A screeching call filled the morning. Over the city Trotkyo, several giant mantis's stood to be at seven feet tall, with their four legs carrying them through the streets. Citizens cried out in terror as these Transmutants slammed into abandoned vehicles. Meanwhile, police officers rolled through the streets in their vehicles, skidding to a halt in the street. They left their vehicles and found these Transmutants screeching as they ran through the street, catching humans with their hooked appendages. A woman was running through the street and screamed in terror as she was carried off by one of the Transmutants that soared through the air. The police took cover as a mantis threw a scooter at them, where it smashed into one of the police cars. The officers drew out their pistols and fired upon the Transmutants.
This is what Flash was viewing over his phone that was shared on social media. The feed had brought this video to his attention of a recent attack by the Revolutionaries over in Neighpon. The person that had filmed the attack was shouting frantically in Neighponese as he caught the action where the mantises began to rush the police officers. The camera cuts off and showed footage of the person filming that he was running alongside other people as they screamed for their lives. On the road came a large armored vehicle bearing the MONARCH insignia on the side, where a few Neighponese text were present on the side as well. The vehicle stopped, allowing for soldiers in black armor to be rushing out armed with heavy weapons. The soldiers ushered the people to get out of the streets as they began to move up towards the chaos. The camera panned and found the mantises scourging the streets, where blood stained the ground. The sound of gunfire and shouts filled the air as the soldiers engaged the Revolutionaries. Flash felt himself growing upset just by watching these monsters terrorize these innocent people and the good officers and soldiers that were sacrificing themselves that he immediately placed his phone down. He sighed as he rubbed his brow and scrolled through his feed to find something else to get his mind off the video. It was during lunch, where he was currently present alone in the usual seating place. Sunset Shimmer was currently in line for lunch along with the rest of the girls. Flash had brought his lunch on this day and had decided to reserve these seats for his friends. He glanced to the side where the Transmutants in this school had been segregated to sit by other students. He watched as they ate and held a couple conversations with each other. Flash turned away with a sigh.
"Remember what Sunset said. Remember what Sunset said," muttered Flash to himself. He took a small breath as he ignored his thoughts on Transmutants. Especially considering how he had to sit with three of them.
"So yeah, the eagle pretty much went Mortal Kombat on that duck," said Rodan as he and Junior and Angirasu took a seat at the table, startling Flash out of his thoughts.
"Sounds like quite the video," said Angirasu with a slight unnerved expression.
"I always hated ducks. Nasty birds," said Junior with a gag. Rodan chuckled.
"Don't let Fluttershy hear that," said Rodan. The Transmutant then looked to Flash with a smile.
"Hey Flash, you're friends with some chicks, right? Mind hooking a brother up?" asked Rodan. Flash cleared his throat as he looked away.
"Well, I uh..." Flash was interrupted as Junior gave an annoyed sigh.
"Lay off him, Rodan. If you want to meet a girl, do it yourself," said Junior.
"Aw but Flash's popular! I bet he knows a lot of awesome girls! I gotta spit my game!" said Rodan. Junior snorted in amusement.
"Game? You don't have game. Do you even know the 'game'?" asked Junior as he made air quotes.
"Pfft! I know the game!" said Rodan.
"Oh yeah? Do you have a car? Do you have the body like movie stars that women go crazy for? Do you have money?" asked Junior. Rodan went silent as he pondered his response.
"Um... I make money from minimum wage," said Rodan with a shrug.
"Then you don't have game, Rodan! Because that's what you're missing to get random girls to be sprung on you," said Junior. Angirasu looked at Junior with a raised brow.
"Is that something that girls really look for in guys? I uh... I don't actually know," said Angirasu as he looked away in shame.
"That's what gets them started, yes. You heard that song right? Where the lyrics go, ' I ain't saying she's a gold digger. But she ain't messin' with no broke ni-' Ahem," Junior was interrupted as he felt his throat itch. He then cleared his throat.
"Besides, game is fake. All it gets you is a gold digging, manipulative, hood rat, bitch. On the side of a broken heart," said Junior as he leaned back in his seat.
"Geez. That's putting it mildly," said Flash with a grimace.
"It's true. How do you think you ended up with Sunset, Flash?" asked Junior. "I mean, you got a car. You have looks that makes girls blush harder than an anime school girl. How much money do you make?" asked Junior.
"To be fair, the car was a gift from my family that I just got and have to pay off. I'm working minimum wage to get myself started before I can get a career in the police force," said Flash. He then looked at Junior in annoyance.
"Wait, did you just call my girlfriend a hood rat?" asked Flash as he narrowed his eyes.
"No, of course not. I was just giving off a con that comes with the ridiculous concept known as game," said Junior. He took a sip of water.
"It's a fact that the opposite sex will be more attracted to those that can support themselves and seem to be living it good. So that's good looks, money, and transportation that they'd be comfortable being caught dead in. You have two out of three of those, so you evidently got the game that Rodan here is acting like that he does," said Junior as he pointed his thumb at the Transmutant in question. Rodan scowled in annoyance.
"But that's not how Sunset and I got together," said Flash as he crossed his arms.
"Maybe not. But the reason why she's staying with you is because you seem to be the one with your life together. Guys suffer from the same thing. We look for the most attractive girl out there and begging that she’s not insane and fast when it comes to relationships. You wouldn't want to be with a girl that keeps talking about getting married while you are still in high school, would you?" asked Junior. Flash cleared his throat.
"You make a good point. Still though, I've never imagine you to be one to analyze that sort of thing," said Flash in surprise.
"I did spend most my time alone, you know. Plus, I sometimes did talk to my mom about some of this stuff," said Junior as he took a bite of his lunch.
"No wonder why you don't have a girlfriend. You're too analytical!" said Rodan. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"It's not like I'm looking," said Junior. Angirasu raised a hand in confusion.
"So... Do girls prefer guys with a high life style or..." Angirasu scratched his head, wondering how the conversation gotten to this point.
"Just be yourself and have your life together," said Flash as he held his chin up by his hand. Angirasu looked at Junior with a deadpanned stare.
"Couldn't you have gotten to the point as fast as he did?" asked Angirasu. Junior scoffed in in response.
"Just keep in mind what I said. There are some people that are like that, you know," said Junior as he crossed his arms. As he finished that statement, the girls had finally made their way over to the table, where they took their seats.
"Hey, what are you boys talking about?" asked Sunset in curiosity.
"Eagles decapitating ducks," answered Rodan. The girls looked at him in confusion while Fluttershy looked unnerved at the thought. Flash shook his head in amusement.
During the late noon, Battra was sitting down at a desk in a class room in silence. He was present at his college, sitting inside of the room as a few students conversed among each other in different seats. Battra looked down in thought as he continued to wrack his head for what he could go on regarding the Purists. He was stressing himself out over this group and what their plan was here in Ponyville. It could have been anything. He sighed heavily as he lied his head down on the table.
"What's the matter?" asked a feminine voice in a monotonous and dry tone of voice. Battra raised his head and found a girl in her late teens holding a bag over her shoulders. She bore light turquoise colored eyes that were half open, where a grayish blue violet eye shadow was present on her eyelids. Her hair was the same color, reaching down to her upper back and bearing china bangs. Her apparel comprised of a grayish blue frock, a pair of Persian bluish gray tights and dark grey calf length boots. Battra sighed as he looked forward.
"Nothing, Maud. I'm just tired," said Battra. Maud took a seat beside her classmate and placed her bag on the side while unpacking her bag.
"Have you done your outline yet?" asked Maud as she pulled out a small rock out of her pocket and placed it on the desk on her right. Battra's eyes widened.
"Oh, damn I forgot about that essay," said Battra as he slumped his head on the table.
"Are you sure that you're alright? Lately you've been having close calls with your homework. If you're not careful, you may end up hurting your grade," said Maud as she placed a binder down on the desk and looked through it.
"Yeah, I know. Shit," said Battra with a scowl.
"I've just been... busy," said Battra with a hint of hesitation. Maud merely bore a neutral expression, which sometimes unnerved the Transmutant since he had no idea what the hell she was thinking with her poker face.
"Do you need help?" asked Maud.
"Um... help? I mean, I appreciate it but what about your essay?" asked Battra in confusion. Maud pulled out a packet of paper that was stabled together and placed it down on the desk.
"I've finished my outline and completed my rough draft, exceeding over the five-page requirement. Bibliography included," said Maud. Battra's eyes widened in shock.
"But... How did..." Battra stopped as he found the title on the essay. It read, 'The Health Benefits of Rocks'. Battra gave a forced smile as he looked at Maud, who merely bore her same poker face.
"Of course. Um... It sounds like a fascinating topic," said Battra.
"Thank you," responded Maud. A small smile appeared on her face, much to Battra's surprise. Suddenly from the door to the classroom, the professor walked in and made his way over to his desk. The students went silent and headed back to their seats. Battra meanwhile faced his eyes forward. This vigilante business was not only stressing him, but it was also taking up valuable study time. He pondered stopping his vigilantism, but he still had to act and stop whatever the Purists were planning. However, he still had no leads, and there was his education that he had to focus on. His eyes then widened as a thought came that made him scowl.
'Looks like I'm going to have to ask X to keep an eye out for me while I take a break. That is if I could find him,' thought Battra. He then raised a brow as Maud patted the rock that was sitting at her desk like an animal.
'I wonder why she has a bigger fascination to have an inanimate object as a pet than a living creature,' thought Battra. He then shook off the thought.
Junior sighed as he remained seated in the grass just deep in the Everfree forest. He took calm breaths as he kept his eyes closed, focusing on all the smells that filled his nostrils. Ranging from plants, water, animals and the clean air. His brow twitched in annoyance as he felt an itching sensation on his nose. He quickly gave a puff of air in front of his face, where the itching suddenly stopped, and went back to focusing on his senses. He noticed how ever since his inhibitor chip was broken, his senses had increased much more than they were before. His sense of smell ranged further out as well as his hearing. Junior suddenly felt the itching sensation on his nose again, causing him to growl in annoyance as he opened his eyes. He found Amber fluttering over him with a long blade of grass in her mouth, which was just an inch from his nose. Junior blew at her, causing her to slightly flutter back in response.
"Stop that! I'm trying to get use to my senses!" said Junior in annoyance. Amber landed on the ground.
"I know. I'm trying to distract you to help you be able to learn to tune out disturbances," said Amber in an innocent tone. Junior scowled in response as he reached for Amber and picked her up by her back. She gasped in surprise as she felt herself held in front of Junior's face while she flailed his legs.
"Put me down! You're pulling on my fuzz!" said Amber in annoyance as she flailed her legs and attempted to fly away.
"Beat it, pipsqueak!" said Junior as he released Amber and allowed her to flutter back. Amber huffed indignantly as he fluttered away.
"You don't have to be so mean to me!" said Amber. Junior shook his head.
"For a supernatural being, you certainly don't try to show that you're greater than- Ow!" cried Junior in pain. He pulled his hand back and found a bite mark to be on it. He turned his head to the ground and found Amber standing in the grass, opening her mouth and sticking out a long pink tongue at him.
"Nyeeeeh!" Amber fluttered away, much to Junior's annoyance. He growled as he turned away.
"Freaking brat," said Junior in annoyance as he rubbed his hand.
"I swear, just because she's cute she thinks that she can get away with that," said Junior. He then heard a surprised gasp come from behind him.
"You think I'm cute?!" cried Amber. Junior winced in response and turned to find Amber fluttering back towards him. He scowled as he looked away.
"Shouldn't have said that," muttered Junior. Amber placed her front legs on his knee as she twitched her antennae.
"Oh, that's so sweet of you! I'm sorry for annoying and biting you!" said Amber as she rubbed her head against his knee. Junior looked away with a look of embarrassment.
"Yeah, yeah," said Junior as he reluctantly ran a hand over her head. Amber giggled as she nuzzled his hand like a cat.
"Hmm. Good to see you two getting along," said a familiar voice. Junior immediately pulled his hand away and held in on his lap, causing Amber to moan in disappointment. His father stood by a tree with his arms crossed with an amused smile on his face.
"No, not really," said Junior in a nonchalant tone. Amber fluttered over to Senior and perched herself on his shoulder.
"Your son is such a sweet heart. He called me cute," whispered Amber with a giggle. Senior rolled his eyes in response.
"Forgive Amber, son. She and her sisters can be quite affectionate," said Senior.
"I've met someone more affectionate. I'll take Amber's affection any day other than this girl I know," said Junior in annoyance as he thought back to Pinkie Pie and her crushing hugs. Senior looked at him curiously.
"Oh. Girlfriend?" asked Senior.
"As if. No, just a... friend," said Junior as he scratched the back of his head.
"Not much luck with girls, huh?" asked Senior.
"I don't want to talk about it," said Junior as he crossed his arms.
"Because I wasn't there to give you advice?" asked Senior.
"Pfft. No. Don't feel guilty, I don't even talk about this crap to mom. I'm just not worried about that kind of relationship. Especially in a town where humans are the majority. A xenophobic majority in this town, mind you," said Junior.
"Well, there's always the female Transmutant," said Amber.
"Let's just drop the subject of intimate relationships," deadpanned Junior as he stood up. He sighed as he popped his neck and turned to face his dad with a curious look.
"So, what else do I need to do other than sitting on my ass listening to the forest?" asked Junior.
"Patience, Junior. You can't just rush into this. You need to give your human mind time to grow so it can stabilize itself once you transform again. Rushing it will not make it work. You must master your senses and keep your emotions calm. You must endure physical pain to learn to tolerate it in your human form, since a young Transmutant's body will be forced into a transformation just to survive," said Senior.
"So you're going to beat me senseless later on?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"Something like that. Don't worry, I do it because I love you," said Senior with a smirk. Junior scowled in response.
"Aww!" said Amber with a coo.
"Don't say it like that. Rather than a father that disciplines his kid with a smack or belt, you sound like an abusive parent," said Junior.
"Hey, you're the one with that took my answer out of context," said Senior. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Father of the year, everyone," said Junior.
"Come on, let's head back to the lair. I'll give you something to take home to your mother before you go home," said Senior as he walked towards the chasm. Junior began to lag behind with a yawn.
As he later found himself in the Guardians' lair, Junior looked up to the ceiling and found several moth fairies that hung from the rocks that stuck out of the ceiling. They all bore colors of pink, orange, white, green, and red on their bodies. Even their eyes were different colors compared to the other. He heard the fairies speaking among each other from above while Amber fluttered over to join them. As he sat down, he heard footsteps approaching him from the side. Junior turned his head and found a girl with short black hair with white streaks to be looking at him with a nervous smile.
"Um... Hi!" greeted the girl. Junior raised a brow at her in response.
"Hey," greeted Junior. The girl cleared her throat as she held her hands behind her back.
"So... You're Alpha's son, right?" asked the girl.
"Yeah," answered Junior.
"That's cool! I mean, it's great. I uh... I owe it to him since I am off the streets. I mean, I know I'm technically living in a cave now... But I think this is better," said the girl as she looked away with a smile plastered on her face.
"Uh huh," said Junior with a confused look on his face. This was one of the teenage girls that was said to have been helping make silk to earn money for the group in secret. Though he was wondering why she was talking to him.
"So like.... Here's the thing. I uh... I was wondering if you could do me a favor. From one Transmutant to another," said the girl with a smile.
"What would that be?" asked Junior with a raised brow. The girl gestured for Junior to come closer to her, which he did. As he leaned close to her, she knelt beside him and brought herself near his ear. As she whispered, Junior raised a brow.
"Why can't you do it?" asked Junior as he looked at the girl in confusion.
"It's a surprise. Plus, we kinda aren't comfortable with going into town," said the girl in embarrassment as she rubbed her arm. She then sent Junior a smile as she nudged him in the shoulder.
"But you know the town, right? You're not on MONARCH's list of rogue Transmutants," said the girl. Junior looked away.
"Not yet, anyway," said Junior. The girl winced in response as she realized the insensitivity of her comment.
"I'm sorry. But...would you mind? We'll even give you the money for the gift," said the girl. She then leaned next to Junior as she ran a hand over his shoulder as she bore a flirty smile.
"I might even give you a kiss if you do it~," sang the girl as she winked at Junior. The male Transmutant looked away as he lightly blushed in embarrassment. He cleared his throat as he stood up with a look of annoyance.
"Alright, fine. I'll get it here tomorrow," said Junior. The girl smiled brightly as she clasped her hands together.
"Sweet! Thanks a lot, Gojira!" said the girl as she rushed off to where the other teenage Transmutants were. They all looked back at him briefly and turned with giggles. Junior scowled in response as he looked away. Just then, his father came by and held out a medium sized box to him.
"Here. Your mother loves oranges, so these will save her the trip," said Senior. Junior gave him a deadpanned stare.
"Really?" asked Junior.
"Hey, she really loves oranges," said Senior with a shrug. Junior sighed as he stood up and took the box.
"See you tomorrow then," said Junior as he walked away. He then noticed the girls giving him flirty waves, much to Junior's shock. He quickly turned away as he flushed furiously and briskly walked out of the cave. The girls giggled at his reaction.
"That is so cute!" said a girl with a small laugh.
"Why me?!" muttered Junior in annoyance as he rushed out of the cave.
Later that day at the Takeshi household, Junior stood in the living room with a blank expression. Miwa was squealing in delight as she hugged the box of oranges. She kicked her legs wildly as she sat on the recliner with a grin on her face. Junior glanced to his side and found the note that his mother had read. Apparently, he sweet wrote his mother with this note and used these oranges to get on her good side.
"Junior, you need to get your father to come visit me this weekend!" said Miwa as she looked at her son sternly. Junior recoiled in response.
"Um... OK?" said Junior. Miwa giggled as she took out an orange.
"I love you, too!" said Miwa as she held the orange against her chest along with the note. Junior grimaced.
"Ugh. Should I leave you alone with the oranges from dad?" asked Junior.
Battra stood by in an alley in silence as he bore his mask over his head. His eyes were narrowed as he stared down at the ground. It was late afternoon. He held his hands in his pockets as he walked down in the alley, scanning the area. He figured that if he looked through one of the recent places where X had struck, there would be the possibility of finding him. Though it would be very unlikely that X would return to the scene where he had acted once before. Still, he needed X to know what was going on. As much as he hated it, he was the only one that he could trust with this sort of information. He needed help if he was going to stop what the Purists were planning at any cost. He also needed to know if the man would mind taking night shift for him too for a while.
As Battra continued on, he noticed a presence around him. Battra turned and his eyes found X himself sitting on an abandoned car with a glass bottle of soda in his hand. He sighed as he leaned back and took a sip, while keeping his hood over his head.
"Looking for me?" asked X.
"How did you figure?" asked Battra as he turned to face X.
"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I caught your scent. I thought I'd drop bye and say hello," said X as he took a sip of his drink. "That's when I noticed you were searching one of the spots where I enacted glorious justice," said X as he raised himself up. He then smirked as he focused his red eyes on Battra's.
"So, what is it that you need?" asked X. Battra sighed heavily.
"It's humiliating to admit it, but I was wondering if you would be willing to take on the night as well. Maybe even... team up," said Battra as he rubbed the back of his head. X raised a brow at him.
"Oh? Why the change of heart?" asked X.
"A couple reasons. I realize that I can't do this alone while also living my normal life. Plus, I have a lead on the Purists planning something. It's big," said Battra. X's interest peaked.
"Such as?" asked X.
"I don't know for sure. One night, I had found a meeting between someone that they called the Big Boss and a few high-ranking members of the Purists. I wasn't able to get their identities, neither the Big Boss's. But they now have scanners like MONARCH's. Whoever their leader is, he has access to MONARCH's technology. This concerns me a lot, not to mention that they are planning something big," said Battra. X rubbed his chin in response with a hum.
"That is rather peculiar. MONARCH doesn't like to share its toys. Especially not with KKK wannabes," said X as he crossed his arms.
"X, whatever they're planning is going to happen here. I'm afraid to think of what they're trying to do. They could be staging an attack to rile up Anti-Mutates even further. Or they could shoot up any Transmutant simultaneously in any neighborhood. Whatever it is, we must stop it," said Battra. X nodded to him.
"Sure. I appreciate the tip. Maybe we should team up once in a while. It is for the safety of our race, after all," said X.
"So, you'll do it?" asked Battra.
"Yeah. Here," said X as he handed Battra a small note. The Transmutant and took it and his eyes widened in surprised. It seemed to be an email address.
"Make sure you have an anonymous account before you message me. For both of our identities," said X. Battra nodded as he placed the note into his pocket.
"Sure. See you around," said Battra as he walked off and disappear through the alley. X lied back down onto the car with a tired sigh. He looked up at the twilight sky in silence. He reached for the sky as if he were trying to touch the stars.
"How I would love to see what's out there," said X to himself. He then sighed.
"Instead, I'm stuck here sharing a world with spineless cowards," said X in disgust as he thought back to the Purists.
Meanwhile, Battra was walking through the streets with his mask off. He held his hands deep into his pockets as he quickly walked through the streets, making his way back to his apartment. As he reached it within the next thirty minutes, he had entered his home and made his way over to his bedroom, while Mosura sat on the couch watching television. Battra closed his door and hid his mask and gloves. He then took out the note that he had received and sat down at his desk, where a desk top computer lied. After turning it on, he immediately went online, where he made sure to create an anonymous account that no one knew would be connected to him. Thankfully the internet and certain browser extensions provided this possibility. As he began to message X, a knock came at his door. Battra immediately minimized the screen.
"Come in," said Battra. The door opened and revealed Mosura looking at her elder brother with a coy smile.
"Battra! A girl is here to see you~," sang Mosura. Battra raised a brow at her in response and his eyes widened.
"Oh, that's right!" said Battra as he shot up out of his desk and ran passed his sister, who recoiled in surprise. Battra made his way to the living room and found Maud Pie to be standing with a blank stare on her face.
"Maud. Sorry, I forgot that it was today," said Battra with a nervous laugh.
"It's alright. I just got to your place," said Maud. Battra noticed Mosura appearing from behind the counter as she held a hand over her mouth as she suppressed a giggle. She then gave her brother a wink and a small thumbs up. Battra rolled his eyes in response, and cleared his throat.
"Mosura, would you mind getting us something to drink. Maud and I have work to do," said Battra.
"Technically, you have work to do. I'm here to help you focus on your essay so you don't fail," said Maud with bluntness. Mosura snickered in response.
"Thank you for that, Maud," deadpanned Battra.
"I'll get you both some lemonade," said Mosura as she rushed to the kitchen. As Battra and Maud took a seat at a table, while Maud took out a laptop, Mosura peaked over the counter with a grin on her face.
"Oh, this is so exciting! I gotta tell somebody!" whispered Mosura as she turned and began to bring up her contacts on her phone. As she made the call, it rang.
"Hello?" asked Junior over the other line.
"Goji! You know my brother, right? He's in the kitchen right now with a girl!" whispered Mosura with a giggle. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Mosura, why are you telling me this? I'm trying to go to sleep!" said Junior.
"But it's seven in the evening," said Mosura with a raised brow.
"I'm exhausted! Please don't call me about stuff like this!" said Junior as he hung up on her. Mosura made a pout lip in response.
"Sour grapes," said Mosura. She shrugged as she went back onto her phone.
"Sunset! You'll never guess what!" whispered Mosura. "My brother is in the kitchen right now studying with this pretty girl!"
"I know!" said Mosura in response to Sunset's over the line.
"My big bro is growing up!" said Mosura. Meanwhile, Battra scowled in annoyance as his hearing picked up every word that his sister was saying. Fortunately, Maud seemed oblivious since she was getting the search engine working on her laptop.
"So, do you have any topic in mind?" asked Maud. Battra flinched as he was knocked out of his thoughts.
"Uh... Yeah. I just need sources to cite, right?" asked Battra. Maud nodded as she scooted her seat closer to him and brought her laptop over to him. Battra popped his knuckles and flexed his fingers as he got ready to type.
"Alright, let's do this," said Battra as he began to type away. He now felt less stress about the situation with the Purists knowing that he at least had an ally on his side this time. Not to mention a classmate was kind enough to help him with his college studies.
The next day...
Junior was wandering through the streets of Ponyville in silence. His hands were held in his pocket as he bore a look of annoyance. It was the weekend but he was unable to enjoy his day home from school until he went back to the lair to train with his father. He hated walking to the forest, and it has only been a couple of days since he started doing so. Junior made his way over towards a store with a sigh as he opened it and began to walk inside. It was filled with nice outfits that ranged from both male and female. Junior scanned the area as he looked around.
"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! How may I..." a familiar voice trailed off as Junior began to turn. His eyes widened in surprise as he found Rarity standing with a name tag over her button up shirt as she sported a red pair of glasses.
"Gojira?" asked Rarity with a tilt of her head.
"Rarity? What the..." Junior slumped his shoulders. He cleared his throat. He never had once been alone with this girl before. He wasn't sure how to interact one on one with her. But, he had no choice since he had a request to fulfill.
"You work here?" asked Junior.
"Yes, I do. The owner is in the back right now. May I help you?" asked Rarity a she stood still. She wondered what could have possibly drawn Junior here to this establishment. She pondered if he may have been here for an outfit for himself. Her interest peaked, wondering what his taste would be.
"Um... I'm here to buy a coat. For women," said Junior as he took out a note and began to look through it.
"Do you have any in sea foam green?" asked Junior. Rarity nodded as she rushed to the back of the room and came out with a ton of coats. She placed them on the desk and picked one up in each hand.
"Something for your mother?" asked Rarity. She then placed on a coy smile.
"Or perhaps for a special somebody," said Rarity. Junior looked away with an annoyed look.
"No. For my mother," said Junior. He then analyzed the two coats that Rarity held while looking over the other coats.
"Um... These are winter coats, right? Which do you recommend?" asked Junior. Rarity smiled as she held up one particular coat.
"This one is fabulous! The collar and the belt with a golden buckle really brings out the beauty in a woman. See how it allows the wearer to show off more of her waist?" asked Rarity as she held the coat in front of herself as if she was wearing it.
"Hmm," nodded Junior in response. Rarity pouted in response.
"Hmph! You don't seem to be very interested in the design of this coat!" said Rarity as she looked away.
"I'm just trying to get a coat that looks nice enough, Rarity. I think this will do," said Junior.
"How much for this size?" asked Junior as he handed Rarity a note, which she took and began to analyze it. She raised a brow.
"Hmm. I wasn't expecting this to be your mother's size," said Rarity.
"Er. Just ignore that. Just name your price," said Junior. Rarity smiled as she nodded in response.
Junior was currently walking through the Everfree forest in silence as he held a box. He sighed as he made his way over towards the chasm and climbed down the stone steps. As he made his way inside of the cave, he heard sounds of laughter coming from within the cave. He soon found the Guardians sitting at tables; laughing as they conversed and enjoyed food and drinks. Junior made his way over to the side and found the Transmutant teenage girls waiting for him. Thorn and the girl who had made the request to him rushed over to his side.
"You got it?" asked Thorn.
"I do," answered Junior as he handed her the box. Thorn smiled as she held the box.
"Awesome! Manda is going to love this for her birthday! Thanks a lot!" said Thorn. The girl next to her immediately pulled Junior towards her and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, much to his shock. As she released him, she winked at him.
"Name's Zip. Thanks, handsome," said the girl as she quickly walked away while giggling to herself. Junior stood in shock at what just happened while his jaw hung open. Thorn smirked as she closed his jaw.
"Don't mind her. She doesn't spend a whole lot of time with guys her age," said Thorn.
"R-Right," said Junior as he flushed to himself and held his cheek. He then noticed his father standing beside Baragon near the table as they shared a brief conversation.
"Excuse me," said Junior as he left Thorn behind as he made his way over to his father. Senior noticed his approach and turned back to Baragon.
"Alright, keep your eye on him," said Senior. Baragon nodded.
"Sure boss," said Baragon as he made his way away but he felt himself snatched by Manda. She forced him to sit next to her as she had him wrapped into a tight hug.
"Hey, where you going? The party's just started!" said Manda. Baragon grunted from the painful embrace.
"I-I can't! Got something I have to do right now!" grunted Baragon as he attempted to pull away. He managed to slip out of her hold and started to pant.
"Look, I'll be back later. I just need to check on something," said Baragon as he brushed off his coat. Manda puffed her cheek out in disappointment.
"Oh, fine. Party pooper," said Manda as she crossed her arms and looked away. Baragon rolled his eyes in response and made his way passed Junior.
"Hey, kid," greeted Baragon. Junior nodded.
"Hey, Baragon," said Junior as Baragon left. Senior began to approach Junior with a nod.
"Ready to get started? I have something a little more physical in mind this weekend," said Senior. Junior nodded.
"Yeah, I'm ready. But dad, I was wondering if... Well, mom misses you and I've been able to see you more. Do you think that maybe this weekend that you and mom could spend a little bit of time together?" asked Junior. Senior hummed to himself as he scratched his head.
"Hmm. It's Manda's birthday today, so I rather not expect her to put off her celebration to look after the group, but Saturday may be good. Still, I can't exactly go into town, son. I'll have to remain in the house to avoid MONARCH catching me," said Senior. Junior nodded.
"All she wants is to spend time with you. I'll let her know later," said Junior.
"Hey Goji! When you're done, why not stay a while for the party?" asked Manda.
"Oh. Thanks, I appreciate the invite. Happy birthday by the way," said Junior as he cleared his throat. Senior led his son out of the cave, where the two made their way into the chasm.
"A healthy mind is one that is present inside of a body that endures the needed physical activity to have blood pumped to the brain. How often do you push yourself in physical activity?" asked Senior.
"Eh. I do gym in school and walk to school and walk back home. Gym doesn't really exhaust me. I mostly get tired by the end of the day," said Junior.
"Hmm. Alright, today I'm going to push you to your limits with your current strength," said Senior as he led Junior over towards where Amber remained perched on a stone, where a few large stones were.
"Drop and give 4 sets of 50," ordered Senior. Junior sighed in response as he removed his sweater and began to drop onto his knees and proceeded to do his pushups.
"Son, I'll put all of your gym classes to shame," said Senior as he paced around his son.
"Whoopee," said Junior in a sarcastic tone.
Location: Classified
Director Onyx of MONARCH roamed through the halls of one of the many headquarters of the organization. A few people walked passed him in these halls as well, wearing uniforms. It was just another day for the Director. Revolutionaries attacking a city that they could come near, and Purists terrorizing Transmutant civilians. Yes, all information coming to him and deploying troops to deal with the former and avoid too much confrontation with the latter. Onyx made his way over towards the control room, where men and women sat at computer consoles as they began to monitor cities and their statuses. The Director stood on a platform that overlooked the entire operation, where a great screen was at the front, bearing the MONARCH insignia.
"I want a status report on the region in Zebrica that was occupied last month," said Onyx as he looked over the men and women below.
"Revolutionary terrorists have been making death threats to the president of Nakawanda for the recent discussion of deportation of Transmutant citizens. Some attacks have been made on government property," answered a man from a console as he turned to face the Director. Onyx sighed in response. While he did understand that the president may have been acting out of fear of the Revolutionaries to rid the country of potential terrorists in their midst, it was ultimately an unwise move to do so since it would only piss the terrorists off even further.
"I want our forces to be at our best before we can strike the Revolutionaries in Nakawanda. What's the status of M.O.G.U.E.R.A.?" asked Onyx.
"Hideki has informed us of his repairs being completed. We have over a dozen mechs ready to mobilize, sir," informed a woman in military uniform.
"Good. Have Gamma Base #41's troops ready for the mission. We're taking Nakawanda back from these bastards," said Onyx with a firm expression. The woman gave a salute and left the room. Onyx turned back towards a man that stood in a lab coat.
"Director, I came to inform you that GeneCo's recent breakthrough in Biomedical foam has been approved by the U.N. for use by medical officers in the field as well as field hospitals," said the man as he held out a black metal canister. He held the object in his hand that was shaped like a pill but bore a metal nozzle on the top and a handle connected to it on the side, which was meant to be pulled like a trigger.
"The contents are made up of two chemicals that combine, creating a mixed-cell foam. It serves as a self-sealing, space-filling coagulant and also an antibacterial, tissue-regenerative foam polymer. This keeps damaged organs in place and helps stop bleeding and hemorrhaging from wounds such as; lacerations, abrasions, contusions, punctures, thermal and/or electric burn wounds. You can save a lot of lives for your troops," said the man as he handed Onyx the Biomedical foam canister.
"Any symptoms we should be aware of?" asked Onyx.
"Well, it's very painful once it enters deep inside of the wound, but our tests have found it to have quickly numb the subjects afterwards," said the man. Onyx nodded in approval.
"Alright, sounds like a fair trade. Give Dr. Discord my regards for his company's contribution in the war effort against these terrorists," said Onyx.
"Yes, sir," said the man with a smile as he left the room, while being escorted out by a couple of guards. Onyx looked the device over and found a MONARCH insignia on it, and the corner a small mark with GeneCO's logo was present.
"What is the status on the other radical Transmutant faction?" asked Onyx.
"From what we've learned, their activity seems to be somewhere in Equestria. They seem to be focused on militant Purists rather on civilians as far as we know," said a woman from the side of the room.
"Hmph. We can't be too careful. I want troops to be vigilant in Equestria and I want the government bodies in the country to be aware of the danger that they may pose," said Onyx. Terrorist or not, he was not going to take any chances with an organized group of Transmutants without their inhibitor chips. Like the Revolutionaries, they posed too much danger to be left alone.
"Yes, Director," said the woman with a salute. Onyx took a seat on a chair with his eyes narrowed as he picked up a file and began to look through it. He found Gojira Takeshi Jr.'s photo and his records and looked through them. He then kept his eyes on Junior's face.
"If I had it my way, I'd drag you from your home and lock you away in the strongest cell in the Vault. Lucky for you, I'm bound to the law that protects you, but don't slip up kid. Not like your father did," said Onyx as he narrowed his eyes. The worst-case scenario would be for a Transmutant with the transformation of the species similar to his predecessor to commit acts of terrorism against the people of Ponyville. He knew first hand of the destructive capabilities that a Takeshi had. He only hoped that no one else had to suffer the horrors of what he knew of. If he did slip, the Transmutant would belong to MONARCH.