//------------------------------//
// Chapter 22: Whatchu Gonna Do, When They Come For You? 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive 
// by Johng117 
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Things just weren't always as they seemed. What was once a misunderstanding of one's character based on a bad experience had turned out to be a justified suspicion. Flash was sitting on his bed as he replayed the video of X over and over again on his phone. He watched as the Transmutant mercilessly attacked the men in the alley, breaking their bones. Flash was unsure of the fate that had befallen the men in the alley, but based on what he had read about the vigilante and his attempt to kill him with a pipe, chances were that they may no longer be breathing. Flash listened to X’s words, and how they reflected his actions against humans. As he continued to watch this recording, he began seeing Junior's very face saying these exact words, beating these men into submission, and throwing a pipe his way. The Transmutant was no different than the Revolutionaries that he distrusted.  He saw it straight from the horse’s mouth and it was not pretty. Gojira Takeshi was X, the dreaded Transmutant vigilante that struck with a swift and terrible sword. And here in his hands was proof of that fact, encoded digitally into his phone's memory. Flash took a breath as he rubbed his head while feeling his heart race. He knew how Sunset, Fluttershy, Erika and the others had taken a liking to the Transmutant and how it would break their hearts to see this. However, it was both the right and responsible thing to expose the Transmutant for the criminal he really was. Even if Flash didn't expose Junior, he would be doomed anyway since Junior saw his face, so he could simply attack him or someone close to him just to keep his identity hidden. This was all the more reason to expose the truth. However, he would have to do it anonymously as there was a chance that Junior did not fully recognize him since he reacted so quickly. Plus, he had to keep others close to himself from getting involved. With a heavy sigh, Flash placed his phone in his pocket and placed on his backpack. He rushed out the door and into his car.



It was morning. Junior was walking alongside Fluttershy out in the neighborhood. The two were just about halfway from the school as they continued with their walk.
"Thank you for coming by the animal shelter again the other day, Gojira," said Fluttershy. The Transmutant nodded to her with a smile.
"No problem, Shy. I know how the shelter is in need for volunteers. I can't leave you to help on your own while the club is doing other stuff," said Junior. Fluttershy gave a small giggle. It was a gentle sound that emitted from her throat, not leaving her mouth. Junior couldn't help but feel his heart warm up from the sound. Fluttershy was pretty damned cute when she giggled.
"Butters was such a cute puppy. He really seemed to like you," said Fluttershy.
"I noticed when he started slobbering all over me," said Junior with a small chuckle. As the two continued to the school, they found themselves headed for the main doors. The two entered inside and proceeded to separate.
"See you at lunch, Goji!" said Fluttershy with a wave.
"Sure. See you later," said Junior. With that, the two went their separate ways. Junior continued down the hall towards his locker. While he made his trip, he suddenly found a couple of campus officers making their way over to him.
"Gojira Takeshi Jr.?" asked one of the officers. Junior's shoulders slightly slumped.
"Um... Yeah?" answered Junior as the two quickly approached him. One of the officers drew out a pair of grey hand cuffs. He then locked it against Junior's wrist, allowing it to give a low hum and shine a neon blue light from the sides. Junior's eyes widened as he suddenly found his wrists bounded by these cuffs. They weren't like normal hand cuffs that were used by the police. These ones were special, they were a lot more durable and heavier, designed to give an intense shock to a Transmutant if a measured tension was detected, such as trying to pull them apart.
"We have a warrant for your arrest. Please don't put up a fight," said the officer as he showed the Transmutant the warrant. The second officer took Junior by the shoulder and began to pull the teen along.
"Wait, what?! Wh-Wha- What did I do?!" asked Junior as he was taken out of the hall, drawing the attention of the students that were present. They watched in surprise as the Transmutant was dragged out of the school, despite his protests. Junior did not physically put up a fight though, knowing full well of the repercussions of a Transmutant resisting arrest.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney-" As one of the officers spoke Junior's Miranda Rights, the Transmutant had tuned him out. His focus was entirely on attempting to understand what was happening. He was being arrested by two campus officers; they had cuffed him and were now escorting him to their police car to take him to jail or prison. In the worst scenario, he was going to be locked away in the Vault. The teen's stomach turned and his muscles tensed. His breathing grew quick as his heart raced in his chest. Junior was placed in the backseat of the police car, while he still had his mind focused on his situation. Forty minutes went by as Junior was taken to the police department. He was led into the building, passing by a few officers as they began walked about in this building. A few people that have been arrested were present as well, either reacting violently, or passively. Junior was begging himself to wake up from this nightmare. Despite his hopes, he knew that the arrest was real and that they weren’t pulling a prank. As Junior was towed away, he saw Blaire standing by a desk as she talked to a woman that sat behind it.
"Blaire!" cried Junior as he attempted to pull away from the officers in reaction to the only person that he recognized. Blaire bore a look of confusion as she heard Junior's voice and looked around. Her eyes widened in shock as she found him being hauled away by two officers.
"Blaire! Blaire, help me!" cried Junior as he pulled from the officers.
"Hey! Stop moving, kid!" ordered one of the officers as he forcefully tugged on Junior's shoulder, struggling against the Transmutant's strength. Blaire immediately rushed over to the three.
"Officers, what is this?!" demanded Blaire as her voice caused the two to immediately stop, but keeping their grip on Junior.
"We have a warrant for this kid's arrest, Sergeant. Came in this morning," said the officer as he held out a sheet to Blaire. The blonde took the sheet and began to read through it. Her eyes widened.
"You can't be serious! What did he do?" asked Blaire in disbelief.
"Vigilantism," answered the officer as he continued to tug Junior along.
"What?! You can't be- Why am I being accused of this?!" demanded Junior as he dragged along.
"Shut up, or else you get the taser!" said the second officer. Blaire's eyes widened.
"Junior, don't fight this! Look, we'll sort this out!" said Blaire.
"You're letting them do this?!" asked Junior. Blaire gritted her teeth as she heard this.
"I'm sorry! This is out of my hands right now! I'll call your mother! Please, just stay calm!" said Blaire as she helplessly watched as Junior was hauled off to the holding room. Blaire clenched her fist as she bore a look of despair. She had no idea on how Junior was suddenly arrested, especially for vigilantism of all things. It didn't add up, knowing that Junior was smarter than taking the law into his own hands. She couldn't possibly intervene here, since he was apprehended with a legitimate warrant for his arrest. All she could do now was hope that Junior would be fine. She immediately left the main lobby of the station and went to the other side of a corner. She drew out her cellphone and quickly called Miwa. After a few seconds of waiting, Miwa answered.
"Miwa, something is wrong. I need you to come by the station, right now," said Blaire in a firm tone.



Junior found himself sitting alone inside of a holding cell. Right next to him were cells filled with incarcerated individuals. Junior was separated from the others, given his Transmutant heritage and the police wanting to avoid having to explain a possible holding filled with dead or severely injured humans locked up with a single Transmutant. Junior placed his face into his hands as he gave a heavy sigh, filled with stress.
"Hey kid, what ya in for?" asked a man with tattoos all over his arms as he sat on a bench, from the cell on the right.
"I don't- I don't know," said Junior. As he sat, he heard a television set nearby. He glanced to the side and found an officer sitting at a desk with a television connected to the wall, showing a news report that displayed a video of a hooded figure beating two other men. A subtitle read, "X Revealed" at the bottom of the screen.
"A video of the Transmutant vigilante, dubbed X, surfaced online and went viral the previous night. An anonymous person had turned in the video to the local police of Ponyville, allowing officers to arrest Gojira Takeshi the second," said a woman on the screen as the footage slowed down as X's face was revealed, pausing to show a clear picture of Junior's face. Alongside the screen was a comparison of Junior's mug shot that was taken an hour ago. Junior's face turned to shock as he found the image.
"What the fuck?" asked Junior. The man in the video did have an uncanny resemblance to his own face. However, the Transmutant had no recollection of beating the snot out of two men in alley. Hell, he didn't even own a grayish blue jacket.
"Oh, so that's what you’re for," said a bulky man from Junior's right on the cell.
"N-No! No, that's not me!" said Junior frantically.
"Bullshit kid! That's your mug on TV!" said another man. From the corner of the cell, a man with a jacket over himself and a white skull with a double helix on the forehead stood by, glaring at the Transmutant.
"Boy, you best pray that they lock us both up far away from each other. Cause I'm coming for your ass," said the man using his thumb to make a slitting motion over his throat. Junior narrowed his eyes, to avoid looking intimidated by his situation. The news had just branded him as X and all the people that knew his face would mistakenly connect him and the vigilante together. This would not pan out well, considering how a man from a distasteful group was nearby. Junior held his face into his hands as he slightly trembled and gritted his teeth, filled with fear with what would come next in his dire situation.




Meanwhile...

Fluttershy roamed through the halls with a look of confusion. She had been spending the last few minutes searching for Junior, since the two were going to the animal shelter together. However, she had not seen him since early this morning. He wasn't even present during lunch in the cafeteria, which is where they would meet ever since the Transmutant had to pretend to be grounded for a while. It was already after school, and there was still no sign of him. Fluttershy sighed as she made her way back down the hall, making her way over to the club room. On her walk, she noticed some of the students crowding together as they looked at their smart phones, talking to each other as they watched some video on their screen. Fluttershy assumed that it may have been a popular viral video that was catching on in school. She went on her merry way to the club room until she reached the door. As she entered inside, she found Twilight, Sunset, Mosura, Rodan, Angirasu and Erika inside.
"Fluttershy? I thought you were supposed to be leaving right now to the animal shelter," said Twilight in confusion as she lowered her book.
"I was. Goji and I were supposed to walk there together. But I can't find him," said Fluttershy with a sigh.
"Really? That's odd. I haven't seen him all day. He wasn't in our Algebra class," said Sunset as she rubbed her chin.
"That's nothing. He hasn't been to gym, which is after lunch when we usually see him," said Rodan as he scratched his head. Erika held her hands on her lap as she bore a thoughtful look.
"Maybe he wasn't feeling well and just went home early," said Erika as she shrugged.
"Have you tried his cell phone?" asked Mosura. Fluttershy nodded.
"About five times, once every ten minutes," said Fluttershy. She bit her lip as she looked down.
"He hasn't answered. I'm beginning to worry," said Fluttershy.
"Well... Maybe his phone is dead. Or maybe-" Twilight was interrupted as a knock came from the door. They all glanced at each other.
"Maybe that's him," said Angirasu. Mosura stood up from her seat and made her way to the door. She opened it and was surprised to find Flash, along with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack.
"Flash? AJ? Guys?" asked Mosura with a look of confusion. Flash cleared his throat.
"Uh... Girls, we need to have a talk," said Flash in a firm tone. Mosura nodded reluctantly as she let the other teens in. She wondered what could cause him to be so serious. She felt unnerved by his tone and the feeling emanated from him. As Flash entered with the other girls, they all gathered in the center of the room.
"Sugarcube, you mind telling us why you called us here?" asked Applejack as she held a hand on her hip. Rainbow nodded with a slight look of annoyance.
"Yeah! I was in the middle of practicing my kicks for soccer," said Rainbow. Flash gave a heavy sigh.
"Right. Um... You may have noticed that Gojira hasn't been here today," said Flash. Rarity raised a brow at him.
"Well... Yes. That sometimes happens. Some students tend to be absent due to inconvenient circumstances," said Rarity.
"But he walked to school with me this morning," interjected Fluttershy.
"Right. Well... If he hasn't showed up after coming to campus, odds are that he was arrested," said Flash. Erika's eyes slightly widened.
"A-Arrested? Wha- Why? And how would you know?" asked Erika, puzzled.
"Guys... I found out something. Something bad," said Flash as he rubbed the back of his head. He shook his head. "You won't like it."
"What? What is it?" asked Rodan, feeling anxiety just by waiting to hear what the human had to say.
"Gojira... He's X," said Flash. A brief silence filled the room. Pinkie snorted.
"X? No silly, Gojira starts with a G! So, he would have to be-" Pinkie was interrupted as Flash sighed in exasperation.
"No, Pinkie. I mean, he's X. The Transmutant vigilante that's been on TV and social media," said Flash.
"Whoa, whoa! That's a wild accusation, bub!" said Rodan with a glare. Fluttershy looked at Flash, appalled.
"Why would you think that?" asked Fluttershy.
"I don't think, I know!" said Flash as he drew out his phone.
"Yesterday, I saw him beating up two guys with a metal pipe in the alley near my grandfather's old neighborhood! He was literally beating them nearly to death! Those guys are in the ICU right now, because of him! He even tried to kill me when I caught him!" said Flash. Sunset narrowed her eyes.
"Flash, I can't believe that without physical evidence! I know you wouldn't just throw wild accusations around," said Sunset as she shook her head. Flash turned on his phone and searched through his files.
"Then let me put my money where my mouth is. See for yourselves," said Flash as he held out the phone. The group all crowded over each other as they tried to get a good look at the screen. They watched as X beat the men to a pulp, while talking down to them. As the vigilante spoke, the group recognized that his voice sounded similar to Junior's.
"You know, for years I've been called all sorts of slurs that you humans have come up with for my fellow Transmutants. And right now, I've become numb to it," said the hooded Transmutant as he struck the man in the side with the pipe, which he responded with a pained cry. Twilight bore a look of shock as she watched this video. Rarity cupped her mouth from the violence that was occurring. Applejack felt her stomach turned as she watched an individual that she thought she knew brutally assaulting these men.
"You humans are pathetic. All of you. You feel the need to bring down anything that is different than you because you ignorantly fear the traits that what makes it unique. You do this to each other, and now you do it to us, the Transmutants," said the hooded Transmutant as he punched the human again and slammed him against the wall. Fluttershy bore a look of disbelief as she stared into the hateful eyes of the Transmutant as he glared at the human in the video. Mosura felt her breathing slow down as she denied what she was seeing before her very eyes. Rodan narrowed his eyes, while Angirasu bore a neutral expression despite being horrified to see the cruelty that was occurring in the video. Meanwhile, on camera, the man with the broken knee attempted to crawl away, but the Transmutant stomped on his leg, causing him to cry out in agony as his bones snapped. Flash cringed from the painful sound. Rainbow clenched her fist while Pinkie bore a dumbfounded look, feeling her heart tear in two as she saw her supposed friend hurt these men.
"You know, humans like you are the worst. Your xenophobic nature is your undoing and makes you cower behind your anti-mutate propaganda and your politics. MONARCH, the Purists, all of it is a cancer that you have brought on us. Destoroyah and the Revolutionaries have the wrong idea, however. Humanity as a whole is not worth killing or subjugating like that group is doing. However, I think you and others like you must learn your place," said the Transmutant in a low growl. The Transmutant suddenly turned to the side, giving everyone a closer look at his face, clearly bearing a resemblance to the Transmutant in question. He then threw the pipe, which flew towards the camera perspective.  The image quickly moved and began to blur out from the movement of its holder running away. The video ended, leaving shocked teens.
"Oh my God. That... That was really him," said Twilight in a soft voice. She shook her head.
"So, that's what he's been hiding. He's a cruel vigilante that hurts people because he's some self-righteous hypocrite," said Twilight in disgust as she clenched her fist.
"I... I can't believe what I just saw. I guess some folks can be pretty deceiving," said Applejack in disappointment as she lowered her head. She thought Junior was at least a decent fella, despite having a few anger issues. But this footage of him had turned her opinions of him upside down. Rarity bore furrowed brows as she looked down at the ground.
"I thought I could get over his violent attitude, but that was merely a fraction of what he's really like," said Rarity as she crossed her arms. Pinkie bore a look of sadness as she lowered her eyes onto the ground, sniffling to herself.
"But... I thought he was a good guy. I thought we were friends. Friends don't hurt innocent people," muttered Pinkie with a sniffle. She felt betrayed to see this video. He was no good guy, he was a bad guy. Pinkie rubbed her eyes of small tears that were forming. Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around her in attempt to comfort her friend.
"I always knew he was fake." said Rainbow with a growl.
"I filmed this all yesterday. I uploaded the video online and sent it to the police anonymously. I wanted to tell you all sooner, but I had to make sure that he was kept away so I wouldn't endanger anyone. I'm telling you now for your own safety to avoid him if he gets released," said Flash as he placed his phone away. Sunset bore a dumbfounded look as she remained still as stone. Mosura was in the same state.
"No, this is bullshit!" said Rodan. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, to find Rodan bearing a furious expression.
"I refuse to believe that it's him in that video! That is not Gojira!" said Rodan as he pointed at Flash's phone. Flash was put off by this statement.
"Wha- Rodan, I have evidence of him doing this!" said Flash.
"Tha-That's- That video is garbage! How don't we know that you just got some other guys to make Gojira look bad?! Huh?! You never liked him!" said Rodan as he pointed an accusing finger at Flash.
"Whoa, whoa! Rodan, dude!" said Rainbow as she stepped in front of Flash with her eyes narrowed at the Transmutant.
"Why on earth would you accuse Flash of doing such a thing?" asked Rarity in shock.
"Oh gee, I don't know! Maybe because he always hated mutants?!" said Rodan.
"Look, I know that part of me is very unpleasant. But Rodan, I did not make this up! That's his face! His voice! I caught him in the act! Think about it!" said Flash.
"Think about what?! Your bullshit?!" yelled Rodan as his face slightly turned red with anger. Applejack caught onto this and pulled him on his shoulders.
"Whoa! Easy there, Sugarcube. Just simmer down," said Applejack as she softened her tone.
"Rodan, I'm sorry. But this is what I saw. I honestly thought Gojira may have been a good guy after all. But this video...I'm sorry, but we were wrong about him. His disappearance, his bruises, it all points down to this," said Flash with a light frown. Rodan was breathing hard through his nose as he glared at Flash.
"Gojira is not a murderer. I knew him since we were kids. I don't believe anything in that video," said Rodan as he shrugged off Applejack's hand and walked away. Angirasu watched as his fellow Transmutant left.
"I... I better go check on him," said Angirasu as he briskly walked away. As he followed Rodan outside, Sunset was looking at the video on her phone. Here, she could get a much clearer picture.
"I just can't believe this. I mean, sure I knew he was... No, he can't be over the edge like this," said Sunset a she shook her head. She couldn't deny what was in front of her eyes. Junior, or at least someone who looks like him, assaulted those men, but there was something off about him. As she played back the video, she noticed something that caught her attention as X stepped near the humans.
"This looks like Gojira, but he looks too tall," said Sunset. Rainbow scoffed.
"Too tall? How can you tell on that phone? Besides, Gojira is a tall guy," said Rainbow as she crossed her arms.
"Well it's not just that. He looks more muscular than he usually does," said Sunset.
"Odds are he's just developing more muscle. He works out, doesn't he?" asked Twilight. She then shook her head.
"It doesn't even matter. This is him, without a doubt," said Twilight. Fluttershy bore a deep frown as she sat in her seat with her hands in her lap. Curious as to what Sunset had brought up, she decided to get a closer look at the video as well. She found the video and did notice how the Transmutant had a bit of a larger appearance than what she recalled Junior having. She had to fight herself wanting to look away from the cruel violence that the Transmutant committed against these men, attempting to analyze anything that could prove that he wasn’t Junior. It may have been wishful thinking, but she couldn't help herself. She didn't want to believe that her friend was X, but she felt herself being convinced otherwise. As she watched the video, she noticed the eyes of X as he faced the camera. The Transmutant was close enough for her to see his eyes, which bore a bright hellish red to them instead of the amber eyes that she had seen on him.
"Um... Anyone else notice how his eyes look red?" asked Fluttershy as she turned to her friends. Sunset's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey, you're right!" said Sunset.
"It's obviously the lighting. You know, the red-eye effect?" said Rarity, dismissing the oddity.
"But that only works when there's a bright light on the subject. This is in an alley, shaded from bright lights," argued Mosura as she peaked over Fluttershy's shoulder and looked at the video on her phone.
"Also, his voice seems a little deeper here," said Mosura.
"Maybe it's just the footage doing that. Look, why does that all matter? Gojira is obviously X! We're looking at him!" said Rainbow in exasperation.
"Well... Maybe we should hear his side of the story. Come on, this just doesn't seem like something that he would do," said Mosura.
"Sugarcube, I know how you feel. I wanna believe that this isn't him, but I can't deny what I see in front of my face," said Applejack with a sigh.
"Yeah, I was there myself! I have no doubt that it was him," said Flash. He couldn't believe that Mosura was still denying the facts before her.
"I agree with Mosura. I think we should hear Goji's side of the story," said Sunset. The rest of the group all looked at her in disbelief.
"Sunset, you can't be serious!" said Flash with his mouth agape in shock.
"He's our friend! Isn't it fair to give him the chance to say his piece?" asked Sunset.
"W-Well, sure. But come on! Is there really any need when you actually catch your friend in the act of beating up people in the alley?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy lowered her head but then furrowed her brows.
"We should still hear him out," said Fluttershy. She stood up and made her way out of the club room.
"Fluttershy, where are you going?" asked Rarity.
"Excuse me, I need to get to the shelter," answered Fluttershy as she walked out the door. Erika cleared her throat as she followed Fluttershy.
"Um... I just remembered, I need to get home early. S-See you all later," said Erika as she left the room. Sunset sighed.
"Come on, shouldn't we at least face him?" asked Sunset.
"I'm not facing that jerk. I'd end up punching him and getting in trouble with the police," said Rainbow with a scoff.
"Me neither," said Rarity as she looked away with her nose in the air at the thought of visiting that criminal. Applejack rubbed the back of her head as she avoided eye contact.
"I uh... No, I don't think I have it in me to face him. I may not look it, but I am a might bit upset right now," said Applejack as she held on arm at her side and slightly clenched her fist. Mosura felt that Applejack was holding back some anger. Pinkie sniffled as she nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Twilight bore a look of anger, feeling betrayed. that the Transmutant she and her friends invited into their club committing crimes against innocent and lied about wanting to become friends.
"I thought I could just accept that he would be fine with those vigilantes killing Purists. But him actually doing it..." Twilight scoffed in response as she turned away. Mosura bore a deep frown as she lowered her eyes to the ground, along with Sunset. Both had to consider that Junior was in fact X. This was a very conflicting situation for everyone. However, the rest had made up their minds about this situation.
"OK. I'm just gonna go visit Mrs. Takeshi. I think she would need someone to comfort her," said Mosura as she left the club room.
"I feel sorry for her, at least," said Rarity. Mosura lowered her eyes.
"Me too," said the Transmutant as she left. She continued out of the school until she found Fluttershy standing next to the side of the entrance, sniffling to herself. Erika was sitting beside her as she held a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Fluttershy," called Mosura in surprise.
"I just... I can't believe that he would do such things!" cried Fluttershy as she buried her face into her hands, lightly sobbing. Mosura knelt beside her and wrapped her into a comforting hug.
"I know, Fluttershy. It just doesn't seem right. But... We have to consider what we saw," said Mosura.
"I know! It's just- He's my friend!" cried Fluttershy. Mosura sighed solemnly. Her heart ached, knowing the trouble that her dear friend had gotten into.
"Hey, tell you what. Why don't you and I go see Mrs. Takeshi. Maybe we can visit Goji and see him ourselves," said Mosura. Fluttershy sniffled as she nodded.
"OK," said Fluttershy. Mosura helped her up to her feet. Erika stood up and raised her hand.
"Um... Can I go with you?" asked Erika.
"Oh. Sure. But, I'm surprised that you'd come," said Mosura with a look of confusion.
"Well... I don't know. I mean, it could be Gojira. But... I don't know. I've spent some time with him before. He doesn't seem to be like a malicious person. That may not be enough to prove his innocence. But... Friends give each other the benefit of the doubt, right?" asked Erika. Mosura lightly smiled in response. She nodded to her.
"Right. Come on, let's go," said Mosura.



Miwa sat on the sofa as she sobbed to herself. Blaire bore a look of sympathy as she sat beside her and held a comforting arm around her.
"Oh God! This can't be happening! My son!" sobbed Miwa. Blaire sniffled herself, feeling herself tear up. Her friend may possibly lose her son. Junior was like family to her, and it was heart breaking to know that he was currently being held in a holding cell at the police station.
"I'm so sorry, Miwa. I wish there was something that I could do, but they're keeping him locked down until they can finish the investigation. The anonymous sender of the video gave details of where the video was filmed. After that, he'll be tried," said Blaire.
"He can't be that vigilante! I don't- None of this makes sense!" cried Miwa. She saw the video that had been viral, but she couldn't believe that it was him, despite the similarities. There had to be another explanation, but she feared it was something that her husband and Junior hid from her. Her fears were great on what Junior’s future would be and wanted her husband by her side to soothe her and help her protect their child.
"Are you sure I can't see him?" asked Miwa.
"I'm sorry. They're keeping him completely under watch. No one goes in or out. I hear even MONARCH is getting involved in the investigation," said Blaire. Miwa's eyes widened in horror.
"No! No, no, no, no!" cried Miwa as she pulled her hair and furiously shook her head. If MONARCH was getting involved, there was no doubt that her son wouldn't fare well in a trial. He may even be condemned to the Vault if they find out about his damaged inhibitor chip. Blaire held her in a comforting hug as Miwa started sobbing. A few minutes later, Miwa had slightly calmed down. She had minor hiccups as her eyes were pink from her tears. A knock came from the door, prompting Blaire to stand.
"Um... I'll get it," said Blaire as she made her way over to the door. She opened it, and found Fluttershy, Mosura, and Erika.
"Oh. Hello, girls. May I help you?" asked Blaire. The girls slightly recoiled in surprise as they found the officer in front of them.
"Uh... Hello, officer Blaire. We heard about Gojira. Is Mrs. Takeshi home?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yes, she is," said Blaire. Miwa sniffled as she turned to the side.
"Fluttershy? Blaire, you can let them in," said Miwa. The officer nodded in response as she stepped to the side, allowing the girls to enter. They made their way over to Miwa's side. Mosura placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"We're so sorry about this. But just know that we want to hear Goji's side of the story before making up our minds about this situation," said Mosura.
"What about the others?" asked Miwa. Mosura bore a look of disappointment as she looked away.
"They... Made up their minds," answered Mosura. Miwa bore a deep frown, understanding what the Transmutant was implying.
"Oh," said Miwa. She felt grave disappointment, knowing that some of Junior's friends had pretty much accepted what her son was accused of. However, she was glad to know that some were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Mrs. Takeshi, we were wondering if would could possibly see Gojira," said Erika.
"Unfortunately, that won't be possible," said Blaire, drawing the attention of the girls.
"I tried to get his mother in to visit Gojira, but they don't want anyone near him until they can complete the investigation. But I'm worried what will be determined," said Blaire with a look of regret. The girls bore looks of disappointment as they heard this news. How uncertain the future was for their friend. Mosura clenched her fist.
'I know you didn't do it, Gojira. Don't you dare prove me wrong,' thought Mosura.



Police investigators were present at the crime scene of X's recent action. The alley was blocked off from the yellow tape. A blood-stained metal pipe lied on the ground, next to the blood stains that were on the ground. The officers were taking samples of the blood stains on the ground, while photos were taken of the scene. A few men in MONARCH uniform were present as well, speaking with the head of the investigation team.
"So, that's what the sender had said. It all took place right here," said the officer.
"Hmm. Alright. Corporal, hand me the scanner," ordered the man in uniform.
"Aye, lieutenant," said the corporal as he held out a suit case towards his superior. The lieutenant opened the case and found a hand-held device with a digital screen. He took it into his hands and proceeded to activate it.
"What are you doing?" asked the officer in confusion.
"Scanning the crime scene for traces of the Transmutant's DNA. If you're trying to link him to who you've already caught, you will need more than footage to prosecute him," said the lieutenant as he walked about the crime scene, pointing the scanner all over the alley. Just then, the screen glowed and produced a small blip. He smiled to himself.
"Hold on, looks like we've got something," said the lieutenant as he followed the small blip. He was led over towards a corner in the alley, where a stain of blood was present on the ground. He knelt down, while the corporal and head officer of the investigation came by.
"I do believe that we may have found some evidence to help in the prosecution," said the lieutenant as he found a bloody knife on the ground, just near a trash can.




Meanwhile...

X was walking through a hallway, inside of an old and dirty apartment. The room was a mess and bore broken furniture and walls with paint peeling off. The Transmutant passed by a man that remained in a seat where his head was slumped over.  The man had his mouth taped up and his body bounded by rope. X scoffed as he caught sight him; one of the Purist supporters that he had tailed home after his recent outing some time ago.  The man was currently dead. X couldn't risk him revealing to the world that he was being held hostage by a masked vigilante. Soon, he would have to get rid of the body before it decomposed to the point where it would stink up the place. X would also need to find a new place to dwell while he was here. The Transmutant made his way over to the bathroom, where he removed his jacket. He removed his clothes until the toned silver-haired man stood naked. He began to turn on the water of the shower until a warm spray released mist before entering. He sighed heavily as he stepped inside of the tub, allowing the warm water to drench over his tired body. He took the soap and began to scrub all around, grazing over a scar that was on his belly towards the side of his rib. This scar was recent, in the process of regenerating, from a surprise knife attack from one of his targets. The mistake cost the Purist some head trauma, but X’s jacket had a bit of a tear in it with his own blood stain. One would be worried about leaving blood behind for the police to use as evidence for an investigation, but X wasn't worried. As far as the world knew, the person beneath the hood did not exist.



Battra was lying down on the sofa. He yawned as he bore a drowsy expression on his face. This was an exhausting day from his studies in college. Now, he was just resting on the sofa while the television was on. He knew that he should have been doing something productive, but he just did not have it in him to move off this couch. But after recent happenings with X, he hadn't been going out there and searching for answers on what the Purists were planning. The police were searching everywhere for the Transmutants, and the public was growing in its negative opinion about the vigilantes. Battra was scrolling on a social media site and found all the posts that condemned Night Angel and X as murderers and terrorists. Technically, Battra had no right to defend himself on the accusations of being a murderer. He did kill Purists himself in a hunt to take down this group, so his hands were far from clean despite his good intentions. Battra gave a heavy sigh as he placed his phone down. He was still debating if this secret lifestyle was truly worth it. What could one person do against an entire organization hell bent on keeping the Transmutants down? Even with his power, Battra would never truly be able to stop this terror on his people. This was something he was beginning to learn when people grew more afraid after X came to the picture.
Battra turned his head to the television and found the news to be on. His eyes widened as he found an image of Junior with a mug shot alongside a still image of a hooded figure over to downed men.
"In other news, police and MONARCH representatives are working together to gather evidence to convict Gojira Takeshi the Second, who is suspected of being the Transmutant vigilante, X," said the news anchor. The footage of X was playing, showing the Transmutant assault the two humans. Battra stared in shock at the news. It wasn't because he thought that Junior was X, since he already learned that the two were two different people, despite their similar appearance. Rather, it was because an innocent man was charged for crimes he didn’t commit.
Battra's actions, his vigilantism, may very well have inspired the Transmutant. It can be argued that things are getting worse all because of Battra and his foolish belief that he alone could make a difference with his methods. And now, it was costing an innocent person his freedom and possibly his life. Battra shot up off the couch with his eyes hardened. He wasn't going to let his sister's friend pay for a crime he did not commit. Battra made his way to his bedroom, where he knelt down beside his bed and pulled out his armored vest, gloves and mask. He placed the vest over his chest and slipped on his gloves. He then stuck the mask into his pocket and made his way to his closet. The Transmutant looked inside and found a few jackets inside, and reached for the one that he only wore for certain occasions. He slipped it on.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to slip on the old mask again after all," said Battra with a sigh.



It was later into the evening. Battra was running across roof tops down town as he used the shadows to keep himself hidden. He leaped from roof to roof, landing with a roll and sliding beneath obstacles. Battra grunted as he leaped higher, reaching a taller building, landing on top. He panted as he searched the area, sniffing the air. He knew that damn lunatic X had to be somewhere out in town and that he couldn't resist going after Purists . However, he spent the past four hours searching for him, and no luck so far, yet he kept searching. Battra continued as he sniffed the air, managing to catch a familiar scent. He dropped low as he sneaked across the roof, coming across an edge where he found X standing with his hood over his head. X dropped down to the ground near a street corner. Battra narrowed his eyes as he found the Transmutant looking down the street, over to a group of men standing just outside of a bar.
"Oh. No, not today," growled Battra as he dropped down to the ground. He charged towards X before he could walk across the street, slamming him against the wall. X grunted in response and growled.
"You?!" growled X.
"You've gone too far now, X!" growled Battra as he threw the Transmutant to the side, against a trash can. X stood up with his eyes narrowed.
"What's this about, punk?" demanded X.
"Someone I know was arrested for crimes that he did not commit. They were committed by you! You're going to get him out," growled Battra a he pointed towards X.
"I fail to see how the police's incompetence is my fault for this person's conviction. What do you expect me to do about it?" questioned X as he bore a look of annoyance.
"You're going to give up this vigilante business, and you're going to turn yourself into the police!" said Battra. X laughed mockingly.
"You really think I'm going to turn myself in? Not a chance in hell," said X as he tensed his muscles. He growled as he charged towards Battra and sent a fist his way. Battra immediately ducked beneath the attack and countered with a punch to the rib. X shook this off and grabbed Battra by the arm and swung him into the air and slammed him on the ground. Battra felt pain course through his body as he impacted the concrete ground. He immediately spun and kicked his legs, knocking X off his feet and then sent a punch against X’s face. The other Transmutant stumbled back but then recovered, sending an elbow against Battra’s chest and grabbing his head. He slammed his head down as he brought his knee up, striking Battra in the forehead. As he stumbled back, X tackled him to the ground and began to send multiple punches onto his face. Battra grunted in pain from every blow landed on him. He then forced his hand forward, causing X to fly against the wall from the force of his telekinesis. X ground as he was stuck to the wall by the invisible force, groaning as he attempted to free himself. Battra panted as he stood back up to his feet.
"What is this?!" demanded X.
"Just an ability that I have. From what I know, no other Transmutants can perform telekinesis. I had this power for years, along with something else," said Battra as he eyes glowed violet. X grunted as he attempted to free himself.
"You son of a bitch! Release me!" shouted X.
"No, I don't think so. I told you that I would be coming after you, X. But what you did yesterday was the last straw. I saw what happened on the news, and how it cost an innocent boy's freedom," said Battra in a low tone. X looked at him in confusion.
"Innocent boy? I don't know what you're talking about," said X. Battra scoffed in disgust. He had figured out just what the explanation was of Junior's and X's resemblance. Now it was time to call him out on it.
"X, do you have family? Maybe a younger brother or son?" asked Battra.
"What? What does this have to do with any..." X's voice trailed off as he analyzed Battra's words.
"Wait a minute... You said someone was arrested because he was mistaken for me?" questioned X.
"Don't play dumb, X. I may not know who exactly you are, but I do know who you are related to! There's no other explanation on why you two look the same! You just allowed him to take the fall, just for your so called righteous path for eliminating Purists!" said Battra. X gave small chuckles as he lowered his head. Battra bore a look of confusion as X erupted into a roar of laughter. Soon, he began to calm down.
"Ah. I think I know who you're talking about. But know this, Night Angel. I don't personally know the kid, but you may be right on what our connection is," said X. Battra bore a look of surprise.
"Wait, you don't even know him? Yet you... What is your story?!" demanded Battra as he squeezed X with his telekinesis, causing the hooded man to groan in pain. Before Battra could question him again, the sound of guns cocking filled his hearing. He turned and found the men that X was focused on earlier were present, bearing pistols and submachine guns. One of them was holding one of the trackers that the Purists were passing up. The man holding the radar bore a smirk as he looked at the two.
"Found you, freaks," said the man.
"Shit!" said Battra as he quickly released his grip on X and proceeded to run away. Meanwhile, the Purists fired their weapons at the Transmutants. X had taken cover behind a heavy dumpster, where the bullets ricocheted off. As the humans continued to fire at the two, Battra grabbed a trash can lid from his cover and threw it like a frisbee. His telekinesis increased its velocity and allowed the lid to strike one of the men in the head as he fired his submachine gun. However, his dazed state caused him to wobble and for his finger to pull the sensitive trigger, causing the weapon to wildly spray bullets all around. A few Purists were shot down and fell in agony from their bullet wounds, while the rest took cover.
"Oh shit!" cried one of the Purists in shock. Battra hid behind cover with a look of disbelief.
"Whoa. That was totally something that I did not intend," said Battra. Meanwhile, X forced the dumpster that he used for cover to move, allowing him to come closer to the humans. The dumpster caught the bullets of the remaining men, allowing Battra to run out of his cover and rush the men. He kicked a pistol out of one's hands and then punched him in the jaw. As the man dropped down cold, the two remaining Purists whipped around prepared to shoot. However, X came from behind them and slammed their skulls against each other. The two dropped on the ground, unconscious beside the Purists that moaned in pain from their bullet wounds. X knelt down beside one of them and marked him with an X. As he raised his black claws over the man's eyes, Battra caught his arm.
"That is enough," said Battra. X growled.
"Now you want to spare the militants?" asked X.
"It's not that. The police are coming," said Battra. X listened to the air and sure enough, he caught the sound of sirens. His hearing as a Transmutant determined that their arrival wouldn't be long now. X groaned in annoyance as he backed away from the human. He followed Battra out of the area, where they both disappeared into the darkness. Just then, a couple of police cars rolled to a stop nearby.
Later, Battra found himself standing beside X with his arms crossed over his chest.
"As I said, I don't know the kid. But I did see him once," said X as he looked over the town.
"So... You're a Takeshi?" asked Battra. X gave an amused chuckle.
"Not the surname that I live with. However, my father was named Takeshi," answered X as he turned to face Battra.
"I take it you still want to take me in?" asked X.
"Yes. You've gone too far, and this kid is paying for your crimes," said Battra as he narrowed his eyes.
"How about we compromise?" asked X. Battra bore a look of suspicion.
"I rather not get locked away in the Vault, and you don't want the kid to be locked away. My last little outing the previous day resulted in a bit of bloodshed on my part. They take the DNA to be tested, and find that his blood doesn't match the blood from the crime scene, while I continue to leave a path of marked Purists behind. This may very well be enough to prove his innocence. Maybe not to others, however," said X.
"And if it doesn't?" asked Battra. X smirked.
"You're free to come after me to turn into the police. Either way, you win. Except that the latter will force you to find out what the Purists are up to on your own," said X. Battra looked down in thought. He didn't like making this deal with X as there was no guarantee that the investigation would lead to Junior's innocence. Plus, X could be lying so that he could escape far away, making it much more difficult to track him. But if X kept true to his word, Battra would be letting him hurt any Purist as he pleased, even those vocal about their support. Battra would be turning a blind eye on him for the sake of police getting their attention on X and away from Junior. However, Battra would at least may possibly get Junior out of this situation and keep an ally, albeit questionable one, to stop the Purists in Ponyville. Battra hardened his eyes.
"Fine, but on one condition," said Battra.
"Name it," said X.
"I'll be with you the whole time, choosing the targets for you. I don't want supporters getting killed, you're free to go after the militant ones," said Battra. X rolled his eyes.
"Very well. It's a deal," said X as he and Battra shook hands. Battra felt his stomach tighten by risking everything on his trust in X.