Unknown.......

Some say dreams can describe a person's personality; one's deepest, darkest secrets fully open to view by any prying eyes; perhaps revealing one's flaws, weaknesses. A select and wild few would interpret their dreams as predictions of the near or far off future; prophetic messages or ominous omens. And then, there are those who simply dismiss it as nothing more but what it really is; meaningless by-products of the brain's countless synapses firing off with no rhythm, no constants, as they always have since the day they formed.

Sitting catatonically in one corner lies a young man, 20 years of age, with his back against adjacent walls, staring aimlessly at his white canvas surrounding, yet in contrast to his setting, his vision was plagued by blurred images fading in and out, each holding an undecipherable scene of unknown origin. Time seemed endless to the young man since memories of his arrival to this very room elude him. Yet, he was at peace.

He had no intention of moving from his spot, know what was outside of his little abode, or doing anything for that matter. He was never hungry, restless, or bored. The only thing his eyes were set on viewing whether he wanted to or not, was his only source of entertainment and distracted his mind from any other worldly desires.

Each new vision was different, never the same, and before he could ever understand their theme, he is forced to forget what he saw and move on to the next.

Suddenly, his eyes felt heavy, as though someone was forcing them to close. This was the first time he had ever faced such a predicament since closing his eyes would mean ending his little game. But how did he know for sure? He couldn't recall the last time he shut his eyes, took a nap. So why was he afraid? Why resist? He struggled to keep them open, however, he couldn't do anything - he was powerless.

Inevitably, he found himself in total darkness, devoid of sound; no more riddles to solve. But a gentle call of a heavenly maiden - an angel's hymn – uttered to him in a language he recognized.

"It's time...you are ready now. You must wake up. Wake up Erb."

Mysterious Shop.......

Gently opening his eyes, a young man no older than 20 years, was welcomed by what he thought to be the sun in board daylight. He winced in pain and gave himself a few seconds to adjust to the light before looking again. The first thing he could make out from his glance was a circular light bulb above encased by metal bars from 4 sides.

The young man is known as Erb, grunts as he rubs his eyes to clarity. Apart from the light bulb, he finds himself encased in a room – it was spacious but the ascetics were mundane.

A small short table on one side, a half-open closet on the other, and a sliding doorway in front of him.

Where...where am I?

Suddenly he began coughing uncontrollably; he throat was as dry and rough as sandpaper. He looked around desperately for anything to quench his thirst.

To his right was a metal tray and on top of it, a glass jug full of water with a glass cup beside it.

He ignores the cup, grabs the jug, throws the lid away and chugs the entire content in seconds. His satisfaction was symbolized by his delightful sigh and blissful smile. Upon cleaning his face dry of any droplets with his hands, he inspected himself starting from his arms.

His skin color was a light shade of red – nearly pink – and as he massages himself he noticed his skin was somewhat rough and felt bits of hair as well. Then out of a hunch, he goes and pats his head. He had hair though they were strangely prickly and a little stiff. With a blanket covering his lower half he took it off, revealing two legs covered by a pair of white loose pants. Then he looks over his shoulder to find a tail stretched out, rooting themselves above his rear. Suddenly his eyes contact a being with red unruly hair, wearing a white shirt and an expressing the most skeptic look.

"AH!"

But it took him a short while to realize the stranger before him was but a reflection of himself.

"Oh...it's...me?"

Getting up, he walks over to the full body mirror and upon closer observation, he had a muscular frame contained in an average size body with large dark red scales mostly running down from the nape of his back to the tip of his tail. There was a separate pair on his face, one on each side of his cheek. He seemed no taller than 6 feet with the length of his hair excluded. However, despite his careful examination, he was still clueless as to what he was.

He looks away and surveys the room instead, taking note of what he laid on top of to be a tatami mat. But now a new question emerged for him to solve; how did he know what the objects were called and what purpose had? He understood what scales were, what a tail does, what hair is, even his name; he knew all of this yet this made him wonder where he learned all of this.

Suddenly, his attention was caught by the doors sliding open and his sights shift downward to a little green frog-like creature. It peered inside with its wide pink reddish eyes, standing on its two hind legs, with what seems to be an inert flower bud on its back. On the top of its head looked to be ears shaped as triangles but having curved sides and in the middle of its forehead lays a sage color heart mark accompanied by similar color but smaller disfigured ovals.

Erb was further dumbfounded by his new discovery, but before he knew it, the creature's facial expression changed from mildly surprised to what he could describe to be shocked. It then screamed, matching that of a child in fright, and in a language, the red man can interpret.

"HE'S AWAKE!"

Now gone, he wanted to follow it. But soon found out simply standing and walking was proving to be exhausting, causing him to stagger as he pursues the creature. But as he was about to poke his head out the door, his face impacts onto something firm yet soft and gets knocked down on his rear end.

"Ow!" He growled.

"That looked like it hurt."

The voice of a woman made Erb look up. Before him, stood a tall pale woman with long black hair trailing down to her knees, gowned in a black gothic themed kimono with the top portion of her abundant chest partially exposed. From the boy's perspective, she was gorgeous; her mystic appearance shrouded by a mysterious silence accompanied by her glaring cool red eyes - a foil to his own dark red pair – left him unwilling to get back up. That is until he heard her shrewd sense of humor.

"You're finally awake, and here I thought a raccoon had snuck in.-"

Erb remained where he fell, thinking of a raccoon in his head and imagining what a rodent would have done to him while asleep.

"-We can finally get things started. Though, you must be feeling as stiff as a dry wood board; you've been asleep for...oh I don't know-" She started counting with her fingers, genuinely figuring out the duration of his slumber.

But the young man had other questions he needed to get off his chest.

He cleared his dry throat and beckons his first set of words, making use of his tongue and lips to pronounce things that felt as naturally to him as walking; though his earlier attempts were nothing to be proud of.

"Who.....who are you? Where am I?"

The lady stops counting and gave her answer. "Asking questions already. My name is Yuuko Ichihara – but you may call me Yuuko. And this is my home."

"Yuuko..." he repeated back, recording her name in his own mental list of things to remember from now on. "How...how long have I been here?"

"By my count...a year at most."

Her answer left a bad sensation in his gut but for what reason alluded him; he didn't understand why a year was so terrible to him.

"Tell me, do you know what a year is?" Yuuko questioned him.

"What?"

"A year? How many weeks are in a year? Days? Hours? Minutes?"

"I um...I don't-"

Before he finished his own sentence, he found out what the words meant and relayed the information to her.

"There are...52 weeks...in a year...and 365 days...in a year! As for hours and minutes...uh...i dont know, you do the math!..."

What he just said struck him odd; his mind was filled information and somehow he was able to sort through it; it was as though his brain was set on autopilot. "How...did I know all of that?"

"Interesting," she murmured from his delayed reaction. "Expected, but still...hmmm, do you know...what you are?"

This time he hadn't the faintest idea. "Um...no clue. Other than my name. Erb I think?"

"Ah good! Then it's a success!"

"What?" he blurted.

"You'll know in due time; now follow me." She suddenly starts power walking away, leaving him struggling back on his feet and stay at her pace.

"Come now, pump those legs."

"Hold on!" From out the door and through the hallway, all his muscles painfully tensed up, making him limp pathetically. But what irritated him more than his ailment was the woman's ignorance of his pleading and questions.

He struggles to walk as he spoke,
"Wha...What did you...to me!?"

"Like I said before, in due time! I promise, your questions will be answered."

"Then can you...slow down...you're... walking too fast!"

"No need." She gradually slows down and then comes to a complete halt in front of another doorway.

Erb finally had a chance to rest despite only having walked but mere meters. But before he could get a breath, a sense of caution takes over his nerves. He quickly looks around for what was setting him on edge, but there was no one besides himself and Yuuko. He couldn't explain the strange occurrence his body was undergoing, yet he wasn't afraid of it – just anxious. A small part of him welcomes it.

Yuuko opens the door and they both enter inside. From there, the young man's eyes moved over to a legless but highly decorated chair with a small table next to it and a smoke pipe laying on top.

The woman made herself comfortable on the chair while the young man veered his eyes to the source of his uneasiness.

To his left, behind the door, he makes eye contact with another young man. This one had smooth short light purple hair, laying his back against the wall with his arms crossed. The stranger is slightly taller than himself but wore a purple long jacket with a logo having the letter "C" sewed accompanied with black pants and yellow boots. He then spots a weapon beside his leg; a broadsword from what he could tell – which left the red man wondering how exactly he knew what it was, much like earlier.

Yuuko picks up the smoke pipe with its content already sparked and breathes out puffs of white smoke.

"Ok, on to business. You said you knew your name?"

"Yes?" Erb answered back with his own question. "Erb. But that's all I can remember."

"That's good then. We've already made progress."

He cocked an eyebrow up out of discontent. "Again, how exactly is that good, and what progress?"

"It means you don't remember your past."

His eyes widen as a new emotion begins to boil in his chest and then travels upward through his throat, leaving a burning sensation behind; and this time he knew what it was - anger.

"What did you do to me!?" He angrily got up, nearly fed up with her cryptic words.

Yuuko, on the other hand, paused to take another puff from her pipe, breathes it out as a stream of white clouds, and tells him, "The answer to that question...requires a bit of time to explain. Would you mind sitting down? You still seem a bit winded."

Reluctantly, he did as she said, plotting his butt down on the floor.

After one long huff, Yuuko goes on. "To put it plainly, you are in danger."

He withheld his remark and continued to hear her out.

"There's a group of unsavory individuals who want you for what you are. A year before now they almost succeeded in capturing you. Luckily, they didn't succeed, despite your circumstances. But even as we speak, they are searching for you as though your there golden goose. You do understood that metaphor, correct?"

Erb didn't answer her; he was unconvinced by her words. he takes one deep breath to contain his stirring annoyance, and expressed his concern as calmly as he could. "Ok, let's say I believe you. Why are they after me? What makes me so important to...whoever it is that's out to get me? And who are they? Also, why am I here, with my memories gone!?"

"Let me answer your questions with my own."

"Seriously?"

"It will be quick. Do you understand the terms, 'dragons' and 'saiyans'?"

Erb knew the first, but not the latter, and told her so without objection. "By dragon, you mean a giant fire-breathing lizard kind? Yes. But what's a Saiyan?"

"Well, that's what you are – a part of you that is. You, my red friend, are half-dragon and half-saiyan - a hybrid."

He understood, but couldn't grasp the purpose behind the fairy tale she was spouting out.

Yuuko saw his doubt written all over his face. "Doubting my words?"

"It's pretty hard for me to trust your 'words' since we just met."

Then a thought hit Erb. "Speaking of which, how do I know you're not working for this 'group' and just leading me around like an idiot?"

"Because you have no choice but to trust my word."

"You're leaving little reason for me to do so."

Yuuko discounted his remark and elaborated further on the previous subject. "As I was saying – no pun intended. Saiyans appear as humans, but have distinct characteristics which make them special, such as the presence of a monkey tail and abnormal physical capabilities. As for dragons, they're harder to explain – they do not all look the same but like you said their large, riddled with scales, fangs, and claws, and can breathe fire – well, some anyway. But most importantly, they are nearly immortal. Unfortunately for you, you are not, due to your other part."

Now she was making sense to the young man, filling in some holes he had about his looks. "That explains why I have scales."

"Exactly."

"So, is my skin color the way it is because of the...'dragon' part?"

"Yes."

"Then what about the monkey tail?"

"As you can feel for yourself, you have one. Only, with scales."

"Are there others like me? Dragon...people?"

"None that I am aware of; other than the normal variety."

"Normal?" Erb coaxed.

"But that's not importan now."

"It sounds pretty important to me." He wasn't going to let her change the subject.

"It's really not."

"...Try me."

Yuuko tilts her head back as she growls at the air out of annoyance, and yet she complied with his pestering. "There are certain individuals who are hosts to other entities and most of the time it's either a demon or a dragon – or sometimes other humans. These types of symbiotic relationships allow the host to wield the same powers as the entities residing in them. Your situation is pretty much the same, but with major differences. One: your external appearance. Most hosts retain their original form. But for you, you share characteristics with the ones inside you. Now two: you can't use their powers – not even a fraction of it from what I've been told-"

Erb suddenly stops her as a new question pops up. "Wait wait wait wait! 'Ones' as in plural?"

"And that's three: you have 2...separate beings inside you. Which makes you a unique case. Lucky you."

"...huh," Erb exclaimed in both surprise and uncertainty. "I don't feel lucky."

"I know. I was being sarcastic to set up what I'm about to say next."

After inhaling and then exhaling out the pipe's contents, she resumed. "This group...the people who want you, are still a mystery even to me; they have kept their activities under wraps very thoroughly, which suggests they are both resourceful and clearly dangerous."

"...ok then?" he skeptically said. "Soooo...I take it that you know next to nothing about them?"

"I never said that," Yuuko testified, yet she partially admitted he was right. "I only said their...unnecessarily, hard to track."

Erb saw a single bead of sweat running on the side of her head.

"I still know a thing or two about them. For instance, they call themselves Epoch. They've been around for many decades, amassing lost technology and magical arts, most likely to gain strength, and I'm guessing they've acquired some form of concealment to hide their movements. But I know for sure, judging from the great lengths they went for your capture, you revolve around their plans."

"Hmm...then how was I almost captured?"

"That...I can't tell you."

In an instant, Erb's anger spiked up again. "Why not!?"

She takes a long deep breath and continued in a grim tone. "Because I would have to reveal your past, which is something I cannot do, due to our contract." She finally puts down her pipe with one last puff escaping her lips.

"What contract!?" Erb was becoming impatient by her lax attitude and began to lash out. "You tell me I'm in danger, yet here you are, smoking a pipe and telling me I lost my memories and I can't even know what I lost. Stop with the bullshit, screw your contract, and just tell me everything!"

In a frightening twist, Yuuko's once complacent stare becomes stern, cold, and uncomfortable. Just one look turned Erb's fiery temper to that of a dead bonfire frozen over by an unforeseen blizzard.

"If you calm down, I'll tell you. But if you insist on acting like a child then I will treat you as one. Is that understood?"

The defeated young man did as she ordered, bringing himself back in a kneeling position, allowing her to say her piece. "Do you know what this shop is for?"

Erb murmured, "a gift shop?"

"Wrong. What I do here, is grant wishes. I can grant almost any type of wish, but for a price - a contract. Our contract, however, consists of 3 wishes; firstly, to provide a haven for you while you slumber, to help you understand your situation upon awakening, and to take away the memories of your past life. The payments for all 3 have already been received so you have nothing to worry about. Unless...you want me to grant a wish of your own."

He dismisses her suggestion and tentatively queried, "...how did I pay you for those wishes?"

"You misunderstand. You didn't pay for anything. The beings residing inside did. In fact, they were the ones who made the wishes."

Her explanation almost triggered Erb to let out a verbal retaliation, over the idea that someone else he didn't know was hiding something from him. But he knew better than to antagonize Yuuko again, thus a long silence filled the room, giving time for him to ponder on his situation that cried out crazy. Regardless of what he thought, Yuuko went on as normal.

"I understand you feel as though you've been cheated but they only did it for your own good. And honestly, I have to agree with their action."

"...what exactly did I do?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

Despair filled Erb's heart, and all other attempts to know any more of himself was out of his hands. However, he accepted his situation because Yuuko was willing to help him, and deep down, he found it in himself to trust her.

Yuuko spots a hint of resolve from seeing his red eyes still full of life and chose to move the conversation forward. "Now, concerning your own abilities; even though you can't tap into your hidden powers, you're still strong enough to even handle a low-class dragon...and maybe an entire world or 2."

After hearing her say so, he blurted back in disbelief, "whatdaya mean handle a world or 2?"

"I mean you can destroy planets."

"I CAN WHAT!?" he bewilderingly shouts.

"It doesn't take much to be frank - with sufficient power," she casually told him. "Even the young man patiently standing behind you can perform similar feats."

He glanced a quick look at him, while Yuuko went off tangent.

"But even if you can bust a planet, ideally it wouldn't be wise. Sure, you may survive the planet's explosion; but you won't be able to breathe in the vacuum of space."

It was then, Erb came up with a daunting realization. "If I'm capable of that much, then did i-"

"You didn't destroy your world or do anything related to destruction."

"Oh..." He felt better about himself now. "Then wait, does Epoch have people- "

"Who are equally as capable? More or less. But speaking of power and such, have you been...sensing anything? Anything, unexplainable?"

The question brings the boy back to before entering the room. "Now that you mention it..." Without pointing a finger, the purple hair boy noticed his direction.

"Is that so?" Yuuko said. "Wait for one second."

She then raised her voice while yelling out, "Watanuki!"

But there was no reply.

"Watanuki!..."

Then out of nowhere, she loudly shouts the same name as some housewife irrationally beckoning her husband. "WATANUKI!"

Her sudden change in behavior left both men in the room unnerved, cringing over the sight of her screaming out in an unsettling manner.

" What's taking that boy so long?"

The door behind Erb slams open with a much skinner young man, wearing an apron over what seems to be a school uniform, rushing in and shouting furiously while bearing his teeth at Yuuko.

"WHAT!? I'M BUSY!?"

"Finally," she sighed. "I just need you here for a second."

"What for!? I was in the middle of cleaning."

"Just stay here!"

"if it's nothing important I'm leaving!"

"Humor me this one time. It'll only take a few seconds."

"Augh fine I'll – "

Watanuki stops himself short when he sets his widening eyes on the demi saiyan. "Oh, he's awake. That explains the loud noise earlier."

"Why yes, he is. Thank you for clarifying that," she jest and then made the introductions for them. "Erb this is Watanuki. Watanuki, Erb!"

The two boys greeted one another in response.

"So Erb, can you sense anything from him?" Yuuko asked. "From Watanuki?"

Erb takes a few seconds to examine him from head to toe but detected no visible significance from him. But his instincts knew otherwise due to the same sensation he felt before – something deep inside the boy made him wary, but it wasn't as strong as the swordsman.

"I can barely tell compared to him, but it's there." He points back at the other boy again and this time, he spoke.

"You're sensing his life energy."

All eyes aim at the purple haired man's response and then shifts back to Yuuko as she explains for him. "He's right. That hint of wariness you're mind and body are telling you is his life force. All living beings including each of us here has this force - a universal constant you can say which we all require. This constant goes by many names - chi, energy, magic, life force, willpower – but for me, I rather go with energy. It's more modern and simple. Erb: you and my young friend here, Trunks, can sense energy - or ki in his case - as though it were part of your main senses - a sixth sense to be specific. By the way, his name is Trunks."

"About time you introduced me," Trunks commented.

Erb then chimed in. "That's great to know, but what does that have to do with anything."

"It has to do with everything on your progression. It helps you evaluate just how powerful someone else is compared to yourself. For example, you were, in fact, stronger than Trunks here before you slumbered. And like you, he is a Saiyan hybrid too; half saiyan and half human."

Erb showed his surprise again by paying full attention to the man while he hears her talking.

"I'm going to say this again. You are in danger, and you need to get stronger to survive - to protect yourself."

"Ok, but how?"

"That's something you have to figure out. Train if you must. Find a master. Or perhaps find comrades."

"I take it you're not gonna train me, or find a master who'll do that, or even have allies lined up who'll help me?"

"Of course not. I'm not a charity." In seconds Yuuko thought of an idea with a joyful grin on her pale face. "But perhaps you should spar with Trunks to get yourself back into the game."

The 2 men stared at her for confirmation of what they just heard, and she complied nonchalantly. "From what I know saiyans get stronger after experiencing near-death battles. But for your case having a light sparring match should help get your blood pumping, if not, lumber you up a bit."

"You can't be serious?" Trunks then finally joined in but in objection. "He just woke up. He's in no condition to be fighting, let alone spar."

"My dear Trunks you underestimate him. If he wasn't ready then how could he have possibly walked from the room he slept in, to here, without my assistance?"

"He did?"

Erb wondered why that had any significance in their discussion and goes to ask, "Wait why is that 'surprising'?"

But his questions were replaced by Watanuki. "Can I go back now?"

"Yes, you may but can you please be so kind to bring us some tea."

The thin boy muttered his reluctance under his breath but accepted her request and left the room with a fuss.

Yuuko ignores Erb's earlier question and continued to speak to Trunks. "Remember, he isn't human; he has the toughness of a saiyan with the dexterity of a dragon coursing through his body. Muscle atrophy and other physical illnesses aren't as damaging to him as to you."

Erb, knowing full well of the lady dismissed him, tries to bring them back to the original topic with a rather loud and obnoxious cough and his own words. "Don't I have a say in this. Because if I'm being honest, I don't think I'm up to have a fight right off the bat. I don't even know how to fight!"

"You'll get the hang of it quickly," she nonchalantly waved. "You'll be fine."

"I am seriously doubting your sincerity right now."

"Hmm, in that case." She digs her hand into the table's drawer and takes out a scroll. "This here contains the last recording of yourself. If you make Trunks admit defeat, then you can take it.

The thought of his past in the palm of her hands just arms reach away from him was more than enough of an incentive to take the challenge. Nevertheless, Erb suspected some sort of trick was at play. "You're not yanking my chain here are you?"

"Nope."

"You'll really gonna hand that over to me if I beat him."

Trunks objects, "This has to be a joke." His words ran on deaf ears.

"You're putting an awful lot of confidence in me losing to him after saying I was stronger."

"You were stronger," Yuuko corrected Erb. "Now, it anyone's game."

"Guess you got a point. Still, why? What about the contract?"

"It's just a recording. A recording which you yourself left."

"A message?"

"Yes. So, will you kindly spar with Trunks, or not?"

"What if I refuse?"

"Then you don't get the see the message."

"Fine, I'll do it," he accepted without any delay. "When do we start?"

"Now."

With a flick of her hand, both Erb and Trunks were swept by a gust of wind from out of nowhere and find themselves trapped inside the eye of a tornado. Covering their faces for fear of getting anything in their eyes while keeping themselves firmly on the ground, they soon felt the wind dying down, and by the time they opened their eyes, they find themselves in a barren rock land stretching all around them; not a single sign of civilization whatsoever. But in the air, a circular shape mirror floats and out resonated Yuuko's voice.

"This is a separate space big enough for you two to fight so don't worry about any collateral damage - or bystanders for that matter. By the way, Trunks, if you forfeit half-heartedly, I'm going to leave you in there for a whole day as punishment. Have fun."

After she fell silent to their ears, the sound of the wind filled the void, and Trunk's disgruntled acceptance of his circumstance.

"Her idea of fun is screwed up," Trunks spoke out, and then looked to Erb. "So how do you want to do this? If you want to learn some of the basics of fighting or ki control I can teach you. But if you want to spar, then you better prepare yourself."

But once more, his red friend didn't pay much attention to his advice and frowns from lack of respect he's getting.

Staring at the ground for no reason, Erb was deep in thought, processing the first thing to pop in his head concerning to combat - punching, kicking, grabbing, dodging, blocking, etc. He grasps there meaning in seconds and attempts one of them - a simple kick.

With his right leg, he lifts his knee up to his waist level; pivots his planted left foot and turns his body 90 degrees left; rotates his right leg by 90 degrees counter-clock-wise while still hinged; and then flicks the lower part of his leg out. He retracts his leg back behind him, and performed it again, but faster. The force behind it blew up dust and sand into the air, leaving a faint clear trail. He was both surprised and satisfied by the result, thus he went to execute a punch with the same amount of effort. Taking a stance with his left leg forward with his right leg slightly bent, he rears his right arm beside him and kept his left arm leveled up to his shoulder. He thrusts his arm out, rotating his fist 180 degrees counter-clock-wise at the same time, forcing the air in front of him to jettison forward.

Suddenly, an urge overtakes him; his body began operating on intuition, displaying a variety of different kicks and punches with fluid motions and accuracy. He even put Trunks in awe from his masterful forms.

He knows his stuff alright; with moves like those. He must have been a martial artist before. Just like the others.

The red hybrid finishes his new routine with a resounding stomp, sending a small shockwave through the ground. He expected to feel pain or fatigue from his rapid movements, and having done all that barefoot over jagged rocks; none of it was bothering him the slightest. Definitively, he knew he could fight if he wanted to, and the idea of winning and obtaining the answers he might find in Yuuko's so-called message seemed more obtainable.

Strangely though, he felt a thick membrane under his foot, and soon after all over his body. A somewhat transparent white flame encases him, blazing wildly, striking the air around him. He retained his composure and noticed the strange substance to be acting more tamed. When he agitated it for a moment by stressing himself just slightly, the white flame around him spiked strongly and uncontrollably. But just as before, he leveled it back down in no time. This new revelation caused him to evaluate his own state of mind; he was confident, powerful, full of life, and hungry to test himself – he made up his mind.

Trunks caught his stare, filled with the same confidence he had himself when he first tasted true strength.

"So much for warm-ups. Guess I got no choice."

Without a second thought, he took up a fighting stance, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to sway the red saiyan otherwise, not after seeing him discover how to harness his inner strength.

Erb initiated the battle by lunging forward, only to disappear for a split second, and then reappear right above Trunks, descending downward with a dropkick, only to barely miss him.

He pursues and reaches him; lowers his body closer to the ground only to spring up with an uppercut. His opponent blocks with both arms crossed over his chest and roar out with a kick straight into his abdomen. Regardless, he rushes in again, ignoring the pain and hurdles a punch strong enough to even violently cause the air to vibrate around them.

This time, Trunks stop his blow with just his bare hand, keeping both himself and Erb locked in place. In that moment, they each gave an acknowledging grin to one another's strength and resumed their sparring match in earnest.

They began exchanging earth-shattering blows, colliding one another's limbs with no care, unknowingly shifting the landscape around them inch by inch each time their feet dug into the ground. In seconds, their little sparring match explodes into an all-out brawl within dust clouds dominated by the sound of thunderbolts relentlessly crashing against the sound barriers with as much ease as walking.

 

 

 

Canon Characters:

1)    Yuuko – xxholic

2)    Watanuki – xxholic

3)    Trunks Brief(Future Trunks) – Dragon Ball z

 

OC characters:

1)    Erb 

2: Ep 2 - Change and Memories Pt.2

Yuuko’s Shop…

 

Alone in the room where Erb and Trunks last stood, Yuuko happily enjoyed sipping her cup of tea alongside munching on table snacks left behind by Watanuki shortly before - rice cookies – and was equally enjoying the earth-shattering bout within her crystal ball without a care in the world. To her, it was like watching a boxing match, but dramatically more entertaining and watching each blow for blow sent shivers down her spine. She was even beginning to cheer them on, though she never stuck to one opposition.

 

Yuuko expected Erb to have difficulty keeping up with a spry fighter such as Trunks due to his year-long absence. Yet, judging from the flow of the battle, the new awakened fighter was pushing him back – on the offensive.

 

“He’s faring better than I imagined,” she commented.

 

“Who is?”

 

The voice of an infant boy pulled her away from the glass ball and by the doorway, she greets her guest. “Welcome back Bulb. I was afraid you’d run off again.”

 

Bulb, the little green being whom Erb briefly meet previously, stands on his hind leg, imitating as a human, but then walks towards Yuuko on all fours.

 

“Cut me some slack. That kid just caught me by surprise.”

 

“So, you running around screaming like you’d seen a ghost, is being surprised?” She lets out a sudden short chuckle in response. “I can’t imagine how you act under duress.”

 

The sight of her small grins drawn the slanted eyes of her little friend. “Wouldn’t you have screamed if you walked into a room, expecting a comatose patient but instead, a wide-awake 6 feet tall red dude!?”

 

“No.”

 

“Sure.” Bulb frowned out of suspicion of her distrust. “At least him being awake now saves me the trouble of fixing his bed sheet. Now my schedule is more open. Meaning more time to mingle with the ladies.”

 

“Even though you look like that,” She thought with slant eyes.

 

“Oh, who am I kidding. This world is BORING! Like come on, how can there be so many plain looking folks. I still don’t get why you choose to set up shop here. I know at least a dozen planets better than this one; even those artificial space colonies are livelier…no, wait, nevermind, you’d have a bigger chance of finding yourself raided by space pirates, or even worse, meeting those two mouths, acid bleeding superbugs – ew! Did you know I almost became a host to those things? I saw one come out of a man’s stomach – thank god it wasn’t a woman or else I might have -”

 

Yuuko was no longer enjoying her free time no thanks to Bulb’s constant ranting. “I don’t believe I need to hear any more of that.”

 

“Oh yeah hehe.” Sadly, he didn’t stop, and Yuuko calmly face-palms herself over his next sentences.

 

“But seriously though, he’s suddenly up on his feet! Didn’t you say he’s been sleeping in that room for what…a year? By the way where is-“

 

His sights are then glued onto the orb after spotting Erb fighting in a brutal matchup. Drawing a blank face, he turns his face to Yuuko. “Is he-“

 

“He is fighting.” She answered before he could get the chance to finish.

 

He looks back at the orb for a short while and then faces her again. “…why is he-“

 

And she does it again. “Because of this.”

 

“Is it-“

 

“It is safe.”

 

“Ahuh…” After seeing him dodge and weave around as if he was a seasoned warrior, Bulb remarks, “Well uh….he can sure move.”

 

“My thoughts exactly.”

 

“So where are they? I doubt there in the next block over.”

 

“In here of course.” She points at the orb lying in front of them and Bulb only battered his eyes once.

 

“Oh...wait what?” Imagining the tall young men fighting in such a confined space - a space that’s about as big as his own entire body – made himself feel taller in comparison. Though, as to how they became so small intrigued him even more. “How’d you manage that?”

 

“A pinch of magic here and there…and some help with this.” Yuuko points down at the orb. “My very own pocket dimension – separated from our space and time; small enough to fit the palm of…well, my hand.”

 

Bulbs stare at his own tiny paws, making a note to her sudden pause. “Neat.”

 

“Quite so.”

 

The two quietly look towards the ball with the images panning in and out in order to follow the two boys. “Who’s winning anyway?” Bulb asked

 

“Hard to say. I just sent them in seconds ago so it’ll be a while until either of them show signs of fatigue.”

 

“Seconds? They look like they’ve been fighting for hours!”

 

“Time perceives differently inside the separate space. Normally you wouldn’t be able to see them at all with your eyes. But this orb allows us to witness them as though they were fighting at normal speed.”

 

“Neat!” Bulb brought up both of his arms with one of his fingers up, making a thumbs-up sign. His adorable response to her mind-blowing mystical item caused her to crack up a small chuckle over his adorable response.

 

Then, within the orb they watched Erb leap out of a cloud of dust and smoke, appearing exhausted and battered. “That red kid is feisty,” Bulb noted.

 

“You’re right about that. But he’s starting to lose steam,” Yuuko agreed. “He doesn’t know it but he’s being lead into a battle of attrition – his current conditions would be an advantage for the other Saiyan.”

 

 

Wasteland….

 

Inside the crystal ball, the atmosphere of the red-brown wasteland was under siege from devastating shockwaves and meteoric impacts, all of which came from 2 warriors simply throwing normal punches and kicks.

 

During combat, Erb had quickly grown accustomed to matching up with Trunks in terms of speed and strength, but most of his offensive tactics proved fruitless from observing his opponent’s evasive skills. Each kick he lashed out, each punch he throws, his purple hair opponent anticipated them all with high precision, countering him with either his own or a throwing him over his shoulder, putting distance between themselves.

 

But Trunks suddenly rushes him. Erb throws a straight jab. He missed and got his arm trapped by one of Trunks’s own maneuvers, and then gets himself thrown over once more. He tumbles over, recovers back onto his feet but Trunks quickly deals an elbow strike to the center of his chest and then a back-fist strike to his face.

 

Trunks thrust his fist into Erb’s abdomen, making him gasp out all the air in his lungs and then kicks him into the air. At breakneck speed, he leaps past the red Saiyan in the air but stops himself with a hammer strike aim to send him straight down.

 

Erb detected his miraculous mid-air maneuver and he couldn’t dodge. But his body reacts before he could think. Just before Trunks could throw his fists down, he veers around him and connects a kick on his backside. The resulting blow sent him downward, and with some space to think, he grasped what he had just done.

 

How did…how am I….?

 

The sensation of his own body moving before he could think and feeling almost weightless unsettled him enough to make him stop moving entirely. However, like his discovery of his own inner energy, his body was extraordinarily relaxed. The beating of his chest pulsating his blood evenly throughout his body only wavered for a second. This left even more questions about himself; questions he may be able to answer once he retrieves the scroll from Yuuko.

 

On the ground, Trunks dust himself off and hops to his feet, but was much at a loss as his red friend.

 

He can fly!? No one told me that...what am I thinking, of course, he could fly. He probably forgot that he could.

 

Despite that, the child-like look Erb was expressing over his own gift led Trunks fully understood the boy’s muscle memories were awakening little by little as their fight continues.

 

It’s amazing how quickly his body his getting used to combat; though he fights like some street thug, his speed, strength, endurance, and durability are something to envy.

 

Their little spar reminded him of his time training with his own master when he was younger and could see a bit of his old self, reflect off his new comrade. But he also recalls the hardships of his own endeavors. The death of his friends and master, his travels across time, his victory over a space tyrant, and his life-threatening battles against androids who were as strong as he was. Each encounter built him up to who he was today, and he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome because now he could help someone who was also out of place with time. He had never met him a year prior to now, but he knew well enough of the ordeals he went through to be similar, if not, even greater than himself - if Yuuko was entirely truthful.

 

If he continues to revive his powers at this rate, he might force me to transform. I think it’ll be better if I end this know before that could happen.

 

Taking advantage of Erb’s absent mind Trunks spoke out. “It feels great doesn’t it!?”

 

He looks down at him perplexingly after being unable to catch his question. “Huh?”

 

“Flying I mean. It feels great flying in the air?”

 

“I guess.” Erb replied, “But strangely enough it feels more…liberating, for some reason.”

 

His voice sparked Trunks to take note of his current behavior. When they first started fighting he perceived the dragon hybrid to be more rash and bold from his full-on assault; but after some time, he was becoming less impulsive and resigning himself from any further risks.

 

Without any indications, Trunks ignited himself with the transparent white flame representing his aura, and rockets up to the dragon boy with a flurry of preemptive combos. He caught him off guard, quickly setting him on the defensive and could return the favor by sending him flying to the ground.

 

On his back, Erb begins to roll away hastily to avoid Trunks incoming foot stomp. He rolls away from his repeated attacks, and eventually got up to his feet.

 

Trunks hopped slightly higher with his feet dropping down and collides the bottom of his boot against the red Saiyan’s uppercut.

 

They both withstood each other’s attack but they swiftly retreated from one another, positioning themselves on opposite sides of the crater they just formed. Again, they rush in, leaving behind afterimages of themselves, all leading towards the sight of a large plateau.

 

Midway, Erb could recognize his attack patterns more easily and taught himself where to block, what to block with, and when to do it, all in one. In no time, he was automatically countering and dodging with little effort, getting used to his body moving on its own though only for seconds at a time. He throws a normal swift jab at Trunks’s face but this time, just before Trunks tries to dodge he instead pulls his attack back - a feint. Following through, he hurdles a blow as fast as he could, sacrificing power for speed. He connects, stuns his opponent for only a split second, giving himself enough time to land another, and another, and then several more until he lost count but felt he could go faster, push beyond his limit.

 

Shortly after, afterimages of his arms proceeded to bombard the Trunks relentlessly. At last, he reeled in one last punch with a much-added force applied to it and struck a finishing blow, pulverizing a large part of the rising plateau into crumbling boulders. He backs off, takes the time to control his breathing rhythm to keep himself calm. However, his fatigue finally catches up to him from the way he was taking longer and heavier breaths. When he pulls his arms closer to his chest as though his lungs might pop, he felt something tangled around him. He tore it off and saw the letter “C”.

 

Out of nowhere, the smokescreen gushes past him and golden strands of flames burst forth, revealing Trunks with a new appearance. His hair was as unruly as Erb’s, but instead of purple, they were solid gold. Even his eye and skin color changed, the first becoming emerald green and the latter to be pale gold. Empowered, he speeds forward and arrives at the dragon hybrid’s left side and rockets him into a somersault-like roll from a single arm swipe, over the brown terrain. Eventually, he lands on his side and Trunks stops to observe whether he would get back up like before. But this time he remained motionless.

 

“Damn…” Trunks halt the outpour of his ki with but a single exhale and he reverts to his base state. “…I hope I didn’t overdo it.”

 

He could sense the young demi-humans life force to be active, yet using so much power and force against a rehabilitating individual in what was supposed to be a sparring match as Yuuko stated, was the definition of going overboard.

 

“He’ll probably walk it off…maybe.”

 

The Saiyan looks up in search of the floating and mirror, and when he locates it he shouts out, “Miss Yuuko we’re done!”

 

 

 

Yuuko’s Shop…

 

With the match over with, Yuuko heard Trunks request and brought them out and back to the room where his friend remained unconscious. That was short lived after a quick remedy done by Trunks. Sitting his red friend upright and holding onto his shoulders, the Saiyan hybrid then pulls his body back against his knee, snapping all the bones in his spine into alignment and causing the poor boy to let out a quick yelp.

 

“OW!...huh.”

 

After a much-needed stretching, he finds himself back in Yuuko’s room. Erb was still jogging his memory over what he last saw – the sight of Trunks and his golden form was the most recent scene.

 

“So how do you feel?” Yuuko asked. She sat behind him so he turns and faces her.

 

“Like an anvil hit my head.” He replied, rubbing his bruised cheek.

 

“Terrific!” She joked.

 

He didn’t take her sarcasm kindly. “I’m glad that amuses you.”

 

Still, with the sparring now done, depression begins to set in Erb’s mind. “So, I guess I lost huh?”

 

“Yes, you did.” She said so while puffing out a smoke from her pipe. “But here!”

 

She tosses the scroll to him, making him juggle it around for a second until he firmly had it in his hands and was baffled. “Wait wait wait wait what!?”

 

“That scroll was always meant for you to read.”

 

“What!?” Both boys said rather loudly.

 

“What’s there to get.”

 

“But what made you change your mind?” Trunks asked.

 

“I didn’t. I lied!”

 

The two Saiyans narrowed their eyebrows and once more shouted, “WHAT!?”

 

Her laughter and the cunning smile left the boys frustrated over nothing and she could sense their agitation rising from their intense glare. “Oh, come now, don’t be such sourpusses. My intentions were pure.”

 

“Enlighten us!” Erb urged her. “What part of your…elaborate intentions, was pure?”

 

“I would tell you, but wouldn’t you like to see what the message holds first, rather than try and scold me for a harmless lie?”

 

Harmless…. Trunks thought.

 

Nonetheless, Erb, grumbling for a few seconds, takes her advice. “…you make a good point.”

 

“Fantastic! Trunks and I will give you the room. Come now Trunks.” Yuuko puts down her smoke pipe and walks out of the room with Trunks who was still willing to find some sort of punishment for her.

 

After they left, Erb stares at the scroll once more, hesitant to examine its contents.

 

“I wonder what the other me wanted to say…to me.”

 

Eventually, he mustered the courage to open it, only to be met by blank pages as he rolls it further out. But before he could say a word or 2 behind Yuuko’s back, the scroll shines brightly, almost blinding him. After the light disappeared, he finds another mirror hovering over his face. On the reflection, he sees himself, but wearing a black and gray light armored outfit and with slightly shorter hair. He appeared almost the same as when he looked at himself earlier after awakening. However, he caught glimpse of grief in his eyes, as well as lightly dark bags under his eyes, as though he hadn’t slept for a long time; overall expression spelled despair. Contradictory to what he sees, he hears himself speaking casually, trying his best to hide his true feelings.

 

“Hey…uh…me. Umm so if you’re seeing this for the first time then...I suppose you don’t remember…anything…other than breathing and stuff. But of course, you wouldn’t remember. Why else would you be watching this message?”

 

Though his attempts at comedy were weak, the act lightened Erb’s hope for himself, knowing he was a bit of an oddball.

 

“Ok um, what to say? Guess I’ll start off with my…your name. First name: it’s Erb. I can’t disclose your last name for whatever reason – Yuuko told me not to. By the way, have you met her? Pretty pale lady with black hair? Well anyway, uh what else, what else? Sometimes I’m a bit of a coward when it comes to bugs – hate them with a passion. I’m also easy going, though if a guy suddenly walks up to me wanting a high five I do get defensive – I mean why do people do that? I’m a good judge of character, seeing as how most of the people I meet are either nice aliens, delinquents, gods, demons or just cute girls. Speaking of which you’re into girls - so there’s no confusion with your sex life. Hmm…wow there really isn’t much I can say?”

 

“I think I’m an idiot.” He told himself, disappointed by how much time he wasted so far with so little amount of new details.

 

“I suppose I’ll just say this also…when you see this message you’re probably going to be confused, scared even, and quite possibly hungry-”

 

“You forgot in pain,” Erb added, still sore from his spar.

 

“-But you faced worse…we faced worse…I know this is hard for you to understand and I get it, but don’t worry about your memories being take away; trust Yuuko – she is a friend…sort of. From what I’m told our memories will return to us in time after waking up – though they also said it might take a year or so, give or take a couple of months…weeks…days. Anyway, just don’t do crazy or life-threatening until then. You may be able to bust a planet or 2, but your powers are a double edge sword – if you’re not careful, you’ll hurt someone by accident.”

 

He knew full well what he meant with an agreeing nod.

 

“Which leads me to the most important thing about me; ahem, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you see someone in trouble whether it’s a friend or a stranger, and you feel like you can do something...JUST DO IT! Just do what you think is right. Even if that means losing a limb or something. Now I know this contradicted what I just said earlier – staying alive and such - but it’s what I…what you…are! You’re someone who has the power to bring change in others and show mercy and sympathy. You know what compassion is and what it feels to be helpless. So, trust me when I say this; you…are a good person at heart! So do some good.”

 

Hearing that much lifted Erb’s spirit to a point where the top of his chest felt lighter, as though the part that doubted who he thought he was, left his system. He was the hero of his own story, and he could sincerely go with that.

 

“Now some extra things to know about me…Ah, you like Twinkies! If you don’t know what Twinkies are then I suggest you to quickly google them….no wait that’s stupid you probably don’t even know what Google is. Ok moving on, you also like taking long walks, you know how to fight – martial arts and stuff –and you can use this red sword, which I don’t have on me to show you now. But it looks cool!”

 

“Red sword?” Erb questioned himself, looking around the room for his weapon, only to look back in the mirror.

 

“Oh, and uh did I say you’re into chicks? Well if I didn’t, I’m going to say this again; you like girls! But you already have someone special waiting for you to come back alive and she’s literally one of a kind so don’t start acting like a playboy or get yourself a god damn harem.”

 

Erb noticed his old self-was looking past the mirror and was beginning to end his message. “My time is almost up, but before that does, just know, without a doubt, you will get your memories back! And whenever you can, start training. I don’t know if Yuuko or anyone has told you yet, but we’re being hunted down by some group. I don’t know who, but they want us because of our abilities. And because of that - man you’re not gonna like this; I don’t even like this idea – Yuuko is going to send you on a journey – an adventure she put it – to avoid our pursuers until we’re...you, are ready.”

 

“You were right; I don’t like it.” he annoyingly judged.

 

Then, he was talking more confidently as he continued. “With that said, you won’t be able to get home anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you’ll always be on the run. The point of this journey is to get yourself stronger; both mentally and physically. You’ll be going to other worlds too, so that’s cool. I’ve done this before, myself, though it was by accident. I don’t know exactly how you’re going to get from world to world. But Yuuko said she has a way. So, again, trust her. My time is almost up, so…just be careful. And do what you think is right – help others. By the way, if you think this is some fabricated message to fool you, don’t! It’s 100% real!...What am I saying, if your still me after all of this then you’re probably gonna be paranoid as hell and me saying that wouldn’t have helped...sigh.”

 

A few seconds passed, and just like the last spark of ember from a candle dying out, the message concluded.

 

“Good luck, me.”

 

The mirror crumbles away into dissolving glass, leaving nothing behind as evidence.

 

Still, the young man was satisfied thanks to one important information he noted. Despite having learned only about who he was and not where he was born or what he did prior, he was beginning to like the idea of having his memories gone because he felt everything he told him was something he already knew. And to his delight, that thought alone was comforting.

 

Least I know now I’m in safe hands - for the time being. I feel like everything he said, is still a part of me, even the paranoia. Still, I’d wish he tell me more. He doesn’t explain why they, or Yuuko, or whoever, decided to give me amnesia.

 

Now more laxed, he slouches forward and tells himself, “Wonder if Yuuko would tell me if I asked? She did lie about the scroll thing – maybe she will.”

 

“I doubt she would.”

 

He looks for the origin of the foreign voice and to his astonishment it was the same little toad he met before, sitting on its bottom, holding a bag of rice crackers that was about the same size as its entire body.

 

“Oh…hi.” He greeted him.

 

“Back at ya.” Bulb takes a bit of the rice cracker creating a loud crunch in his mouth. “It’s her policy to always stick to her contracts to the letter, so if she says no, she means it. The whole scroll thing, however, that was an exception because she was bored – her words, not mine.”

 

An awkward silence looms over their heads seeing as how Erb hadn’t noticed his presence earlier. “That’s…good to know...how long have you been sitting there.”

 

“Since you came back…oh, and by the way, you owe me a bag of vanilla wafers!”

 

“…why?”

 

“Because I bet a bag of wafers on you against underwear dude.”

 

“Underwear?” His mind suddenly shifts between different types of underwear until he finally comes across a familiar name. “You mean Trunks?” he then follows up in his head.

 

I can’t believe I just now realized his name is a type of underwear.

 

“Who did you think?!” He bitterly ate another one of the rice crackers with a remark. “I was planning on eating those wafers later too. But nooo, you just had to lose! Way to go loser!”

 

Erb’s eyebrows crowns from his disrespecting attitude. “…For a little fella who I just met, you’re rude.”

 

“And for an oversized chameleon with guns as big as my entire body, you lost.”

 

Any further arguing with the strange toad would only spell disaster on his pride. “…So who are you anyway?”

 

Bulb finished chewing the last of his crackers and replied. “The names Bulb. Nice to finally see ya…Erb.”

 

“Ah huh. Likewise,…I think.”

 

The sound of footsteps soon grew louder behind the door and barging out was Yuuko. “Bulb? There you are. I almost forgot about you.”

 

“Now that’s rude!” Bulb emphasized, reusing Erb’s remark. He stands on his two legs and slowly walks out the door, leaving Yuuko with Erb.

 

“So Erb, have you finished watching the message?”

 

“Yeah, I’m done.”

 

“And what are your thoughts?”

 

He has several paths to choose from; remain at his impasse forever, try to find his way back to wherever he came from and face this mysterious enemy head-on, or have faith in his own words and take the opportunity to prepare himself.

 

If he takes the first, he might remain the same and won’t get the chance to get back his old life. The second would most likely lead to his doom – not the preferable route. But the third will give him all he needs though not immediately.

 

Staying silent for a good few seconds gave him enough time to come up with an answer he would not regret.

 

“I’m going on a journey, right? Then I got a lot of catching up to do.”

 

Yuuko smiles in response, knowing beforehand he would choose the correct option. “That’s good. But before you do, dinner is prepared. You must be famished after all you did.”

 

Coincidentally, Erb’s stomach growled, filling the room with the idea of food to be the perfect remedy for him now. “That would be great.”

 

 

 

This is the end of the second episode of the re-haul version of CrimZon Universe. Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something; any insight would be helpful. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters:

1)    none

 

OC characters:

1)    Bulb

 

 

 

 

3: Ep 3 - Departure

Yuuko’s shop, dining room(Half an Hour later)...

 

In the dimly lit dining room, Erb viciously devours every scrap of meat, wheat, and vegetable from every single plate, caring little for his proper etiquettes over the dinner table.

 

Yuuko and everyone else watched him in awe and disgust.

 

Bulb shields his meal for fear of it disappearing in an instant, while Trunks slightly lets his mouth hang open – Erb’s eating habits match that with someone he knew quite well. Watanuki is still preparing more dishes but was having a difficult time trying to keep up with his guest’s appetite.

 

Fortunately, after eating one last bowl of stacked up rice, the dragon boy finally felt content and lets out a satisfying sigh with a good soft slap to his belly, indicating his approval of his first meal for a long time.

 

Yuuko gets to say her mind. “Remind me to never starve and feed you ever again.”

 

Displaying no manners on the dinner table whatsoever, he let out a burp with a question following soon after. “Why’s that?”

 

“Because you just finished all our rice; and you’re a slob!”

 

Erb burps again and replied, “Yeah from what I can recall, sleeping for a year and then waking up to fight someone tends to do that to a person.”

 

“But did you have to eat EVERYTHING!” yelled Bulb in a raging squeaking manner. “I met beings bigger than you, but they don’t eat as much!”

 

“I agree.” Watanuki gulped. “I’ve never seen anyone just chow down a full course meal…and not get bloated!”

 

But Trunks interjects, “It’s a Saiyan thing,” and ate the remainder of his rice bowl.

 

“Well for the sake of our finances, I hope we don’t get another.” Watanuki gives a dissatisfying glare at the plates which once held his culinary delights - luckily, he had little to clean since there wasn’t even a single crumb or stain on any of the dishes.

 

Now, feeling full and somewhat drowsy, Erb brought up a different topic. “I’ll be full for the next day or so; what time is it?”

 

Bulb rudely answers him, “It’s 8 at night fatty.”

 

“Thanks for the update toad.” He mumbled. “8 huh. As weird as this sounds, is there somewhere I can sleep off my food coma?”

 

“You shouldn’t go to sleep after eating!” Bulb teased but then retracts his statement. “Actually, don’t sleep! You slept enough!”

 

“Watanuki already prepared a room for you down the hall,” Yuuko mentioned. “Watanuki will you lead him?”

 

However, the Asian boy is discouraged by the additional chores. “But I’m washing dishes; can’t you do it?”

 

“I don’t wanna!”

 

Trunks soon intervened. “How about I clean them up for you?”

 

“Really?”  He exclaimed. “Thanks a lot!”

 

“No problem.” Trunks immediately went to work whereas the house servant did as he was told and led Erb to his temporary room, leaving the rest in the dining room.

 

After they were gone, Yuuko aims a question to Trunks. “So what do you think of him?”

 

Applying soup to one dish and then scrubbing it with a wet sponge, Trunks responds in an inquisitive manner. “He’s strong I’ll give him that much. His power level is definitely higher than most fighters I know.”

 

Taking out her smoke pipe once again, the witch opens a door behind her which led outside and takes a long whiff. After exhaling, she brings up another query. “How about his character? His attitude? Do you think he’s up to travel in his current condition?”

 

Putting away one dish and then taking another, Trunks’s tone becomes darker. “To be honest. I don’t think he should even be traveling at all. I mean, he doesn’t seem all that stable; sure there were moments in our fight where I suppose he was focus and level-headed. But at the end he let his body’s instinct take over without any hesitation. He’s….”

 

“Bold?” Yuuko finished his sentence off.

 

“…reckless.”

 

“You’re not wrong there. For a moment I thought he might transform to what you would call Super Saiyan.”

 

“He can!?” The mere mentioning of the legendary Saiyan transformation caused Trunks to crack a plate out of surprise over the news. “Oh…sorry.”

 

“No need to worry. I have several more of those in storage.”

 

“Ok.” He quickly gathers the broken pieces and throws them away in a nearby trash bin. “But are you serious? He can become a Super Saiyan?”

 

“Would I ever lie?”

 

“You did earlier.”

 

“Oh that was a one-time thing and that isn’t the point. You did well in stopping him before he ever realized he can transform. If he did then he might have even gone higher to the next level if push comes to shove.”

 

“Next level?” Trunks gasp in shock.

 

“That tacky name you and your friends came up with. Super Saiyan 2, correct?

 

He once believed the next level of a Super Saiyan was said to have been almost impossible to achieve but was proven wrong by the uproar of a single little boy, filled with rage and anguish over the loss of a friend. Super Saiyan 2; memories of that event took Trunks back to when he witnessed the amazing power for the first time, reliving the nostalgia of the android’s defeat by his would-be master.

 

“That guy is full of surprises.”

 

Yuuko ventures on while her young friend was in thought. “Well, Erb can certainly achieve it.”

 

She then remembers something else. “By the way, who was the one you knew to have achieved that level?”

 

“…his name is Gohan. I haven’t seen him for around 2 years, but from what you told me it must have been 7 years since I left. He must be a high schooler by now.”

 

After finishing the last of the dishes, Trunks continues with a hint of optimism. “Back then he was the strongest fighter I knew. He was stronger than even his own father. I haven’t ascended yet, but perhaps one day…I can also reach that frontier.”

 

Images begin to flash in his head of his world, his Earth, being torn apart by beings he couldn’t see, powers he didn’t understand nor believe to even be possessed by mortal men. “If it wasn’t for your intervention back then, I wouldn’t be standing here now, living and breathing.”

 

Hearing her exhale out rings of smoke was more of a response he could get from her, and a little part of him was glad she didn’t say anything. “I must get stronger, for the sake of saving the future – once more.”

 

 

 

Yuuko’s shop, hallway…

 

As Erb follows Watanuki back to the room of his new origin, he ponders on how the boy in front of him was ever employed by Yuuko, since each time he had seen them together, they would always butt heads over small chore. Seeing him discouraged yet compliant to her demands would have made Erb want to quit the job at a moment’s notice.

 

“Wata…nuki right?”

 

Yeah.” He turned back and answered

 

“I take it you and Yuuko don’t get along well?”

 

He lets out a laugh with a small smirk on his face. “That obvious huh? Well, it’s been that way since we first met. I hate working here and I hate her! She acts so high and mighty sometimes with her cryptic messages that it annoys me to the point of….oh I don’t know.”

 

“And yet you’re still here?”

 

“Sigh, yeah, pretty much.”

 

His exasperating behavior left Erb to further wonder why he hadn’t left yet. “Why don’t you quit? There are probably better gigs out there than this.”

 

The boy carried on with gusto and at the same time, tried to make a point to his claim. “That’s the problem I can’t! I am, literally tied to this place no thanks to Yuuko’s interference. I never asked to be here in the first place either. That woman just plucks me out of the street and automatically put me to work with no benefits – I don’t even get paid for this. I’m basically her man servant….NO! MAN SLAVE!”

 

“Wait a second? She plucked you out of the streets?” Erb then rephrased the sentence in bewilderment. “She kidnapped you!?”

 

“More like the shop did. Don’t ask me why and how, because all I know is it has to do with my destiny or fate or whatever cosmic or fantasy logic.”

 

Watanuki slouches his head forward in a depressing manner, leaving the Saiyan to pity his situation – he was worse off than himself.

 

Suddenly, from the corners of a desk in the hallway, black furry object sprints out before Erb could react, and latches itself onto Watanuki’s face. He struggles to rid of it while Erb just watches, unable to help from the shock.

 

In a few quick twists and turns, the schoolboy freed himself of it but knew the furball well enough to call it by its first name. “Mokona! What was that for!?”

 

Shaped like an egg but covered in black fur with a pair of rabbit ears on top, the little critter happily grins over suffocating Watanuki and begins hopping away cheerfully.

 

“GET BACK HERE!” Watanuki quickly bid his red guest a few last words before doing after the creature.

 

“You’re room's down the hall to the left! There are also some spare blankets for you in the closet and some of your clothing is also in there!”

 

Watanuki runs off and Erb takes his instructions which he didn’t really need – he already knew where the room was.

 

He arrives back in no time, only to find the flatbed and blanket absent. To his left, there was a closet and he suspected they were in there. He approaches it, opens the doors, and sees them folded up neatly - courtesy of Watanuki. But beside them lay a pair of clothing – one matching with what he had on, fresh and clean, whereas the other was something he had seen before. He unfolds and places them on the floor, spreading them out completely. He recognizes the outfit to be what his other-self had worn from the recording. The outfit was a dark gray combat armor attached with a cloak extending down from the back side.

 

“It looks cool,” Erb commented, placing a hand over his chin. “But does it still fit me?”

 

He then looks at himself, realizing that all he had on were his torn and dirt-stained pants and t-shirt.

 

If anything, I’ll have someone refit it for me. And it’s better than what I got on. Which reminds me, I’d better take a bath first; I stink!

 

Then his own words made him murmur, “I seem to know how to maintain my hygiene too.”

 

Firstly, he folds up the outfit the way he found it, puts them back and takes out his bed and blanket, placing them neatly on the floor, smoothing them out to erase any wrinkles. Then he walks back out with the extra pair of white pants and shirt in search of the bathroom.

 

He ends up quickly dowsing himself in a warm shower, washed from head to toe, and in no time, returned to his bed. Lying on the floor, he stares up at the ceiling and reminisces everything he had learned as a mental monologue.

 

So I’m half Saiyan and dragon, huh…and that other guy was a half Saiyan too but half human.

 

What stuck with him the most from that part of the discussion was the dragon bit and how it relates to him almost being captured.

 

I can’t be the only person to have those traits? Am I? I wish I knew more about this group! Then maybe I’ll have an easier time getting ready when I decide to fight them.

 

Finally, he decides to sleep it all off. Maybe I’ll have a better picture after a good night’s rest. He immediately shoves them away and roughly lies on his side, taking steady long breaths until he manages to shorten them to enter a dream-like state.

 

But before he felt the weight of his body become more weightless, a gentle warm presence brushes over his arm, as if someone invisible was breathing next to him.

 

He instinctively looks over his shoulder, believing someone was sleeping next to him. To his dismay, there was no one.

 

Waving his arms for a good few seconds, he concluded there was nothing. Upon that realization the presence disappears, setting him in an even more flustered state no thanks to his own delusion.

 

His distress over the issue translates over into his dreams, turning it into a nightmare.

 

Closing his eyes to rest his mind only for a moment, he opens them up to be welcomed by a new but grim environment, consisting of a war-torn battlefield, with skyscrapers in the far background, cropped up as tombstones of a long-forgotten civilization.

 

Under his feet was the hard-smooth surface of glassed soil, and around him were piles of burning corpses and blood splattered webbed roads leading to nowhere. Next, black shadows spread right beneath him, forming a lake big enough to envelop everything under, except for himself. Then, several figures sprout out, surrounding him; one is a girl but with pink hair; another girl with blonde hair; then a man with short spiky hair, and many such others coming out one after the other.

 

They were all facing away from him, stand as mannequins from his view; each one of them motionless. He attempts to look around them, see who they were, but the blackness under his feet had kept him in place, immobile and frightened. Suddenly, one last figure swims up and was much closer to him compared to the rest.  It was another girl but with short blue hair, wearing an elegant light blue gown.

 

He takes one step towards her, drawn in by her mysterious presence, feeling a sense of longing towards her, as though it was a piece of himself – his memory perhaps. But he stayed immobile, unable to reach her. Then, he looks down to his feet only to watch himself sinking into the ground. Short after, everything around him starts to crumble and deteriorate. The buildings tore themselves down one at a time, and the figures melt away in a gory pool of melted flesh and blood – their skins peeling off, and bones turning into ash.

 

Now, he was at the mercy of his own nightmare as he started to scream in terror, powerless to do anything. His body is soon dragged down to the ground, causing him to struggle desperately. Just before his head would sink with him he spots the blue hair girl turn around but couldn’t make out her face; just the movements of her lips trying to form words but nothing came out. And then darkness.

 

“AH!”

 

The dragon boy sat up abruptly on his bed, gasping for air with his own sweat cooling his shaken fortitude. The room was dark and empty only to be illuminated swiftly by a single flip of a switch, easing his fear of the unknown darkness.

 

“It was all a dream.” He repeated to himself.

 

The experience had a measure of clarity that almost made it as real as when he was awake. But now, as he struggles to remember the sequence of events in his head, he could only remember the buildings and destruction, but not the figures - they were obscured, no noticeable clues.

 

“I need to clear my head.”

 

He exits out to find a drink of water for himself, hoping it would do him some good. Though the dark hallway didn’t help, he pushes on for the kitchen.

 

As he steps inside the vacant room, he spots a clock reading a time either telling him it was 15 minutes past midnight, or it was simply 3 in the morning – it was too dark for him to tell. He didn’t pay much mind to it and retrieves a cup of water instead.

 

As he made his way back though, he stops by dimly lit up doorway, slightly cracked open. Looking through the tight space, he spots Yuuko reading a book covered in a black leather cover while taking a spoon full of what looks to be a piece of fudge from a cake on her table. Her intense glare into its contents made him assume it was something important.

 

“Peeking is bad.”

 

The union of two voices creeping up behind him made the poor red boy shift around and encounter two little girls who appear to have come straight out of a horror flick – one with light pink short hair with two buns on the side of her head, and another with long blue hair tied into ponytails. The darkness obscuring their presence but the light from the door illuminating their pale lifeless faces made him let out a terrifying yell and broke open the door on his way through. He lands on his rear and was once again hyperventilating his fear out but this time from a jump scare. He soon hears Yuuko nonchalantly speaking to them.

 

“Maru, Moro! You two shouldn’t be up at this hour. Go to sleep.”

 

The two girls let out yawns while complying with her and left, leaving only a confused young man sitting uncomfortably on the floor with his back faced towards his caretaker.

 

Yuuko focuses his attention on him. “As for you now…were you trying to take a quick peek at me?”

 

His tension gradually goes down upon hearing her words but was too embarrassed by her accusation to even make a comeback. His silence only fueled her perversion and her innocent act.

 

“Oh, my I didn’t know you were the daring type!”

 

Her jokes not only flipped the mood of the atmosphere around them but also Erb’s attitude from fearful to flat-out upset. “WHY WOULD I WANT TO PEEK AT YOU!?”

 

“Don’t lie to yourself, I know boys at your age have a hard time containing themselves to a woman of my stature.”

 

“STOP TALKING! PLEASE!”

 

“Boys will be boys hahaha!” Her laughter was beginning to annoy him and he wanted to change the subject quickly before things got out of hand. The book in her hands might prove to be his solution.

 

“How about you explain what that book you were reading was!? You seemed oddly engrossed in it.”

 

She pauses for a second and sheds a smile. “Something very important. Would you like to read it?”

 

Her sudden request left him mute to reply but he takes it off her hands regardless. He opens to the first page only to find it blank. “What is this!? There’s nothing written in here!”

 

Suddenly, he turns his tone from confusion to suspicion. “Don’t tell me this thing is also gonna turn into a mirror too?”

 

“Nope. Not this one.” She admitted, “And of course, there isn’t anything written. Not yet anyway.”

 

“Well, what is it supposed to be? I doubt you were just staring at these pages hoping to write a Pulitzer-winning novel or something…wait, what did I just say?”

 

Watching him ignore himself over a foreign comment allowed Yuuko to gain the upper hand in the questioning. “Do you remember what I said before regarding what I do for a living?”

 

“You’re a wish maker if I’m not mistaken.”

 

“A crude thing to say. But I can’t say you’re wrong either. Do you want to know what one of your payments was? It’s free.”

 

“Yes!” He answered in an instant. “Please! Tell me!”

 

“Alright then. Follow me outside.”

 

He follows her once again, this time he was lead outside in front of a small front lawn. There he could see the night starless sky and the shop to be just a 2-story home crowded with tall modern buildings.

 

Yuuko begins to reveal the one truth he had been waiting for. “Truthfully, back then, I didn’t know what payment would suffice for taking away your memories. They were the most important thing you valued the most. For the past year, I was figuring out what suitable price would fit. That was…until today.”

 

Her eyes veer to the book in his hand and he knew. “….the book?”

 

“One of the prices is allowing me to record your story.”

 

“My story?”

 

“I wasn’t being generous when I said you have a special gift. In fact, I should say you have an extraordinary one; something anyone would kill for. That’s why you were being hunted down and why you need to grow. As I said, you are too weak to fully utilize your gifts; but in due time you will be able to wield it – turn that power against them.”

 

“How do you know for certain that I will?”

 

“Because the souls inside you said so. They have confidence in you – well, one of them; the other is a bit of a grouch. And I believe you yourself knew it too.”

 

Knowing someone or something who he hasn’t met yet, trusts in his ability did feel refreshing, but the one mystery he couldn’t wrap his head around from their decision on his life comes out in the open.

 

“I don’t understand? Why erase who I was before?”

 

Yuuko took a long pause as she looks up to the sky, appearing as though she was finally about to give him the hint he needed to come to terms with himself.

 

“To put it in layman’s terms, holding on to one's memories can be a double-edged blade; cherishing them is one thing – to retain whatever detail you had on a certain someone or something – but being fearful of them is entirely different matter. Say you experienced something traumatic and you cannot move on with your life because of the experience terrifies you. There are two ways to go about it; one, simply embrace that fact, or two, forget it. Simple. Now any sensible individual would perform the initial, but sometimes the latter is the best choice because you would have more freedom to choose which path you want to follow. The entities inside you have been with you since the day you were born, so they knew full well, you wouldn’t have been able to live with yourself if you retained your memories; because it would hinder your growth. Without that hindrance, you will probably reach the peak of your strength much faster than ever before – and advance beyond those levels. Of course, that all depends on your resolve.”

 

After her long-winded lecture, she takes a breather and starts over. “When you’re fully recovered, I will be sending you to another place where you might find comrades to assist you in your journey. After that, you are on your own.”

 

“I thought you said weren’t a charity?”

 

“This isn’t a charity – I said you ‘might’ find some help.”

 

“Whatever you say.” For once, Erb made a joke and made himself giggle, “I’m getting the hang of being sarcastic.”

 

“You’re still a long way from being a comedian,” she remarked.

 

“Yeah well, I’ll just add that to my to-do list. By the way, you said you were gonna teleport me; how does that work?”

 

“You’ll just have to see for yourself when I think you’re ready to leave.”

 

“Will it cost me anything?”

 

“You’re catching on quickly. But no, lucky for you, this one will also be on the house.”

 

“I knew it, you are charitable.”

 

“Don’t push it.”

 

“Ok ok.”

 

Though cheery he may now be, the trauma from before still worries him, enough to warrant wanting advice from Yuuko. “I had a dream before…more of a nightmare actually.”

 

She gave her full attention to his plight, allowing him to continue.

 

“I was somewhere I’ve never been before, but it was horrible; it was the very definition of despair. And there were these people, coming out of nowhere and then just melted away. I’m still shaking from it.”

 

“People? Who exactly? Did you recognize them?”

 

“No. At first, I could but now…it’s all a fog.”

 

He looks to Yuuko for her answer but she was looking down and away from him, deep in thought. “I don’t have a concrete answer for you; something of that level in detail could mean any sort of things - usually spells of bad omens to come.”

 

“…Does it have to do with my past?”

 

“Perhaps; but honestly you are the only one who can make sense of it. Think long and hard – but not too long of course. Remember what I said earlier.”

 

Now that he thinks about it, pondering on it has brought nothing but grief for him, so for once, he’ll take her suggestion without question. “Yeah, your right. Ah whatever, it is what it is.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Now, about me going; can’t I just stay here and train a little longer? Do I really have to go so soon?”

 

“I had thought of that, but the longer you stay, the more likely your enemies will find this place.”

 

“Man, the more I hear about these guys the more annoying they sound.”

 

“You have no idea. Regardless, it’s best you recover as quickly as you can and go. I won’t have the power to stop them when they do arrive here.”

 

“But what’ll stop them from finding me on other worlds?”

 

“Don’t fret about that. I’ve already prepared your means of travel in advance - they’re not the only ones with means to hide their trail. When the time comes, I will send you and Bulb to the first world and then send Trunks later to provide you your means. Thereafter the three of you will journey forward as planned.”

 

“Wait, Bulb and Trunks?” Trunks was one thing; he is a capable fighter and competent individual. But the rude little toad tagging along did not settle well with him since he has no idea who he really is. “Why are they coming along? Especially the little frog guy!?”

 

“As you might have already surmised, Trunks can hold his own in a fight and he has some experience when it comes to conducting himself in a foreign environment. As for the ‘little frog guy,’ he has knowledge of different cultures and even ancient civilizations which will prove vital to how you interact with different specifies – he’ll be your guide to say the least. Plus…I might have set a condition in a wish I granted him, where he must join you on your travels…and he might not know it yet.”

 

“…why!?” He asked hysterically. “Just why would you do that to him…and me!?”

 

She forced herself to smile in front of him but Erb knew she didn’t want to admit her mistake. “I thought he might make a great companion for you. You're both squirrelly and feisty – you’d make a great duo.”

 

Yuuko watched Erb crossed his arms with a dissatisfied look.

 

“Anyway, it’s late. How about we settle in and resume in the next…ohhh….12 hours!”

 

“Wouldn’t that mean you’ll wake up at 3 in the afternoon?...or 12 pm?” He remembered he didn’t have an exact idea of what time it was. “What time is it?”

 

“12 hours is still too little - I need my beauty sleep. But chop chop now! Tomorrow is going to be a big day for you!”

 

As she marches back inside like a child not knowing its bedtime, Erb slouches back out of her room, feeling both contents on what he was taught about himself, and burdened for whats to come.

 

“…ter-stinking-rific!”

 

 

 

Several days later….

 

For the next days, as Yuuko foretold, Erb began his rehabilitation with the help of Trunks acting as his sparring partner. He fought with him to better grasp his fighting abilities, and slowly he was getting stronger with each session – as of yet, he hasn’t been able to defeat Trunks.

 

Inside the crystal ball once more where they last fought, Erb, flies through a canyon in the gray combat armor with superior mobility from his first time, whereas Trunks in his super Saiyan form was right on his tail, firing off ki blasts non-stop. The volleys he threw held enough force and power to cause the cliff sides of the canyon to cave in and force Erb on the retreat.

 

After a few quick successions, one of the ki blasts impacts onto the red Saiyan, producing a smokescreen from the cliffside debris.

 

Above, Trunks waits for him to emerge, waiting to put him down. But instead, he meets Erb’s own barrage of energy balls, only to watch them all erupt prematurely. None of them came close to hitting him but they provided cover for their owner’s approach – and Trunks guessed as much.

 

“That trick won’t work!”

 

Trunks timed his counter perfectly to Erb’s kick from behind, grabbing hold of his leg and swung him around to later send him rocketing across the landscape.

 

“Fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice-”

 

Gathering his ki into his hands and then extending his arms forward with his palms out, Trunks prepares to test just how powerful his opponent truly is. “-SHAME ON YOU!”

 

He fires off his signature move, Buster Cannon, which takes the form of a powerful golden energy beam, and it roars through the air and down to where Erb stands.

 

The dragon hybrid spots the inbound attack, but instead of dodging, he takes it head on, eager to test himself. He brings out his arms, intent on catching it, and upon the shock, he was pushed back. He struggles to position his legs further behind him while using his entire upper body to brace his posture. The scorching heat produced from the blast’s surface alone would have charred his skin off if his aura was not present to shield him. Unable to take the agony, he mustered whatever strength he had in hopes of rebounding it back at his opponent. But to no avail could he achieve such a task in time after he crashes against the side of a sand dune, pushing him further into the energy blast and soon, engulfs him.

 

He screams in pain as every pore in his body was being stung by thousands upon thousands of needles. But in return, a sensation of power overflows his mind, a need for strength drives him, and soon his instincts caused him to remember, what it felt like to break through his own limits.

 

His hair rose, his skin shines, and the light in his red eyes turn green, piercing through the golden vale around him. His inside burn as though melted metal was pouring into his stomach. His muscles were bulging uncontrollably and wildly, becoming extremely tense to the point of even causing greater torture. Goosebumps numbed his exterior momentarily but cracks of electricity through his nerves shock him to keep his eyes wide open. Unable to take the frustration any longer he lets out his rage and torment with a thundering battle cry, creating a shockwave so powerful everything around him has pushed away, including the Buster Cannon.

 

Trunks watch the blast from afar in awe and didn’t have time to flinch when his own attack flew right past him, detonating later over the horizon. He stares down at his friend, transformed. His hair, skin, and eye retain traits like his own; Erb was now a Super Saiyan.

 

“That’s it alright.” He muttered those words with the utmost astonishment. “No doubt about it. He finally achieved it.”

 

Still, what shocked him, even more, was the level of power he was exuding; the one comparison he could think of was when his young friend, Gohan, first achieved the newest form, Super Saiyan 2.

 

From thereafter, he had trained hard to one day bring himself to achieve the same feat. But in the 2 years he tried, not once has he been able to come close. Yet, his sparring partner, as a normal super saiyan, has already surpassed Trunks and even Gohan.

 

She wasn’t kidding either, he is strong. Probably the strongest fighter I’ve ever met. But it makes me shudder to think how powerful his enemies must be. I hope we don’t meet them on our journey till he’s ready.

 

Meanwhile, Erb rapidly got used to the strains accompanied by his transformation, and as though he were a soda can shake to the point of the carbonated substance inside would overflow upon release, he naturally maintains himself and unconsciously regulated his energy output like tightening the faucet of an outpouring sink.

 

“This energy….it’s….tingly.”

 

As much as he loved the new power-up, the excess aura over his skin seems thicker than normal. Nevertheless, anywhere he directs it, his aura follows clearly.

 

Before he could do anything with it, Yuuko’s voice chimes in from above. “Ok boys that’s enough for today!”

 

Both Erb and Trunks are envelope by a hurricane and returned to the room where Yuuko was present. They both power down to normal and lend their ears to Yuuko. “It seems you’re finally able to transform Erb…about time that happened.”

 

“Yeah, who knew?” Erb jested, aiming his sarcasm towards Trunks for his decision in aiming such a dangerous attack at him.

 

And he understood and nervously chuckles his way out of it. “Sorry about. I was caught in the moment.”

 

Erb accepts his apology with a nodding grin, and Yuuko could at last finish their deal fully. “Now that you managed to transform your strength will undoubtedly increase exponentially from more training – or fighting. So I think now is a perfect time, don’t you think Erb?”

 

“Clearly!” He boasted. “I feel like I can beat anyone now!”

 

“Don’t get over your head!” Yuuko snapped. With a flick of a finger onto Erb’s forehead, he falls back with a perplexed look.

 

“Thinking like that will cost you greatly in the upcoming battles you might face! And there are other forms of combat that can’t be solved using fists and sheer brute force alone! Take this seriously; there is more to winning a battle than having a much higher power level – there will come a time where having allies will benefit you greatly!”

 

“Ok MOM!” the red boy imitated. “I get your point.”

 

“Good! Now take a bath first! I’ll make some quick fixes with your gear so by the time you come out you should find them in the closet in peak condition. Also, eat this.”

 

From her pocket, she takes out a green bean and tosses it to Erb. He frantically catches it and inspects it curiously. “What is this?”

 

“A senzu bean?” Trunks exclaimed. "Where did you get that?”

 

“I have my own stash – they're quite useful.”

 

"What's so good about it?" Erb wondered out loud, leading Trunks to explain.

 

“If you eat it, you’ll recover your strength and your wounds will heal. They're probably the best thing you could ever hope for in a quick recovery. Though 1 bean can leave you full for about 10 days."

 

Hearing the bean’s benefits was more than enough for the dragon hybrid to take his chances and eat it. “Well, bon appétit!"

 

He chews it up and swallows it down with no problem. And immediately, the effects take place and his vitality improved immensely. “Now this is a superfood! I feel like a million bucks now!" he bubbled. "And I don't know what that means!"

 

While he was stretching his limbs with a new-found vigor, Yuuko's impatience starts to get the better of her. “Good, now hurry up and wash yourself Erb, and after you’re done, come meet us outside.”

 

“But, ain’t it raining right now?” he reminded her.

 

“That doesn’t matter! Now go!”

 

“Ok fine!”

 

Erb hastily went on with his chores without saying another word, and in a course of an hour, he stands before Yuuko outside, in the pouring rain, with Trunks standing beside her and Bulb holding a fit over the woman’s decision.

 

“WHY DO I HAVE TO GO WITH HIM!? I THOUGHT PART OF THE DEAL WAS TO JUST TAKE CARE OF HIM UNTIL HE WAKES UP!? WHAT GIVES!?”

 

“For the hundredth time, you misread the contract. It stated that you are to take care of him…. indefinitely!”

 

“YOU NEVER SAID THAT YOU LIAR!? YOU NEVER MENTIONED THE WORD ‘INDEFINTELY’ WHEN I TOOK THIS GIG!”

   

“Well remember, it was either that or working for me for all eternity.”

 

With his eyes slanted and his mouth frowned upside down, he summarized his emotions to her in 3 words. “….I hate you!”

 

And she gave her retort with a delightful grin. “And I love you too!” She proceeds to pat his head as though he were a dog yet Bulb couldn’t help but feel his life was being led around by a leash with her hand on the other end of it.

 

His pouting look soon became what a puppy does after receiving no treats from its owner “Do I really have to go with him Yuuko?”

 

“Oh cheer up! Look on the bright side; you won’t be bored anymore, and you’ll get to meet different girls – pretty girls! I guarantee it!”

 

He then makes a hopeful smile and silently leaps up to Erb’s shoulder. The red Saiyan reluctantly allowed him to cling on, though he still wasn’t too happy about the arrangement.

 

“So Yuuko, what can I expect in the world I’m going?” Erb inquired.

 

“Don’t you mean we!?” Bulb interrupted.

 

“I don’t really know for sure, except there might be other humans residing on it. I can’t say they might treat you kindly, with the way you look. But who knows!”

 

As Erb contemplates on the infinite possible worlds he might land himself in, Bulb imagined the first reaction they would get from the natives would be a hand full of screaming and a mob of torches.

 

“There is something else that I want to give you Erb; Modoki, please bring his weapon.”

 

Erb and Bulb then sight the black rabbit Modoki hopping onto Yuuko’s hand and quickly jumps into the air, widening its mouth to a surprising degree. The little bunny then spits out a long steel covered sheathed katana and it hovers down in front of the red saiyan, making him grab hold of it.

 

“This belongs to you; from your old life; it’s something of sentimental value.”

 

“Uh, sure…” Upon contact, he feels its weight to be quite heavy for its slender size. He examines the hilt of the sword with the utmost interest. “...but wow, this is mine!”

 

He slowly slides the blade out and observes the bright red color iron within. He begins swinging it around, creating a swift and brief gale of wind around him.

 

“Can I see?” Trunks asked and Erb hands it over. He too begins swinging it around, taking notes of its balanced figure and its edge sharp, judging from how it sliced through the droplets of water with a clean precision. He then examines its sheath, discovers a cartridge slot and a trigger, both relating to the components of a gun. He gives the sword back and Erb fashions it back into its case neatly and swiftly as though he had performed this action many times.

 

“Fine sword is it not,” Yuuko chatted, also astonished by the blade’s craftsmanship. “To tell you the truth it seems much too good for someone like you to wield.”

 

“Thanks a lot!” said Erb depressingly.

 

As the rain continues to pour on without any sign of stopping, she was about to conclude their long-awaited farewell. “Now it’s about time I set you two off.”

 

Erb, recalling Yuuko having told him Trunks would be joining them later, says his goodbyes to his new time-traveling ally. "See ya later Trunks. Don't keep us waiting."

 

"It won't be long," he acknowledged with a nod.

 

Afterwards, he watches Yuuko raise her hand and chants inaudible words. Suddenly the ground beneath the two traveler’s feet warps, its space distorted, and in seconds rose up to gradually form a sphere around them. The sight was mesmerizing to Erb; it looked to be alive and if he were to be standing out of it, it would look as though he was being encased into an egg -  a dew maybe.

 

But before the process finished, Erb looks to Yuuko, with a face that spelled another question he wanted to get off his chest. Yuuko confronts him, “If you still have more questions then ask quickly?”

 

"Nope, not really! I just wanted to say… I’m grateful for what you did for me.”

 

This was something unexpected from him and of herself being wrong; Yuuko expressed her surprise with a small subtle gasp. “Oh!”

 

Erb mustered up his words with a soft smile. “I don’t know if it was by coincidence or some divine providence that made you want to help me. But…I want to thank you anyway.”

 

Yuuko then lets out a slight chuckle from the words “coincidence” and “divine providence” – she was a wise individual indeed but she believes more in destiny and fate than some God's will.

 

“There are no coincidences in life; only inevitability. Also, I am not the one who you should be thanking for all of this.”

 

Erb softly grins at her words. “I know. I just felt like saying it.”

 

In a flash, he and Bulb were sent off into the sky, disappearing in a mere instant.

 

Yuuko and Trunks look up just in time to spot rays of sunlight shining through the gray clouds, covering the path in which their allies set off to.

 

“Don’t be getting into trouble.”

 

 

 

Unknown location, forest area…

 

Sensing the time of their departure to have lasted only a momentarily, Erb and Bulb emerge out of the warped spatial encasing and into a forest area that was the very picture of a perfect spring season setting, with trees lush with green leaves and the sky colored in an orange and blue hue, indicating it was nearing sundown.

 

Erb watches his guide flips down and lands on his two hind legs in a gymnastics’ pose, with his arms, raised up in triumph.

 

“Welcome to a planet, that’s most likely thousands of light years away from where we were!”

 

“Good to know.” Erb then walks past his small friend and takes in a long whiff of the forest - damp yet calming.

 

"This is strangely soothing." Now more anxious and excited to explore, he then turns around and grabs Bulb by his bud – which he didn’t take so kindly.

 

“Hey! What’s the big idea!?”

 

“I just want a bird’s eye view of the area we’re in. Don’t you want to see too?”

 

“Oh…sure why not. Just don’t go flying off like a-“

 

Before he could finish his simile with the word “rocket,” Erb does just that, causing the frightful guide to yelp out in horror as his body was being dragged through the air current at extreme speeds. In seconds they were far above the tree line and Bulb both winded and upset to have his feet far from the ground.

 

“WHAT DID I SAY!?” He shouted at Erb.

 

“What!” The young man shrugged. From there new vantage point, they could quickly discern an ocean near the edge of the horizon from one side and what looks to be a large structure towering the trees directly opposite.

 

Abruptly, their moment of tranquility was interrupted by a large heavy explosion followed by a shockwave, almost causing Erb to lose his position in the air and making Bulb loosen his grip for a moment.

 

“The heck was that!?” Bulb barked.

 

Instinctively, Erb used his ability to track down energy signatures and in moments he found 3 distinctive presence not too far from where they were; two of them were almost at the same level as Watanuki’s, but the other was substantial greater. Still, what worried him the most was the murderous aura projected by the large power level, aimed at the fear induced individuals, both far too weak to pose any opposition.

 

"Ah man," He sighed.

 

Bulb took note of his behavior with great concern. "What's wrong?"

 

As his very being was screaming at him to go and intervene with haste Erb fully grasped the last words left behind by himself. And so, he gives in but first warns Bulb beforehand with a half-hearted response and a need to apologize right after.

 

"...I'm about to pick a fight with whoever made that explosion."

 

"Why!?”

 

"Because it's in my nature to. Sorry."

 

"…This is going to happen a lot?"

 

"Most likely."

 

"...I regret everything."

 

 

 

This is the end of my third episode of my newest fanfic story, CrimZon universe.

 

Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters:

1)    Mokona – xxholic

2)    Maru and Moro – xxholic

3)    Gohan - Dragonballz

 

OC characters:

none

 

 

4: Ep 4 - Shenanigans

If you were to look up at the sky what would be the first thing to cross your mind? The way how the countless stars illuminate themselves around their black surrounding? How deep the dark canvas dwells? What must true dead silence feel like in the endless void known as space? Or perhaps wonder if there is another kindred spirit out there, wondering the exact same question.

 

So where could these kindred spirits be? Right next to you? Among you? Maybe further away. Across town? A whole country over? A whole continent? Halfway across the world?

 

What about out there, in the sky?

 

On many undeveloped worlds where religion dictates a civilization or the principles of what they consider being science was in its infancy, the very concept of other sentient lifeforms existing beyond the stars would never be treated as fact but rather a myth; legends - that only gods or a higher force may have the privilege to look down below at the less unfortunate from the safety of their realm. However, even that is true but only a few knew of it to be so.

 

Each star above would also hold different meanings and different star constellations would hold different prophecies or omens.

 

Now, after thousands of years of advancements and progress, whenever anyone looks up at the night sky, they are just left to wonder whatever question arises from a simple pure thought. But little do they know there are always others looking right back at them and the only thing separating them is an infinite dark tinted window.

 

So amidst them, where could this kindred spirit be, who would they be and what would they be?

 

The answer alludes many, but a rare few have found it.

 

 

On a faraway planet….

 

On a planet lying near the outer rims of a spiraling galaxy, there resides a small settlement of humans no greater than a million in total, all gathered in a single large city floating over a vast ocean of glistering water. The people in question were not the ones who made the city but are it's most recent and current tenants.

 

Born from another world in another system, they were driven out of their homes to ensure their survival as a species against total annihilation from technologically superior alien forces. The humans built ships large enough to act as arks and used them to venture out to the stars and find a new home in them. One of those ships arrived at a habitable world, Aeon, where the mysterious city lied dormant for hundreds of thousands of years. But this was not a coincidental meeting. The humans have heard legends of a world housing a civilization far more advanced and ancient than any they’ve ever recorded, and they have its location. As for where they went and why they left remains a mystery. The only clue they had are the technological marvels they left behind.

 

And so out of the many human arks, one charted a course to Aeon, hoping to find the haven they longed for. Their prayers were heard and discovered the only man-made structure across the entire planet – a floating city over the ocean called Atlantis.

 

After settling into the city, the humans began exploring the mainland where they encountered the natives of Aeon, who called themselves Aeolians; they comprised of several different species relating to canine’s, felines, and many other mammals – humanoids no taller than a human’s thigh. After over a hundred years of peace and friendship between the 2 races, they eventually combined into one civilization and made the city the center of their community.

 

Now in the present, sitting alone in a small garden grown on top of an open rooftop, was a young lady, 15 years of age, staring aimlessly at the clear blue sky, counting the small traces of cloud coverage moving slowly out of her peripheral view. As the last batch goes away the bright irritating sunlight pierces out, forcing her to look away and bring her mind back to perspective.

 

She takes off her glasses and cleans them with a cloth. She puts them back on shortly after while brushing away any strands of her pale blonde short hair covering her sights and adjusts her purple flower hairpin on the left side of her head.

 

Wearing only a red sleeveless jacket, a white long skirt over gray shorts, and bright red boots, she sat comfortably on an armchair and stares at the subject sitting across from her on the railing surrounding her enclosure.

 

"Alright then, let's get started.”

 

Resembling more of a seagull but with small black feathers sticking out from behind its head, the bird peers right at her, observing her hands moving across what it looks to be a transparent flat object.

 

Using a called a holo-pad - provided by the city itself; commonly used to interact with terminals or access databases wirelessly – the girl was in the middle of drawing of the seabird thanks to a special pen specially made for her as a gift by one of her closest friends.

 

"Almost done." She mumbled, "Stay still for a little longer, please!"

 

Using her thumb and index finger to hold the pen in place, she uses her free hand to tap buttons on the screen, performing various convenient tasks to help speed up her sketch before the bird could leave.

 

Sadly, it begins flinching more frequently - something was disturbing it – and eventually, it flaps wings rapidly to fly away.

 

"No no no!"

 

Left with an incomplete work, she closes her disappointed eyes for a moment, resting them from the sun's glare. Then, just after she opens them, out of nowhere a figure ran by her on the railing where the bird was.

 

"Mornin Lilith!"

 

The unexpected and swift greeting startled her enough to warrant a readjustment on her crooked glasses. But despite not having a perfect eyesight, she quickly recognizes the individual to be a young man she knew well enough by his metallic arms and his ability to jumping over to another building, 5 times the length of the one she stood on.

 

"Zeph?" Lilith called out but is answered back by someone else.

 

"Morning!"

 

“Raix!?” She spots the second individual, another young man, bidding her a good morning, far across on another structure.

 

Before she could even complete her sentence the shadow of a vehicular transport, shaped as a rough cylinder with an angled front and rear, flies overhead, set on the same path as the two boys.

 

The vehicle was also part of the many machines the city had stored but only a few of the humans have been able to interact with them.

 

Lilith notes its exterior neon green markings running on the side and bottom, and frowns from knowing who was piloting it. "Jav; should’ve known."

 

Moving away from her at breakneck speed, the 2 young men run in a frenzy over the city's countless rooftops while their pilot in the floating box known as a jumper was trailing behind them.

 

Onboard, munching on a fragile yet chunky substance resembling potato chips and getting his gray jacket and shirt dirtied under his nose, Jav monitors their positions and activities through a holo-screen projected off the front view mirror as well as checkpoints he himself strategically placed thanks to a computational algorithm he written just yesterday.

 

The 2 men running outside are aiming to acquire those checkpoints for fun – they were racing, and Jav was their referee.

 

The goal of the race was to pass through 21 out of the 41 checkpoints set throughout the city and the one who achieves this first would be declared the winner. The checkpoints take the form of rings and for every checkpoint that appears a timer is set with it and the time for each one varies depending on how far one or both participants are before reappearing. If a new checkpoint forms and either or both were close to it then the time before it reaches 0 would be several seconds; if they were far away then the time would be longer. Regardless if the timer goes down to 0 they disappear.

 

Despite that, though, the young prodigy's slighter older companions have thus far passed through every checkpoint made and have yet to miss one.

 

“Man, they're going at them like crazy.” He smirked, “And here I thought I made it too hard.”

 

Despite being the same age as Lilith, Jav's understanding in the mechanical, mathematical and technological field are on par with the city's own specialists. But physically he is much weaker than his two friends who were born with superhuman strength and speed and other gifts which not many could ever hope to obtain.

 

Jav presses a single button on the console to open the rear door hatch where 2 small drones sit idly by in the back compartment. With the controller for them on hand, he places the jumper on auto-pilot and connects the device wirelessly with the vehicle's own projection systems, creating one single split screen showing live video feed from his toys.

 

“Time to have a close-up shot.”

 

The drones hover off the floor and fly right out just before the bulk doors closed. They home in on the runner’s location and in seconds Jav could watch them in real time, though they were but blurs to him - too fast for the camera's to properly record due to their physical gifts and a crudely designed one-handed grappling gun – another one of his own little creations - providing them mid-air mobility. The grappling guns - g-guns - were made from 2 unused pistols coupled with military grade steel cables and a small airtight compressor. He modified them to fire a steel rod the size of a standard ruler straight through a 30-mm thick steel wall with ease using air pressure. Unfortunately, the amount of air pressure used was at a level too dangerous for any normal human to use, much less pull the trigger.

 

Outside, dashing forward without a care in the world, the young man named Zeph, hears something buzzing behind him, so he looks back over his shoulder and encounters one of his genius-of-a-friend's drone tailing him.

 

“Checking up on me huh. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

 

Applying slightly more weight, he sprints off into the air, letting his brown hair flow all the way back to the nape of his neck and his dark blue metal headpiece and visor take the brunt of the air currents swirling around him, deafening his surrounding except the clothes on his person wildly fluttering from the wind. The drone couldn't keep up, but it continued to pursue him.

 

Drawing closer to solid ground from his parabolic flight he immediately resumes his run without skipping a beat, traversing over several more in the same fashion. While doing so, however, he takes a quick glance at his score on his visor, showing it to be 15 out of the 21 checkpoints required to win. Currently, his opponent is ahead by 3.

 

“Damn! When did he get another!?”

 

Not wanting to stay behind, he scans for any nearby markers and locates one on the other side of a row of buildings. To avoid the long trip around, he made quick use of his g-gun and aims it at one of the building’s ledges, taking the safety of bystanders above his own entertainment. He fires it, feels the cable vibrating as it soars until it latches, and swings away, shifting his weight forward with both legs stretching out. Halfway through, he releases the trigger, the hook end opens and immediately retracts back into the gun barrel only to be fired again at another ledge, allowing him to fling himself across into another flight and towards an almost vacant air bridge. He skids across the pavement on his feet, stopping himself near the edge of the bridge. But he turns around and meets the eyes of nearby citizens, humans, and Aeolians, who were standing from where they were, shocked over his entrance.

 

Zeph capriciously attempts to ease their concerns with a quick apology.

 

“Sorry about that folks.”

 

Distributing his entire weight into his lower leg and feet, he sprung into the air and over a building rooftop in seconds, accidentally leaving an awe-struck crowd to continue gawking.

 

After several skips over, he locates a checkpoint hovering in the center of an open vehicle platform.

 

“There you are.”

 

But before he could even touch down and pass through the ring, his overconfidence blinds him of his competitor swooping by in an almost perfect horizontal flight with his signature gravity-defying hairstyle brushing, hearing a single parting word fading into the wind.

 

“MINE!”

 

He watches his best friend and the closest thing he has to a brother, Raix, vanish over a building with one more point. By the time he lands, he is clenching his metal fist and lashes out while chasing his rival in a mad dash.

 

“GET BACK HERE!”

 

 

Elsewhere…

 

In another part of the city, inside a hydroponics chamber, a young woman surrounds herself with potted plants, watering all of them with a sprinkler in hand, moisturizing the dark brown soil she personally brought over from the mainland - at one point. Through an open window, the sea salt air flows in, brushing her long dark brown hair aside, revealing her lovely milky skin and curves, covered by tight gray jeans, and a gray tank top.

 

Still, the sea air was chilling to her skin, causing her to shiver a little. Thankfully, her overseer, the gardener - an elderly man wearing only a clean white shirt, brown apron, and black pants with his hair bundled up as a ponytail – notice her aliment and immediately closes it. She turns around after hearing it clamp shut and thanks him.

 

“Thank you, Gabriel. It was starting to get a little chilly in here.”

 

The old man gives her a nod in response, but from his view, he watches her carelessly bump a potted plant off the table with her elbow. Suddenly, a long brown fur tail sprung out right behind her and wraps around the pot, swiftly placing it back where it belonged right after.

 

“Whoops!” she gasped but with a normal tone, and the old man applauds her quick action, “Good catch.”

 

Her tail then wraps around the girl’s waist, it’s base is connected slightly above her jeans. Both she and the old man return to their duties.

 

In the spur of the moment, Gabriel looks out the window and is welcomed by a flock of seabirds passing by and settle themselves all over the building right across from him. He could then hear their chirps forming into a soothing choir and joins them by whistling every tune to the letter. But he was interrupted by a short sigh from his young friend and turns to with an inquiry on her mood.

 

“Sorry, was I whistling too loud?”

 

"Hmm?" Tya hadn’t noticed until he asked, but her mind was dwelling on something else. “No, no it wasn’t.”

 

“Why the gloomy look then?”

 

“I’m not gloomy. Just...bothered," she pouted, recalling yesterday’s fiasco.

 

A poor fool of a soldier attempted to cup a feel on her rear end, so she applied her own sense of justice, in the form of her hand nearly breaking the man's own. The “incident” was reported to the proper authorities, and the soldier was suspended from active duty for 1 month. But she, on the other hand, was sentenced to community services for 6 months under Gabriel’s supervision due to her violation of using unnecessary force for personal vendettas.

 

“I should have just broken it right then and there!”

 

“Now now, that’s no way to talk,” Gabriel replied. “I know for a fact you wouldn’t do that to anyone even if you were told to.”

 

Her silence indicates how true his words were. What she can do now is continue to open her mouth just to inhale air and exhale out her boredom from a long morning and frankly, she was slowly crushing the handle of the sprinkler to relieve her stress. That was until her mind wanders out the window to the sound of someone hollering in the distance.

 

“Sounds like someone is having fun," she commented.

 

“Yes, quite so," Gabriel told her, but as the noise grew closer he couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow as memories begin to resurface.

 

Their eyes caught sight of the thrill riders passing right by the closed window in clear plain sight and it was Zeph and Raix. Their presence quickly put his suspicions to rest, though Tya hastily puts down the sprinkler, flings the window open, and sticks her head out to spot them swinging around the corner.

 

Across the room from them, the door opens with a soft chime tune and the two find Lilith panting by the doorway. After a much-needed run and riding along one of the city's many transporters - elevators used to teleport people quickly across the city - just to keep up with the boy's speed, the little girl wounded up in the same tower as Tya and Gabriel and thought who be better to chase after 2 superhuman's than another superhuman.

 

“Good morning Lilith my dear." Gabriel greeted her warmly in a cryptic tone, "I take it you’re here about our 2 usual customers?”

 

Getting a breather or two, Lilith was taken back by his accurate guess. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

 

“Well, Tya and I just saw them swing-“

 

Before he could finish, Tya rushes out of the room, shouting out angrily over her comrade’s idiotic antics, and how she was going to kill them – figuratively.

 

“And there’s she goes,” he finished. “Headstrong first into a problem again.”

 

Gabriel starts to walk out of the room, beckoning Lilith to follow. “Would you like to come down with me to the hangar bay?”

 

“Sure!” She answered happily, immediately knowing full well what he plans to do next.

 

 

Outside…

 

In the lead and nearing towards a rather populated area of Atlantis, Raix, now running on the walls high above the public eye as though gravity has no hold over his feet, makes use of his natural footwork and speed in keeping his blue arm companion from his prize.

 

With one last look over his shoulder, Raix gave him a confident smirk. “Catch ya later Zeph!”

 

In one sudden motion, he stops himself long enough for Zeph to barely catch up, then instantaneously flexes his leg muscles all at once, using his strength to burst far ahead, kicking up powerful gusts in his wake. His next score indicates itself on his headset screen - attached to his earpiece - and its location to be on the side of another skyscraper with a more triangular shape covered with thick layer of glass.

 

Using his own g-gun to hook onto the less fragile parts of the said building, he begins his climb which quickly turns into an upward sprint, yet continues to look back down to see if Zeph was struggling. But he was nowhere to be seen and that worried him.

 

“Where did he-“

 

Out of the blue, he lost traction under his shoe and slips forward, planting his face on the glass painfully. His g-gun was yanked out of his holster and slides down and over the edge. Raix follows suit despite his effort in trying to hold onto anything to keep him from going down. However, the sweat on his hands hinders him from grasping onto the clear glass, and so, with no way to stop himself, he ramps off and plummets down.

 

"OH SHIT!”

 

He goes into a free fall and curses his lungs out as he heads begins to travel down 50 stories while the next checkpoint grows further and further away. Truth be told, he had little concerns over his fall due to his durability - he once fell off the side of a balcony as a child at a somewhat lower height and came away unharmed. As an adult, he may get away with a scratch. The problem was, he would still feel the impact and pain was never his friend.

 

Raix closes his eyes, begins to make meditative breathes - slow and steady - focuses his mind on picturing himself in a third person view, falling into a black abyss, and then imagined himself covered from head to toe, in a thin layer of what he felt to be a mucus-like substance. Shortly after, the layer starts to shift and move, mimicking that of flames, and gradually became wild, and fierce, uncontrollable yet conscious. He felt no pain and heat from the fire, instead, a tingling sensation travels all over his body, as though his own essence was pouring out from all the pores on his body – his own inner energy encompassing him whole.

 

With but little under 2 seconds left until he hits the floor hard, he opens his eyes and at the same time, his body begins to imitate what he just imagined. He was engulfed in his own aura, enhancing his strength, speed, his 5 senses, and most importantly his durability.

 

He swiftly digs his hands into his pockets, hears a pair of clicks, and takes out two small bracelets, now attached to the side of his wristbands. After just clenching them tightly they rapidly expand into large rings, a foot in diameter, and threw them into two different buildings with a thick wire connecting them to himself. His energy then courses through the wires, and out from the other end, rows of yellow blades sprung to life from the rings and pierced into the wall. Now anchored on tight, Raix braces his arms from the recoil and after withstanding the rebound, he was safe and sound.

 

He releases the aura surrounding the rings to remove the blades, lets himself fall once more, but this time he lands on his 2 feet, bending his knees slightly to absorb the shock and lets out a single whistle out of amazement – not over the height he fell from, but how quickly he reacted.

 

“Well, that could have gone worse. Now then, back to-”

 

A group of startled young female students enter his view and judging by their blue and white sailor uniforms he knew they were from the military academy. He himself was a graduated from there, and he could never forget the fond memories he had staring at a distance, over outlines of voluptuous beauties passing by.

 

Looking at his score again - still above his friend’s - and then back at the girls who took notice of him, giggling cheerfully with blemishing glances, the confident young man brushes his already stiff hair back and puts on his winning smile.

 

“I got some time to kill.”

 

Above the skyline and passing over Raix’s head, Zeph avoids the same mistake his friend had fallen into, keeping himself solid on the glass surface while fluid enough to climb at the top, and takes the checkpoint for himself – now 16 in total. At the top, he grabs hold of a pole and marks his next 3 targets, all within a path that would lead me through the densest part of the city. With one leap he dives into the city lower areas, traversing the complex layout far better than even the jumpers.

 

Although Raix was closest to a different checkpoint located midway around the area, its current height combined with the strong winds coming from the ocean would make it difficult to obtain as well as the short time it has. Still, Zeph believes he could manage the other 3 easy and if he did, he could be able to tie up with his friend, and when that occurs the last rule in their game commences – if both get 20 points each, then all other checkpoints would disappear and the last one will randomly pop up in another part of the city.

 

As his route grew more dense and narrow, Zeph puts away his g-gun and used his own agility from thereafter, latching onto the first solid object he can find and hurdles himself through repeatedly until the first of the 3 is seen in midair over a fountain. With one quick frog hop, he obtains it and starts climbing upward to the second, located at the very top, above a flagpole. He easily scales and then propels himself down to the third, hanging over the side of a balcony.

 

Instead of falling, he plants his feet on the wall and runs alongside it, until passes his last checkpoint, acquiring his 20th point.

 

He exits out of the dense area in a free fall, twirls himself into an upright position with the bottom of his feet facing the ground, and skids across the steel floor on the heel of his boots.

 

“1 more to win!”

 

Not too far away, Jav saw Zeph’s tally increase rapidly and was starting to worry over Raix’s inactivity despite being a block away from a somewhat easy point – he made a bet with himself that Raix would win overall.

 

“What is he doing down there?”

 

On the screen, a second video feed plays, meaning his other drone finally caught up to Raix. The live images show his friend surround by some of the academy girls.

 

“Augh.” Throwing his head as far back he could, his frustration over Raix’s lack of priority made him pick up his headset and adjust his microphone. “…This guy!”

 

Raix, firing off his one-liners and lover's quotes at the ladies with his overconfident charms, completely absorbed in his own ego, lets out a painful yelp from hearing his name ringing out of his earpiece.

 

“RAIX!”

 

“AH! Not so loud man!”

 

“Zeph is ahead of you by 1! Get a move on already unless you want to lose!”

 

“WHAT!” After taking a quick look at the scores, Raix bid his farewells. "Shit! Sorry ladies got to fly!"

 

Lighting his weapons to life, he throws one of them up, latches it onto the side of the tallest building he can find, and flew away from his adoring crowd. Driven by a new motivation to win and with only a few seconds to spare before his marker disappears, he swiftly approaches the next ring and launches himself towards its center, scoring his 20th ring.

 

Zeph at the time was quickly notified of Raix's gain and anxiously surveys the other checkpoints disappearing except one stationed in the middle of the next seaport over. Running on the outer lanes of the city, he already has it in his eyes. But he quickly met a problem.

 

“Of all the places.”

 

The winning checkpoint stands in the middle of an unaware group of academy students conducting their morning combat training, led by one of the last people Zeph wants to be caught by; his former instructor and military superior, Commander Dyne. Nearly 7 feet tall, with a build equaling 3 men, topped with a bald shaved head and a mustache. Dark brown skin covered with a gray tank top and black jeans.

 

Still, his concern was diverted to an alert of Raix’s presence approaching the same marker, and he was on a clear path to his objective with no sign of slowing down.

 

“I was wondering when he might show up."

 

In a desperate move to beat his friend, Zeph channels his own latent energy into his right metal arm, creating a shallow white glow enveloping his entire hand. He then stretches the same arm behind himself and out from the palm of his hand his aura blazes out, jettisoning him high and over the ocean.

 

Higher up, Jav flew past the last row of skyscrapers and received a video feed of both competitors eagerly aiming for the goal. However, the sound of footsteps stomping on the hull caught his ears and the light from the sun dims over his eyes for only a second; it was long enough for him to direct his attention out the mirror and down below.

 

Zeph and Raix ran with their livelihoods on the line, throwing all caution to the wind, ignoring what consequences they’ll face for being caught, instead of patrolling the northern section of the city as they were ordered too as today’s quota. But the prize for their little contest was worth their sacrifice; whoever wins the loser must forfeit half of their salary for 1 month. This wasn’t the first time they wagered in a competitive sport; it was their tradition with one another, spanning a little over a decade, with Raix being on top with 7 wins.

 

But their fun and games were about to come to an end when the marker on their own screens is replaced by a young woman, Tya, standing in their way with her arms cross, causing them to shriek in fright with just one scolding glance.

 

Raix wildly flaps his arms in vain to stop himself, but a single step forward sent him to trip and tumble past her and the astonished classmates - thankfully not hitting anyone. Zeph didn’t land so roughly and manages to keep himself upright. However, he staggers past her on one foot and falls to his knees.

 

Moaning in pain, Raix lifts his face off the ground, hearing his neck crackling from ever little move he makes. However, it was overshadowed by a groveling rough voice of one of the last individuals he wants to see.

 

“What in god’s name is going on here!?”

 

Marching out of the crowd astonished students, commander Dyne, looks at Raix first, then Zeph who was patting dirt off himself, and back at Raix who sheds a crooked smile.

 

Calmly the man folds his arms, containing a growing mountain of wrath inside of him, causing the veins all around his upper torso to become visible. "Raix! If I recall...you’re supposed to be patrolling the northern section at this very moment. And by my count, your shift should end 2 hours from now…”

 

He squints the muscles around his eyes, closing them for a few moments, until he bulges them out upon his raging roar of an outburst, causing everyone unfortunate enough to be close by to have their eardrums obliterated. “SO WHY ARE YOU HERE!?”

 

Dazed from what felt like flash grenades setting off right in front of his face and smelling the man’s coffee morning breathe gush past his face and hair, Raix took a few seconds to compose himself the best he can but deliriously answers back, “And good morning to you…mister Dyne.”

 

“THAT'S COMMANDER TO YOU, PRIVATE!”

 

While they have their conversation, Zeph recovers back onto his feet but makes eye contact with Tya. Unable to find an excuse suitable for this dilemma, he utters a greeting in hopes of getting off easy with her. “Um…hey Tya. Why aren’t you with Gabe?”

 

"Oh, you know why." She threatened him in a low voice.

 

He hid his fear behind his blue visor and gulps down whatever shred of fun he had from the past hour down his throat.

 

Jav, safe in his Jumper, sees them both being scolded rather harshly judging from how submissive the young men were, and cringes frightfully over having to face them himself for simply being involved with them through his g-guns - that and he wasn't supposed to take his Jumper out.

 

“I think it’s time for me to leave,” he said to himself.

 

Before he could make his getaway to the nearest hanger bay, another Jumper suddenly appears in his view out of thin air, deactivating its cloaking field – a feature present in all Jumpers. Through the mirror of the other one, he can see Lilith glaring at him scornfully and a grinning Gabriel relaying a gentle wave from within the cockpit – his punishment awaits.

 

 

 

Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters:

1.    Zeph

2.    Tya

3.    Raix

4.    Lilith

5.    Jav

6.    Gabe

7.    Dyne

 

5: Ep 5 - Remedy for Boredom

City Main Control Tower...

 

At the center of the Atlantis, with an impressive height of over 270 meters, the main control tower stands as the tallest structure above all else, housing most of the city's main systems and functionality such as water filtration, energy distribution, city-wide alerts and other protocols meant to safeguard the city from itself. Because of this, it was adequately named the Control tower and acts as the main military headquarters of SWORD – Special Warfare ORDnance; created since the human’s arrival to Aeon, SWORD is the main offensive and defensive forces with more than a thousand men and women, including Aeolians, enlisted.

 

Presently, several SWORD personnel who were involved with today’s earlier fiasco, are all accounted for inside the office of the city’s leading hierarchy.

 

Zeph, Raix, and Tya stand side by side, head's up and back straight, whereas leaning against the wall behind them are Commander Dyne, Jav, and Gabriel. Opposite to Zeph and the others is their team leader; a girl wearing a similar attire as Tya but with blonde hair and velvet eyes. Over her left breast is a tag imprinted with her title and name, Lieutenant Roza Gerhardt – leader of Fireteam Charlie, made up of herself and the three alongside her.

 

All in unison their bodies stiffen upon the chimes of a holo-pad held by the cyan skin woman - wearing a full body combat suit with a black jacket on her - sitting behind a large desk who goes by the name of either Eleanor Gerhardt or President Eleanor – the current leader of the entire city and Roza’s mother. A pale blonde beauty much like her daughter, she is biologically neither human nor Aeolian. Her race had no name but are responsible for aiding mankind in their survival against the alien forces by providing them the technology required to defend themselves and build the arks ships. When the human finished building their means of transport, she was the only one of her people to board the ark heading for Aeon, acting as the crew’s guide. After finding Atlantis and making it their new home, she continued to work as an advisor to the humans for the next hundred years, during which she became the President of the people of Aeon through a unanimous vote.

 

Standing beside her is a bald middle age man with a pointy chin but is overall fragile with his retro, eccentric light gray formal suit with a black necktie around his neck, bearing the position of Secretary upon his left chest.

 

Zeph and Raix seemed more concern with the president scrolling through her tablet but are slightly put off by the secretary’s presence.

 

“Why is the old geezer here?” Raix whispered to his visor wearing companion, Zeph.

 

“Probably just to see us get grilled for what we did.”

 

“He always has it out for us.”

 

“I know.” The cyborg then quickly silences his friend upon seeing the president putting down her device, but instead of hearing her speak, the secretary, mister Hatric, starts reading off a list of complaints drawn from the public who have been affected by the young men’s actions.

 

"Disturbing the public peace throughout the city...vandalism of various public and private properties…illegal testing and use of uncertified weapons and additional military hardware…unauthorized access to a grounded jumper...”

 

"We did all of that?" Raix whispered again, and his friend complied freely, “I guess we did.”

 

Their comments attracted the bald man’s eyes. “And this is only the first page out of 3.”

 

Sensing his last sentence was more a threat then a statement, Zeph made his rebuttal.

 

“Excuse us Secretary Hatric. Please continue with your…ranting.”

 

Raix let out a chuckle which pissed the secretary off. “Keep laughing young man!”

 

“Oh, can I!?” The wild hair boy continues, causing the official to almost blow his gasket.

 

“Stop it!” Tya growls at the boys.

 

“Unnecessary but much obliged Private,” Hatric said.

 

“That was for both of you.”

 

“Come again?”

 

“You’re enabling these idiots with your failed attempts at discipline! You moron!” Tya turns to the boys and goes on. “And you 2 aren’t making this easier on yourselves so shut your mouths and stay quiet!”

 

Zeph and Raix acknowledged her by staying quiet, knowing they would be more entertained to see her lash out at the man who treated her sexual harassment charge so poorly.

 

Hatric, along with other officials, altogether form a group called the Committee, who oversee activities of both SWORD and the public, as well as acting as the judicial system of the community. Unfortunately, their reputation as judge and jury was less than desirable; Tya’s case was one such time. Even though the male soldier who harassed her broke ethics, her retaliation was viewed by the committee as an even bigger problem.

 

Fortunately, Gabriel was among the committee who took her case and when everyone wanted to place a severe punishment on her, he was the one to suggest she work under him in community service. Still, Hatric had the last say on the duration of her sentence.

 

“Lieutenant Roza, keep your subordinates in check!”

 

Roza answers him in a cold manner without even making eye contact. “As you can see they are now. They know better than to insult you directly in your face.”

 

“What-“

 

She cuts him off before another word could escape his mouth. “May we move forward, please! I can’t imagine the president wouldn’t sit idly any longer over this pointless conversation between a man-child and an even older one.”

 

Raix grunts from her comparison, but regardless he and the others stayed quiet the secretary was at a loss for words, looking to the president for assistance.

 

Jav and Gabriel, not part of the discussion yet, overhear Dyne chuckling followed by a comment. “Like mother and daughter.”

 

After the room fell briefly silent, the president concluded her thoughts and spoke to the soldiers. Her sky-blue eyes could be seen clearly by everyone yet when the 2 boys were caught in her sight, they froze in place, chilled to the bone. “So, let me get one thing clear. You 2…ditched your morning patrol route because..."

 

She didn't have to wait long for one of them to realize they were supposed to fill in the blanks. Zeph had open his mouth to provide a proper answer, but unfortunately, Raix beats him to the punch. "It was my fault ma’am. I was bored and I dragged Zeph into one of my idea’s."

 

One of her eyebrows stood up higher than the other one, indicating her surprise in how he said it so innocently. She turns to Zeph for his answer.

 

"Sadly to say ma'am, my idiot–of-a-friend here is lying to you. I suggested we have some fun since we already have gone through our routes earlier than expected. As his sergeant, I ordered him to have a race with me.”

 

"Really sergeant?" Eleanor asked, but the game they were playing was obvious to everyone - covering for one another out of friendship - so obvious Hatric butts in, angry over their continued misconduct.

 

“You 2 must think you’re so smart.”

 

“Not really,” Zeph retorted. “It’s true, we did put our own priorities over our duties as SWORD members and we have no excuses for it. But it was seriously…a waste of time.” Being honest with himself was the best option they had. "That’s our honest opinion, ma’am.”

 

"...A waste of time?" Hatric repeated his words. “The nerve. Do you think your abilities grant you special treatment!? Your nothing more than a soldier! Your duty is to serve and protect this city, not run around like hooligans!”

 

“Secretary Hatric!”

 

He instantly stays shut upon hearing Eleanor call him out. But she only did it just so she can keep clear her mind and focus on the sergeant’s response. “Honest huh. As much as I like your honesty and your teammate’s…bluntness…I would normally discharge all of you from active duty for being insubordinate and even back talking to the secretary here while I’m present.”

 

“Would ma’am?” Hatric pointed out, questioning her meaning.

 

She ignores him and resumes. "However, your teams are an intricate and irreplaceable asset to SWORD and court marshaling you over something trivial like this…is a little laughable.”

 

“But madam president! This is far from Trivial!”

 

“Is it?” She pulls up her holo-pad and replays footage taken of them performing backflips and sprints with smiles on their face for everyone to see. “No one is hurt and they’ve done little to no damage to the city – other than leaving holes in the walls but those can be filled in.”

 

The boys delightfully watch themselves while the girls let out sighs over their playfulness.

 

“Surely you’re not letting them off free of charge!”

 

“On that, I am most certainly not!”

 

Her eyes connect with Zeph and Raix and she made her verdict.

 

“Because of your lack of diligence in your duties and misusing your abilities outside of SWORDS operations, you 2 will be placed under suspension from active duty and for every hole you made or any damage we may have overlooked, you are responsible for fixing them and keeping the necessary equipment intact - if you do not uphold these conditions and cause even more trouble on top of that, I will have no choice but to suspend your status as SWORD members indefinitely. Lastly, I will let Commander Dyne decide on what punishments you 2 deserve.”

 

“I was waiting for you to say that ma’am,” Dyne confessed, while the 2 young men depressingly bow their heads and Eleanor changes her attention to their ‘sister”.

 

"Now as for you Private Tya."

 

"Yes, ma'am?"

 

"You’re sentence is still under effect and has not changed. But another misdemeanor like this-“

 

On the holo-pad, a video feed of her leaping onto Jav’s jumper and quickly jumping off left the poor girl to crack a smile. “Oh.”

 

“I will have to add another month to your volunteer work. Now I understand you only did just to stop them from getting into any further trouble but rules are rules! You are not to use your powers without authorization.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

"Madam President," Roza spoke out. "About yesterday’s business between Tya and the other officer."

 

Hatric then comes out of nowhere and cuts her off with a question. “What of it Lieutenant?”

 

Roza felt a hand on her shoulder and looks behind her to see Tya with a pained look. “It’s not worth it.”

 

“To me it is.”

 

But before she could get a word out, her mother stops her. “I’m sorry but that case is out of my jurisdiction. I don’t have any say in the matter.”

 

“But it’s unfair! That soldier did something no decent woman would ever approve of, and he gets away with a month worth suspension?”

 

“I’m sorry but like I said, I can’t do nothing about it so long as the committee doesn’t have probable cause.”

 

“As the president said,” Hatric clarified with a smug look on his face, enjoying his small and first victory thus far. “The decision was made by us, the committee, and it is final. There is nothing else to talk about; hence, case closed!”

 

Roza looks to Gabriel for his input but he reluctantly agrees with Hatric, leaving not much else for her to go on with.

 

Eleanor, having the floor again, decides to move on to the next issue on hand. “Very well then. Let’s move on...Jav."

 

The dark skin youngster nervously steps forward and looks at her the same.

 

"Your punishment in aiding their little excursion is taking a trip with Gabriel tomorrow over to the mainland and repair one of the jumpers at Alpha site.”

 

“Oh man…” The outdoors was his own weakness – never loved the forest air and the countless bugs flying around.

 

“After that, you are also going to repair whatever other equipment that needs fixing on site and upon your return home your already grounded jumper will be indefinitely grounded until I say otherwise.”

 

"Augh, fine."

 

“Furthermore-”

 

“What!? There’s more!?”

 

His sudden outburst left the room silent, and feeling the awkward stare from the others causes him to take back his words. “I mean, ah…sorry, please continue, ma'am.”

 

“Don’t worry this is the last one.” She jests but her young friend isn’t amused. “You are also going to join Tya in her community services.”

 

“WHAT!?” He yelped once more, this time with no restraints. “All I did was tag along!”

 

“You did, but what of these…”

 

She presents the g-guns – one from Zeph and the other found in the middle of the streets - as well as the drones containing the same footage she showed, both initially belonging to the military until someone reported them missing.

 

“Oh yeah…those.” He admitted pathetically.

 

“Taking your jumper without authorization would have just landed you repair duty. But illegally acquiring military hardware – decommissioned or not – is an entirely other matter. Did you think no one in the armory wouldn’t notice them missing?”

 

“Now I do,” he murmured to himself.

 

“But seeing as how you’re a technical expert – a good one at that - I’m going to be lenient and let you choose between community service and the second option.”

 

I don’t like where this is going.

 

“You will be fixing all of the damaged equipment sent by the science department for half the day, and for the rest, you’re going to work in the motor pool.”

 

Without a second thought, he turns to Gabriel, covering his worried look with a makeshift glee. “When do I start?”

 

“Smart choice,” Eleanor noted. But it was something the others were a little afraid to see, so much that Zeph requested his team leader of something bizarre.

 

“Roza.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Next time we do something like this again, please punch us.”

 

“But you say that all the time.”

 

“I know, but please continue to do so, and do it hard. Like ‘knocking our teeth out’ hard!”

 

“I’ll have Tya do it.”

 

“Gladly,” she butts in.

 

While the young contemplate, Gabriel finally adds his voice to the conversation. “Now that everyone’s been given their just desserts, may I make some suggestions.”

 

The president immediately gave him the room. “Of course, Gabriel.”

 

“Thank you. To my understanding, only Zeph and Raix are suspended. Does that technically mean all of Charlie team is under suspension as well?”

 

“Yes, they are,” Hatric answered but was quickly corrected by the president. “Actually, no they are not.”

 

“Then what of Roza.”

 

“She’s free to do whatever she pleases but she cannot participate in another squad’s activity.

 

“Then can I bring her along tomorrow with Tya, seeing as how she is already under my supervision.”

 

“What for?”

 

“Just in case we encounter certain dangerous wildlife while we’re there. You can never be too careful. More manpower, stronger defense – though I should say womanpower.”

 

“That’s not a bad suggestion. Alright, you may take them both with you.”

 

“Good. Oh wait, there’s one more thing…I’ve received word from Doctor Eve on the site that there are some newly discovered ruins written in the languages we’ve seen written here in the city.”

 

“You mean the language of the ancients?”

 

The humans and Aeolians refer to Atlantis’s last inhabitants as the ancients, and many of the recordings they left behind show they are nearly human, though somewhat taller.

 

“Very much so. But no one at the site can decipher them. So I was wondering…if I can bring a certain little girl along also.”

 

“You mean Lilith!?”

 

“Lilith?” Hatric pondered, “Surely you jest! She’s a little girl. She couldn’t possibly have a better understanding than our esteemed scholars. Bring one of them with you.”

 

“I’m afraid you gravely underestimate her Secretary Hatric! Her grasp of the ancient’s language and their culture makes her one of the foremost experts in the field other than Secretary Eve. I dare say her intellect far exceeds that of everyone in this room combined.”

 

“Ahem!” Jav coughed out loudly to indicate his disapproval over his claim.

 

“My mistake. I meant everyone except Jav. I believe she will be a great help.”

 

He waves his hand by the door and as it slides open with a chime, a little girl falls out with a high-pitched yelp.

 

“OW!”

 

“Lilith!” Roza - her older sister - called her out. “What did I tell you about eavesdropping?”

 

“I wanted to listen in too!”

 

“Young lady.” Eleanor’s words immediately caught her youngest daughter’s attention. “Yes, mom! Oh, I mean President.”

 

She stumbles to her feet, dusting her skirt off and stands upright before the woman who birthed her.

 

Unlike Roza, Eleanor could see much of Lilith’s character deriving from the man whom she fell in love with – adventurous and pure of heart. Much to her dismay, there was one quality she didn’t like about him and it somehow found its way inside her prodigal daughter – his habit of not doing as told.

 

“Sigh, we will discuss your bad habit another time. As for your request Gabriel, I am afraid I cannot allow her to go with you.”

 

“No!” Lilith begged, “Please let me go to the mainland!”

 

“It’s too dangerous.”

 

“But Jav gets to go and he and I are the same age!?”

 

“Hey, I’m still older.” The dark skin boy made it clear quite clear, but Tya made the truth shine. “By a few months.”

 

The young girl continued to beg her mother to change her decision. “Roza and Tya will be there too! Who better to protect me than the 2 strongest girls in all of Atlantis!?”

 

“Haha, she said 'girls'!” Though Raix meant no offense, his comment earned him a stomp on his toes by Tya and her another well-thought response. “Manchild.”

 

“Please madam president! Please!”

 

Her puppy dog eye combined with her petite figure broke the stern look Eleanor had practiced for today. But Gabriel wasn’t wrong and Eleanor understands just how amazing her daughter is, from reading history textbooks to understanding the written language of the ancients at the age of 12.

 

“I’m going to regret this.”

 

The little girl gasp in excitement as she hears the next words coming out of her mother’s mouth. “You may go.”

 

“Oh thank you!”

 

“But you are to stay close with Tya and Roza at all times. Do I make myself clear young lady!?”

 

As though she were a soldier herself, Lilith performs a military salute to her – placing her left hand above her forehead, her right forearm behind her back, and spreading her legs apart by the length of her shoulders.

 

“Yes, ma’am!”

 

“She would make a fine soldier.” Dyne appalled with his short bellowing laughter.

 

Under everyone’s noses, Hatric utters his disapproval in his thought of how easily the president was swayed, and how everything proceeded with nothing more than a postponement in duty. He only attended today’s meeting in hopes of further restricting the superhumans for the sake of the city – he views them as a threat to everything his ancestors have built. But instead, he was left ridiculed by them and was even interrupted by the president herself more than once.

 

"Now are there any more issues to present?” Eleanor asked around, but no one responds, leaving her to conclude their session. “Then this meeting is over. You’re all dismissed...except for you Gabriel. There's something else I wish to discuss with you in private."

 

He didn't say a word and stayed, whereas everyone else marched off to elsewhere.

 

Out first is Hatric and he didn’t waste any time getting to the nearest transporter just to get away from his humiliations.

 

As he got on, Lilith passed by and gave him the stink eye with her tongue sticking out just before the doors closed over his infuriated face. Everyone else soon followed out leaving the last to be Dyne. But before he stepped out of the room he looks over his shoulder, catching Eleanor’s eye and seeing her give him a nod. He does the same and closes the door behind him.

 

With Hatric gone, Lilith went on to further insult him. “Jerk.”

 

But she then gets a soft knock on the head by Roza.

 

"That’s no way to talk about someone else Lilith."

 

“Alright! Just stop hitting my head! Geez, one of these days you’re going to make me brain dead.”

 

“Well then at least don't say it in a way like how these 2 would. Obnoxious and straightforward."

 

“No kidding.” Tya agreed. “You guys can be idiots sometimes, but what you said back there was pretty….well, stupid!”

   

"Hey, it's our nature as men!" Raix told her.

 

"It's in your nature." Zeph corrected him, "I do it just to make fun of Mister Stuckup.”

 

"Enough chit chat! This ain’t a picnic!" Dyne barked. He cuts through the middle of the group and walks in front of them. "You two follow me! I have the perfect punishment and remedy to your boredom."

 

"Fan-fricken-tastic." the wild hair man said.

 

But before he could take them away, Roza took the moment to ask, "Commander Dyne? I would like to speak to Zeph alone for a moment."

 

"Do as you please Lieutenant. Zeph, after you’re done head over to seaport C – and don’t even think about ditching out. I know where you live!”

 

“You have nothing to worry about sir.” He gleamingly said.

 

“Tya, you’re coming with me, I'm going to need your help on something."

 

"Sure Commander."

 

"Guess I better get ready for tomorrow morning." Jav decided, “Just great.”

 

"Mind if I tag along?" Lilith asked.

 

"Meh,” he shrugged. “Sure."

 

The 5 of them went on their way, leaving Zeph and Roza to talk in private.

   

"I take it you want to talk about what we said earlier before Dyne came in and ruin our fun?” Zeph guessed.

 

“God, everything is a game to you, isn’t it?”

 

“Not everything….just sometimes, you know.”

 

"Augh...anyway, you’re right! We’re not done. We’re far from done! You were talking with my mother - the president back there! Being honest is one thing but blurting out 'it’s a waste of your time,' as an excuse was quite possibly the stupidest thing to say! No! It was the most irresponsible thing you could have said!"

 

"I admit! Not my finest moment!"

 

"Also, you even tried to instigate a fight with the secretary, who is also in charge of certifying groups like ours into official squads. We’re only fireteam Charlie by name! We haven’t done any real missions yet."

 

"Hey, that guys is an ass! He hates us for what we are and he doesn’t hide it! It’s not our job’s description to be nice to him 24/7! And by the way, if he even thinks he can take one of us he has another thing coming!"

 

"And to top it all off, your attitude!"

 

"What of it?" His voice raised rather quickly, starling Roza for a moment.

 

"I may be able to tolerate you and Riax. Tya definitely can! Heck, even the commander and my mother! Especially Gabe! But anyone else wouldn't. They would think you were some thug who works in SWORDS, drunk with power and authority!"

 

“You know me better than that! I wouldn’t be caught dead acting that way! Not like Hatric!”

 

She grabs his metal hands with both of her owns, bringing to her chest. "Please promise you will keep your cool. Ok?”

 

Hearing her soothing voice calmed him inner frustration to the point of doing the same for her. "For you....anything."

 

"Thanks." She then leans her face closer to his and plants a soft quick kiss on his left cheek.

 

“No, thank you.”

 

She smiles back and begins to walk away. "That’s all I wanted to say for now. So you better get going. I got somewhere I need to be."

 

“Sure…see you till dinner? The usual place?”

 

“Are you kidding me? Their serving steak with potatoes! I’m not missing out on that.”

 

She runs off leaving Zeph standing with a smirk on his face.

 

“Ewww.”

 

The cyborg almost lets out a yelp of fright overhearing Jav’s voice creeping up on him. He flips around and meets the mischievous smirks of him and Lilith.

 

Back in the president room, however, Gabriel and Eleanor have their conversation with everything in the room deactivated except for a glass piece seating on top of her table.

 

“What a headache,” Eleanor confessed as she leans against her chair as far as she could.

 

“Is that any way to talk madam president?”

 

“You don’t have the right to say that, Gabe,” she joked. “You spoiled them too much.”

 

“True, true. I did do that. But it our jobs as parent’s and guardians after all. Keeping them safe, giving them their freedom, such and such. And to be perfectly frank, this time of peace we're in is starting to make them restless.”

 

“It can't be helped; there isn't much else those 4 can't handle whether there's trouble in the city or at the mainland sites."

 

"Guess this won't be the last time we'll be having this discussion again."

 

"...I'm not so sure about that.

 

A sense of grim foresight grabs Gabriel by the neck as he slightly jerks his head around. “What do you mean?"

 

She pauses herself from saying any more, clenching her hands together worryingly, and then letting them go so she could grab her holo-pad. “...I have something to show you.”

 

She taps her finger on the item and out from it an image of their world, Aeon, and the system it’s in spreads throughout the room.

 

“Take a look at this.” She points towards a small cluster of asteroids several light years away from the planet.

 

“What’s is it?”

 

“A little over a month ago, our astronomers have discovered small group of asteroids, traveling at a relatively slow speed outside the local belt; it's flight path isn’t anywhere near us."

 

"But there's more isn't there?"

 

"You guessed it." She taps once more and this time, the cluster was gone. "This image was taken 2 days ago, of where the asteroids should have been."

 

“What happened to them?”

 

“I don’t know. But now take a look at this.”

 

Several charts begin to pop out, each including different lines and dots. “This chart indicates radiation levels picked up on our deep space radar and around yesterday we’ve received this spike.”

 

Amidst all the other points in a chart she shows, exclusively one small section had a high rise.

 

“Now look at this.” The next one had a different timeline but held the same spike. “Notice anything similar.”

 

The spikes were apparent to him but what stuck out was the date. “This one is from a months ago.”

 

“Almost the same time when we first found them…I don’t believe those were asteroids…but rather something made to appear as one.”

 

“You don’t mean…”

 

“I’m afraid so.”

 

“Does anyone else know about this?”

 

“No, and I’ve ordered the astronomers not to divulge this information to anyone."

 

“But why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t the military prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

 

“Dyne is already making preparations. But truthfully, I just don’t know if it will be enough. Unless…”

 

“Unless what?”

 

“…unless we use them.”

 

Fireteam Charlie was the first group to come to Gabriel's mind, and now her worries are starting to rub off on him. He grabs her hand, warming them with his own. “It won’t come to that!”

 

“I hope your right Gabe.”

 

 

Thousands of light years away…

 

Station near a blue gas giant, a fleet of alien vessels massing near the hundreds currently approaching the planet Aeon at sub-light speed, still growing as new incoming reinforcements exit out of slip space.

 

Each ship was as big as the Ancient City itself, holding enough firepower to mount a siege of global proportions.

 

In the center of the fleet is the mothership, twice the size of everything else around it, and inside a mercenary gang comprising of one race - blue exteriors shells over an even darker shade of harden flesh underneath, one eye covering their face and another hidden beneath their armored chest plates – march in unison to the bridge, summoned by the fleet's leading charge.

 

One of them, a male with a thick but average build, short thick dark purple hair and decorated in bronze color armor, lead behind him 5 others - 2 females and 3 males. They all bore red instead of bronze.

 

The females trailing his back were twins, one having the name Teal and the other Azure; both of their hair colors are the same but Teal’s was long whereas Azure reached her neck.

 

The first of the male warriors behind them was Vard – largest of them all, easily towering the second tallest by at least twice and was completely bald.

 

Beside him was Gunnar – taller than his leader by a few feet and his hair color was slightly darker than the rest, fashioned as a Mohawk.

 

And finally, there is Shade – shortest of the bunch, close to that of a human teenager, with a much thinner frame and has a dark blue hair bunched up to resemble a morning star mace.

 

Born from a world with an environment that would kill any human or other alien species, the one eye beings thrived on it and in return obtained proficiency in regeneration and utilization of their own life force energy. Overall, they are a powerful force and eagerly sought out by many for their services. The strongest of their kind was said to have to can destroy the entire surface of a planet – even obliterating the very planet itself. The crew members who watched them walk by knew well enough to stay clear and not to start up trouble if they wish to keep their lives.

 

The leader of this band and the one wearing bronze is Ouros, and currently, they are under the employment of the alien federation known as the Harbingers – the same group who forced the humans of Aeon to leave their home.

 

The Harbingers were a collective brought together by the will of a single old race for the sole purpose of unifying the galaxy under one force and to combat the threatening emergence of another race within the dark surroundings of their galaxy. The harbingers were militaristic and lack any remorse for those who quietly decline their offer to join their cause – any who do not join are to be eliminated. The humans were no exception and made as an example.

 

Arriving at the bridge, Ouros and his warriors are welcome by a vast room, having but a few numbers of attendants interacting with the ship’s terminals in the shape of prisms. They were short, shorter than Shade, more like goblins from a fairy tale story. But their intelligence was unmatched, superior to most, even integrating other technologies to their own.

 

Not knowing who the boss was since they all look alike, Ouros announced themselves.

 

“You summoned us?” His voice booms throughout the interior, and one of the elves turns around.

 

“Good good good you’re here.”

 

The yellow being was designated with the title, Fleet Master - the highest commanding officer in the entire fleet – and underneath its feet a part of the floor breaks off, becoming a floating platform, lifts him up and hovers him towards the mercenary.

 

“Our analysts have just retrieved data sent from our advance recon ships, and fortunately, our time and effort bared fruit!”

 

The fleet master brings them over to a large table with a projected image of the planet and a rendered image of a humans walking about in the streets of Atlantis, and the city itself. “Currently there are humans residing on this planet, which they called Aeon, and apparently they are the same ones who have escaped from one of our purges dated back a hundred cycles ago.”

 

Ouros knew of the weak primates after invading several worlds inhabited by them. Though they appear no different from each one he conquered, they all had different forms of powers that made them unique from one another – some were abnormally stronger than their kin in terms of physicality; others could harness powers which they’ve believed to be magic; and a few had a little bit of both but in a different form. Yet generally, those who have such powers were among a very select few and most of the population were all the same – weak and fragile.

 

“Why do you concern yourself with these particular humans? Are they a threat?”

 

“No, nothing of the kind! Their current technological level is said to be D if not C class at best. But that is not the point. Look at this city. Do you know what that is?”

 

He examines its layout and structure - looking like a flower petal floating over a pond - but he was stumped. “I’m afraid not.”

 

Vard large shadow quickly looms over their heads as he peers over them to get a better look. “Looks like an ordinary hunk of metal to me.”

 

His description caused the fleet master to snarl in disagreement. “That is no ordinary 'hunk of metal'. This once belonged to one of the ancient races of old. A society who have achieved technological marvels beyond anything we could ever produce in our lifetime!”

 

“And you wish to acquire this city for its riches?” Ouros skeptically asked.

 

“Yes, and much more. We must have it!”

 

Teal soon provides her own question to the enthusiastic fleet master. “If it’s that valuable then what made you Harbingers wait this long for?”

 

“These humans don’t look tough!” Gunnar noted, “From what I can see their weapons are just lasers guns and large metal automatons. We can easily wipe them out!”

 

The fleet master goes on to explain. “We’ve only learned of the city by chance. If one of our researchers haven’t overlooked a previous report of the same planet we would have never known of its existence. All technologies belonging to the Ancients across the galaxy are either gone or located in the most dangerous of areas. In fact, our first report regarding that planet included a small batch of sentient creatures who knew of it as a myth - a floating city over the blue sea, fit for gods. The scouts have searched the entire ocean and nothing! No city! The fleet master in charge of that operation was foolish enough to have dismissed it as a myth as well. But that is not the case! The city exists! We have proof! It must have hidden somehow with the help of the humans who have stumbled across it.”

 

“Then let’s take it already!” Azure demanded. “What are we waiting for!?”

 

The elf creature’s voice soon became grim. “There's something else to note. The fleet master at the time did not leave because they couldn’t find it, but rather they were driven out by…these.”

 

Several old recordings are taken from an old scout ship play in front of them, each containing different viewpoints of 3 large shadows, easily measuring up to 30 feet, decimating a battalion of their soldiers.

 

“The attack took place during the night but at the same time these monsters suddenly appeared and attacked out forces. Only one ship returned; heavily damaged. Ouros, your mercenary’s will be sent in first to the ground as the vanguard and eliminate them if they are still alive.”

 

Ouros didn’t hear a word he said, instead he was further examining the feature of the beast, and in seconds he quickly realizes what they were. “These are Oozaru?”

 

His comrades didn’t follow either. They all stared skeptically. Gunnar was the first to make an inquiry. “An oozaru?”

 

“It’s a transformation only performed by a human-like race called the Saiyans.”

 

The yellow creature confirms his suspicion. “You are indeed correct. The very same ones who once worked under the space tyrant, Frieza.”

 

Everyone in the room who have heard him started to whisper amongst themselves in astonishment, even his own. “Wasn’t he the one who also wiped them out?” Azure speculated, “I thought they went extinct.”

 

“Apparently they weren’t. But I have heard rumors of a few who have survived or at least managed to avoid the same fate. Still, it only takes 4 or 5 of them to take over a planet with ease. It’s no wonders your weapons had little to no effect.”

 

“But Frieza huh.” Vard reckoned, rubbing his chin intriguingly. “They say he was the strongest in the universe. That reminds me, didn’t your older brother, Boros, also take the mantle of being the strongest for himself.”

 

“It’s a useless title. The universe is too vast for any one individual to keep that title of strongest.”

 

“Sure. But you must admit, both of their powers exceeded all of ours before then. And by now Boros must have reached new heights if he’s still searching for that.”

 

“Most likely.”

 

The last time he had seen his brother was nearly 20 years ago in another galaxy. Due to his brother’s almost immeasurable power, no one could oppose him, and anyone who did, received no mercy from him. Throughout Ouros life he had never seen his brother lose to any challenge, yet there was one obstacle he saw him almost succumb to. His suffocating boredom. To remedy his invisible ailment, he brought his brother to a seer who prophesied that he would meet a challenger in a far-off galaxy who matched his strength and would reawaken his passion for fighting. Afterward, he and his brother went their separate ways; Ouros worked alone as a fighter for hire until he was joined by his own kin as he traveled to other worlds. Thinking of his brother now after so long made him wonder if he ever found his fated opponent.

 

“He’s persistent…but a fool.”

 

Regardless he didn’t care for prophecies, only the present and his missions – which were assigned to him by the harbingers; taking over a planet and getting rid of oversized pests was what he does now.

 

“By the way my lord.”

 

Ouros turns to see Shade who held a question over his tongue. “Why did your brother not fight Frieza?”

 

“Yeah.” Vard ranted, “I want to know too?”

 

But they never got their answer after Teal breaks in. “You buffoons! Shut your mouth!”

 

“How about you-“

 

“Be quiet.” Two words stopped the giant’s mouth from babbling any longer and the sight of his leader’s eye staring back up at him brought chills down his back as they appear to be possessed by a murderous demon that was eager to rip his head off the moment he would finish his sentence. Even Shade took a step back, shivering in response to the same thing. They now understand why Teal intervened; they sense their lord’s expression change the moment her comrades asked for that.

 

The two had forgotten and taken the situation lightly, but they all knew the secret to their leader’s resignation from his brother was taboo among them – the last to have asked did get decapitated.

 

The Fleet master watches their blue faces turn paler and even the noncombatants in the rooms, including himself, couldn’t help but express the same through their skin color becoming lighter as well.

 

“This discussion is over!”

 

Both Vard and Shade complied with silent nods, leaving their leader to resume. “These saiyans…if the scales are correct then the ones who attacked the battalion must be adolescents. If a fully-grown adult were to transform into an Oozaru, the maximum height would be 3 times then what these are. How long ago was this taken?”

 

The yellow elf almost stutters his answer. “A-around 11 cycles.”

 

“Then by now, they must reached adulthood. No matter, they are no threat to us whether they can transform or not. They would require a full moon to achieve that form but by then it would be too late for them. We should attack during the day.”

 

“That’s too bad.” Azure jested, though restrained. “And here I thought they might be a challenge.”

 

“Wait a moment.” Gunnar stepped in with a grisly reminder. “Wasn’t Frieza defeated by a Saiyan?”

 

“He was.”

 

Vard also concurs with him. “From what I heard, it was a male Saiyan did it, and he had a different transformation. Soup? Duper? Dupe? What’s the name?"

 

As he struggled to find the correct name, Ouros quickly revised their chances of beating such a foe if they ever crossed the path, but he swiftly figures it to be almost impossible. The defeat of the space tyrant took place more than 10 cycles ago, and the ones who were recorded 14 cycles ago were children – they weren’t the same.

 

“It doesn’t change anything.” He assured them, “If we encounter them, then we will deal with them! Fleet Master, when are we to disembark to the planet?”

 

The yellow being listened and replied. “When the rest of our reinforcements arrive.”

 

“That’ll be too long…We will take one of your ships and make our way there immediately.”

 

“Right now?” Shade croaked.

 

“Ah the hell with it!” Gunnar chimed in eagerly while smashing his fist together. “Let’s bash some skulls in.”

 

Though they were but mercenaries, the fleet master knew that the art of fighting was what they were hired for – they were the personification of destruction and mayhem wrapped in one mortal body. “Whatever you think is best. That is why we have hired your service for.”

 

With his permission, the bronze armored warrior faces his comrades with the following words containing his confidence in them. “Everyone, we depart to Aeon!”

 

Their faces turn stone cold upon hearing their leader’s command, shouting all at once into one howling roar. “Yes Lord Ouros!”

 

 

This is the end of my 5th episode of my newest fanfic story, CrimZon universe.

 

Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters:

1)    Frieza (Dragon ball z)

2)    Boros (One Punch Man)

 

OC characters:

1)    Eleanor

2)    Hatric

3)    Roza

4)    Ouros

5)    Teal

6)    Vard

7)    Azure

8)    Shade

9)    Gunnar

10)    Fleet Master

6: Ep 6 - High There

City, Sea Port C...

 

On one of the many seaports around the city, standing in the outer lanes where the ocean waters drizzle onto the deck, Raix and Zeph stand shoulder to shoulder as they kept their ears free and mind focused on every single detail their commanding officer was giving them with his ever-growing loud speech combined with the roaring waves nearly turning them deaf in the process. They also kept their mouths shut just so they couldn't breathe in whatever was gushing out of his mouth.

 

Commander Dyne and his temporary assistant, Private Tya standby 2 inactive jumpers resting behind them and further back stood a heavily armored, giant mechanized suit with broad plated shoulders painted with SWORD’s symbol and a dorsal fin headpiece on its head.

 

"All I can say at this point is your behavior and actions today as soldiers of SWORD were unacceptable! Sergeant Zeph! Private Raix! You 2 should know better than to go around and exposing yourselves to the public for your own personal excitement; especially during a mission! And yes, a patrol is a mission! I get it! You’re both young men with the strength and speed of a hundred of me and you want to use it instead of patrolling every single section of the city! But do you know why you're walking around all day!?"

 

Then a powerful gust of hot air blows past them and the sound of what they thought was a  man-made jet engine made them take a step back out of safety.

 

"BECAUSE YOUR STILL IN TRAINING WHETHER YOU LIKE OR NOT! YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE REAL SOLDIERS? YOU THOUGHT WRONG! JUST BECAUSE YOU PASSED PRE-SCHOOL DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET INSTANT ADMISSION TO SWORD AND BECOME ONE OF THE CITY'S PROTECTORS! SO I DON'T CARE IF IT’S A WASTE OF YOUR TIME SERGEANT! IT'S YOUR JOB! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"

 

He aimed that specific remark to Zeph, and he replied with a resounding, “Yes sir!”

 

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!?” This time his gaze shifts over to Raix, hinting for him to do the same.

 

And together, the young men shout out in unison. "YES, SIR!"

 

They get another earful. "WHAT WAS THAT!?"

 

"YES, SIR!"

 

"PRIVATE TYA? CAN YOU HEAR THESE MAGGOTS FROM OVER THERE?"

 

Watching on top of a jumper, Tya cracks up over their treatment. "NO SIR!"

 

"LIAR!" Raix shouted madly, earning Dyne’s approval. "YES LIKE THAT! NOW SAY IT!!!"

 

"YES, SIR!!!"

 

"FA---NTASTIC!! That's what I like to hear!"

 

Dyne walks over to the large mech and begins the drill he specifically made for his troublemakers.

 

"Behind me are 2 jumpers, both deactivated but still in pristine condition. You 2...are to carry these over her head, and will proceed to run all around the city for the next 5 hours! With them!"

 

Their eyes widen in shock and both stuttered in a low tone skeptically. "All the way around?"

 

"All the way around." He answered happily.

 

"But that's more than 8 kilometers!" Zeph informed him.

 

 "Every single inch of it! For 5 hours! Also this here-"

 

He cuts himself short to allow Tya to leap down and draw up a straight line from the ocean side to several meters in with a chalk.

 

"- is your starting point. You also have to complete a lap within 1 minute."

 

"You can't be serious." The young man in yellow stripes asked.

 

"Oh, I'm not done! Additionally, if you don’t complete at least 600 laps total, you’re not getting dinner tonight!"

 

"Wait, 600!?" They start calculating the number of 1-minute laps they would need to complete, but Zeph is the first to get the math down. "That’s twice of what it normally takes!"

 

"Exactly! And now you have 4 hours and 58 minutes left." His sudden specification caught the boys off balance - 2 minutes had already passed.

 

"GET A MOVE ON!"

 

In a mere instant, they ran towards the jumpers, carried them over their heads, and vanish with the wind. In the meantime, Dyne hops in his mech suit and follows them, but not before giving Tya a lift and a bird’s eye view of Atlantis. Although the humanoid automaton couldn’t keep up with the boy's impressive speed, the onboard trackers on each jumper allowed the commander to observe their progress and with the installed megaphones, he can have his voice be heard for miles.

 

"RUN YOU MAGGOTS! RUN! HAHAHA!"

 

 

Next Morning, flying towards the mainland...

 

Onboard a jumper heading for the mainland, Jav - their pilot - along with Gabriel, Lilith, Roza and Tya sit comfortably in the cockpit of their little ship while listening to the tale of what transpired at the seaport from their superhuman friend.

 

"And by the time they reached the 5th hour, their bodies became so worn out and sore, they literally crawled their way to the dining hall from the pier! But they couldn’t even get through the door, because they were too tired to stand up and reach for the door locks!"

 

"That's sad..." Roza admitted depressingly.

 

Tya on the other hand just grins. "You think that’s depressing, try standing next to a megaphone with the commander on the other side screaming right next to you – my ears are still ringing. But back to the boys, I couldn't stand watching those brain-dead idiots anymore so I opened the door for them, carried them, and put their sorry butts on the nearest table I could find."

 

Roza had seen Zeph and Raix sitting together and walked up to them only to be treated like she wasn't there. She then pictures their faces covered with sweat and tears.

 

So that's why Zeph wouldn't respond to me. She thought.

 

"But by the time I got back with their food, they passed out!"

 

"Did you bring them back to their rooms at least?"

 

"Augh, yeah. Of course. But their gonna get a rude awakening when Dyne picks them up just to do the entire exercise again, and again, and again until he gets tired of seeing them suffer.”

 

“Isn’t that a little too much for them.”

 

“They’ll survive,” Tya assured them as she casually leans herself back. “By the time we get back, I can guarantee you they’ll be in the mess hall stuffing themselves like animals.”

 

“Didn’t you say they couldn’t move?”

 

“Yeah but they bounce back quickly.”

 

As the girls were having their own conversation Gabriel and Lilith held their own, relating to what they might expect on the ground, whereas Jav couldn't stand the cheery atmosphere suffocating his mood; thus, he obnoxiously interrupts the non-athletic duo as his way to let off some pent-up stress.

 

"Gabe how far are we to the mainland?"

 

“Shouldn’t you know that?” Lilith rebuttals instead. “You’re the one that's driving."

 

"Yeah, I am!” He had no clue how long the trip would be. “But I'm asking Gabe to make sure! It’s not like you know yourself."

 

His last statement would have caused Lilith to retaliate out of intellectual pride. Thankfully, Gabriel's saving grace prevented such an outcome by answering the young man’s question.

 

“Now now kids...there’s no need to argue. And to answer your question Jav I believe at the rate we're going it'll take 20 minutes or so."

 

“Seriously? I thought we'd see the mainland by now.”

 

Then an idea lights up and his sights are set higher above.

 

"How about we make it 5!"

 

Without warning, the jumper angles upward and rockets into the clouds. Everyone brace themselves against their seat from the sudden shift, but one of the vehicle's features, inertial dampeners, allow them to remain seated and unaffected by the sudden acceleration so long as their pilot doesn’t perform wide maneuvers.

 

In a few seconds, the jumper was in the planet’s low orbit zone, passing over the clouds far above. Tya takes the moment of weightlessness to yell at Jav for his sudden takeoff. "Give us a warning next time!"

 

"Sure…next time." He lied again.

 

Flying in zero-g and with the planet rotating below their feet in the opposite direction, the group takes a look out the front mirror, having a clear view of countless stars surrounded by infinite space, a trail of asteroids orbiting around their world, and the one moon nearest to them.

 

The majestic sight left the young blonde girl in awe. "I can never get bored of this."

 

“Me neither.” Tya joins in. "Got to hand it to the people who made these jumpers. We’d never be able to have a view like this."

 

Roza settles on the same. "I agree. They're even better than our mechs. Especially the ordnance they carry."

 

Tya then adds on, "And they can go invisible too."

 

"That's one of my favorite part about them." Lilith puts in.

 

"I can't imagine why." Jav’s mind wanders off to when she and Gabriel snuck up on him yesterday, cloaked.

 

They all continued to quietly observe the marvels around them with a sense of wonder escaping with each shallow gasp, making this the first time they enjoyed something together today - even Jav wasn’t put up by this moment; it reminded him of the time he spent with his father, an astronomer, who would wake him up in the middle of the night and take him onboard a jumper where they would travel over the dark ocean, away from city lights. They would eventually stop and far above them were the stars in plain view, presenting themselves like a giant painting containing a mixture of different colors - incoherent in design but elegant in its complexity.

 

Jav would remember his father teaching him the different star constellations, the possible worlds they could explore, and stories of what his ancestral home was like. All the while, his younger self curiously listens with the same sense of wonder his friends were experiencing now. It was from there, however, his recollection of his past also brought back unwanted memories, snapping him back to his present time.

 

He peers down to his world, spotting the green luscious terrain known as the mainland, and begins to descend below the white clouds.

 

They were beginning to get closer to the base as they pass by large machinery meant for excavations and sentry posts forming perimeters around them alongside SWORD’s mechanized battle armors, armed and ready to fight.

 

But seeing the guards on high alert didn’t sit well with the Lieutenant. "There must have been a lot of attacks recently if their carrying those weapons around."

 

"Oh, you shouldn’t be worried," Gabriel told her. "From what I read, the local wildlife here are mostly fairly docile plant eaters. Generally, they avoid the Alpha site but a few stragglers tend to come too close out of curiosity. Still...there are those!

 

Tapping once on the console brought up a live show of a pack of large wolf-like beasts ravaging through the carcass of a long neck mammal. The animals were called saber wolves because of their large canine teeth with a density strong enough to even puncture a mech's armor united with their powerful jaw strength.

 

Seeing them unsettled her even more; recalling one of her not so fine moments back during her academy years. "That will never get old."

 

Their radio is soon taken over by the voice of the site’s leading secretary, a woman with a cut-glass accent. “This is Secretary Eve of Alpha site. Please state your business jumper pilot.”

 

Gabriel holds down a button and talks to her in a mild manner. “You already know what my business here is Eve.”

 

“Gabriel? Is that you?” Her voice sounded genuinely happy to hear him.

 

“It’s been a while. I have with me the specialists you need and then some.”

 

“Terrific! You got me worried there for a second.”

 

“Worried?” Everyone started to look at one another perplexingly. “How so?”

 

“We’ve been trying to hail the city for some time now but we’ve haven’t been able to make contact.”

 

Roza walks up front and joins in on the conversation. “How are you able to contact us then?”

 

“We’re using our short-wave radios as substitutes. Though as you can hear, the connection isn’t so great.”

 

Gabriel takes over. “We’ll have our technician look over your equipment – hopefully, it’s just a technical malfunction. By the way, your son is here.”

 

Jav looks at Gabriel with a look that spells his distaste in mentioning his name to her, but it was too late when he hears her ecstatic voice calling him out. “He is!? Is Jav on the radio?”

 

Gabriel motions his young friend to answer back, and he was reluctant to do so. “I’m here miss Eve.”

 

Secretary Eve wasn’t Jav’s biological mother, but his adopted mother after his own parents died 11 years ago. Though Eve works in the mainland often while Jav stays in Atlantis, they stay in contact with one another and whenever she’s in the city for a while she would spoil him to no end – their relationship was that of a nephew and aunt. He has yet to call her his mother at a comfortable level, but occasionally he slips up.

 

“Oh Jav, it’s good to hear your voice. How have you been? Have you been eating well? Not getting into trouble I hope?”

 

“I’ve been good.”

 

To his dismay, Tya cuts in, informing his guardian mother, “he got caught yesterday stealing some stuff.”

 

“TYA!?” Jav hissed, but then hears Eve’s disappointment. “Not again.”

 

“It wasn’t anything big!” He confessed. “I just repurposed some unwanted…equipment? That’s all I did.”

 

“You better tell me more about this when you get here young man – and it better be the truth. Now, just park outside of the complex in second D and I’ll meet you and the others there.”

 

The radio went silent soon after and as she instructed, they found a good clearing near the north gate of the site. They finally touch down and exit out to find a convoy of vehicles driving towards them. Among them is the leader of Alpha site, a woman with long black hair, a pair of cat ears and a tail, wearing a white jacket over a gray shirt and black pants – a hybrid aeolian human, born from a human mother and an aeolian father.

 

"Gabriel!"

 

"Eve!"

   

The 2 warmly exchanges hugs with one another, and Gabriel looks back to the others. “All of you remember miss Eve?”

 

The secretary of Alpha site sets her sights on the new arrivals. "Hello, Lieutenant Roza. Private Tya. I heard we would be receiving some help today. I’m glad it’s just you 2 and not…you know who.”

 

"Pleasure see you again ma'am." The lieutenant chuckled and then saluted.

 

Tya did the same. “You should thank Commander Dyne for that.”

 

“Remind me to do so when I get a chance to get back to the city.” Eve swings her head around them to see the kids. "And I see my 2 favorite geniuses are also here."

 

"Hello, Miss Eve!" Lilith shot her a cute smile.

 

"Yeah ahuh, likewise." Jav didn't provide any formalities to her; he just wanted his sentence from her already and over with, so he can go to his next one.

 

Luckily for him, Eve put his punishment aside and went on to divide up the group. "Lieutenant. You and the private should meet with Commander Bay at the barracks – he’s east from here.”

 

“Will do,” Tya replied.

 

“Gabriel and Lilith, my escorts will guide you to our main building. There you can peer through our research of the ruins.” She points to the same large building they saw before and gives Jav his orders. “Jav, you will be coming with me to the hanger. There’s a jumper that needs fixing."

 

Murkily lowering his head, he follows her while the rest eagerly went on their own way. He and Eve board a small vehicle, and drive up a hill, reaching their destination in a few minutes. During that time, Jav answered her questions regarding what he did, and despite his mistakes, she found Eleanor’s decision to be adequate and left the subject there, letting him muddle in his own mess; but not without reminding him countless time to be a “good little boy” from now on.

 

She drops him off where he is needed, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and left him to work with the on-site technician she assigned to assist him.

 

"Now you behave or else you won’t be getting any treats for your hard work,” She cheerfully purs.

 

After she goes back down on the 4-wheeler and out of Jav's sight, he muttered annoyingly, "What am I, 8?"

 

Looking around first before going in the jumper, he notices the lack of personnel’s inside and wondered if he was going to be working unsupervised. But the sounds of tools falling behind him and a man yelping made the boy look around and inside the jumper. He meets a chubby man with pale skin, wearing glasses kneeling on the ground interacting with the jumper’s control crystals with one hand and picking up the fallen tools with the other. As he approached him from behind, his loud footsteps gave his position away and caught the man’s attention.

 

“Oh hi! You must be Jav!"

 

"The one and only," he murmured.

 

"My name is Brian! It’s such an honor to finally meet the famous genius miss Eve keeps talking about."

 

The man held out a hand and Jav shakes it.

 

"Yeah, that's great.”

 

Though he liked hearing people praise him for his intellect, it was starting to annoy him. But he hid his discomfort just to be nice. “Now what seems to be the problem?"

 

"Oh yes, well you see -“

 

He takes him back to the control crystal he was examining.

 

“-Someone drove this jumper earlier today but for some reason one of its propulsion systems malfunctioned. Thankfully no one got hurt and the jumper's hardware doesn’t seem to have suffered any damages – though from what I heard whoever was piloting it was only 1 foot off the ground. Anyway, the propulsion system can't seem to connect with the side thrusters and I don’t know how to get around it."

 

I already know that just tell me where the problem is. Jav pondered.

 

"Now I was about to try bypassing this node here through the one on the other side and replace one of these crystals to -"

 

His suggestion made the young man shout out of caution. "And risk having the rear doors open during midflight?"

 

"Wha…what!?" The startled man's mouth began to quiver nervously. "Really!? Are you sure?"

 

Jav’s professionalism starts to kicks in. “Yeah, I am. I actually had the same problem with my own once. Let me..."

 

As he goes through his process step by step the two were unknowingly moving from one side to another repeatedly at a rather swift pace. Meanwhile, the boy only said snippets of words.

 

"You see you just have to....then twist this....ok now connect the 2 together....after placing the crystals….bypass....test for compatibility...and it's fixed!" At the same time, sitting in the cockpit with Brian beside them the engines roar and the rear doors closed without a hitch – his work was completed.

 

"Amazing!” The technician marvels over how easily the young boy performed the fix and even congratulates him as they get out. “I guess you really are what they say!"

 

His praise now left a different effect on the boy as he smirks over his handiwork. "What can I say; I’m good at what I do."

 

"Why don’t I treat you to something? You drink Aeolian coffee?"

 

The offer tempted the boy. "Is it like ours?"

 

"I like to think theirs taste better."

 

"Hmm…does it comes in black?"

 

"Yup."

 

"Then yes…I do!” But he crudely reminds himself his punishment was still in effect. Still, coffee was a tempting motivator for him. “Are you sure I can go now? Aren't there other things I need to do? Like your communications tower? I was sent here to fix things after all – as my sentence."

 

“Well, a couple of us already looked over the communication tower but there doesn’t seem to be any problems with it. My guess is it’s not the hardware that’s the problem but the atmosphere.”

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“I’m so glad you asked! Look at this.” Brian eagerly shows Jav his tablet and brings up a chart with readings on the planet’s magnetic field. “I’ve noticed it yesterday but the magnetic field around this planet seems to be fluctuating pretty rapidly with wide margins. I’m not an expert at this kind of stuff, but since we use long range radios to communicate, it’s more susceptible to outside interference like magnetic field since there the same time, just different wavelengths.”

 

“I know that. But what makes you so sure that’s the problem.”

 

“Look at the time stamp.”

 

Brian points out the date when the magnetic field started acting up and then pulls up the first technical report – also marked with the same date.”

 

“It’s no coincidence our communications started going haywire at the same time our planet’s magnetic field began acting up; now all that’s left is how do we fix that?”

 

The round man’s argument sounds about right to Jav; it wasn’t plausible and the evidence was sound.

 

“Does my mo- I mean miss Eve, know about this?”

 

“She does, but…there are other technicians who think it’s something else, so we’re running different tests right now. Unfortunately, my test got the ‘short end of the stick’.”

 

“That sucks.”

 

“Ahuh. Well, there’s nothing I can, but wait. Anyway, let’s go get some coffee. I’m actually on break right now thanks to you.”

 

“Sure, but like I said, is it alright for me to just go?”

 

“Should be. I mean, there’s nothing else for you to fix here.”

 

“What about the mechs?”

 

“There were some mechs a while ago but they deployed with a scouting party on a recon mission."

 

"Is that right…then I’ll gladly take up your offer!”

 

“Great!”

 

 

Alpha Site, Main building…

 

In the main building, Eve joined up with Gabriel and Lilith in a pristine lab where she started going over what her teams have been able to uncover from the ancient ruins they discovered.

 

"Fascinating!" Gabriel said while reading whatever he can from the onscreen images. "I can only make out a few of these phrases but I believe this is speaking of some type of…gate?

 

"Not a gate." Lilith corrected him, dwelling deeper into the inscriptions. "A portal! And I think the list below that are some type of coordinate to somewhere also."

 

"How do you know it's a list and that their coordinates?" Eve inquired; even she couldn’t deduce their purpose and this was her field.

 

"The way their ordered seems organized and the same…each line has these 6 symbols on them, some repeating in others but never twice. Also, the writing at the top portrays to 'worlds' and next to it means 'accessible'. But I don't understand what this means."

 

She points at a symbol shape as a triangle with the base missing and a circle slightly above it. "And there's this one." At the very bottom of the page depicts a perfectly circular ring.

 

"I'm afraid we're at a stump on those too."

 

"Miss Eve is it possible if we can directly go to the ruins. I believe we can find our answers there than looking through these images."

 

"I'm afraid we cannot."

 

"Why not?" Lilith beckoned her.

 

"After our researchers have finished surveying the area and left the area, a pack of saber wolves quickly moved in during the night and made it their home. From our scouts, they counted at last 11 of them. And I’m afraid by the time they leave, the writings on the ruins might become too faded for us to retrieve.

 

“Their urine contains high acidic levels which can melt off the surface of a rock,” Gabriel infers.

 

"That can't happen!" Lilith objects. “We have to do something!?”

 

But Eve unwillingly accepted their dilemma. "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can currently do. But perhaps I can contact one of our recon forces to move in and exterminate them if possible. We wouldn't want any saber wolves walking into our perimeter anyway. After their done, we can go by Jumper and hopefully they will still be intact."

 

"I actually hope you don't.” Though the ruins were of top concern to Lilith, she didn’t want the native animals to be harm over her selfishness. “Relocating them would be much more humane."

 

"Yes, but even that is a big risk for our soldiers. Especially when their young ones are among them. The mothers of the pack will put a fight."

 

Lilith was about to continue her protest but she knew it wouldn’t amount to anything – she was still just a child and she had no say in the matters of military affair.   

 

The old man understood her reluctance and decides to put a temporary recess on their little project. "Lilith, I believe we’re done here for now. Let's head out and get something to eat. What do you say?"

 

"Sure."

 

Gabriel turns to Eve and hears her say, "I'll contact you if anything develops in our analysis."

 

"Please do."

 

The two walk out of the room and down the flight of stairs where they find themselves outside, filled with humans and Aeolians bustling about. They begin to stroll through whatever the Alpha site held as a kind of marketplace, and the smell of fresh produce and grilled meals was getting to Gabriel’s stomach. But Lilith, on the other hand, had her mind preoccupied on the inscriptions, making her old companion worried until they across Jav and Brian enjoying themselves with a cup of coffee on one hand and donuts on the other, ringed around their fingers.

 

"You guys done already?" Jav asked.

 

"I can ask the same of you," Gabriel replied. "You already fixed the jumper?"

 

"Sure did!"

 

Jav noticed Lilith was pouting aimlessly and knew from experience she was deep in thought. Then he remembers how he answered her back when they were flying over and choose to recompense with her.

 

Out of the blue, Lilith finds a piece of pastry flying towards her and she caught it, realizing he gave her a piece of his donut. "The Aeolians made it. It’ll probably be the best thing you ever tasted."

 

She happily nibbles on it and much to her delight she had to agree. "It’s sweet.”

 

"I knew you'd like it."

 

Sensing the atmosphere between them growing nicely, Gabriel drags Brian away on an errand. "Brian is it? I would very much like to see where this donut shop is established."

 

"Oh it's actually a bakery but if you want something it’s a little way-"

 

The old man places a hand on his shoulder. "How about you show me instead. I'm not very good with directions you know. Old age and all."

 

"Um, sure."

 

"Jav, Lilith. I expect to see you both back at the jumper in an hour from now."

 

The 2 nod and watch their older peers walk off. Now they were alone and Jav mistakenly fell for what Gabriel just did. "That sly old fox!"

 

Yet he didn’t disapprove.

 

"What did you say?" She barely heard him.

 

"Nothing! But hey, since we're here, let's go do something? To pass the time.”

 

“And what would that be?”

 

“I don’t know. Eat more delicious food? Maybe meet up with your sister? Sightseeing."

 

Unfortunately, his last suggestion leads her to do something her mother would most definitely not approve – her perfect chance to get to the ruins. "Yeah, let's go sightseeing.”

 

“Alrighty then. Do you have somewhere in mind? I still don’t know my way around here.”

 

“Oh, I know of the perfect place!"

 

 

Several miles away from Alpha site...

 

At the bottom of a canyon, the scouting party closest to the ruins, consisting of several humans and Aeolians with 4 mech's accompanying them, have been annihilated; ripped from limb from limb with their blood splattered across the bullet-riddled walls. Standing over their dead bodies was Ouros and his team, still in top condition.

 

Earlier in the morning, they have touched down in the system under the guise of an asteroid. The mercenaries departed on their own, flying towards Aeon using their own inner energy to propel through the remainder of their trip and shield themselves upon entry of the planet’s atmosphere. From there, they encountered the scouting party, tested their strength, and now they rest by their victims, formulating their next plan of attack.

 

Crushing a human head into a blob of flesh and sitting on top of a broken automaton, Gunnar huffs out his disappointment of their adversaries’ fighting capability. "What a letdown. Their way too weak."

 

"They were." Azure, standing below him, retorted, "But what can you expect from humans. And these…furry things - disgusting.”

 

They felt the quaking steps of Vard coming behind them with an arm from one of the robots placed over his shoulder, carrying it as a sort of trophy. "These tin cans weren't much fun either. But this arm makes a great back scratcher!"

 

He begins to do so only to earn a distasteful comment from Shade who had the unfortunate timing of standing behind his large back. "Do that somewhere else you big oaf! Your molt is getting on my hair."

 

Further away, Ouros examines one of the tablets a soldier had on his body and observes the layout of the area known as Alpha site. Teal stood by him. "What are your thoughts Lord Ouros?"

 

"If their defenses are like anything these soldiers put up, then we should have no problem taking it over within the hour. But in case their hiding back their main forces or whatever trump card they have, we should approach their base from 2 directions – divide their forces. Let Azure lead Gunnar and Shade to attack them from the east, straight through the bulk of their defenses. You and I, along with Vard will flank them from the south. After we’re done, we’ll make our way to the city and take it over."

 

"Very well. I will relay your commands to the others and depart whenever you see fit."

 

Teal runs to the others to do just that. Now alone and with the sun high in the sky, Ouros took the time and take in the surrounding life all around him. The ground, the air, and everything else he could see emitted a sensation he rarely detects on a world inhabited by humans. In the past, polluting odors caused by the human’s progress in advancing their own species nauseated him compared to the smoldering thick heated environment he had to live through in his homeworld. Their unintentional but irresponsible actions were unnatural, artificial, horrendous, and a little disheartening. However, none of that could be found here and to his wonder even the said creatures he and his soldiers killed had little to no such scent – they were as natural as they could be.

 

Perhaps this planet did something to change these humans.

 

Speculating that notion a little further, his mind leads him to remember the faces the soldiers expressed during their fight.

 

Though they were scared for their lives, all of them stayed to the very last one. Even those who could have had a chance to survive many times, choose to run in and carry one of their injured away, only to quickly die off. They lacked selfishness, or rather, they held the principles of teamwork higher than their own individual lives.

 

On other worlds, the cyclops have witnessed them do idiotic, selfish actions to ensure their own survival; they were the complete opposite.

 

Despite that, he deems the soldier's actions to be wasteful. What they make up in bravery, they lack in fighting the power.

 

They lack any aura necessary to pose a threat to us. It may not even take an hour. By then, this planet would be under our control. Even if those saiyans are here, they will meet the same fate as them. Hmm?

 

Abruptly, at the tip of his ears, he hears an unnatural whistling in the wind, far but quickly moving by, and using his ability to sense energy, he detected 2 very small life forces moving at an incredible speed further south from their location.

 

 

Flying away from Alpha Site...

 

"This is such a ba----d idea." Jav urged as he sits in the passenger seat beside his driver, Lilith who was taking him to see the ruins. "Are you sure you want to be doing this?"

 

"Yes, I am.” She asserted. “I’ll take responsibility for this ok!”

 

“WATCH OUT!”

 

Hearing him scream as they were about to hit a tree top gave her enough time to dodge it and resume her course. Letting out a sigh of relief, Jav couldn’t believe he was being the voice of reason – that was Lilith’s role in their relationship - and was still playing the role.

 

"But Gabe is expecting to see us in the base. Not out of it!"

 

"Yeah and he will!” Her tone gradually became irritable to the young man. “Why are you so worried about anyway? Don’t you do this all the time?"

 

"Yeah! But never as an accomplice. And look where that got me yesterday with those muscle heads!"

 

"If it makes you feel any better –“

 

“I doubt it.”

 

“- I’m glad you’re the one who’s here! Anyone else would just still treat me like an 8-year-old child! Helpless and naïve.”

 

Her words sparked a reminder to how everyone used to treat him, including how Eve approached him upon their arrival. But more importantly, she coincidentally used a phrase he said himself.

 

So she says that too huh.

 

“Plus I need to get to those ruins!” Lilith anxiously pointed out. “They might have the key to our understanding of the people who made the city and everything else in this world!”

 

“You mean the ancients?”

 

Lilith answers his question, “Yes!” and continues, “And you’re going to help me!”

 

She and every other scholar and researchers were bewildered by the Ancient’s culture and have been scouring every clue they could to help further their understanding on their past and maybe on why they left – where could such an advanced civilization go. Even Jav couldn’t bring a blind eye to them; at the age of 4 he self-taught himself in ancient technology as his means to cope with the loss of his parents. Incidentally, he met Lilith for the first time, who was also suffering from his own depression.

 

Since then, they became close friends, doing almost everything together with the help of their older friends. Though as the years went by, the two started to mature both mentally and externally, and Jav was gradually being drawn in by her charm. His little flyby yesterday was, in fact, him trying to impress her, and his disgust towards Roza’s kiss was a cover over how he’d imagine Lilith in her place, and he in Zeph’s.

 

“…sigh….fine, whatever.” He gave in. “This is at least more exciting than working on broken things"

 

"Thanks! I knew you’d help me.”

 

“Oh yeah? You knew I wouldn’t try to take back the controls without having to move from my seat?"

 

“Course I knew that.”

 

Jav cocks an eyebrow at her confidence. “How?”

 

“I just know you wouldn’t because you like me.”

 

He pauses for a moment as he takes a good long look at her adorable smile and honest to god personality, and as he grasps her sentence word for word, she had him around his heart, making him croak out deliriously, “WAIT WHA!?”

 

With her eyes glued to the front, she tells him her thoughts. "Come on! You think I wouldn’t notice yesterday’s little flyby. And that forced reaction you made in front of Zeph."

 

“You knew!?”

 

“We’ve been friends for more 10 years. What do you think?”

 

His jaw hang loose as his carefully planned cover-up was shattered by the one he least expected and admits this one time, she had him beat. “Man, I took your innocence for granted.”

 

“I am my mother’s daughter after all.”

 

“Touche.”

 

They stayed silent right after but he quickly brings the subject back up. “So, what now?”

 

“Now, you and I are going to the ruins; and afterward I might give you a kiss on the cheek – for helping me out.”

 

With a wink and a chuckle, Jav’s face was flushed red, and his heart was beating ever so swiftly, for the rest of the trip.

 

Their destination soon pops up on the screen; an ocean green area used by Miss Eve and her teams when they first landed, still several hundred meters away from the ruins which were surrounded by dense forest; they would have to travel the rest of the way by foot.

 

But instead of touching down, they passed it and were moving away. This left the dark skin “wonder” boy a little concern.

 

"Um, Lilith?"

 

"Ahuh?"

 

"We’ve passed our stop.”

 

“I know, I’m turning us around.” As she swings the jumper around for another pass, his concern over his driving skills was beginning to surface.

 

“How long have you flown a jumper for?”

 

“My longest time would have to be…10 minutes.”

 

“Only 10?”

 

“Hey!?” She sensed his distrust. “If anything, the time it took us to get here sets a new record for me.”

 

“..Were Gabe and Roza ever with you each time you flew?”

 

“…yes…”

 

“…every time?”

 

“…every time…”

 

“…have you landed this thing once?...Lilith?”

 

She fell silent for a while, unsettling her co-pilot. But she was too stubborn to admit her shortcoming and choose to attempt a landing. But instead of going down in a smooth descent, she accidentally sets the jumper into a free fall, nose first, dangerously getting closer to the ground. Her nervous hands were too tensed to react and she couldn’t think straight.

 

Jav immediately took control of the console just before they pass the top layer of the trees, pulling up swiftly and strong until the absence of the ground made him loosen his control.

 

Realizing her stupidity in letting her pride blind her, she began apologizing to him. “I’m sorry, I thought I could do it this time.”

 

“It’s fine.” The boy didn’t mind her action when he could see her guilt-ridden face almost leading to tears and her body was shivering from the idea of almost dying. “We’re safe now.”

 

His indifference caught her eyes, giving her the strength to settle her emotions down.

 

Returning to the clearing, they land down without any issues and exit out into the wide wilderness. He holds out a holo-pad and presses the navigation controls, remotely activating the jumper’s cloaking generator, rendering their ride invisible. He adds one final touch which was a rock placed where the rear door is.

 

They traverse through the forest with much difficulty whilst avoiding deadly plants which could paralyze them from a single prick to their skin. Nevertheless, after a half hour long trip, they came to their destination unharmed, and discover groups of stones broken into irregular shapes, some on their sides and others standing straight up, scatter across the meadows.

 

"I see them!"

 

Filled with excitement yet again, the blonde girl ran to the nearest one and instantly lost herself in the text etched on the surface.

 

Jav hangs back and acts as a lookout for whatever there was to look out for. "So, since we're out here-"

 

"Ssshhh!" She hissed.

 

"Fine fine..."

 

Another half hour passed without a single peep from either of them except the chirps of small insects. As he was becoming restless from the lack of activeness, Jav mingles with his tablet’s specifications, optimizing it the best he can, when his friend let out another yelp of joy, startling him to almost drop his device.

 

“OH MY GOD!"

 

"What? What is it?" He questioned her.

 

Once again she didn’t answer and only continued her own monologue. "So that's how they did it!”

 

"Who!? What!?"

 

"And these things can actually connect them! That's so cool!"

 

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU CRAZY GIRL!?"

 

"Not so loud!” She silenced him, “You'll attract the saber wolves...” Her eyes widen at the time of understanding she left that detail out to her friend. “…Oops."

 

"...Saber wolves....You brought me out...WHERE THERE ARE-" He immediately cut himself off and whispers out the rest of his sentence for fear of attracting the fearsome beasts. "Saber wolves ~ Are you insane!?"

 

"I had to! I'm sorry!”

 

“You should be sorry!” His hysteria was getting the better of his composure but he still kept his voice low.

 

“If we waited too long, the wolves might have damaged the writing and I wouldn’t have learned everything I just did."

 

"Which is what exactly!?” He invited her reasoning angrily but took it back. “Actually, hold that thought! We're getting out of here first!?"

 

"Not yet! I'm not done!"

 

"Oh yes, we are young lady!" Acting as the adult between them, he wraps his arms around her, holding her up in a princess style and marches away with her flailing her arms about in a revolt. "Let me go!"

 

"No! I've been patient with you and now it’s gone so let’s-"

 

The thundering sounds of far off trees falling spook them into silence and to take cover behind a boulder.

 

"What was that?" Lilith pondered, "A saber wolf?"

 

"Maybe." Jav soon sees a figure forming from the dust cloud. "I see something."

 

They both lent their eyes to the point of interest and out from the cloud marches a red armored hulking humanoid with a single eye on its entire face, easily making up 5 of them in every department of substantial aspect. In its hand, were the heads of 3 of the beasts they dreaded.

 

“I don’t know whether I should be happy or not.”

 

Jav had heard of the wolves infamous reputations as natural born killers with touch hides and sharp fangs that could tear into a mech’s armor. However, to see a single being taking 3 of them down and using their heads as a trophy was unheard of.

 

"Hey look there’s more behind it,” Lilith replied but places her hands over her mouth to cover her shock of seeing more of them dead and mangled.

 

 “How horrible! How could it just kill them!? And the children…”

 

"I think I see someone else.”

 

Several feet off the ground, a smaller version of the giant - a woman – hovers down and from the children’s point of view, she was speaking to her companion with a hint of disgust in her voice – in their language; something the kids didn’t expect.

 

“Did you have to make such a mess Vard?"

 

"Hey! These mongrels started it! Thought they could eat me! They were wrong."

 

“’They attacked you because you intruded into they're territory.”

 

“Well, their dead now!”

 

Watching the giant take a bite of the head he had made Lilith nearly barf. But Jav stops her in case her gag reflex would alert them to their presence.

 

"Hold it together Lilith!"

 

Shedding a single tear from the pain of holding her puke in, she still nods to him. Yet her eyes stuck with the wolves, counting 10 of them in total – one less than what she heard Miss Eve relay to her.

 

“She said there were 11. Where’s the last one?”

 

Suddenly, just when she said it, the last of the saber wolves jump out of the bushes and high in the air, aiming its large white fangs towards the one named Vard.

 

But it never got the chance to sink its teeth into the giant. Teal vanishes from her comrade’s side and reappears in the wolf’s path, throwing a kick in response with enough power to pulverize its head into gory pieces.

 

“You missed one.” She pointed out, shaking her leg swiftly to remove tiny pieces of flesh stuck in her boots.

 

“Haha! No, I didn’t.” He said, “I left that one for you to handle.”

 

The frightening display of both speed and strength from the smaller of the 2 left the children with a new-found fear, sufficient for them to both agree on one thing.

 

“We need to go!" Jav begged his friend. "Like right now!”

 

“Ok but…but…”

 

Jav watches Lilith’s body shaking uncontrollably - more so than before - and tears flowing from her eyes and down her pale terrified face.

 

Cupping her in his arms he attempts to pick her and sneak away on his own power. “We’ll make it out of here ok!” He encouraged her. “We can make it out of here if we get to the jumper. Don’t worry I’ll carry you there.”

 

“But it’s too far,” she sobs. “And I’m too heavy for you to carry!”

 

“It’s fine! And besides, they don't seem to know we're here so-"

 

"But I do."

 

The deep and heavy voice of a man and the very sight of his shadow looming over their heads froze Jav and Lilith in place, too frightened to run, let alone move. Instead, they could sense death’s chilling embrace gripping all over their frail bodies, and as they turn their heads to face him, their pupils shrunk upon the sight of a large muscular alien wearing bronze armor staring down at them with his large blue eye.

 

Their situation only got worse as the other 2 came up behind him.

 

"Look what our leader found,” Vard told Teal.  “Human children."

 

“I can see that.” But Teal spoke out her thoughts to her leader. "This is a bit of a reach but could these kids be the Saiyans we heard about?”

 

Ouros had already made a quick examination of them and knew they weren’t. "No, they’re not. And I doubt they are warriors either." He can sense their individual life forces to be nothing more but average among the humans. Tell us, are there any more of you?"

 

Silence was all he got.

 

"If you do not say anything, I will kill you on the spot, here and now. Is that understood?"

 

Jav took the first step, and swallows a small part of his fear. "No! No there's no one else! It's just us!"

 

Seeing his example, Lilith joins in but directs a question to the one she believes to be their leader. "How is that all of you can speak our language!?"

   

"How impudent!" Teal didn't like the fact the girl was asking them a question when they clearly weren't in any position to. "I should rip your head off for saying-"

 

"Teal stand down!"

 

Her leader’s command quells her temper. "Uh, yes my lord. Forgive me."

 

Ouros looks at Lilith straight in the face. "You are not the first humans we have come across in this galaxy." He then shows her his earring. "As for your question, these devices we wear allow us to communicate with any known species the Harbingers have encountered. We recently used these devices to interrogate your fellow kind further away from here.”

 

Harbingers!

 

Jav was suddenly put off by the name of the race who attacked his ancestors, as well as attacking them again 11 years ago, on the same day his parents died.

 

“You should be proud of the fact that they divulged nothing of your defenses. But just so you know they paid for their loyalty.”

 

Piecing together what he said, Lilith quickly figures out who he was talking about – the scout team miss Eve had sent out.

 

But before she could confirm it was them, Jav jumps in with more assertion. "You work for the harbingers!?"

 

Ouros sees the light in the boy's once timid eyes have a spark of life lighting his dark green eyes. He had only seen a few humans make such an instant change in a life or death situation - usually occurring in those whose minds and soul meld into one from the catalyst known as hatred – something even he was most familiar with.

 

"Yes we do, but only by contract. We're hired mercenaries. Nothing more."

 

"That doesn’t matter! You’re all the same to me! Murders and butchers!"

 

“Shut your mouth!" Teal roared at him, yet the boy wasn’t disturbed by her threat – he kept staring at Ouros. "We should finish them off quickly and move on to the human base. By now Azure and the rest might have already started."

 

Oh no! The kids both thought terrifyingly.

 

"Let's me take care of them!" Vard insisted. “I’ll make sure to make it quick. And tidy!” He aimed the last bit to Teal.

 

Hearing their restless comments brought Ouros to end their verbal transaction. "Very well. Do as you-“

 

Before he could finish Jav, with Lilith in his arms, grabs her tightly against his chest, lifts her up and stands in one motion. Still, even at his best timing, his speed was nothing impressive to the mercenaries, and it was rather depressing to watch.

 

Ouros extends his hand out, intent on grabbing the boy, pulling him back with the girl and kill them both himself.

 

You’re not going anywhere.

 

But a surprise came forth in the form of a flash of light beneath his gaze.

 

With a single click in his shoes, Jav propels into the air and high above and away from their attackers, leaving them bewildered over his sudden increase in agility.

 

Hidden in his shoes was a device he invented which was to replicate the anti-gravity technology - enabling the Jumpers to fly. The device allows the user to fly momentarily and reach incredible heights and distance. It was still in the working stage but during his first test, he cleared over a hundred meters from one leap.

   

Watching the boy getting away, Ouros admires his tenacious behavior and even paid him a grin of approval. “Clever.”

 

Even so, the mercenaries had little to worry.

 

“That was a little interesting.” Vard snickered, “Well, time to go after them. I got this.”

 

The giant beams his smirk at both him and Teal and channels his aura in the form of dark pink waves spewing out of his body and affecting the terrain itself, uprooting trees and demolishing the rocks around him.

 

On their way to safety, Lilith was albeit dumbstruck over the fact she was seeing the ground in from below her and feeling almost weightless as though she was suspended in the air by invisible strings. "We're flying!?"

 

"Not really!?" Her friend yelled over the sound of the wind brushing them by. "We're just gliding for now and soon we'll fall.”

 

“Fall!?”

 

“Don’t worry. As long as we remain at this speed we won’t feel the ground when we impact – we’ll be safe.”

 

A sense of new hope envelopes the girl’s heart as the danger they just met was behind them.

 

“This is amazing!” She hollers out.

 

“I know right! But besides that, we got to hurry and warn the others about the attack!"

 

"The radio is back at the jumper! If we can get there I can-"

 

"That's a nice toy you got there."

 

They gasp in utter terror as the voice of the one known as Vard's rang behind them and they look over their shoulders to see him in midair and on a descending path.

 

"Get over here!"

 

He grunts and swings his arm, but misses the two. Yet, his massive size and force generated a strong gust of wind, blowing his targets downwards, now further away.

 

"Shit, I missed. Still not used to this planet’s gravity."

 

Out of control and falling with Lilith’s screaming, Jav decreases their rate of descent with his shoes but it was too late - they will not come out unscathed. Putting Lilith’s wellbeing over his own, he curls into a ball, shielding his friend with his body and moments after his legs hit the dirt, causing him to tumble over several meters like a rock skipping over a pond until his back bluntly hits the side of a tree.

 

Lilith, having only lost consciousness for a few seconds, wakes up grumbling with a few scratches and a headache. “Ow…that-“

 

She stops herself when she see's droplets of blood dripping down from her head and on her clothes and her vision was becoming red from the blood seeping into her eyes. But she pays little mind to it after she notices Jav lying on top of her, with a splintered bone sticking out of his right arm.

 

"Oh my god Jav!" Her nerves heighten over the sight of him injured, and quickly sits up to have a better look while making sure not to move him too much. But before she could anything to help him, the hulking being crash lands down loudly.

 

“I found you!”

 

Lilith quivers, as watches the monster stroll over, pushing aside trees like they were nothing.

 

Inevitably, he was within arm’s length and with his left arm raised high above his head, he swiftly brings it down, intent on crushing them.

 

Within that time, she closes her eyes and tucks Jav’s face on her chest, letting out what might be her last cry.

 

But it gets showered by what sounded to be a single loud explosion, deafening her ears and causing the ground beneath her to quake.

 

In the aftermath, she can hear Vard’s gasping in shock, and realized she was still breathing herself – she was still alive. She reveals her eyes and in front of her stands a dark figure showing it’s back to her – a man judging from his physique. His red vision remains, but she can make out his outfit consisting of a dark color combat suit and then his wild short hair - she guesses the color to be close to red. His face wasn’t visible to her, but she could make out his skin pigment darker than her own, but his cheeks and neck had pieces stuck on him.

 

Just when her hearing returns, the soft soothing voice of a young man put her heart at ease and soon sees his face – a human face with a gentle smile.

 

"You alright there?"

 

Wiping her eyes quickly to remove the blood, she finally sees him in a clear picture - light red skin, dark grey outfit, red hair, and red eyes. She identifies the pieces on his face was close to that of scales. On his left shoulders, she perceives something green with a flower bud on its back. it turns around, facing her and she immediately sees it as a type of toad with cat-like ears, a heart-shaped birthmark on its forehead, and had a lighter shade of red eyes.

 

As her mind processes every detail on them, the mysterious stranger takes her silence and awe as a sign of good health.

 

“Guess you are.”

 

Vard, spotting the newcomer below his hand, unharmed, is at a loss in his head; he wonders where he came from, who he was, and how he fended off his attack. Then the stranger’s eye connects with his own and earns a courteous greeting.

 

"Hi there! How ya doing?"

 

His random inquiry left Vard speechless but also defenseless. He quickly learns of his mistake through the sensation of something fast and heavy striking his abdomen area, puking out all his insides, and his mind going blank.

 

From Lilith's point of view, after she heard the red man ask his question, his free arm became a blur and the same explosive sound rang through her ears again accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, forcing her to close her eyes. When she opens them again, to see the man still there, but Vard was gone, replaced by a trail of demolished trees and rocks leading to who knows where, and his screaming voice fading into the forest.

 

 

This is the end of episode 6! Hope you enjoyed it!

 

Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters:

1.    Brian

2.    Eve

3.    Bay

 

 

 

7: Ep 7 - Don't Hate Me

Atlantis….

 

Throughout the city of Atlantis, corridors and bridges were being flooded by SWORD personnel carrying weapons, ammo, and all essential hardware in the defense of the city; arming themselves to the teeth, and mounting any gun big enough to scare any unwanted visitors away. From the massive evacuations of the civilians to the activation of the city’s defense systems, all of it was done swiftly and efficiently thanks to superb leadership skills and timely response displayed by both Commander Dyne and President Eleanor.

 

And yet, all of this wouldn’t be possible if one astronomer hadn’t discovered a certain radiation spike out near a familiar asteroid cluster.

 

The arrival of Ouros’s scout ship wasn’t subtle enough for the city’s deep space radar to detect the rupture left behind from exiting out of slip space. However, the report came too late; as soon as it was brought to Eleanor’s ear, she had just sent off her daughters and the others away on to the mainland – where the city’s defenses couldn’t protect them.

 

What pains her also, was the fact that most of SWORD’s combatants had little to no experience against the alien horde, placing most of their hopes in the city's numerous weapons platforms - left behind by the ancients.

 

All it took to activate the weapons was a single thought from one individual with special genetic markers passed down from the ancients – Lilith, Jav, Gabriel are the few who had the gene; one of the many reasons why the surviving humans searched for Aeon.

 

Ancient technology can be manipulated through physical contact with the help of 2 devices; one being a specific control crystal embedded into a machine, and its larger version - a control chair. The driver’s seat of a jumper is a machine using a control crystal whereas in the control tower there is only one control chair – throughout Atlantis - which allows the user to interact with almost all the city’s functions.

 

But in the control tower, as the technicians were monitoring the one lone ship, a new problem emerges.

 

Inside the main tower’s control room, Eleanor anxiously sits behind a table, twiddling her thumbs to no end - a human trait she picked up – awaiting news on the restoration of the long-range communications array so they could send out a message to the Alpha site and commence evacuation orders immediately, before it was too late. They had first discovered the issue upon their initial attempt in contact with any mainland forces.

 

As she sits and watches everyone else busy with a terminal, a tablet, or fiddling their headsets, a little part of her doubts plagues her thoughts with the gravest scenarios playing alongside the deathly eyes of everyone she knew.

 

The burning buildings, the screaming cries for help, and the streams of endless blood soiling the earth – it would be a repeat of the human’s homeworld all over again.

 

She couldn’t sit around and do nothing.

 

"Are we still unable to contact Alpha site?" It was an open question for anyone on the floor to answer.

 

One of the technicians, an Aeolian male, gives his report. "Afraid not ma’am. There's something interfering with our outbound signals."

 

"Fix it then!"

 

“We have been boosting our signals as best as we could. But I’m afraid the interference is too strong.”

 

"I don't care, just fix it! My daughters are out there along with a hundred of other people who are unaware of the danger therein! So don’t tell me you can’t fix! Get someone else then!"

 

The room fell silent as though their leader’s anxiety stabbed away what little peace they could hold in to support themselves through this crisis.

 

Eleanor felt her face tense up much like her daughters would react when they realized they were causing unnecessary trouble - another human trait she adapted. Relaxing with one single breath, she attempts to ease both everyone’s mind and her own with a short apology.

 

“I…I’m sorry. Just…do what you can.”

 

They all did and she left them alone. It was unreasonable of her to demand such a tall order from her staff in the ever-shrinking time they have before the harbingers choose to make their moves; yet, Eleanor’s motherly instinct couldn’t help themselves and cloud her judgment.

 

The one time she remembers letting that side of her run free was a few years ago when she heard of saber wolves attacking a training exercise on the mainland; Roza and the others were there, participating in a war-game scenario.

 

They’ve obviously survived the ordeal, but now, both of her daughters were in mortal danger and all she could do here in the lone city, thousands of miles away from them, is place her hopes to Commander Dyne’s and his team’s hasty trip to the mainland.

 

"Please make it there."

 

 

Midway flight to Alpha Site...

 

Flying over the vast ocean at Mach speed are Dyne’s team, comprised of several jumpers and mechs, patted with the best gear the city could provide. In the lead was the commander himself, and on the shoulders of his mech stand Zeph and Raix. Instead of staying inside one of the jumpers like the rest of the soldiers, they choose to stay outside in case they needed to bail quickly and into battle. With their built bodies they can keep themselves planted down until they reach the mainland.

 

Inside the cockpit, Commander Dyne opens a radio channel and debriefs his soldiers on their latest mission.

 

"As you all may already know, at 0500, the tower detected an energy anomaly several light-years away from our planet. Out scientist identified the anomaly itself to be a slip space rupture, left behind by an alien ship – a harbinger scout vessel.”

 

Sent to everyone’s headset was an image taken of the ship, and many of the soldier’s concerns were bleeding into the channel.

 

“Now keep in mind this is a scouting vessel, so we have no idea if they plan to observe us, attack us, or go back to slip space and bring the rest of their fleet here. Of course, the fleet could already be coming here at any moment.”

 

Fear, confusion, and hopelessness fill the channels into disarray; in spite of that, Dyne needed to keep his men together. They had always trained for the event of facing their ancestor’s enemy - no actual combat. It was his job to settle them in with reality because this too would be his first time facing the harbingers; and he welcomes the challenge.

 

"Understand this! You will be in a real firefight! This is no simulation! No, do-overs! No second chances! You will be putting your lives out there. But there’s more at stake here than yourselves. Do you all know why SWORD was made? Do you know who we fight for!?”

 

The channel went silent upon his question, and for what felt like minutes went by to them, waiting for someone to reply, an unlikely individual breaks the ice. “For all of the ladies back home!”

 

Raix’s positive tone soaks into everyone’s ear and stirs up their inner humor to the point of laughter crackling over the radio.

 

Dyne was pleased to hear it and wants to continue the trend. “Who else!? What are you fighting for!?”

 

Different answers pour in like a still pond turning into a raging ocean with each rock striking its surface - each as good as the last.

 

Zeph chooses to give his own. “I’m fighting for a better tomorrow.”

 

Everyone soldier in each jumper and mech smiles from his response and by then, Dyne had accomplished what he came to do – instill hope.

 

“Your friends! Family! All your loved ones! It’s our job as members of SWORDS to be there and defend them because we are their SWORD! And the city is our SHIELD - for a better tomorrow! So, survive! Believe in your training and your comrades! Do I make myself clear!?"

 

In one unified voice, they respond with the absence of dread in their cheers. Now, Dyne goes into a more pressing matter, mainly with his 2 co-pilots.

 

“Zeph, Raix, can you 2 hear me?”

 

Zeph was the first. “Loud and clear sir.”

 

Next came Raix. “What he said.”

 

"Good. We’re on a private channel so no one will hear what I’m about to tell you 2.”

 

“And that is?”

 

The sergeant and private receive thermal images showing both the lone scout ship and 6 figures entering their planet’s atmosphere and then impacting far from the alpha site.

 

“Command thinks the objects were missiles or drones sent by the scouts to check us out; see what we’re made of. But I have my doubts. Take a look.”

 

On each one of them, the coloration is darkest in the center yet spreads out in a gradual transition of lighter shades. Zeph quickly understood what they were about to face. “The heat is coming…off them?"

 

His friend was a little late on the uptake. "What does that mean?"

 

The commander tells him. “…They're like you guys…their aura users.”

 

Aside from Zeph, Raix, and Tya being nicknamed, the superhumans, they were also under a different category according to SWORDS battle assets. They are aura user; individuals who can use their own inner energy to help boost their body’s physical attributes – speed, strength, near invulnerability, eye perception.

 

To release their powers, they expel it out through the pores of their body and let it envelop themselves, acting as another skin layer. Doing so, however, causes their body to produce internal heat which they’ve managed to contain through endurance training. They have also managed it through normal means – sweating and breathing.

 

They’ve discovered this phenomenon by themselves through a contest Raix suggested – who could maintain their aura output the longest. Zeph took up his challenge and by the end, they amounted to a draw and their limits were a little less than a full day. Afterward, they were unable to move out of pure exhaustion and underwent hypothyroidism – they recovered nonetheless. But during the exercise, Zeph observed his body heat through his own internal sensors and discover his overall heat distribution throughout his body was even and the changes of heat color from inside of himself to out through his skin was subtle.

 

The way the 6 figures expel heat was much the same, and their commander gave them a painful look.

 

“I know this is also your first real battle too, and you guys don’t like going all out with your strength. But I’m afraid without you 2 and Tya, our fighting force wouldn’t stand a chance against them. So, when it comes down to it, you have permission, from the president, to use all force necessary to deal with the threat. Is that understood?”

 

“We understand commander.” Zeph completely recognized their role. “We’ll handle them on our own.”

 

Raix concurs with his partner. “You heard what he said, commander.”

 

For a moment Dyne was glad to hear their enthusiasm, yet a part of him felt guilty overburdening them with such a dangerous task, and potentially force them to relive one of their gravest experience – an incident they survived through during their academic year - all over again if they’re not careful.

 

“Alright then. After we land, and if the base is still intact, you 2 will be put on perimeter watch. But if the enemy is already their…well…it’ll be up to you guys, Fireteam Charlie. That’ll be all now. Commander Dyne signing off.”

 

The two boys soon hear his headphone shut off, meaning it was just them now in the channel.

 

“This is going to be fun,” Zeph joked. “It’ll be 6 of them against 2 of us; 3 if we can find Tya.”

 

“Don’t you mean 4? You’re forgetting Roza.”

 

“I didn’t forget her. Still, she’s like not us. No…it’ll just be the 3 of us.”

 

“So we each take 2 on huh. I ain’t liking those odds.” Raix would be entering his first real live battle with another aura user beside his friends. “But hey, if we have to, then we have to. We’re the only ones who can handle them.”

 

Zeph was happy to know his friend had come to term with their fate with a calm appearance; nonetheless, he still had doubts, not in their victory, rather, in himself.

 

During his years as a cadet, his team had little chances to use their powers due to how trivial the tasks were. However, the day of the war-game came. When the saber wolves attacked, Zeph and the others watch their close friend ripped to pieces, and their loss swallowed their hearts whole; the next moment they could remember was standing in the middle of a disfigured landscape, riddled with smoldering craters and the scorched carcasses. If they could cause that much mayhem, then 6 aliens of unknown strength can most likely perform the same feat.

 

"If only we could call them back; it would make things so much easier."

 

Zeph heard his remark and wishes for the same. “What bad timing huh? Makes you wish we could just fly there ourselves. We’d probably be faster than the jumpers.”

 

A light bulb turns on in his head as he just came up with an idea, and his long silence didn’t sit well with his friend.

 

"Please tell me you didn’t get an idea just now."

 

Zeph hears him giggling delightfully with a smirk took.

 

"Please stop laughing. It’s not funny."

 

"Then you’re going to be laughing after this."

 

 

Alpha site, barracks...

 

Outside of the barracks, Roza and Tya remain idle by a door, while the person they needed to meet was having a meeting inside. From what they have seen thus far, the people who live on the alpha site were vibrant yet quiet and they each look like they had somewhere they needed to be – unlike themselves that is. When Roza had asked a frenzied desk clerk - multi-managing different phone calls at a time - regarding the current commander’s location, she was ignored for a full 10 seconds until she was finally told he was in his office.

 

Restless and growing impatient, her friend lets out a yawn and a complaint. "It’s been an hour already. How much longer do we have to wait out here looking like...like..."

 

"Like idiots?" Roza guessed.

 

"I wanted to use something different but yeah!"

 

"If it makes you feel any better he sounds like it’s about wrapped up.” Like her little sister, she had a habit of eavesdropping as well, and was rather a professional at it – being able to count the number of individuals inside an enclosure through voice tones, speech, and breathing rhythms was a breeze. “Just try to be patient. I'm also out here too."

 

"Thanks for that." Tya joked. "If I was with either of the boys I would have ripped my ears off by now."

 

"I can’t imagine. But at least they...they...." She couldn't find anything redeeming about Zeph and Raix no matter how hard she tries to recall a moment where they weren’t making complete fools of themselves. “Yeah, I got nothing.”

 

Suddenly, the base’s alarm systems instantly blare uncontrollably and the 2 instantly hop to their feet.

 

Soldiers began to mobilize out of buildings and citizens wander around absent-minded yet afraid of the commotion. "All SWORDS personnel to your battle stations! Non-essential personnel’s please head to the nearest shelter!”

 

"Are we under attack?” Tya exclaimed, “Here!?”

 

"By what?"

 

Finally, the door beside the girls open and among the soldiers exiting out they find commander Bays - tall, light skin muscular man with a crew cut shave - raising his voice over the wailing sirens for everyone to hear.

 

 “THIS ISN'T A DRILL! I WANT THIS BASE LOCKED DOWN NOW! TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS SOLDIERS! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

 

Brushing past the rushing crowd, Roza reaches him. "Commander! Are we under attack?"

 

“I'm not sure. I just got a call about a large detachment of the city's main forces coming here!”

 

“What for? Is there any cause for the alerts?”

 

“Like I said lieutenant I’m not sure of anything right now. But my gut is telling me, if their bringing in that many soldiers here, then something big is about to come down. Right here. So, I’m making sure nothing gets in this base until we can get things sorted out.”

 

"Have you tried contacting them?” Tya suggested. “The Inbound forces I mean."

 

"No. Our long-range radios aren’t working.”

 

“Still?” Roza looks to Tya worryingly. “I thought Jav was supposed to be on top of it?”

 

“Maybe he did.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with our radio towers,” Bay cuts in. “Our engineers say it’s not a hardware issue. But enough of that, I need you 2 to help prepare our defenses!”

 

"Whatever you need sir."

 

"Good. Lieutenant, I want you to lead a squad with your private to the-"

 

A loud explosion deafens the rest of his sentence and made the trio cover their ears and duck. A geyser of white and blue flame rises high over the east gate, carrying with it the cries of the deceased. Tya, not wasting a second, rushes off through the streets and panicked civilians without Roza.

 

"Wait! Tya!"

 

At the east gate, the alien mercenaries Gunnar, Azure, and Shade have invaded the base as planned and the soldiers stationed the closest had just arrived at a moment’s notice, positioning themselves near whatever cover they could find and watch silently as humanoid creatures walk out of the smoke and fire in plain view, waiting for their commanding officer to issue their counter-attack.

 

"OPEN FIRE!!!"

 

Hot and primed, they shower the enemy with plasma searing out of their gun barrels and scorching the air in their path, hitting their mark dead center. But not one shot could penetrate the layer of aura the mercenaries surround themselves with, much less the armor they wore.

 

Gunnar, unamused by their fireworks, let out a long yawn, widening his mouth to the point of shedding a tear and eating a shot, unfazed. After that, out from his mouth escapes a small, energy orb which then flew towards the opposition, and wipes them out in an instant from a purple explosion.

 

"Oops." He apologized in a dull manner; it was unintentional.

 

“Gah! Cover your mouth next time,” Azure told him. He responds by scratching his head with a silly grin.

 

The 3 examine their new battlefield, absent of life. "These humans aren’t any better than the ones before."

 

"Then let's make quick work of them," Shade advised. Suddenly a shot rang out, aimed at him from a sniper several blocks away. But he deflects it back with a swipe of his arms, killing the sniper almost instantly. “Too easy.”

 

Azure objects to his hasty advice. "We must wait for Lord Ouros and the rest to arrive first."

 

"Speaking of whom," Shade mentioned, turning his head side to side. "They're late. They were supposed to attack the south gate by now."

 

"Maybe they got lost." Gunnar guessed.

 

Azure shuts him down. "Don't be ridiculous!"

 

Soon, they spot life moving behind the rubble in front of them. A pair of dog-like creature’s scamper away to safety, holding one another’s hand.

 

Gunnar had set his eyes on them.

 

"They're mine!"

 

He lunges forward with his right arm fully extend and his hands open, eager to feel their flesh and bones crushed within his grasp.

 

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"

 

Gunnar felt the flesh and bones on the right side of his face cracking under the weight of a small, yet hefty fist, and hears the wind whistling past his ears and the world around him spiraling out of control, until he unexpectedly lands himself in a damp room adjacent to a large hole with a clear view of the sky at the corner of his eyes.

 

In the seconds it took for him to reach the small helpless creatures, Tya runs to his side, hand clenched, heaving her opponent to the ground and through a nearby vacant store. The Aeolians she saved, took the time to thank her with a short bow and hurriedly scurry through a small alleyway.

 

Several meters away, Azure and Shade saw her entrance but showed little interest in their comrade’s safety. What they were curious about, was the woman’s brown and slender tail swinging side to side.

 

They had expected the Saiyan’s to pose a little threat to their plans from what rumors they gathered; and yet, the girl’s action along with the amount of aura pouring from her very being, left them in a state of disbelief – she was as strong as they were.

 

But Azure’s excitement overshadows her confusion since she now has a challenge – some fun.

 

"So that's a Saiyan?"

 

Tya spots the invaders and brought her arms up, guarding her upper body while shifting her weight evenly through his legs, taking up a firm defensive stance.

 

Out of the building next to her, the first one she punched rushes her with an insane smile on his face, throwing down a hammer strike with both hands. She steps away, allows his fist to hit the ground, and counters with a jab, launching him into the air. But upon connecting her fist onto his chin, she felt his head tilt back and his weight slightly off and observes him perform a backflip onto his feet, proceeding to rub his chin with an arrogant beam.

 

"That hurt.”

 

She takes her stance again, then instinctively, looks back, spotting the spike head warrior sprinting at her with a pair of daggers out.

 

But just as when he was close enough to cut her, a yellow plasma blade parries his daggers away and forcing him back. Skidding to Tya’s side is Roza, wielding a rapier in hand.

 

"Thanks for that.”

 

Roza returns the gesture. "No problem.”

 

Tya and Roza put their backs against one another, looking out for their blind spots. Their enemy slowly starts to circle them, waiting for a gap in their defense to show.

 

“So, is this all of them?” Roza asked.

 

“Can’t say for sure.”

 

“Then if you don’t mind, I’ll handle the short one. You take care of the other 2.”

 

“How come I get extra?”

 

“Well I can’t-“

 

Just as Roza replies, Tya stops her immediately with a hand gesture and a small chuckle. “I’m just joking.”

 

Suddenly, an incoming transmission through their earpieces distracts their focus.

 

"Roza, Tya. Can you 2 hear me?”

 

"Gabe?" Roza exclaimed, surprised to hear Gabriel out of the blue.

 

Suddenly, the short one darts toward the distracted Roza, while the others force Tya to move away from her, grabbing both of their attacks with her hands.

 

Roza skips in closer to parry his strike once more, and the next moment she speaks to Gabriel. "Now’s not a good time. What’s this about?"

 

"Jav and Lilith! There missing and I can't find them!"

 

"What!?"

 

 

Forest area...

 

Standing in the middle of the forest with the sun high in the sky, Erb and Bulb are now taking care of 2 human children after saving them from a large behemoth of an alien. Not wanting to kill the giant, Erb only applied some of his aura into his punch, though he was shocked by how far he sent it flying.

 

“That was…underwhelming,” Erb confessed in his mind. “I didn’t think I punched him that hard.”

 

“That’s great.” A scornful comment from his guide rings in from behind. “Now can you, START HELPING ME WITH THIS KID!”

 

Bulb, on the ground, was looking over the broken arm of the young boy. Erb sees the wound and made a grim look. “If you’re expecting me to pull out a miracle here and magically cure this kid’s leg, then you’re out of luck. This is out of my field.”

 

The green guide stares his narrowed down eyes at him in discontent. “What are you good for?”

 

“Didn’t you see what I did?” He points to the road he made, ending their short feud. “How many people do you know can do that!?”

 

His childish playful banter only made his companion pout. “Fine, I’ll do this on my own! Just keep watch on the girl. She looks like she’s in shock or something.”

 

“What are you a doctor?” He only asked due to how he diagnosed the girl’s calm yet pale slack face.

 

“Just…keep her company!”

 

And so, Erb did as he said, moving right next to the young girl. “Um, hey! You alright, kid?”

 

Little did they know, Lilith’s “shocked” state, was due to her hearing having become partially impaired due to the sonic boom from earlier but was slowly gaining them back. Still, sheer miraculous phenomena she experienced firsthand – being attacked by aliens, running for her life the next moment, and next, being saved by a total stranger – left her speechless; she didn’t even know how to react in a time such as this.

 

Eventually, she felt someone knocking her head and gasps for air as her mind levels back to normal.

 

“Huh?”

 

She looks up, makes eye contact with the red man, surprised to meet him so close, and hears him greet her with a questionable accent. “Ah, hi?”

 

His question didn’t make sense to her. “W-what…?”

 

“Huh, so everyone speaks English. That’s convenient.”

 

With a parched voice, she repeats herself. “Ah…what?”

 

“Oh, nothing. Forget what I said. Anyway, how’re ya feeling?”

 

“I’m…not really sure.”

 

“Well, you look like you’re in one piece. No worse for wear.”

 

“I can’t say the same thing for my friend,” she depressingly noted.

 

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about-“

As he looks to Bulb on his progress, the sight of 2 vines slithering out of his bud caught his attention. Lilith was the same, and together, their wondrous staring crept up the green toad’s back, enough to warrant a look over his shoulder.

 

“What is it? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

 

Seeing their jaws drop and Erb slowly pointing his finger towards him, Bulb wildly guesses what caught their tongues. "Wait? Is there something on me?”

 

Randomly, Bulb’s eye widens and looks over himself frightfully, believing Erb was pointing out something that was on him. “IS IT A BUG!? WHERE IS IT!? GET IT OFF ME!”

 

Watching him flap his arms around in a mad panic lead Erb to snap himself back and tell him otherwise. “There’s no bug! Calm down.”

 

He lets out a whiff of air while swiping his arm across his forehead. “Oh good.”

 

“But um…there’re vines…coming out of your back.”

 

“Huh?…oh these!” He grips onto one of them and shows it like it was a toy to him. “Sheesh! And here I thought it was another critter going after my bud.”

 

Noticing his red friend’s displeasing look still lingering gave him a chance to tease him a bit. “Do they freak you out?”

 

Erb, with a constricted face, replies, “A little…” and stares down at the girl who looks like she was seeing someone holding a bug wiggling around in the air, showing it like a trophy. “And I can’t say I’m alone on that.”

 

Contradictory, Lilith was more curious than freaked out, wondering how they were moving and how far they can extend; still, the sight of her friend lying on the ground next to him brought her fear to surface.

 

“Jav!”

 

She staggers to her only to almost fall back down.

 

Erb catches her in time, and sets her upright and allows her to walk up to the dark skin boy.

 

Bulb, seeing her fall to her knees right next to him, senses her concern and eases her grief.

 

“Don’t worry he’s just asleep now. Which is a good thing because he might not want to be awake for what I’m about to do.”

 

“And that is?” The Saiyan asked.

 

Using his vines, he wraps them around the boy's arm - one of them on one side of the break and the other on the opposite. “You might not want to watch this girly.” His advice went to deaf ears after she built up the courage to stay and watch from behind.

 

Bulb snaps the splintered bone back under the boy’s flesh while the girl sounds off a tiny yelp and Erb winces.

 

The vines then untangle and retract back into his bud. Shortly later, his bud produces a light green shimmer. “Now be amazed.”

 

The shimmers intensify into a bright green light, and from its opening, puffs out tiny dust particles, swarming the boy’s arm. In no time, the open wound rapidly closes itself along with the damage cells and bones inside. As the light dies down, only a single scar was found and both of his taller companions were left astounded.

 

“You're full of surprises, ain’t ya?” Erb complimented him. “What else are you hiding in that bud of yours?”

 

The guide told him while counting off a list with his tiny fingers. "Nothing much. I have a tent inside, a mini fridge, some magazines, a stick I use to scratch my back…ah and a motorcycle-”

 

From the moment he said “tent”, Erb stopped believing him. “Never mind I asked.”

 

Raising an eye, Bulb felt insulted for no reason.

 

Their ears are then drawn by a question from the girl.

 

“What are you 2?”

 

The two travelers both curve their view to her, and the Saiyan proceeds to greet themselves. “The names Erb! Erb Kinomoto – I think I’m pronouncing that right? Short story, I’m what you would consider being…an alien, I guess.”

 

His cartoonish behavior had struck a smile and a giggle from the girl; an act he pulls just so her pale face could lighten up. “And the little toad here is Bulb – he’s an alien too.”

 

“What kind of introduction is that?” Bulb growled at him from below. “And for the last time, I’m not a toad!”

 

“Then what are you?” He brought it up now seeing as how he was going to be stuck with him for the rest of their journey.

 

“I’m a-“

 

The girl’s giggles became laughs of joy, and the 2 travelers rather enjoyed her brightly lit cheeks. Afterward, she suddenly laughs, mistaking their argument as some comedic routine. “I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help it. You 2 argue like good friends. Much like some guys I know.”

 

“We do,” They both replied, and proceeded to glance at one another in disbelief.

 

Out of the blue, Erb cautioned himself of the danger they could still be and gauged the enemy he sent away to be very much alive and soon to come back.

 

With enough said and done, he approaches the girl with the intention of getting her and her friend far away from here.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Lilith laughter dies down and answers him. “It’s Lilith.”

 

“Well, Lilith...” The young man takes her under his arm and proceeds to pick up her friend much the same manner. “We’re moving. It’s not safe here anymore. Not for you or your friend. Any moment ‘one eye’ is gonna wake up and come after us.”

 

Detecting urgency in his voice Bulb hops onto his shoulder grips his tiny paws onto whatever loose clothing he could grab onto. “Let’s get a move on then!”

 

“Do you know any place safe around here?” Erb aimed his question to Lilith.

 

“Um…oh! The Jumper! It’s nearby! It’s how we got here!”

 

“Where is it?”

 

She points to the right of him and he follows her direction through the sky, engulfing himself and the others in a white blaze of his own aura. His sudden take off made Bulb hold on even tighter for dear life and surprised Lilith to accidentally drop her glasses.

 

 

Forest area, Ruins….

 

Standing in the ruins, Ouros had spent his wait staring at the ruin markings and wonders why the harbingers were putting all their resources in obtaining an unknown city, with an unknown origin.

 

Teal, on the other hand, is focusing on what was taking Vard such a long time to get back.

 

“What is that fool doing? He was supposed to be killing those human children.” She was about to run off to see for herself, but Ouros’s voice stops her.

 

“He’s been attacked.”

 

“What!?” She gasped in shock and homes in on Vard’s energy signature, finding her leader’s claim to be true. “He’s out cold!? But how? When?”

 

“Someone rather powerful has intervened, and is currently taking the human children elsewhere – they are not far.”

 

Ouros had been monitoring the enemy’s energy output ever since Vard left them. His sensitivity to energy far surpasses that of Teal’s or anyone under his command; thus, without even looking, he could tell what transpired to Vard as though he was there.

 

When Teal learns of this, she took a moment to sharpen her senses and in a short time she locates a rather large aura, now accompanying the same humans.

 

“Who is this? Where did this…’thing’, come from?”

 

Teal then remembers from her debrief of this world having Saiyans among them, and goes to ask, “Do you believe it’s one of them!?”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

“Should we assist him then?”

 

“No,” Ouros answered with a hand raised, solidifying his decision. “We’ll first see how this plays out.”

 

 

Forest area…

 

In the air, still searching for the jumper, Erb kept his wits about him, while keeping tabs on the behemoth from afar.

 

From his short time retraining himself, he managed to gauge and detect the power levels of others and can use his own energy to locate others even from far distances; like following the ripples in a pond to the origin of its disturbance. Currently, he can track the one eye alien’s energy level still rising – spiking momentarily - but his location remains to be the same. He may have time to get his new friends away from the inevitable danger.

 

“This is a little late to ask but do you mind filling me in as to why that thing was attacking you?”

 

Lilith changes her line of sight to him and promptly replies, “I don’t know much about them, other than their name; Harbingers.”

 

“Never heard of them.”

 

But Bulb adds his own words with a grim tone. “I’ve heard of them. They're your basic coalition of different aliens, who think they are the voice of the galaxy and are pretty much a militaristic regime.”

 

“Oh great,” Erb sighed sarcastically, and moves the talks over to what the girl mentioned earlier. “You mentioned ‘them.’ So are there more of those, ‘one-eye’ aliens around here?”

 

“2 to be exact," she answered promptly. "A male and a female – there about your size.”

 

“Fan-fricken-tastic.”

 

As Erb contemplates how much trouble he might have against 2 more aura enhanced fighters, Lilith chooses to speak out on her own terms, regarding what she knew of the enemy. “My people know the harbingers because they're responsible for almost wiping us out.”

 

The weight of her words laid her 2 companions mute and gave her their fullest attention. “They invaded my ancestral homeworld just because we wouldn't obey them, and forced us on the run, leading us to take refuge in the stars. Thankfully my ancestors managed to find this world, and since then we have been living in peace, treating this as our second home. But now, all of that might be ruined.”

 

"Sorry to hear that," He apologized, accepting his blunder in making light of the alien coalition.

 

Lilith didn't give her response back; instead, a new question soon springs out of her mouth. “By the way, how exactly did you get here? Do you have a ship?”

 

“Nope. We arrived here through magic…I think.” Erb directs a question to Bulb. “She used magic, right? To send us here?”

 

“Yup,” he answered.

 

Lilith had heard of magic having endless possible applications from Gabriel and Roza; even so, to be listening to foreigners speak of teleportation to be a common occurrence only made her greatly engrossed into a working theory she had been working on, related to the findings of the research team - a gateway to another world. But a familiar clearing reminded her of something else more current. “OVER THERE! Our ride is right down below!”

 

Erb did as she said and lands down in an open area, and despite her words, he couldn’t find anything remotely close to a transport vehicle.

 

“Are you sure it’s here?” When he looks down at her, he notices she didn’t have her glasses anymore. “I take it you can’t see very well without your glasses.”

 

The girl lets herself go, and digs her hands into one of Jav’s pocket.

 

“Wait just a moment.” She takes out a tablet and presses a button, deactivating the cloaking generating from within the jumper and showing it materialize out of the blue.

 

“Whoa.” Erb uttered and Bulb concurs, “No kidding.”

 

As soon as the door open she runs in and immediately sat on the driver seat. “We need to get to the Alpha site and warn everyone.”

 

Erb carries her friend inside and places him on the seats in the rear compartments. He walks into the cockpit to find 6 additional seats. “Can you make this thing go invisible while flying?”

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

“Neat. Then I’m leaving him with you.”

 

Erb points his thumb to Bulb, who in return looks at him with narrow eyes and squeals out confusingly, “Huh!?”

 

As soon as Lilith revolves around to reply, she spots Bulb being flung to her open arms and watches Erb walk out.

 

“Wait!?” But before she could ask, the red man had already flown off with his parting words. “Take care of him for me.”

 

As he passes over the treetops, she shouts back loudly, “I WILL!”

 

She walks back inside and in the cockpit whereas the green guide hops up to the edge of the back door. As the rear door shuts in front of him, he wishes his new companion good fortune.

 

“Better not die.”

 

The jumper comes alive and elegantly lifts itself off the ground and takes off, disappearing into the background in a shimmering mirage.

 

Sensing they are on the move, Erb finally had a moment to himself without any worries. “Now then-”

 

Far off into the distance, a pillar of dark blue light shoots up into the orange sunset sky, generating a violent maelstrom strong enough to uproot parts of the forest. At the base, Vard, now fully awake, quickly recalls his blunder handed to him by a single fist and begins venting his blood-curdling rage in the form of his aura blazing uncontrollably, tearing down trees and crushing rocks in the process. Thanks to his attire’s durability, it absorbed most of damaged caused by his red interloper; however, it also acted as a seal to his overall combat potential, for the sake of minimizing damage to the planet. Normally he would need his leader’s permission to release his full power, yet it was far from being repairable and his mind is being driven by one desire – rip him and the 2 kids into whatever pieces he came manage with all his might.

 

“I’M GOING TO KILL THEM!”

 

The hue of his shell and the exposed areas underneath switch colors and his flesh glows vibrantly as neon lights. His entire physique increases drastically, exploding to 3 times the normal size for a split second and then shrinks back.

 

His aura soon dispersed for a moment, giving the area a momentary peace, until he releases his awesome power, letting it flood out wildly, and then he runs through the path ahead of him, only to quickly take flight at top speed, high in the sky. It didn’t take him long to spot the red fighter, waiting for him.

 

“I FOUND YOU!”

 

With a battle cry, Vard pulls his arm as far back he could and bulging every fiber under his shell, and drives it forward with all his strength, aiming solely for the stranger.

 

Erb dodges to the right, felt the air rush past him and watches the destructive aftermath behind him unfold – as though god himself was dragging its finger across the landscape, forging it anew. But the sight distracted him from his opponent, who was still hovering next to him, mouth wide open and a beam of light piercing out. He was too close to dodge like before; so instead he fires back.

 

Channeling his inner energy down to his shoulder and through his forearm, his aura explodes out of his hands like a ball of red fire. He clenches his hands into a tight fist, and throws it out in the form of a punch, colliding his aura against the beam attack, setting off a massive blast accompanied by a deafening shockwave.

 

In the aftermath, Vard flies out of the smoke, fiercely seeking his foe out.

 

Abruptly, Erb emerges out of the clouds, unscathed, and speeds towards, landing a head-butt into his abdomen area, sending the giant to belly over in pain. He then warps above his head with a sundering dropkick, launching him downward and fires a red ball of light – a ki blast – out from the palm of his hand.

 

But midflight, the cyclops recovers, deflects his blast away with a kick, and during his landing, he retaliates with a rapid barrage of blue spheres, lighting up the already bright sky with flashes of blue and white fireworks. Without having to move, he directs his cluster bombs to chase after Erb.

 

The saiyan takes evasive measures to avoid their touch and but much to his dismay, they are gradually catching up to him at a dangerous pace. The thought of getting hit by at least one of them was something he did not want to experience.

 

Flashing back to when he was still sparing Trunks, he had unconsciously picked up a technique of his own making, after facing a dilemma where his normal ki blasts weren’t strong enough to deal sufficient damage. Though he had almost killed his sparring partner in the process, he was able to assimilate the knowledge he acquired - to charge an initial blast within himself, continue to build up the power to a point, and then unleash it either as a powerful beam or a wave.

 

In a bold move, he pivots around to face the incoming volleys and causes his right arm to burn bright red, and lets his energy gush out, starting from his fist all the way past his shoulder and further beyond. Like throwing a normal punch, a colossal pillar erupts out his fist at the speed of light, soars over the land, scorching the earth, past the horizon, and beyond the sky. From its destructive power alone, and making use of his heritage, he adequately names new technique, the Dragon’s Fist.

 

The Dragon’s Fist destroyed all the homing missiles, putting himself in the clear. However, a shadow looms over his head, bringing him to shifts his gaze upward and witnesses Vard’s knuckles slamming right on his face, and from there the earth and sky twirling all around him until what is left of the forest run past his vision. Nevertheless, he instinctively manages to hop back up to his feet and slides his way to a full stop. Shortly, the giant reappears before him, heaving another blow his way, taking the brunt of it.

 

Vard smiles delightfully over landing his second solid attack, predicting how many bones he must have already broken by now. Yet, his cocky attitude quickly turns to dread when he hears a calm, unflinching voice beyond his hand.

 

“This aura business is pretty serious.”

 

In response, the titan took 2 large steps back and stares at the unharmed warrior and standing, with his right arm raised, and a red swelling storm of aura warping all around him - being near him was enough to give him goosebumps.

 

Erb expected himself to be in pain by now after surviving an earth-shattering attack. On the contrary, it was a dull, and blunt; something he easily shakes off. It was all thanks to his expansive energy shielding and strengthening his already peak condition. Now, the threat the giant posed to him no longer exists, and this became the perfect opportunity for him to test his powers even further - without any restraints.

 

After increasing his aura output around his legs, he sprints close under the cyclops' gaze, delivering one solid blow to the chest and then follows up with a front kick to the chin. 

 

Vard slow reaction time costs him his victory and began spewing blood out of his mouth as he buckles back, unable to think straight from both the pain throbbing in his gut and his anger boiling over. Eventually, he suppresses his agony by making use of his rage, lets it all out as a vengeful howl, cursing the red man in his face.

 

“YOU’RE DEAD-“

 

And just as soon as he made a budge, his red menace vanishes once again, and a red flash crosses his view accompanied by a heavy blow to the face once more. He staggers, then recovers, and reels in for a charge. But immediately, another flash collides to his face stops him; then, something swift and powerful strikes his legs, forcing him to his knees.

 

Finally, the blue titan sees the red warrior standing where he stood before as though he hadn’t moved an inch. As Erb maintains his posture and drowns his enemy under his presence, his entire body slowly engulfs itself in a white haze, and then shortly, blazing red. His blood red eyes pierce through the fiery veil and straight into Vard’s quivering iris, breaking his warrior spirit in the end.

 

“If you’re worried about dying, don’t be. I’m not going to kill you. I’m just going to beat you as hard as I can until you’re no longer conscious. You’ll probably hate me though, after all of this is over. But really, I’m not the one you should hate. That should be yourself…for being in this situation in the first place!”

 

Leaving only a silhouette of his body behind and the sound of his own swift strikes exposing his existence, Erb commences his brutal beatdown to Vard’s entire upper body from all directions, not even letting him fall to the crushed dirt. After a full 10 seconds pass, he reappears once more and watches the giant finally drop forward, beaten to slumber.

 

Bruised and disfigured, yet still struggling to breathe, the red Saiyan slaps his hand together to rid himself of dirt and then shakes off the cyclops' blood.

 

Placing his hands in the pockets of his pants, he looks around in a laid-back manner and lets out a sigh as though he finally been awake.

 

“Man…that was actually pretty fun.”

 

Tilting his head with the sky in his view, he takes a long deep breath, scenting the natural odors emitting the forest permeating all around, and straightaway he calls out at the forest.

 

“Are you 2 going to come out now?”

 

Having sensed them long before his confrontation, he loudly calls out his hidden adversaries, and in response, a pair of thundering crashes impact behind him.

 

Erb revolves about-face, spotting the ones Lilith had mentioned before – one male and one female, both the size of humans - and with an exciting grin rising on one side of his face he welcomes their introduction with one question.

 

“Now then…who’s next?”

 

 

This is the end of episode 7.

 

Hope you enjoyed it!

 

Please rate, comment, review, favorite, or something. Thank you.

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters: (none)   

8: Ep 8 - Heartbreak

Alpha site, Building A...

 

As many of the non-combatants retreat to nearby bunkers while soldiers hurry their stations, in the main building’s communication room, Gabriel sat by a terminal, rapidly looking through different camera feeds in search of the young ones, Lilith and Jav, while Eve was directing her staff in accomplishing their missions; keeping their base standing and safe.

 

After Gabriel left the children to their own devices, he had hoped they wouldn’t cause any trouble on their own or at least wander off the base. Unfortunately, they did the worst thing he could have imagined – leaving the base entirely - and although they were far from the chaos, he fears they might be heading to an equally dangerous situation at the ruins. So now, with Roza on his earpiece, he informed her of the situation, and receives an unpleasant screech from the lieutenant.

 

"What did you say!?"

 

"They're gone!” He reiterated. “The children aren't here!"

 

Tya then joins in, equally surprised as her companion. "Where are they-“

 

Her sentence cuts out by a white noise causing interference between Gabriel and the girls, leaving him to watch them in another screen, fighting the invaders by themselves with no back up.

 

At the east gate, battling on a ruined road, the spike hair cyclops, Shade, swings his daggers in a scissor motion, attempting to snip Roza’s head off. She moves in to block the blades and parries with a vertical strike, forcing him back once again only to return with the same vigor.

 

Tya, near an intersection, contends against 2 of the alien warriors, Azure and Gunnar. She lands a headbutt to the female cyclops’s face and flips back to avoid a swing by the brute, following up with a backswing to his face. At that moment, she sees Azure returning with a push kick. She receives it onto her exposed backside, tumbles away, swiftly hops on her feet, sprints at her with a shoulder charge and pushes her straight into a wooden stand and a few abodes.

 

Roza and Shade continued their exchange frequently, staying centered around a fixed area while keeping each other at arm’s length. Roza was gaining the edge over him due to her weapon’s reach, and as time passes, her movement speed grew to a point her opponent can notice the change and was at odds with whether she was a human or the rumored Saiyan warrior. Still, whenever he had the chance, he could spot tiny glimmer of light sparkling from within her clothing, and his senses could pick up something more behind her current aura output.

 

Suddenly, when she and Cyclops lock their weapons together, the cyclops happily exclaimed, “You’re a magic practitioner?”

 

Roza instinctively felt a chill down her spine, forcing her to free her weapon and retreat a few meters, taking her stance again, keeping her weapon facing forward and by her face, with her free arm wrapped behind her back.

 

“You are! Haha! I knew it.”

 

Until now, Roza had been using a different latent energy only she and her father possesses, another form of power called mana, passed down from her father’s bloodline; an art known as magic. Her reason for the sudden action was caused by the fact that he knew what magic was, leading her to surmise he had a rough idea on what to expect. Not only that, however her sudden retreat gave her secret away.

 

Still, she chose this moment to gain some information of her own, playing along with him thinking he had the high ground – use his overconfidence.

 

“You know about magic?” She asked him, hoping he would take the bait.

 

“I do. Can’t say your any different from the ones I’ve met; by now I would have had your heads if you were like those other humans.”

 

Other humans? She wondered interestingly, “You mean here? On Aeon?”

 

“No, on other worlds!”

 

There are other planets housing humans? I can’t believe it.

 

She then said, “I don’t believe you!”

 

“Believe whatever you want. Either way, you and your kind in the city are all dead.”

 

So they know of the city.

 

Shade paused shortly after realizing what she was doing, and finally caught on to her ruse. “Hey now! Are you trying to pull a fast one on me? Me!”

 

Roza stays calm, standing ready to counter at the ready.

 

Shade chuckles from her silence, but his smile slowly shifts to that of anger with a hint of murder hidden behind his cold stare. “Not gonna answer huh. Then DIE!?”

 

His growling voice and waves of dark pink aura escape his body and envelopes himself whole only to disappear in a flash, vanishing from Roza’s view. Only his jitters revealed his position to her, making her look up to see his knives coming down towards her eyes. She slips away to the side just in time, but before she could take another step he lunges to her with newfound agility. Nevertheless, she swings her sword, impacting onto his daggers. The force generated made her stagger a few times, earning several cuts all over her body – none were fatal, yet the pain was stacking. And to make matters worse for her, his armor's already high defense combined with his aura made it almost impossible for her sword to pierce through, leaving her with only a small target - his neck or above.

 

Suddenly, the sound a building collapsing in the background, made her glance back to find Tya standing with her clothes tattered and torn.

 

After being flung through a building and digging her fist to the ground to stop herself, Tya launches into the fray with a lightning jab to an incoming Azure who brings up her arm to receive it. The brunette manages to push her back, yet Gunnar closes in with a side hook. She evades by leaning her upper body back, latches her arms around his wrist, locks him down, then twirls him around, and tosses him to Azure.

 

The female cyclops jumps over him, charging at Saiyan with flurries of punches, entering a building and breaking every wall in their path.

 

Taking the brunt of her attacks head-on, Tya leads her up to the side of a building and then crash into it; they start to demolish the insides and move on to the neighboring structures. A collision between their punches causes their temporary ring to crumble and break through several floors below them. They burst out onto the streets, and once more Gunnar comes in with a fist strike impacting against her side, thrashing her into the middle of an intersection.

 

Roza, spotting her friend to be in trouble, makes short work of Shade’s slashes with a heavy counter strike to his chest. The mercenary blocks it with both daggers but flew back and into a small store. With him gone, she retreats beside her teammate.

 

Tya stands back up to hear her approach and concerns. "You alright?"

 

"Yeah. Never better." Tya grunted as she winds her shoulders. "How about you? You don't look so good yourself."

 

She easily spots her fatigue from her erratic short breaths and her arms and legs twitching ever so slightly. Nevertheless, she hears Roza assuring her she was still able-bodied.

 

"I'm fine. It's just hard getting used to fighting like this. Life on the line and stuff."

 

"You can say that again.”

 

As the enemy compose themselves and slowly circle around them as vultures await their prey to finally hit the dust, the girl's earpiece ring with the voice of Gabriel once again.

 

"Roza! Tya! Can you 2 hear me!?"

 

Roza answers his call. "I can read you!”

 

“Oh thank god I got through. You 2 need to deal with then enemies quickly and head to the ruins southeast. I believe that’s where the children went. I'm sending you the coordinates to your HUDs."

 

The blonde quickly taps her earpiece and out from it is a small screen hovering over her right eye; contain on the screen was a forest map with a red pointer being the coordinates sent to her.

 

"At a time like this." She muttered though came to the same realization as Gabriel. "At least they're not here -"

 

Then a gust of wind floods past the entire base in seconds, catching everyone off guard, bringing their attention to the sight of a red color sky bleeding over the horizon and dying out soon after.

 

Despite its short appearance, Azure veers her eye to the direction in which it came. There she can detect her comrade, Vard, fighting at his maximum level against an ever-growing power. "What's going on over there!?"

 

She calls forth her allies. “Gunnar, Shade!"

 

The 2 had already come to the same conclusion.

 

"We know." Gunnar replied and is followed by Shade, "What is that behemoth doing!?”

 

Tya, on the other hand, locates the origin of the light to be near the ruins and while the enemy was too preoccupied wondering what was happening, she quickly formulates a plan with Roza – who was unfortunately also awe-struck.

 

"Roza, when I give you the signal I want you to go on ahead without me. Find those 2 and get them back safe!"

 

"You can’t be serious!?” She snaps back to her friend. “I’m not letting you fight by yourself.”

 

“But I won’t be! Remember the fleet that’s coming here”

 

Reminding her of the fleet gave Roza some clarity now over their trip over – the city knew about the attack and due to communication issues they couldn’t warn them I time; thus the fleet. Additionally, the most likely duo will be with them.

 

“Zeph and Raix!”

 

Tya nods. “Hopefully, they’ll be here in a matter of minutes.”

 

“Are you sure you can handle them for that long?”

 

"Don’t know. But you need to get them back safe. There’s no telling what could be out there now!"

 

"Ok....but don't-"

 

"AHHH! No ‘Buts’!" Tya stops her short of completing her sentence and receives a cheerful sigh in response. "Ok ok."

 

Tya's loudness brought back the 3 mercenaries focus on herself – she deliberately did it.

 

This better work.

 

Channeling her aura into her arms, Tya aims one hand at her 2 foes and the other one whom Roza was fighting, and fires bolts of energy. The cyclops take flight upward to evade the devastation, yet they lost sight of the girls in the clouds of smoke.

 

"Damn!" Azure lashed out, "I can't see them."

 

"Just blast the smoke away!" Shade told the others.

 

"NOW!" The voice of the brunette rang out and from there, the lieutenant emerges and is on the run.

 

“You’re not getting away!” Azure goes after her in the air but was stopped by a ki blast flying past her.

 

“You’re staying!” Tya announced herself.

 

However, before the brunette could fire another shot, Gunnar comes down on her with another hammer strike, this time she blocks it with both of her arms. But the brute wasn’t attempting to kill her with his attack, rather, to hold her where she is so that his comrades have a clear path to the escapee.

 

Seeing her friend’s impending danger closing in, she shouts out her name as a warning. “ROZA!”

 

At that time, Roza was almost nearing the compound exit. However, she slips on a small patch of mud and falls to her knees. From there, she witnesses Shade speeding past her with the sound of his blades slicing the air where her neck should have been. If Roza had remained upright, her head would no longer be on her shoulders.

 

Shade, having missed her, runs back, prepared to get the deed done right, whereas Azure comes in from the air, reeling a punch, wanting to pulverize the human’s head into pieces.

 

Being cornered from front and back, Roza had no way to counter them both, nor the time to dodge.

 

Then a familiar voice rings in her earpiece, telling her, “Stay there!”

 

Pairs of irregular cannon fire drown Azure and Shade in a while and blue explosion. Shade came out no worse for wear, until a large yellow disc flies right through him, cutting him from the waist down. Right in Roza’s path, Zeph lands across from her, stopping himself short, with her path cleared.

 

“Zeph!?”

 

Gunnar watched Shade get cut, and attempted to intervene until a knee strikes the side of his face, courtesy to Raix entering in from the air at high speed.

 

With a well-placed knee blow, he tosses the brute off Tya and lands next to her, shining a smirk her way.

 

"Need a hand?”

 

Seeing him extend a helping hand as though he was his knight and shining armor, she kindly declines. “Thanks. But no thanks.”

 

She then points at the large one shaking off his surprise attack. “Wished you’d put that guy down. He’s a pain.”

 

“Huh.” Raix had thought the brute would stay down. “He’s tougher than I thought.”

 

Elsewhere, Roza was still shocked by her friend’s sudden entrance and approaches him with wonder. “How did you get here!?”

 

“Ask Raix, it was his plan.” He sighed tirelessly. “I overheard Gabe’s transmission on the radio, about your sister and Jav. You’re planning on getting them. I’m coming with you.”

 

“What about Tya!? She’s still back there!”

 

“Don’t worry, Raix has her covered.” Zeph goes on ahead, beckoning his leader to not fall behind. “Let’s go now!”

 

She did as he said despite their ranking, and caught up to him as they run towards the ruins at full speed, entering the forest and vanishing within its shadows.

 

After they left, Azure regains her composure from being shot thanks to her armor but is driven mad by the interference of an outsider. “Damn it! Where did that come from!?”

 

Her irritation then turns to anger upon the sight of Shade’s upper body lying on the ground far from her. She releases her full power and emotions into one horrible scream. “You are all…DEAD!”

 

Gunnar happily does the same. “YOU SAID IT!”

 

Tya and Raix, putting their backs together, witness the aliens erupt into columns of pure energy. Going anywhere near the light was too hazardous for them; attacking them was out of the question.

 

“You ready Raix?” She looks to him.

 

“Please!” He said as he whips his arms out eagerly. “I was born ready!”

 

“Don’t ever use that line again.”

 

 

Forest area, airspace...

 

Less than a minute passed after Erb flew into battle, and now Lilith and Bulb make their way to safety with Jav in tow in the rear section of their jumper.

 

Bulb, coming from the back compartment after strapping in the slumbering young boy, – using several belts to wrap him in place – gets on top of the passenger seat next to Lilith and sits idly while giving his small report. “Your friends secured in the back.”

 

All he gets from her was an ordinary, “Thanks.”

 

He awaits any other responses; she remains depressingly silent. So he changes the subject to lift her mood.

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Excuse me?” Arching an eyebrow she glares at the guide who ignores her raised objection to his own speculations. “Let me guess. You don’t look older than 18 but no younger than 12…your 14!”

 

Though slightly feeling objectified, she was a bit surprised by his somewhat accurate assessment. "…I’m actually 15.”

 

“Aha! I knew it!” He claimed even despite being incorrect. “All you human girls look alike.”

 

“Oh really,” She scoffed. “How so?”

 

“4 words my young friend; Bust, Waist, and Hip!”

 

After he finished, animosity begins to boil within the girl’s soul and with a disgusted look she expresses it out in the lowest tone she could muster. “What?”

 

Bulb blissfully ignores her objection as he freely explains himself in a marveled manner. “You see, all of the human woman I’ve met, or any other beings appearing like humans, all share 3 qualities – their bust, waist, and hip size. Using those 3 – as well as facial features - I simply made a quick visual examination of your physique and figured you were 15-”

 

You said 14. She thought and cringed, "How do you know all of this stuff? Why do you know this?"

 

“If you’ve traveled from place to place like me, you’ll pick up these kinds of skills up - mainly from lots of gorgeous gals.”

 

“Place to place?” She mimicked in an intrigued tone, no longer looking at him with a scowl stare. “Do you have a ship?”

 

“Before meeting the red guy, I used to have a ship with…someone else I knew.”

 

Lilith detects his minor avoidance; she hears him go on regardless.

 

“We’d go to different planets that accepted our kind – aliens and whatnot.”

 

“What happened to your ship? And your friend?”

 

“Ahhh the ship got…how should I say…’repossessed’ by someone else I knew.”

 

“Did you steal it from that said ‘someone’?” She accused him.

 

“We didn’t steal it! We…won it from a bet! My…my brother and I did.”

 

“Oh.” A pit in her stomach forms as she realized she may have touched a sensitive subject for her little friend. Yet, her curiosity got the better of her; she had to ask. “What happened to your brother?”

 

“HE’S NOT MY BROTHER! NOT ANYMORE!” As if she set a blazing fury within the green toad, Bulb’s emotion flips completely around, angrily lashing out at the air around, while cursing his so-called brother. “Not after what he did to me!”

 

Her lips widen yet stayed shut as she reconsiders her previous action. “W-Why? What happened?”

 

“He went behind my back! He literally stabbed me in the back! He…he-”

 

As Lilith looks at him quivering on his chair as though his inner rage was about to burst right out of his head, he hears him scream out dishearteningly, “HE OPENED UP AN INTERGALACTIC RESTAURANT CHAIN WITHOUT ME AND NAMED IT THICC BURGERS!!!”

 

Much the same way she learned how he guessed her age, she responds with, “What?”

 

“THAT BASTARD LEFT ME ON A PLANET AND WENT AHEAD TO MAKE OUR DREAM FRANCHISE! MAN! EACH TIME I THINK ABOUT IT I WANT TO STRANGLE HIS FAT NECK!”

 

“I don’t know if it’s a language thing, but you don't seem to understand how the word, ‘literally’ works.”

 

“SEMANTICS!” He replied WITH THE SAME FURY, YET Lilith didn’t feel threatened by his different personality – she actually finds his reaction adorable. “What I’m getting at is, it was our dream!”

 

His tone changes to that of grandeur as he goes to explain himself.

 

“I wanted to make a restaurant that can serve the best dishes known throughout the galaxy and have the most beautiful, voluptuous women of the universe serve hungry travelers like me and be showered by their positive energy and glamor! The ideal setting….But NO! My brother ditched me and went on to make it behind my back – didn’t even put me under as a co-founder! After that, I just wandered to different planets by smuggling on board freighters or anything to get me to the next planet, until a month ago.”

 

Unable to believe any word coming from his mouth, the girl just facepalms herself as hard as she could, creating a dissatisfying clap as she continues to hear him talk. Then a thought occurs to her, a flashback to when she found Jav with Raix both viewing an old gentlemen’s magazine they took from one of the antique stands in the city when the sun was still high in the sky. She recalls seeing many of the women were naked, all of them with large proportions and hourglass figures. The 2 boys noticed her eventually, and Jav went on to explain himself and yet, what Raix told her stuck with her to this day.

 

If there’s one thing we men love, it’s the female spirit! Sure a woman’s look is one thing - like your mom – but if their character is as bad as this morning’s breakfast then they’re not worth it. Now even though these are just pictures, when I look at them I can feel their charisma and positivity pouring out and making me feel happy – though uhh by happy I don’t mean the way Tya or Roza usually find him in the morning just before I wake up. So don’t think we like girls for their looks! Because we don’t! Ok,…not all the time that is hehe.

 

“Oh god.”

 

She whispers her comprehension only to be unheard by Bulb who asked, “You said something?”

 

“No no! I meant…are you done?”

 

“Yeah. I’m done.”

 

“Good. I don’t think my innocence can take much more.”

 

“Well sorry,” he gibed. Unexpectedly, Bulb then goes on to say, “But you feeling better now?”

 

“Where did that come?”

 

“You looked worried about Erb.”

 

“Huh!” Saying that out of nowhere almost made her steer the jumper at a downward descent again.

 

“Your face and reaction said it all.” He jested. “Noticed since we left.”

 

She didn’t say a word after that. Her mind was fixated over how Erb suddenly drops his green friend in her care and flies off into a battle against a creature that could eat the things that can eat her as a snack. His deeds so far warrant her to pray for his safety in silence, so that she could repay him.

 

Seeing her frown again, Bulb comforts her with a forced grin. “He’ll be fine. I guarantee it!”

 

“How do you know for sure?” She gently asked.

 

“I am...sure.” His smirk said otherwise and she sees it.

 

“Now your face says otherwise!”

 

Hearing her retort made him do the same. “I’m not a 100% sure…but hands down he has got to be one of the toughest guys I know…I’ve seen him fight with someone who can bust a planet! So, I think he’s fine…as long as that Cyclops can’t do the same.”

 

“Bust a planet?” She gulped. “You mean there are people who can destroy worlds?”

 

“That’s what I’ve been told. Though, now that I think, I'd probably shit myself if I meet some bad guy who can do that. Anyway, push that thought aside…and smile!”

 

Bulb widens his mouth with his paws to make a large grin. “A pretty girl like you needs to keep her spirit up!”

 

His kind gesture causes her to start laughing, beaming him a small snicker.

 

“There you go.”

 

After she was done, Lilith begins to confess to him, “For a little pervert, you’re pretty nice.”

 

“I know I am,” Bulb murmured, and made sure to note, “nice and stuff – I’d say I’m just a man who adores the female body.”

 

“Sure. And I'm sorry you got ditched by your brother and took you're…’unique’ concept.”

 

“Why thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

The room fell silent again as the topic was done with, so Bulb brought up a different subject. "So how far is your place? Alpha bass?"

 

"It’s ‘base’ and we’re too far. It’s beyond those mountains."

 

Pointing towards the landmark with twin peaks rising over the batch of clouds, the screen then lights up the words, proximity alarm, displayed in bold white letters.

 

“What’s that mean?” the guide fearfully asked.

 

“Something coming towards us…No wait.”

 

The proximity alarm instantly dies out, signaling the danger had passed. “Never mind; something went past us!”

 

But the alarm revives itself when a light blue spherical ball of plasma fly’s into their view, towards a mountain, and erupts into a flashing light and a thundering roar. Blinded by the aftermath, the sheer wind pressure caused the jumper lose its position in the air, until a jettisoned rock knocks onto the vessel’s thruster, causing it to shut off and send the ship spiraling down to a cliffside.

 

"PULL UP! PULL UP!" Bulb screamed.

 

"I'm trying!"

 

As the vessels internal and external sensors sirens out all around their poor ears, Lilith desperately shuts everything down to perform a hard restart. Unfortunately, panic sets in and she was too slow to do anything. With the ever-growing scenery in the front, Lilith abandons any thoughts of attempting to command it and just shouts out her last words to Bulb.

 

"HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!"

 

 

Forest area, battle site...

 

After Vard was found defeated by the red stranger, Ouros and Teal arrived from the sky, landing hard yet unharmed. Their loud entrance echoed far but did not make their foe flinch. Instead, they watch him turn around with a face daring them to attack.

 

Ouros was about to entertain the thought, until Teal beckons him, she would fight him first alone. "My lord. Allow me."

 

Sensing her determination, he allows her, knowing full well what her intentions are - bringing forth the stranger’s full power so that he could better understand him. They knew the red man held back his attack against Vard because their comrade was still alive and from the moment they laid eyes on him not once had he ever pulled out the sword holstered to his side. And then there was the exponential energy surge – it was too quick to definitively gauge his strength, but it was enough to let them know he was no ordinary warrior.

 

"Very well. You are permitted to fight at full strength. Do not let your guard down."

 

“Thank you.”

 

She takes off her armor, lets it fall to the ground, and goes right into the same transformation Vard underwent - her exterior colors change and her hair begins to shine and stiffen as her life force surges out.

 

By the time Erb could react to her transformation, it was already done; despite that, in truth, the thrill of fighting someone capable enough to get him serious was worth the wait – the consequence afterward would be his own to bear.

 

That was quick. He thought. But now that I saw it, it looks much like how Trunks and I become a super saiyans. Go figure.

 

The geyser ceases, and the Saiyan prepares to fight again only to get caught off guard by her bolting movement, clearly showcasing herself to be in a league of her own as her nimble strikes gave him no time to block. Struck to the face, he slides into a whole row of trees but at a precise moment he uses his tail and whips himself off the ground, sending himself upward over the trees once more.

 

"Ok." He grunted with a pain stabbing jaw. "That definitely hurt."

 

Smudging his face, he felt the warmth of his own blood on his hands and watches it glistening from the sun beaming overhead. At the corner of his eyes, the woman speedily caught up with a kick winding up. This time, he guards against the attack with his arm, absorbing the impact and uses it to propel further away.

 

The female warrior pursues, throws a punch; she is countered by his sidekick. Still, she persists, and together they exchanged their fists, only to end with the red Saiyan knocked to the dirt and broken branches, and the mercenary ending with a large blue energy ball fired out of her chest.

 

Erb spots it inbound and holds both hands out to receive it, hoping to return it back. Upon contact, the orb pushes him through the ground, and he struggles to keep himself firmly in place. On the spot though, he uses his tail to provide extra support, and musters a front kick, rebounding the ball to the sky.

 

Teal dodges nearly got hit by her own attack, and tracks its flight path, watching it ignite in an instant when it fell to the ground again. But her short gaze betrays her as a beam of red light devours her in a current of superheated red plasma.

 

Throwing a dragon’s fist to subdue her, the Saiyan soon found his attack yielded little results from how her sizzling shell exterior remaining intact – he only made things worse for himself.

 

She's a tough nut. Need to end this quick before her friend decides to join in. Maybe it's about time I go super.

 

Then an notion lights up – what if the other fighter was even stronger than her? What if becoming a super Saiyan wouldn’t be enough? He questions himself on whether he needed to draw out the fight longer to know for sure but for how long until his own reserve runs out? What could he do to minimize his usage to the bare minimum while effectively dealing damage to an opponent? His answer arises from a lecture Trunks gave him, concerning how he knew 2 Saiyans who could go on to stay as a super saiyan for a long period of time without wasting any energy, feeling any strains from transforming, and can subconsciously retain it – a full power state he called it.

 

The idea of it was to achieve a state where the user would assimilate the power boost as a natural state rather than another transformation, hence minimizing its ki consumption to a small amount.

 

Erb, however, faces one issue – he had just re-learned how to transform and testing the new method now would place him at risk.

 

I wonder if the same can be applied if I’m not super?

 

He soon grabs hold of his sword’s hilt but is cautious over its use.

 

Should I use it know? Here? I don’t what’ll happen if I do? I might kill her by accident.

 

As he thinks on the subject, his body goes on to a defensive front against his pursuing enemy, who wasn’t keen on his evasive tactics.

 

“Stay still and fight me!” Teal yelled out, firing another energy blast from her chest.

 

Evading it a second time but taking her words to heart, the red fighter found his answer.

 

Stay still?…huh…why not!

 

Touching down from above, he jumps back up to avoid the woman crashing in with a kick, cracking the ground in 2.

 

Teal whirls at him with a high kick; she misses despite watching her feet fly right over his face, as though he hadn’t moved from his spot.

 

Erb on the other hand merely leaned his head back just enough to avoid the tip of her toes by a tiny margin, and then swiftly face his own back with hers.

 

She brings up her arm to drive him off, yet he stops her by placing his hands on her upper arms, neutralizing her speed and power before she could completely lash it out. Hastily she attempts to use her other arm; he counters in the same fashion. On the same side, she lifts her leg, twirls, and performs a dropkick. However, he walks around her, returning to her backside. She then distances herself by several meters, keeping her guard up all the same.

 

Did he already get used to my speed? She pondered the possibility. Even so, I should still have the advantage in aura capacity. He won’t be able to keep this up for-

 

The red aura that was once expelling out of him in the same manner as her own is now being bottle up inside him and any residual energy being output was used to form a tiny layer around his body. The shape and tension of the surface were fluent and smooth, yet thick and sturdy - a full body armor made by his own mental fortitude.

 

She begins to feel the same ominous presence he projected to Vard; an unbreakable line of sight she can’t shake off. As a result, she expels more of her inner energy out, easily towering Vard’s own outburst, and pits her efforts on offense. But before she could act, she observes him approaching her with steady arm movements swinging back and forth, synchronizing with his footsteps.

 

Believing it was a trick she rushes in with a right jab, and still, the man dodges and slips to her left side. From there, she gasps in pain from a swift palm strike to her left side abdomen. She retaliates using her left arm to swipe him away again; she misses once more and gains a quick elbow thrust to her chest, making her body travel over the ground. She dug her feet in to stop herself and looks up to finds him up close with a right punch to her midsection; he quickly brings it back to cause her to stay in place, only allowing the force behind his attack to travel through her body as a shockwave. The agony of having the same spot hit more than once made her almost belly over, yet she brings herself upright only to have the man perform the same strike to her left. With her arms unable to touch him she brings up a right kick; he places his foot on her knee, stopping her in place, allowing his right hand to touch her shoulder, pulls her forward into his knee blow on her abdomen, and then turns his entire body clockwise around her to avoid her tumble.

 

As the battle goes on in favor of Erb, Ouros observes his progress attentively, making notes of his sudden rampant behavior changing to that of a calmer demeanor, something Teal doesn’t seem to grasp as she gets pummeled over and over without even taking more than 5 steps away from the same spot.

 

He’s good. Neutralizing her speed and strength with minimal effort isn’t something anyone could achieve through luck. He must have gone through countless experiences to obtain that knowledge and achieve complete synchronization with his own body. Not only that, he hasn’t wasted any of his own stamina. He could have used his sword -

 

His eyes set on thin threads of gold light circling around his body, mixing with his aura. Suddenly, his energy changes entirely, now a mixture of red and gold; armored in what appears to be molten lava.

 

Erb, having the upper hand so far, gradually elevates his energy level, withholding his super form, but lets his aura flow out, taking the form of a tiny red firestorm. The force behind his power up was enough to put Teal on the spot who is now hesitant over her own overall abilities.

 

Looking at her dumbfounded stare gave him the chance he needed to end this peacefully with words – unlike their sleeping companion they look to be reasonable. “I’m going to say this once. Leave here now, and take your friends with you. I won’t attack you if you leave peacefully. But if you’re planning on staying-“

 

Suddenly, a quick flash of dark pink light shines behind him and he shifts his gaze to the source. There, standing over pieces of bronze, the male cyclops had transformed in less time than the difference between Teal and Vard, and with it, his presence increased drastically to the point where Erb could measure his intensity to be higher than anything he had seen – higher than even Trunks.

 

Almost instantly the man disappears from his sight, and before he knew it, the sensation of a large fist impacting over his left upper chest, the sheer strength combined with the scorching plasma on his clothe and skin, and the taste of his own blood spilling out of his mouth, left him in a daze as his body plows through several objects until he plunges straight into the middle of a mountain, getting himself buried under a cold tomb made of rock and dirt.

 

 

Canon Characters: (none; but fun fact, thicc burgers is a parody of boobies from space dandy.)

 

OC characters: (none)   

 

9: Ep 9 - Super Trifecta

 

20 years ago, in a faraway galaxy...

 

In the corner of a vast galaxy, floating aimlessly in the cold space, a planet with no sun to unveil its endless nights, where no plant life could thrive, and no sane living being could live in, there was one; a seer, nearly immortal but crippled by age. Dressed in dark blue drabs with red marble eye covering its entire head, the seer obtained vast knowledge of the known universe through its long life and had gained the ability to foresee the future. It had been alone on the barren rock world in deep meditation to collect its endless thoughts; until one day, 2 brothers have tracked it in a deep cavern and the eldest of the pair professed a problem that stemmed deep into his fighting spirit.

 

The elder brother, leader of a pirate band feared throughout the cosmos under the banner, the Dark Matter Raiders, alongside his second in command and younger sibling, await the seer’s response when it suddenly brings forth an illuminating orb on his hands, comprising of mix colors, gleams a soothing but foreboding light. Then it came; flooding into their minds as drowning echoes, neither were unable to interpret its words as it spoke and yet they understood every single meaning each syllable held.

 

Do you seek a warrior worthy of your stature? If so, you must journey to the other side of the universe, where a small swirling cluster lies, and within its outer rim a blue world will shine the darkness; there, you will find your answer. But I must warn you, the journey will be long and perilous; only time will permit you to acquire what you need to rekindle your thirst for battle…once more.

 

After it ended the elder brother walked out in silence but with a determined glare towards his imaginary and highly anticipated foe. His sibling, however, did not share the sentiment and begun to convince him not to follow the seer’s words. But by the time they stepped outside with their ships in sight, the older brother was about to set off; to search out the warrior, even if it meant traveling for years without end.

 

From there the younger brother challenged him in a duel, to gain leadership of their crew. This resulted in a brutal one-sided battle, favoring the eldest. He was the first to leave the planet.

 

His younger brother was left behind, battered but alive. Because of his defeat, he resigned his position amongst the dark matter raiders and chose to head back to his home world where he would recruit new members to form a small mercenary company. But before he left, the seer’s presence attracted his attention and heard it ask for what he desired. He did not tell him and was reluctant to go on until it offered to tell his future. He listened, but what he heard was more than what his future had in store, but rather what his fate was to be – a prophecy foretelling his end.

 

In 20 years from now, you will arrive at a crossroad; on one side will be your death, and the other, your life's purpose. But it will not be you who decides which road to take, that task lies in the one who shines brighter than even the stars. However, you must never, ever, anger the one….who shimmers…in gold.

 

 

Forest area...

 

In the present, Ouros dished out a punch powerful enough to send Erb straight into a far-off mountain and takes a moment to reflect his action. The reasoning behind his initiative was due to his battle instincts urging him to end the threat as quickly as possible – the sight of his golden aura triggered his instinct. And so, he did, with one decisive strike to the red fighter’s heart, penetrating the small field of aura encompassing him. Now, he watches calmly as the very mountain his problem lies under crumbles, creating large rock slides originating from the top all the way to its base.

 

Retracting his hand back to his side, his hostile nature no longer brews out yet his cold demeanor remains.

 

“We’ve spent too much time here already. Let us first retrieve Vard and then regroup with Azure’s team. There may be more than one of him.”

 

Teal, having seen the impressive attack and was dumbfounded by it, stutters to answer her lord’s command. “Y-yes…my lord.”

 

He turns about face to march off until the sound of crush glass beneath his feet draws his attention. He bends down and picks up a pair of glasses once belonging to the human girl who escaped with the dark skin boy. He tosses it aside, then raises his right hand up to his chest level and charges a small energy ball over his palm. He flicks it over his shoulder, towards the crashing mountain, and in a flash, a blue and white dome of pure destructions erupts out, devouring the entire region in an instant. After the light dies away and the scorching shockwaves passed, large black stacks of smoke rise high from the blast’s epicenter and into the cloudless sky, only to then cover the entire landscape in its shadow.

 

Ouros moves again with Teal who was startled by his sudden action but nonetheless kept pace with him. From there, they spot Vard marching out of the burning trees close by, rubbing his neck and taking notice of their release forms.

 

“You 2 transformed?” He asked. “That explains why this place looked different....god, my neck.”

 

Seeing him able and fine, the mercenary leader asked, “Have you fully recovered from your injuries?”

 

“Somewhat thanks to my healing factors. Though it was a good thing all my limbs are still intact – would have sucked if I lost one.”

 

“Good, then we’re moving out.”

 

“Where’s the red bastard anyway?"

 

“Dead and buried by the Lord’s hand,” Teal answered him.

 

“Should have guessed. I wish I had that chance.”

 

But Teal interjected. “Don’t kid yourself.”

 

“What was that!?”

 

“He clearly outclassed you and I; what makes you think could-“

 

“Quiet!” Their leader’s alarming order took away their voice.

 

Not hearing them make a peep, Ouros concentrate his senses, stretching his range as far as he could till he detected 6 high power levels in total. Among them, he can sense Azure and Gunnar unleashing their true forms alongside 2 of the enemy combatants, but the other 2 are nearing their own location. He took a closer inspection and calculated their direction to be another pair of familiar energy signatures, not too far from where they were.

 

“We’re moving out, now!”

 

 

Alpha site…

 

Inside the main building, everyone’s eyes were stuck onto the main monitor for the past several minutes as seismic readings spike in relation to the monstrous, god-like geysers gushing out from the enemy’s own bodies, whereas Tya and Raix stand by, unable to stop them.

   

Elsewhere, Gabriel earns an urgent call from Commander Dyne.

 

“Alpha site, this Commander Dyne. Can anyone hear me? Respond!”

 

“Commander, this is Gabriel.”

 

“Finally, someone answered. How’s the situation over there?”

 

“I’m afraid not; 3 alien invaders have penetrated our defenses but we’re only alive now thanks to Fireteam Charlie. They’ve managed to defeat one of them.”

 

“So they got there in time after all. Those crazy kids.”

 

Few minutes before the 2 superhuman flashy entrance and Raix had conjured up an idea involving one of his own signature techniques, taking the form of a yellow circle chainsaw blade, sharp enough to cut through almost any solid matter and fast enough to compare with a normal ki blast.

 

Controlled remotely by his thoughts, he enlarges the nimbus ring to accommodate both himself and Zeph to stand on – only letting its outer rim revolve at high speed and making the inside stationary - and although his friend wasn’t much inclined to set foot on it due to its sharpness, his urgency got the better of him and channeled his energy into his arms, used them to act as thrusters, and rockets their way to the Alpha site.

 

Dyne watched them leave his view, expecting them to reach the site earlier and presently he pats himself on the back for guessing correctly. “I can't believe they managed to take down one them.”

 

“Indeed,” said Gabriel. “But the battle isn’t over and presently the enemy seems to be revealing their trump cards. You should be able to see the columns of light as you approach – that will be them.”

 

“Well, that explains the strange freaky lights over the horizon.”

 

“Then you know what we must do then? For us to prevail?”

 

His grim tone didn’t sit well in Dyne’s gut, but he knew all too well what is needed to be done. “I know. The president and the rest of the committee members gave the approval – all I need from you is to release their seals…Go do what you have to do Gabriel.”

 

“Thank you. I will take full responsibility for what happens afterward.”

 

“No need. We’ll both shoulder the burden.”

 

“Very well then.” Gabriel gently smiles at the sentiment. “I will need to get ready quickly so I’m going to transfer you over to commander Bays. You 2 can work out the evacuation orders.”

 

“Roger that.”

 

Outside, Azure and Gunnar undergo their transformation, using their aura columns to shield themselves in case their opponents plan to attack them midway.

 

Raix and Tya however, do not plan to attack them; they kept their eyes open, waiting for their chance to strike.

 

“They’re sure taking their time,” she commented.

 

Raix agrees with her sentiment. “No kidding. You’d think they’d be done by now seeing as how we’re in a fight for our lives.”

 

They let a few seconds pass by and, he notes, “Wish we could attack them now. Get it done with.”

 

“Then how about you go ahead then?”

 

“No thanks; it’ll be like charging into a waterfall; one that can actually hurt-”

 

Out of the blue, Raix felt Tya’s feet smacking against his right midsection and was flown off towards the side. Tya on the other hand, leaped back at the same moment, saving her friend and herself from being hit by a sphere of plasma from the aura geyser. The surprise attack tunnels through every building leading out of the base and beyond until it finally detonates over the horizon.

 

Raix, having his face on the ground, took a glance at the aftermath with an almost speechless front. “Shit.”

 

“LOOK OUT!”

 

Hearing Tya’s warning ignited the young man’s survival instinct.

 

Raix hastily got to his feet, meets the mohawk cyclops, Gunnar, charging out in his new form with an uppercut thrown at him. In response, he lifts his right knee to his chest, placing the bottom of his feet over the brute’s fist, applying the blow’s momentum into his upward flight, while neutralizing the incoming force. He propels upward, but when he reached his highest point his foe warps by him with a downward strike. He couldn’t dodge it, so instead, he takes it head on, applying all his aura in increasing his body’s defense. He receives the attack across his midsection and chest, and sunders down into the streets.

 

But the cyclops didn’t give him time to recover; Gunnar drops down with both feet aiming to crush him.

 

Raix rolls away, evades him, got to his feet in time to throw a back kick in midair, straight to the alien’s eye. But without a hint of pain from the alien, he felt his grip around his leg and is now being hurdled and thrashed against the ground, until he is thrown into an empty diner.

 

Elsewhere, Azure emerges with the same external changes, and quickly went after Tya.

 

The girl with the tail became completely overwhelmed and could no longer keep her eyes on her – too quick to keep up. She pours her efforts into defense, covering her upper body with her arms, and absorbs the attacks as best she could

 

But Azure manages to slip a swift front kick underneath, connecting the mounds of her feet to Tya’s chin and speedily folds the same leg back to thrust a sidekick.

 

Pushed away, Tya stops herself but stumbles around, placing her left hand over her stomach to ease her new injury while her opponent mocks her by just laughing arrogantly.

 

Raix, lying on top of broken tables and chairs along with little pieces of food, gets himself up to see the giant outside, walking towards him with a face oozing with confidence.

 

“He withstood my kick that time,” Raix muttered to himself. “That’s not good.”

 

Out of nowhere, he begins to hear Gabriel through his earpiece – quickly in need of repairs -calling for both him and Tya.

 

“Raix, Tya? Can you hear me!?”

 

“Gabe? Is that you?”

 

Tya soon chimes in while dodging Azure’s fists. “What is it now, Gabe?”

 

“Good you both can hear me.” They soon pick up his next words in a blunt but humorless manner. “I am going to remove your seals now so sit tight!”

 

Raix responds with a single, “Huh?” whereas Tya wanted his confirmation. “You are? Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, I am. So try to stay alive in the next few seconds. Is that understood?”

 

“That’s easier said than done,” Raix commented as he cracks a half smile.

 

“We'll make it work,” Tya assured him.

 

In the communication room, everyone's attention veer towards Gabriel’s mystic ritual where he held up his left hand out, emitting a faint silver glow and creates a runic circle with 3 distinct similarly outlined shapes inside – a rectangle, a triangle, and a circle. Pouring out his latent energy into the shapes made them radiate even brighter until a quick swipe of his right hand causes them to shatter.

 

On Raix's chest a silver triangle shines out and then splinters apart; Tya's chest held a silver rectangle and it too met the same fate. At the same time, large quantity of aura escapes their bodies, molding themselves into white flaming waves.

 

Azure runs in with a jab aimed at the girl’s face with the intent on ripping her head off her shoulders clean off. But after seeing the girl not move an inch, she hesitated for a moment, but still lands her fist, only to have felt her entire body jerk forward and back as though she was face with an immovable object. With her right knuckles planted on the girl’s left cheek, she spots the eyes of the native warrior peering at her with a courageous expression, startling the cyclops to hop back.

 

Tya lets out a booming war cry as her white aura and brunette hair both change to fierce gold and her brown eyes settle into pure burning emeralds. The outward force produced from her instant transformation blew her jacket apart, revealing her slender yet firm muscles underneath.

 

Azure, unable to shake off her tremendous existence, yells out in defiance against the now clear difference in levels. “What did you do!? What kind of Saiyan are?”

 

In an instant, Tya took one lighting skip forward, closing the distance between herself and Azure, positioning her partially curled up fist an inch away from her chest, and clenches it instantaneously, pouring in a strike so swift and heavy it was enough to knock the alien unconscious and change her back to her base form.

 

As she fell, Tya caught her and lets out a sigh of relief as soon as she knew her opponent wasn’t dead – she held back as little as she could just in case.

 

“I did better than I expected.” She told herself but then pondered on to what Azure called her before. “What did she mean by saiyan?”

 

Then, without any reason, she looks at herself from a broken window mirror and admires her new look. “Huh…I look pretty good as a blonde.”

 

In the streets, Gunnar stays frozen after witnessing the young man’s transformation - golden hair and emerald eyes.

 

Raix talks to himself as though he were just taking a leisurely stroll. “Man, I haven’t felt like this in ages.”

 

Cracking his knuckles and revolving his neck around, his excitement translates over to his ever-growing ki, gradually expanding as he moves every fiber of his body. “Let’s see if I still got it!”

 

With a single step, the spiky hair boy glides up above the Cyclops head, and launches a rapid roundhouse kick against his face once more, flipping him in place, turning him upside down with his head in the dirt and his legs reaching high for the sky – defeated.

 

Landing on his feet without making a single noise, Raix then brings his hands up with both his index finger and thumb sticking out and fixes them to form a rectangle. He places the alien in his makeshift camera and smiles victoriously.

 

“Perfect!”

 

Back in the building everyone let out an unrelenting cry of pure joy over the superhuman’s victory; but among them, only Gabriel stood in shock and awe over the huge gap between the enemy and the SWORD members, along with his own underestimation of his young friends.

 

I should’ve have expected them to win, but not this easily. Their far beyond what they projected before - all those years ago – they can control it this time. I don’t know whether I should glad of that…or not

 

As he ponders on, the cheering in his background soon got to him and made him relinquish his doubts. “What am I thinking. Their alive and that’s all that matters.”

 

But despite the old threat now averted, a new one arises as a powerful earthquake that brought everyone inside a frightful scare and creating panic for those in the shelters below.

 

Gabriel held onto a desk but he was too slow and falls to the ground, keeping himself as still as possible.

 

Outside, though, Tya and Raix felt the disaster under their feet, but knew it wasn’t an earthquake that was occuring. They both leap high into the air, just in time to spot a dome of light rising over the horizon, in the direction of their team members, Roza and Zeph, had run towards.

 

 

Forest area, Crashed Jumper...

 

On top of a cliff leading down 100 meters to a sea of trees, the jumper housing Bulb, Lilith and Jav rests slightly on its left side. It miraculously glides itself down in a spiral descent, only to then crash flat on its bottom, pushing through dirt and rock aside until it came to a gradual halt all on its own, saved by countless trees and small rocks.

 

Inside, the main monitor suffered several large cracks, many of the panels on the walls are wide open with broken crystals falling out, and the interior lights flicker in random intervals with sparks flying out.

 

Sitting in the driver’s seat though is Lilith cover with vines from her chest to her waist with Bulb over her stomach. Seconds before the crash, he had used his vines to bind both himself and her onto the driver seat. Because of his swift action, he saved her from death – once again.

 

As soon as the vibrations stopped, he opens his eyes and whispers to the girl to confirm her well-being. "Lilith…Lilith?”

 

He didn’t hear her respond. “Hey? Ya, hear me?"

 

Rummaging his face away from her wrinkle clothes, he sees her peaceful look, and then presses his ears to her chest. To his relief, her heartbeat rang smoothly and let out a sigh of relief. “Phew, for a second I thought I was talking to a dead girl.”

 

He loosens his vines to free himself, jumps on top of the console and then places her upper body gently over the console.

 

She's out cold. He thought, looking around briefly, noting the damage their ship sustained.

 

I better check on that other kid...hopefully his seat belt held him still.

 

He vaults down, quickly finding the floor to be leaning towards its side and on an incline, and shortly later walks up to the partially open door leading to the back. He pries it open using his entire body strength – which wasn’t much - struggles for a while till he made enough room to squeeze through. From then on, he is met with complete darkness with only a shed of light from the front shining a small part of the floor and around his shadow.

 

I can't see a thing in here. Where's the light?... Oh whatever, I can fix this.

 

His bud glows due to the dust particles inside becoming active, turning it into a new source of light. In seconds, he finds the boy still resting on the bench, covered with straps.

 

“I did a better job than I thought –“

 

But to his unpleasant surprise, he overhears him snoring rather loudly.

 

“-and he’s still sleeping after all of that. Sheesh, talk about no sense of danger – though…it would pretty funny if he had woken up in the middle of our fall, and then faint right afterward haha…wait, why am I talking to myself!

 

He turns away from the boy and soon stops by the back wall.

 

Wonder how’s the situation outside.

 

A lever soon presents itself upon Bulb’s eyes glancing to his left.

 

Bringing his vines out, he clutches the lever and pulls it down. The rear hatch comes to life, slowly, and when it was done Bulb leaps on all 4, over to the edge, on the right side. He looks over to find the ground a mere foot away below him and later turns to the left, expecting the same. However, he finds another forest far below him.

 

"Oooohhh my..." He gravely uttered over the view.

 

Then, out of nowhere, a bright dome far from his view, blinds him, and shortly after, a sudden strong wave knocks him off his feet. He tumbles all the way back down, hitting his head against the wall. After his vision and hearing impairment, along with his head injury, fade away, he scrambles back to examine the explosive aftermath, replacing almost half of what he saw seconds ago with a smoldering scorched earth in it’s place.

 

“What…THE HELL HAPPENED!?” He freaked.

 

Back below, Jav’s eyes begin to squint from the sound of a loud ring plaguing his ears, and awakens with the ceiling of his own jumper in plain sight.

 

"What’s…what’s going on?” He weakly murmured, attempting to move his stiff body around but is met with resistance. "Why can't move?” His heart rate rapidly rises and then peaks after an electrical spark generates near his head. "Whoa! What goings on!? What happened to… Am I in the jumper?"

 

The boy soon hears something producing a high pitch squawk and struggles to get a better look. He sets his eyes on a green frog-like creature flailing its arms about in a crazed manner and speaking in his language. He had first thought it was an Aeolian but hearing its ill-manner speech yet fully articulate voice made him think otherwise. Still, he calls it out, cautiously.

 

"Um...excuse me?"

 

"Huh?" Bulb looks back to find Lilith's friend awake. "Oh, you’re up!”

 

"Um, yeah? I am. Who are you? Actually, before that…can you help me get out of these straps…please?”

 

The guide assists him and in a short moment, Jav was freed. Upon standing, the boy almost falls to his side from the adjusted angle of the floor. He catches the wall and kept himself upright.

 

"What’s with the floor? Who landed my jumper!?” Then a brief thought comes to mind, leading to him gasp out, “Where’s Lilith!?”

 

"Don't worry kid,” Bulb assured him. “She's in the front compartment, resting. By the way, the name’s Bulb. We saved you guys earlier.” He then jested, “No need to thank us.”

 

Jav immediately goes to the cockpit and to his relief his friend was resting with no injuries. "Oh thank god!"

 

Bulb follows behind and hears him direct a question. "What happened to us while I was asleep!?"

 

"You want the long or short story?"

 

"Short!" He quickly demanded.

 

"Ok. Ahem, so in short, me and my friend came by, saved you 2 from this 'one-eyed' giant and we tried to get away using this thing while my friend handles your problem. But then we got hit by something and crashed…somewhere. And here we are now.”

 

By the time he finished in his explanation, the boy then asks him while moving back up the jumper. "You said we got hit? Did you check outside? See what was damaged?"

 

"I was until you woke up…And that big explosion."

 

"What explos-" One glance outside and at the mushroom cloud in the distant sent shivers down his spine. “What…did that?”

 

“I don’t think we want to know.”

 

Jav took his words and silently held back as much of his anxiety in as possible so he could focus on another matter – what was the state of their ride home.

 

He walks to the right side of the hatch door, hops down, and examines the exterior hull. Several dent marks and torn opening are the first things he sees, but his most pressing matter is the damaged thruster.

 

Bulb stays put on top of the rear hatch, curiously noting the boy's familiarity with the ship, tinkering with technology he had never seen.

 

"Jav right?”

 

“Yeah? How’d you-“

 

“Lilith told me. You know how this thing works?"

 

"Course I do! It's mine!"

 

"Yours?” Unconvinced, Bulb places his paws on his hips and replies, “You mean you made this!?"

 

"Well...no."

 

"Then how is it yours?"

 

"I just called dibs on it ok"

 

"So you stole it? Huh…funny.”

 

"I didn't steal it. It was left behind! For a hundred thousand years...give or take a decade."

 

"WHAT!?" Bulb almost bulged his eyeballs out from the number and couldn't believe it after seeing how well maintained the ship was both inside and out - before it crashed. "You’re kidding! It looks almost brand new… looked brand new."

 

"Glad you thought so...hey wait!" The boy finally looks him in the eye. "Why am I telling you all of this? I don’t even know you!"

 

"Ah hello!? Did you forget already? We saved your butts! Heck, I saved your girlfriend when we crashed because this stupid hunk of metal doesn't have any seat belts in the front! I mean, why only have seatbelts in the back and not put any in the front. Talk about a huge design flaw!”

 

"…Yeah-h." Jav had intentionally removed the seat belt functions in his own seat seeing as how it was his jumper and he would never crash it - big mistake on his part.

 

Coincidentally, the cries of their friend inside travel out for them to hear.

 

"Bulb!? Where are you!? HELLO!?”

 

"We’re out here!" Jav shouted excitingly. As the sound of her footsteps clamper closer, he watches her crawling out and in a hurry she drops down and soon embraces him.

 

"You’re safe!...you’re safe…”

 

As she was sobbing, Jav begins to blushs from her close contact and stutters, "A-ah yeah."

 

Sadly, his timid reaction to her only escalated as she begins to grip onto his jacket and shed tears all over his shirt.

 

“I was so worried! When I didn’t see you or Bulb I thought I was all alone.”

 

Her red cheeks and teary eyes left little to say for her dark skin companion.

 

Jav pats her head, comforting her worries down to quiet whimpers. Soon, Bulb’s staring caught his focus, and his face is riddled with mischief. “Smooth move."

 

"Be quiet." Jav hissed.

 

Eventually, his blonde friend took the time to share the same concern to Bulb. “I see you 2 already met.”

 

“Yup.” Bulb resounded.

 

She walks to him, picks him up, and begins hugging him, leaving the green guide both perplex and a little uncomfortable. “Um, what’s this about?”

 

“I’m thanking you, again!”

 

“For what?”

 

“When we were about to crash, you tied me and yourself onto the chair. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for. So thank you - again!”

 

“Ah shucks.” He gloated. “It was no biggy.”

 

She puts him down and walks up to the back to examine the devastation. “Did the explosion that hit us caused all of this?”

 

“No. I saw this one happen.” Bulb points out the scenery, giving Lilith some idea of what he meant.

 

“Do you think Erb is alright? Could he have survived something like this?”

 

As soon as she mentions the red alien, the young boy is left in a blank. “Hold on. Who’s Erb?”

 

“Bulb’s friend.” She told him.

 

“His friend?” Knowing who he was, the boy then pictures him as Bulb but skepticism sets in. “Well whoever he is, I doubt he’d be alive from that.”

 

“Jav!” She suddenly yelled.

 

“Wha-what?”

 

Her objection to his comment made him look at Bulb who had his back turned. There he realizes he had unknowingly said something cruel in front of her friend.

 

“Shit! I’m so stupid!” He ridiculed himself. “Hey–“

 

Despite hearing Lilith’s outburst, Bulb wasn’t fazed one bit by Jav’s remark and speaks for himself.

 

“You know…it’s strange. Erb and I just met a few days ago. I don’t know anything personal about him except he doesn’t remember anything about himself. He’s an acquaintance. But just moments ago, I called him ‘friend’…how strange is that? I called him my friend!”

 

“That’s not strange!” Lilith intervened, making him turn around and face her tears again, but for him. “It’s natural to call someone your friend after what you said.”

 

Much to his surprise, the gentleness of her voice and earnest behavior brought him a warmth he had forgotten from his 1 month stay with Yuuko - the sincerity of a pure human heart. Receiving that from someone so young yet innocent, made it even more impactful – it was the sole reason he was so infatuated with women; the one quality beating his perversion.

 

“You know what…you’re right. I suppose by now he is my friend…not a close friend of course but a traveling companion. And in a way, I guess that explains why I think he’s ok. Somewhere out there.”

 

“I think so too.”

 

As Bulb and Lilith started to cheer up, Jav just stands by with a soft smirk.

 

You always make other people’s problems your own. He joked.

 

“Ok, that’s enough pouting now. Let's focus on how we are going to get out of here.” The guide quickly shifts his eyes to the boy. “Do you think this baby can still fly?"

 

Jav takes a quick glimpse at the jumper from front to back and concludes, "Not with that thruster. It's busted. And I won't be able to fix here."

 

"So how are we going to get back?" Lilith inquired of them.

 

Hope still rang in Bulb’s voice. "I might have the solution. Stand back you 2."

 

After they gave him enough space to work his magic, his bud glows and slightly opens with a massive cloud of green dust spilling out. As it gathers into one large cluster it then disperses to reveal a bulky and large black motorcycle with gold lines running over its top, a pair of thick metal fins along its side and cone shaped exhaust pipes aiming upwards at the back end.

 

“Holy…” Jav almost lets out a curse but Lilith subtly cuts him off with her own piece. “So you do carry one around.”

 

Her recollection traces back to what the guide told his red friend about having a motorcycle inside his bud after performing his healing miracle on Jav.

 

“And I never go anywhere without her.” He informed them proudly. “This…my young couple…is Fenrir! She’s a one of a kind, mean machine that can get someone past the horizon in no time. And we’re going to use her to get out of here.”

 

Their faces brighten from its glittering black luster exterior but suddenly, Jav is zipping all around it, admiring it even more as he starts to bombard his new friend with questions.

 

“What’s this thing made of!? How fast can it go!? What does it run on!? What does this button do!?”

 

Sadly, his constant nagging gave Bulb a taste of his own medicine. “STOP STOP STOP STOP! No more questions!”

 

Jav frowns as a result while Lilith chuckles.

 

Bulb quickly jumps on top of the bike and upon pressing a button on its surface a small seat pops out with a separate steering wheel fit his stature.

 

“Enough show and tell, hop on you 2! We’re-“

 

“JAV! LILITH!”

 

A feminine voice shifts their attention to the front of the jumper where Roza is seen walking out with Zeph right behind her.

 

“Who are they?” Bulb blurted, tilting his head to the side.

 

From the first moment the lieutenant laid eyes on her little sister, she slides to her knees towards her and places her face against her bosom. She affectionately hugs Lilith as tightly as she could until Lilith finally realizes her sister was here – not an illusion.

 

“R-Roza!”

 

“It’s me, Lilith. It’s me. Thank god you’re safe!”

 

As the 2 sisters celebrate their reunion, Zeph walks past them and stops by his white hair friend who is shocked but albeit ecstatic to see him. “I can’t believe you’re here! But how?”

 

"We ran.” He answered his first question and goes on. “Roza and I came all the way from Alpha site.”

 

“But that’s more than a 2 days walk! And weren’t you in the city?”

 

“I was but I hitched a ride here with Raix.”

 

“But how’d you find us?” Lilith barged in.

 

“Easy! Your jumper’s signal! I just tracked it down with my internal sensors until it suddenly disappeared. Good thing we were close by. But what happened? What made…that?”

 

Pointing towards the massive mushroom cloud, their focus diverts to Bulb’s input on their situation. “Something we should really be getting away from for our own sake. So, can we get the heck out of here already?”

 

His sudden suggestion brought blank looks from both SWORD members.

 

“Who is…what is that?” Roza brought up.

 

Lilith lets go of her and explains. “He's a friend. But never mind that, we have to get away now! There are mercenaries sent by the Harbingers who were chasing us? They could be close by.”

 

“We’ve met them,” Zeph mentioned. “They’ve already attacked Alpha site but right now Tya and Raix are fighting them.”

 

“They must be what that guy mentioned,” Jav muttered to himself, recalling the normal looking male cyclops revealing one of their comrade’s name to be Azure.

 

The cyborg heard him but was at a loss as to who he meant. “Guy?-“

 

A dark blue blur crashes beside Zeph, and from it a back fist swings out, thrusting the cyborg onto the side of the jumper and sending both him and the vehicle in a diagonal descent to the bottom of the cliff.

 

“ZEPH!”

 

Roza got up to her feet and tries to retaliate against the unknown assailant. But a hand wraps around her hand over her rapier and another gripped on her neck. Over her shoulder she sees a female warrior and she was choking her. The lieutenant was resisting her strength, but despite her best efforts and her magic enhancement, in a few moments, she would lose consciousness – or worse.

 

Ouros, having sensed Zeph’s and Roza’s high power levels from before, tracked them down and quickly dealt the stronger of the 2 while Teal keeps the other one in check. Now, he meets the kids once more but with a tiny addition standing on top of a black vehicle.

 

Bulb stood in place, not saying a single word as his mind wanders to the sight of Erb, lying dead somewhere in the middle of the black smoke. You better be sleeping somewhere, recovering your strength and stuff…and not dead!

 

Jav was speechless over how easily the leader of the mercenaries dispatched his friends combined with his new intimating look. But he lets out a frightful yelp after a large figure crash near him.

 

Rising from the ashes is Vard and he sheds a grin straight at Jav.

 

“We meet again kid.”

 

The boy genius falls beside the bike and stays there, trembling as the monster speaks to him.

 

“You got lucky no thanks to that red lizard freak. But now that he’s out of the way I’m going to enjoy tearing you and your little friend a part.”

 

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Roza screamed out but earned a tightened grip from Teal. “Don’t worry, you’ll die fir-“

 

Out of nowhere a golden pillar of light bursts out from afar and encompasses an area where Ouros had sent the fighter in gray and blue. This light brought the mercenary leader back into the same mindset as before from when the red fighter’s aura became gold. Currently, he believed he made a critical mistake.

 

 “That can’t be.” Ouros cautioned. “That light.”

 

Out from energy stream sprout out 2 blue laser beams, one of them reaches Ouros before he could have a chance to avoid it. Ouros brought both arms up, crosses them over his chest and face, blocks it and then deflects it.

 

As for the second beam, it soars towards Vard who attempted to do the same but it pierces through his defenses and then his chest. It quickly expands and vaporizes the giant’s entire upper body without a trace.

 

Ouros witnessed him die but kept his attention at the enemy’s location, when a luster shine blinds him and then a something with incredible force striking his cheek.

 

Zeph, with his full power released due to Gabriel’s intervention, transforms into the same golden form his friends have taken and after firing 2 shots at the enemy, killing the large one in the process, he warps head first at the other, with a kick to start his battle.

 

Feeling the weight of the blow on his face from the one he was destined to meet, Ouros endeavors to keep himself in place by shifting the weight of his attack into an uppercut counter.

 

Spotting the counter coming, Zeph moves in closer, and applies more force behind his kick, successfully driving the alien back.

 

Still, the cyclops was unfazed and is reenergized with a newfound will to destroy the enemy.

 

So I was mistaken. That red fighter wasn’t the one. He is…but no matter. Prophecy or not…I will, destroy him!

 

 

 

 

 

Canon Characters:

1)    The Seer – One Punch Man

 

OC characters: (none)

 

10: Ep 10 - Stop

Unknown…

 

In a black and white city overseen by a colorless sky high above, blurred in different shades of grey, Erb roams aimlessly in his new setting, bewitched by a sense of near weightlessness from each step he takes.

 

His state of mind is that of someone under heavy medications and he believed he could go on walking forever even under starvation and/or dehydration; the only thing he could perceive is a tingling numbness and an unflinching pulsating warmth coursing through his body from head to toe.

 

The road in front of him did end, or rather, the majesty of a tall gray wall stands in his way with no way around it. He lays his left palm on its surface, learning its texture to be smooth yet cold as though winter had been upon it. Looking both ways, the obstruction continues and curves around the farthest building in his sights.

 

His tranquility begins to break over his current inability, and small portions of his normal state came back as he imagines how the city would appear now; one city in a massive circle. On another note, the wall’s formation seems natural and yet artificial; from what he sees, it wasn’t built from the ground up; rather signs at its base suggest it had risen from the ground by some unknown force while remaining connected and unaffected.

 

As more of his original mindset returns, the sudden roaring boom of a far-off explosion, buried deep within the city, brought his attention away from the wall. But he is then blinded by its intense eye-piercing light for some time. As soon as his vision clears, he runs towards it, ignoring his sense of reasoning which was telling him to stay where he was.

 

Sprinting around a corner, he brings himself to an abrupt halt at the edge of a large smoking ditch. He walks around it, encounters more of them, each bigger than the last, some even on the side of buildings and a few overlaps. His instincts then told him he isn’t alone; everywhere he looked the presence of countless pairs of eyes stabs his very being and yet there was only himself – the streets bare no life.

 

From there, he spots the shadow of a building having moved. He jerks his head to find it to be normal, unchanged. In a few seconds, though, a piece of it breaks off, slides out and into the barren lit streets. It was a black circle, no bigger than his feet and looks to be harmless. Suddenly it grew and flew off the ground, and then takes the shape of a person - a human female. He notes her short hair, her light armored attire, and what outlined to be her alluring curves. He was albeit shocked by how it’s new appearance, but that swiftly changes to paralyzing fear as shadows made from ruined structures and even the smallest pebble begins to have wills of their own.

 

Though some of them turned out the same as the first – human and feminine - there were others who appear to be male from their bulkier surface; however, the rest were different; most of them were at least twice the height of the first, and their overall appearance retain both human and animal characteristics - tails, claws and dinosaur-like hind legs. As the last of them takes its shape, they wait perfectly still; none of them moved a muscle.

 

Erb vainly tries to see their face as a black curtain masks their identity. Out of the blue though, they vanish into thin air only to reappear rapidly all over his field of view. It wasn’t their speed that placed him in further confusion, though, it was the fact that the human shadows were fighting the beastly ones -  a simulation being played in real time.

 

The creatures fought barehanded and some of the human-like shadows carried weapons.

 

Among all the fights taking place, his eyes were set on one.

 

He sees both the initial dark figure he saw fighting alongside a man with a tail. Their opponent was another humanoid beast, relatively towering them by 2 feet with a long tail slithering behind its back and 2 horns protruding out of its head.

 

As he continues observing the battle, he noticed a startling familiarity – the humanoid male was himself; he was the shadow fighting with the girl and in few short successive blows, his doppelganger and the girl combine an aura attack and unleashed it on the beastly shadow.

 

The sheer backlash force behind the gigantic beam almost sent Erb tumbling away if he hadn’t braced himself beforehand. By the time it ended, a large wide trench was formed, containing whatever was left of the buildings in its path underneath its partially glassed surface and the same black smoke scattered all around it.

 

 Whatever remnant of numbness and tranquility the man had was now gone, but with his sanity returned, his senses sharpen to their utmost limit – for some reason he couldn’t shake the bad omen that was about to come. His shadow and the girl on the other hand act otherwise - oblivious and careless. Watching them do nothing put him at odds with his own anxiety. Then for some strange reason, he sees the girl expressing signs of distress – it was the first time any of the shadows did show any type of emotion – and pushes his shadow aside. From there tragedy strikes; a spear runs through her chest, making her stumble back, struggling to keep herself upright until the spear disperses from within her.

 

His eyes dilated from the horror, his chest filled with a regret and sorrow so dark and heavy he couldn’t breathe right, and his mind was telling him to run after her – run to her as fast as he can before her body could touch the ground. This time, he listens, and sprints towards her in full haste, and before he knew it she was in his arms and his knees were touching the ground.

 

As her black blood spills onto his arms and clothing, the urge to scream out his suffering was nearing a breaking point, and mountains of questions relentlessly attack him with no end.

 

Who is she to him? Why did he want to cry here of all time and places? Why does his heart ache? What exactly was all of this – the buildings, the shadows, the wall, the girl – supposed to mean to him?

 

In an act of impatience, he brushes his hand over the black curtain to see her face; learns who she is and perhaps what was happening. However, he was unable to remove it; and so, he brings her up to his chest, longing to hear her voice at very least

 

Startlingly, the girl moves and before he could react he follows her right hand on his left cheek. The warmth of her surprisingly silky-smooth skin and her quivering cold body has put him at ease, and finally, parts of the black curtain disappear and he meets her soft tender smile. He then watches her lips form inaudible words which rang hollow in his ears, leaving him skeptic and helpless.

 

Thereafter, she brings her hand down on her chest plate where she then suddenly lifts her face up with her pink lips barely touching his own, only to later lightly settle herself back down on his arm. Her bizarre yet affectionate gesture left his mind in a condition where he lost his willpower and any restraints he put himself to keep his heartache from escaping, and all at once he sheds streams of crystal blue tears down his despairingly blank stare, screaming at the sky, wanting the nightmare to end. And so it did, in a flash of light, coloring everything in white.

 

 

Forest Area, underground cavern…

 

“AH!”

 

Awakened by the trauma, Erb let out a short horrific yelp, discovering himself to be drowning in an unknown substance with no bottom to support him. He desperately swims whichever way he thought was up and to his fortune his head emerges out of the surface, allowing him to breathe and cough out whatever was in his lungs.

 

“Oh god, cough cough…gah! Whe-where am I!?”

 

In a mere instant, his heightened mental state declines back down thanks to the mildly cool liquid surrounding everything below his head. He then takes a quick sniff of the air and to his surprise, he knew what it was.

 

“Water?”

 

Shortly, he felt a droplet land on his head and veers his gaze up. In his sights, numerous stalactites riddle the ceiling above his head - each one of them covered in a glowing green moss-like flora. The, not so, welcoming display sent chills down his already frigid body.

 

“How exactly…did I get here?”

 

The last moment he recalls was his fight with the female cyclops above ground and he was winning, before her partner sneaked in with a surprise attack - he knew that much from the bruise ringing out from the left side of his chest.

 

“Oh right. He hit me.” He cursed grudgingly. “I must have fell in here somehow. Good thing my face wasn’t actually in the water, or else I would have most likely-”

 

As he was clearing his vision, he felt some measure of warmth around his eyes and rubs his fingers together, and then, strangely, licks it. He was met with a salty taste – but most importantly, it wasn’t spring water.

 

Tears? He thought curiously.

 

After that, everything was a blank to him beside the nightmarish idea in his head. He tries to picture what little he knew after losing consciousness. However, to his frustration, everything was a blank – as though he never had a dream in the first place.

 

“So this is what she was talking about.”

 

Erb recalls having asked Yuuko about why he had been having restless nights and she warned him it was due to the side effect of his memories being taken. This phenomenon had happened to him nearly every morning, waking up with no recollection of his vision and yet the after-effects linger – anger, sadness, joy, etc. The only sequence he could remember from one morning was of him eating mountains of food in pure delight – the reason he woke up was due to his hunger.

 

Suddenly, a few of the ceiling’s spikes break off and splash in the water – one of them almost landed on top of his head.

 

“Yeah, I think I dwelled on that subject long enough.” He whispered to himself and rises from the water, using his ability to fly. As he hovers above soaking wet, he begins drifting in different directions, grasping the lay of his cave, until he discovers, with great dismay, a large cluster of rocks blocking what he believes to be his way out from the scent of fresh air seeping through the cracks.

 

“Sigh….fantastic.”

 

The first idea that comes to mind was blowing away the debris, but he automatically sets it aside for fear of a cave in. The next thing he could do would be to carry each boulder away from the entrance, dig his way out; yet, that method would only prolong his stay and one wrong displacement could lead him to the first scenario. Then there’s an alternative; finding another exit, which would lead back to the second’s dilemma - it would take too long.

 

Stuck and still wet, he continues to ponder on his next move, spending far longer than he intended. Suddenly, the cavern shakes violently enough to cause the water to churn and the rocks over him to rain down.

 

Just when he starts to curse his own luck, he could tell large bodies of energy were colliding with one another and identifies one of them to be the same Cyclops who put him in his current situation.

 

Him again. He thought annoyingly until he detected the other high-power level, who seems to be opposing the alien. Who’s he fighting?

 

Sadly, his train of thought fell short when the ceiling breaks apart, bringing down bigger chunks to the poor warrior. All he could do now was watch his new setting bury him.

 

“Fudge my life!”

 

 

 

Forest Area…

 

After the death of Vard took place and Ouros was dragged off by Zeph elsewhere, Teal is left in a bind between the chooses of assisting her leader or killing the humans right next to her first.

 

Roza, still in the enemy’s grip, notices her guard had relaxed and the weight she was pressuring her with had lightened. Not letting this life-saving chance go by, she quickly slams the back of her head against the cyclops’s face, and just as she felt her attacker’s grip loosen, she frees herself, suffering only minor bruises, turns about with her rapier drawn, and performs a vertical slash before leaping back.

 

Teal narrowly evades it and readies a frontal charge, eager to fight the human; but she stops, frozen in place, realizing the path in front of her leads to a fork road – if she fights the soldier her and now, she would lose precious time in catching up to her lord and risk wasting her strength.

 

So, would she face the soldier head on, or go after her leader and destroy the more powerful enemy?

 

A full 5 seconds pass, and she came to her conclusion; she saw no point in staying any longer and promptly follows the trail of the destruction left behind, setting aside the lesser threat for later.

 

Seeing her leave after seemingly doing nothing, Roza relaxes her guard and turns to Lilith, Bulb, and Jav who were in shock. Lilith had it the worse, sobbing and shivering.

 

Understanding full well her little sibling was still shaken by the near-death experience, Roza hugs her and gently pats her head to ease her mind. “It’s ok now. We’re safe.”

 

“I know, but….” Despite that, her sister’s nerves begin to overload her sane innocence from one truth. “Bulb’s friend…he left us to fight them off before.

 

“Oh no.” Roza murmured with the deepest sympathy to both Lilith and her green friend; the fact that the aliens caught up meant only 2 things - either they’ve subdued the one who was left behind, or they killed him.

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

She glances over to Bulb, sitting quietly on top of his motorcycle, and guesses his silent attitude was his way of mourning to his missing companion. However, she was proven wrong; out of the blue, his voice reached a new peak of high pitched tone as he throws a tantrum over his inability to process the second-long event which took place just before Vard was about to kill him and Jav.

 

“WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!? HOW DID THE BIG GUY DIE!? WHERE DID THE SHORTER GUY GO!? WHAT THE HECK MADE THIS TRAIL!? WHY DID THE ALIEN GIRL LEAVE!? WHY AM I YELLING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!? NONE OF THIS MAKES ANY SENSE!?”

 

All manner of pity for him was instantly replaced with the same disappointment she would show to one of Raix’s idiotic acts of hysteria.

 

She then looks over to Jav who didn’t seem all that upset but was unfazed by the green one’s loud banter. Roza calls out his name and he responds by looking back quickly as though he had been dozing off. Spotting life in his eyes she beams a grin, thankful he was fine and then turns back to Bulb. “Bulb, right? Can you drive that thing out of here?”

 

“U-uh yeah.” He croaked, finally snapping back to his old persona.

 

“Good! Then take my sister and Jav and drive away from here as fast as you can; northwest from here is where our base is.”

 

Upon the end of her request, she earns opposition from her sibling. “No! You’re coming with us!”

 

“I can’t. I need to go and help Zeph.”

 

“Then we’re staying until you come back with him!” After saying her piece she figured out her sister had mentioned Zeph’s name – last she saw him was less than a minute ago after he was sent flying into the forest below with Jav’s jumper by Ouros’s hand. All she saw after that was a bright flash of gold light and a yellow blur taking the muscular being away.

 

“Wait, did you say Zeph?” Jav was also confused by that and joins in with an educated guess. “Did he do all of this!? How? When!?”

 

“Oh, that’s right.” She muttered. “You 2 never seen him fight seriously before-”

 

Unintentionally, Jav and Lilith were never told of just how powerful Zeph’s, Raix’s and Tya’s truly were and the transformation they had hidden away. Still, this was neither the time nor the place to discuss it – she needed the kids gone; away from the impending battle that is to come.

 

“-But that’s beside the points. Just do as I say, please!”

 

Reluctant to listen at first, they quickly changed their minds as soon as Roza raised her voice against them.

 

And so, Bulb starts Fenrir’s engine and when the 2 kids sat on it, they drive off. Still, Lilith manages to convey her last words to her sister for the sake wishing her luck just before the sound of the engines drown her out. “You 2 better come back!”

 

Fenrir’s engine roars out loudly throughout the forest but Roza heard her message and replies out of gratitude to her.

 

“We will.”

 

 

Hundreds of Miles away…

 

Smashing through every boulder, hill, and even mountains in their path, Zeph, and the fully powered Ouros traded blows after blows, not caring for defense, putting all their effort in a pure offense.

 

To both of their astonishment, they find themselves to be equals in every aspect of their fighting prowess – speed, agility, strength, and endurance. Additionally, their skills as close quarter’s fighters made it difficult for them to land a solid strike, that was, until they both collided their knuckles with one another, stopping in a barren terrain dotted by high rock columns everywhere with the forest they came out from on one side and on the other, hollowed out spherical mountains, made through bizarre and unknown means.

 

The 2 fighters take a breather while making mental assessments of the other’s stature.

 

Ouros patiently observes the golden light aura fluctuating all over the cyborg’s body, studying its motion and flow, looking for any weaknesses he can exploit to help aid in his victory. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any; the man had complete coverage – no holes or gaps. All he could do now is hold out and hope the enemy’s stamina runs out before him – his new form was making him expend more power than normal.

 

Across from him, Zeph reads off new information regarding the enemy’s overall power and his own body’s status; multiple bruises and cuts - nothing serious. Thanks to Gabriel lifting the seal, he survived against the alien’s surprise attack and was given a chance to get his revenge. However, the fact that his seal was undone, spelled worrisome concerns for his other comrades back at the base. Have they fared better than him, or was it the opposite.

 

But his resting period ends as soon as Ouros makes the first move.

 

Sticking with defense now, Zeph raises both arms over his chest, blocking an inbound right uppercut and then ducks down from a left hook. However, a right front kick nearly hits him in the chin. He flips him and lands on his feet and instantly shakes it off – he managed to ride with the attack instead of going against it at the last moment. From there, he spots a ki blast closing in and responds by deflecting it upward with a front kick of his own. However, he left himself open by accident for the alien’s hand to grab his entire face.

 

Ouros tosses the Saiyan to a far-off column and pursues.

 

Zeph rockets back with his arms constantly shooting out beams of plasma to propel him forward. In one fluid motion, he twists his entire body around in midair with the bottom of his left foot aiming towards Ouros’s head.

 

Sadly, the mercenary uses his aura to control his own flight path and veers away from him entirely, leaving the young man shocked.

 

He can fly!? He thought.

 

The young man descends back to ground level with a grim new piece of detail.

 

The cyclops simply waits for his grounded foe to make the next move since he had the high ground; he could tell he had no means to chase him in the air other than before.

 

What will you do now boy? Will you chase me or will you try to shoot me down like before?

 

To his surprise – and displeasure – he watches the cyborg making taunting gestures with his hand - sticking his middle finger at him – and making a smug look. Though Ouros didn’t understand the meaning behind it, he knew it was an insult to his dignity as a warrior and didn’t appreciate it one bit.

 

“Does he think this is a game!? That dishonorable-“

 

He stops short of what he was about to say as he noticed the boy swiftly opens his palm and out from it a spark ignites. Then, with no warning, an explosion yielding even more power than the beam he encountered, engulfs him whole, surrounding him in a smoke cloud until he rushes out, covered in minor burn marks on his right side. This short scuffle left him skeptic as to how the young fighter managed to hit him.

 

Was that a ki blast!? It couldn’t be.  He didn’t make one-

 

He watched another spark from his hand ignite; this time Ouros leaps back, dodging an explosion from the opposite side.

 

“That won’t work twice!” He angrily yelled, gushing out his dark pink aura in discontent and speeds at his opponent.

 

However, he gets hit again, this time from behind, causing him to divert straight to the ground head first. Swiftly, he gets on his feet, flies to the air once more. A detonation burst in front of him, catching him by surprise and causing him to return to where he was; but the last hit allowed him to understand how he was being attacked.

 

He rolls up to his feet with a renewed concentration and as easy it was to breathe, he applies more of his aura to strengthen his eyesight, giving him the ability to see a single transparent bubble encased by a finely thin layer of ki hovering over the cyborg’s hand. The bubble pops from the same spark he had seen and a steady current of energy, bolts towards him at lightning speed.

 

Ouros backpedals away at full speed, but regardless, it tails him no matter where he went.

 

Zeph, guessing the cyclops sudden shift in maneuverability was because he had solved his little trick, wasn’t discouraged the least.

 

I have more where that came.

 

With both hands, Zeph sent out his invisible plasma balls – which he had named as Blitz Shot - and with the help of his visor’s onboard tracking system, he can home in on his opponent’s location real time, readjusting on the go with ease.

 

In a desperate attempt, Ouros turns to face the blitz shots, runs past them, makes them follow him, turning their long-range fight back to what it was before, while nullifying the blasts – if he gets close enough, his foe would run the risk of hurting himself if he sets them off too close. He readies a punch aimed at Zeph’s head, but he realized the cyborg didn’t budge from his spot – he stayed, with a smirk – and when he takes a quick glance back, the spheres were gone.

 

From there, bursting out of the ground, 3 blitz shots sprout out and pierce through Ouros’s body instead of detonating upon impact – one through his right bicep, another through left chest, and the last leaving a hole through his stomach region. Although the wounds would kill a normal human, his biology would treat them as non-lethal. Nevertheless, he was stunned and vulnerable to the second wave bursting out, this time blowing him up into the air, set in a way the aftershocks avoided their controller.

 

Not wasting any time for him to recuperate, Zeph produces more than a dozen Blitz shots and directs them into Ouros, sending him further away and even when he crashes back down. He was relentless on him, creating a larger devastating storm of continuous barrages in rapid succession. But a different explosion takes place within; larger and brighter than his combined onslaught.

 

The smoke disperses and out from it, a dark pink sphere erects itself around Ouros’s body, shielding him from any further damage. The cyborg throws more his way. The protective sphere’s density bounces them elsewhere. However, this didn’t dampen his confidence. He cancels his barrage and went back to mockingly smirk at his foe and motioning him to give it his best shot with a simple hand wave – he threw all caution to the wind now for the sake of baiting him in.

 

Further enraged by his disrespect, Ouros gladly does so by channeling a plasma bolt outside of his barrier and rockets it with the intent to eviscerate him.

 

Zeph stays in place as his opponent’s technique anxiously approaches and in an instant he whips up his right arm, transform his forearm into a cannon and unleashes his most devastating move, the Mac Buster – an aura based attack which makes a super condensed ball of plasma stored inside his arm into an ongoing beam, amplifying his earlier beam strike by at minimum, a hundred fold; at full strength, it can penetrate out of the planet’s atmosphere and from the last time he fired it, his attack reached beyond one of the moons orbiting Aeon and grazed its surface, leaving behind a gully the size of one of the city’s skyscrapers.

 

Still, he unleashes it at half strength for the sake of the environment, and cuts through Ouros’s own salvo and punctures right through his barrier, setting off a cataclysmic discharge that even made Zeph run for cover.

 

The white light outlined by an excess of sky blue colors resonates in all directions, carrying a shockwave that pulverized any unfortunate nearby object into particles – much to Zeph’s dismay. In the aftermath, he returns to the battle sight to find it completely changed beyond recognition.

 

But as mushroom cloud gradually settles down and gets carried away by the returning wind currents, he gets startled by his sensors notifying him of the enemy's presence.

 

“There is no freaking way!”

 

Jumping out of the ground and setting down far from the sergeant, Ouros got away with heavy injuries and serious burns along with a missing his left arm. When the beam nearly penetrated his shield, he used his left arm to cover himself while moving downward, saving himself in the end.

 

He stares down to where his vacant limb, but did not fret over it; instead, he channels his latent energy over the open wound and in no time his cells began to multiply, accelerate and regenerate, making him a new arm right before Zeph’s eye.

 

I didn’t see that coming. The cyborg told himself.

 

He is in disbelief over the miracle before him, and in reprisal, he promptly set up his arm cannon at the Cyclops and charges another shot.

 

Meanwhile, to finally make up for his mistakes in underestimating the cyborg, Ouros hunches forward, flexing every muscle fiber in his entire being, and expels more of his aura out into a geyser as he undergoes one last metamorphosis. Doing so causes both the color of his aura and skin to become nearly white - with the exception of his markings, - and his hair grew longer, extending to his neck. His power increase causes electrifying discharges that melted part of the ground in his vicinity upon contact and erects a sphere of plasma around himself.

 

In a split second, Zeph’s cannon finished its preparations and he lets it surge out at full strength. His plans blatantly backfire; the dome deflects it over the horizon and driving a wedge in the boy’s determination. In response he transforms his other arm into an arm cannon and combining their dual power into one more enormous pillar of pure havoc, he watches his Super Mac Buster drill against the surface of the dome and before he knew it, it shatters and gigantic blinding light devours the surrounding area. It rages on, maintaining its devastation for as long as its user stood, distorting the atmosphere into a near inhabitable zone. Inevitably, he stops it to save enough strength to maintain his golden form and by doing so the explosion gradually settles down with nothing but the sound of burning smoldering earth and the stench of ashes.

 

Exhausted, he takes long and steady breaths to recover his strength, believing the battle was over. “That better have killed him…”

 

His alarming internal sensors blared out so loudly it drowns his short monologue, and before he knew it, a pink blur warps in front of him and he felt a kick thrust to his side, breaking several of his ribs and forcing him to spit out blood from his mouth.

 

The excruciating pain alone was enough to incapacitate Zeph, if his sensors hadn’t shocked his brain in time, keeping him awake. Still, by the time he snaps back to reality, he was flying halfway across the barren land till he felt someone – or something- gripping around his left leg and goes ahead to thrash him around like a rag doll. Oddly, what saves the cybernetic soldier from any further bashing was when a part of his pants below the knee rips off and after one last heave over, he slides right out of the clutches of his attacker. Sadly, it took several rock formations to stop the blue soldier’s flight completely and even afterwards he was no longer able to coherently keep his thoughts linear as his ears are plagued by high pitched ringtones, his view of the world spinning uncontrollably, and every single part of his body was screaming out in pure agony. Gradually, he succumbs to the mercy of exhaustion, and at any moment he could lose his golden state.

 

 

Forest Area Edge…

 

Elsewhere, arriving on top of a rock column, Teal looks high and wide for her lord in earnest – hoping the worst hadn’t befallen him. To her relief, she can spot a shining pink light and sensed her lord’s presence emitting outward.

 

In another part of the area, Roza stops by a rock wall to take a breather after surviving multiple shockwaves and hurdling over fallen trees and open fissures. From where she stands, she spots an ominous group of dark clouds looming over the distance and lightning striking down to the earth below. There, a pink light shine, but her instincts are warning her of danger.

 

“I have to hurry!”

 

Suddenly a flash of light from the sky zooms towards her, and she hastily stampers back, watching the rock wall beside her pulverized.

 

Out from the rubble, Teal stands her ground with the intention of not letting the lieutenant past.

 

Roza knew the alien in front of her is stronger than the short one she’d faced back at the alpha site and her chances of victory were even slimmer than before. Despite her odds, she plans to fight her way to Zeph’s side with every fiber of her being.

 

“Get out of my way!”

 

 

Barren Rock Terrain…

 

After dealing significant damage to the soldier, Ouros marches onward in his form while coping with the stress and burden placed on his body due to his unstable aura output.

 

It seems that even a few seconds in Meteoric Burst is still too much for me – perhaps after this mission is over, I should start training myself again, starting from the basics.

 

As he walks over a wide trail, his one eye caught a small flash of light shine to his left peripheral view, making him stop and look at clusters of crystals unearthed by the destruction he and his foe caused. The smooth surface of the transparent substances shows a complete reflection of his upper body, entirely white and bare.

 

He then remembers he hadn’t received any communication from Azure, Gunnar, and Shade since they last met – it was daunting for him to picture his subordinates defeated. Using his natural sensitivity to aura, he looks in the direction in which the human base was, and there, the only energy signatures he could faintly identify are Azure and Gunnar, unconscious – Shade’s presence was nowhere to be found.

 

It couldn’t be! Were they defeated?

 

Upon that notion he ascertains 2 rather high-power levels, each standing next to his own.

 

The saiyans!

 

With what remains of his earpiece he touches it to open a public channel and relays a telepathic message to Teal.

 

Teal! This is Ouros! What is your status? Where are you-

 

Out nowhere a high-pitched shriek strikes his skull as though a massive needle had burrowed itself through his skull. He was being blocked; by what alludes him.

 

Further ahead of him, Zeph managed to stand on his own 2 feet while enduring the awful sounds made from his own bones cracking under the weight. Currently, he is under a euphoric influence where any random thought conjured in his mind stays with him until another one comes by to replace it.

 

He lets out a small chuckle, then hears footsteps echoing towards him, returning him to his reality and to his white nemesis; though he starts to wonder in a lucid manner as to why the Cyclops hadn’t decided to rush in yet while he was still daydreaming this entire time.

 

His visor soon lights up with charts and figures displaying his own vitals - lines after lines containing details of his numerous fractures, torn tendons, internal bleeding and organ failures - he had no chance whatsoever in surviving another bout.

 

On the top left corner of his visor, a red icon flickers repeatedly in a constant rhythm, tearing him away from his thoughts, but he veers away from it right after – he knew what it was, and he didn’t like it.

 

Go away...I don’t need you. If I’m going to die here…then I’m going to give that one eye asshole something he won’t be able to heal from.

 

He takes one step at a time, ignoring the sensation of an immeasurable number of sharp pieces of glass penetrating his nerves, and closes in on the alien, showing his resolve and determination with his defiant march.

 

That’s right you bastard! Just come a little closer. I’ll –

 

But the buildup he set for himself, crumbles to its foundation when out of the blue, Roza tumbles into his field of vision over the soft dirt plane, panting rapidly with what the young man saw to be beads of sweat rolling down her face alongside her own blood.

 

With one short breath, his lucid mind became sharp and he shouts out in pure terror. “ROZA!”

 

Hearing Zeph calling her out in such a startled voice causes the lieutenant to jerk her head around and sees him appearing worse off than herself.

 

“ZEPH!”

 

Zeph had assumed the moment he brought the leader away back in the forest, Roza would have stayed with Lilith and Jav, and return them back to base after defeating her own opponent.

 

Roza gets up and rushes to his side, hoping to give him aid. To his unfortunate luck, in her path stands Teal with a backhand arm swipe. She leans back, avoids it in time, but the strike was a faint, masking the kick sent to her waist. Already equipped with a strengthening spell – fortitude; increasing her durability - the SWORD member manages to stave it off, yet, she buckles overs, leaving her wide open for Teal to grabs her by the neck yet again, and pushes her down onto the ground with a foot stomp planted onto her chest. The alien left her foot where it is and increases the pressure – intent on caving in her chest cavity.

 

Unable to breathe properly, the lieutenant instead hears the cyclops spewing remarks to her overall skill as though she had already won.

 

"You seem to be a magic practitioner; but not a very good one. Sooner or later the magic surrounding your body will fail you and when it does you will perish. Don’t worry, I will make it quick."

 

Her words did more than insult her; she robs her of the promise she made with Lilith and lead her to vainly grasp air into her lungs and push her off.

 

Unable to bear seeing her squirming desperately, Zeph sprints to her with all the strength he could muster, using his last remaining reserve to at least disable to female warrior. Unfortunately, his focus betrays him when the alien comes in with a sucker punch, hurdling the poor young man to a boulder, obliterating it in the process

 

"Your fight is with me!” Ouros asserted.

 

Dismissing his remark, the cyborg digs himself out, and his confidence is now replaced with fear and desperation as he prays for someone to come and save her and only her – he would even give his own life if it meant he could accomplish his wish.

 

“Didn’t you hear what I said-“

 

Ouros words enter his ears and a hot beam of light pierces through his chest, stunning him and taking away whatever shred of longing he held.

 

“- Your fight…is with me.”

 

 

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters: (none)

 

11: Ep 11 - Like Before

Several years ago, war game site…

 

Rushing through the forest with a purpose in hand, a much younger Zeph in a cadet uniform (black and blue), answered the emergency broadcast sent out by the administrators of the capture-the-flag exercise he was currently participating. The broadcast was announced to all students who were apart of the war-game, ordering them all to return to the base.

 

Some of the academy cadets did as told, while the rest were either too far away to hear, or are currently preoccupied with something else. However, the reason for the broadcast was in response to saber wolves entering the field. Students encountered pups who have wandered into their field, but through a sick act of superiority, they murdered them in cold blood. They met their fate by the hands of several saber wolves nearby, who went on to attack other students and even instructors.

 

Zeph, despite having the opposing team’s flag in hand, ditched it and turns to the base location, until he heard several more calls, all bundled together, but conveying the same message for help – their terrified voices were enough for him to spur into action.

 

Likewise, Raix and Tya did the same, unaware of each other’s coincidental decision.

 

The cyborg had already exterminated 3 of the wolves who were about to prey upon his once-opposing group and was in pursuit of small batch further away. However, he heard a familiar scream through his team’s private channel – it was the voice of their team leader, Roza.

 

At that moment, he was dumbfounded by his own failure in comprehending a crucial fact – if his teammates were out busy saving the other students, who were watching their team leader, standing by their flag, all alone.

 

And so, with one foot dug into the ground, he sprints back as fast as he could, knowing even one saber wolf was too much for her to handle.

 

Pushing aside trees, kicking away rocks, and breaking through large shrubs with his whole body, Zeph spots Roza in a grass region, but being chased by several of the creatures. He was too far away to reach her in time, and they were too close to her for him to use his cannons; and even if they weren’t, the time to switch his arms into his weapons would risk her life on the line.

 

Unknowingly, his perception of time gradually dials down to the point where he observes her looking towards him, and bringing out her hand to be saved.

 

He was about to watch her die. He couldn’t let that happen.

 

Faster! Faster! RUN FASTER!

 

He kept repeating the same adjective for as long as she was in his sights, cursing himself to push past his limit. He wanted to be faster; he needed to become faster.

 

Then, like a needle striking the backside of his head and digging itself to the center of his brain, he snaps. Pain came first – his inside burn, his skin electrified, his muscles contracting, his skull pulled apart, and his eyes straining to the point of bursting. Then, when he could no longer bare the shocking pain, tranquility washes over him; his clarity of the world gave him a new sense of rejuvenation; feeling more alive than ever before.

 

Before he knew it, time speed back to normal and he felt a rush of air cascade past him. Behind him, were the saber wolves, confused for some reason. In his arms, he noticed he was carrying Roza, frightened and shivering, but also unaware she was still alive and safe. She felt light, extremely so, as though she were but a feather. When he met her eyes, she expressed a surprised look, making him inquiry as to why, until he saw a reflection of someone else from her eyes – a young man with golden hair and emerald eyes.

 

 

 

Rocky Terrain…

 

In the ever-deforming landscape dividing the life-brimming green forest and the dead-cold dull colored mountains, Zeph’s perception of the world slows down and darkens as the pain in his chest burns. As it simmers down into an unbearable shiver, his body no longer heds his thoughts, and he is left watching the one he loves about to die in the same cold dirt he was covered in. However, in the top left corner of what remained of his visor was one blinking red icon, illuminating his dark surroundings.

 

Lying further away, Roza just saw Zeph shot from behind and attempts to get up, but is pushed back down by the cyclops warrior, Teal.

 

With only 1 foot, the alien pins her in place, slowly adding pressure down onto her chest, with the intent of crushing her to death.

 

“Just stay still and accept your death,” Teal told her in a cold manner.

 

Roza lets out a curdling holler in agony, and she can hear her own bones nearing the breaking point. Any hope of upholding her sister’s promise was no longer existent; part of her still struggled, yet, the other part wished to give up – she wasn’t strong enough to defeat either alien and she can’t save Zeph either. She was in no position to do anything - she was useless.

 

Teal was about to make one last push down suddenly hears her leader shouting at her. She shifts her vision to him running at her. But out of nowhere, something hard and fast impacts her midsection and carries her off to the distance.

 

Underneath, Roza watched the alien vanish, sent flying far away, and as soon as she lost track of her, an explosion takes place, rocking the entire landscape with a shockwave powerful enough to force Roza back on the ground, keeping himself in place. She closes her mouth, not wanting to swallow any debris, and as soon as it passes, the lieutenant breathes but tastes the smell of burnt up ashes. She begins coughing violently but felt a strong wing current pushing against her, making her turn around and witness a colossal cyclone rising towards the sky.

 

She had never seen anything quite like it, and yet she couldn’t rid herself of the unsettling dread gushing past her. But unexpectedly, her eyes caught an object escaping the storm and crashes down. It is the white cyclops who came out with half of his body turned into a crisp.

 

He had attempted to save his subordinate from being shot, but the burden of his transformation slowed him down and cost him dearly. Teal was taken, and so, he tries to fight the Saiyan but was caught by his energy output.

 

Having escaped out of the vortex, in seconds his injuries disappear, but he couldn’t remove the shivers from crawling to his bones as he distances himself from the destructive pillar.

 

The hurricane disperses and Zeph is found standing in the open with a calm but dead stare - visor cracked, and the light in his eyes gone. His hair and muscles – bionic and organic - grew bigger and currents of crackling electricity spark out wildly, incinerating anything they touch other than their host.

 

Ouros notes the recent wound he inflicted on him had miraculously closed. His silent mannerism, pale stare, and unresponsive eye movement made the alien suspect he is in a state of suspension yet he was exerting far more of a presence when he was conscious. Nevertheless, he knew of one simple fact – his sudden burst of energy would decrease his stamina greatly, thus if the cyborg runs out of steam, he would revert to his base form. When he does, Ouros plans to kill him then and there.

 

Dust soon sets on his stare, causing him to blink involuntarily. In that instant, his opponent was gone. Then the sensation of his bone and flesh on his face pulverized to pieces rang to his head. In a blink of an eye, his view spun so rapidly he couldn’t tell what was up and down, and nausea settles in; eventually, he came to an abrupt stop, but felt his entire face being dragged across the earth, and then thrown through columns of rocks. Ouros, curls into a ball to reduce the impact and sees his attacker pursuing with an arm swipe. He attempts to block it with his arms, but his opponent’s sheer strength breaks his limbs in two and caves in his chest, leaving him at the mercy of the shimmering being’s onslaught.

 

Running across the plains at top speed, Roza barely follows the silhouettes of their two combatants, yet she continues to cry out her friend’s name through her earpiece, trying to reach whatever sense of reasoning is left to bring him back from his madness.

 

Eventually, her effort drained her strength; she drops to her knees, taking long deep breathes as quickly as she could. But disaster strikes as the terrain under her breaks apart into fissures. She uses up what little energy she recovered to get on solid ground, almost slipping into the earth beforehand.

 

Something then crashes meters away from her position, and to her shock, it was the white cyclops again, but this time, mangled in a grotesque display. His limbs broken in multiple places and his body covered with large gashes. She could hear him gasping for air in low moans and she could tell the extent of his damage was too severe to recover from, judging by his blood constantly spurting out. Suddenly, what remains of his eye stuck on to her. A tingling itch behind the back of her neck urges her to run. But she lets out a dreadful gasp, realizing he wasn’t looking at her. She looks back and identifies her friend stalking quietly and menacingly towards them.

 

“Oh my god,” she stutters from seeing his muscles twitching in an unnatural manner. Despite his terrible condition, he showed no signs of being affected, similar to how she last saw him in this state several years ago.

 

In the mainland, after Zeph had saved her from saber wolves in his new form, together, they ventured to the rendezvous point with little to no resistance from the wolves – some ran, some stayed and perish under Zeph’s new found strength. As they neared the location, she believed the danger they were in had passed and the situation would now be under control with everyone gathered and organized.

 

But as they entered a clear view of the base, all they found were stacks of smoke coming from destroyed buildings and mechs, overrun by the animals. The open fields surrounding the site was filled with the bodies of students, either dead or alive, being eaten. Standing out from the saber wolves were rare breeds of their own kinds, code-named Alphas. They were several times larger than the normal variety, exhibit high levels of intelligence and leadership skills, and have horn-like spikes protruding out from their hides. All reports regarding the beasts mention of high casualty rates and extreme caution to be exercised against them.

 

Roza loses the strength to stand as she watches her unarmed and lightly armored classmates being torn through, and plugs her ears to block their dying screeches. But at that moment, she looks to Zeph and saw his eyes full of rage and vengeance, and his fist trembling as he absorbs the scene before him. That was until he remained still in her view, and began walking forward, with one arm transformed into a cannon. From there, he mercilessly fires energy volleys, killing the animals with pinpoint accuracy. As he continued, the Alphas soon met their fates despite their effort to escape, and just as when the beasts started running away, Zeph’s body started expelling an even greater amount of energy, and began bombarding them relentlessly, even when they all died out.

 

Within a minute, the area was cleared, Roza watched every moment of it as her own powerlessness sets in as reality, and subsequently, the boy’s transformation ended, causing him to collapse, fainting from overexerting himself. Not too long later, the city’s fleets came with aid and returned the surviving students back to the city.

 

Raix and Tya underwent the same phenomena as Zeph, but weren’t as destructive, and fainted much earlier. But the fact of their transformation was kept a secret among some of the city’s top members, including Roza.

 

Additionally, Roza discovered Zeph had no recollection of what he did after saving her, and she was the only person who knew this. One day, she professes to her bionic companion about his episode, leading the young man to fear himself. But together with Roza, they understood why he went on his silent rampage -  a single program in his metal headband. Unable to cope with the loss of so many lives, Zeph’s cybernetic software intervened, and essentially took over his body for a brief period; meanwhile putting himself asleep. Additionally, the program removes any sense of pain and physical limits, meaning his body could generate more energy at an unregulated rate, and fight longer in spite of any damage sustained. With Roza’s help and some technological assistance from an unaware Jav, Zeph isolated the one program but couldn’t remove it. Instead, a command prompt was placed on it; he could turn it off or on whenever he wanted – if turned on, he would run the risk of his systematic personality taking over whenever he was under mental stress.

 

In the present, the lieutenant cried in desperation over the raging wind, wanting her friend to stop and come to his senses.

 

“Please stop Zeph! You have to stop-”

 

But her words were unheard as Zeph walks past her. In response, she reaches for her shoulder and forcibly turns him around. “Listen to me-“

 

But her actions prompted him to point his arm cannon at her. She fell back and the ground once more, as the barrel of his cannon shines brighter, she tightly shuts her eyes, hoping for death to come swift and painless, holding nothing against him for she knew he wasn't in his right mind.

 

However, the sound of a sonic boom caught her attention and she opens her eyes just in time to witness a scene of a second golden fighter but with a slender reptilian tail and wearing dark clothes, landing a direct kick onto Zeph’s face.

 

Hovering right in front of her as if time stood still, she made a wild guess as to who the stranger was – the one who saved her sister and Jav.

 

Not too long ago and in the middle of a cave-in, the red Saiyan hybrid, Erb, simply used his sheer strength and durability to withstand the mountain size burial, literally keeping it up over his head with both arms. Eventually, he turned Super Saiyan, burrows his way out, and reaches the surface. Now freed, he intended to fight the alien individual responsible for burying him. But his attention shifts to the one who’s power eclipses the cyclops.

 

The sight of another super Saiyan in a berserk frenzy about to make a senseless murder, lead the red Saiyan to direct his full effort into stopping him.

 

At full strength, he threw a roundhouse kick and sent him flying straight through dominoes of boulders, far enough to grab the girl, holster her over his shoulder, and flee from the area, safely away from the berserker’s reach. However, from the moment he kicked the fighter, he knew he had simply caught him off guard; his attacks did little to stop the ever-growing output still being released.

 

It didn’t take long for Erb to reach the forest region where it was somewhat peaceful. At the same time, the girl starts lashing out at him. “Wait! We need to go back!"

 

"Sorry, but no!"  The young man halfheartedly apologized. "I’m not planning on going back with you in tow.”

 

After taking a quick look at her face Erb quickly discerns her appearance for Lilith, leading him to ask. “Don’t suppose you’re related to a little girl named Lilith?”

 

“Wha – so it is you!?” Her earlier guess was spot on.

 

“Knew it. Your hair and eye colors are a dead giveaway. Did you happen to have seen them? She was with a dark skin boy and a little green toad. Flying a box-like hovercraft?”

 

“Yes, I did! I sent them back to our base!”

 

“Good! At least one thing went right today.”

 

He soon lands down to a clearing and drops her. "Here should be fine.”

 

But upon setting himself down, the landscape soon started to quake violently, almost knocking them both off their feet.

 

After putting her down, he gives a firm glare towards the girl. “I am not going to be responsible for taking care of you from here on after. You can either stay here or get as far away as you can, like your sister! You got that!?”

 

“Yes…I understand.”

 

Just as when he was about to take off, Roza suddenly beckons him to halt. “Wait!”

 

Before he could object, her sincere and desperate look caught his tongue and choose to heed her next words.

 

"Zeph, he…he isn’t in his right mind. Please…I beg of you…save him.”

 

She strove to keep up with her superhuman friends just so she wouldn’t be left behind and be a burden. But today, starting with the aliens, and now with Zeph, the gap in power was too great for her to overcome. Like before, when she was under Teal's foot, she felt powerless and breaks down in tears, overwhelmed by her daunting reality. Now, she is relying on a stranger to do what she couldn’t.

 

Erb, feeling pity for the poor young lady, did what he thought was right – what his old self would have thought. “I don’t know what your circumstances are with him, and honestly, you’re asking an impossible thing of me; to someone you just met. I can’t promise anything.”

 

He turns to face her and she in return does the same and spots him shining a soft smile with some parting words. “But I’ll give it my all.”

 

He lifts off to the sky and soars back to the battle sight, leaving a grateful Roza behind with a shred of hope instilled within her.

 

 

 

Flying over the mainland…

 

Leaving the Alpha site onboard one of the stationed Jumper, Gabriel, Tya, and Raix make haste to the last known location of Jav’s transport beacon after receiving its emergency signal, until it suddenly vanished. Earlier, after both alien combatants, Azure and Gunnar, were subdued and detained, the City’s main forces had landed but were left with securing the alpha site’s perimeter as it was under no immediate threat. Commander Dyne and Bay took charge and rebuilt the base's defenses alongside Secretary Eve. Gabriel, free of any task, used his time to drag Raix and Tya on his own rescue mission – to bring Lilith and Jav back home.

 

Unfortunately, to ensure the site’s security would not be jeopardized by the awakening of the 2 alien prisoners, Gabriel took precautions and brought them along in the rear compartment of the jumper under the watchful eyes of Raix and Tya.

 

Manually piloting the craft, his view is obscured by mixtures of dense trees and sharp rock hills, mindfully observing for any signs of the children or at least the remains of their ship. Taking into the count of the worst-case scenario, he looks out for stacks of smoke, fire, or any unnatural changes or objects in the environment -  a hint of life. The kids had been drilled with survival training no thanks to Commander Dyne’s insistence in teaching young individuals the necessity of survival, so he had little worry over their inability to take care of themselves in the wild. Regardless, even if he does find them, they wouldn’t be out of the wood yet – not until both he and Eleanor finishes with them first with some good old scolding.

 

A single beep rings out as a holographic projection expands, displaying a high-speed vehicle ridden by both Lilith and Jav.

 

“I found them!” Gabriel joyfully announced just loud enough for Tya to hear and enter the cockpit with 2 names rolling out of her tongue.

 

“Lilith and Jav!?”

 

“Yes.” He replied with a brimming smile. “Thank god!”

 

Tya walks up beside him and sees the dark skin boy and blonde hair girl yet she squints her eyes to better examine the strange black vehicle. “Where’d they get that?”

 

“Well ask them after we pick them up.” Gabriel expresses his own relief to find them on the move instead of being stranded out in the open. “I'm going to hail them. Hopefully, one of them has a headpiece on.”

 

With a press of a single button, he speaks out to the console loudly. “Lilith? Jav? Can you hear me? This is Gabriel. Hello? I can see you 2.”

 

A few seconds went by in silence till a muffled clambering on the other end, the sound of an engine roaring, and Jav’s perplexed tone ringing out. “Gabe!?”

 

"Ah, good!” The old man bellowed out. “You can hear me!”

 

“Where are you? Are you in the air?”

 

“Northeast in your general direction. We’re approaching you right now.”

 

Gabriel veers the jumper slightly around and in doing so lead the boy to respond back. "I see it! Bulb stop here!-”

 

His strange response warranted the Gabriel and Tya to raise skeptic looks. “Bulb?”

 

“-and did you say we?” Jav finished off, though the old man stutters for a moment. "Uhh yes! Tya and Raix are onboard. But, who’s Bulb?”

 

“Long story. WHOA LOOK OUT-“

 

The snapping of tree trunks and branches quickly fills the radio and then a high-pitched static erupts. Out through the window, Gabriel and Tya watch the ground below undergoing an earthquake, shaking the trees so violently, many of them either snapped themselves in 2 or were uprooted, revealing beneath them the groundbreaking apart and revealing black ravines underneath. Even though they were high above the chaos, it resonated into the air, generating minor turbulence for the Jumper.

 

Running in, Raix’s hysteria causes both Gabriel and Tya to jolt in shock for a moment only to feel even more powerful vibrations reverberating throughout their body. “HEY KEEP THIS THING STEADY WILL YA! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO NOT GET THROWN AROUND!”

 

“SHUT UP AND HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!” Tya answered angrily.

 

Raix did as she said without question and grips his arms around a nearby chair and waited out the trembling.

 

Gabriel, grunting to maintain altitude, slowly regains balance in a matter of seconds, leaving everyone slightly shaken except for himself; he was more worried about his young friends.

 

The first thing he immediately did was radio them in again. “Jav!? Can you hear me? Are you ok? Please respond!”

 

"We're alright." This time, Lilith's voice comes out of the radio. "Jav dropped his headpiece.”

 

“Oh thank god! You're both safe and sound.”

 

“Oh! You found them!” Raix blurted.

 

But contrary to his casual upbeat tone, Tya comes in with a grim voice and points out of the monitor. “And that.”

 

In the distance, large batches of black clouds hover over the mountain region and flashes of lightning illuminate the darkened horizon.

 

“Guess we know where that earthquake came from.”

 

“Could Zeph be fighting over there?” Raix asked.

 

“Maybe. But that’s one heck of a battle for him to be in. I hope Roza’s safe.”

 

With the thought of her fellow teammates fighting alone with any number of enemy combatants, Tya made a quick selfish decision and turns to her pilot. “Gabe as soon as you pick them up, I’m getting off.”

 

Gabriel asked but knew grimly beforehand why. “What for?”

 

“To see what’s going on over there. Zeph and Roza might need help or worse...”

 

"No, you're not!" Raix cuts in objectively. “I’m going! I’m faster than you and I don’t wanna play babysitter with our 2, ‘one-eyed’ guests in the back.”

 

“Ugh, fine! I admit you’d be better suited in scouting things out.”

 

“Great! Is that alright with you Gabe?”

 

The old man reluctantly nods. “Just be careful.”

 

“Aren’t I always?”

 

Upon hearing that, Gabriel and Tya glance towards one another and then back to him in disagreement.

 

"Never," Tya said first and then Gabriel comes in next. “I can’t recall.”

 

Hearing the lack of confidence from them made the disheartened young man grumbly march out of the cockpit, and proceeds to open the rear hatch. The jumper descends and below Raix’s feet, he spots Jav and Lilith, waving up to him. But what stands in between them and on top of the black vehicle was a small green toad-like creature with a bud on its back, making the spiky hair soldier cock his head sideways uncertainly.

 

“The heck is that?”

 

 

 

Rocky Terrain…

 

Upon his return to the barren wasteland, Erb spots the aura storm raging out of control far from him. The unnatural disaster turns the landscape into a dust bowl, and the wind current was making it difficult for him to maintain his flight.

 

Erb had experience strong aura outputs before, thanks to his time spent fighting Trunks, and at the same time, he can measure power levels by using his own as a comparative reference. But the one named Zeph has been by far the strongest he had ever felt, yet he didn’t feel afraid, simply worried. He didn’t know whether it was his own boasting power blinding him, or his body had experienced a stronger feeling of oppression, prior to his memory loss. But another question arises; how was the Saiyan named Zeph, producing such a high energy output?

 

The red hybrid recalls a lecture by Trunks concerning the different variations of a Super Saiyan transformation, starting with the basic form, and to higher degrees - 2nd grade, 3rd grade and full powered. He then reveals himself to be not of this timeline but from the future - which left Erb rather shocked - and he had only achieved both 2nd and 3rd-grade forms; the full powered state was still out of his reach. But he also mentioned there was a form transcending a full powered super Saiyan and he had seen only 1 person achieve it - super Saiyan 2.

 

From his brief description of the individual - how a young boy named Gohan - decimated enemies, even Trunks couldn't defeat with little to no effort.

 

Erb, after sizing up the new super Saiyan, could only guess he had reached the said level. But what worried him more was the fact his opponent is purely out to annihilate anyone in sight - the one Trunks mentioned was said to have acted as a cold-blooded warrior at first.

 

And here I thought this was gonna be a cake-walk. But still, I can’t believe I met with another Saiyan on another-

 

His train of thought was cut off by an incoming beam strike. He perilously maneuvers to his right. Suddenly, bursting out from the beam is the cyborg almost within arm’s reach. Using the sheath of his katana, Erb keeps Zeph’s grasp away. Together, they plummet down but then the cyborg’s momentum increased and the red Saiyan is unable to stand his ground as he was being pushed back.

 

I...can't....stop him!

 

When the cyborgs make use of his other hand and curl it into a fist, Erb ditches his struggles into stopping and puts everything he has to roll out of the way. He avoids the incoming attack, tumbles away harshly and quickly rolls back up on the defensive. But he caught sight of Zeph running back at him. Using his weapon again to block, Erb frightfully felt the force of the punch vibrate through and send him and his sword bulldozing towards a region of dome-shaped mountains, crashing into several wall-like obstacles. Upon crashing into one last structure, he falls down under a hailstorm of rock, loses his weapon, and was about to be buried again.

 

This time, he used his fist and kicks to destroy any incoming debris. In the corner of his eyes though, a flash of light shines to his position.

 

He cursed loudly while rapidly firing an outgoing ki blast from his palm, jettisoning himself out of the energy beam and far enough to watch the fireworks ensue.

 

Compared to Trunk’s own Buster Cannon, Erb could picture his entire body being incinerated if he had met the attack head on. There was no longer any point in playing defense – he had to go on the offensive; it was about time he returns the favor.

 

At full speed, Erb rushes to his opponent location with a dragon's fist charged and readies to unleash it.

 

With a trail of red and gold behind him, Erb heaves back as far as he could, clenching his fist, and when he, at last, gets close to Zeph, he instantly smashes his knuckles against the man’s face, devouring him in a pure intense plasma. Like before, his attack travels over the horizon and within the base of it, Erb presses forward, roaring out all the air in his body as his aura gushes out of every pore on his body. But he detected a solid object halting his blow, and after the blast ceased, he horrifically discovers the super Saiyan unharmed.

 

Now in peril, Erb made the mistake in not retracting his own hands away fast enough before the metal man’s own two hands grip onto his throat, strangling his life out. His strength leaves him soon after, and the only thing he can see as everything around him grows dark was the young man's unflinching expression.

 

His eyes begin to roll back, and the blood flow to his head slowly dies down. Yet, he wasn't afraid; he didn’t know what to think, other than how dark his view of the world was. Erb lets his arms fall to his side and his aura subsides just enough to help Zeph choke him more quickly.

 

As the last shine of light escapes Erb’s eyes, he finds himself in total darkness and an eerie silence. It was cold yet comfortable, a perfect moment to rest for all eternity; no more dreams he can never recall, restless sleep. For the first time since he awoken, he can finally slumber in peace. But all of that was removed by the scolding remarks of a woman he doesn’t recognize yet nostalgia overwhelms him.

 

Are you willing to die again? Like before.

 

The last 2 words stunned him awake, and the sensation of being choked to death returns. However, the woman’s impression stirred inside him a new emotion he had forgotten and along with it a pool of power he hadn’t uncovered. Now, after hearing the mysterious voice, he gained clarity, a hint of his past – he let himself die.

 

But why?

 

That simple one-word question, pulses through his body, drove him to seek the answer once more – rekindling his will to live, and the pain of being strangled dies. It burned as an ember at first, small and weak; but slowly, it grew into a bonfire, hotter and brighter; then, amplified into an unstoppable firestorm.

 

In one deafening roar Erb lashes a shockwave so strong, his attacker couldn’t hold his ground and staggers away. He took this opening, and throws a swift jab to his face, then a continuous barrage of kicks and punches, and ends it with a tail whip, rocketing the metal man elsewhere.

 

The red hybrid takes a breath and observes his new energy reserve tantalizing on his bare hands, manipulating it with a proficiency and natural hold, that even startled him.

 

"This?... Is this mine?”

 

Upon touching his hair, feeling it stiffen upward, spikier than normal, he concluded his new form was the infamous super Saiyan 2.

 

As for the lingering mystery behind the womanly voice, he could only speculate her to be a figment of his self-consciousness.

 

Upon that note, he hears another explosion originating where he sent his opponent flying.

 

No longer afraid of the half-machine man, he watches Zeph speeding towards him, and with his newly rebuilt confidence, Erb brings his arms out over his chest and placing one foot forward and the other behind, sets aside his personal quarrels and focuses on the task at hand, raring to let himself loose against a foe who could quite possibly test the limits of his newfound potential.

 

“LET’S GO!

 

 

 

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters: (none)

 

12: Ep 12 - Thanks

Harbinger Scout Ship, Deep Space…

 

Far away from the planet Aeon, stationed in an asteroid field since their arrival, the lone harbinger vessel quietly observed the siege their mercenaries were laying under the command of Ouros. The crew members of the scout ship were but tasked to examine and access the situation using the ship’s long-range sensors and sneaking in spy drones the size of house flies to acquire visual confirmation on the ground. But what the crew had witnessed from the safety of their ship, was far beyond what they had predicted.

 

The short skirmish between the red unknown warrior and Ouros and his comrades; the sizeable strike team of the natives now stationed in the mainland; the encounter of 2 incredible powerful soldiers against the rest of cyclops; the duel between the mercenary leader and another soldier of equal strength; and finally, the titanic climax currently taking place - 2 beings, radiating in gold, generating enough destruction that could destroy the very world they stand on 10 times over; they are the source of their uneasiness.

 

Out of the countless alien races the harbingers have accumulated in order to combat the incoming threat, the cyclops mercenaries were by far their best. And unfortunately for them, the only other groups they knew who can perform the same feats were the enemies knocking on the doorstep of their galaxy.

 

Taking the city now, was out of the question; they are not prepared.

 

On the ship’s bridge, the shipmaster, same in appearance as his superior aboard their fleet’s flagship, made a call to retreat out of the system and return back on their own, leaving Ouros and his comrades behind. Any further action to be taken against the planet would be futile in just one ship.

 

And so, in seconds, the crew prepare to leave, and after a tear in space opens big enough for their ship to enter, they left without a trace, willing to make the 1-day trip back to their fleet, rather than stay behind and risk being destroyed.

 

 

 

Mountain Region, outer edge….

 

On the precipice of death, yet hanging on the threads of life, Ouros awakens with his eye partially blurred, staring straight up at a thunder clouds roaring overhead, and feeling the ground beneath him tremble.

 

What…happened?

 

Without even having to look, he knew his own state is in shambles – mangled beyond recognition. The absence of his limbs was apparent due to the searing pain produced and even under the process of regeneration, it persists.

 

So I’m still alive…how…disappointing.

 

Despair is the only thought on his mind, not because he lost to someone, but rather he managed to completely fail in his mission and lose his entire team.

 

Vard is dead, Azure, Gunnar, and Shade are unresponsive, and the last he saw Teal she was incinerated by the energy blast sent by his fated opponent. He blames himself for his own incompetence; underestimating the enemy and dismissing the prophecy he was given as mere air. Now, he was in no condition to do anything, much less accomplishing their assignment.  He failed, plain as day, and he takes it as it is with humility.

 

But suddenly, the sound of dirt and rock crunched as though something was crawling towards him, caught his ears, along with a familiar voice.

 

“My…lord!”

 

To his right, with his eyes filled with disbelief, he sees Teal alive but weak and was all but one arm and half a torso; the rest of her made up of exposed muscles tendons and exoskeleton shells.

 

Among his group, Ouros knew Teal’s regenerative powers were only second to his brother, but he never knew the extent of her abilities until now – recovering from being nearly incinerated.

 

“You’ve…survived.” He uttered, coughing up specks of blood afterward.

 

But this one piece of good news sparks a chuckling laughter to ignite, ignoring his physical torment.

 

For Teal, who was pushing through her physical torment, this was the first time she saw him outside his cold hard, calculated demeanor.

 

Eventually, his comes back around; but they both turn their sights to the chaotic landscape brewing over the ever-erupting mountain region, plagued by flashes of bright lights; vaporizing all into dust.

 

Ouros directs his attention and his senses to identify of the disturbance. The first one he sensed was the one armed with metal and felt the same lifeless yet bloodlust presence which nearly killed him. The second one was familiar – it was the red warrior; the first threatening combatant he had seen within the short time he spent in this world. There, he came across a revelation. In his mind, he contemplates to himself on the words of the oracle once more.

 

In 20 years I would arrive at a crossroad; one side will be my death, and the other, my life's purpose. I had thought this ‘star’ and the ‘golden one’ are one and the same. But I am not so sure. I believe, one side has the star, and the other, has the one who I must not anger and shines in gold...if I follow this logic, then I have already chosen the wrong side. But that would mean the star…must be-

 

 

 

Mountain Region…

 

At the center of the destruction, Erb and Zeph pin one another down with locked fists, both struggling to overpower the other while maintaining their stance, only letting their golden aura conflict each other.

 

Erb soon pulls him in with a right kick square to his abdomen, breaking his grip, allowing himself to send him flying.

 

Yet in a bizarre display of acrobatics, he watches the cyborg use one arm, transforms it into a cannon, and fires a short concussive burst upward, pushing himself downward, closer to the ground. Afterward, he dug his other arm into the ground, slowing his speed, and then stopping himself completely. 

 

Erb sensed his aura spike and saw him make use of the same cannon arm, now pointed at him. The red saiyan leans back as far as he could, avoids an incoming beam. Next, he hunches back forward, only to be welcomed by a second one. He bobs left, soon sprints beneath it as low as possible while sustaining his aura shield to avoid the intense heat, and when he reached his opponent, he throws a left uppercut and connects with a satisfying slam; however, he couldn’t manage to send the cyborg soldier flying; instead he withstood it, and grabs hold of the red warrior’s forearm, keeping him in place, and pointing the end of his fully charged cannon towards him.

 

With what little room Erb had, he made use of his tail, wraps it around Zeph’s right leg and pulls him aside, robbing him of his footing, and sequentially, clenches the barrel of the cannon and directs it upward, just in time before it discharged into a deafening drum.  Before it ceased, he uses his right hand, holds onto the cyborg’s other arm, and using what he learned from Trunks, he throws him over his shoulder and onto the ground, back first, causing him to bounce off the surface, and sends him off with a push kick square on his sides.

   

Still, he gives chase, passes him completely, raising his fist as high as he could, readying a punch to sunder him to sleep once and for all. However, he meets the barrel end of his cannon once more, this time from the cyborg’s other arm, already charged up. He skips back to ditch his position, but instead of expecting the same attack, a bright white light ignites, blinding him.

 

Erb rubs his eyes as he felt them burning, yet, suddenly, a solid object impacts his forehead with tremendous force. With what little visibility he had, he caught sight of the cyborg’s face close to his own and suspected he was hit by the metal piece on around the man’s head.

 

Burdened by a painstaking headache, he hit the ground, and the shock almost knocks him out; vision darkened, hearing dampened.

 

By the time the light in his eyes returned, he spots the cyborg coming down with a jab strike to his face. Using his weight, he rolls sideways and then to his feet, evading his death. Lady luck smiles on him as Zeph was struggling to bring his arm out of the hole he made and within the short time, Erb takes a sprinting position, flexes his already fatigued leg muscles, and throws himself into a shoulder charge. He cleanly tackles his opponent with his left shoulder pressed against his abdomen, and together they bulldozed into everything and anything in their way – boulders, hills, even into one of the dome-shaped mountains, digging deep inside, and soon after burst right back out.

 

Erb, knowing full well he was in a position to be countered, applies one last push, getting him off himself, and throws a swift kick, digging Zeph into one last natural structure, and finally ends it with a well-placed energy volley, vaporizing the target area.

   

But in spite of his efforts, he knew better than to expect his foe would stay down from one simple ki-blast – and it was made clear from the fact that he could still sense his presence, strong and unwavering despite being on a sort of auto-pilot mindset. Shortly later, he spots the burial ground undergoing a mini-quake, and instantly it erupts with the cyborg bursting out and landing on his feet, drenched in blood and sweat.

 

This time, however, he shows signs of exhaustion from his staggering stance and even breathing out from his mouth more often. In the eyes of the red Saiyan, he couldn't help but be amazed, not by his durability, but by his willpower. He deliberately had been aiming for his head, hoping to put him to sleep with one swift attempt – using the shock and vibration to rattle his brain into unconsciousness, or at least to slow his movement. He succeeds in the latter; but unfortunately, the killer-machine man remained standing, still in his Super Saiyan 2 form, despite his flesh parts sustaining more damage than his nearly indestructible armored limbs and headpiece.

 

Regardless, compared to himself, he fares no better; his own body wasn’t going to last long. Despite his physical defense boosted by super saiyan, his knuckles are nearly broken from repeatedly hitting the metal pieces and felt parts of his bones being dent from defending against his punches.

 

Suddenly, he observes Zeph cannon arms returning to normal, and whips them outward, palms open, with sparks of flickering light flying out into countless crackling lightning bolts, all scurrying to the shocked red fighter in a frenzy.

 

Not wanting to get hit, he takes a complete vertical flight, dodging the first volley successfully under his feet. However, after looking down, he sees them curving upward, now on his trail, with several more lightning bolts ringing out from the cyborg. Repurposing his old tactics, Erb charges a dragon fist in hopes of destroying them in unison, though this time he plans to send the brunt of it to where his opponent stands.

 

He soars higher, up into the cloud, adding more difficulty for his opponent to track him. When he starts to notice his breathing had become more stagnant due to the lack of oxygen in the air, he veers over his shoulder. There, the bolts burst through the clouds in clusters – just the way he wants them. Hurdling it as usual, the red pillar spews out of his fist, flies downward and almost made contact with energy bolts. However, in a surprising twist, all of the bolts dodged around his counter and continued their approach, unhindered in the slightest. Left undefended, the red Saiyan meets the full extent of the bombardment high above the planet’s lowest atmosphere in a blaze of white light.

 

Still, traveling down towards Zeph, the dragon fist finally touches down, encompassing the intended mark, creating a red and gold mushroom cloud and a shockwave powerful enough to finally flatten everything around the target for hundreds of miles.

 

For a short time, after both successive explosions took place, silence returns, and the clouds dispersed and again reform, leaving just enough room for what little sunlight remained before setting over the horizon.

 

The almost synchronizing explosions left both fighters critically injured; Erb being near to the threshold of a coma. Yet, in the very depths of his soul, the essence he had only known since his reawakening to his strange reality, since his time sparring with the Saiyan swordsman, since the point he steps foot on a different world - his fighting spirit - continues to burn as an unyielding ember over a dying flame representing his physical form. But now, as the notion of defeat crawls up his spine, as though a stab to the back was inevitable, his will transforms the fire he held, into an uncontrollable storm of fire and lightning - a storm he needed to let out.

 

Falling back to the planet like a shooting star, dragon hybrid opens his eyes, watches the ground closing in on him, and threw all caution to the wind, repositioning himself upright, and just before he lands, he let his aura rampage out while hurling a punch to the ground. The massive violent pressure cushions his descent, and his own man-made earthquake that rang out ruined the brief period of peace that was produced earlier.

 

After enduring the shocks to his body, Erb screams out in a thrilling war cry, and at the same time, he caught the attention of Zeph, still driven by his cybernetic enhancements, but now finally getting weaker from his stagnant aura output.

 

Driven by a battle-enraging urge, the fiery outworlder launches himself on his foe one last thing, intent on finishing him. As Erb drew closer and closer, close enough for Zeph to initiate a counter swing, he slightly tilts his head to the side, moving past the incoming blow by a hair’s width, and plants the knuckles of his left hand at the center of his abdomen. His blow travel through the soldier and the air pressure generated unearths the ground behind him into jagged spikes as though hell was digging itself out. After the metal man was sent back, in a split second the red saiyan follows and delivers his dragon fist one more time, engulfing the soldier in a red trail of pure devastation, hollering out as his own essence of life drains away, barraging his victim with every ounce of it.

 

When his technique was about to dissipate Erb swiftly enters and meets Zeph still standing in place, withstanding with all his might. Using his left arm, he lands the one last punch against the boy’s forehead, finally feeling his bones breaking under the stress, but pushes through the splintering agony to bring the soldier down head first, imprinting him on the smoldering ground producing a seismic attack strong enough to disperse the dragon fist early, and a bell toll that rang through the entire valley, bringing to an end to their fist-fight.

 

Erb, standing victorious at last, lets his legs finally give away, and collapses to the ground on his back. He is left breathing exhaustingly as his aching muscles and his enraged aura dies down till he could no longer budge. The rush he was on disappears from his system, and from where he is laid, he witnesses the last ray of light from the sun dying over the horizon, and he is now veiled in this world’s darkness.

 

Yet, he was at peace and an uplifting sense of joy washes over his fatigued self. And for some baffling reason, he couldn’t figure out why he felt so. Other than having suffered several serious injuries, broken bones, torn tendons, and some internal bleeding, he was smiling like this was nothing. Was it because he won? Or is it because he truly did suffer worse during his past life? Even though he lost his memories, his flesh and bones still knew emotional pain, loss, anger, annoyance, love, happiness, content, and many more. But this was new to him – or to some extent, he wasn't familiar with it - and he couldn't stop himself from grinning. 

 

Then it dawns on him.

 

His sparring matches with Trunks and his fight with the Cyclops, both didn’t provide him with the challenges he needed to push himself – to fight with everything he had; to test himself. Those events pushed him past him to use more strength and thus made him stronger in the process. But the young man lying beside him, asleep and silent, made him well aware of his own full extent, leading him to apply far more effort than he could have imagined himself being able to produce, and now, he had nothing else to give back – he was spent.

 

Because of this, he neither hates nor treats Zeph as an enemy; instead, he respects him and is grateful to have met him.

 

“Don’t know if your listening - or awake…just wanted to say…thanks...” In a weak voice, he conveyed his gratitude to his fellow man, humbly, and shuts his eyes, gradually dwelling into a deep sleep on top of the now cooled soft ground.

 

For once, he knew without a doubt, he was going to enjoy a long, relaxing slumber.

 

 

 

Nearing the Mountain Region…

 

Breezing over treetops at breakneck speed, the superhuman private, Raix, dashes towards to what used to be the mountain region in his golden state, but with an additional passenger on him; lying on his arms is his superior, Roza.

 

Just as when the jumper landed, Raix learned of Erb’s existence and of 2 other cyclops warriors from Lilith and Jav. Lilith made sure to point out Erb and Bulb were their friends but the last they saw Zeph and Roza was when they were fighting the alien mercenaries.

 

Shortly afterward, he sprints away to his teammate’s location, leaving the kids under Tya’s and Gabriel care.

 

But halfway out of the forest Raix’s headgear picked up Roza’s radio call and near a wide clearing he encounters her, eyes red from tears. After hearing about Zeph’s going out of control, the 2 Cyclops being defeated, and Erb having saved her only to head back to deal with their friend, he chooses to power up to his golden form and hasten his trip. Still, his friend orders him to take her with him, and being the gentlemen - and friend - he was, he had no choice – or any opinion on the matter – but pick her up and rush on over.

 

In seconds, they enter the outer edge of the mountains, detecting no signs of danger within his vicinity, or anything for that matter – it was now a flat wasteland with small hill-like figures dotted everywhere, and a large trench leading to somewhere – left behind by Erb’s dragon fist.

 

Roza, using her headpiece, tracks the weak signal broadcasted from Zeph’s own personnel, and predicts his location to be at the end of the trench.

 

“Go down there,” Roza said. “I think we’ll find them past it.”

 

“I hope you’re right about this.” He answered, but asked, “If we do find them, and let’s say this ‘Erb’ fella is down for the count and Zeph is still crazy…what are we going to do?”

 

“We’ll improvise.”

 

“Oh great.” he rolls his eyes.

   

Hearing his doubtful tone was what she expected from him, seeing as how neither of them was equipped to face a confrontation that made their boots shake. But they still had to try.

 

Judging from the lack of activity shown from the locator, they slow themselves down into jog and Roza was let down to follow.

 

As they traverse down the small valley, they brace themselves for any opposition they may face or from any other shockwaves that may pass by. But nothing happened, and that still placed them on edge. Not too long after, the beacon they have been following informs them they were 100 meters away. As they drew closer, they anxiety continues to rise, and it peaks from the moment they spot 2 figures standing above 2 more, lying on the ground. Standing over both their friend and the red fighter, are the 2 mercenaries, Ouros and Teal.

 

When they spot the aliens, the aliens coincidentally detected their presence as well.

 

Swiftly, Raix applies power into a single dash, getting him to arrive and face to face with them, leaving Roza to rush behind him to keep up, with her rapier out and her intentions clear. “Get away from them!”

 

Roza kept her eyes on Teal and Raix watches Ouros, staring him down.

 

But from their view, it seems neither of the mercenaries shows any signs of hostilities – in fact, Roza used her headpiece to retrieve vital readings from Zeph, revealing he was still alive but with major injuries, and see’s Erb’s chest moving as he breathes.

 

They’re alive! She thought joyfully yet was perplexed over the alien's motive. They could have killed them any time? So why haven’t they? Or did we just come by them in time?

 

Suddenly, the defeated leader of the mercenaries starts talking to them in a calm manner. “We no longer have any qualms with you or your friends. They are both alive, but barely.”

 

“We can see that,” Raix replied, and Roza comes in with a demand. “So why are you here then!?”

 

“To see what happened. And to meet with you.”

 

“What for?” She beckoned.

 

"Two things. Firstly, what happened to my comrades who have attacked your base?”

 

Roza was about to refuse him his chance, but in an unexpected twist, Raix cuts in, answering him plainly. “Both the big one and the girl are alive. As for the small guy…well – “

 

Ouros finishes off his sentence. “Dead I presume?”

 

“- Yeah…that.”

 

“I suspected as much…then in that case for the second-”

 

Ouros lowers himself down in a kneeling position, and raises both arms up, letting both of the native soldiers know he had no intentions of fighting.

 

“- We surrender.”

 

Roza was albeit taken back and a bit tense by his harmless action and even more so from observing Teal – the one who was about to kill her - doing the same. Initially, she believed their little play was a trick to let their guard down. And yet, a gut-wrenching sensation was telling her otherwise.

 

Being attuned to magic allows her the same sensory abilities as Erb, but at a much greater degree – allowing her to peer into someone’s true intention from simply reading their aura’s behavior. With this, she analyzes their aura, and came to her conclusion - they were calm, yet agitated by their own physical ailments (evident by certain areas of their skin and shell still growing back), and far too weak to pose a threat to either of the soldiers. Still, without having to look at them, the first word to comes Roza’s mind after he spoke, is sincere; he was being truthful. And so, under their military’s rule of engagement - all combatants who surrender willingly must be treated as prisoners of war and are not to be harmed - she accepts the reality as the way it is, swallowing her hatred towards them and perform her duty as a soldier.

 

As for her spiky friend though, he came to the same conclusion, though, unlike her, he was still baffled and a little disappointed – he expected to go in fighting but now, it’s over.

 

“…Um...ok."

 

 

 

 

 

Canon Characters: (none)

 

OC characters: (none)

 

 

   

 

13: Ep 13 - Threat

Harbinger Scout Ship, on route, yesterday…

 

Aboard the scout vessel on route to the main fleet, in the captain’s private quarter sat a goblin-like alien mingling with a holographic monitor encasing hundreds of other smaller screens each with a different chart reading, or recording – all relating to their brief visit to Aeon. The alien in question goes by the name, Akbi, the current master – an average male among his race, with no notable quirks.

 

After hours of finalizing combat data regarding the human forces inhabiting Aeon, Akbi completes his report with several notes regarding the destructive capabilities of each high profile target they marked, as well as countermeasures required to subdue them – ranging from long range bombing from orbit, to biochemical weapons, or using all power users in their disposal. Still, he thought back on Ouros’s team, watching them being taken down with ease, and had reconsidered whether or not they should even go back a second time – technically, third time.

 

The fleet had a number of other fighters with strength comparable to the Cyclops, except for Ouros. Most of them were remnants of the once all-powerful Frieza Force – after the fall of the space tyrant Frieza, soldiers posted in various planets lead uprisings and coup d’états, later forming factions of their own – and the rest were either on the run from the galactic patrol or mercenaries looking for a payday.

 

But the number wasn’t the issue that plagued the alien’s mind – they had the required amount. The only problem would be the battle’s aftermath – would they be able to combat the bigger threat slowly entering their galaxy.

 

Several years ago, around the same time of Frieza’s demise, planets were being pillaged and destroyed by an unknown alien force; the creatures were large in stature and powerful enough to lay waste to worlds within the hour. After some much-needed research and recon done by the precursors of the Harbingers, they discovered the attackers to be bipedal reptilian’s creatures, covered in thick armor from head to tail, most of them baring white scales and armor. But there were a few cases where different varieties of the monsters were found; some bigger than the norm or human size, others with extra limbs or varying color, or sets of colors. Their end goals are a mystery as well due to their random behavior, sometimes leaving a planet barely alive, kidnap the residence, or destroy everything completely. But their names are known well enough to strike fear into those who survived their attacks – they call themselves Kaoticons,

 

Suddenly, single high pitch ring resonates throughout the ring, indicating their arrival to the designated point and imminent exit out of slip space. The shipmaster pushes aside his current thoughts, and with one leap in a zero-gravity environment, he leaves the room and floats through an empty hallway, only to arrive outside of the bridge room.

 

Upon the doors parting themselves into 3, Akbi enters and is greeted by his crew members, all from the same species. He stops himself in the middle of the room and stands on top of an empty small platform stationed midair, right in front of an even larger monitor with different color lights racing past their view. In a few seconds, all of that ceased to black, and every member throughout the ship leans forward slightly to reduce their sudden decrease in speed.

 

As soon as they exited out of slip space, the shipmaster orders one of his minions to hail the flagship. It was carried out in seconds; but as some time passed by, no response was received, until the ship’s alarm blare wildly, this time signaling they are on a collision course with a massive object.

 

In no time, the ship narrowly avoided the object but a few of the crew members inside fell out of their seats from the sudden course adjustment. As it happened, Akbi kneeled and grabbed hold of the edge to brace himself. After the ship settled, he issues a scan to be performed of the object, and as results came in, to all of their horrors, it is identified as a part of one of their own ships.

 

From there, he issues another scan, but of the entire region. In seconds, the screen is litter with highlighted wrecked vessels.

 

But amidst the mass graveyard, a single life sign was picked up. With the heat filter activated on the screen, a large red field reads out, spanning a little over half of their own ship’s width, but gradually expanding further. The edge of the object, however, makes its size easily more than the fleet’s flagship, and the fact that it’s a life form sends shivers to all the crew, making them believe it was the reason their fleet was the way it is now. Further evidence to their belief is how the debris field’s formation resembling rings being pushed away by a powerful outward force.

 

When all was quiet in the bridge, the alarms blare once more, this time in response to the sudden exponential heat rise emitting from it, and spreads out, illuminating its entirety. The monitor then switches back to its normal filter and the object can be seen with streaks of purple flames running all over its surface. Suddenly, 2 piercing red lights glare out from its center, striking fear to whoever laid their sights on it, and out of nowhere, the entire ship undergoes a violent tremor.

 

Without saying a word, the Akbi’s crew acted on their own, taking their ship back into slip space to escape whatever it was that destroyed their fleet.

 

In a matter of seconds, the ship tore open space and escapes through, heading back to their last location – Aeon.

 

But just as when the slip space rupture was about to close behind them, the same dark purple light penetrates through, and kept it open long enough for the giant to enter the realm of light speed with no trouble, leaving behind its work and to newer stage or wreak havoc.

   

 

 

City, Medical Center…

 

Two days have passed since the initial alien assault was thwarted, and the city was done gathering the rest of its troops and bolstering their defenses in anticipation of another attack. When Roza and Raix brought in Zeph and Erb, along with their newest alien prisoners, the 2 unconscious fighters were put into intensive care, only to be saved by the healing abilities of the green alien guide, Bulb. 

 

Still, they continued to stay asleep for around 2 days, and during that small period, several issues were laid to rest.

 

The first being the mercenaries kept in the city’s prison ward; since their stay, they haven’t caused any trouble and have been somewhat cooperative – sharing intelligence regarding the harbinger’s attack fleet and overall firepower.

 

The second being Erb’s and Bulb’s status as aliens; when they were first brought back to the city, they were treated as untrustworthy individuals in the eyes of the city’s officials – one of them being Hatric – who believed they were sent from the harbingers as spies; gaining their trust or destroy their military from within. Unfortunately, it didn’t help that their arrival coincides with the timing of the attacks by the mercenaries, and Erb’s overwhelming strength equaling to that of their own power users. Even though Lilith and Jav protested on their red and green friend’s behalf, the voices of 2 minors didn’t budge the official’s opinion of them, and if things had stayed as they were, the outworlders would be in prison like the rest.

 

However, the President was able to testify their innocence thanks to Gabriel’s firsthand account of the incidents, and Commander Dyne chipping in with his own suggestion – placing the alien guests under the careful watch of Fire Team Charlie. Roza, Tya, and Raix were then assigned to look over them throughout their stay at the hospital, and periodically, Roza would tend to Zeph on her own time, directly on the opposite side of the facility.

 

Meanwhile, Lilith and Jav visited Erb’s room just to chat with them, and in an odd twist, Raix and the green guide discovered and shared a common interest in the female body. Sadly, Tya disapproves of their hobby every hour they discuss it, and thankfully, she manages to strike a conversation with Erb from time to time. Roza however, wasn’t as playful as the others; instead, she stayed by Zeph and had taken care of him since, waiting for him to wake up back to his usual charismatic self.

 

Presently, in a room with a row of windows opposite to the door and a single bed set on the side of a wall, Zeph gradually begins to awaken from the cool sea breeze brushing over his face and the beaming sunlight warming his skin. Upon opening his eyes, the sudden brightness of the sun made him wince, yet he pries his eyelids open from what he felt was a nightmare.

 

After a few moments to adjust his eyesight’s sensitivity, he attempts to sit upright but is stopped by his nerves firing off all over his body.

 

The last solid memory he recalls was being shot from behind by the enemy and on the verge of death. Moments later, the face of the alien cyclops enters his mind, and there, more of what he saw resurfaced; Roza was with him but was about to meet the same fate as well. In a desperate act to save her, he allowed the software embedded within his cybernetics to take over, essentially giving it full control of his own body; removing any sense of pain and pushes past his natural limits. However, the software makes no distinction between friend or foe; which makes it a double edge blade. If he killed any of his friends during his blackout, he could never forgive himself.

 

But before he let his emotions and anxiety get the better of him, his peripheral view caught sight of a familiar and lovely face resting on the right side of his bed. His lieutenant, Roza, sleeps soundly with just her upper body on the bedside and a bit of drool running down her cheeks.

 

Seeing her pure, unguarded, and innocent expression, was enough of to ease his worries; and when he spots a stray hair strand out of place, he lifts up his metal hand, and brushes it away. However, his small action causes his sleeping beauty to wake up – though it was, in fact, the sunlight that bothered her.

 

Waking up in a daze as she veers her head around, Zeph made eye contact with her and sheds a soft smile.

 

“Slept well,” he flattered her.

 

But out of nowhere, the blonde soldier leaps up to him, latches her arms over his shoulders in a passionate hug, and begins to shed tears; her entire body trembles and her raspy breathing synching with her heartbeat.

 

Zeph knew full well he was the cause for her sudden outburst, and all he could do now is simply wrap his arms around her, calming her down instead, and find some way to apologize.

 

But not long after, Roza retracts herself from him and this time, past her blemish look, he earns a beaming smile from her – the tears now drying up were of joy.

 

“Sniff…good morning, Zeph.”

 

“Morning to you too….I take it…I’ve made you worry about me again.”

 

“You have no idea,” She softly chuckled, wiping her face dry and recomposing herself.

 

He pauses to mask his anxiety, and when he felt brave enough, he begins to ask, “…did I-“

 

However, Roza gently places her index finger over his lips, stopping him from finishing his sentence. “Before you say another word, let’s get you something to eat first.”

 

Zeph allows her to do what she wanted and watches her approach a drawer where a tray with a metal lid is placed.

 

“You must be hungry after sleeping for 2 straight days.”

 

She opens the lid to then gather the necessary utensil and napkins for Zeph to use. While she was doing that, he pondered on the tiny new information he obtained.

 

2 days huh…damn, that’s longer than the last time. But-

 

He examines his own body and to his surprise, he was whole and well – no injuries compared to the last time he underwent his berserk state.

 

Was it not as bad as I thought?

 

He then sees Roza bring the dish over and a mobile desk to place it on. The tray had a bowl of soup with chunks of chicken mixed in with rice porridge, and a cup of fruit juice.

 

“It’s not much, but the doctor said this was the recommended amount for you to start with.”

 

Zeph picks up the spoon and scoops up a bite size of the porridge, immediately tasting what he expected – cold and bland.

 

“Sorry if it’s a little cold too,” Roza remarked from his subtle disgruntling moan. “The nurse brought it in earlier today.”

 

“That’s hospital food for you,” he jested and continues to feast, tolerating the taste for the nutrients. In minutes, he finished everything, and after drinking all of the juice in one go, he lets out a delightful burp.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

“You are excused,” she chuckled and takes away his tray and hands him a napkin.

 

After cleaning up a bit, he tries to ask her the same question again, this time mentally prepared for the grave news.

 

“…Roza...did I-“

 

But once more, and this time, as though she read his mind, she answers him, “You didn’t kill anyone.”

 

Zeph widens his eyes in astonishment over the revelation rolling out of her mouth, and his guilt slowly disappears upon hearing the next sentence. “And you can thank Erb for that.”

 

The name was familiar to him and then he remembers it from the brief time he spent with the green alien toad, Bulb.

 

In case he had forgotten, Roza clarified for him. “Erb was the one who saved my sister and Jav.”

 

“I….” He was speechless over the miracle and all he could think of now was how he was going to repay the person back.

 

Roza, yet again, deciphers his expression correctly and offers him a chance. “Do you want to meet him?”

 

“…Can I?”

 

“Of course, you can,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm hidden beneath her next remark. “How else are you going to apologize to him for all the trouble you caused?”

 

“Oh…I see.”

 

“Yeah. He’s hospitalized too.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me how. Where is he?”

 

“His room is on the opposite side of the hospital. Do you think you can make it there, soldier?”

   

“Any day with you.”

 

“That’s what I like to hear.”

 

She goes back to the drawer, opens to the top section, and takes out his uniform. She hands it off to Zeph and left the room, giving him time to change. After he steps out, slightly hunched over, they begin their trek across the medical center, starting from one long corridor, to a staircase leading up to the next level, then over a sky bridge, and around one more corner with several doors running down to a dead end.

 

As they near one of the rooms, a rather furious yet almost comical bickering between a high pitched toad and a loud mouth private caught their ears.

 

“You have no standards!”

 

“What’s wrong with that!?”

 

“Everything-”

 

The lieutenant and sergeant step inside, watch Bulb and Raix arguing by the window whereas Jav, Lilith, stand beside a now fully awake Erb, lying in the bed, seated upright.

 

Zeph quickly grasped the red-scaled man with the fiery hairstyle is the one who stopped him and yet he hadn’t expected his appearance to be near human.

 

So that’s him.

 

Meanwhile, Bulb starts giving a pointless lecture that would make any reasonable and decent individual cringe in embarrassment.

 

“-The perfect breasts in the entire universe are round, perky, firm, but most of importantly, large!”

 

“Yea ok,” Raix agreed but makes his rebuttal. “But you also got to consider the balance of the female body. Boobs are great and all but without a great looking butt to compliment, or thick thighs that can work for days, she’d be at best an 8 out of 10.”

 

“Hmmm, I guess your right on that point. Then how about Tya, how’d you rate her?”

 

“A zero.”

 

“What!?” Bulb screeched. “Why!?”

 

“Cuz she’s my sister.”

 

“But you’re not even related by blood!”

 

“I think of her as one.” Raix begins to shiver in disgust over the ideas coming into his head. “Plus, you’d need a planet size willpower to get past her gorilla-like maternal instincts.”

 

He then moves to the subject to a different girl whom they are both well acquainted with. “Now Roza on the other hand, she’s a 10 because -“

 

“Ahem!” Roza chimes in with a cough, immediately bringing to an end to their exchange of dialogue.

 

“Oh ah, hey there,” Raix nervously said. “Didn’t you see standing…huh?”

 

Raix and everyone else finally noticed the man beside her to be Zeph and the first to break out in glee was Lilith.

 

The little girl ran up and wraps her arms around him and earns a pat on the head from her cyborg companion. “Take it easy there. It hurts to be hugged.”

 

She lets him go and shares a big smile with him. “It’s good to see you well again!”

 

Unfortunately, Raix leaps in beside his bionic friend with a slap on the back. “Great to see you up and about again pal!”

 

The sheer shock from the friendly gesture ran down the poor man’s body like a wave of ant bites. Sensing another verbal fight about to occur, the lieutenant steps aside and joins the rest of the spectators by the bedside.

 

“You ass!” The cyborg growls in a cartoonish manner. “That HURT!”

 

“Ah don’t be such a baby,” Raix unapologetically told him. “You’ve had that coming.”

 

“For what!?”

 

“For not telling us about you did.”

 

“Oh…that.” Only Roza and himself knew of the self-destructive program and no one else; although Jav had a small hand in it, he was never told of it upfront and made sure he wasn’t all too pleased with it either.

 

“I always wondered that failsafe was for; thought it was just for some other program.”

 

“You should have told us about it,” the spike hair boy said. “Then we’d be better prepared for the next time you’re in a pinch.”

 

His words spoke true to the sergeant’s ear, and he couldn’t believe he’s hearing him say so. “You’re completely right.”

 

“Damn right I am. We’re a team buddy. We watch each other’s backs.”

 

“Well said Raix,” Roza complimented him, and he blushed in response.

 

“And that’s why you’re a 10.”

 

His last comment made her shake her head but Zeph adds his own bit of humor. “She’s an 11 in my book.”

 

“Ok, that’s enough,” she ordered them, and they complied with grins.

 

Outside of their conversation, Erb, still dressed in his hospital gown, couldn’t help but admire their friendship – pure and unwavering; willing to forgive one another for their short-comings even if it meant life or death. In a way, it made him happy to have done what he did and knew one thing for certain – from how he’s feeling now, it seems more familiar to him then fighting.

 

Suddenly, he made eye contact with Zeph, who proceeds to walk up to him.

 

“So, your Erb?”

 

“The one and only. Nice to finally talk to you. Our last conversation was pretty much…one-sided.”

 

“Yeah, I figured…I’m sor-“

 

“Stop right there.” This time, Erb answers him before he could finish his sentence – the third person to do so today. “As weird as this sounds, you did me a favor.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Let’s just say I’ve earned a good amount of experience fighting you – as painful as it was. Did anyone ever tell you, you have a really hard head. I had to hit you a lot just to knock you out – a lot!”

 

“That explains the headaches,” Zeph admitted – he thought it was due to his sudden little jaunt earlier.

 

Erb then changes his focus to Roza. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask; when can I get my suit back?” He wishes to continue their quint talks but something less embarrassing.

 

“Funny you should mention that,” Roza chimed in. “Is there anything special about your outfit?”

 

“…Why?”

 

“Remember how we told you about your outfit being pretty torn up when we found you.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well, it’s not anymore.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Somehow, your suit is already fixed, and we didn’t do anything to it.”

 

“It did?” Erb yelped in surprise and turned to Bulb on his thoughts. “Did you know it could do that?”

 

“Why are you asking me that!?” the guide shrieked. “it’s yours, not mine!”

 

Roza went on to express her own amazement. “It’s material isn't anything our scientists have seen. Where did you get it made and what’s it made of?”

 

“Don’t know. I just had them.”

 

Back to the main topic, Raix wasn’t too pleased by Erb’s response. “That’s not much of an answer.”

 

“Does it help that I have amnesia?”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Way to go,” Zeph quietly scolded at him.

 

“How was I supposed to know that?”

 

“That’s so sad,” Lilith said, but Erb assured her with a simple wave of his hand. “I already got over it…ok maybe not entirely.”

 

He looks back to Roza regarding his outfit. “Anyway, when can I get it back?”

 

 “I think Tya is coming back with it in hand. Are you in a hurry to leave?”

 

“Not really; just want to wear something with more coverage – this gown isn’t cutting it for me. Also, I don’t know any way to leave this place.”

 

“You got here by being teleported right?” Lilith asked, recounting everything Erb professed to the officials on how the method of his arrival.

 

“Ahuh, a witch teleported us?”

 

“Was this witch hot?” Raix childishly wished to know.

 

“Most definitely,” Bulb answered for his red companion, who wasn’t all that keen about.

 

“Nice!”

 

“How is that relevant to the conversation,” Erb pondered out loud.

 

Outside of the conversation, Lilith discreetly informs Zeph of some crucial information regarding their alien companions. “Just letting you know, Erb and Bulb are traveling together to other worlds.”

 

“I gathered that much. But why?”

 

“They said its part of Erb’s…rehabilitation. That’s all their willing to share. Seems personal though.”

 

Back to the main talks, Jav sends a question to Erb’s way. “How do you plan to travel to other worlds?”

 

“She said she’ll be sending it to me but I don’t know when that’ll be, and what it’ll be. Also, her name is Yuuko, for reference sake.”

 

“Looks like I have someone else to thank,” Zeph commented and earns a reply from Roza. “Who?”

 

“This Yuuko lady; if she hadn’t sent Erb here, and if he didn’t stop me, then we wouldn’t be here right now. Talking as if the events of 2 days ago haven’t even occurred.”

 

“Huh…maybe.”

 

“Yeah,” Lilith concurred. “Jav and I would have been killed if Erb hadn’t shown up, and Jav’s leg would still be broken without Bulb’s healing powers.”

 

“Thanks for that by the way,” Jav whispered to Bulb who says back, “Anytime.”

 

Zeph overheard them and points his attention to Bulb. “You could even heal broken limbs?”

 

“Sure can. Though if you plan to lose a limb or two, I ain’t your guy.”

 

“That explains another mystery.” Zeph full recovery now made sense to him.

 

“Bulb’s pretty amazing, isn’t he?” Lilith admitted, causing the guide to blush. “Oh stop.”

 

Suddenly someone else spoke out. “If he and Raix weren’t so much alike, I’d have said the same.”

 

“Hey!” The 2-perverted duo objected to whoever was standing out of the room.

 

Leaning against the doorway is Tya, arms crossed, holding a plastic bag in one hand. She aims her greeting to Zeph. “Nice to see you up and out of bed.”

 

Hearing her say the same exact words left Raix utter, “That’s what I said.”

 

“Thanks,” the cyborg returns the gesture.

 

Tya shifts her gaze to her lieutenant, and without saying a word, Roza conveys a nod suggesting she taught Zeph his lesson. Somehow, the Saiyan girl’s instincts picked it up and grins delightfully.

 

She then walks past them, stands by Erb, and hands him the plastic bag.

 

“Here’s your suit; all fresh and fixed. Just the way it was – well that’s what we think.”

 

Erb hastily opens it up and folded up nicely is his combat outfit; just the way he first found it.

 

“Wow,” he jittered. “I remember there being scorch marks around the chest area.”

 

“Talk about a coincidence.” The dark skin boy whispers to his pale blonde companion. “More like good timing.”

 

But hearing the 2 kids remarks spurred Bulb to quote one of Yuuko’s favorite phrase. “There are no such things as coincidences, just inevitability.”

 

Erb instantly knew its significance but hearing him say it wasn’t as impactful as the last time.

 

“Nice try buddy.”

 

“You just jelly because you didn’t get to say it.”

 

“Okay now, enough of that.” Lilith cuts in, wanting to get everyone past the events that transpired and into the present. “How about we finally get started?”

 

“Started on what?” The older sister beckoned.

 

“For the tour of course.”

 

Jav takes over and explains to the lieutenant on the decision they made before they came in. “As soon as Erb was able-bodied to move, she wanted to show him and Bulb around the city; and since I’m here and Raix just came by…we’ve decided to tag along for fun.”

 

“Is that so?” Her sister’s idea spurred one of her own. “Then you got room for 2 more? Zeph needs the exercise anyway.”

 

“Are you implying I’m fat?” the cyborg insinuated in a playful voice.

 

“It’ll be good for you. Gets your muscles pumping.”

 

However, Tya had another agenda to profess. “Sorry but that’s going to have to wait. I also just received orders from the president to bring Erb and Bulb to meet her and the other officials, and all of Charlie team, including Jav and Lilith, are to come. Thankfully for me, you're all here – saves me the trouble.”

 

“Couldn’t she have called us for that?” Raix questioned.

 

“Not anymore. The walkie talkies were working until they started to get affected by the widespread interference.”

 

Zeph recalled the long-range radio signals faced a similar issue but was never informed it became so bad that short-range radios were unable to function either. “It’s gotten that bad?”

 

“Yeah, it’s happening all over the city. Even the city’s transportation systems aren’t working right. Thankfully it's only just those – the radio’s and the transports.”

 

“Alright then, let’s go and see what’s going on,” Roza insisted.

 

“Before that,” Erb voiced in. “I need to change. So, if you all can leave the room that would be nice.”

 

“What are you so insecure about?” Bulb joked. “You afraid people are gonna judge your manhood?”

 

Everyone but Lilith beamed a disappointing stare at the giggling toad; eventually, Lilith gets it and yelped in disgust. “EEWW!”

 

Her disapproval only fed Bulb’s laughter until Tya knocks her knuckles squarely over his head. “OW!”

 

“There’s an old saying we have, and it’s called ‘Shut up!” The maternal gorilla girl warned him.

 

“I couldn’t have said that better myself,” Erb complimented.

 

 

Yuuko’s Gift Shop….

 

Back in Yuuko’s shop, the dimensional witch watches over Erb’s walking alongside somewhat, like-minded individuals through her glass orb, tracking his movements using a spell placed on Bulb on the same day they embarked on their journey. Additionally, not too long after she sent them away, she started to notice many events across the universe had begun to start changing or moving far more rapidly than anticipated which both intrigued and frightened her.

 

“Already making friends,” She smirked and then takes a sip of what little tea remains from her cup while not averting her eyes away. “Now then, I wonder what’ll happen next?”

 

The door behind her soon slides open to reveal Watanuki, carrying inside her snacks and refreshments on top of a wooden tray. “Here’s some more tea and rice cookies, just like you wanted them.”

 

Upon kneeling down to set the tray he noticed the orb, and inquired, “What are you looking at?”

 

“Come see for yourself.” With her permission, he approaches it, only to discover the main subject to be Erb.

 

“It’s Erb…” Watanuki became suspicious as to why she was stalking him. “Why are you watching him?”

 

“Observational purposes.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I can.”

 

“…You say it like there’s nothing wrong with that.”

 

“Because there’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing.”

 

“Stop restating my questions back at me.”

 

“Don’t you have more chores to do?”

 

“Now you’re dodging the subject entirely!”

 

“You’re being paranoid.”

 

“And you’re being evasive miss Yuuko.”

 

“Well anyway, let’s see what else this world has.”

 

“NOW YOU’RE JUST IGNORING ME!”

 

After Watanuki yelled out angrily he notes Yuuko’s bored look quickly changed to concern. “Um, miss Yuuko? Is something wrong?”

 

A few seconds went by without a word from her, which kept the young man on the edge. But she then lowers the orb down to her lap and whispers to herself in a worried tone. “This isn’t good.”

 

“What’s not good?” He peers into the orb and all he could see were stars and several dark figures looming in the background. However, after a second look, the figures shape into the corpses of dead alien beings.

 

“What the –“

 

The horrified looks on their faces made him fall back in shock. “-What is this?”

 

Yuuko answers his questions. “What you’re looking at are the remains of an alien armada. A rather large one at that. They were, in fact, going to invade the very same world Erb and Bulb are currently in.”

 

“They were!? Wait, then isn’t that a good thing!? I mean, I don’t want mean any disrespect to them, but at least now Erb and the people of that world are in the clear. Right?”

 

“I wish that was the case. But the one who decimated this armada present a far greater threat. And much to our misfortune, it hitched a ride; straight to them.”

 

“That’s…not good. Wait…did you just say one?”

 

“That doesn’t matter right now. What’s important now is to warn Erb and the people of that world.”

 

“But how are you going to do that? Do you have something you can use to communicate with him?”

 

“I’m afraid not, which was the sole reason why I sent Trunks away to retrieve something that would. But by the time he returns, I believe it would be too late.”

 

Watanuki watches her ponder calmly and knew she had an alternative plan. “You already have a backup plan, don’t you?”

 

“In a manner of speaking. Yes. Wait here.”

 

She suddenly gets up and marches out of the room, leaving the school boy behind. However, instead of heeding her words he follows behind her discreetly, all the way outside.

 

“Ahem….oh king kai!” She called out sweetly to the sky. “Are you there!? This is Yuuko speaking! Hello?”

 

Hiding above the porch and behind the corner of a hallway, from the boy’s perspective he could only describe what she was doing to be something far beyond his understanding, and yet he couldn’t help but think she was just acting crazier than normal.

 

“Who’s King kai?”

 

Then suddenly, he hears a gruff voice of an old man entering his head.

 

Oh, miss Yuuko! How nice of you to ring haha! Snort.

 

“AH!” Watanuki freaked out from the sudden voice and accidentally fell over the porch and out in the open. “WHAT WAS THAT!?”

 

Lying on the ground while looking delirious, he sees Yuuko turn towards him with a blank gaze aimed at him. “Yes, it’s been a long time dear friend.

 

 

Other World…

 

Far off on the edge of a certain galaxy, a separate realm exists between the boundaries of life and death, containing several habitable planets that are all ruled – and still ruled - by a special race of elf-like individuals, who dictate and observe every single world in the universe – they are called the Kai’s, gods of Other World.

 

One of them, a short stubby man with blue skin and whiskers, wearing tea shade sunglasses and a black Chinese style dress with pointy shoulders and red garments underneath, stands on top of a wall, staring outward into the vast orange sky. Above his head though, floats a halo, signifying he was dead – and he hated it with a passion.

 

“Quite so. How long has it been? 10? 20 years?”

 

On the other end of the chat is Yuuko, still in her shop.

 

We can talk about that later. Right now, I have a favor to ask of you.

 

“So straight off the bat huh? Well, what is it this time? If you’re gonna ask for my car again then don’t bother.”

 

No, I don’t need the car again….though, I hate to ask but what happened to it?

 

“It got blown up.”

 

Did it? I liked that car.

 

“Sigh…So did I.”

 

But at least you don’t have to maintain it anymore, and you have more room in your home.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Without having to ask, she made a quick guess as to the fate of his home.

 

Your house blew up too didn’t?

 

“Along with my planet!”

 

How did that happen?

 

“My dum-dum of a friend brought over a monster that blew itself up, taking him, me and my planet with it.”

 

A moment of silence filled the conversation until a burst of laughter disrupts King kai’s focus.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

“Yeah yeah laugh at my pain why don’t you. But if that’s all you wanted to say, then I’m hanging up.”

 

Wait wait wait! Snickering. I’m so sorry it’s just that….snickering…I never thought something like that would happen to someone like yourself.

 

“I’m gonna hang up now!”

 

Wait please wait! It’s important….snickering.

 

“Cough it up then! What is it?”

 

Phew…Ahem,…it’s the Conqueror. He has appeared.

 

“WHAT!?” King Kai nearly took flight from the sudden news but manages to land back own, keeping his composure in check. “WHEN!? WHERE!?”

 

I’ll show you through the orb I’m carrying.

 

Using his godly eyes, he creates a mental image of Yuuko in order to pinpoint her location. When he did, he looks through the item on hand and discovers the remains of a battle fleet.

 

What you are seeing are the ruined remains of a large harbinger fleet who made contact with the Conqueror.

 

“The harbingers?”

 

I take it from your tone you’ve heard of them?

 

“Yes, I have, and I’ve never liked them to begin with. I would say good riddance, but...”

 

Then, the scene shifts over to a light speed realm where the behemoth of a monster is seen chasing one ship, and its external appearance matches with that of his own recollection – large asteroid-shape shoulders, horns forming a crown around its forehead, it’s grey and dark blue scale pigment, and finally, it’s devastatingly large dark purple talons.

 

“I thought the Conqueror was dead.”

 

Suddenly, a third party sneaks up behind the kai. “What’s a Conqueror?”

 

“AH!”

 

After screaming at the top of this lungs from the surprise greeting, he turns to see the idiot who blew him up. “GOKU! DON’T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!”

 

Dawned with an orange gi and a blue shirt underneath, the Saiyan warrior Goku had approached his old mentor and friend over another issue he wished to discuss. But overhearing King Kai’s worrisome tone intrigued the battle maniac to make him eavesdrop until now.

   

“Who is it you’re talking to King kai?” He asked.

 

“None of your beeswax!”

 

Goku is it?

 

Yuuko projected her voice to him as well and he replied back. “It’s a lady! Hey, is she your girlfriend King Kai?”

 

“SHE’S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!” King Kai growled although they both heard Yuuko chuckling in the background.

 

My, you’re amusing! Am I to guess this is the one you were talking about before King Kai?

 

“Ah, yes…this is Goku. He’s a Saiyan from a planet Earth. Not the earth which your familiar with – and from.”

 

A Saiyan?

 

“Yes. Now I will have to convene with the other kai’s about this new grave matter. Thank you for informing me about him miss Yuuko.”

 

Wait just a moment King Kai. That wasn’t why I contacted you.

 

“Huh?”

 

I need your help. The route the conqueror is taking leads straight to a world currently inhabited by one of my companions; a young man. I need you to warn him of the incoming danger.

 

“That’s an unusual request coming from you. But ok, I’ll do it. Just show me where and who.”

 

King Kai once again views Yuuko and her orb and arrives at a luscious planet filled with life. He veers over an ocean and spots a floating city on the horizon. Within it, the targeted individual is in his sight.

 

“Him huh? Wow, he has an impressive power level. So do those other 3. Am I to assume the young man in red-“

 

Yes, his name is Erb.

 

“- Erb? That’s a strange name….uh.” King Kai’s attention drifts to one of the female walking by Erb, with an impressive figure and a monkey tail wiggling behind her. “Are my eyes playing tricks on me or does that girl have a monkey tail?”

 

You're eye's aren't deceiving you.

 

"…But…that makes her."

 

A Saiyan? Yes. She is.

 

“Another Saiyan? I didn’t think there’d be anymore apart from the 2 purebloods I know along with their offspring’s – though, one of them is currently here.”

 

I believe she’s a hybrid but that’s all I know so far; also she’ isn’t the only one. The other 3 young men, excluding the child, are much the same – hybrid Saiyans. That’s also including Erb.

 

“…All 4 of them?”

 

Yes.

 

“…Including red?”

 

Yes.

 

Her confirmation along with his quick examination of each of the new Saiyan fighters finally causes the stubby man to grasp.

 

“You’re kidding me!?”

 

“Hey let me take a look,” Goku joined in, placing his hands on top of King Kai’s shoulder. The fighter with the red wild hair came to his view and much like his mentor, he was also in disbelief over his hidden potential. “He really is strong; but he doesn’t even look like a Saiyan at all. What is he?”

 

He’s part Saiyan, and part Dragon.

 

“PART DRAGON!?” Both dead men yelped, however, Goku’s was dumbfounded whereas King kai was simply dumbstruck.

 

You heard right.

 

“That’s so cool!” Goku confesses. “So, he’s like Shenron, but red! And small! And the other guy with the blue armor looks cool too – and pretty powerful; and the those 2 definitely look like Saiyans to me – one of them even has has Vegeta’s haircut…Can they all go super?”

 

You mean super saiyan? Yes.

 

“Wow!”

 

“Wow indeed,” King Kai returns in agreement. “4 new super Saiyans, in my quadrant! I can’t imagine who their parents might be – especially the red guy.”

 

Then, looking over his shoulder to Goku, behind his shades he sheds a suspicious look at him. “Don’t suppose you or Vegeta went on a debauchery spree before?”

 

Cocking an eyebrow out of skepticism, Goku answers back much the same. “What’s debauchery?”

 

Before the conversation could stray any further off topic, a key piece of information regarding Erb caused King kai to let out a horrific outburst. “Wait! If that’s the case, then that Erb fella is in serious trouble; if he meets the conqueror, he’s dead meat!”

 

Exactly the point. Yuuko told him. So can you please tell him immediately.

 

“I’ll get right on it.”

 

Thank you, King Kai.

 

“No, thank you miss Yuuko, for telling me about the conqueror in the first place. I’ll contact you again when the job is done.”

 

Yuuko’s voice soon ceases, leaving just the 2 Other World-er’s, and now, Goku’s clueless behavior takes over. “Soooo, you still haven’t answered my question before.”

 

“You mean debauchery?”

 

“Not that. What is this Conqueror thing that got you so worried about? And what so bad about that Erb fella being a dragon? Also, does that mean he can grant wishes like Shenron?”

 

As King Kai pinpoints the red saiyan’s location using what he obtained from Yuuko’s orb, he reluctantly answers his former pupil. “For your first question, it’s not a what, but who. We labeled him…it…the Conqueror because of it’s immense power alone. And as for the dragon bit…let’s just say the dragon race and the same race the conqueror is from, both really hate each other’s guts. And no, he most likely can’t grant wishes like Shenron.”

 

“Whoa! Is the Conqueror really that powerful?”

 

“Sheesh, you're full of questions whenever it comes to fighting…first, let me try and find this guy. So give me a minute will ya.”

 

“Fine, fine.”

 

King kai turns away from Goku and mumbles to himself while locating the planet, Aeon. “If I remember she said the planet was…”

 

Suddenly, King kai felt a jolt of lightning running from his antenna and down through his entire body, and goes on to jump in shock, fall to the ground and begins to twist and turn everywhere in pain. “OW OW OW OW!”

 

“King Kai!?”

 

“Ow…of all the things in the universe! ARGH! She could have warned me of something like was happening! But why did it have to be now?!”

 

Getting on his feet and dusting the dirt off his clothes, King kai begins to pace back and forth, conjuring a new plan in warning the planet. “This is bad. Really bad. Not only is that monster still up and about, but I can’t call, let alone leave a message, to him because of that!”

 

“Is the conqueror really that bad of a monster to get you this worried?”

 

“HE’S MORE THAN JUST BAD!” The blue man spat out loudly. “This monster is a kaoticon – a race of armored lizard beasts born from the darkest corner of the universe, with the sole purpose of spreading decay and devastation; they are a force to be reckoned with and not to be treated lightly, especially against one of the 4 Calamities – the strongest monsters you will ever encounter.”

 

“Um… is the Conqueror…by any chance, one of these Calamities?”

 

“Yes. The conqueror, also known as Thunderwing, is one of the 4 Heralds of Calamity.”

 

“Thunderwing huh...” Looking tense after uttering the name himself, he soon replaces his seriousness with a childish grin which only left the poor king not surprised and albeit disappointed. “Now I really want to face this Thunderwing fella!”

 

“You…are a hopeless cause you know that?”

 

“Hehehehe. But I still don’t get why this monster would want to fight that red guy. Does he hate dragons that much?”

 

“It’s not just him. All kaoticons have a long grudge against dragons for over 100,000 years. If either one finds the other, then there’s no telling what kind of chaos will ensue. And Thunderwing…seriously hates them! So much that the last time I saw him, he was fighting an ancient class dragon and blew up an entire system just to win.”

 

“100,000 years? Talk about persistent. But what’s ancient.”

 

“Stop it with the questions already!? I need to figure out how I can contact Erb quickly before things go from bad to worse….Perhaps I can send someone else instead. But who?!”

 

After hearing his last muttering words, a light bulb turns on in Goku’s mind and his childish grin returns, catching King kai’s scolding look. “What are you smiling for? This is serious business!”

 

“I have an idea! I’ll be right back!”

 

There, King Kai immediately knew what he meant from just seeing him place his index and middle finger on his forehead. “OOOHHH NO GOKU! I AM NOT ALLOWING YOU TO GO THERE YOURSELF! YOU’RE DEAD REMEMBER!? IT’S PROHIBITED!”

 

But the Saiyan grins back. “I know. But I never said I was going!”

 

“Huh? Uh, hey wait-”

 

Suddenly Goku disappears from his view right before his eyes, and now it was just him, alone.

 

“Sometimes…I don’t understand how I’m still friends with him.”

 

Elsewhere, in one of many training grounds established around other world, a group of warriors – 5 in total - each famed for a deed they’ve accomplished when they were alive, are in a sparring match on top of a fairly large ring, but not with each other. They were in fact, sparring against a girl who has long ears and a full head of brown long hair, all at the same time. 

 

The girl wore a white sleeveless Asian dress running down slightly past her knees with the bottom front open, and red outlines covering the edge of her outfit, along with a red coral sash wrap around her waist. Underneath she had a light purple color skin tight clothing covering her entire lower section and white boots cover above her ankles.

 

In a relaxed defensive stance with both arms out front, she is approached by a flurry of punches from a green frogman. As swift as the wind and fluids as water, she swipes each of them aside and then counters by grabbing his right arm and performing an over the shoulder throw, barreling him towards 2 others who were about to sneak up behind her. Altogether they fell out of the ring, disqualifying them.

 

Afterward, 2 more warriors rush her from both sides, yet she swiftly resumes to block the onslaught of punches and kicks by a muscular purple bald man and a small brown mantis-like insectoid. Little by little, the girl was being pushed further back, closer to the edge of the ring, until she disappears from their view, only to reappear behind them with a double midair kick towards their backside and knocking them out of the ring, declaring her the winner.

 

“I win again!” The girl shouts out triumphantly, while the other fighters despair over their short bout.

 

Out of the blue though, Goku teleports beside her, catching her off guard. “Ah! Oh, Master Goku!”

 

“Hiya Neva! Are you busy at the moment?”

 

“Not anymore.” She looks back down to the fighters who were getting up and then turns to the man who’s trained her for the past 7 years. “What is it you need?”

 

“Well let me ask you something first…how good is your instant transmission?”

 

“Ah, pretty ok. I can go to the checking stations and back without any problems…why?”

 

Neva receives back from her master his signature smile and another question – albeit, a strange one.

 

“Then how would you like to go on a trip?”

 

 

 

 

Canon characters:

1)    Goku – Dragon Ball z

2)    King Kai

3)    Thunderwing – Transformers

 

OC characters:

1)    Thunderwing (Kaoticon)

2)    Neva

3)    Akbi

 

14: Ep 14 - Troubles Brewing

City Pier…

 

With the city’s defenses near completion, activity coming from the mainland site has died down to one last jumper carrying essential equipment and supplies belonging to the science division. As of this moment, the alpha site has been completely abandoned, with only its buildings left behind as a reminder of what used to take place under the banner of peace.

 

The last jumper draws closer to the city, and upon receiving clearance to land, the vehicle begins its slow descent down to an empty pier with a gentleness that would even keep a sleeping infant undisturbed. The rear hatch opens and 2 SWORD members walk out, rolling in front of them large carts, carrying several large boxes. One of the soldiers is a human male with dark skin and bald head, and the other is an aeolian male with golden fur and facial features similar to that of a dog – slightly longer snout and mouth with ears folded over - but nearly as tall as his human compatriot.

 

Though both were finally finished with their delivery runs, spanning over 2 days, fatigued had already sent in since the moment they first awoke. The human lets out a loud sigh of relief, as he stretches his neck about from constantly sitting hunched over, unable to move as he liked.

 

“I can’t wait to be done with this. The first thing I’m gonna do take a long hot bath and then drink some nice cold milk. What about you?”

 

As the human turns to his aeolian partner for his reply, he noticed him looking the other way, at the edge of the pier as if something caught his sights.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“No…no, it’s nothing.”

 

“What is it?” He persisted, and he hears the aeolian nervously explain, “I just…thought I saw something…going over the edge.”

 

The human left his cart, walks past the aeolian to the side, and cautiously leans his upper body forward, his head past the threshold of safety. But all he can see are the waves crashing against the sea wall and tiny droplets rushing towards his face - nothing more.

 

“We’ve been out in the sun for too long. Let’s hurry inside and get this over with.”

 

“Yeah…you’re right. I’m starting to feel like panting anyway.”

 

Both soldiers returned to their duties and exit out of the pier with haste, leaving the jumper unattended.

 

Back over the edge of the docks, underneath the crashing waves, the alien known as Shade had stayed submerge and out of sight, only to then resurface when the coast was clear.

 

After being cut in half by one of Raix’s attack, Shade played dead with the intention of ambushing him and the girl with the tail whenever he had the chance. But when he witnessed their explosive transformation with an equally drastic power up, his surprise attack would be his own death sentence. And so, he continued his act, even after the ordeal was finished, as well as letting soldiers toss him into a ditch and get buried; still, the experience of being put under was about as pleasant as sleeping to him thanks to his biology – no oxygen required.

 

He bides his time in secrecy while slowly recovering from being cut in half to avoid detection; rapid healing would have meant spending more energy which would alert another sensor user like himself – a bonfire lights up in a dark forest. Meanwhile, he planned out his strategy in freeing his comrades from their native – infiltrate their city using one of their transport, and using his speed, track down their energy signatures while avoiding detection, and break them free. If things get complicated, he could take a hostage and ransom their freedom.

 

Eventually, he dug himself out around the same time the last transport left the mainland, hitched a ride under its hull, and remained hooked on until they were about to land. He gets off before then and skipped over the edge of the docks to evade their vision.

 

Now, with every step of his plan executed without so much of a hiccup, he lightly leaps into the city, covertly passing block by block, street by street, using the shadows of the building to hide his approach to both where he detects his comrades, and away from the ones who put them there.

 

 

City Main Control Tower...

 

Inside the president’s office stands both Commander Dyne and Bay, along with Director Eve whereas Eleanor sits behind her desk in between them. Standing in front of them are Erb, Bulb, the entirety of fire team Charlie’s, and their civilian friends, Jav and Lilith, who were lined up against the wall, nervously wondering why they’re here.

 

Eleanor starts off by directing some much need gratitude to their foreign guests.

 

“It’s nice to finally meet you 2. I am President Eleanor, leader of this flotilla and commander in chief.” She extends her hand out to Erb, a sign of good will he immediately recognizes and responds in kind, firmly gripping her hand though withholding most of his strength for safety.

 

“Same here,” he replied and finally let’s go to resume his stance.

 

“Let me first say, on behalf of everyone in our city, I thank you for your effort in repelling the enemy invaders, as well as saving our own, including my daughter.”

 

“It was no problem, um ma’am.” He had little experience in the formalities of other cultures so he did his best to some degree of respect by being humble.

 

Eleanor notices it, and she eases his worry. “Please, call me Eleanor.”

 

“Oh ah, sure! Ok. Ahem, and I’m just glad everything worked out fine…for everyone.”

 

“Yes…well… I’m afraid you may regret saying that; we’re not out of the woods yet.”

 

Zeph, knowing the events which transpired 2 days ago was simply a prelude to the battle to come, quickly enters the conversation with a guess. “You mean the scout ship?”

 

Their silence combined with grim looks was more than enough of a confirmation to the Sergeants. However, Erb was out of the loop. “What scout ship?”

 

Director Eve steps up to provide an explanation.

 

“Not too long before the attack, the city’s deep space sensors picked up a vessel which we believe to be an enemy scout party. It was also where the alien invaders originated from. However, the vessel had left the system on the same day the invasion was stopped – “

 

“They’ve probably returned back to their main fleet to report back what happened,” Dyne suggested. Commander Bay adds on to his statement. “And they’ll most definitely be back in greater numbers.”

 

“-Yes, but that’s not the main problem our president mentioned,” the aeolian woman clarified for everyone else. “You’ve all experienced the signal interference we’re currently undergoing?”

 

“It’s pretty hard not to,” Raix murmured, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear and for Tya to quickly correct him on. “What he means is yes; it’s getting pretty bad.”

 

“Well, it’s going to get worse.” The Aeolian takes out a tablet and accesses the room’s holo-screen to display their local star.

 

Then, out of nowhere Raix conjures up a wild guess on the spot from having watched too many science fiction films carried over from the human’s former homeworld. “Let me guess, the sun’s gonna blow up?”

 

All he receives in return were awkward looks from Lilith and Jav and Tya demanding voice.

 

“Be quiet.”

 

Unfortunately, Zeph, Roza, and Erb spot the officials glancing down with tight lips as though the spike hair private was on the mark.

 

“No, the sun is not going to blow up,” Eve assured but made her conjecture. “But…something is happening to it.”

 

The screen shrinks a small section of the star where a large spiral of flame gushes out of its surface and coils itself right back down.

 

It was Lilith who made the connection from glancing it. “A Solar prominence?”

 

Having almost everyone else look at her like they haven’t a clue as to what she said, Lilith starts her own small lecture. “It’s cooled plasma which anchors on the photosphere of our star and extends out to the Corona; hence, a solar prominence.”

 

“I didn’t catch any of that,” Bulb admitted in a low voice to Erb.

 

“I kind of did,” Erb whispered. “Strangely enough.”

 

“Why is that strange?”

 

“Because I don’t remember where I learned it from.”

 

“Hmm, convenient.”

 

“More like unsettling.”

 

Meanwhile, Lilith noted an irregularity on the projection. “There also seems to be some solar flares occurring as well. Odd.”

 

“Why did you have to say ‘odd’?” Raix quizzed her. “Now you’ve just jinxed it for us. Movie 101 – don’t jynx stuff; because it’ll happen!”

 

“I take it he watches a lot of movies,” Erb whispers over to Zeph, who replies with a disappointing tone, “Too many to keep track of.”

 

As Tya elbows Raix for his earlier question, Eve takes over for Lilith to help clear up the confusion. “Because there’s about to be a coronal mass ejection.”

 

The group stayed ignorant of the term, but Lilith was the only one who knew its significance – other than Jav cursing out, “Oh shit.”

 

Erb is the first to talk to the little girl. “Please tell me that’s a good thing.”

 

“Far from it. It’s when a solar prominence breaks apart and erupts out of the corona. Imagine a water balloon with a small hole in its side and water gushing out of it. That’s what it is.”

 

“Good analogy Lilith,” Eve remarked. “And that is what’s exactly will happen. If the coronal mass ejection erupts, the stream produced will be carried away by solar winds, it would head straight for us.”

 

“That…is definitely not good,” the red man concluded.

 

Zeph then joins the dialogue. “How sure are you it’ll hit us?”

 

“From what we’ve gathered in the city’s old archives, it has to do with our planet’s geostationary orbit with the star.”

 

Out of the blue, Bay pitches in helping everyone understand. “For those who don’t know, a geostationary orbit means our planet is in a fixed position with the star; if we were standing on its surface all day, we’d be able to see Aeon motionless. Sadly, we’re unlucky enough to be facing the coronal mass ejection’s path.”

 

“Why that’s correct,” the Aeolian confirmed. “I’m surprised you knew that.”

 

“Oh, well uh, I learned from the best,” Bay replied, scratching his head.

 

Roza finally brings up her own question. “So how do we stop it?”

 

She earns Eve’s feline eyes and earns her answer. “Good question. It just so happens the archives also spoke of the civilization that once lived here, developed 2 means. One of them being the city’s defenses, but you all know that is not a viable option at this time.”

 

“Well, we don’t,” Bulb reminded her.

 

It was Roza who informs him otherwise. “We’ll fill you in later on that.”

 

“Gotcha ya,” he understood.

 

But Erb had about enough of all of the foreign terms going around and blurts out, “Can we take a step back for a moment. What happens if that thing does hit us!? And, when will it hit us!?”

 

Zeph brought it upon himself to answer that. “If that makes it to us, then you can say goodbye to your short visit on our fair world.”

 

Lilith further elaborates. “The intense heat and radiation from the solar prominence alone would scorch everything, killing everything. Even the atmosphere will become uninhabitable.”

 

Eve, on the other hand, takes it upon herself to solve Erb’s second inquiry. “As for when, we don’t really know. It could be weeks, days, maybe even hours. That’s why we have to work quickly, and thankfully we still have our second option.”

 

An image of a satellite then takes over the projection, and Eve tells the others of its purpose.

 

“There’s a derelict satellite in orbit over the city as we speak. From what we can gather in the city’s archive, we believe it was used to either shield or redirect the coronal mass ejection. Sadly, we won’t know until we activate it and in order to do so we may require a zpm to power it.”

 

Erb was about to bring up the new acronym, but his young dark skin friend was thoughtful enough to do so without him asking.

 

“We call it the zero-point module; it’s what powers the city.”

 

Eve moves on with the same subject. “To our knowledge, this city only houses 1 – our only one; as most of you know, the zpm is quite powerful but limited - we can’t take it out and plug it elsewhere.”

 

An image of the power source materializes, resembling an orange crystal with different color veins running inside it and has a flat circular top.

 

“And we have no means to make more, plus, we don’t even know how much power the satellite would take.”

 

“So, we’re screwed,” Raix commented but receives another painful elbow by Tya for his insensitivity to the situation.

 

Yet, Eve has a counter remark. “Not so. We may have another solution, though it isn’t an easy one.”

 

A second projection appears with the satellite in the coronal’s path and energy charts show with rising numbers.

 

“If we can somehow modify the satellite to intake the heat from the blast and convert it into energy, then we will have what we need to make it function. The satellite was built to withstand the high temperatures from the blast – for a short time. But by our calculations, we should have the necessary power before the installation starts to deteriorate.”

 

“How soon can you get it done?” Eleanor inquired.

 

“In a week. But perhaps with my son's assistance, we can get it done in a few days.”

 

“Me? In space!?” Jav gasped out loud, then looking to his peers in shock, only to then stare at Eleanor for one last verification. “Can I!?”

 

“If you can get the job done and are always in Eve’s sight.”

 

“Done deal!”

 

“Eve, do whatever you must to get that satellite operational.”

 

“Will do.” Eve quickly makes the projection disappear and gets her belongings together. “Without any further ado, I’m going to gather my team and prepare a jumper. Jav, you’re coming with me.”

 

But as she and her adopted son were about to exit into the hallway, her ears perk up and she veers around with an additional request. “Oh, and can I also bring along one of Fireteam Charlie’s member? There’s a lot of heavy lifting to do.”

 

Immediately Raix raises his hand like an eager child wanting chocolate. “Me! Me! ME!”

 

His friends frowned at his eagerness, but Eleanor chooses him because of it. “You’ll have to do then. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

 

“Very well. Good luck.”

 

Eve begins to leave with the boys following behind her while the rest stay inside for the next briefing.

 

“What can we do?” Roza spoke out, mainly to her mother and the commanders.

 

Eleanor answers her. “The rest of fireteam Charlie will have a different assignment. But for now, let’s discuss how to best prepare for the harbinger's return.”

 

Out in the hallway and walking to their destination, Eve had begun giving the 2 boys their first tasks. “Private, I’m going to need you to go to the hanger loading the equipment – talk to Brian, he should know what to bring.”

 

“Gotcha. But which hanger?”

 

“The southwest hanger.” She changes her sights to her boy. “And you’re coming with me to our lab to grab whatever else we may need.”

 

“Ok.”

 

As the trio reach the staircase, ready to go down, they see Secretary Hatric marching up, drenched in his own sweat. Due to the transportation system being unreliable, the only way to reach a destination are either by jumper or by walking.

 

In Hatric’s case, he heard there was a meeting taking place with the red and green foreigners and was enraged by the fact that he wasn’t told anything about it. But when he enters the central control tower’s lobby, he had to traverse more than 50 grueling flights with his own strength.

 

He ignores Eve’s presence as he brushes by her and avoids eye contact with the other 2 as he furiously speeds walk back from where they came from.

 

“Things are going to get ugly in there,” the private whispered.

 

As they start heading down, Raix looks out at a window and conjured an idea that would help cut some time from simply walking down steps. He opens up the window and steps out, alerting Eve and Jav. “See ya guys at the hanger.”

 

Before he could hear them say a word, he leaps out and soars away from the control tower. As he approaches the nearest building, he rolls himself to safety on the top floor and in a few seconds, he was already halfway to the hanger. However, from the corner of his sights, the spike hair soldier caught a small figure literally popping out of thin air from a far distant rooftop.

 

 

Building Rooftop…

 

On a building cover with a small quint flower garden surrounding it’s border, far above from any prying eyes, a figure flashes into shape, appearing as though a still image was being played repeatedly in one spot, until it solidifies into a young lady with brown long hair, gowned with a white gi and a red coral sash around her waist. Neva, a kai in training and pupil to the Saiyan warrior, Goku, arrives at her destination, standing on top of now crushed flowers – which she immediately notices from the sensation of soft dirt under her boots.

 

“Oops.” She carefully steps off the grass and onto a concrete pavement. “Sorry.”

 

She used a technique called Instant Transmission which allowed her to teleport to anyone she wishes to so long as she can pinpoint that person’s energy signature. Unfortunately, she has yet to master it; though she managed to travel over such a vast distance of space, she did not appear beside her intended target – the red Saiyan, Erb. It could be due to her inexperience, or the interference caused by the local star – the same interference that impeded King kai’s attempts at making contact. Or it could be both.

 

“Least I got here in one piece.”

 

Though she made an error, Neva can still sense his energy signature close by; she could either fly to him or try using instant transmission again. But as she ponders, she can hear the echoes of master’s guidance has made her decision – practice makes perfect.

 

“Let’s give it another shot.”

 

Yet, her eyes are drawn to her new setting, admiring the scenery, and although she had a mission to complete, she couldn’t help but take a moment for herself.

 

It’s been more than a century since she was first taken away from her home world – a place lush with green and not a hint of pollution found – after discovering her origins to be near that of a kai. The orange skies of Other World were all she ever saw since then, though from time to time she can glimpse to different civilizations using her god eye – a technique taught to her by one of the other Kai’s.

 

But being able to witness everything in person trumps it any day, and it would be a great shame for it to disappear. If what Goku and King kai informed her comes to light, then this world will cease; the urgency of their situation must take priority; she must warn Erb of Thunderwing’s coming.

 

Lifting her right forearm over her chest and placing her index and middle finger on her forehead, she concentrates her mind on his aura, imagining herself right by him, and was close to feeling herself warp away.

 

However, she picks up a faint presence, surprised by how close it was directly behind her, and something is reaching towards her. Nevertheless, she makes her appropriate response by treating what’s about to touch her to be a weapon, and so, she turns about face counterclockwise, spots an arm, uses her left hand to lock it in place, and swiftly uses her right hand to secure her hold, then throws the individual over her shoulder. Despite the angle in which she faces her stalker, she spots a roundhouse kick aimed at her sides and had to take a leap back to avoid it, sensing the power behind it to be enough to make her worry.

 

Upon successfully gaining distance from her attacker, who is a man with spiky brown hair and barefoot, she raises her hands up, chest level, left hand forward and right hand next to her shoulder.

 

“Who are you?” She demanded, not letting her advantage go to waste.

 

“Um…shouldn’t I be asking you that...miss?”

 

Standing before her is Raix with a baffled look on his face over how she managed to toss him away with strength and speed greater than his own.

 

Earlier, just before she warped back into reality, he used his quick footwork and tracking skills to move in closer without letting her detect his presence and even took off his shoes for extra measures. But upon closer inspection, her natural beauty and physique had put him in a trance; hourglass figure, large full breasts, and silk-like hair - she was his type.

 

But he was betrayed by his own hormones when he unknowingly reaches his hand out to her, only to then be thrown away and he panics with a kick which misses. He manages to roll back to his feet, and immediately brings his arms up for defense.

 

The young kai, on the other hand, ponders on who he might be, considering his reflexes earlier. It’s from there she recalls her master having mentioned there being 3 other Saiyans beside Erb, who was just as strong as him.

 

She had to make sure. “Do you know of a red Saiyan named Erb?”

 

“Oh!” Hearing her mention his name sparks his eyebrows to rise, yet his level of alertness remains the same by his unflinching guard. “You his friend?”

 

“Mmhh, more of a messenger,” She corrects him in a casual manner. “I need to meet him. Like now.”

 

His stern face returns as he asks, “How do I know you’re not his enemy or something?”

 

“Um…you don’t?”

 

“You’re not helping your case here.”

 

“Fine. What’s it going to take to convince you I’m…friendly.”

 

“…honestly, I don’t know.”

 

The mistress rolls her eyes in contempt. “I don’t have all day to deal with your nonsense. Your friend, Erb – actually, everyone on this whole planet is in danger. Anytime now, a monster the size of an asteroid is going to come and destroy everything you hold dear like it’s a walk in the park, so trust me when I say I need to meet with him and whoever is your leader…NOW! So I can do something to help, instead of doing…whatever this is.”

 

Her emotional outburst made Raix drop his guard and defeats any idea of hostility he held towards her; it was as though he was hearing a second Tya, only prettier and sassier, yet sincere all the same.

 

“As much as my duty takes priority…my gut is telling me you’re telling the truth-“

 

He breaks the ice between them by letting himself wide open for an attack in a show of good will, and she does the same; not wanting to fight him if needed. “That and your too pretty to be someone bad.”

 

“Uh…thank you?” She stuttered, not sure whether she should be happy for his compliment or disturbed by the flirt of a random stranger.

 

“I can take you to him and our president if you like, uh, miss…?“

 

“It’s Neva,” she told him. “And no thanks. I can-“

 

She freezes in place from the presence of another being in hiding, and glances to her right, locating it hiding on the side of the building, several meters down. But compared to the young man’s somewhat carefree approach, she felt bloodlust from the third party and measures its power below the young man’s level.

 

She had assumed it was one of the other 2 Saiyans, but the numbers didn’t add up since she can clearly note their signatures around Erb – nowhere near their own location.

 

“By any chance, are you alone?”

 

Though her speculation was regarding the third party she detected, Radix's mind dwelled elsewhere – misinterpreting it as a continuation from his praise.

 

“If you mean if I’m single, then you’re in luck, miss Neva!”

 

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” She once again shouted in annoyance, knowing he misunderstood her intentions to be some form of flattery.

 

Moments later, she composes herself and continues on more dignified. “But I guess that honesty of yours makes it clear.”

 

Swiftly, Neva places her fingers over her forehead, and in an instant, she disappears and then reappears before an armored creature -  a male - with a single eye covering half of his face.

 

Her sudden act caught the assailant by surprise who lashes out a blue energy blast from his hand. But with a swipe of her arms, she deflects it upward, letting it self-destruct safely away from the populace, and counters with a kick, breaking his arms as he guards against it.

 

The alien then dashes upward to keep his distance, whereas Neva pursues, both arriving back on the roof with a dazed Raix staying in place, unable to comprehend what had happened. However, as he caught sight of the injured combatant, he immediately identifies him to be Shade, the Cyclops he killed when they first arrived at the battle sight.

 

“The heck!” He yelped, resuming his fighting position. “How’d the hell are you alive!? And how’d you get here!?”

 

Coming back to his side is the demi-Kai, with a rhetorical question. “Good to know he’s not with you.”

 

Across from them, Shade begins to heal his broken arms but is engross over how he lost his ground so easily. “Damn you! How the hell did you do that!? Answer me!?”

 

A little bit before Raix and Neva meet, Shade sensed his attacker’s energy signature nearby, alone and unaware, and thought to increase their chances in taking the city by killing him, as well as getting his vengeance at the same time. He hid as best he could, tracked him several blocks away, and when he saw him with the girl, he was going to pounce and stab them both with his bare hands. However, Neva’s fighting ability threw him for a loop and when he received her kick, he was able to grasp her strength to be far greater than she let on – she couldn’t beat her as he is.

 

“What was that?” She taunted him. “Are you asking about how I found you, or perhaps how I got behind you or is it regarding how I broke your arms?”

 

Raix wasn't too comfortable with the fact that she was metaphorically playing with a light match over a pool of gasoline and expresses his concerns. “You sure you want to antagonize him like that?”

 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

 

“Well, he can transform and stuff. Blow up this city. Or take someone hostage.”

 

“And?”

 

“And... doesn’t that make you worry?”

 

“Why would I be worried; he’s no threat to me.”

 

“Your pretty confident of yourself?”

 

“It’s not confidence. It’s just fact; I'm simply stronger than him. And he knows it. If he does anything, I can handle it.”

 

Her last comment didn’t go unheard to Shade, adding to the fire, represented by his aura escaping out of his body. He had initially postponed in releasing his full power after freeing the others, but at the same time, he wasn’t going to be insulted by anyone without a fight – he was cut, buried, and humiliated; enough was enough.

 

I’m going to make you eat those words.

 

His body undergoes the same transforming his other comrades went through, causing his aura to escape in the form of a pillar, acting as a beacon for everyone to see.

 

The 2 fighters facing him withstood the pressure exerted, and as soon as it finished, they take a good look at his new form.

 

Shade, now at full power, still sees a chance to accomplish his initial plans by using his new-found speed to go back down from where he came from, and snatch someone off the streets below as leverage - his own confidence convinced him he could pull it off.

 

However, like Raix, his emotions deceived him; just as he pivots around and ignite his master plan, a subtle, yet heavy blow resonates from the back of his neck, and thereafter, all 5 of his senses shut down as everything within his field of vision turns to black.

 

The moment he turned his back on them, Neva dashes in with her own speed – no teleporting whatsoever - arriving by his left side, appearing to be standing in place, and performs a swift chop to the back side of his neck with enough force to disrupt his nervous system and brain stem, knocking him out cold.

 

“And that’s that,” she declared, placing her knuckles on her hips, whereas her dumbstruck companion widens his eyes in reaction to the anti-climactic scene.

 

The young private, having expected to be a part of a fight to the death, instead observes a beautiful young lady takes down the alien mercenary - capable of leveling the city by himself – right before his eyes with the elegance of an angel and the skills of a martial arts master.

 

One moment she was standing by him, and in the next, before he can act, he was watching her run up to a freeze-framed Shade with an astounding speed, equal or greater than his own as a Super Saiyan. Her swift action solidified his standing as an alley as well as his source of infatuation.

 

“I think I’m in love,” he whispered, professing his love as silently as possible for the sake of not making a bad impression.

 

Unfortunately, her longs ears are not for show.

 

 

 

Thousands of light years away from Aeon…

 

Elsewhere, in another part of the galaxy, hidden amongst a field of failed planets – planetoids – 3 ships lay in waiting, one being the flagship, nearly devoid of life, and the others, responsible for its condition.

 

The last harbinger ship had survived against Thunderwing’s attack only because it was the first to flee the moment they spot the monster. They had continued to move for fear of it having followed them. Then, on the second day of their travel to nowhere, the shipmaster had received a message from their benefactors, containing coordinates to a resupply station. In no time, they arrived, and discovered 2 ships, belonging to the organization who funded their cause. But instead of obtaining the help they promised, the 2 ships instantly immobilized the harbingers completely, disabling all controls to weapons and propulsions.

 

Later, the flagship was under siege by 1 entity; a woman in her prime – human in appearance - with a voluptuous light pink undertone appeal complemented by her long dark red hair. She is no taller than 191 cm, wearing a black cape with light brown-red fur around the shoulder area over her black and red jumpsuit dress.

 

She appeared on the ship’s bridge through a black portal resembling a pool, and within the split second she steps out, the entire ship went silent; all of the crew members, killed, with only parts of their bodies left behind. Everyone, but the shipmaster and the woman, were all that remained.

 

Presently, the shipmaster had suffered being interrogated by the woman, groveling under the glare of her pale-yellow eyes, giving up information regarding Thunderwing’s whereabouts, as well as information regarding the city, Atlantis.

 

He begs woman repeatedly for his life, fulfilling what he had promised. “Please! Spare my life! I am still of use to your cause! Please! We can do so much toget -“

 

In a flash, before another word could be uttered, a black orb that was resting on his chest rapidly expands out, engulfing him whole, and quickly shrinks back down, leaving behind parts that were outside of its range such as his lower leg and feet. The orb then floats to the woman, and integrates into her clothes, as though it never existed.

 

“One leech dead -” said the woman, without a hint of remorse in her voice.

 

 She surveys the room, checking once more for any survivors, and then a swift sweep of the entire ship using her ability to sense the life force of others – not a soul remains.

 

“- and one less annoyance off our list.” She lifts his right hand up to her chin and on her wrist is a black band with a neon green square facing upward. “Have you completed the data transfer?”

 

Out from it, a male voice responds, “Yes, director. It’s done.”

 

“Good. I’m coming back then.”

 

With the same arm, she extends her hand out, and with her index finger, she taps at the empty air to cause ripples to form out into large oval shape rings, flowing down across the floor and over her head. Then, at the epicenter, the same black muddy portal spills forth, and she walks through, entering a different bridge room on the other side.

 

The interior was larger than the one she left, with a wide and large ramp leading through the middle of the room with a platform at the end, right in front of a screen, and manned consoles beneath its sides. One of the crew members standing on the middle ramp, a light grey color faceless humanoid wearing a dark blue uniform, greets her with the same voice she heard not too long ago.

 

“Welcome back Head Director Beatrice.”

 

She didn’t give any thought to his greeting and moves on to the information they gathered. “Was there anything else useful to note from the transfer? Anything the former ship master left out.”

 

“Other than the coordinates of the Atlantis class Starship they’ve discovered, there is nothing else to note madam.”

 

“Oh yes,” She boorishly notes. “That thing.”

 

“Should we send a scouting party to investigate the coordinates?”

 

“No need. We already have several of them in our possession for research. We will let it be for now.”

 

Suddenly, the sound of a single applauding clap made her return a minor nod and directs her eyes to her right.

 

“Majestic as everlasting.” The echoing voice of a man filled with eccentricity resounds from a middle-aged man with red-violet hair - neck length – wearing a grey flamboyant suit and a black fedora. “Clean and efficient. As expected of Epoch’s head director.”

 

“Director Ardyn!?” the humanoid lackey stuttered. “When did you arrive, sir?”

 

His question becomes void by Beatrice raising her hand and shifting her entire body in the Director’s direction, giving him her full attention.

 

“You’ve been here the entire time, haven’t you?” She annoyingly surmised and he smiles from it.

 

“Perceptive. Please accept my apology,” He bowed with his left arm across his chest and his right arm raised above his head level, signaling she was correct – he was present for some time but stayed hidden for his own reasons. “I did not wish to interrupt your…’interrogation,’ midway.”

 

“How nice of you,” she humored, thought with contempt in her voice. “So; has Nyx and her team made it to their destination?”

 

“On schedule.”

 

“Good. At least one thing is going right today.”

 

“Yes, quite a catastrophe we have on our hands. Our harbinger, gone and half-done, foiled by a brute. Kingsley would not be happy to hear that.”

 

The harbingers, a military force of different affiliating worlds, meant to combat the incoming siege by the kaoticons, was nothing more but a cover-up for a different organization and main benefactor, Epoch. One of the leading directors and founders of the group, Kingsley, a man who is considered a miracle maker, conjured the scheme and even made it as a trap laid to deal a decisive blow to any space-faring civilization that may pose issues to Epoch’s operations in other worlds.

 

Beatrice was there when Kingsley presented the idea and as the leading director, she gave him her approval; several years passed since she last saw him since. But she can still remember his tendencies like they were yesterday. “He wouldn’t be.”

 

“Still, the calamities sudden entrance is a blessing in disguise – he saved us the trouble of finding him.”

 

“That much is certain,” the woman agreed.

 

Thunderwing managed to destroy their ploy, yet the premature destruction of their cover-up was accounted for, and, as predicted, did not hinder their resources and progress – they lost nothing of importance.

 

With that being said, she moves the subject to their newest mission. “Now…Ardyn; if you have nothing precarious to do, then take the second vessel and follow Thunderwing’s trail before we lose our opportunity.”

 

“As you command,” He replied and bows once more in the same manner as before. “But what shall you do in the meantime?”

 

“I have another lead to follow elsewhere. After you’ve accomplished your task, return to headquarters with the package on hand, and finished whatever other matters that need your attention until my return.”

 

“Understood. Fare thee well.”

 

“Yes yes,” she scuffed with her hands annoying wave him away.

 

A black portal appears behind Ardyn, giving him passage to the second ship, and leaving Beatrice in sole control of her vessel. “Oh yes, before I forget-“

 

As the 2 vessels depart in separate slip space ruptures, one going to the unknown, and the other following breadcrumbs left behind by the behemoth, the lone metal coffin where the deceased lay, gradually begins to crush itself; shrinking in size and becoming dangerously condensed as though a powerful gravitational force was pulling it from outside in. As its hull rips itself apart and the entire bow breaks inward, leading it to violently implode, a black hole reveals itself – courtesy of Beatrice.  As it’s last bits are dragged in, the special anomaly ate itself and vanish, along with any evidence of the harbingers and their connections with Epoch; gone without a trace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Canon characters:

1)    Ardyn – Final Fantasy 15

 

OC characters:

1)    Beatrice

2)    Ardyn CU