smirked back. “ Jari on board still?”

A quiet voice came from the shade of a nearby beach parasol. “Don’t call me that...”

They turned in unison to the sleepy college student shielding from the sun. Ribbon Girl offered him a pleasant wave. “We’re ready whenever you are!~” He yawned tiredly, but offered a small nod in agreement.

“...He was up late studying.” Spring Man shrugged, quietly informing the pair as they turned back to the barbeque. “I figure he could use a quick nap first, so we’ll meet up with ya a little later on if that’s cool. I wanna get some swimmin’ done before we eat anyways.”

“That works for us. We’ll do some one-V-ones in the meantime.” Ribbon Girl agreed. “Have you seen any of the others around...?”

“Yeah, they’re all over.” He shrugged. “It’s a big beach! Just gotta find ‘em.”

“And how do I, uh, find.. .” Min Min eyed the sizzling meats of the barbecue like a hungry, hungry dog. “...My way into gettin’ one of those...?”

“They’ll be a while still, I’m afraid.” Mummy returned calmly. “Can’t rush perfection! I’m slow cooking ‘em, so they’ll be a good bit still. But it’ll be well worth the wait, I promise.”

Min Min felt her heart squeeze in pain as she forced herself to accept it just wasn’t meant to be just yet. “ I’ll come back for you...” she whispered slowly to the meat. “ I promise... ”

Ribbon Girl rolled her eyes, pulling Min Min away like an owner getting their distracted dog back on track. “Have fun, guys!”

Mummy, Spring Man, and Ninjara - from the shadows - offered a farewell wave as the pair headed away from the barbeque and over to the V-Ball courts.

Chapter Text

Max Brass flexed his impeccable muscles and the ladies swooned. “What can I say?” He grinned. “I catch the sun pretty dang good, is all~”

The ladies around him - all Plus One s he had invited to tag along - giggled in unison.

He struck a fine pose. “Just can’t be helped~”

...A nearby voice, soft and sweet, and distinctly familiar, caught his ear. “Do you have anything strawberry...?”

Brass turned to the source of the voice. There, on the street neighbouring the beach, stood a young friend of his. Mechanica.

“ Oh, that one sounds nice! ” She smiled warmly to the man in the ice cream van. “I’ll get either that or the double one...”

She seemed to pause for a moment to consider her options, and that was all the chance Brass needed. He swooped in quickly, putting a hand on the young girl’s shoulder, and with a dashing smile to the man in the van he announced his graciousness. “ I’ll get the lil lady her ice cream! ” He smiled brightly. “In fact... I’ll get her one of everythin’ on your menu! ”

The nearby women all cheered and swooned at The Commish’s ultimate generosity. Mechanica herself, who had been both surprised to see Max Brass and relieved he hadn’t turned up today in just a speedo, smiled brightly at his thoughtfulness. “ O-Oh? ” She chimed. “Th-Thank you so much!”

“One of everything, comin’ up!” The ice cream man nodded, handing Mechanica an ice cream sandwich in a plain white wrapper, and then a similarly shaped ice cream bar.

“Don’t mention it, kid!” Brass smiled down at her. “Enjoy your day out there, eh?”

“I-I will!” She thanked as he walked off to be with his babes again. What a lovely gesture!

“These three are strawberry too, so enjoy!” The ice cream man nodded as he passed her down another three ice creams.

“Th-Thank you!”

“And these four are mint...”

“...”

“And these three are chocolate...”

The large stack of ice cream forming in Mechanica’s grasp was starting to become a bit much.

“Now we’ve got some vanilla and some vanilla-chocolate mix... And both of these have some with sprinkles, too...”

There were at least thirty ice creams in her hugging grasp, now. There was no way she could finish all of these...

“Got a few more still, stay steady now...”

What had Brass just gotten her into?!

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“ Oh! Oh!! ” Ribbon Girl smiled brightly, fishing a disposable camera out of her tote bag. “Take a shot of me by the ocean!~”

Min Min took the camera and lined up an elegant shot. “Say ramen! ”

“ Ramen!~ ” She smiled warmly, doing her best to look natural and carefree.

A whirring came from the camera’s base. Min Min hadn’t been expecting it to be one of those Polaroid doo-dads, but she figured that made more sense than bringing one of those cameras you had to take some place to get the photos developed.

Ribbon Girl came over Min Min’s shoulder as the picture began to develop. “ Aww... ” She smiled. “You really know how to get my good side ♡”

She shrugged. “I’m a pro at everything I do, ain’t no biggie~” She pressed her thumb lightly to the photo. “Shame about the weird line, though.” She ran her thumb over it in the hopes it’d wipe away like a small line of dust or something, but the line stayed firm.

“I hope it’s not something wrong with the camera...” Ribbon Girl took the photo and repeated the motion Min Min had just made, somehow thinking it’d work for her even if it hadn’t for Min Min. With a slight squint, she took a deeper look at the line. “...Wait, no, it doesn’t overlap me...” She turned on a dime, facing to where she had stood, and the source of the line presented itself.

The pair walked over to the nearby snakeboarder. “ Yo! ” Min Min nodded in greeting. “ Hisstorian! ”

The spectacle-bearing halfpipe grinder greeted her in kind. “ Yoooooo, whaddup Min!!” He gave a slight bow to Ribbon Girl. “An’ Muisses Min. ”

“Whatcha doin’ with this? ” Min Min asked, poking the long selfie stick extruding from the man’s hand.

He pointed his finger to the end of the pole, where a camcorder lay affixed. “I’m filmin’ Kay-Cee’s siiick wave shreddin’!” He nodded excitedly as the pair looked out into the ocean.

There, in the far-off distance, was Kid Cobra - struggling to clamber back onto a surfboard. 

“...He doesn’t look very good at it.” Ribbon Girl admitted, a concerned tone in her voice.

“Oh yeah, Kay-Cee ain’t done no research or practice! The ultimate challenge, y’know?”

Ribbon Girl let out an unimpressed, yet not surprised, sigh.

“Am I still in that will he wrote...?” Min Min asked casually, totally unrelated to what they were currently watching.

“ Kid Cobra’s Totally Awesome Emergency Bucket-Kicked Loot Dispersal List? Yeah gurl, you right up top!”

“Baller.” She nodded. “Anyways, have fun!”

“ Snake on, yo! ” The Plus One signed off as the two continued on their way to the V-Ball courts. Always nice to catch up!

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A small and hopeful gasp escaped Mechanica’s mouth. “ Twintelle! ”

The big-screen superstar lay elegantly on a nearby lounder, but seemed to jump at the mention of her name. Her eyes lay behind some very expensive designer sunglasses, but somehow the flick of their attention could still be felt. “...Ah. Hello, Mechanica.”

Mechanica hurried over, a mountain of ice cream still her her arms. “H-Hey!! I don’t suppose you want any ice cream...? M-Maybe...? ...Please? ”

“ Heavens no, think of the calories!” She laughed. “I’d never be caught binging on ice cream. Think of the image!”

“B-But there’s no one around...” Mechanica mumbled, really hoping to be rid of some of the ice creams now freezing her arms. “No image to worry about, r-right?”

“Darling, there’s always an image. The cameras are always right around the corner, trust me!” She repositioned herself somewhat, really doing her best to show off for any potential onlookers.

“...I think the cameras are focused on someone else right now...” Mechanica eyed over to the end of the beach, where several sectioned-off paparazzi were going wild taking zoom-lens photos... Of a rather beautifully bikini-clad Lola Pop. 

Twintelle sat up quietly and peered over to the fuss going on. “... Hmpf. It’s a passing fad, nothing more.” She lay back down as she had been. “They’re only surprised to see her out of her inflatable pants for once. They’ll lose interest anyyyy second now...”

Mechanica waited in silence for a couple moments.

“...Anyyyy second now...”

Chapter Text

“Here comes trouble...” Min Min mumbled under her breath as she and Ribbon Girl continued along the shore on their way to the V-Ball courts.

There, dressed toe-to-shoulder in old fashioned deep sea diving gear, stood Springtron.

“Enjoying the sun?” Ribbon Girl asked sweetly. She had always made an effort to be nice to him, just in case. In case of what , exactly? She wasn’t so sure, but it was probably best not to stress about that.

Springtron looked between them with his cold metal gaze, ever hard to read.

“You’re up to no good, ain’tcha?” Min Min suspected.

He looked down at his diving gear, then back up at them.

“Figured as much!” Min Min shrugged, assuming herself correct. “He’s ‘boutta scare some businessmen into cancelling their takeover of Buster Beach, just you wait and see!”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Ribbon Girl questioned, unsure where she even comes up with this stuff half of the time.

“Y’know, like in Scooby Doo? He’s dressin’ like the diver dude! The diver bad guy dude. The diver bad guy dude who’s acting like a ghost and stuff and all that."

Springtron lifted the large rounded helmet of the suit and clicked it onto place over his head, completing the look.

“... Oh, I see.” Ribbon Girl nodded.

“Least it’ll keep the saltwater out, I suppose.” Min Min took a snap of him with the disposable camera. “Let us know if you find any sunken treasure!”

With that, he made his way into the sweeping tides and down into the sea.

“See ya later... Big Daddy. ” Min Min smiled. She could tell from Ribbon Girl’s face that she did not get the reference. “...Y’know, like Bioshock? You gotta spend less time reading books, hun.”

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“Helix!!” Mechanica smiled brightly, hurrying over to him.

The gooey green figured turned to face her, though she could never be sure if he was looking at her or just over her shoulder.

“ Hey buddy!! Do you like ice cream...?

Helix made some strange sort of noise that could really be taken as anything.

“...Good! Well, I have a lot right now, so if you wanted to try some then-”

Helix turned around, seemingly uninterested with the conversation now, and he continued on his way down the shoreline. With each few steps he took, he’d pick up a small shell from the floor and jam it into his gloopy body.

“I-It’s nice stuff! It’s sweet a-and creamy...” She watched as he continued to add shells to his internal collection, and quickly gave up trying to talk him into helping her out. He was a very random-minded goo creature. Either he’d be fixated on something immediately or he’d ignore it with every sticky fiber of his being... And he’d flip flop between the two on a nearly daily basis, too.

She turned quickly as a set of sandy footsteps steadily began to approach the shore nearby. “ ...Spring Man! ” She smiled brightly.

The young beach hunk stopped in his tracks, his feet just barely in the path of the coming tide. “Heyyyy lil’ lady!” He grinned at her. “That’s a lot of ice cream!”

“Y-Yes, it is...” She deflated. “W-Would you like some? It’s way too much for me, a-and no one else seems to want any, s-son...”

“Well...” Spring Man started, looking out at the sea. “I’m about to go for a few laps out there, but I’ll find ya when I’m about and I’d be happy to take a few off your hands.”

“Y-Yes!” She smiled ear-to-ear. “Th-Thank you! And enjoy your swim!~”

Spring Man gave her a quick thumbs up, then dashed out into the sea.

He may not have helped lighten her load yet , but it was still progress. And with how little progress she’d made up to this point, she was pretty happy to take that! But she couldn’t rest now. The stack of ice cream was frighteningly cold and she needed to ditch more. All she needed was a new target...

...With a sudden jump, Mechanica dashed her way over to the figure near enough ahead.

“ ...Misango! ” She grinned. “ H-Hey!! ”

The wise chieftain gave a small nod in greeting.

“Um.. .What are you up to...?”

The man sat with his legs crossed and his ARMS folded tightly - his eyes shut in deep concentration. “...Ancient Misangan outreach.”

Mechanica paused for a moment, letting silence fall. “And what’s that mean...?”

“The Misangan people are found in-land. On most holy ground.” He informed. “Few journey to the oceanside. But scripture tells of those who have and the holy energies they come to know in doing so.” He inhaled deeply. “...I shall become one with the ocean. And I shall cast the water abound in manner of my choosing. I shall come to bend the sea itself. ”

“...That sounds cool.” Mechanica nodded, not so sure he’d get the result he was looking for. “That kinda sounds like a show called Avatar, actually? I-I think you’d like that. We could watch it some time...”

“That would be enjoyable.” He agreed.

She smiled. “ ...Oh! Hey, so, um... I-I kinda have way too many ice creams right now, do you think you’d like to try some...?”

“I must have no distractions from my goal.” Misango declined. “I apologize.”

“No worries...” With a soft sigh, Mechanica didn’t push it. She’d become accustomed to these sort of responses now. “I’ll see you around, okay? Good luck with your, um... Bending.”

He nodded quietly. “Good luck with your burden.”

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“ Meteor Strike!! ” Min Min called out as she met the V-Ball ball in the air and slammed it down with the force of... Well, a pretty regular strike, actually.

Ribbon Girl skipped to her left and struck it back.

“ Chaos Blast!! ” Min Min continued, doing something of a spin before whacking the ball back to the other side of the net.

“I’m not sure if your moves are named all that fittingly... ” Ribbon Girl returned, thumping the ball upward before smacking it back to her opponent.

“A cool name gives it more oomph! ” Min Min urged. “Like drawing flames on the side of your race car to make it go faster, y’know?” She kicked the ball up and headbutt it forward. “ Murder Slash!! ”

“So violent!” Ribbon Girl grumbled. “Are you even keeping track of which moves have which names?!”

“Of course!” She nodded back, doing much the same move she had for her ‘Chaos Blast’, but this time exclaiming... “ Eternal Flame!! ”

Ribbon Girl rolled her eyes, giving the ball some small jolts to keep it above her. Then, with some slick leg work, she pushed it upward and struck it with the back of her hand. “ Flower Kiss!~ ”

The ball met the ground by Min Min’s feat, just a touch too fast for her to stop its collision, and popped into a small poof of smoke - far lighter than the blast it’d give in a League match of V-Ball. “... Flower Kiss? ” Min Min scoffed. “ That’s such an uncool name!! ”

“Well it worked, didn’t it?” Ribbon Girl smiled back, slipping under the net to join her at her side of the court. “Maybe you should try it next time~”

Min Min rolled her eyes, sat down on the nearby ledge, and put an ARM around Ribbon Girl’s shoulders as she came to join her. “It’s nice having the place to ourselves for a chance.”

“Mm.” Ribbon Girl nodded, taking a sip of her water bottle. “...This way, no one sees you lose so badly~”

Min Min scrunched her face and gave Ribbon Girl a harsh but loving glare. “Well I like having a skilled V-Ball partner! Just means we’ll wipe the floor with Spring ‘nd Jara when they come to join us.”

“Hope you’ve saved some of your ‘special moves’ for them.”

“Oh yeah!” She grinned. “I don’t wanna spoil what I’ve got up my sleeve, but... How’s ‘ Genocide Anihilation!’ sound?~”

“...Needlessly redundant and weirdly violent?” Ribbon Girl responded, as expected.

“Please do not perform genocide at the beach.” Came a voice from nearby, alongside some clanging footsteps. “It is not permitted within the rules.”

They turned to face the metal officer approaching them. “Eyyyy, Byte! ” Min Min smiled. “No worries, it’s just the name of a thing. I ain’t hurtin’ no one.” She put a hand to her mouth, covering it from Byte’s view, and leaned in to whisper toward Ribbon Girl. “... Yet. ”

Ribbon Girl blinked, not really sure what to make of that. “...Are you enjoying the beach, Byte?” She smiled up at the robotic man. “I guess you do spend a lot of time here most days, huh?”

“Correct.” He confirmed. “Buster Beach is within our usual patrol area.”

A happy bark sound effect played out from the nearby K9-unit. The sound seemed to make Min Min jump up in glee, as it often did. “Ahhhh!! Barq!! ” She grinned, hopping from the ledge to crouch down by Barq’s frame. “ Who’s a good boyyyyyy? ”

Another happy bark audio recording played.

“Do you want a treat? Huh? ”

Ribbon Girl sighed, knowing how this always played out.

“Do you? Doooo you?” Min Min paused, then gave a small dramatic gasp. “ B-But wait, how will you eat it with no mouthhhhhh?!” She put her hands to her face in a pose that resembled Edvard Munch’s The Scream. All according to script.

Ribbon Girl snapped a photo of Min Min and Barq, before drawing her attention away from the moron she loved and instead addressed Byte again. “...Would you like to join us for some V-Ball? I think it’ll be a while until Spring and Ninjara come to play.”

“We are currently on duty. We cannot preoccupy ourselves with other matters at this time. My apologies.”

“You’re on duty?” Min Min questioned. “We’re the only ones here. Who you gonna arrest?” She took a swig of her water. “...Actually, we saw Lola on the way here. Should probably arrest her for bein’ way too fine in that bikini!”

“Being attractive is currently not considered a crime in this patrol area.” Byte helpfully informed, over the sound of Ribbon Girl sighing from Min Min’s comment. “I will let you know if this changes.” He nodded. “...Because then you will both be breaking the law.”

The two smiled, with Min Min waving her hand around rapidly. “Oh my goddd, so flattering! ” She laughed. “I betcha tell all the beach chicks that tho, huh?~”

“We must continue our patrol now.” He responded - possibly avoiding the question - as he began to head off again. “Enjoy your stay at the beach and report any crimes you witness.”

Barq barked as the two head off, leaving Min Min and Ribbon Girl alone once again. “What a character.” Min Min smiled. “For a policebot he’s certainly a lot of fun.”

“...Oh shoot. ” Ribbon Girl grumbled. “We probably should have told him that Springtron seemed to be up to something.”

“ Pshhh. ” Min Min scoffed. “Since when were we snitches? He ain’t hurtin’ us! He’s just doin’ some harmless diving suit shenanigans. What’s the harm in that?”

A shadow in the figure of a man passed over them from behind.

Min Min turned her head over her shoulder. “...Well, glad I said that.”

Ribbon Girl turned in kind, only to be met with the sight of another metal man - this one in the shape of a certain Spring Stadium hero. “...Ah.” Ribbon Girl smiled nervously. “Y-Yeah, as Min Min said, we’d never tell on you. ”

Springtron looked down on her blankly with the same expression he always kept on his face.

“Ey, ‘Tron.” Min Min nodded up at him. “You been up to no good, boy?”

He turned his gaze from Ribbon Girl to her instead.

“I know you been misbehavin’!” Min Min grinned. “ Go on. Whatcha done, eh?”

After a brief pause he produced a set of fancy designer sunglasses from out of nowhere.

“Oh my god...” Ribbon Girl sighed. “ Are those Twintelle’s? ”

He looked at her in a way that somehow convinced her her assessment was correct.

Min Min snorted. “Bet she’s pleased. How’d you even manage to nab them from her?!” The thought of Twintelle squinting in the bright sun was remarkably funny to her.

Without another word, Springtron produced a rather large parasol as well.

“...?” Min Min blinked. “Where were you keeping that...? You got some sort of blackhole storage we don’t know about?” She nudged Ribbon Girl with her shoulder. “Like that door in Bender’s body, y’know? ...Wait, have you watched Futurama?!”

Ribbon Girl put her hand to her face, not paying much attention to Min Min’s thoughts at the moment. “...Is that...” She sighed.

Min Min focused on the parasol a touch more. Ah.

“Well...” Ribbon Girl grumbled. “Ninjara is going to be really sunburnt when he wakes up... I guess he won’t be joining us for V-Ball after all.”

Min Min snorted at the thought of a bright red Ninjara, then shrugged casually. “No worries. Springtron can pair up with Spring when he shows up, right?” She looked up at him again. “Cool with that? V-Ball. You, me, Ribs, and Spring.” Sure, he might not like Spring Man, but he’s worked with him in V-Ball and Hoops matches before. Shouldn’t be out of the question, right?

Springtron stared back at her once again, before slowly lifting up a pair of-

Min Min burst into laughter, causing her to fall off the ledge and onto the sand below. Ribbon Girl, meanwhile, just stared in disbelief at the bright blue swimming trunks Springtron held in front of her. “I guess Spring Man won’t be joining us either... ” She mumbled.

Chapter Text

Mechanica approached the massive sand castle erected at the top of Buster Beach. Would this work?

Doing her best to keep her enormous stack of ice creams from falling to the floor, she gently nudged the metallic button by the sand castle’s door.

A beep came from the nearby speaker. “...Yes?”

“I-It’s me...” She mumbled into it.

A whirring noise came and the door dissipated into loose sand, only reforming itself back up once she had stepped inside.

“Enjoying the beach?” Coyle asked in a rather casual voice as she approached the desk she was sat at. “I’m up to my eyeballs in work still, but once the barbeque is ready... She looked up at the young girl ahead of her. “...That’s a lot ice cream.”

"Y-Yeah...” Mechanica grumbled weakly. “W-Would you like any...?”

“I’ll take a Choc Ice, if you have one.” She shrugged back, before taking a square block from Mechanica’s pile. She peeled back the papery wrapping and bit into it. “Take a seat.”

Mechanica looked around for somewhere to sit, only to find a small sand-chair forming beside her as Coyle pushed a button on her desk.

“Whatcha think of the ‘Lab-away-from-Lab’?” She asked, putting her feet up on the desk and she enjoyed an ice cream break. “In hindsight I probably could have finished my actual work last night if I hadn’t spent all my time creating a device to form sand to my will...” She shrugged. “But oh well.”

“I-I’m impressed.” Mechanica responded, looking around from her seat. When she had left the Lab the day before Coyle’s progress had been pretty minimal - only able to form small piled of sand that loosely moved at her request. This was quite the improvement to say the least.

“Are you enjoying the beach?” Coyle repeated, seeing as her question had gone unanswered earlier.

Mechanica nodded slowly. “It’s nice... But I’ve just got way too much ice cream, i-it’s kinda hard to do much when I’m stuck lugging it all around...” She sighed softly. “I’ve asked Twintelle and Spring Man and Helix and Misango... No one seems to want any, so-”

“Where is Helix?” Coyle interrupted, figuring she should probably have been keeping better track of him.

“Oh, he’s just collecting shells by the shore.”

“Keeping out of trouble? That’s good.” She took another bite of her Choc Ice. It was quite a nice treat, actually. Really brought her back to the good ol’ days. “You ditched any on Lola yet?”

“Hm...?” Mechanica blinked. “Uh...”

Coyle’s eyebrow raised. “You seriously haven’t tried giving any to Lola...? Sweetie, she could eat Mummy’s weight in that stuff.”

A hopeful smile began to form on Mechanica’s lips. “I-I’ll go do that!” She hopped up quickly and made her way for the door, ice creams in hand. “ Th-Thanks!! ”

Coyle rolled her eyes, a small smile on her own face. “... Dumb kid. ”

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Min Min bumped the V-Ball up and down on her head, trying her best to keep it in the air. “ Mannnn, ” She began. “I’m hungry. ”

Ribbon Girl watched as the ball bounced up and down. She had been quietly counting Min Min’s attempt for a while, but lost track around sixty. “The barbeque should be ready soon. Wanna head out?”

“Yeah...” Min Min replied absent mindedly, focusing on the ball. “...When the ball drops...”

Ribbon Girl gave a soft smile, weirdly enamoured by how the simplest of life’s pleasures seemed to entertain Min Min. But it was that intensely positive outlook on life that she loved about her, she supposed.

“...Then again, we may be here all night with how good I am at this!” Min Min grinned, still bounding the ball on her forehead.

...Her cockiness was also weirdly enamouring, admittedly. Min Min could be such a strange cocktail. But was it wrong of her to want to drink that? ...Actually, that came out weird. “Think you’re good enough to keep it going long enough for me to find my camera?”

“ Duh! ” Min Min scoffed, no doubt in her skills.

Ribbon Girl began collecting their belongings, ready to make their way over to the barbeque once Min Min’s little game had come to an end. She gathered up their water bottles, chapstick, and all manor of other things in her big pink bag...

“...C’mon, take the pic!!” Min Min urged, possibly starting to realize that she was losing her grip on this challenge.

Ribbon Girl swiped her hand around the contents of her bag. “...Uh...” She pouted, looking closer as she moved things around. “...I’m not sure where the camera got to.”

Min Min hit the ball a little too hard and its trajectory went further out than she’d expected, and with a slight bump to the ground the ball was no more. “ Arghhhh! ” She groaned. “Damn. Foiled again by my own hubris.”

“Min.” Ribbon Girl pouted, setting the bag down. “Have you seen my camera anywhere?”

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“Lolaaaa!” Mechanica grinned from ear-to-ear as she approached the rather gorgeous bikini-clad... Uhhh... Clown.

“Heyyyy gumdrop!” Lola smiled back. “ Ohhhh! Is that ice cream?!”

“Y-Yeah!” Mechanica nodded quickly. “Would you-”

“I had no idea you were collecting ice creams!” Lola laughed. “Here, have this one!”

From out of nowhere she produced a still-cold Choc Ice and added it to Mechanica’s pile.

“There ya go!~” She smiled, happy to be so generous.

“Wh-Wha-?!” Mechanica stared at the latest addition to her collection.  “B-But I’m not trying to make a collection, I-I’m trying to get rid of them!!” A wave of distress fell over her, now that the only ice cream she’d been able to lose had somehow found its way back home. “P-Please, Lola, take some ice cream!”

“Hmmm... No can do kiddo, I’m savin’ my appetite for the barbeque!”

“B-But you only eat sweet stuff!!” Mechanica pleaded.

“A bit of savoury ain’t half bad sometimes!” She shrugged. “Doctor says it’ll kill me to eat sweets literally every single day, so I try to have a break day every couple of months. Gotta think about your health, y’know?”

Mechanica made a sound like a deflating balloon... And then ran off again, getting desperate to find someone else who could help her out.

She was running out of options now. Big time. At this point it no longer mattered who she’d ask to take these things off her. She was willing to tell a vegan they were all dairy free, if that’s what it came to.

With a few hurried footsteps she dashed over to Master Mummy. “ H-Hey!! ” She yelped. “W-Want some ice cream?!”

“Hm?” He looked to the poor distressed girl. “Sorry, I’m far too old for ice cream now. Too cold for my teeth, y’know?” He flipped a burger on the grill. “...But the barbeque is almost done. Can I get you a hotdog or something?”

“Eyyyy, smells great!” Min Min grinned as she and Ribbon Girl approached the source of the wonderful meaty aroma they’d been following.

“MIN MIN!” Mechanica yelped, turning in place. “W-Want some ice cream?!”

“Hm? ...Oh hell yeah, lil dude.” She took Lola’s Choc Ice from the top of the stack. “You gotta share those with everyone or can I have more than one?”

Mechanica felt relief wash over her. There is a god... And her name is Min Min.

“Have either of you seen Springtron...?” Ribbon Girl asked. “We’re pretty sure he’s stolen my camera...”

“I wish he’d steal my ice creams...” Mechanica mumbled sadly.

Twintelle suddenly showed up too. “Ridiculous machine has taken my sunglasses, too.” She grunted, furious. “They were designer. Not cheap!!”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bone to pick with him too...” Came a very unpleased voice from nearby.

They turned, and Min Min once again fell to the sand in laughter. There, before them, stood a very red Ninjara.

“I’m sorry to hear he’s been causing such havoc for you all.” Mummy sighed. “Hopefully some good food will lighten your spirits, yeah?”

Min Min sprung back to her feet in an instant. “ Absolutely it will, yes! ” She started to hop from foot to foot, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

“Well it’s just about d-”

...A shriek called out from nearby, causing each of them - save Mechanica, who sadly had her hands full at the moment - to clamp their palms over their ears in an effort to block it out.

Helix dashed over in intense distress. Something seemed to be bothering him to the ends of the Earth - but he wasn’t exactly one to say what was on his mind.

“What the hell’s wrong with Helix?” Min Min stared.

“...Oh no.” Mechanica gasped softly and the notable lack of seashells in his gelatinous body.

...The soft clanging of metal feet on sand slipped by them. Each turned to face the robotic man who was seemingly trying to just quietly slip by unnoticed.

“ H-Hey! ” Twintelle glared, putting a hand to her waist.

“ Springtron! ” Ninjara grunted, gritting his teeth. The mere act of angling his eyebrows caused a hurt from his sunburn.

Ribbon Girl stepped forward. “Did you take my-”

Another shriek called out, this time from much closer. They each clamped their hands over their ears again, though now Twintelle thoughtfully used her hair-ARMS to do the same for Mechanica, sparing her another sharp ringing in her ears.

Helix dashed forward and lunged at Springtron, who quickly jolted to the side to avoid him. Helix angled himself again and went for the metallic-jugular, but Springtron once again dodged.

The two jumped back and forth, skidding down the beach toward the shore.

“ ...Finally. ” Misango took a deep breath. With great concentration he slowly got to his feet. “ The ocean bends... TO MY WILL! ” He struck his hand out and waves crashed before him, starting to swirl and rush together in a growing whirlpool. Then, with the focus of only a man of God, he caused the water to begin raising into the air ahead of him, pooling into a large unstable ball, moving with a current the likes of which-

Helix bumped into Misango, cutting his concentration short and causing the water to return back into the sea undisturbed.

The two continued their back-and-forth, now heading back up the beach, leaving Misango to kneel in his defeat.

“...Misanga damn it...” He sighed.

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“...So yeah, after shredding some sick waves I asked my bro Hisstorian to bury me here.” Kid Cobra casually explained, his head the only part of him above the sand. “I was gonna go in all the way but Hiss was worried he wouldn’t be able to find me back lol. Crazy, right?”

“Correct.” Byte stared at him, Barq at his side.

“So anyways, then Hiss had to go ‘cause his professor called and they’d found some rad archeological find or somethin’, Y’know? He was like ‘awww dude no wayyyy!! I’ll be there in like a SEC bro!!!’ , y’know? I wonder if they found, like, a dragon or some shit. I bet Min Min would be like ‘Ohhh DOPE dude!!’ , right??”

“...Likely.” Byte affirmed.

“ Anyways , yeah, so, he had to go and now I’m kinda stuck here lol. The tide is comin’ in kinda close to that’s pretty much while I called you over, right? Thinkin’ you could dig me out or somethin’.”

“Yes. We can assist you in this-”

The light on Barq’s head suddenly lit up and began to spin around. He played some aggressive barking sound clips and began to speed off in the direction of the barbeque, having caught the notion that something was going on.

“...I shall return momentarily.” Byte announced, watching his companion hurry off to the scene of the crime. “Please wait here.”

“Hahaaa yeah, like, I gotta LOL!!” Kid Cobra laughed as Byte head off as well. “...Guess I’ll just, uh... Wait.” A wave broke toward him and hit his chin. “ Lmaoooo, that tickles haha.”

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“H-Hey, watch out!” Ribbon Girl grunted, jumping away from the incoming Springtron-followed-by-Helix mess that was now back by at the barbecue.

“G-Guys, this is really not appropriate to be doing here .” Master Mummy urged.

Helix made a jump for Springtron, who dodged again, and accidentally collided with Ninjara, sending the poor ninja into searing sunburn pain. “Hnngrrr God!! ” He grunted, twitching from the sensation.

“This is getting ridiculous...” Twintelle grumbled, watching it all unfold.

Helix shrieked again - but this time more aggressively. He suddenly leant back and swung his ARM behind him, gearing up for a punch.

“ HELIX, NO! ” Everyone shouted in unison.

...But it was too late. Helix struck Springtron hard enough to send him flying back... And right into the barbeque. In a most painful sight to bear, the barbecue toppled to the sand below and smoldered out, with all its now perfectly cooked delectables falling out and becoming inedible in the blink of an eye.

Master Mummy fell to his knees and let out a gutterl no. The kind you’d only expect to see in cheesy movies. But this time real. Too real.

Min Min stared into space blankly, processing what just happened. “...I’m quitting the ARMS League and joining the military.” Ribbon Girl put her hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Feeling a little dazed from the fall, Springtron sat up in the wreckage of the barbeque and held his head. Before him he now saw the furious faces of his colleagues standing above him. He’d really done it this time.

“ You... ” Master Mummy growled. “You ruined my barbeque! ”

“ And you stole my sunglasses!” Twintelle added, glaring.

“And my camera, too!” Ribbon Girl grumbled.

“ Blububububub!! ” Helix blubbed.

“And my parasol...” Ninjara threw in, still feeling the ache of his sunburn.

“And my shorts!” Came a voice from far out in the ocean.

“And you ruined my meditation.” Misango followed, approaching from nearby.

“ And you ruined Mummy’s barbeque!!” Min Min hissed.

Springtron looked back and forth at the angry faces of those he loved. Had he really gone too far? Had he spoilt what was meant to be a fun day for them all?? He didn’t know how to feel... But he knew that all he could do now would be to suffer the consequences of his misdeeds.

...Or not.

A sharp beeping noise began to ring out from Springtron’s head. The other fighters had become all too familiar with that noise and, knowing what was about to come, they each stepped far back from the beeping robot.

With a heavy bang and a ploom of thick smoke, Springtron had self destructed himself. His usual last resort.

The others stood and watched the smoke dissipate over the scrap remains of Springtron’s body that now lay in the pitiful crater his explosion left behind. What a sad way to end the day.

...Byte approached, looked down at the smoldering metal, and then looked back up at the others. “...Springtron has been arrested.”

...With that, Byte and Barq left to go file a police report.

The others stood in silence for a moment, before Coyle - attracted from the loud bang - approached from nearby. “Did Springtron go boom?”

They each nodded slowly.

She sighed, bent down, and picked up his blackbox. “So much for a barbeque. Guess I’ll go rebuild him... Come along, Mechanica.”

“I-I’ve still kinda got my hands full...” She frowned, her arms still cradling the pile of assorted ice creams.

“...Where did you even get so many ice creams?” She asked finally, her eyebrow raising.

Max Brass, who had also been brought over from the loud bang, now stood with a wide grin on his face - ever so proud of his generosity.

Coyle’s eyes locked on his face and she put two-and-two together. With one quick swipe of her hand, she knocked all of Mechanica’s ice creams to the sand below.

Finally. Mechanica felt a large weight lift from her shoulders. She couldn’t have just dropped them herself, after all. And she had been so disappointed when Helix and Springtron hadn’t collided with her...

Coyle began back toward her temporary Lab, now with Mechanica following closely behind. The others, once again, returned to silence.

“...I’m sorry, everyone.” Master Mummy announced sadly. “I guess we’ll all be going hungry...” Misango put a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

Min Min sighed. “I guess we should have expected this from putting all the food on the barbeque all at once.” She shrugged lightly, staring down at the sandy mess on the floor. “If only one of us had thought to bring some extra sandwiches or something. Just in case. ”

...Ribbon Girl’s eyes lit up. She let out a small shriek and dashed back toward their car to retrieve the sandwiches she had prepared earlier that day.

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“ ...Hellooooooooooooooooooooo? ” Kid Cobra called out. “ ...Byteeeeee? ...Barqqqqqqq? ”

He blubbered as the saltwater rushed over his face again, before the tide once again retracted for a moment.

“ ...Misangoooooo? Buddy...? ” He tried. “ Have you finished learning how to control the seaaaaa? ”

He blubbered once more and waited for the tide to return again.

“ ...No pressureeeeee... ” He looked at the sun setting over the ocean. “ ...But it’d kinda help right now... ”