SpicyWaffle

Gonna give Magic & Rabbit a chance to respond before moving on later tonight.

As Comrade Frost's clarion call in his native tongue was bellowed forth between the shrieks and panicked cries of horrified citizens, the yellowish blur that was Jubatus came to a halt in front of the wintry hero. Freedom City always was a peculiar place, and now with a large gaggle of Freedonians transformed into sentient apes, orangutans, and other such primates, it was only getting more and more peculiar. Regardless, with the duo now on the scene, many of the monkified onlookers quickly found themselves shuffling from bouts of horror to elated relief. Yet, aside from the obvious relaxation of the citizens, no one seemed to respond to the master of the ice and snow's demand for satisfaction. "Heroes! Thank goodness you're here! You've got to help us!!" one of the transformed patrons yelled as a backpack and what remained of an oversized casual wear outfit trailed behind her, eluding to what might have once been an aspiring scholar; now little more than a young woman turned into a lithe but awfully tiny chimpanzee. "They came out of nowhere! We didn't even know what was going on until they zapped us with that funny-looking gun, and now... now..." the hairy little lady explained, tears welling up as she tried to remain brave in the face of all that had happened. "Now we look like this!" Just as the chimp finished rattling off her exposition on the situation, another creature - this one even tinier, and barely managing to clumsily drag along a dark blue shirt with a large golden badge on the breast - meandered his way over. It was almost comical how serious the creature seemed, despite its sudden drop in height and shift in appearance. "You just missed em'. I'd never seen anything like it; just one smash and grab after another, shooting anyone with that goofy raygun of theirs who got in their way," the marmoset policeman said as he took up a position beside the beleaguered chimpanzee woman, his voice as hurried as he was distraught. "There were five of em' - all of em' monkeys in monkey suits, if you can believe that. They said somethin' about grabbing some rocks, and started down Westbrook Street - probably goin' for that hoity-toity jewelry shop, Pizazz. If you hurry, maybe you guys can still catch em' and get us back to normal."

"Yeah. Not that it doezzn't, y'know, zzound nizze, but I think maybee... uh... maybee I'll pazz thizz time. Next time, though," the Bee-Keeper replied with a weary sigh, a metal gauntlet brushing back the partially faux antennae atop his cranium as he oggled the very out-of-place but strangely inviting cabin over yonder. As tempting as cookies and tea sounded, Baxter was just too pooped to go on. All the excitement and action-packed shenanigans that had unfolded had left its mark on the armored boy; he was tired, but his mind was still afire with so much information. It was a lot to take in, to say the least. Besides, even if he wanted to stay, his parents were probably worried sick that he hadn't called in yet - and Baxter was pretty sure parallel worlds didn't all have the same cellular service coverage. "It'zz been a day, and I honezztly can't thank you enough for everything you've done, Fleur," the bee-themed hero laughed, another sigh escaping his modulated lips as tried to recompose himself. Baxter wished for just a moment that the helmet wasn't so concealing; to be able to give the young lady whom had been so altruistic to him at least a smile in return. "But yeah. I juzzt... I juzzt need zzome time to let all thizz zztuff zzink in. Different worldzz, giant beezz, meeting you and Eldritch. Definitely wazzn't ready for all that today!"

Atop the massive bee, Baxter couldn't help but silently take Fleur's words to heart as the trio soared through the open air, leaving behind the legendary beehive for the vaguely familiar meadow and nearby woods. She had the right of it, to be sure: the learning curve was certainly feeling more like a vertical incline rather than a steep slope for the aspiring apian adventurer. Baxter had learned all too recently that there was quite the spike in difficulty between apprehending common gangbangers and dealing with super-criminals. But still, it wasn't so much the talk of the curve that captivated the boy, but the way Fleur de Joie spoke of her experiences - briefly though they might have been; how she'd learned alongside what he could only guess were her friends and colleagues alike, picking up the tricks of the trade whilst they did all the heavy lifting. It might have been rough, but it seemed to have done the job - after all, she'd managed to join the Freedom League! "You'd... you'd do that for me?" At the green-haired woman's mention of smoothing things over with the rest of the heroes dotting Freedom City, Baxter's heart skipped a beat, surprise rife on his modulated voice. It was hard to believe one person could do so much; and on such a gamble! Here he was, some fresh-faced yokel with an inherited rap sheet as long as it was flippantly comical whom only a short time prior was being accosted by the very same heroine who had so poignantly arrived on the scene. Thankfully, the insectile helmet saved Baxter some minor face by concealing his shock and surprise as he hurriedly descended the awaiting vine near Superbee's landing zone. He didn't know what to say; how could he have? To have someone of such station vouch for his besmirched name was just so altruistic; even for a superhero. At a loss for words, even the Bee-Keeper found himself looking towards Superbee for insight on what to say, making the entire thing feeling even more bizarre that it had been. "I... I juzzt... wow. I can't beelieve you'd juzzt... juzzt like that and everything," the boy stammered as he touched down on the loamy soil, antennae preening themselves backwards as he struggled to find the words to express his feelings on this sudden shift. While the pressure was certainly alleviated, what with making peace with the bees and now this, Baxter's mind was afire with all the potential of how things might be now, if Fleur really could make good on her promise. The rough patch might be over; a chance to really change the image of the Bee-Keeper was on his doorstep. He had to take it. "I can't thank you enough, Fleur de Joie! You've juzzt... I mean, in one day you've done zzoo much for me! Firzzt the bank, then the not-Malador, the beezz, and now thizz. I don't... I don't know if I can really, y'know, repay you for everything, but it meanzz a lot to me that you're willing to give me a chanczze," spouted the armored avenger, his animated being practically on the verge of flailing with excitement. He had a lot to live up to now - an heir to his uncle's shenanigans, the good name of the giant bees, and now Fleur de Joie's word. That was quite a lot; and yet, it felt... natural. Strangely so, as if it were a burden he felt he could bear. Turning to Baybee and putting a hand where his heart was atop the armored carapace the dark-skinned teenager remained hidden behind, all Baxter could think to say was, "I promizze I'll try and do my bezzt to make zzomething of thizz - of the Bee-Keeper name. To make zzure the people of Freedom Zzity won't be afraid of me anymore, and do what'zz right by em'. You guyzz put a lot of faith in me, and that'zz... well, that'zz more than mozzt people give me. It won't be eazzy, but azz Zzuperbee as my witnezz, I'm gonna try and live up that."

Taking Erik's suggestion as clumsily as he was able, Baxter sauntered his way into position alongside Jasmine, only slightly outmatching the much more lithe woman in height. Taking a step back and squaring up in an awkward pose, the dark-skinned teenager hobbled slightly, as if struggling to find a suitable way to position himself against his faux adversary. Truly, it was an odd thing - as the Bee-Keeper, things happened so fast he never really had time to think about it. There was no plotting or thought to his movements; nor any great analysis to the situation. It was this sudden realization that suddenly found itself nagging against the incognito hero's mind, his combat posture as unorthodox and seemingly ineffective in appearance as it felt as he put his right foot slightly ahead, hands open and palms facing outwards towards the older lady he'd been sanctioned against. He felt strange... as though any sudden movement would cause him to fall to the mat below - an embarrassing turn of events Baxter was hoping to avoid, especially in the presence of the various ladies! "Like this?" hummed the young boy, again shifting his klutzy stance until he managed to find a nice, comfortable niche for himself as he finally felt a smidgen of confidence. Forgoing his former semblance of readiness, Baxter had renewed his efforts, left foot in front as he leaned on his rear right; finding a simple but favorable balance on the mat. A small smile crept across his face. He was eager now, and ready to learn from the feet of the master - though, preferably, not literally if at all possible. "Alright, I think I've got it. What's next?"

For the lot of you plus Avenger, here's the link to the IC thread in Midtown: Chimply Awful.

Exactly as it says on the tin.

Midtown Freedom City, 4:57 PM November 4th, 2012 -------------------------- It's been a chilly autumn day for the residents of Freedom City. The leaves of the trees dotting across the North End had changed from their warm and gentle green selves to a more woeful, yet tragically beautiful shade of rustic brown and vivid orange alike, dancing across the slight breeze every now and then as they make their way through the crowded urban streets with little more than a slight crunch or rustle. Indeed, things have been pleasant lately as the seasons shifted, and despite the unending urgency of many of the fine city's on-the-go locals, little had occurred to disrupt their delicate schedules. Had, of course, was the operative word. No matter the radio or television station, it was all the same no matter where one flipped: trouble was afoot, and not even Freedom City's Finest could stop the terror besieging its denizens. While the reports were sketchy at best, each instance had one peculiar thing in common: people crying out that alien monkeys were attacking Midtown! With video evidence, it was hard to refute the fact that five supposedly well-dressed simians were wreaking havoc upon the streets of Freedom City, as unbelievable as it might have seemed. Midtown was in upheaval thanks to all this monkey business! Throughout the shop-littered streets, the once fine citizens of Freedom City were stricken with turmoil; panic running amok through the traffic-jammed boulevards as vehicles - both civilian and law enforcement - sat astride one another motionlessly on the asphalt, complete with broken glass from ransacked businesses and fallen lamp posts scattered across the pavement. The reason for all the commotion was painfully obvious to any observer: where once men and women strode through the cool afternoon streets, they had been transformed into something else - creatures of a hairier variety, many of which now sported prehensile tails and clothes too big or too small for their own bodies. These were no longer humans - these were monkeys! And apes. And chimps. Perhaps a baboon here or there, but the outcome was much the same, with the people screaming in terror and disbelief at their newly transmogrified state, equal parts enraged, afraid, and belligerent, looking not unlike the suspiciously missing (but much more dapper, if the reports were to be believed) miscreants responsible for all this destruction of property and monkification hullabaloo. With the police reduced to little more than ineffective marmosets wearing oversized uniforms in their efforts to contain this bizarre happenstance and Midtown gripped in chaos, it was time to send in the big guns. This was no task for the boys in blue; no, it was time for some heroes to step up to the plate and put an end to this primate problem before it got any more out of hand.

When Doctor Clarence MacLeod of ASTRO Labs has his latest invention stolen from his on-site laboratory, it turns into more than our heroes bargained for! Now with monkeyshines afoot, its up to some of Freedom City's own supers to stop a gaggle of nefarious inter-dimensional thieves in a race against time before they make off with their ill-gotten gains... and turn all of Freedom City's citizens into simians! -------------- So, that's the general pretext of the adventure. Very cliche', perhaps, but I find that sometimes that's the best way to approach something, and Freedom City as a whole is a setting I'm still vastly unfamiliar with. This will be a sort of one-shot, with four heroes taking up the call to reclaim a dangerous piece of scientific ingenuity from some sneaky primates hailing from Earth-Ape. It could potentially lead to other adventures, but I have yet to plan that far ahead. AvengerAssembled, of course, has first dibs on a spot if he so chooses to join, since he is the proverbial Master of Monkeydom around here! While I'd love to take more than three other players, I feel like that's more of a workload than I can handle; keeping this as streamlined as I can seems like the sounder route to go. With all that said, anyone at all interested in this? Questions? Comments? Et cetera?

"Hey, it'zz cool. I underzztand. Everything turned out okay, and that'zz all that matterzz," Baxter replied, voice raised just enough to be audible over the whir of wings. Fleur certainly had a way of looking at things; a way Baxter couldn't help but agree with. Despite the rocky start and the weird shenanigans that had entailed the entire day for the Bee-Keeper, it was clear the experienced heroine knew a thing or two about the business, and the fact that she was so willing to let bygones be bygones touched the aspiring hero. Her poise and confident demeanor was surprisingly reassuring, even as the duo atop the magnificent Superbee skittered through the air with the greatest of ease. Even the fear of Fleur de Joie discovering the true link between himself and his incarcerated uncle felt diminished... or, at the least, it had until she mentioned it. Once more, the pit within Baxter's stomach seemed to enlarge, causing the boy to shuffle awkwardly for but a moment before he recomposed himself. "You're right. About the zzticking together thing, I mean," Baxter buzzed, watching as the corridors shifted and changed within the hive, bearing witness anew to the slew of semi-truck sized insects still busily tending to every little thing within the massive compound of wax and honey, antennae occasionally bobbing hither and fro towards various skittering sounds. "It'zz definitely been hard to get zzome friendzz in the buzzinezz zzo far; y'know, the whole Bee-Keeper thing. It'zz uzzually more of a punch firzzt and azzk quezztionzz later deal. I just really wanna turn thizz thing around; make zzomething out of thizz whole mezz, if that'zz even pozzible."

After a light prodding from Fleur, the Bee-Keeper followed the ivy-haired woman's example, giving a slight - albeit clunky - bow towards the gargantuan queen of the hive. Even from his somewhat hunched position, the Bee-Keeper III's eyes couldn't help but watch the massive leader of the outrageously huge bees; his uncle's experimental work in the form of the bees a strange thing to even bear witness to, though they certainly put the bags of sentient money, mock markups of vogue villains, and the meeting of legendary persons to at least marginal shame by comparison. And yet, even as the creeping of light found its way anew across the interior of the hive at Fleur de Joie's beck and call and more of those odd ball-things made their presence from amidst the formerly darkened chamber of the queen, Baxter didn't feel quite so unnerved. Maybe it was the fatigue from all that had transpired in such a short time; perhaps it was the praise bestowed upon his shoulders by what might have otherwise been a woman scorned had Fleur not vouched for him, but whatever the reason, the newest Bee-Keeper felt strangely elated. It was as though a great burden had been hoisted from his shoulders. As he floated back into position upon the impromptu Mack-sized mount at Fleur's mention of safety hazards at ground level, the young would-be hero couldn't help but secretly beam beneath his apiary-themed helm. This had turned out better than he'd ever expected, even if he hadn't expected a day like this at all! Regardless, from atop the mighty steed that was Superbee, the Bee-Keeper barely managed a farewell wave towards the sagacious matriarch before the trio took off like a shot through the corridors of the hive, the roar of massive beating wings once more echoing throughout the incognito teenager's ears. "Can't blame them, I guezz," the Bee-Keeper yelled back to Fleur over the hum of Superbee's thunderous orchestra, more than content to let the large insect lead the charge through what Baxter might have once called an impossibility as he took up his position behind the bee's emissary, utilizing the hairy carapace of his sweet ride like a set of handy reins. "The nurzzery'zz, like, zzacred ground, right? I don't wanna accidentally upzzet this whole... y'know, thing we juzzt went through by having one of buzzy lil' beezz run me down! That'd totally zzuck." After a moment of pause to collect his thoughts, the Bee-Keeper cleared his throat; the modulation of his voice causing an almost guttural, feral sound to emanate from his person against the drowning of the cacophonous flapping of the giant bee he was straddling. A lot had happened today; and there was so much more to think about once he got home about all the highlights - whenever that might be! But for now, Baxter had something to say. "Lizzten, uh... I juzzt wanted to zzay thankzz, Fleur. Y'know, for zzmoothing thingzz over with the beezz and all that other zztuff. Definitely didn't think I'd ever zzee them up clozze and perzzonal; today'zz juzzt been... it'zz been zzomething," the yellow-and-black themed hero chimed, his voice strangely vexed with a combination of excitement and honest emotion. "So, uh... thankzz. For everything."

While it's semi-belated, I've had a lot going on here lately! Recently, however, I've been nominated for a corporate position with my company, so I'll be out-of-state for the next four weeks. Since my dinky laptop doesn't have a functioning wireless, that leaves me up a creek without a paddle, sadly. I should be back officially sometime either just before or just after Halloween. Sorry for all the inconvenience in my tardiness to relay this info :(

Within the cherry red illuminated den of the queen, the Bee-Keeper III found himself the focus of the wobbly-antennae bearing matriarch, yet he didn't feel quite as alarmed as when he'd first set foot in the darkened chamber. The weight of her words through her regal bearing tore at the young heroes heart, her loud yet surprisingly uplifting tone as inspirational as it was awe-inducing. Just to hear the gigantic insect's praise was enough to uplift his spirit in a way he'd never really thought would happen. Then again, a few hours ago Baxter was just as sold on the fact that he'd likely never meet Adrian Eldritch, or fight giant money-men alongside Fleur de Joie, his uncle's sworn nemesis/love interest. It took a moment for her words to truly sink in, but it felt... good. It was hard to explain, but it was like a great burden had been tossed from his shoulders as the queen spoke of friendship and bee-like wisdom. Turning to Fleur for a moment as if seeking guidance, the third incarnation of the hero of the hive panned back to face the Apian Queen of Sanctuary, finally mustering a small nod in return. "I'll try my bezzt," came the clumsy yet earnest reply. It was all he could say in the face of all that had transpired in such a short period of time, the familiar sensation of fatigue gnawing at both his mind and body as he stood within the interdimensional beehive.

"Complicated? No kidding," the Bee-Keeper hummed back in mild amusement despite the grim tone of the former queen's passing, the complicated fiasco that was his life almost synonymous in some strange modicum of his heritage. It was a tricky thing to really explain to someone, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. But all this talk of giant fire-breathing bees being grumpy about their exile struck a nerve though; a palpable wave of concern forcing his body to tense ever so slightly which only seemed to compound alongside the fact they were off to see the queen! As the descent continued on into the work of wriggling, living things, the Bee-Keeper couldn't help but watch the squirming masses in the darkening depths of the hive as he rode along with Fleur atop his own impromptu mount. It was quite the sight for the boy; and while the bees were intimidating due to their size, they were at least distinguishable. But these writhing creatures were disconcerting in another way, hidden away behind their waxy covers. There was something nightmarish about the unidentifiable; like something creepy out of an old science fiction B-movie. Yet, strangely, Baxter found himself mildly curious about what was in those weird little combs. Whatever questions he might have had for Fleur and the bees though would have to wait as they buzzed on along through the darkening corridor, nearly colliding with another group of more minuscule but nevertheless ginormous and well-mannered bees going about their haphazard daily routine. Within the large, shadowy domicile where Superbee landed, the Bee-Keeper III's dismount echoed lightly as his heavy frame hit the hive's floor, the only other sound he could viably discern being the soft buzzing of wings from somewhere else. But while the mossless cathedral might have been devoid of light, the Bee-Keeper's eyes - thanks to the marvels of technology! - managed to find their way towards something looming in the shadows; a bee, bigger than any other he'd seen yet. Fear, once again, gripped the Bee-Keeper as the bloated yellow-and-black honeybee stared right into his soul, her massive eye feeling as though it were burning a hole right through his armor, and her booming voice nearly knocking the young boy off his feet. "H-hello," mumbled the Bee-Keeper, his voice growing suddenly quiet in the presence of the even more abnormally large queen bee. Giving a slight wave, something caught his eye in the gloom of the bleak chamber; a small cadre of bees atop the ceiling, watching his every move! The pressure was on as the examination of the queen unsettled the armored teenager, the cracking of his voice thankfully obscured by the synthetic dubbing of the suit's modulator. "I'm... uh... the Bee-Keeper. The third one, I mean. It'zz nizze to... uh... meetcha! F-Fleur de Joie thought it might bee n-nizze to zzee zzome of the giant beezz, zzo zzhe brought me here. To... uh... meet the giant beezz. And zztuff."

"Thizz whole plazze in only two yearzz?!" the Bee-Keeper exclaimed, still as shocked at the existence of the extra-dimensional world as he was with the expediency it had been cultivated. Even the massive hive, with its hundreds of buzzing drones and well-kept combs, was nearly enough to mentally wind the young boy. When he'd first started this little roustabout-like lifestyle, he'd never expected so much to happen so fast. Yet, here he was nevertheless, riding atop a giant bee with a tiara his insane uncle had created through a honeycomb large enough to house a small city block on a planet formerly ravaged by war. Talk about an unbelievably tall tale! "Zzo, uhh..." Baxter mumbled, his modulated voice all but drowned out by the beating of Superbee's gargantuan wings. Even as their little cruise through the honey-rich home went on, the young Bee-Keeper couldn't help but feel a twinge of dread at all the giant bees present; all of whom would only really require one good poke from their stinger to have him shishkabobbed. Thankfully, they didn't seem all that upset that he was there; or maybe they were just too busy. It was honestly hard for him to tell, given that he didn't actually know anything about bees. "They... uh... they don't zzeem to mind me beeing here. Maybee they've really let bygonezz bee bygonezz? I'd have thought the queen would hold a grudge for... y'know, the whole beeing left with nothing but zzugar water and zzome TV."

"Definitely have enough..." the young teenager remarked, a slight whistle escaping from the mouthless formation that made up his helmet as he surveyed the slew of sticky sweet substance. The enormous honeycombs almost seemed on the verge of exploding with their contents, whilst the busy little bees the size of freight trucks poured more and more into each non-insulation based compartment with expedient aplomb. The flurry of activity was both mesmerizing and awe-inspiring for Baxter; a boy whom by stark contrast never seemed to quite keep everything together. "It muzzt have taken forever to build thizz plazze, even with your friend, Fleur! It'zz zzo mazzive!" Baxter prattled on, swiveling on his impromptu fuzzy seat atop Super-Bee to give his rapt attention to Fleur de Joie, though careful not to let loose his grip upon the hairy hide of his faithful bee-steed. Whomever these other humanoids were, the Bee-Keeper hadn't a clue, but at least it seemed like they had all come to a diplomatic resolution in the end - doubly so, given that it seemed unlikely the bees would have lost any sort of physical conflict. "It'zz good you guyzz worked everything out with thozze other, uh, bipedzz, and that you zzhare your honey with them. But where did they come from? I thought thizz plazze wazz zzuppozzed to be ruined or zzomething? Have they... have they alwayzz lived here?"

"That'zz okay," hummed Baxter, giving the spidery femme fatale an almost comical thumbs up to solidify his status. Behind the mask though, he was both envious and surprised she sounded so savvy with technical aspects, her invitation for aid easily wanting to be accepted on the Bee-Keeper's part, but unable to do so - more so out of the simple fact that the only way he knew how to tinker with the suit's innards was to actually take it off, and reveal his secret identity! Of course, his version of tinkering often involved haphazard guesswork and copious amounts of duct tape, his own mechanical genius more akin to mechanical ineptitude. "Juzzt a little zzore. I'll... uh... I'll check it out later. I'm zzure it'zz juzzt... um... zzomething with the hyperdrauliczz or, uh, zzomething..." he feigned poorly, but nevertheless dismissed the invitation for assistance as politely as he could. With another invisible look of confusion, the Bee-Keeper seemed suddenly worried about the escape of the other two vagrants whom had caused the Hunter Museum so much trouble only moments prior, standing back up from his slumped position against the display as he began to recompose himself. Despite the breastplate-wearing heroine's insightful elucidation, the young teenager only managed to understand about a quarter of what the faceless entity had explained; but the weight of her words was what set him on edge. It sounded... ominous. "Zzatten-what? Light of Logozz?" he repeated, as if trying to decipher these strange ramblings with all the effectiveness of a toddler trying to comprehend astrophysics. Antennae twitching slightly, the Bee-Keeper seemed to lose himself to thought for a moment, pacing his way towards the still unmoving culprit tied down to the floor. Things felt as though they'd just nosedived from bad to worse; the worst kind of worse too, no doubt, as things he didn't understand often had a way of doing. "I don't get it. What'zz the big deal? I mean, yeah, they got away; totally zzuckzz, and we zzhould find em'. But it'zz juzzt a jar. What'zz the worzzt thizz shadowguy could do with zzome old jar?"

From atop the soft-haired steed, the roar of beatings wings drowned out whatever howls of excitement or fear might have escaped the Bee-Keeper's lips as they rocketed through the air with surprising grace and fluidity, the auspicious alacrity of the gigantic bees whipping through the air as marvelous as it was terrifying for the young boy, his grip soundly tightening on the impromptu fuzzy reins with each cresting of a hill or minor aerial adjustment to keep himself seated. Despite their speed, Baxter nevertheless was treated to an eyeful of sights from below; the meadows below stretching on for what seemed like forever interspersed with an amalgam of impossibly large flora and debris from what must have been the former civilization that existed here, as Fleur de Joie mentioned. But there was more than just that as they fluttered along, and as signs of civilization made themselves present near the massive woods, the armored teenager couldn't help but have his interest piqued; certainly the last thing he'd expected to see upon the home of the enormous apian entities was a farmstead! Regardless, their arrival to the mud-and-stone hive filled the newest Bee-Keeper with no shortage of emotions as they passed through, the occasional buzzing or waggling of antennae tossed towards the green-haired woman with them as the citizens within the massive structure went about their busybody lifestyles. But what a sight it was! Honey as far as the eye could see; its sticky substance encased in wax-laden honeycombs bigger than Baxter could have possibly imagined. And the bees! There were so many, and all so big; like a swarm of prop planes tearing through the air or skittering along the surfaces of their waxy home. But for all the awesomeness that made up Bay-bee and her compatriots' home, there was also a sense of dread and unease within the Bee-Keeper as all the buzzing continued to bombard his senses. They hadn't seemed to notice him - yet - but the thought of making a bad impression certainly felt like a weighty thing upon his shoulders, with tangible fear finding itself lodged in his throat as they continued on. "It'zz amazzing!" chimed the Bee-Keeper as loudly as he could so as to make his voice heard over the clamoring of so much buzzing. He was determined not to lose heart, and while he spoke his eyes remained ever transfixed on what might be the strangest yet most awe-inspiring thing he'd yet to bear witness to. Frankly, it was amazing in and of itself that everything seemed to efficiently organized; as though every inch of the massive hive had been painstakingly planogrammed. "Geezz! How do you guyzz keep everything moving zzo zzmoothly?"

Rolling his eyes at Erik's comment, Baxter forced a smile - one of awkwardness and indecision. There was something uncomfortable about fighting a girl; and while he wasn't exactly a bastion of chivalry or politeness, it still felt like a sour note was being played on his part. Until some more students showed up, though, he'd just have to swallow his pride and suck it up, because as far as he could tell he'd be stuck sparring with one of the young ladies attending Mister Espadas' self-defense course. "Man, I hope so," the less than stretchy teen japed back at Mister Espadas after the tension of the room died down a little, his unaccustomed physique already feeling the telltale signs of strain from the modest flexibility training. A lone bead of sweat trickled its way down his brow, leaving a watery streak across the side of Baxter's face before it plopped off and onto the mat with an inaudible plat. Perhaps in some strange way this was his retribution for skimping out on gym class at FDR High in lieu of catching some often much needed sleep behind the bleachers. "And yeah, that's cool," he followed up as Jasmine made her suggestion, his smile still present despite his reluctance. In hindsight, however, this might be the best choice anyway; Kristin - despite seeming suspiciously familiar - was a little on the short side, which might have made things awkward. On the other end of the spectrum, Tona looked as though she might be able to cause serious damage; and getting beaten up by a girl wasn't exactly sitting at the top of Baxter's to-do list! "Just watch the face. That's my meal ticket."

These bees were weird! Beyond the normal giant-fire-breathing sort of weird, too; they had a strange sense of humor; an amicable trait in the Bee-Keeper's eyes. Though between his nervousness, their bombastic buzzing voices, and the sheer scope of their fuzzy little physiques, Baxter was still awkwardly coping with what he was looking at. He'd lived in Freedom City all his life, and seen some weird stuff through the news - and even now as a hero himself! - but these bees really took the cake. But they seemed nice enough, as far as giant flame-spewing apiary scientific wonders were concerned, and that was all Baxter needed to hear. And, hey, at least one of them thought he was pretty. That was something, at any rate! "I'd love to zee the hive," the Bee-Keeper III replied to both Fleur and her enormous compatriots, some measure of confidence returning to his excited voice as his graciously skittered up the extended appendage of the one known as Bay-bee, saddling up where he could without sitting on her massive wings, before quipping a small joke of his own to stave off any hard feelings; "Y'know, if you don't think my zzillinezz will harsh your zztyle, ladiezz." Now mounted atop one of the infamous bees the previous Bee-Keeper had once used to terrorize the city, he felt strangely proud of himself. Sure, he was still nervous, but at least he hadn't completely freaked out like when Eldritch had first shown up. Maybe that's why he didn't, all the shock from that first encounter having built up some sort of minor immunity to the site of the otherworldly domain comprised of gigantic flowers, towering cloud-based castles, and bees the size of freight trucks.

"Zzorry. Juzzt, y'know... zzo big!" explained the newest Bee-Keeper sheepishly, exasperatingly emulating the size of the bees with his arms by stretching them out comically. The nervousness was still there, and Fleur was right to point it out for her giant fuzzy friends. He almost seemed to falter there for a moment, an idle step backwards belying his fear of the enormous (but thus far friendly) creatures. For all his bee-themed shenanigans, Baxter wasn't his uncle; in fact, Baxter knew hardly nothing about bees except that they made honey and stung people. But that wasn't wholly his fault; in fact, it really was the truth that nearly every time he endeavored to do his own research, something ludicrous came up! But that was neither here nor there. Right now, Baxter had to make his first impression count - after all, it wasn't every day he'd get to meet a bunch of semi-truck sized bees. He'd only get one chance at this, and there was so much at stake. After all, who wouldn't want to be friends with some giant fire-breathing bees? Besides, it would hopefully be a big step in putting the infamy of the Bee-Keeper legacy away for good, as well as clearing up all the bad blood between Beedom and Freedom City. "Like Fleur de Joie zzaid, I'm the Bee-Keeper III, and I'm... uh... really nizze! Maybee, y'know, if you guyzz want, we could bee bezzt friendzz!"

Oddly enough, Baxter didn't seem all that surprised to hear that they weren't on Earth any longer - or, rather, Earth as he knew it - but the statement was still staggeringly powerful. Perhaps it was common fanfare for the other heroes of Freedom City to visit other worlds, regardless of their dimensional association, but for the Bee-Keeper III, this was quite the heavy response. Whatever questions he had about the place known as Sanctuary, however, were quickly put on hold as Fleur de Joie let loose with a shrill whistle, and before the Bee-Keeper knew it, the two of them were ensorcelled by a trio of outlandishly huge bees. Curiosity was quickly overridden by fear from the (while strangely adorable!) terrifyingly massive insects, their booming voices practically moving the similarly-themed teenager from where he stood through sheer force. "Umm..." the boy began, the awkward question presented by the giant talking bee oddly discomforting. He wasn't aware they could talk, and the looks the one with the shiny tiara on its head only compounded things; just the sight of the massive stinger enough to put the newest incarnation of their former master on edge. "Hello! It'zz... uh... nizze to meet you, giant beezz! I zzwear I come in peazze, zzo pleazze don't zzting me in the fazze!"

Never before had Baxter ever felt such a combination of wonder and disbelief as Fleur de Joie took his shoulder, transporting both herself and the heavily-armed bee-themed adventurer to a place that shouldn't nor couldn't have existed on Earth. His eyes - wide and unblinking behind the visually-enhancing helmet - took in the feast before him, raw amazement at the sheer size and scope of the meadow he now found himself in the soup du jour, while the floating fortress of marble amidst the clouds made for a visually delectable main course; its unnatural suspension both mind-boggling and awe-inspiring as it towered from above the pastoral scene below. But the most mesmerizing sight of them all wasn't the gigantic flowers, nor the perpetual waves of leafy foliage as far as the eye could see. No; what drew Baxter's eye more than anything were the dozens of massive honeybees, their busybody lifestyle of rolling around in the equally gigantic flowers a sight that the new Bee-Keeper simply could not find words to describe. All he could do for what felt like forever was gawk on in awe, their overwhelming presence enough to lay the oft vocal apian-themed teenager silent. The bees themselves... he'd seen them on TV when they were running amok, and they looked big then; but this? Baxter never imagined he'd ever see them this close, their fuzzy bodies defying what few laws of physics Baxter had soundly squared away under his belt. "Beedom Zzity..." he repeated, more out of stupefied shock than to cement the green-haired heroine's statement in his mind. For a good minute, all the Bee-Keeper III could do was pan from bee to bee, with the occasional glance skywards towards the cumulus-based stone keep or an over-sized dandelion. Finally, however, Baxter forced himself to turn to his more feminine counterpart, a hand resting itself upon his brow as everything began to sink in. "I don't... I juzzt... where are we?" Baxter finally managed to stammer out, the surprise brought about by the transport to the alien yet familiar landscape slowly wearing off as the dark-skinned teenager recomposed himself. This was nothing like the comics he'd read as a boy, save perhaps that one issue where everyone in the Freedom League was some kind of monkey. The entire field was a cavalcade of enthralling sights and monumental insects, with its oceanic fields of pollen-laden flowers and grass causing the yellow-and-black clad Hero of the Hive to feel quite insignificant.

Interest piqued, the Bee-Keeper III perked up at the suggestion of visiting the legendary bees that had harassed Freedom City back when his predecessor still cruised the streets. His own endeavors to study the clever little busybodies - no matter how minute the research - always seemed to end in disaster, whether it be giant dinosaurs or ne'er-do-well youths harassing him for Baxter's very peculiar interests. And now, presented with an opportunity to just meet the magnificently marvelous creatures whom had previously been the bane of Freedom City's existence seemed like an opportunity most fortuitous! Today was turning out to be the best day ever, sans the whole mistaken identity and money golem nonsense! "I'd love to meet the beezz! I mean, if you're really okay with that," the chipper apian-themed teen cried in exuberance, his voice bordering on a shrill cry of glee. "I alwayzz wondered where they were hiding after the Bee-Keeper II wazz put beehind barzz." There came another awkward pause, however, as another thought crept into the armored avengers' mind. A lone gauntlet found its way beneath the Bee-Keeper's chin, as if he'd suddenly entered a strange train of thought, his voice shifting from excitement to concern as he refocused his gaze on Fleur de Joie, his uncles' arch-nemesis. "You think they'll bee angry? I don't wanna bee zztung a zzillion timezz and zztuff."