Energy (D.P./M.H.A.)

. 1 .

"Explain to me why we're doing this again?" Sam asked, irritated, as she looked at herself in the mirror, spinning around to inspect her new uniform. She didn't like it. The gray and green weren't the problem. It was the style of the garment. "Seriously? How short is this skirt. And why the socks and tie. Why."

"It's just the school's uniform, Sam," Tucker sighed as he struggled with the red fabric of the tie in his own dressing room. He groaned and threw it on the ground. "But the tie, I agree with you on that. It's impossible. Danny!?"

"Yeah?" he called from the next room over.

"Do you know how to tie a tie?"

"Nope."

"Great," Tucker mumbled as he picked the fabric back up and hung it around his neck again. "Anyway, besides that stupid thing, I'm all done. How about you guys?"

"Still wondering about the 'why', but yeah I'm done," Sam said as she walked out of her changing room and into the rest of the ClockTower, as they had dubbed it. Clockwork was off somewhere doing who-knows-what. She glared at Tucker as he let out a long whistle. "I will end you."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Tucker squeaked out.

Danny slapped the curtain separating the room out of his way as he walked towards his friends. "Well, it's not what we're used to, but it'll have to do."

"It's the best of the best," Clockwork said as he teleported into the room, startling Sam and Tucker as he did. "These will make sure you will not stand out. Everyone there will be wearing these."

"But green shoulder pads, stripes, golden buttons? What kind of fashion disaster is that. The only thing I'm not hating is that I get to wear gray leggings under this ridiculous short green skirt."

"Now, settle down. These are mandatory clothes and you will be wearing these in the classroom. During training you get to wear either the sport uniform —which will be at the school— or your designed outfit you submitted a while ago," Clockwork said. "You should be worried about keeping the timelines intact, not about clothes." He shot a pointed look at the teens, who avoided his stern gaze. "Now, are you ready to make an appearance?"

"Shouldn't we make up alibis beforehand?" Danny asked. "I mean, we are about to go into a new dimension with very little knowledge of what they're all like. The other students, I mean. And how exactly do you want us to get into a school without doing the Entrance Exam?"

"I made arrangements with the principal and the teachers of the school. They know about the situation and will be there if you need anything. If you do need to contact me —only in emergencies— use the pager. There's only one, so don't lose it. If I see something going wrong, I will not hesitate to pull you right back out, understood?"

"And what about us? The two of us aren't...fit to go there," Sam frowned. "We don't belong at the school. I thought we were going to be staying back at the house, wherever that is going to be."

Clockwork gave a reassuring smile and gestured for them to follow him to the main hall of the tower. "That will be taken care of while you travel."

"About that," Danny wondered aloud, "how are we going to get there?"

The doors to the tower opened, revealing three dark figures standing in the doorway. They walked in without saying anything, stalking closer to the four people in the room. Tucker and Sam subconsciously shuffled behind Danny and Clockwork as the three kept on moving closer. "Great One! You are already here!"

Danny visibly relaxed as Frostbite walked in, two other Yeti's at his side. "Frostbite! You're going to transport us?"

Frostbite held up the Infi-Map. "Not exactly."

Danny grinned as he took the map from the Guardian. He turned back to Sam and Tucker, who were grinning at him as well. "Let's hope we don't get sucked into the wrong dimensions again. Wouldn't want to get eaten by lions."

Frostbite shot a panicked look to Clockwork, who reassured him they were fine. Clockwork turned to three teenagers standing in his tower and silently hoped they would be fine this time as well. "Now, my sight on the dimension you're going to is limited, so I won't be able to watch your back in every single situation. There's more danger than you might be aware of at lest glance, so please. Tread carefully."

"Got it."

"Don't talk to strangers without reason."

The Trio rolled their eyes but smiled. "We won't be leaving the apartment without triple checking and the only reasons we'll be leaving are school, investigation and groceries," Sam listed off. She smiled smugly at her friends. "And I'll try to keep the boys in check."

Their sounds of protest went unheard as Frostbite laughed. "Good one, Samantha." He walked closer to the group and gave her a hug. "Please be careful."

"I will."

"Now," he said as he broke the hug, "do the boys need some affection as well or does a wave suffice?" He ignored their embarrassed excuses as he picked both of them up, earning yelps of surprise. "I bid you a good journey and a pleasant stay at your new home."

"Will do," Tucker said, clutching his stomach from being lifted suddenly.

"Oh, if you're already nauseous from that, this trip will not be pleasant."

"What..?"

"'Cuz!"

Danny fell onto the floor as Dani tackled him, laughing as she hovered over him. "Dani! I had no idea you were gonna be here!" he laughed as she helped him stand up again. He hugged her and held her at arm's length. "I haven't seen you in a while! Look at you. All grown up."

"It's been a few months, hasn't it?" she sadly smiled back. "Don't apologize, though, it's not your fault the Old Man had you going from here to there within a week."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll try to hack the pager," she whispered with a wink before grinning and bounding over to Frostbite. She waved excitedly at the three. "Bye!"

The purple humm of the map intensified as it unwrapped, grabbed the three teens and sped off towards the portal. Danny could only yell a "Bye!" before they were gone.

Clockwork and Frostbite looked at the disappearing Trio. "Do you think they're going to be alright?" Frostbite asked as he turned to Clockwork.

"Daniel will have to be the judge of that," he somberly said. "He is of greater influence than he thinks, but he's going to need allies to make sure he will succeed. His greatest strength is, after all, his ability to make alliances with the strangest of people. But, if he ends up in the wrong bonds all our work will go to waste..."

Frostbite nodded and signaled his men to get back into their vehicle. "You didn't tell him that, did you?"

"It would have a negative effect on the timelines. So no, I did not. It's better for everyone if it comes naturally to him. If I told him, he'd threat him...different. He does not need any more pressure on his shoulders. Taking care of the world is enough for now."

Frostbite hummed in agreement and put one hand forward. "I will see you soon, my friend."

"You too."

They shook hands and Frostbite stepped into his vehicle and left. Clockwork went back into his tower and looked into his orb. He didn't even flinch as the Trio landed in front of the school, a week before the first day of school. He smiled sadly as static overtook the orb, blinding him from the universe.

"Welcome to U.A. High School."