They landed near the Giant's massive castle.
The once beautiful garden was now nothing but cracked soil and withered trees.
Heidi: "It's even worse than I thought."
Mike: "So where's this 'Selfish Giant'?"
As if on cue, the earth shook.
A loud, thunderous voice echoed from the castle.
The ground trembled making the group hold each other for balance.
Mike (trying to act calm):"Oh! I was just wanting to have a peaceful appointment with you."
Heidi (half nervous, gripping Mike):"Really? Then why don't you step forward and greet him?"
Mike (expression blank): "...."
Jim(serious, gripping Naomi):" This is no time for drama. Focus."
From the enormous gates, a figure emerged.
Giant: "Who dares disturb my peace?"
A massive stone-skinned Giant stood tall, his piercing eyes glaring down at them.
Giant: "No one is allowed in my garden! Leave at once!"
But something was wrong.
Jim squinted.
Jim: "Wait. The Giant isn't supposed to look like that."
Naomi's face darkened.
Naomi: "That's not the real Giant. Lilith must have already corrupted him."
The air around them grew tense.
Mike and Heidi exchanged looks.
Mike: "Guess we're fighting again."
Heidi: "What else is new?"
Just then, the Giant's stone skin began to crack.
From within, a monstrous figure crawled out -
A twisted, blackened form with sharp claws and glowing eyes.
Monster: "I won't let this story end in peace. This world will remain in eternal winter!"
Naomi gritted her teeth.
Naomi: "If the story doesn't end the right way, the entire planet will collapse."
Jim: "Mike, Heidi, it's up to you two!"
Mike smirked.
Mike: "I was hoping you'd say that."
Heidi cracked her knuckles.
Heidi: "Let's crush this thing and get out of here."
The battle erupted as they transformed.
Mike unleashed a torrent of water magic while Heidi charged in with her Battle Forks, sending bolts of lightning through the air by fiercely sliding them against each other.
The monster roared, slamming the ground and summoning icy spikes from below.
The sheer strength of the monster kept them on edge.
But something else was bothering Naomi.
Naomi (thinking): "Why do they still fight like this? Separately. Carelessly. If they don't work together, they'll fall into Revenge Mode again."
And then - it happened.
The monster unleashed a devastating blast.
Mike barely shielded himself with a water barrier, but the impact sent him flying.
Heidi tried to retaliate, but the monster anticipated her move, grabbing her mid-air and slamming her into the ground.
Mike (panting): "Damn it... Why isn't this working?!"
Heidi, struggling to get up, growled.
Heidi(realizing): "Because...we're too stubborn to cooperate?"
She turned to Mike.
Heidi(serious): "For once, stop trying to prove you're better than me. We're in this together!"
Mike's eyes widened.
Her words struck a nerve.
He gritted his teeth, but nodded.
Mike: "Fine. No more arguing."
They stood side by side.
The monster growled, preparing to strike.
But this time, Mike and Heidi moved in perfect harmony.
Heidi slid her forks generating electricity which Mike manipulated into a current of water, creating an electrified whirlpool.
The monster roared in pain trying to resist but—
Mike: "Heidi, now!"
She charged her electrified forks closer to the monster via the whirlpool digging them deep the monster.
The monster screeched in agony as it crumbled into black dust.
The skies above them shifted - the dark clouds parted.
The once-lifeless garden began to bloom gradually.
Mike and Heidi stood, panting heavily.
But this time, there were no twisted grins.
Just exhausted smiles.
Jim (grinning): "Now that's teamwork."
Naomi crossed her arms, relieved.
Naomi (thinking): "They managed to fight without relying on Revenge Mode. Maybe there's still hope."
The world around them grew a bit brighter as the story concluded.
The Giant snapped out of the mind control getting back up muttering. "It feels good to be myself."
Back to the Ship
Once aboard, Mike and Heidi plopped down onto the seats.
Heidi: "I'll admit it... You weren't half bad back there."
Mike: "And you're not the worst partner I've ever had."
Jim smirked.
Jim: "Progress."
Naomi, though, remained cautious.
That Night...
Mike and Heidi were fast asleep as a result of exhaustion.
Jim, however, was wide awake, standing near the control panel.
Naomi sat at her lab table, arms crossed, her usual sharp expression focused on the data displayed on her tablet.
The spaceship drifted silently through the void, the stars outside blinking softly.
Jim glanced toward the small sleeping compartments connected to the pilot room, then at Naomi.
Jim: "You're still thinking about what happened before the Selfish Giant incident, aren't you?"
Naomi nodded.
Naomi: "Revenge mode. The way they fought that time... something was different."
She tapped her screen, showing recorded battle footage.
On it, Mike and Heidi grinned unsettlingly while finishing off the wolf.
It didn't look like them.
It looked ruthless.
Jim (serious): "Yeah... it was kinda scary. But at the same time... I don't think they've lost themselves Because they were doing fine in the Selfish Giant Story."
Naomi turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
Naomi: "What makes you so sure?"
Jim sighed, scratching his head as he leaned against the table, deep in thought.
Jim: "They might argue all the time, but... when they fight together, it's in perfect sync. They don't even need to talk to coordinate. It's like... instinct. They showed it not only in the Selfish Giant story but also in the previous stories."
Naomi pondered for a moment.
Naomi: "Yes... their teamwork is remarkable. But something is still missing."
Jim nodded.
Jim: "It's emotional connection."
Naomi turned to him with interest.
Naomi: "Explain."
Jim smirked.
Jim: "Think about it. They fight well together, but they don't truly care for each other the way they should. They lack that deeper bond-the kind that can counter the orb's negative influence."
Jim thought back to Heidi's protectiveness over Mike.
And how Mike let himself get beaten up just to give Heidi time to cook the healing meal.
Was it really just teamwork?
Or was something deeper hidden beneath their rivalry?
Naomi looked at Jim curiously.
Naomi: "You've been observing them quite a lot."
Jim chuckled.
Jim: "Well... let's just say, I noticed something interesting back in the Cinderella story."
Naomi's eyes narrowed.
Naomi: "Cinderella story?"
Jim grinned.
Jim: "Yeah. Heidi was actually comfortable around Mike. That's not something we see every day."
Naomi's interest piqued.
She leaned forward.
Naomi: "Go on."
Jim tapped the screen, bringing up past footage from their adventures.
It showed their time inside the Cinderella fairy tale world.
Mike and Heidi danced together at the ball, completely in sync.
They weren't arguing.
They were enjoying each other's company.
Then came the real surprise.
Mike was always flirty with other women, showing off whenever possible.
But during the Cinderella story?
Jim: "Mike was... different."
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
Jim: "He wasn't just goofing around. He actually seemed uncomfortable whenever some random guy got too close to Heidi."
Naomi smirked slightly.
Naomi: "Jealousy?"
Jim nodded.
Jim: "Exactly. He might not even realize it himself, but he's got feelings for her."
Naomi tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But right now, we shouldn't jump to conclusions as it may as well be a strong bond. Because feelings take time to develop and for them, one thing is for sure, they enjoy each other's company as much as they hate it."
Jim then laughed, shaking his head.
Jim: "Oh yeah fair point but let's not forget the first kiss thing."
Naomi tilted her head.
Naomi: "What do you mean?"
Jim grinned.
Jim: "They had an argument about their first kiss."
Naomi looked confused.
Naomi: "Wait... They kissed before?"
Jim nodded.
Jim: "Yeah. Back then after their ships first merged, they both ended up having their first accidental kiss as they mentioned. Another time on Golden Goose story, their lips accidentally touched each other and I had seen them blush. But instead of admitting it meant anything, they just argued."
Naomi blinked in surprise.
Jim even showed her the photo he secretly took after they collapsed in Jack and The Beanstalk Planet(after using Revenge Mode).
Naomi muttered looking at the picture. "Have to admit they look cute together."
Jim gave an excited smirk. "So, you agree?"
Then, to his complete shock-
She smiled.
It was small-but genuine.
Naomi: "These accidental kisses doesn't guarantee they are in love because they may as well be feeling awkward about that situation. It's an obvious reaction for anyone in their place. But they still have developed emotional connection according to my observations which means there is still hope... even if little."
Jim felt a wave of relief.
For the first time, he realized something-
Naomi wasn't just here to eliminate a potential threat.
She was actually searching for a way to save them.
She had been thinking about solutions the entire time.
Jim smiled.
Jim: "You're trying to help them, aren't you?"
Naomi didn't answer right away.
Instead, she turned back to her screen, her expression returning to neutral.
Naomi: "I'm just making sure they don't become monsters. That's all."
Jim saw through her act.
She cared.
Even if she wouldn't admit it.
And for the first time, Jim realized she wasn't as cold as she appeared.