Junior was sitting at the kitchen table in his home with a bowl of cereal. He yawned before he took another bite of his breakfast. He glanced at his side and found his mother looking at him with a coy smile, making him sigh in annoyance.
"Mom, can you not look at me like that?" asked Junior. Miwa giggled.
"I'm sorry. I still can't believe that you ended up getting yourself locked outside the house and you ended up staying at the neighbor's house. During a girl's slumber part!" laughed Miwa. Junior looked away in embarrassment. No doubt his mother was not gonna let him live the previous night down. If he were to have children, she would definitely tell them the story. He thought he was fortunate since he doubt he was going to meet someone to have children any time soon.
"It's not funny! I was in a very awkward situation!" said Junior.
"That's what makes it funny!" laughed Miwa. Junior scowled in response as his mother settled down.
"Oh. Wait until Blaire hears this," said Miwa as she wiped a tear away.
"Oh come on, ma," said Junior in disappointment.
"That reminds me. Cynthia is coming over today," said Miwa as she sat down at the table with her own bowl of cereal.
"Oh yeah?" asked Junior.
"Yep. She wants to visit us. Blaire is bringing her over right now," said Miwa.
"Cool," said Junior.
"She really likes you now, you know. I think if you'd open up to more people, you might make a friend or two," said Miwa. Junior sighed.
"Mom, the world doesn't work like that. At least, not for Transmutants. Who wants to be friends with a race that people say are closer to animals?" asked Junior. Miwa frowned sadly at hearing her child express the discrimination he faced as a Transmutant.
"Well, what about Fluttershy? She's been kind to you," said Miwa.
"That's only because I saved her life. She's just trying to show me gratitude. It's not genuine kindness," said Junior.
"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" asked Miwa.
"I... I don't know anymore, Mom. Things are just weird right now for me," said Junior. Miwa sighed as she took her son's hand.
"You know, your father used to think that way too. He never thought he could be close to a human. Next thing he knew, we were married and we had you," said Miwa with a light smile. Junior looked at his own hand and closed his eyes.
"You don't have to try to be friends with just humans. It can be with other Transmutants if that makes you comfortable, but don't be afraid to open up to others," said Miwa. Junior nodded.
"Yes, mother," said Junior. Miwa smiled as she ruffled her son's hair.
"I think Fluttershy is a good start," said Miwa with a wink. Junior looked away with a scowl.
Battra sat down in the living room of his home in silence. He sat at the sofa and had his eyes glued to the television. The program being shown was the history channel, discussing the topic of the 2nd world war. Currently, the documentary was discussing Neighpon's involvement and how it spread its imperial army across the Eastern nations. War veterans were being interviewed, discussing their experience. Meanwhile, Mosura rested on the ground as she played a game on her phone.
"The Emperor refused to give into the Allied Powers, even after the defeat of most of the Axis powers. He was determined to win the war. Civilians were drafted to fight to the death should the Equestrians stepped onto Neighponese soil," said an elderly man on the screen.
"The Emperor even thought he had a magic bullet to win. The Transmutants," said the war veteran. The screen displayed a group of Neighponese men in uniform standing together for a group shot. The photo was in black and white.
"During the second World War, Transmutants were known to have been drafted into the military in every participating country. Including Neighpon," said the narrator of the film. Battra listened to that tidbit with interest.
"Not a whole lot of men were comfortable with fighting alongside them. I mean, they can kill you with one punch. Still, they were patriots," said another war veteran. A few photos were shown, displaying a monstrous beast that appeared like an ape-man, standing next to a human soldier at the height of seven feet tall. Another photo displayed an image of a couple of Transmutants in their human form carrying heavy crates.
"I remember this one Transmutant that was in the army. His name was Gojira Takeshi," said a war veteran. Mosura's ears perked as she heard the name. She tore her eyes away from her phone and to the television screen.
"Gojira?" asked the interviewer off camera.
"Yes. He was named after an old legendary creature in our mythology," answered the war veteran. A photo of a man with dark hair was shown in uniform with a rifle at his side. Mosura was shocked to see the striking resemblance he had to Junior.
"Takeshi was a brave soldier. He was like a god in battle. He took on a hundred soldiers alone when we lost one of the islands to the Equestrians," said the veteran as a photo of a saurian-like beast with jagged dorsal plates on his back stood over destroyed Equestrian tanks. He towered over them at his height of forty feet tall in an upright position. He bore a burly armored chest with a tan underside. His long whip-like tail lied on the ground as his strong legs carried this large beast. His short arms hung at his side as his four claws were covered in blood.
"I remember how he helped us escape from a cave that we were hiding in. We were being overrun by the enemy and mortars were raining down on us, but Takeshi risked his life to draw the soldiers away for us. We may have actually won the war with his help," said the war veteran as a photo of the Transmutant standing over the corpse of three bird-like Transmutants.
"However, with the atomic bombs dropped in our cities, Neighpon surrendered and the war was over," said the veteran.
"And what ever happened to Takeshi?" asked the interviewer.
"Ah. We actually haven't seen or heard from him in years. Last I heard, he immigrated to Equestria during the late 80s. He doesn't have any family, from what I remember him telling me during the war," said the veteran.
"Wow. I wonder if..." Mosura muttered to herself as she began to text Junior.
"Wonder what?" asked Battra.
"I think that Gojira guy might be related to this boy in the club," said Mosura.
"Boy?" asked Battra in concern. If another guy her age was in the same club as her, it brought mild concern out of him.
"He looks a lot like him!" said Mosura as she waited for a reply on her phone. It suddenly jingled and displayed text that read, "Yeah, he fought in WW2. Why?" Mosura began to text him a reply with a smile on her face.
"Huh," said Junior as he looked at his phone. Miwa walked passed him as she held a basket of laundry.
"What's wrong?" asked Miwa.
"Nothing. One of my classmates found out that dad fought in World War 2 because she saw old photos of him during a documentary," said Junior. From the side of him on the sofa, Cynthia looked at him in confusion.
"Wasn't that a long time ago?" asked Cynthia.
"Yeah just about over sixty years," answered Junior.
"But... Wouldn't he be an old man? And... Shouldn't you be a grown up already, too?" asked Cynthia in confusion.
"Sweetie, Transmutants age a lot differently compared to normal humans. You see, Junior's father was actually born in the 1800s. He came to Equestria in the 80s and that's when we met and got married. Then we had Junior," said Miwa as she ruffled Junior's hair. Cynthia's nose crinkled.
"Wouldn't that mean you married an old guy?" asked Cynthia.
"Old by our standards, but some Transmutants can live to be a thousand. Besides, Gojira looked pretty good for being over two hundred years old. Real good," said Miwa with a purr.
"Mom, there's a child present," deadpanned Junior.
"I can't help it. Your father was such a hunk!" said Miwa. Cynthia stuck her tongue out in disgust.
"Boys are so gross!" said Cynthia. Junior looked at her in offense.
"Hey!" said Junior.
"Not you though, Gojira. You're OK!" said Cynthia with a thumbs up. Junior smiled in amusement in response.
"Dear, you might start liking boys when you're older. That's a fact," said Miwa as she took the basket to the laundry room. Junior lied back in his seat with his eyes glued to his phone while Cynthia went back to watching television.
"Get the Dazzling' latest album, "Under our Spell" now! Filled with their newest songs," said a man's voice during the commercial. An album with an image of a red gem was depicted on screen. The audio soon gave a preview of the song with three feminine voices vocalizing. Cynthia began to follow along.
"You didn't know that you fell~. Oh whoa~. Oh whoa~," sang Cynthia over the commercial. Junior tore his eyes away from his phone and glanced at the girl.
"What song is that?" asked Junior.
"Weren't you listening? It's one of the Dazzlings' latest songs! I downloaded their entire album last week on my iPod," said Cynthia.
"Oh. Sorry, I wasn't listening. In fact, I never heard of them," said Junior. Cynthia looked at him in shock. It was as if the Transmutant was from another planet to not have heard of this group.
"Really?! But they're the most popular pop singers in the world!" cried Cynthia.
"Ah. See, I don't listen to pop, and I'm behind on what's hot in the streets," said Junior with a chuckle.
"You're missing out, Gojira! These girls have beautiful voices!" said Cynthia.
"I think I'll live," said Junior. Cynthia scowled in response. She then smiled as she tackled Junior onto the side of the sofa.
"Hey, let's go to the park or something!" said Cynthia with an eager expressions expression. Junior sighed.
"Oh. Alright. Let me get my sweater and we'll go," said Junior as he got up to his feet and began to head for his bedroom. Truthfully, he wanted to remain home. But he couldn't deny the girl a simple request.
Later...
Junior and Cynthia walked close together down the sidewalk in silence. Cynthia was humming a song that Junior assumed to have belonged to the singers that he recently heard about. The pair soon found themselves at the park, where a large field of grass was present. A jungle gym, a swing set, and a slide were at the center, where other children were present. Parents watched their children from benches or played with them at this park. Cynthia grabbed Junior's hand and began to run with him towards the park with a grin. The two soon were at the field, where they started to toss a frisbee to each other. Junior smiled as he played with the girl. It made him wish that she was his little sister. As the two continued to toss the frisbee to each other, Cynthia's pass ended up gliding over Junior's head.
"Oops! Sorry!" said Cynthia.
"It's cool. I don't mind getting it, kiddo," said Junior as he chased after the frisbee. The disc glided down just over a bush.
"Ow!" yelped a feminine voice. From behind the flowered bush, Erika emerged as she rubbed her forehead as she held the frisbee.
"Oh. Sorry about that, Erika," said Junior with a nervous smile. The girl gasped as she caught sight of Junior.
"Uh... It's alright. I'm good," said Erika with a nervous smile and stiff posture. How she wished that Sunset or someone she knew was with her. She had no idea how to interact with a seemingly volatile person like Junior.
"Um... Can we have our frisbee back?" asked Junior. Erika immediately handed Junior the disc.
"Sorry!" said Erika.
"Hey, relax. Thanks, anyway," said Junior with a raised brow. Cynthia appeared at Junior's side and looked at Erika with a raised brow.
"Hey, are you another one of Gojira's girlfriends?" asked Cynthia. Erika blushed in embarrassment while Junior sighed.
"Cynthia, not every girl that I am acquainted with is my girlfriend," said Junior.
"She is a girl, right? And your friend?" asked Cynthia.
"Well... Yeah, she is a girl, but not my friend. We're in the same club," answered Junior. He really wished people would stop acting like he had a close relationship with these girls.
"Oh. Is this your little sister?" asked Erika, beginning to relax.
"Nah. She's a family friend. She's visiting and we're just hanging out at the park," said Junior. Erika lightly smiled.
"Aw. That's nice of you. Er... If you don't mind me saying," said Erika with a nervous smile.
"Well, it's rare for someone to say that about me. I don't really mind," said Junior with a shrug. Erika gave a relieved sigh from not disrupting the Transmutant’s mood.
"By the way, what brings you out here?" asked Junior.
"Me? Oh well..." Erika twirled strands of her hair with a finger. "It's... Kinda embarrassing."
"I'm not one to tell others about someone's embarrassing business. Unlike some people I know," said Junior with a scowl as he thought back to his mother and Blaire.
"Well... I was out here admiring the flowers. This park has a beautiful spot with flowers. But then I remembered that they're not blooming this season," said Erika with flushing cheeks.
"Is that so? Well I'm in no position to make fun of you. I don't even know the first thing about flowers," said Junior.
"But still, I can't believe I forgot. I feel like a fool," said Erika.
"Well, I'll keep my lips sealed if that helps," said Junior. Erika nodded to him. She then gave him a smile.
"I think this is the first conversation we've actually held. I'm glad it went well," said Erika. Junior looked away.
"S-Sure," said Junior as he placed his hands in his pockets.
"Well, I'm gonna head home. Um... See you at school on Monday?" waved Erika.
"Sure. If not, then in the club room on Tuesday," said Junior. Erika nodded to him and proceeded to walk away. Cynthia glanced at Junior.
"Do you like her?" asked Cynthia. Junior scowled.
"Let's just get back to our game," deadpanned Junior.
A grand facility covered in steel walls. Inside, men and women monitored the computer monitors and generators of the facility. Some discussed ways to improve certain equipment that suffered from minor bugs. Inside of a large room, a humanoid mech hovered in the air with rockets built into its back. The head was pointed in the back and the face appeared like a samurai's mask.
"We've worked out the problems with the propulsion systems! Now it can remain stationary in the air!" said a man over the loud jets of the mech. Standing beside him were men in dark grey military uniforms and men in suits.
"I've already seen Jet Jaguar! That's not what I'm here for!" shouted a middle aged man in military uniform. "Where is Hideki?!" asked the man.
"General Strung. What a pleasant surprise," said a man as he made his presence known from above a platform. He then bowed to the men as the platform whirred and lowered itself to the ground.
"What do I owe the pleasure of MONARCH's military officers and its genetic research team?" asked Hideki. The mech referred to as Jet Jaguar descended down to the ground and gave a low hum.
"Hideki, I've already informed you that Director Onyx wasn't interested in putting Jet Jaguar into a war scenario. He thought it was better for homeland security against domestic Transmutant threats," said Strung with a sigh. Hideki passed the mech as he made his way over to the general.
"I'm disappointed to hear that general. Jet Jaguar is a great asset for human on human battles. He's more mobile and nimble," said Hideki.
"Yes, but the plasma projectile attacks and its strength and durability make it more vital against the Revolutionaries," said Strung as he held his hat at his side. "We're here to see the latest mech your industry has to offer our organization,"
"Ah. You want to see, 'Project: Scourge'," said Hideki with a nod. He began to walk to the side of the room.
"This way," said Hideki. The head of Hideki Industries led the men through the halls of the facility. Along the way, they passed engineers that were putting together or making repairs to humanoid robots that stood to be over seven feet tall. Soon, the group found themselves standing before a mech with bulky armor. It bore a red visor and a small head and large arms with gauntlets that held miniguns attached to them. On the shoulders were rocket pods and its pectorals had open lids, which contained an additional amount of tubes that were designed to launch rockets. On the back of the mech were large cases that were meant to carry ammo for rockets and the miniguns. All of which were supposed to be reloaded manually by the machine via parts that inserted the rockets into the large shoulder cannons. The mech stood to be over fourteen feet tall in height.
"Scourge may be a bit slower compared to mechs such as Jet Jaguar, but it definitely has more fire power. This is a walking death machine, able to withstand high and freezing temperatures and stand up to the heaviest hitting Transmutant out there," said Hideki. Strung nodded in response.
"Impressive. How soon will it be ready?" asked Strung.
"We want to make sure that the A.I. is still functional with efficiency and we just need to finish placing the armor. The Transmutant DNA target system will need to be tested as well. That and testing the weapon systems will all take about a couple of months," said Hideki. The general sighed.
"For once I'd like to have these things ready for those Transmutants," said the general in annoyance.
"I know that the Director expects the most out of what he purchases. But if he's really in need of a powerful mech now, I recommend taking Jet Jaguar out into the field. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is in no shape for combat after that last fiasco," said Hideki. The general gave him a hard stare.
"Hideki, if we are going to continue to fund your company, then we expect for them to work. Get M.O.G.U.E.R.A. back up and get Scourge ready as soon as possible. Or else MONARCH will have to look to someone else," said the general. Hideki nodded in response.
"Of course, general," said Hideki. Truthfully, he hated how this man threatened him. His company would surely fail without its contract to MONARCH. He just wondered who the organization would turn to if their contract was gone.
It was Monday noon. Junior was scowling as Rodan sat next to him in the lunch room laughing. He slapped his hand on the ground repeatedly as he was overcome with his fit of laughter. Junior sighed heavily as he lowered his head.
"Please stop laughing," said Junior. Rodan began to settle down as he wiped a tear.
"I'm sorry," said Rodan with a couple of chuckles.
"You know, I was envying you for a minute during your story, but I just had to laugh at the part where Rainbow Dash tackled you to the ground. Not to mention that AJ locked her legs around you while you were tortured by girls in pajamas," said Rodan as he bounced his eyebrows.
"It wasn't that funny," muttered Junior. He of course neglected to mention that he had accidently groped the brash rainbow haired girl. He didn't need any more perverse rumors floating around about him.
"Still though, six girls? Gojira, you are one lucky guy. Damn, it makes me want to write a harem series about you. But I'm not that good of a writer," said Rodan.
"No, that's fine. I rather no one writes something like that about me," said Junior with cringe. As he went back to eating, he heard a tray clatter on the table in front of him. Junior tore his eyes away from his meal and found Angirasu taking a seat in front of him.
"Uh... Hey, Gojira," greeted Angirasu with a smile. Junior nodded to him.
"Hey, Angirasu. Haven't seen you in a while," said Junior.
"Yeah. I've been at home for the last few days," said Angirasu as he picked up a fork. "There was some stuff at home I had to take care of."
"Hey, isn't this the guy that you were backing up that day against Spinner and his gang?" asked Rodan as he looked at Junior in thought.
"That's him. Angirasu, this is Rodan. The obnoxious red idiot," said Junior.
"Haha! Screw you, man," said Rodan with a scowl. He then smiled as he held a fist out to Angirasu.
"Sup?" greeted Rodan. Angirasu met him with a fist bump.
"Nice to meet you," said Angirasu. Junior glanced at his cell phone as he felt it vibrate against his arm. He opened his inbox and read the text.
"I hope you had fun at the slumber party!" Twilight's voice echoed in Junior's mind. At the end of the text was a smiley face. Junior sighed as he closed his inbox.
‘I'm not even going to reply,' thought Junior with a scowl.
"Hey Goji, you familiar with that Night Angel guy?" asked Rodan. Junior snapped out of his thought.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah I've heard of him," answered Junior. Angirasu raised a hand.
"Me too," said Angirasu.
"What do you guys think? Pretty sick that we got a real life super hero, right?" asked Rodan with a grin.
"I think it's kinda cool. Though I'm not sure about his extreme methods," said Angirasu as he scratched his head.
"Meh. I guess. But I don't understand why he bothers. Just some other asshole is gonna come along and cause trouble after the other is gone," said Junior as he bit into his sandwich.
"True, but that makes one less bad guy on the street, right? Plus, I hear that he likes to go after those Purist bastards," whispered Rodan. Junior raised a brow.
"Why are you whispering?" asked Junior.
"Because... I don't know," whispered Rodan. Junior shook his head with a scoff.
"Well, I will say that I respect a guy with the guts to take those radical, racial supremacists fucks on. I'd do it, but I have stuff to lose if I were to fight them. This guy must not have anything to lose if he's doing all of this," said Junior.
"Man, to be real live super heroes. We could do it too! I mean, we're super strong, fast, and we can transform into creatures!" said Rodan with a chuckle.
"Except for that last one. Unless our inhibitor chips were to be broken or removed," said Angirasu.
"Yeah," said Rodan in disappointment. Real life could be so disappointing sometimes.
It was the end of school. Junior was walking down the road alone. His conversation with Angirasu was a nice change at lunch rather than the ones that he had with Rodan. It didn't involve embarrassing topics for one thing. The Transmutant thought back to when he first met Angirasu and his last encounter. He thought he seemed like a person that wouldn't get under his skin unlike most people.
Junior continued on down the road in silence. He soon came across a street that bore graffiti along the walls. He noticed that in particular, a spider with jagged legs was depicted on the wall of an alley. Junior sighed as he continued on his way, feeling a dozen eyes on him. He stopped as he spotted a small group of young men wearing yellow bandanas… the sort that one would expect to see on street gang members. Junior was able to pick up the unmistakable scent of Transmutants. He realized that he had just passed through a rough spot in town and mentally cursed as he thought of potential harassment while bearing groceries. Junior merely continued on, only to feel the stares grow stronger. As Junior rounded a corner, he stopped as he found three other young men wearing the same yellow bandanas in his path.
"You lost, homie?" asked one of the Transmutants.
'Fuck,' thought Junior.
"Nope," answered Junior as he turned to another direction but found himself blocked by two more Transmutants. They all gave Junior a hard stare as they surrounded him.
"We heard that you got some of our boys locked up. What's up with that, bro?" questioned the ring leader.
"First of all, I'm not your bro," said Junior with a deadpanned stare.
"Second, Spinner and the other two guys got themselves arrested by starting shit. Don't pin it on me," said Junior.
"Ah. You see, I don't like it when Transmutants be ridin' humans like a rodeo show. If you stayed out of the way, they wouldn't be locked up," said the gang member.
"Well maybe if you would follow the law of not starting trouble and fucking with your inhibitor chips, you wouldn't have to worry," said Junior. The gang members sent him a glare.
"And for the record, I'm not riding anyone. I'm just trying to get by," said Junior as he walked away. He suddenly felt a sticky substance latch onto his arm. The Transmutant turned his head back and found one of the gang members hunched over as he held his mouth wide open. A white thread of webbing ran from the back of his throat. Junior sighed in annoyance. Spinner's entire gang was definitely not going to let the incident slide.
"Just once, I would like to walk away without having to deal with idiots like you," said Junior. He then forced his arm back, causing the opponent to stumble towards him. Junior kicked him in the gut and knocked him to the ground. As the Transmutant went down, Junior found himself being rushed by the rest of the gang. He blocked and punched the first couple of enemies that got close. However, their numbers quickly turned against him as the rest managed to land hits on him. Junior felt himself beginning to bruise as he knocked two other opponents away. As he swung his fist at another gang member, he found his opponent jumping high into the air away from him, sticking to the wall. The rest of the gangsters quickly moved away from Junior with back flips or hops. They all simultaneously opened their mouths wide open and shot threads of webbing against Junior's arms and legs. The Transmutant felt himself being pulled out apart by them as they yanked their threads. Junior groaned as he tried to fight the combined strength of the cable-like substance. He growled as he forced his right arm back and forced a couple of his enemies to stumble towards him, but then they started to run towards and him, slowly wrapping him up. Soon he found his arms bounded against his sides, but he was still able to stand. He was not going to allow a bunch of street thugs get the best out of him. Junior charged forward and then rammed into a gangster, knocking him against the wall. He then charged back as he attempted to hit another but they all moved away. One of them rammed into Junior as he missed again, knocking him to the ground. Junior groaned in frustration as he tried to break free from what kept him bounded.
"Gojira, you should've joined us when you had the chance," said a gangster with a pant. Junior growled at him.
"Not a chance," spat Junior as he shakily stood up onto his feet. As the gangsters approached him, a dumpster suddenly slid across the ground and slammed into half of the gangsters. Everyone immediately stopped and turned to find the Transmutants in intense pain under the dumpster as the groaned. They then turned and found a man in black clothing and mask standing near the shadows of the alley. The gangsters looked at each other in confusion and then back to the man in black.
"Did you just throw that?!" demanded the ring leading gangster in anger. The dark figure merely gave a nod in response.
"Get 'em!" shouted the ring leader as he pointed towards the figure. The rest of the gangsters rushed him and found themselves flung to the wall by an invisible force.
"Wh-What the hell?!" exclaimed a gang member with a look of panic. They were then struck hard by the figure. One of gangsters delivered multiple punches and kicks towards this new man but they were all blocked. He was then countered by a kick to the jaw, unhinging it and making him groan in agony at the severe injury. As another gangster came at the vigilante, he was struck by a metal pipe that whizzed through the air. He fell to the ground as the man in black kicked another one of his opponents away. He bought his fist down in the side of the last gangster and knocked him unconscious. Junior stared with wide eyes as stood around several gangsters that lied defeated. The figure in black glanced at him for a second before leaping out of the alley and onto the roof. Junior watched as he disappeared from his sight. He turned and found a graffiti painted pair of angel wings on the wall.
"Holy shit," said Junior as he recognized the symbol. He stood for several seconds as he tried to process everything. He then scowled.
"He forgot to help me get out of this," said Junior as he struggled to flex himself free of the web around himself. He grunted as he finally freed himself. Junior sighed as he took out his phone and left the alley. "I could've taken those guys, anyway!"
The next day...
"Another fight?!" exclaimed Twilight with wide eyes. She and Junior sat across from each other in the club room during lunch inside of the club room. The Transmutant had light bruises on his face. With them were the rest of the club members.
"Technically, I was jumped by a street gang. But I don't understand why you're acting so surprised about me fighting," said Junior
"You were what?!" exclaimed the girls in unison. Junior recoiled at their tones assaulting his ears.
"What were you thinking going into a neighborhood like that?! You could've been seriously hurt!" said Twilight.
"Hurt? Try killed!" said Sunset. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Look, I was in the middle of getting groceries. I was only around that neighborhood because there was a sale for milk," said Junior.
"Why did they attack you?" asked Fluttershy in a worried tone.
"They were pissed because Spinner and his goons were arrested after they found out that they're inhibitor chips were tampered with. Since they heard that they fought me, I was the one to blame," answered Junior as he leaned back in his seat. Fluttershy bit her lip in worry. If Junior was on a Transmutant street gang's bad side, it could lead to more trouble for him.
"What if those guys come after you again?" asked Fluttershy.
"Not a chance. A Transmutant that tampers with his or her inhibitor chip can be seen as a potential terrorist. This leads to a twenty five year sentence in the Vault. In some countries, the sentence is for life whether or not they're involved with terrorists. Tampering with your inhibitor chips is a federal offense," said Junior. "I made sure the cops picked them up."
"How can you be so calm about this?" asked Twilight in disbelief. She thought that just about anyone would've been shaken up after having the same experience that the Transmutant had. She felt frightened just thinking about it.
"Because fear is for defenseless animals. I'm what you would call... An Alpha predator," said Junior. Twilight gave him a deadpanned stare.
"I think you mean, 'Apex' predator," responded Twilight.
"Right," said Junior with a roll of his eyes.
"She has a point, Gojira. I don't think you should take this lightly," said Mosura.
"Yeah. Would it hurt you to admit that you're a little bit concerned?" questioned Sunset with a look of annoyance.
"Why are you all of you getting on my ass about this? It's done and over with. Let's move on," said Junior.
"We're just worried about you," said Twilight. Junior chuckled in response, much to her confusion.
"Worried about me? That's rich," said Junior. Erika looked at him in confusion.
"Why is that so funny?" asked Erika.
"Because that joke amuses me," answered Junior. The girls looked at him with surprised expressions while Sunset shot him a glare.
"Why... Why would you say that?" asked Fluttershy with a frown.
"Because no one in this school has ever been worried about me before. Why is now any different?" asked Junior.
"I don't know what your deal is, but you're acting like a jerk more than you normally do," said Sunset.
"Gojira, I thought we warmed up to you by now," said Twilight with a light frown. The Transmutant shook his head as he grabbed his bag and walked towards the exit door.
"But have I actually warmed up to any of you? Or is this some facade because of pity?" Junior muttered under his breath. He left the girls alone in the club room, where they stared at the door. Twilight sighed in disappointment.
"Why is he pushing us?" asked Twilight.
"I bet he's just upset because he was actually scared that day," said Sunset as she crossed her arms and scowled. The tough guy act on the Transmutant was beginning to work on her nerves at this point.
"I... I don't think that's it," said Fluttershy. Erika nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. He seemed to have gotten upset when Twilight said we were worried," said Erika. Mosura sighed heavily.
"That hard headed, idiot," said Mosura to herself as she rose out of her seat.
"Where are you going?" asked Sunset.
"I'm gonna talk to Gojira. I think he needs it," said Mosura as she stepped out the door. She wandered down the hallway as her eyes searched the area. She hummed to herself as she found Junior sitting by the stairs alone. The female Transmutant smiled to herself as she sneaked over towards Junior's position until she was just behind him. Mosura brought her hands over Junior's eyes and covered them.
"Guess who~," sang Mosura. Junior gave a small sigh as the girl gave a soft giggle.
"Hi Mosura," said Junior. Mosura removed her hands and took a seat next to her classmate.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" asked Mosura.
"Nothing. Just sitting," said Junior in a neutral tone. An awkward silence filled the air between the two.
"You know, I was worried about you," said Mosura as she looked at Junior's side.
"Yeah, sure you were," said Junior.
"I mean it! I always thought you had someone with you that you could rely on to help you out of a jam. But when I found out how you never actually socialized with the others, I began to worry," said Mosura.
"I thought, 'who's going to help him back up if he falls?' I want to be that person that helps you in your time of need."
"Why waste your effort on someone you don't even like?" asked Junior.
"That's not true," said Mosura. Her cheeks lightly flushed. "I mean... I like you."
Junior slowly glanced at the female Transmutant. He bore a blank stare while Mosura bore red cheeks. Silence filled the air and Mosura was growing nervous.
"Wh-Why are you looking at me like that? Say something!" said Mosura as she looked away.
"I'm just waiting for you to say, 'ha! Just kidding loser! Go jump off a bridge!'" said Junior. Mosura shook her head.
"I do like you, Gojira. Despite your pessimistic and proud attitude, you're a good guy underneath it all. I like that about you," said Mosura with a smile.
"Tsk. I'm not a good guy," said Junior. Mosura shook her head.
"Liar. Erika told me about you and a little girl on Sunday. Add that with helping another Transmutant in a fight against three others, and feeling bad for hurting AJ, I think that makes you a good guy," said Mosura. Junior sighed in annoyance. Mosura chuckled as she leaned against Junior's shoulder, causing him to stiffen.
"If you want, we can be friends," said Mosura. Junior glanced at her.
"You would really be friends with someone like me? With my reputation?" asked Junior.
"I didn't choose to be popular. Besides, I think you could really use a friend," said Mosura. Junior looked down at the ground.
"Well, I tolerate you a lot more than most girls I've met next to Fluttershy. Plus, you're not a bitch like how you would see in a popular girl," said Junior. Mosura smiled to herself.
"Soooo..." said Mosura. Junior gulped.
"Alright. I guess we could be friends," said Junior. Mosura raised herself off of him and held her arms out.
"Friendship hug?" asked Mosura. Junior immediately scooted away with a nervous expression.
"Er... Baby steps, Mosura," said Junior. Mosura smiled in amusement at Junior's embarrassed state.
It was the end of the school day. Junior was carrying a large box through the hall. Twilight and the rest of the club members followed him with their own boxes. Soon, the group found themselves inside of the custodian's office. It was covered in concrete and smelled of cleaning supplies. A mess of tools lied on a desk in the room as a man made his way to the group and gestured to the back room.
"Just put them with the rest," said the custodian. The teens moved to the back room, stacking up the boxes that were brought in. Along the walls were other boxes that were stacked up earlier by the students.
"Phew! At first I was worried about this job taking hours but the extra muscle has really speed things up," said Twilight as she wiped her brow. She then gave Junior a thumbs up with a smile. The Transmutant rolled his eyes.
"You're welcome," said Junior as he placed a box down. Erika hissed as she rubbed her aching wrists.
"Don't worry. Pain is just weakness leaving the body," said Junior.
"I kinda want it to stay in," said Erika as she shook her hands. She then noticed Mosura walking in with a large box with a smaller one stacked on top.
"Do you need help?" asked Twilight. Sunset nudged Junior in the side.
"Hey, go help her. You're the one that bench presses 100," said Sunset.
"250, actually. And it's still not enough," said Junior as he made his way to Mosura's side.
"I got it, Goji," said Mosura with a smile as she bent her knees and placed the boxes down by the wall. Junior merely shrugged in response.
"You're pretty strong," said Fluttershy in surprise. She remembered that the box that Mosura carried was filled with an old microwave and heavy scrap metal.
"I work out," said Mosura. She then sneaked a glance at Junior and gave him a wink, which he responded by rolling his eyes.
"Well, looks like we're done for the day. Great work everybody!" said Twilight.
"Are we still having the club for the rest of the hour or are we just gonna call it a night?" asked Mosura.
"Gojira and I still have a study session to do. If you guys want to head home, that's fine," said Sunset. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"I don't remember making plans for a study session today," said Junior.
"You do want to be prepared for the retake, don't you?" asked Sunset. Junior sighed as he looked away.
"Good point. Never mind," said Junior. Sunset smiled in approval. Fluttershy looked on in disappointment. She was hoping to walk home with the Transmutant today.
"Oh. I hope you don't mind that I stick around, Sunset. My father wants to meet me here at school since we're going out for dinner," said Erika.
"Sure, no problem," said Sunset.
"Well, I guess that's all for today. Have a good night guys," said Twilight as she began to leave the room. She stopped and sneaked a glance at Junior, who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Um... Gojira," called Twilight.
"Yeah?" answered Junior.
"Be careful on your way home, OK?" said Twilight with a soft smile. Junior looked away.
"Yeah, yeah," muttered Junior, unable to fathom why she has been acting friendly with him along with the others. It was too alien for him to process. Twilight smiled to herself as she left the room with Fluttershy following close behind. The timid girl gave him a small wave, which Junior responded with a nod. Mosura came to his side and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, you mind walking me out to meet my brother?" asked Mosura. Junior glanced at Sunset, who nodded to him in response
"OK. Let's go," said Junior as he and Mosura left the club room. The two Transmutants strolled down the hall in silence.
"So, why not just walk to meet your brother yourself?" asked Junior. Mosura shrugged.
"I just wanted to hang out with my new friend a little longer before I went home," said Mosura.
'I still don't see how you would wanna be my friend,' thought Junior. The pair soon came across the library, where Battra was standing outside the door.
"Big bro!" called Mosura as she ran to her elder brother's side. Battra turned to face her and smiled as his sister came to his side.
"Hey sis. Ready to head home?" asked Battra. Mosura nodded to him.
"Oh. Battra, this Gojira Takeshi the second. My friend and fellow club member," said Mosura as she gestured towards Junior. Battra's eyes slightly widened as he caught sight of the Transmutant.
"Oh. So, this is the guy that you were telling me about?" asked Battra.
"Well I didn't actually tell you about him. But I did mention it," said Mosura with a small laugh.
"Uh... Hey, what's up?" greeted Junior with an unsure expression. As he analyzed the two, there was definitely a family resemblance between the two. Yet their hair reminded him of a ying-yang.
"Hey," greeted Battra dryly. In the back of his mind, he was groaning in frustration at how his little sister had found herself friends with this troublemaker of all the boys in school. Hell, her being friends with a boy worried him already. The elder brother glanced at Mosura, who merely held a smile.
'Sometimes I wonder if this girl is incredibly naive,' thought Battra. Mosura sent him a look of annoyance as she shrugged at him. Meanwhile, Junior stood by in silence as he watched the two hold a silent argument.
'Yeah, that's how I figured how people would react if they knew I was 'friends' with her,' thought Junior. Regardless, he wasn't going to get into a pissing contest with Mosura's brother as he had enough bruises for the moment.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Gojira. Come on, Mosu. Let's go home," said Battra as he turned and walked away. Mosura looked at her brother in disbelief as he left. She groaned in annoyance.
"I'll see you later, Goji. Thanks for walking me," said Mosura as she gave Junior a smile and wave. The Transmutant nodded.
"Sure, see ya," replied Junior as he watched her walk after her brother. He hummed to himself as he walked back to the club room.
"That went well," said Junior to himself. Back with the Yasu siblings, Battra bore a neutral expression as his sister came to his side with a look of disapproval.
"What was that about?" questioned Mosura.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, sister dearest," said Battra in a nonchalant tone. Mosura scowled.
"You were kinda rude to him, you know," said Mosura.
"Please. I'm not the one who's friends with a guy like him. You do know who that is, right?" asked Battra with a deadpanned stare. Mosura huffed in response.
"Of course I do. But he's a good guy underneath it all," said Mosura. Battra chuckled in response.
"Yeah, until he takes advantage of you," said Battra. Mosura gasped as she looked at her brother in disbelief. She then glared at him and turned her head away.
"Hmph! I can't believe you don't trust my judgment," said Mosura in offense.
"Just not with him, Mosu. He's a guy and a delinquent, too. I'm not comfortable with you being around him," said Battra in disapproval.
"Well, you'll just have to deal with it. He's my friend," said Mosura as she walked ahead of Battra. The male Transmutant sighed as he looked back and found Junior walking down the opposite way. He narrowed his eyes.
'I've got my eyes on you,' thought Battra. He would do whatever it takes to look after his sister and to keep her from doing something she may regret.