Helping Orphanages? Are you even a villain anymore?

The server at Crave Burger seemed to need a few moments of looking at Danny and Tsukimi before he could respond. Blinking, he explains with a straight face, pointing out the menu on the counter, the images of succeedingly large and photo shopped clean burgers. The Pekish Burger was a modest thing, more akin to a slider, while the Titular Crave Burger was a monstrous triple patty, triple cheese, quadruple bun abomination of grease and fat. with a little onion, lettuce and tomato.

"Milkshakes? But this is Crave Burger, we only got Crave Burgers... Peckish Burger, Hungry Burger, Starvin Burger, then the Crave Burger. Yeah." Satisfied with himself, it took a moment before he Looked at where Danny was looking, the large sintra board menu that proudly displayed milkshakes. Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Pumpkin Spice. With a special +1 regular for ordering an XXL Shake.

"Whoa we serve Milkshakes here? yeah, yeah. Uhh, we got like, a couples' special rate..." The server looked at the poster, then at the two girls. "Uh... I mean, it's totally okay if you're not a couple when you buy it... but I'm also saying... if you are a couple that's also totally okay... and hot..." The server stopped that line of thought. "Would you like a Crave Burger with that?"

Meanwhile, the worrisome sounds of the hounds growling and searching in the hallways outside grew a bit louder.

"Pumpkin spice." The two girls said in unison when their server finally corrected his mistake in not seeing the milkshakes. Tsukimi leaned over the counter to try and see if there was anything noticeably out of place- other than the server of course.

"Yeah, I'll take the XXL. She can have the regular." The sound of echoing paws began to move away from the store they first ransacked. "I guess Olaf doesn't have our backs."

"I'm glad I took the sweaters with me." The bag still contained the IOU purchased Frozen sweaters.

"Those are ugly sweaters. You have terrible taste in clothes because clearly Bliss and Mitsy took all those genes from you." The two continued to bicker until offered a discount. "Oh, a couple?"

"A couple of what?" Lost in some degree of translation, Tsukimi did not look up from her bag.

"Yeah, we're a couple. Give us the discount." Danny rotated her hands to try and make the cashier move faster than Tsukimi's ability to translate American concepts.

"A couple of shakes?" The sounds of animals in the hall pulled part of Tsukimi's attention and all of her gaze.

"Yeah, that. We need them now. So, hurry." Danny walked over towards the entrance to which the dogs would make their wild attack, prompting Danny to come up with a means of dealing with the problem. A sled, big enough for two with cup holders for shakes, materialized in front of Danny. She attached a number of leashes equal to the the number of dogs making a run towards Danny would emerge from the sled, ready to latch themselves to the dogs as Danny manifested a number of muzzles around the dogs. "Tsukimi, hop on. And bring the shakes. We have to save Christmas!"

The server leaned into his mic and spoke to the non-existent shake crew. "Uhhh, one extra extra large pumpkin spice, and one regular pumpkin spice please." he said contentedly, then waited for a few seconds. He repeats his order, and repeats it again. He looked in the back and confirmed that indeed, no one else was there.

"Ugh, these people, taking unauthorized breaks. I am so sorry ladies, I'll get your shakes myself. I'll be with you in a few minutes with those shakes, kay?" He apologizes to them and struts into the kitchen, singing a punk rock tune.

The dogs of war were loosed upon the food court once more, their attention on the girls only slightly diverted as they sniffed some cold food and drink strewn on the floor. Ohmygod is that a burrito? num num num.

The dogs wandering into the food court proved their own undoing as the abundance of processed meat and simple carbs took the edge of their aggression, as they seemed to fall into semi- food comas.

Server Guy came to the counter with the girls' orders. "Here you go, Extra extra Large pumpkin spice and regular... hey, uh, I don't think you're allowed to have pets inside the fast food court... so uh... could you like tell your dogs to wait outside?"

The dogs' hungers satisfied, they did not resist Danny's leashes and muzzles. The food had turned these killing machines timid, and they readily obeyed her whims, albeit moving at a slower, gut-bustingly full pace than one would see in action movies.



From where Diana was hidden she saw that the dogs were gone, leaving the distracted red coat alone in the Pharmacy. Cocky and overconfident, Diana does not bother with her advantage of surprise- instead shadow jumping and manifesting beside the figure, then throwing down a challenge.

"You know... I'm honestly amazed you had the guts to show your face around here after I took your hand." Diana side, pacing around her opponent. He paused in what he was doing for a moment, before getting back to it.

"The Sewer King is full of surprises." The man said, tearing through the pharmacy shelves without really looking for anything in particular. Diana looked around at the mess, seeing that the man missed a few medications that should have helped with his blood loss.

"I just greeted Mutt earlier this evening over pizza. That hero stopped me from offing you last time, but now I finish the job, Sewer King." Diana raised her sword in a threatening stance.

"Oh but I think you're mistaken. I am not the Sewer King." The figure turned around at last, face to face with Diana. He wore the Sewer King's coat and walked like him, but it was not the old man Diana fought. No, this was some deliberate impersonation by some dark robed, masked figure carrying a combat-ready saber. His attire screamed of treachery and deceit... and star wars.

"Uh... who are you?" Diana's eyes widened at the realization she'd talked too much to a stranger. She tries to keep her cool, delivering a quip. "Did you grab your Revanchist mask from the Star Wars section of the you store or something?"

"Amusing. Any similarity I assure you, is unintentional. My name is not important. Suffice it to say your meddling in greater affairs has gone on long enough... but my master has seen your skill. He offers you a place at his side... if you turn on your ally." He said with a straight tone behind the mask, his voice also concealed and garbled by electronics to sound more menacing.

"Sorry. It's Christmas if you haven't noticed. This is my one good deed for the year... Just for that, I'm taking your fancy mask."

Diana springs into combat, initiating with deadly swings and thrusts, but her opponent meets on an even footing, using the power of his red energy ring to give himself a greater advantage with energy blasts and levitation.

"Grab on Suzy!" Danny mushed her new dog squad along as Tsukimi hopped onto the back of the sled. Pumpkin spice really did something for the season otherwise missing with the rotting food and horrible smelling dogs.

"Can we take this thing off road?"

"Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

Tsukimi wrapped herself around Danny's waist as she tried to slide over and take a seat. "I don't want to go to the 50s!"

"We need to help Diana fight Santa." The dogs shot up an escalator, taking the duo closer towards the duel happening before them. "Something tells me this 'Santa' isn't quite what he seems."

"He better be evil. I do not want to get put on the bad list for life."

The squad of dogs pulled the sleigh up the escalator, putting Tsukimi and Danny within eye sight of Diana vs her masked adversary. "I need my power to help Diana fight, so I'll need to find a way to keep these dogs at bay. If I try helping Diana and let loose the dogs, it will be the opposite of helping."

"Hmm." Tsukimi looked around at the surroundings to see if she could add anything to the assessment. "Let's pin them in the elevator."

The dogs continued to plow through carts and discarded bags, all leading towards the giant elevator standing in the middle of the mall. A long rod of constructed energy stretched forward to ring the button, calling the elevator. Slowly the lift began to raise towards the second floor while the dogs raced towards the door. A high ping rang out as the doors opened. Row by row the dogs filled into the lift.The leashes disappeared and the sleigh dissipated into nothing.

Danny and Tsukimi slammed against either side of the door as it slowly closed up the dogs. While the fight continued in spectacular fashion, Danny knew she would need to help even the fight if Diana would succeed. "Ready Suzy?"

"Do you have a plan?"

"That wasn't the question." Danny conjured up two blades of turquoise light and made her way to join the fray.

With the hounds of war dealt with, the stranger remained. Their battle was ferocious and deadly even from afar; both aimed to end the life of the other.

As if following some strange rule about regenerators getting seriously injured once per comic to demonstrate their ability to regenerate, a great flash of light would welcome Danny and Tsukimi as they came across Diana being blow across the room.

She landed with a sickening thud by the girls, most of her face and front clothing having been burnt away, lidless eyes looking lifelessly at them.

"Kaaa... kaaaaa...." Diana starts breathing through her blasted apart throat, the flesh mending itself. Still, Diana was in no condition quite yet to get up and fight...

The Mysterious Stranger himself fared worse for wear after dueling Diana. His robes and the armor beneath showed bleeding gashes and stab wounds where the Blood Sword and the human body met. He left a trail of blood where he walked, seemingly lost quite an amount. had a limp as well, seeing Diana had caused deep cuts just above his knees. That he was still in fighting condition was a testament to his tenacity.

The Stranger wasted no time to offer villainous monologue, and greeted Danny with his own relic ring. energy poured from them and materialized three crimson light constructs of giant saw blades ripping through the ground and coming at Diana, aiming to slice her three ways while she was still recovering.

Diana flew across the room in a bloody pulp that both girls were currently too distracted to notice. They noticed the flight, just not the rugged shape. They needed to save their own skin for the time being, and Danny knew just the way. While three constructed chain saw rolled towards the downed Diana, Danny decided to get right into her enemies guard and cover his energy producing amulet.

His movements looked off. Limped. Injured. With some quick moves from an Aztec warrior, Danny got up close and personal with the man. Her first move would take advantage of his bleeding leg, delivering a blow directly to it. Her second attack would allow her to take a constructed baton to the man's jaw. Her third motion of activity would lift Diana off the ground by placing a dais under her. Danny really hoped it would save Diana from the blades, but how energy hitting energy worked never came up to Danny before.

Tsukimi took out her phone and dialed for help. not 911, but someone far more Blissy. However, it was too late in the evening and too close to Christmas for Bliss to help, so instead, she did the next best thing. Wish Tsukimi luck and tell her she'd see her for Christmas.

"Stupid... Cheating... Energy ring..." Diana groaned as her vocal cords knitted themselves together and air once again passing through her throat.

Evil Sith Santa was clearly injured, and fighting someone with the same power as him minus his bleeding wounds, put the villain in a losing situation. The energy constructs clash and explode violently in an eruption of rainbow sparkles and eardrum-crushing concussive force, sending Evil Sith Santa rolling into a poster of Seagirl in sexy missus Claus outfit holding up some kind of grill from Australia.

The villain tried to reach for his saber, but the pain was unbearable, and he moved no more.

Diana moved to help Danny if she got caught in the blast and was inconveniently hurled into some contrived Christmas decoration. A stillness came over the abandoned mall as some Christmas songs sung by the characters from Frozen came on.

Diana walked over to the fallen cardboard Seagirl, looking at the grill she was selling. "So... did we win? Yeah. I think we won. I'll cut of the guy's head then we can get those kids some gifts. I might even leave some money at the toy store." Diana had her sword, and her intentions for the evil Santa- beheading someone like it was a chore to be done before shopping. She made her way to their enemy, to ensure he would never be a threat again.

Danny did her best to put this guy down and yet again, Danny's best did the job. Tsukimi came out from behind the pillar with her phone still warm in her hand. "Bliss says good luck and she'll see us for Christmas. I did not tell her about the sweaters because they are a surprise."

"That's great Suzy. I just beat down Bad Santa." Danny stood over the downed criminal with his evil stench rising. "We need to send this guy away and then go get presents for those orphans." The idea for taking the man into custody came with a more hostile opinion from Diana. Oddly nonchalant. "I think we might go in a different direction."

"The orphans need presents." Tsukimi began to look around for whatever store looked like it would cater to her desired perfect Christmas for the children.

"I meant cutting this guy's head off. We'll just send him to the meta prison deep under the sea." If Diana wanted to argue, Danny would merely conjure up turquoise bands to wrap up her arms. "Go get some presents and let's load them up in the Fiesta."

Diana was eager to exercise her philosophy of permanently removing a threat, especially from a group that might seek revenge on her. That is, until the energy ring in Danny's possession voiced its objection.

There would have been tension, a lecture about pragmatism, but Diana was a chill girl who didn't afraid of anything.

"Oh okay. It's Christmas anyway." Diana puts her sword away and stows it on her back. She settles for trophies instead, about to loot the guy like some fallen enemy in an rpg. First the cool mask.

"He's just... a kid. sort of." Diana revealed their opponent to be no more than some very young adult. Unconscious, bruised, carved up, but still a young man who'd probably be no more than two years older than the girls.

"Ouch!" Diana tried reaching for the ring next. It glowed bright red and objected from being held. Well. at least someone's magical weapon knew loyalty. "Can we at least chop off his ring finger?" She looked at Danny, whose expression probably didn't change at the choice of mutilation. "No? Nevermind then. I don't mind a rematch anyway."

Diana sets off on her own, feeling like she stepped over a line somewhere with Danny. She heads into the sporting goods place and fills two large carts with gear- bow and arrows, bats, balls, and other such sports paraphernalia. She meets up the girls at the car, and realized how much car they had to work with. "Hmmm." Diana asked herself how she'd fit all of it into the small vehicle.

The situation resolved without the need for Danny to incapacitate Diana. She figured that would work well for both of them, but probably not making a new enemy would probably help Danny more. It seemed like Diana probably only made enemies. "Alright, let's meet up once we get all the presents." Danny wrapped up the evil Santa in turquoise wrappings around his arms, legs, and mouth before going with Suzy to buy gifts for the children. "Suzy. Let's go-"

"I already spotted the shops we're going to, and made up a shopping list. Little girls need engineering toys. They do."

And they did.

Danny and Tsukimi walked out to the car with bags full of balls, action figures, dolls, and engineering building tools, as well as clothes and a pair of Frozen sweaters, but those were for Tsukimi and Bliss. "Alright, so we haven't killed anyone, the dogs are back to being nice, and we're going back to the orphanage."

And, so the trio loaded up and left for the orphanage.