Now this is a poem to admire.

It sure is, and it looks like it's all uphill for Cripto.

Chuong: See Cripto? You're so much better than you think! Meanwhile, Clockwork is watching me carefully to make sure we are helping you improve. At least we managed to kick the perfectionist out of Cripto so far it seems.

Zax: He still has a lot to go.

Kirk: An entire month of training will be worth it since Zanta ordered him to go off-duty for the rest of May.

Soil: You are such a jinx Chuong.

Chuong: I want Clockwork and the Zephyr Heroes to see that just because most of us don't have powers doesn't mean we can't help Cripto change for the better. I know what we're doing will work and the G-52s watching this will learn a lot from us.

Boomcat: Side note; he'll do the opposite of what I did. I was a soldier before becoming a superhero; he's a superhero turning into a soldier, though he's not giving up the superhero part.

Cripto: I'm hoping for your sake as well as mine that Clockwork and the Zephyr Heroes do see improvements, even if some of them will never trust us due to past bad impressions. Clockwork has one word for me as of last month, and the password is "doormat."

Leo: By that he meant how stiff you were, and that's not just because you are autistic. That's part of it, but not all of it; the biggest chunk is all the bad choices you may have made, but that's not criticism. I've done that myself. We all have.

Cripto: Well, if you can conquer your troubles, I can conquer mine. Let's not be pessimistic here.

T2: You go, bro!

Clockwork: Once again, you're taking it all out of context and misconstrue my words. I'm getting sick of correcting you people. Why don't you try proving it to YOURSELF before trying to win the approval of others? In the end, it's your future that's on the line here as your actions will decide it.

Leo: All right; we'll do that. Note to self; never mention Clockwork or any of the heroes in public.

Cripto: Sorry, Clockwork. I've done it again. But notice I'm not having a meltdown over this; in the past, yes I would.

Super C: And Chuong said you were keeping an eye on him.

Clockwork: I see the past, present, and many possibilities of the future. Whether you get your act together to change your future from a potential apocalypse that could destroy the entire USA to a bright and shining one is entirely up to you.

Cripto: True.

Clockwork: Don't just say "true", Doormat. Do something about it! <opens his hand and creates a small window depicting a destroyed city with the Statue Of Liberty's head decapitated on the ground> Unless this is the future you want to have.

Cripto: Which it is not.

Super Slash: And soon you'll see that this is the case; he's in the Army now!

Clockwork: That doesn't mean he still won't arrive at the outcome I've shown you. <closes hand> How badly do you want a more positive future, Cripto?

Cripto: More than anything in the world, really.

Clockwork: Then that's all the motivation you need. When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences that comes with it and affect everything around you. Your decisions can lead to either the apocalypse I've shown you or the bright and shining future you desire. Don't mess this up.

Cripto: I don't want to mess this up; that negative image was terrifying.

Clockwork: That's because most of you seem to think having supernatural abilities is some kind of curse and you continue to rant about "we don't need powers this" and "we don't need powers that" so you don't understand the burden and responsibility that comes with having such power. Besides, you also have D-19 abilities like Zanta and his friends so the whole "no powers" junk coming from you is moot.

Chuong: But I don't use them liberally like Cripto does! Second, Cripto doesn't understand what most heroes on Earth have to do to accomplish their goals because not many heroes have powers! Most of those things are accomplished through teamwork; a lesson that must be emphasized to Cripto.

Zax: In my opinion, Cripto would be a better UN1024 than a G-52 because the more he uses his powers, the more it strains his mind.

Clockwork: Who cares if you have special abilities or not? You still need discipline regardless. Having either one does not make you better than the other. Teamwork is one thing, self-confidence and trust is another. <opens his hand and shows a window depicting the ruins of a city with the Statue Of Liberty's head decapitated on the ground> Whether you have special abilities or not, this future is what could happen if your friend makes the wrong decisions that can affect you people too.

Chuong: And that is what we will give to Cripto is discipline. So far, in our training, he hasn't used his powers in an unnecessary manner. He did struggle with guangchang wu (Chinese square dancing) a bit when we performed Little Apple but he got the hang of it when we did Most Dazzling Folk Style later on. He is relaxing just a little bit but he has a long way to go.

Zax: Cripto will be forced to have discipline because in the UN1024 training program, you're forced to accomplish your mission using limited resources. Cripto must learn to do that without using his powers. And speaking of that image from your hands, that's rather terrifying since if that is what Cripto's powers is capable of if he overreacts, which I hope he doesn't, then wow...

Chuong: Nah don't worry! He wouldn't be able to anyways since he'll be forced to do teamwork which will then build self-confidence and trust in other people. He trusts us so that helps but we just need to get him working on that self-confidence part.

Anh: And soon enough hopefully, if things were to go as planned, Cripto will have better self-confidence about himself without his powers. That is, if he's willing to follow through with our regimens.

Clockwork: You're missing the point. <closes hands> It's your decisions that affects your future, not your special abilities. Just because one has supernatural or magic abilities does not make them superior, and NOT having abilities doesn't make you superior either. They both have their flaws: you can't always rely on your abilities and you can't always rely on your mind, body, and wit to pull through. What I'm saying is having neither one is a good or bad thing and that both extremes compliment one another. You still bleed and cry like everyone else.

Chuong: And that's what we'll teach Cripto too is that he's not special as much as he thinks of himself as one from what I've seen. That's one of the reasons why I have Cripto engage in guangchang wu with us is to teach him that we are just as people as much as each other.

Clockwork: I'll be blunt: you soldiers aren't too special either. So give the whole "we don't need powers" junk a serious rest already. We get it after the 20th time hearing it. Believe it or not, there are some folks out there who view their abilities as a curse and not as a blessing. It might run them the wrong way hearing the whole "we don't need or use powers" junk.

Chuong: You lump us into this stereotype when not all UN1024s think like that! I said it because of my battle style!

Capuno: Alright Moon Moon you can stop now.

Chuong: And stop assuming we're that special either! You and I have the same exact concerns for Cripto you know!

Capuno: He knows that Moon Moon.

Clockwork: Just like you assume showing your D-19 powers makes you an instant target like in the Turbo Tarantula incident on that cruiser. Oh, before I forget... <pulls out durian> I meant to give this durian to your avian friend. None of my friends except that idiot dragon Brooklyn won't eat it.

Capuno: Oh thanks! *Accepts durian before using his knife to cut it open before eating it. The smell of the durian spreads up into high heaven because the fruit is opened.* Have some Chuong!

Chuong: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! *Runs away.*

Soil: *Holds his nose to protect himself from the smell of durian.* GOSH DARN IT MOON MOON!

Anh: Hey Capuno! Can I have some?

Capuno: Sure! *Shares some durian with Anh.*

Anh: *Eats some durian.* Very sweet like custard as usual! Durian cake and green tea sounds about good right now!

Capuno: I know right? Good way to end the evening too before resting.

Cripto: I have been getting serious headaches lately. Ow. Here comes another one. Anybody got any aspirin?

Jack: No you don't need any aspirin! You need to STOP STRESSING YOURSELF OUT! Prozac, aspirin, all that, they can't solve your problems right away! Sorry if I had to be tough but I'm already seeing problems left and right!

Chuong: He needs to drink hot green tea every evening before he sleeps. Then every morning, he shall engage in guangchang wu, and maybe some Japanese radio calisthenics which is similar to guangchang wu but more dynamic, and that will help his mind.

Capuno: Lets anty this up! Lets get the Noahn Faction to join in with Cripto for your radio calisthenics training and dances! Who doesn't love to be trained by Moon Moon these days?

Chuong: Good idea!

Nadav: Lets hope Clockwork doesn't have a big headache from this.

Chuong: Whatever works works! As my father said to me, no idea is a bad idea. If this idea is bad or strange, at least it works one way or another!

Cripto: No, you're fine. My head does hurt, though.

Super C: I don't think we should mention Clockwork too often; we have a problem with taking what he says out of context.

Chuong: Super C, Clockwork may be tough, but he has a point. Cripto needs to deal with people like Clockwork because people like him are trying to help him. And besides, he's way more powerful than you and Cripto are combined because he's a time god. Moderation in power usage is important. Granted that I'm restricted because if I use my powers and I'm wearing military gear, I'll blow my cover off but then again, I'm teaching Cripto this concept too because most heroes don't have powers. Cripto must understand what people like his fellow soldiers in America, most UN1024s, and pretty much anyone without powers have to do to accomplish their goals. Life is not easy; it never was and it shouldn't be. I've fought in many battles Super C without using powers and I learned a lot that way. I want Cripto to learn that much too.

Super C: I know you do, and so do we, but what's confusing me is the comment he made about certain ones saying having supernatural abilities is a curse. I think he may have a different viewpoint than us on this. As for battles, you don't need powers; you got the ammo.

Chuong: But most important of all, discipline and self-confidence. Cripto needs both.

Cripto: All of us need both of those really.

Zax: You said

Altogether, I think I have two
Of these demerits scored.
One of them was for bowling,
And the other was being a whore.

Unless you meant 'attention whore', you do realize what the word, whore, means right?

Cripto: I had a lot of trouble coming up with an appropriate word to rhyme with "score," so I used the word "whore" to mean "attention whore," yes. The last straw came when I did what I thought was a noble sacrifice at first, by letting myself get fattened in Icebreaker's place. Radko is the other one, as you well know. As for the bowling package, they're all now being created by hand, as the only one done by my powers was mine in my basement, and Ludvik is earning some of the profits for the modifications he made.

Meanwhile, don't disturb Zanta; he's got a ton of paperwork to fill out, all over me joining the National Guard. Part of me worried that I had lost him as a friend knowing him and his attitude towards the military. I think he had one guy who once was a Navy SEAL beat him up pretty badly. In the end, it was a case of PTSD. That was the end of that friendship.