"Stopped?" Clo gave a laugh that sounded like jingling bells. "Oh, honey, no one can stop me."

She looked at Lia as CyKo began counting down and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Let's get this over with, shall we? I have a luncheon in about an hour and after that I have a yoga class. I can't be late for either." She leaned closer and whispered, "Bad for the image, y'know."

Summer narrowed her eyes in hidden rage. It hadn't taken her long to see that Clo was the mysterious enemy that had been lurking in the shadows after the ninjas had come in. How could she have missed it?! Clo had always been secretive, but never in Summer's life had she imagined that her comrade was a MUPPETZ spy!

Squose and many other squirrels stared in confusion at Clo. So not all of them knew about this, Summer thought bitterly. She remembered her flashback, and angrily began to see that squirrels were still puppets of the MUPPETZ, and they couldn't see that for themselves yet.

"Get her, Lia!" she yelled while dodging a ninja squirrel, "Knock her out!" She was determined that Clo would pay for being such a traitor. But before she could holler anything else, a strange humming sound came from the distance. With a uneasy feeling, she looked above to see a whole fleet of planes flying near them! The bottom of the jets opened, and MUPPETZ with pink and purple parachutes (they must be cutting down on payments, she thought) flew down to the moldy area. They landed next to the ANTI agents and squirrels, and it was obvious to see that they were surrounded.

One MUPPETZ agent dropped onto the ground, and his eyes gleamed red. "Well, ANTI agents," he coolly and softly declared, "I don't think we've met before. I am Fall, and I won't be leaving until you've all felt our wrath once and for all!"

Summer could barely breathe. Was it really.... Could it be him? "F-Fall? It's me, Summer! What are you doing? Those are the bad guys you're with, not the good guys!"

Fall stared at her, and hissed with a horrible grin "Don't bother me with that, Summer! After all, you are one of us too, aren't you?" Turning to the ANTI agents, he shouted, "That's right, ANTI, you're in cahoots with a MUPPETZ spy, and a HumETZ! And even if we don't hurt them, we'll attack YOU!"

Defeated, Summer bowed her head sadly, knowing now that the secret was out; she was a HumETZ, half traitor to ANTI.

Speechlessness was not something Mal'ady was accustomed to. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so out of her depth that she couldn't even talk. But between the hyper squirrels--supercaffeinated rodents had not been mentioned anywhere in her books!--and the gut-wrenching news of Whit's betrayal, Mal'ady had been at a loss for words. Her mind spun in a dizzy haze of grief and unanswered questions (as well as a resolve to always drink decaf from now on).

Suddenly, Clo appeared, a laughing whirl of blonde curls and perfect lipstick, and Mal'ady's mouth dropped open as she realized that Clo too had gone over to the MUPPETZ. A moment later, buzzing filled the sky, and MUPPETZ were floating down in cotton-candy colored parachutes to surround them. How were things unraveling so quickly?

She saw Summer, her head bowed and shoulders drooping, as the red-eyed MUPPETZ gleefully proclaimed that she was a HumETZ. Summer? A HumETZ?! How...? And then something in Mal'ady snapped.

Summer was not "a HumETZ." She was Summer. The MUPPETZ had taken Whit, and they had taken Clo, and now they were trying to take Summer, and it was enough.

She stepped up beside Summer and put a hand on her shoulder. "I for one, will gladly stay 'in cahoots'," she said softly. She drew her guns from their holsters and cocked them at the MUPPETZ. "Fall, you said? Let's see how good you are at getting back up again."

While Cherry flung himself at the nearest ninja squirrel, making that horrible screeching noise that angry squirrels make, Echo stood still, her mind in turmoil. Despite the crippling shock of seeing MUPPETZ fighter planes suddenly appear in the sky above them, her logic had not abandoned her, compelling her to avoid Fall's gaze at all costs. Although she had not interacted with him, his name and face both seemed familiar. And if Winter could see through her disguise this easily, it was better to be safe than sorry.

She recoiled in shock at the revelation that Summer was a humETZ, just like her. How does he know that? she wondered, daring a glance at Fall. He and Summer must know each other. But why would that be? There're clearly on different sides.

Echo bit her lip, feeling a bead of sweat slide down her back. Now that Summer's secret was out, it would only take a moment more before her so-called "friends" would abandon her, treat her like an outcast. Echo knew that feeling. She knew it all too well. Because this dismal thought was so implanted in her head, great was her shock when Mal'ady stepped forward and announced that she would remain with Summer, despite the secret revealed.

This brought about a new bout of shock. Suddenly, everything Echo thought she knew about the ANTI agency was thrown into doubt. She had been taught to believe that they hated all MUPPETZ, even those like her who were part human. Could it possibly be that there was more to good and evil than just blood? Could she ever fit in for who she truly was?

With the ANTI agents around her, and MUPPETZ closing in front all sides, Echo Oz found herself faced with the question she had been avoiding for a long while: Which side am I truly on?

It took but a moment for her to find her answer, and suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore. Throwing all caution to the wind, Echo strode over to Summer's other side and glared at Fall. "So she's a humETZ," she snarled at him. "So what? She has a greater heart than you'll ever have. At least she knows right from wrong, unlike you MUPPETZ cohorts who have to resort to brainwashing, slander, and poisoning innocent squirrels to win your battles. I don't know why I ever put up with you for so long. I'm done with this! I'm tired of running away!"

Echo retrieved her Hypnowatch and held it in her outstretched hand, ready to flip it open. She knew that it was a MUPPETZ weapon and that only MUPPETZ officers were technically allowed to have one - but she didn't care. "Bring it on!" she shouted. "Show me your worst! Or surrender before I open this and turn your army against you!"

Agent Clo Verrz nearly grinned at the sight of Fall and the other MUPPETZ. "Ah, just the man I was hoping would come." A giggle escaped her.

The silence from CyKo made her turn her head back to him. He had stopped counting when the MUPPETZ arrived, which meant Lia hadn't attempted to attack her yet.

She watched the following proceedings with interest. Summer and Fall spoke, then Echo spoke, her words accompanied by a threat. With a clap of her hands, Clo stepped forward, a nervous laugh falling from her lips. "Well, isn't this just dandy!"

"Dearest little Echo," Clo said, her voice sugary-sweet, "that would be a very big mistake..."

Echo stiffened when the full meaning of Clo's last sentence hit her. A portion of her anger and fearlessness melted, leaving anxiety brewing in the pits of her stomach. Still, she stood her ground and shifted her glare from Fall to Clo.

Well, she thought. If the secret's out, there's no use shaming myself in trying to cover it up. However, she quickly decided to maintain Thorn's appearance for the time being, so as to not scare the pants off her new allies.

"Oh, I don't think so," she growled at Clo. "I've waited a long time for this, dearest little Clo Verrz. Father can't tell me what to do anymore, and neither can you."

With little emotion, Fall watched as Mal'ady and Thorn defended Summer upfront. Was he really suprised? After all, that no-good one-eyed weirdo leader of the group, CyKo, has the final say on this. But one of Thorn's words, "brainwashing," made him freeze. Memories of a dark room, odd-sounding voices, and mysterious bright colors on a screen flashed through his mind. That's odd, he thought, where did those memories come from? And why haven't I remembered them until Thorn said "brainwashing?"

He didn't remember what was going on until he heard Clo giggling. He had known all along that she had been on their side, and it was her who had helped him and the other MUPPETZ track down and plan against ANTI for a long time. He wouldn't tell the world this, but he secretly admired her a lot. Just hearing her say she'd hoped he'd come made him stand tall and not blurt out saying "And look the greatest, most beautiful spy to ever be known at MUPPETZ!"

But that feeling deserted him once he heard Clo call Thorn by the name of Echo. Why did she do that? But then it hit him: He saw the oh-so-familiar scar on the supposed Thorn's arm, one exactly the same as the missing Echo has. To this, he didn't know what to say. Why had Echo betrayed them? Yet again, he felt very confused. And enraged. "What are you up to, Echo?" he snarled viciously. "Are you really that commited to your enemies? ANTI doesn't care about a HumETZ! They don't like you or any traitors in their team!"

He glanced over at Summer, expecting her to look shocked or miserable, but instead, she took a step foward, and with eyes full of pain and courage, "Fine, if she's Echo, that's fine! After all, aren't I a HumTEZ too? I have no idea where Thorn is, and I can only hope she's ok, but Echo and I are both HumTEZ and friends, and I won't let her be somewhere she doesn't!

"But why, Fall? This isn't like you." She stared at him with hurt eyes, but then announced loudly and clearly, "Fine, Fall! We were friends at one time, but I guess that's over. But we will not be destroyed just because you think we have possibly weak links. I am loyal to ANTI, and although Echo and I have traitor blood, we want to be a part of ANTI, unlike some people I know..." At this, she slightly glanced at Clo with cold eyes, and then turned to CyKo. "CyKo, what do you want us to do?"

Before CyKo replied, Fall, angered at Summer's words (and her insulting Clo), yelled "MUPPETZ and squirrels who are actually loyal to MUPPETZ, attack! Don't you even think about getting away this time! First you, then the CHARMERZ, and then everything else!"

Clo Verrz stood to her full height, hardly intimidating in all her pink attire. "Ugh." She turned away from Echo and strutted toward Fall, her long eyelashes batting at him.

Once she was next to him, she turned to face the others and opened her Coach purse. "You know, after all this is over, I believe I'm going to have to take another trip to the salon...OR," she pulled out a small perfume bottle, "I can just use this."

Instead of spritzing the stuff, she unscrewed the lid and tossed it a few yards away. As it flew through the air, pink smoke emerged from the bottle, filling the air with the smell of Sweet Peas. "Sweet dreams, sugar-pies."

CyKo watched everything unfold. Clo was evul. Summer was a Humetz. Thorn, or whoever was impersonating thorn, was also a humetz.

Wow.

CyKo didn't know what to think... but he knew that Summer would stick with ANTI to the end. He wasn't so sure about the Thorn Impersonator, but he went ahead and said,

"Thorn-impersonator-peoplez-person and Summer... nothing has changed aside from your appearance and your ancestral origins. You can both remain with us---- (here CyKo punched a ninja squirrel in the jaw). I can trust you."

Clo stood to her full height. CyKo was still taller than her... and was tempted to shout "HA" ... which he did. "HA! SHORTAY!!!"

CyKo then inhaled some of the pink smoke... and immediately fell asleep.

don't make fun of Clo.... karma will catch ya.

Lia was mad. But not just mad, she was madder than mad. She was furious. Nobody messed with her squirrels in her tree. And right now, it was Clo messing with her squirrels in her trees.

She clenched her fists and began to jump up and down. Soon she was wailing at the top of her lungs.

Lia was having a full blown temper tantrum.

"CLO VERRZ!!!" she yelled, stomping over to her. She reached up and grabbed a handful of Clo's long blonde hair and yanked. It was very satisfying to hear Clo's scream of pain. "I'M TIRED OF BEING IGNORED!!!! I CHALLENGED YOU TO A SMACK DOWN AND YOU IGNORED ME!!!! THIS IS GOING TO END HERE AND NOW!"

Lia had turned into the Fluffeh Angry Kitteh mode. And nothing would stop her. She slapped Clo as hard as she could.

And that was when she noticed the other agents. On the ground. Snoring. Weird, thought Lia. They're all sleeping. Wonder why it didn't affect me...

For a full thirty seconds, all Clo could do was stare at Lia with angry eyes and if you listened close enough, you could probably hear epic Chinese music playing as she narrowed them to mere slits. No one picked on her and got away with it unharmed

With a flip of her recently-yanked hair, she dropped her fashionable purse into the slime and said, "HOW. DARE. YOU."

She kicked off her expensive, chic high-heels and stepped forward, her stockinged feet sinking deep into the slime, but she didn't appear to care.

"If it's a fight you want, bring it on." Clo said, her jaw clenched.

Mal'ady was watching the showdown between CyKo and Clo with interest, when suddenly Clo threw a perfume bottle towards where the ANTI agents were standing. Pink, sickly sweet-smelling smoke poured out of the bottle and wafted towards them, and Mal'ady felt herself inhale it before she knew what she was doing.

Frantically, she tried to think of an idea or a plan of escape, but her brain and her legs were already starting to refuse to obey her. She groaned. Of all possible methods of dying, death by pink smoke was a profoundly uninspiring way to go.

She felt her knees turn to jelly and her body collapse rather haphazardly to the ground. It felt so comfy that she was tempted to curl up and nap for a long time, except for a pesky part of her brain that kept screaming this is wrong, wrong, WRONG!

Vaguely, she remembered a day early in her ANTI training, where she had accidentally inhaled a training version of MUPPETZ-style smoke and had woken up to a nurse filling her IV bag with mocha frappuccino. There was something important she needed to remember from that day, but her brain was going fuzzy, and she couldn't recall why it was so urgent anymore. (And who was having a temper tantrum in the background?)

Coffee...and pink smo...zzzzzzzz. Ni'night.

Whit had locked herself in her room all day. Even with constant knocks with random people yelling at her to come train the newbies, she couldn't deal with that at the moment. She had sent her mechanic bird to ANTI to keep a close eye on them. She saw everything fold out on her Big screen, Summer coming out as a HumETZ, Thorn imposters, even a slap fight between Lia and Clo Verrz, which Whit honestly thought was really funny.

All of her ANTI memories were returning to her, she was very suprised finding out Clo was evil. She remembers admiring her, her clothing, her hair and makeup, and even hugging her the last time she was with ANTI when she joined the group on the sub. These all felt like distant memories, she missed them greatly.

She watched as the chaos grew, people falling over from some pink mist stuff, thats when she realized she was going to help. She packed all her pink essentials, a gas mask, coffee for the squirrels and was ready to leave when she realized, she has no way of getting there...well that made things more difficult.

Whit remembered the pink slide she found in her closet (she was 11 after all) she just thought she would see where it went to.

"WOOHOO!!!" Whit exclaimed as she went down the slide. It was a rather long slide,so by the end of it she was happy to see light. Once she exited the slide she was not so happy to see where she ended up....right in Dori's office.

Just as Clo said, "Bring it" Lia punched. Somehow she knew just what to do. Even though she was a full head shorter than Clo, Lia felt certain that she [Clo] had a wekness. Standing on her toes, Lia grabbed another handful of Clo's hair.

Giving it a sharp tug, Lia leveled the playing field slightly. So long as she could keep her grasp of the curly blonde hair (which felt rather like plastic) Lia would be fine.

She quickly kneed Cloin the stomach, then gave her a sharp shove, resulting in Clo sitting on the ground. In the molds. "HAHA," Lia yelled in her fury. "BEAT THAT, MUPPETZ SCUM!!!!!" She giggled insanely as she noticed the startled faces of Fall and the other MUPPETZ.

Who knew battle could be so...

It was then that Lia noticed that Clo was back on her feet. "Back for more, cupcake?"

"Come on, Lia, do you really think a slap fight will help anything?" Summer knew that Lia was a queen and could do whatever she wanted to, but as a former friend had told her once, "fighting isn't always the answer." That former friend was Fall.

Fall also, funny enough, seemed a bit annoyed and outraged with the fighting. He had been the one to issue the attack, and now, his face was in total disgust at Lia. Summer almost was about to try to fight back, but then a strange scent clouded her memories. Wha... Wha's goin' 'n... Sprin', where 're ya? ...

Summer collasped onto the the floor in a sleeping heep, as Fall all of a sudden felt a unusual twing in his heart. The odd twing made him feel as though something bad was about to occur. What exactly could that be, he didn't know. But it made him indigiantly shout at Lia, "Stop it! Something's going on here. I feel like we're all in trouble."

Bzzzzzzzzzz... Fall flinched as a peculiar noise started humming near them. It was getting louder and louder. "Fellow MUPPETZ, take cover!" he warned. But it was too late. Something was landing onto the ground between the MUPPETZ and the ANTI. "Oh, boy," Fall grumbled once he realized who it was...