Garterbelt led Brandon and Troy down the hall into the corridor down the hall, which split into the left, to the right, and spiraling stairs which led to higher floors.

"Panty and Stocking arn't home right now...but for future reference, Panty's room is to the left, and Stocking's room is to the right." Garterbelt said.

Brandon and Troy looked at each other. "Stocking!" They both said.

Troy laughed. "Ha! I said it first! Guess you're sleeping with Panty!"

Brandon frowned. "Damn it."

"Have fun getting screwed by Panty..." Troy said.

"Hey, shut the fuck up, Troy! You want me to kick your ass?" Brandon said angrily.

Gartereblt slapped both of their heads. "Behave, both of you. You carry divine powers and you act like it's a joke."

Troy sighed. "His fault."

Brandon growled. "Like hell it is, rubber boy!"

"Shut the hell up!" Garterbelt yelled.

Both Brandon and Troy fell silent.

Garterebelt walked down a flight of stairs, which both Brandon and Troy followed. Garterbelt led them to a large blue room. In it was punching bags, dummies, wooden rectangular blocks, weights, and an arena for sparring.

Troy was surprised. "Whoa."

Garterbelt smirked. "Impressive, huh? I bought it all. Panty and Stocking never use it, but you two are free to use it as much as you like."

Brandon looked at a punching bag with a monster face on it. "Interesting."

Gartebelt went to the stairs. "Lunch will be ready soon. You can stay down here and work out for a while." He said as he left.

Troy just looked around. Brandon tapped the punching bag, watching it sway back and forth, and then started punching it.

"This stuff is impressive...this will prove useful." Troy said.

"You bet!  I wonder what else is in store for us."

"Brandon?" A voice said from upstairs.

Panty and Stocking. came down the stairs. Troy awed. Brandon said nothing.

"So he's finally awake. Took a long enough nap." Stocking said.

"Ahh, what do you expect? It's not like he's okay." Panty said.

"For the record, I was shot. But I'm not weak."

Panty shook her head. "You look like you're going to collapse at any second."

Brandon stopped in his tracks. "I'm strong. I have a pure heart. I protect those I care about."

Panty walked away. "That's all talk."

Brandon grew angry. "Shut up."

Panty looked at Brandon straight in the face. "You don't even look like you have that much strength."

Brandon felt something inside him snap. His card case glowed with blue light. Brandon's muscles expanded and grew, and turned blue.

"DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING SAY THAT AGAIN!!!!" Brandon yelled. He swung at the punching bag. The chain holding the bag, which was connected to the ceiling, broke, and the punching bag broke in two.

Panty smiled. "That's more like it."

Brandon clenched his fists. Then he stopped, and looked at his arms.

"ARG!! What's going on?!" He yelled.

Then Brandon took out his three cards. One of them, Obilisk the Tormentor, the blue card. It was glowing.

Panty nodded at Brandon. "It's not about how weak you are.  It's about realization. You realize you're not as good enough, so you convince yourself to get better, to prove yourself."

Brandon smiled. "You're not as dumb as I thought."

Panty smiled and walked up to Brandon, and whispered in his ear. "You can thank me later."

Brandon groaned. Troy laughed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, Brandon walked into Panty's room, two blankets and a pillow in his arms. He opened the door. Panty was in bed, lying down. When she heard the door open, she woke up.

"So you're sleeping here tonight?" She asked.

Brandon nodded. He layed out his blanket next to Panty's bed.

Panty looked curiously. "Whaat are you doing?"

Brandon layed out his pillow and layed down. "Going to sleep." He mumbled. "Goodnight."

Panty sighed. "For god's sake, don't be a stranger. Come up."

Brandon mumbled curse words, and climbed into Panty's bed. Panty cuddled next to Brandon. Brandon turned red in the face.

"Mmm...you're warm." Panty said.

Brandon slightly pushed her away and turned away. "Can you give me a break?"

Panty grumbled. "What's the matter?"

Brandon sat up. "Some of the stuff you said really hurt me."

Panty sighed. "Geezus. Giving me a guilt trip."

Brandon didn't flinch. "No, how about you listen! Picture the most unpopular kid in school, one who seems like a pushover, who's considered a weakling. Someone who has barely any friends, and goes through name-calling every day. That's me."

Panty looked at Brandon in disbelief. Brandon cleched his fists, tears flowing from his face.

"I mean really...have you ever decided to put yourself in that person's place and realized how that person felt? Every night, I cry, cry for a change. Cry for being treated like like a human one day. Cry for a life." Brandon said, sobbing.

Panty sat there for a minute, thinking. "I know you think I hate you, but I don't. Honestly, I thought that you and Troy's arrival was great! Finally, two people to help us! That's great. But...we need you. And we can be jerks sometimes, but that doesn't mean we don't care."

Brandon dried his tears. "Okay."

Panty smiled. "You owe me." She said, kissing Brandon's cheek. She lay down and fell asleep. Brandon stared at Panty. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't a huge slut. Brandon lay down and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Panty...I swear..with my powers...I will protect you, and everything else I care about, with my life." He said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Troy was sitting on the side of Stocking's bed, as Stocking was eating chocolate cake.

"Tell me Troy...your friend, Brandon. Is he alright?" Stocking asked between mouthfuls of chocolate cake.

"Brandon's just stupid, that's all." Troy said, laughing. "No, I'm joking. Brandon's fine. He just has a funny personality."

Stocking looked at her cake. "And you're his best friend?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, his only friend."

Stocking looked at Troy, with full attention.

"When Brandon shielded me from Scanty's attack, I couldn't believe it. But I understand now. It's because we're friends, because I treat him the way he deserves to be treated. Because we have a powerful bond." Troy said.

Stocking nodded. "Guess he must have it rough."

Troy nodded. "And he's beginning to figure out his powers. That's great and all...but...what happens if we do something stupid and one of us dies?"

Stocking smiled. "You won't. You seem like you both have the determination to control your powers."

Troy grinned in agreement.

"But what about your power?" Stocking asked.

Troy confidently flexed his muscles and said "I've got the power of rubber!"

Stocking laughed. "You sound like a really stretchy eraser to me."

Troy frowned. "No." Suddenly, seeing Stocking laugh, he started laughing. They roared with laughter, for no particular reason.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Brandon ran to the basement. He wanted to begin training as soon as possible.

Garter belt was there when he arrived.

"What? Garter? The hell you doing here?" Brandon asked.

"I had a feeling you were coming down here to train.  Well, think bigger, my boy.  We're unlocking your second power." Garterbelt said.

Brandon gulped. "Okay." He wondered what Garterbelt would make him do. "Just to be clear, I've never actually fought anyone before."

Garterbelt hauled over a wooden rectangular block. "That's fine.  Shoot this with lightning."

Brandon flipped. "What the legit fuck?!?!  I can't conjure up lightning just like that!!!

Garterbelt smiled. "Yes you can.  Take out your red card from your card case."

Brandon took out his red card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. "Now what?"

Garterbelt moved away from the block and put on sunglasses. "You must awaken your second power.  After that conjuring up lightning will be a breeze.  Hold out your hand, then concentrate on shooting this plank with lightning."

Brandon closed his eyes, and held out two fingers.  He thought of the block exploding.  He imagined lightning appearing and striking the block.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound came out of thin air, and then a bolt of lightning shot down and struck the block with a loud boom.

Brandon opened his eyes.  In front of him was charred piece of wood.

"Sweet!  I got my second power!" Brandon cheered.

"Not quite." Garter said. "Stocking!"

Brandon heard a metal sound above him.  He looked up and saw Stocking with her swords, ready to slice him.

"GWAH!!!" Brandon yelled.  He held up his hands, and a huge bolt of lightning shot up toward Stocking.  Not surprisingly however, she dodged.

Brandon smiled.  This all came to him now!  It was all simple! Brandon circled his arms three times. Three red bolts came at Stocking.  Stocking deflected them all.

Brandon held out his hand.  A red axe of energy appeared.  He charged at Stocking, roaring with determination.

Stocking and Brandon clashed weapons.  Brandon was sweating while swinging his axe.  He had a hard time keeping up with her, she had way more experience than he did.

Quick as light, Brandon's axe vanished.  In his other hand appeared a red handgun.  Brandon pressed it against Stocking's head.  But her never fired.

"Click.  You're dead." Brandon said, a hue grin appearing on his face.

Garterbelt smiled. "Impressive! Bravo!"

Stocking went over to Garterbelt.  He gave her a pastry.  Brandon laughed.

"Congrats, Brandon!" A voice called out.

Brandon spun around to see Troy and Panty standing on the stairs.

"Bout time you got your second power." Panty said.

Brandon grinned like a little kid at Christmas.  Then he turned to Garterbelt. "So when will I develop my last power?"

Garterbelt sighed. "Always so eager to learn...we'll get to that.  Meanwhile, you four should go to school."

Brandon and Troy groaned. "Noooo...." They whined.

Garterbelt chuckled. "If you have time for training, you have time for school.  SO GET YOUR LAZY ASSES OUTTA HERE BEFORE I KICK THEM TO SCHOOL!!!  I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU!!" He yelled.

Brandon and Troy screamed and ran up the stairs as fast as the could.  Panty and Stocking followed.

Brandon and Troy were the first ones on the road.  They breathed a sigh of relief, being away from the danger of an Afro priest that could most certainly kick their asses easily.

"Urg!  When is my training gonna start?" Troy groaned.

"I'm sure it'll start soon, Troy.  But..." Brandon said, taking out his yellow card, The Winged Dragon Of Ra. "I have one more power to unlock.  I wonder what it's like."

Troy grinned. "Well, you've made great progress so far.  And you beat Stocking!  That's major!"

Brandon grinned. "Yeah!  Speaking of which, where are those two?" Brandon looked around.

Just then, a huge gust of wind came by, followed by a pink flash.  Brandon was thrown by the force and fell to the ground, flat on his face.

A pink car backed up, and Panty and Stocking were in it.

"So you losers want a ride instead of walking?" Panty said, looking at Troy through sunglasses on her eyes.

Brandon got up, clutching his nose. "God dammit!  Your hurt my nose!!!" He wailed.

"Ah, shut up and get it." Stocking said.

Troy and Brandon climbed in the car, slightly regretting their decision.  A couple of minutes later, they arrived at school.  When Brandon got out of the car, he ran straight for a garbage can.

Troy got out, feeling dizzy, and collapsed onto the ground.

Brandon heaved into the garbage can. He felt someone watching him.

"Rode with Panty and Stocking, huh?" Brief said.

"Y-yeah..." Brandon said between heaves.