“Number four in the corner pocket,” Mark said, indicating with his pool cue his intended next shot. As he lined up the shot, Jaimie asked him, “Are you and Roxxie really going? You’ve decided to go ask him?”

“Yup.” Mark took the shot. The four ball sank perfectly exactly where it was supposed to with a satisfying clack and clunk from that corner of the pool table, followed by another clack and clunk from the nearby soda vending machine as Trevor collected a can of his favorite caffeinated beverage before returning to the pool game.

The three boys, Mark, Trevor, and Jaimie, were playing pool in the Pocket Protectors HQ lounge while Smerd and Roxxie stood on the raised edge of the table, out of the way of the balls on the green surface a few inches below, watching. Next to Smerd was a half-eaten golden, creme-filled snack cake on a small plate.

Trevor opened his can of soda, took a swig, and looked at one of the posters adorning the walls of the lounge. The poster showed a handsomely posed Convention Man, a Pocket Protector who had quit the team years ago. “What if he says no?”

Mark’s face betrayed the confidence that he tried to project into his voice. Trevor and Jaimie both knew that if Convention Man said no when Mark asked him to come out of retirement, that would break their friend’s heart.

“I don’t think he will. Things are different now than when he left the country. There’s a place for him again.”

“And you’d like your place to be at his side as his sidekick Fanboy.” Jaimie stated.

“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll say yes to that, too.”

“Who’s going with you?” asked Trevor, taking another swig of his soda before putting the can down to take up his own cue stick. Mark’s turn was over. The conversation about his quest to bring Convention Man out of retirement had distracted him, causing him to lose focus on his last shot.

“Roxxie, of course. We need her maps. And, I hope Jaimie’s mom gives him permission.” Mark looked at Smerd with a dissatisfied look on his face.

Smerd opened his tiny mouth to defend himself, in spite of it being covered in creme, but Roxxie placed her front paw/hand over it and spoke instead. “Smerd is my boyfriend. He and I don’t have secrets. He’s also Jaimie’s mom’s official sidekick dragon. You can’t ask us, as a couple, to keep her teenage son going on an interdimensional hiking trip a secret from Jaimie’s mom. He either gets permission, or he doesn’t go.”

“Who else do you think would wanna go?” Trevor asked.

Suddenly, before anyone could answer Trevor’s question, red lights flashed all over, throughout the HQ complex. Bob, the HQ’s AI, said over the PA system, “Alert! Bio-specimen containment breach in Lab A. Alert! Bio-specimen containment breach in Lab A.”

There was a whooshing sound as the lounge door automatically shut, sealing the three boys and two dragons in the lounge until the alert status would be lifted.

“What’s William got in Lab A these days?” asked Smerd.

“I think he was working on tissue taken from that yellow flower thing from the Yellow Fields.”

*******

In Lab A, William Savant and Cameron David looked with concern on their faces at a 5-foot diameter black sphere of shadowstuff created with Cameron’s powers. The sphere was hollow, having been hastily conjured to contain what had moments before been a rapidly expanding yellow mass of biomatter, a sample taken from the Yellow Fields alien creature, that had, in a matter of mere seconds, outgrown and burst its safety containment chamber.

“It seems to respond to your presence and your powers, Cam.”

“Fortunately, for now, my powers also seem to be able to contain it.” Cameron knelt down by the black sphere, concentrating on imbuing it with enough of his power to sustain itself indefinitely without him having to concentrate on it. Such effort drained him significantly, so he rarely made semi-permanent objects from shadowstuff.

“Bob, monitor Knightshade’s shadowstuff containment sphere of the alien material very closely. Contact me immediately if there is any change. Cam, let’s finish the rest of our tests outside.”

William grabbed a field instrument that would enable him to continue testing his teammate outside the lab as he and Cam left. “Bob, end alert situation unless there is another breach of some kind.”

“Understood, William,” came Bob’s pleasant voice.

*******

Soon, the two Pocket Protectors, the shadowstuff wielder and the intellectual savant, emerged from the main entrance to Pocket Protectors HQ, a cave mouth on the side of Mt. Rushmore opposite the presidential faces on the mountain’s other side. The cave mouth was hidden by a hologram.

“I’m not sure what’s happening yet with your powers, Cam. They are growing in strength. That’s easily apparent. I have no idea how that’s connected to stimulating the Yellow Field’s monster tissue, yet.”

“I started feeling stronger there, the last time we were at the Yellow Fields.”

“I’m sure that’s connected.” William looked around. “I wonder where Uuughh is. He’s usually back by now.”

Cameron smiled. “If there’s one guy who can take care of himself, it’s Uuughh.”

*******

Miles away, Melody Dragon finally managed to emerge from an exit of her pocket dimension. As Uuughh’s official sidekick dragon, she usually emerged from Uuughh’s Wanda the Wanderer backpack, however, none of those exits functioned at the moment. Fortunately, it turned out that today Uuughh was wearing pants with pockets.

Emerging from one of those pockets, Melody found herself on Uuugh’s right upper thigh. The purple giant was collapsed unconscious on the forest floor, lying on his back. That explained why all her pocket dimension’s normally used exits were blocked. The Wanda the Wanderer backpack was completely crushed underneath the brawny Pocket Protector. She could see the rise and fall of his chest and hear his breathing, much to her relief.

Then, she heard and saw dark shapes moving through the trees toward her, surrounding her and the unconscious Uuughh from all sides.