Both Ethan and Jack awoke without any memories of being adults. Hearing that stung Ken, and stung him hard. While temporary amnesia wasn't uncommon due to a blow to the head, it could sometimes take weeks, months, or even years to undo. A choice now lay in Ken's hands, help his adoptive father and his man-crush regain their memories--or just let them grow up again without all that baggage. Looking out of a window that looked over the front courtyard where Ethan and Jack were outside running around like any two twelve year old boys might--climbing trees, swinging from branches, playing swords with sticks, and kicking a soccer ball back and forth, really put the question forefront in Ken's mind.
"You cool Khaki?" asked a feminine voice, and Ken turned to see Anansewa and Cyberteen (CT) standing in the doorway to the living room Ken had retired to once he felt well enough to change back into his Khaki Gi costume and give his teammates the update he'd so far kept from them.
Ken motioned for Anansewa and CT to come in and take a seat on one of the couches, where he joined them and began telling the story--as far as he knew it--from the beginning. Ken left nothing out. If he was going to ask for Anansewa and CT to put their necks out on the line facing against the Sorcerer Scientist, they deserved to know the truth as much as he knew it.
"Hold on, you mean to tell me that that blond golden retriever-like little boy out there is the Blue Bruiser of Grit City, Blue Boxer?!"
Ken nodded.
"Well, crash my servers why don't ya."
"Oh, Wonder Witch will have a spell when she hears this--after we of course find some way to turn them both back to their middle aged vigilante selves," said Anansewa, regaining her composure after laughing herself.
"I'm not sure that that's the right thing to do," admitted Ken.
"Why aren't you sure?" asked Anansewa.
"Cause, look at them outside. Playing, happy--happier than I've ever seen either of them the whole time I've been fighting crime with them. How can I justify taking that away from them?"
"Cause, one day they're gonna remember everything and then they'll be pissed you kept them as pubescent punks longer than they wanted to be," countered Cyberteen.
"CT does have a point, even if he's a little blunt about it, though there's a better one that you're overlooking," added Anansewa.
"And that is?" asked Ken.
"Quit taking everyone else's problems on as your own. It's not your choice to make. It's theirs. They should know the whole truth--even if they can't remember all of it--and be the ones to decide their own fate. And regardless if they want to go back to being the Blue Boxer and Lumberjack, or remain being little boys--we'll be here to help you take down the Sorcerer Scientist and make Grit City a little safer."
"Thanks... I know I can always trust you two for guidance."
The three teenage friends took a moment to hug one another, a sweet moment cut short when the sound of a scream from the front courtyard came echoing into the room.
Ken was up and at the window in less than a second, only to see the Sorcerer Scientist in all her glory: half her body shimmered with cybernetic reinforcement; an elegant gauntlet encased her left arm, pulsating with techno-magical energy. Purple sigils spiraled lazily up her bionic limb, and her eyes glowed cold silver under a curtain of dark, wind-whipped hair. She had torn off the main gate and was levitating Ethan up into the air. Jack, trying to bring Ethan back down to the ground by hanging on to his legs. Ken immediately pushed open the window and sprang into action. They were only one story up from the ground at this part of the mansion, and he was on enough pain medication to dull the throb his ribs were giving him. He heard the windows on either side of him slide open and Ken knew Anansewa and Cyberteen were right beside him.
"I hope you got your parents' permission to go on a field trip, because you have won a one-time only all exclusive tour of my Secret Laboratory!" called the Sorcerer Scientist.
"Let him go!" called Jack as all three teens landed on the grass and ran to intervene.
"Unfortunately it's a singular prize, with no plus one accommodations," said the Sorcerer Scientist as she psychically loosened Jack's grip causing him to fall down and onto his butt in the grass, injuring nothing but his pride a little. At this point the arcane scientist noticed the approach of the three Adolescent Avengers.
"Why if it isn't the mascot sidekick and friends it seems. What, are Blue Boxer and Lumberjack afraid to face me?" asked Sorcerer Scientist.
"So this is the mighty Sorcerer Scientist?" asked Anansewa.
"She don't look so tough if you ask me," quipped Cyberteen as he pounded his right fist into his left hand, engaging his cybernetic tactical suit.
"Picking on a pair of helpless children never looks good for anyone, it shows weakness," added Ken.
The Sorcerer Scientist flicked her wrist, throwing Ken & Anansewa off their feet and hurling them closer to the gate. "While I'd love to crush you like the pathetic voodoo dolls you are, this boy and I have an appointment to keep across town."
Unfortunately for the Sorcerer Scientist, she hadn't accounted for Cyberteen's speed from activating his suit. He still had some electricity stored up from a previous battle that he'd engaged and he used it to charge straight for the woman, and in the blink of an eye, had managed to grab hold of the bionic limb with purple sigils, allowing his cybernetic tactical suit to connect briefly with her limb before she could even register him there to throw him off.
Cyberteen was surprised at the amount of sheer power he was feeding off of the Sorcerer Scientist--it was unlike anything he'd tapped into before. He tried to hold on as long as he could before he too was thrown from the Sorcerer Scientist.
"Get off you cybernetic tick!"
"Careful who you call names," called Ken as he took advantage of her momentary distraction to aim a well placed kick to the Sorcerer Scientist's core, causing her to stumble back a few feet and almost lose her magical hold on Ethan, as he fell a few feet before she caught him once again. Jack falling off in the tumble again after having caught Ethan's legs again.
"Well, well, it seems the teen troublemakers have a bit of bite to their bark after all."
"And we're only getting warmed up!" called out Anansewa as she had finished weaving her spell with spider's silk at the torn remnants of the gate. Ken recognized the weaving as a ward spell, meaning nothing magical could pass or break through it to escape through the gate. They had her trapped!
"And clever too... pretty soon I'm going to have to start taking you seriously. But not today, I'm afraid."
And then suddenly the Sorcerer Scientist grabbed Ethan from the air and jet packed herself and Ethan up and over the wall, flying over the ward spell and down towards the heart of Grit City.
"You know, she's tougher than she looks," added Cyberteen as they all watched her escape with Ethan.