//------------------------------//
// Chapter 27: Chaperone  
// Story: Shy and Aggressive 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

Pain. So much pain was affecting Impact. He winced as his wrist was exposed to a bio fluid from a canister. He gritted his teeth as he groaned from the burning sensation. A few seconds later, the pain had subsided, resulting in a numb feeling. He sighed in relief while a man took a needle and took Impact's wrist.
"How kind of the boss to provide us with GeneCo's product," said the medic as he began to sew Impact's wound.
"Makes me wonder who the hell is able to fund us," said Impact.
"Don't question it, lest you want to find yourself in trouble. As long as he's on our side, it's fine," said the medic with a dismissive tone.
"Yeah well, it kinda makes me uneasy to take orders from a guy that we don't even know," said Impact. He sighed in frustration as he thought back to the previous day's events.
"Damn that Transmutant. Next time, he'll be a blood stain on the ground," said Impact with a hard expression.
"No need to rush into a fight. Take some time to heal. Besides, you did a good job at getting those prototypes out of there. That will definitely give us an advantage," said the medic as he cut the thread after be sealed the wound shut.
"We're gonna need more than just a couple of gauntlets. Those things have some unnatural power to them," said Impact as beheld his hand at his side.



Junior bore a small scowl as he ate his lunch just outside of the cafeteria in the quad. It was growing to be a pain just to be in the cafeteria with the tense atmosphere that he had brought about from the students' animosity towards him. Normally he wouldn't come out here during colder weather since it made him feel sluggish, but anything was better than causing students to migrate to another table to get away from him. He could have taken a seat at the Transmutant table, but he could tell that they were no more comfortable around him compared to the humans. Yep, it felt as though Junior's social life was back to square one. He planned on keeping it that way, considering how he can't trust everyone to stand with him like Fluttershy and the others. Despite his current situation, none of that was the cause of his foul mood. Rather it was caused by something from the previous day.
"Brother. Brother. Brother. I have a brother. And he's a piece of shit," said Junior with a heavy sigh as he tossed his garbage into a nearby trash can. He remained on a bench as he shook his head. Xenjira, the Transmutant vigilante that has nearly gotten him locked up for life. With quicker reflexes, too, apparently. Junior slumped in his seat. Proof of his innocence was just right in his reach, but the son of a bitch refused to help him. Junior could try forcing him, but his father would likely not approve, likely for security reasons of the Guardians.
"Gojira," called a familiar soft voice. Junior glanced to his side and found Fluttershy standing by with a curious look on her face, which was lightly flushing from the cold.
"What are you doing out here in the cold?" asked Fluttershy. Junior turned forward.
"I was just having my lunch. I rather not be in the cafeteria while everyone is shooting me a dirty look. It's annoying," said Junior. Fluttershy bore a small look of disappointment. It was hard for her to hear how much the whole case with X has affected her friend. But despite the powerlessness that she and Junior seemed to have to do anything about it, he never showed any other emotion besides annoyance and anger about it. She wondered if he had ever cried about what's happened. She knew that she would.
"Hey, care to join me?" asked Junior as he scooted over. Fluttershy snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. She took a seat beside him, where they watched as the last leaf on the tree in the center of the quad fell.
"Thanksgiving is almost here. After that, it's Christmas," said Fluttershy, hoping to stir a conversation.
"Yep. Some Thanksgiving dinner sounds good right about now," said Junior.
"Um... Are you doing anything for Christmas?" asked Fluttershy. Junior shook his head.
"Nah. It has nothing to do with personal beliefs and world views. It's just that... It's good to save money, ya know?" responded Junior as he sat straight up in his seat. Fluttershy twiddled her thumbs, realizing she may have stirred up some personal troubles.
"Oh. Well... There's at least winter break," said Fluttershy. Junior nodded to her with a smile.
"My favorite part about the holidays," said Junior. Fluttershy gave a small laugh in response. She rubbed her cold hands together and blew a warm breath of air on them.
"Hey, let's go inside. It's pretty cold today," said Junior as he stood up. Fluttershy nodded as she stood up as well and walked alongside him. The two entered the school's hallway, where they continued to walk together.
"Um... Where are we going?" asked Fluttershy. Junior shrugged in response.
"I don't know. Preferably somewhere that doesn't have a whole lot of people," said Junior.
"Maybe the library?" suggested Fluttershy as she looked at Junior.
"Twilight's not there, is she?" asked Junior.
"No, she's in the cafeteria with the others," answered Fluttershy.
"Library it is," said Junior with a nod. As the two continued making their way to their destination, Fluttershy glanced at the Transmutant.
"I... I heard that you and Twilight had a fight," said Fluttershy. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"That little runt didn't say I hit her, did she?" asked Junior. Fluttershy looked at him with an appalled expression.
"Goodness, no! Why would you think that?" asked Fluttershy. Junior shrugged.
"Just wondering. I think some jackass started a rumor that I did. I heard a couple girls gossiping earlier," said Junior. Fluttershy shook her head in disappointment.
"It must be so frustrating. I'm getting frustrated at these rumors and incidents going on over you that I just want to... To..." Fluttershy puffed her cheeks out as her eyes narrowed. Junior raised a brow as he found her cheeks turning red.
"I wanna scream!" said Fluttershy as her voice slightly raised. She took a deep breath, while Junior recoiled as he braced for what was coming. Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut as released her air, while giving a small, quite scream. Junior cocked his head as Fluttershy gave a small sigh.
"That was it? That was the cutest thing I've ever heard," said Junior. Fluttershy stiffened as her cheeks flushed red. Junior sighed as he looked forward.
"Don't worry about it, Shy. It's just a dumb rumor. They tend to fade after some time," said Junior. Fluttershy stopped blushing and reluctantly nodded.
"If you say so," said Fluttershy. As the two continued on their walk, they made it to the library. It was filled with a few students, who were either on the computers, sitting at a desk studying, or looking through shelves for a book. The two took a seat together at a desk, where Junior took out his phone and began to look through it. As he did this, a nagging thought clicked. He set his phone down.
"Shy, can I ask you something?" asked Junior. Fluttershy tilted her head.
"Hmm?" hummed Fluttershy. Junior scratched his head as he looked away with a look of embarrassment.
"Do you know what uh...do you know any places that a guy and a girl can go to hang out?" asked Junior with cough. Fluttershy felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks grew red.
"Y-You mean like a date?" asked Fluttershy. Junior blushed in embarrassment.
"N-No! No, I just meant as friends, you know?" Junior gave a nervous laugh in response. Fluttershy looked away, seeing Junior's flustered state was only making her more flustered. She cleared her throat.
"W-Well... I don't have many boyfr- er- I mean, friends that are boys! Besides you, Rodan, Angirasu and Flash. But um... I don't think there would be too much of a difference when it comes to a boy and girl hanging out compared with those with the same gender hanging out," said Fluttershy as she held her hands in her lap. Junior looked down in thought.
"So... It doesn't necessarily have to be all that... Date-like?" asked Junior, struggling to find the right word.
"I don't think so," replied Fluttershy. She was almost as red as a cherry by having this conversation. She wondered why he was asking these questions. Perhaps he planned on asking a girl to hang out with. The way he denied the subject being about dates, made her suspicious that he planned on asking someone out.
"A-Alright. Thanks," said Junior as he sat with a light flush on his cheek. Seeing this made Fluttershy's heart race. She bit her lip as she grazed her boot against the other, fidgeting in her seat.
'This is so awkward', thought the girl and Transmutant in unison.
Later that afternoon, Junior was stalking Rodan from the shadows as he entered the locker room. Before he could open the locker, Junior slammed him against the locker.
"Rodan, I need you to help me with something," said Junior in a serious tone.
"Dude, you could've just tapped my shoulder or something," said Rodan with a deadpanned stare. Junior immediately released him.
"Sorry. I need help with something tomorrow afternoon. Involving a group we know," said Junior.
"Okay. what do you need my help for?" asked Rodan. Junior sighed.
"I uh... I promised that I would chaperone these two girls. I need your help to keep them entertained. Think of it as like a... Date, I guess," said Junior. Rodan suddenly cracked a wide grin.




The Next Day...

It was right after school. Junior was walking alongside Rodan, Zip and Thorn. Zip hummed happily as she walked close beside Junior, with her arm locked around his. The male Transmutant flushed in embarrassment, while Thorn watched in annoyance. She suddenly felt Rodan walking close, causing her to glance at her side.
"So, you ladies ready for the time of your life?" asked Rodan with a suave tone.
"I uh... I guess," said Thorn as she slightly moved away from Rodan.
"Where to?" asked Junior. Zip tapped her chin.
"Hmm. Oh! Hey, I always wanted to visit a local pet shop! I wanna see the cute puppies, kittens, and those chinchillas!" said Zip with a squeal. Rodan chuckled as he pulled out his cell phone.
"Well it's your lucky day, gorgeous. Yours truly knows a pet shop with a variety of cute fluffy animals," said Rodan. He cleared his throat as his fun beeped.
"Siri, google directions to, 'Fluff World'," said Rodan. The phone beeped.
"Did you say, 'Huff Ward'?" asked a feminine monotone voice. Rodan sighed in annoyance.
"No. 'Fluff World'," said Rodan. The phone beeped again.
"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. Did you say, 'Snuff World'?" the digital voice asked. Rodan groaned as he grinded his teeth.
"No! I said-" Rodan was interrupted as he placed his hand on the phone with a deadpanned stare.
"Just google it yourself. I think that last one might be some sick porn site," said Junior. Rodan sighed as he turned off Siri and went online on his phone. Meanwhile, Thorn and Zip looked at the phone in confusion.
"Wait, cell phones can use a computer to do what you say and go online like that?" asked Zip in surprise. Junior raised a brow.
"You didn't know? That's been around for a few years now," said Junior. The girls looked at him in shock.
"Seriously?!" asked the girls.
"Hmm. I take it you two aren't tech savvy," said Junior.
"Well, we never really had a need for cell phones. Being together and all. Not to mention those things can be tracked," said Thorn. Junior nodded in response.
"Ah. Makes sense. Honestly, you girls may have lucked out. Everyone and their mother has their face planted on their phones, wasting time. Some dumbasses even get into accidents because they were on their phone," said Junior. He then sighed as he looked at Rodan in annoyance.
"And I still don't get why people rely on stupid automated machines that can't even get a simple command right to google simple things for them!" said Junior. Rodan shrugged.
"What? It saves time," said Rodan.
"It does not! Not to mention lazy! Pretty soon the human race will be relying on automated machines to run their everyday life!" said Junior. Rodan chuckled as he scrolled through his fun.
"Dude, someone has been watching too many science fiction movies," said Rodan.
"Actually, it was a satire that I was watching," retorted Junior. "Just shut up and google that pet store."
"Got it! It's down here," said Rodan as he began to lead the group down the side walk. Thorn made her way to Junior's side.
"You two seem like good friends," said Thorn in a whisper.
"Trust me, you'd get annoyed with him sometimes too," whispered Junior back. Zip made her way by Rodan's side.
"So, Rodan. What's a great place for a girl to meet a bunch of nice and good looking guys? My friend Thorn here is interested in looking for one," said Zip. Thorn's face flushed furiously as she stiffened.
"S-Shut up Zip! That's not true!" cried Thorn. Zip snickered at her friend's flustered state.
"Kidding!" said Zip. Thorn groaned in annoyance.
"You're always doing this! Even back in Letchi!" said Thorn. Junior's eyes widened in response.
"Wait, Letchi?" asked Junior.
"Oh that's right. You didn't know," said Thorn. Rodan looked at the two in confusion.
"Wait, what? What's Letchi?" asked Rodan. Junior sighed.
"Didn't you pay attention in history class? Letchi is part of the chain of islands in the pacific, under the Neighponese and Equestrian governments' influence. They were founded in the 1960s," said Junior. Rodan looked at Junior in surprise.
"Wow, you know all of that? Someone studies hard, you big nerd," said Rodan with a chuckle. Junior scoffed in annoyance.
"It's part of Neighponese, Equestrian, and Transmutant history. You should learn about your heritage," said Junior. Zip hummed as she looked at Junior with a flirty smile.
"Did I mention that I like smart guys?" asked Zip. Junior sighed as he looked away.
"I'm not that smart. And Rodan, you at least know that Transmutants were enslaved after World War 2, right? Because they figured out how to 'tame' us with inhibitor packs, the starting points of inorganic inhibitor chips," said Junior. Zip sighed as she ran her hand over Junior's shoulder.
"Keep talking history to me," said Zip. Junior immediately recoiled, while Zip laughed in amusement.
"Oooh! Right! There were some other islands with some funky names too! I remember the slavery part. OK, so wait. What's the big shocker here?" asked Rodan.
"Letchi, along with the other islands, fell during the mid-80s. They were nuked after when the human governments were overthrown by the rebelling slaves," answered Junior. Rodan winced.
"Oh. Man, overkill," said Rodan.
"Funny thing is that it wasn't Equestria. Neighpon's constitution restricts them to self-defense and they aren't allowed to have nuclear weapons, so they're out too. I think it was the Hooviet Union that was responsible. That shit almost started a full blown nuclear war," said Junior.
"Rough. So wait, you girls are from one of those islands?" asked Rodan. Zip nodded.
"Yeah. Despite the effects of nuclear fallout, survivors of the blast didn't have to worry about radiation poisoning if they were Transmutants. Our parents and other survivors managed to put up small communities with survivors, leading to us. You can still see the ruins of the city on our island standing," said Zip. She then nudged Thorn's shoulder.
"Thorn and I are siblings. We were a part of a community on what was left on Letchi. Nature slowly worked itself to be restored. Unfortunately, there was always some trouble back on Letchi," said Zip.
"Like what?" asked Junior.
"Well for one, Revolutionaries kept recruiting members of our community for their cause. And there was always scarcity of food. It wasn't a great place to live in. Especially when..." Zip gave a heavy and sad sigh.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Let's just say that we got caught in the middle between MONARCH and the Revolutionaries' fight," said Zip as she rubbed her arm. Junior nodded in understanding. He had to assume that given MONARCH's efforts to eliminate Transmutant threats, there may have been bad calls that led to innocents suffering. Junior shook his head.
"Anyway. Thorn and I along with a few others were left with no family and community. Then, your dad and a few other Guardians came to our sad little island. He took us in, a bunch of pre-teen orphan girls. And we've found ourselves living among a large group of Transmutants ever since," said Zip. She softly smiled as she glanced at Junior.
"We have your dad to thank. If not for him, we probably wouldn't be alive today," said Zip. Junior looked at her curiously.
"What was my dad doing in Letchi?" asked Junior.
"You know, we never asked. But I assume he was just looking for other Transmutants to recruit. I guess he wasn't expecting to find a bunch of kids in deep trouble," said Thorn. Junior looked down in thought. It may have not mattered as to why his father would be out there in the pacific on one of the fallen islands. To think these girls had a dire predicament and likely a rough child hood was a big surprise to him. Still, hearing how his father was the one that helped them made him happy.
"Well, it was a good thing that he was," said Junior.
"Your dad seems like a pretty cool guy, Goji," said Rodan.
"Thanks. Hey, are we almost at that pet store?" asked Junior.
"Oh yeah. Just nearby," answered Rodan. The group continued their walk, rounding down a corner. As they arrived around the corner, they found a large building, with a white sign that read 'Fluff World'. The sign bore images of bones for the L's and a ball of yarn for the letter O. A large window gave a partial view of the inside, showing the shop to be larger on the inside. The group entered inside, finding aisles divided based on aquatic related products, house hold pet products, and of course areas where animals were kept based on their respective aisle. Zip squealed in delight as she ran down towards glass cages that were filled with mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and the animals that she wanted to see.
"Chinchillas!" cried Zip as she held her face against the cage. The fuzziness of these animals warmed her heart. Thorn followed after her, leaving Junior and Rodan by the entrance.
"You think I can score with either of them? Oh. You don't mind if I flirt with Zip do you?" asked Rodan.
"I have yet to see you succeed in flirting with girls. But if you want, knock yourself out," said Junior without a care in the world.
"Really? She seems to like you," said Rodan in surprise.
"She's just teasing," said Junior as he crossed his arms. Rodan sighed.
"You're hopeless. You're too dense to recognize a girl's feelings for you," said Rodan. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Get real. As if there are girls out there with romantic feelings for me," chuckled Junior. Rodan smirked in response.
"Oh you'd surprised," said Rodan. Junior raised a brow at him in response.
"Aw! Who's a cutie? You are!" cooed Zip as she watched a guinea pig brush its head off of litter. Junior hummed to himself as he stood by the reptile house, finding tanks filled with snakes, lizards, and turtles. He leaned down over to the cage of a frilled dragon as it remained perched on a wooden branch that was inside. Junior stared at the lizard as it remained still, except its sides whenever it took a breath.
"These things are boring to watch, yet I can't take my eyes off them," said Junior to himself as he stared at the lizard. Rodan made his way by Junior's side.
"Why are you watching lizards? I'm sure you got enough scales already," said Rodan in a joking manner.
"I rather watch them than become one," responded Junior as he stood upright.
"Hey, you know how they say that reptiles can't feel emotions other than aggression and fear? Think about it, they don't even feel emotions like love. Parents of their offspring tend to leave them alone to fend for themselves. You think..." Junior scratched his head with a small look of disappointment. Based on what his friends had told him when he was transformed, he had an uneasy feeling in his gut.
"Do I think what?" asked Rodan.
"Ah. Never mind, it's dumb," said Junior with a forced chuckle. The two went back to watching the reptiles, while Rodan glanced at Junior. He shrugged.
"I have heard something like that. But I personally don't think it's entirely true," said Rodan.
"I mean, maybe they don't. I'm not a zoologist. But the funny thing is that mother alligators stay with their babies for a while to teach them how to survive. Whether it's just instinct that they have or if they actually care about their babies is a mystery to me. But I like to think that some can feel other emotions, but they aren't really aware of it and can't fully express it like other animals. If that makes sense," said Rodan as he scratched his head. Junior glanced at him and then looked forward.
"You're not concerned about a love life, are you?" asked Rodan in a teasing tone. Junior rolled his eyes.
"No. I was just thinking out loud," said Junior. As the two went back to join Zip and Thorn, Junior was lost in thought. It wasn't a concern that he wouldn't be able to reciprocate the feelings of another, that is if he even had any luck meeting someone that he would have romantic feelings for. He was concerned about another possible time that he would unintentionally transform. After all, he was a reptilian based Transmutant. He feared that if he was something that only reacted on instinct, then would he recognize others he had a close relationship to. The possibilities bothered Junior to no end, to the point on wondering how he would ever live a normal life. However, as much as he yearned for it, his life may always be the opposite of normal. And despite how fictional media that he had seen made it look, it was no way in any shape or form magical or exciting.



During their walk, Junior looked around the area down town. People were out and about on their usual business, as the cold temperatures sent chills. Zip was clinging to Junior for warmth. All of this close contact with the girl was actually making him feel hotter compared to his natural metabolism that kept him warmer in the cold compared to normal humans. As of now, the group was nearing the plaza, where a few stores of interest were present. As they reached the plaza, the group entered a clothing store. Junior and Rodan found themselves watching Zip and Thorn checking out the clothes that were present. From jackets to foot wear. Junior sighed.
"You sound bored," said Rodan.
"I'm sorry, but I was never a fan of shopping for clothes. It sucks," said Junior as he took out his phone to look through it. No notifications were available, much to his relief. He would rather that others he knew weren't aware of this whole thing.
"Gojira? Rodan?" called a familiar voice. Junior stiffened while Rodan glanced to the source of the voice. The owner was none other than Mosura, who was present with Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami. Junior began to sweat with nervousness as they approached.
"Shit! Just act natural. We can't let them suspect anything, “whispered Junior.
"You can start by chilling out!" hissed Rodan with a whisper.
"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" asked Mosura in her usual friendly tone, that always seemed to welcome every individual that she spoke to.
"Uh we..." Junior mentally groaned as he attempted to think up an answer.
"Oh, we're just shopping with some friends," said Rodan. Junior nearly grunted in frustration with the giveaway of the truth.
"Oh? Who?" asked Erika in curiosity. Before Rodan could answer, Zip rushed over to Junior's side.
"Hey Goji! What do you think of this top? Pretty cute, right?" asked Zip with a flirty smile. She then noticed the rest of the girls, who stared in surprise.
"Oh. Who are they?" asked Zip as Thorn came by. Junior grimaced.
"Uh... Zip, Thorn, these are my friends. Mosura Yasu, Sunset Shimmer, and Erika Shiragami. Girls, this is Zip and Thorn. They're uh... Some friends from middle school!" lied Junior with a forced smile.
"Oh! Nice to meet you," greeted Erika. Mosura bore a small look of suspicion as she noticed Junior's uneasiness.
"I didn't know you had friends in middle school. You made it seem like you've always been a loner," said Sunset in surprise as she analyzed the two girls.
"Ah well. You know," chuckled Junior.
"Know what?" deadpanned Sunset. Junior gulped.
"Oh. Yeah, Gojira has been quite the loner in school," interjected Thorn, drawing the attention away from Junior. She came by his side as she patted his shoulder.
"But you know, the guy had no choice but to open up more when we were paired with him in art class. Communication is key in group assignments," said Thorn as she winked at Junior. The male Transmutant knew that this was the cover story needed. After all, he was sure that the other girls weren't attending the same junior high as he had.
"Right! We um... We just ran into each other the other day and thought we should catch up. I invited Rodan since eh... He's fun?" said Junior with a cough. Rodan smirked.
"Yeah. These girls would be bored if they were hanging out with Goji by themselves. He doesn't know how to loosen up," said Rodan. Junior nodded with a forced laugh.
"Nope! I sure don't!" said Junior. Thorn grimaced in response.
'Jeez. What's with him? If he keeps acting so anxious it will look suspicious,' thought Thorn.
"Oh. Do you two attend Ponyville High?" asked Mosura.
"Uh... No. We attend... Crystal Prep! Yeah, that's it!" said Zip. Junior's eyes widened in response while the rest of the girls looked on in surprise.
"Really? I hear that's a pretty tough school," said Erika.
"It's one of high ranking high schools in the country. Praised for its students' proficiency in academics. It's quite strict," said Sunset.
"And for having snobby, spoiled rich brats of lawyers and doctors," muttered Junior with a hint of disdain in his voice. He had heard of this academy before and he also had the displeasure of meeting a couple of its students back in his freshmen year, during a soccer game against the school. The students’ pretentious attitude when they won the game grinded his gears.
"That's in Canterlot city. I take it you two are visiting our little town?" asked Mosura.
"Totes! It's nice out here! Not to mention this guy is here," said Zip as she took Junior's arm, who tried to get away from her. Mosura had her sights on their locked arms, unknowingly clenching her teeth.
"You know, this guy can be a real sweetheart! We asked him to pick up a gift for a friend when we were busy with work. I told him that he'd get a peck on the cheek by me if he did so. He was so eager!" giggled Zip. Mosura grunted under her breath as her eyes widened. Sunset smirked at Junior as he flushed furiously.
"I was not! Besides, it was a simple favor! You gave me money to pay for her gift! I wasn't trying to gain anything!" said Junior as he glared at Zip.
"True. But you still accepted my thank you kiss~," sang Zip. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Because I thought you were kidding! I wasn't expecting it," said Junior. He could tell that Zip was having a blast at embarrassing him in front of his friends. Her smile gave it away. Junior felt like digging a deep hole to hide in.
"Oooh. Someone's blushing hard," said Sunset in a teasing tone, while Erika watched in amusement.
"Hey, don't you start too," said Junior in annoyance.
"So um... Would you accept a favor if a girl offered you a kiss?" asked Mosura as she twiddled her thumbs. Junior groaned as he held his head.
"I'm not listening! La la la la!" Junior began to walk away from area and towards a nearby bathroom. Rodan stifled his laughter.
"I'm... Hehe... I'm gonna check on him," said Rodan as he rushed to the bathroom. Mosura watched in silence and glanced at Zip as she and Thorn conversed with Erika and Zip. Zip was a pretty girl and seemed to have been pretty close to Junior. Not to mention that she had kissed him. Mosura's cheeks reddened with jealousy as her brows lightly furrowed. Though she felt silly for letting an apparent kiss on the cheek get to her, it was certainly a lot more than what she had done.
'Agh! When did I start getting jealous over him?!' thought Mosura. Junior had emerged from the bathroom with Rodan behind him. A calm expression was on his face as he regrouped with the others.
"Hey um... Sorry to interrupt. But we gotta go," said Junior.
"How come? We don't mind sticking with you," said Sunset.
"These two have to catch the train back to Canterlot by six. So we uh... Gotta check out some spots for them while they still have time," said Junior as he began to usher Zip and Thorn away, while they protested.
"Oh. OK. See you boys on Monday. It was nice meeting you two!" said Sunset with a wave and smile. The female Transmutants waved to them as they left with Junior and Rodan.
"They seem nice," said Erika. Mosura sighed heavily as she crossed her arms.
"Yep," said Mosura. Erika and Sunset looked her way. Sunset smirked.
'Ah. I see,' thought Sunset.



"What's with leaving them? Kinda rude, you know," said Thorn. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"I know. I know. But I didn't want to die of embarrassment. Besides, I wanted to separate from them before they could suspect something. And Zip, what the hell was that?" asked Junior. Zip shrugged.
"What? The story about the kiss? Come on, it wasn't that big of a deal," responded Zip.
"Not that. Crystal Prep? Why couldn't you pick another school? They could have asked some shit like something that only a student of that school would know," deadpanned Junior.
"Ah. But they didn't," said Zip. Junior sighed as he shook his head.
"She doesn't always plan for the smaller stuff. You get used to it," said Thorn. The group walked down the road as the male Transmutants carried bags filled with items that were bought while at the plaza. As they walked, Rodan noticed a man standing by a car, watching the group as they walked. Rodan felt a bit unease by the watchful eyes. He then noticed the same man talking to a couple of other men. One of them bore a Purist tattoo on his forehead. Rodan gulped.
"Yo. Goji. Act natural. I think some Purists are watching us," whispered Rodan. Junior's eyes slightly widened in response. He glanced at the girls as they conversed with each other.
'Shit. What should we do?' thought Junior as he felt the stares on his back.
"Hey, why don't we all go see a movie?" asked Junior. Zip and Thorn looked at each other in thought, while Rodan looked at him with wide eyes.
"OK! Where's a movie theater?" asked Zip.
"This way," said Junior as he led the group. Rodan made his way by his side.
"What are you thinking?! Why are we going to the movies with potential stalkers?!" whispered Rodan.
"It's to be safe among a large number of people. Besides, I think those guys are only interested in me. They wouldn't know you were Transmutants unless they saw your identification codes," whispered Junior back. "We need to make sure they're out of harm’s way. I'll call Manda on that walkie-talkie she gave us."
"So, glad that she did," said Rodan with a nervous gulp.




Later...

Zip and Thorn found themselves inside of a movie theater, surrounded by many other people. As they watched the movie at its middle, Thorn looked to her left, finding the seat where Junior sat beside Zip was empty. Rodan's seat on her right was also empty.
"Hey, where are the guys?" asked Thorn.
Meanwhile in the bathroom, Junior and Rodan stood next to each other with a military-like walkie-talkie.
"So, that's story. We think some Purists recognize me and we're worried that they'll try something," said Junior.
"Oh crap. OK, I'll be down there with some friends to get you all home safely. I got your location down, and we'll be there shortly. Stay together and in crowds as much as possible. Over and out," said Manda over the radio. Rodan sighed in relief.
"OK. I'm feeling a lot better about this situation," said Rodan. Junior hummed as he looked out the bathroom door.
"First, I want to be sure that those guys aren't around," said Junior as he made his way to the bathroom exit.
"Hey! Wait, you crazy idiot! They could be out there!" cried Rodan. The two made their way out to the lobby, which was only filled with a few employees and a couple of movie goers at the concession stand. It was already dark outside, with a few street lights lighting up the street. Junior and Rodan peaked outside, finding only a couple of people out and about while some cars were parked on the sidewalks. No sign of the men. Rodan and Junior fully exited the theater and stepped to the side walk. Rodan chuckled.
"Ha! What were we trippin' about? Ain't nobody wants to mess with the G-man and the Ro-Dog! Ruff! Ruff!" laughed Rodan as he and Junior looked down the street. He immediately lost his smile as he saw a lone van in the middle of the road, with its lights dimmed.
"Hey, who's that?" asked Rodan in a nervous tone. The van's lights suddenly brightened and its tires screeched against the road. As the vehicle moved, the two noticed the passenger window rolled down while the side door in the back slid open. Rodan's eyes widened in realization.
"Drive by," said Rodan.
"Huh?" asked Junior.
"Drive by! Run!" cried Rodan as he ran down the sidewalk. Junior turned and found hands sticking out of the side of the van, holding guns.
"Holy shit!" cried Junior as he turned and ran after Rodan. The sound of rapid gun fire filled the air. Bullets struck the ground and walls around the Transmutants, even striking a car. People that were near the area screamed and dove for cover as the shots filled the air. Junior and Rodan ran towards an alley while slamming into a metal trash can. Rodan cursed as he staggered back up and ran. Junior took the trash lid and held it behind himself as the van pulled up to the alley. Three men hopped out of the van's side and fired their Uzi sub-machine guns at the Transmutants. The two made it to a wall that lead to a nearby church. Rodan leaped off an abandoned car and landed on the wall.
"Quick! Toss me the lid!" said Rodan. Junior did as he was told. He hopped onto the car and over the wall.
"You don't know who you're messing with!" shouted Rodan as he threw the lid like a Frisbee. The lid nearly struck one of the men, who ducked just in time. He growled as he shot up and began to fire at Rodan.
"Eeeek!!" Rodan screamed in a high pitch tone as the bullets struck just near his feet on the wall and all around him. He immediately fell back over the wall, disappearing from sight.
"Damn! Come on, let's go!" shouted one of the men as he and the others hopped back into the van. The vehicle drove off with a screech. Meanwhile, Junior and Rodan burst through the back door of the local church. Darkness filled the area. The two panted as their hearts raced. They quickly peaked through nearby windows, looking for their hunters. They had never experienced something as terrifying before in their lives. At least Junior hadn't, since Rodan recalled he was nearly eaten.
"Oh man. Where's Manda?" asked Junior anxiously as he peaked through a window.
"Rodan, I think we should leave through the opposite end if they come through the entrance or vice versa. Rodan?" called Junior as he looked around. He found Rodan kneeling in front of the altar as he gazed up at a statue of Christ on the cross, mounted on the wall.
"And I promise to never lie to my mother ever again! Just let me live!" muttered Rodan. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"For fuck's sake! Did you hear me?!" asked Junior.
"Hey! Language dude! We're in God's house!" said Rodan in disapproval.
"OK, first of all, this is just a building made of wood. I don't think God would dwell in something like this. Second of all, you're bargaining your life with a statue that's an inaccurate representation of Jesus! Now if you're done screwing around, I would like to get out of here alive!" said Junior in frustration. Of all times Rodan had to lose his cool is when they are barricaded not too far from the drive by. He winced as he felt a sharp pain.
"Ow. Ow. Oh, my God," said Junior with a gasp. Rodan turned and found Junior clutching his shoulder as it bore a blood stain.
"You got shot!" cried Rodan. Junior winced as he removed his sweater and pulled back the short sleeve of his shirt. Sure enough, there was the bullet wound.
"I think it just grazed me. I didn't even notice it until now. Fuck it hurts!" hissed Junior. Rodan moaned as he paced around.
"What do we do? What do we do?" muttered Rodan with anxiety. Junior's eyes widened as he heard a vehicle pull up. He peaked through a window and found the van out in the front, with the men approaching the entrance.
"They're coming! Hide!" said Junior. As they hid, the door to the church was busted open. The Purists stepped inside, one by one with their weapons drawn.
"We should get going. The cops will be coming soon," said one of the men.
"Not until we kill that mutie. That freak may have dodged the law's bullet, but he won't dodge ours," said another man.
"Man. They gotta be here. I shot one of them. I know I shot one of them," said a third Purist. The three searched every corner of the main room of the building. They quietly stepped through the rows of seats in the church. The sound of crashing filled the air, prompting the Purists to turn and shoot at the source of the sound. They stopped, finding a piano's top to have been abruptly shut. Now it was covered in bullet holes. From the side, a Purist notice a drum set being raised into the air. It was suddenly hurled towards him before he could raise his weapon. As he collapsed onto the ground from the blow, the rest of the Purists turned and found Junior running down the aisle with a guitar in his hand. He swung the instrument at the second Purist, knocking him down, and rolled away from the third's stream of bullets.
"Ah this was a bad idea! I'm about to die as an idiot!" said Junior in exasperation as he hid behind a long row of seats. Suddenly, Rodan dropped down from a balcony with the statue of Christ in his arms. He yelled as dropped down and slammed the large and hard object down on the two remaining men. The porcelain statue's top half shattered against the men’s' skulls, while they dropped down unconscious. Rodan panted as he dropped the statue.
"The power of Christ compels you, bitches!" said Rodan in triumph. He then immediately cupped his mouth as he looked around the church for some spirit to smite him for cursing in the building.
"Thanks man," said Junior in relief as he raised himself out of cover.
"No problem. Though I think the church folks will not be pleased to see that I broke this," said Rodan as he looked at the statue with a grimace.
"It's not like you actually killed the guy. Besides, I'm pretty sure there's a rule against idols or something. You just did them a favor," said Junior as he kicked a groaning Purist. The sound of sirens filled the air.
"Uh oh! We better split!" said Junior as he ran to the back. Rodan quickly followed him, leaving the Purists behind.



Junior winced as his shoulder was being sewed by Kumonga. She held a hooked needle with thread to seal the boy's wound shut. Thorn and Zip watched worriedly while Rodan leaned in his seat in exhaustion.
"I told you to stay together and in crowds. Why didn't you listen?" asked Manda in disapproval.
"I had to be sure if they were outside waiting for us. Though we got too comfortable outside," said Junior. He then hissed in pain.
"That's the consequence for being stupid," deadpanned Kumonga. Junior scowled in response.
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Zip.
"I was afraid how you would react. I didn't want them knowing that we were onto them. Besides, they didn't seem to shy away from shooting at Rodan. I feared the worst," said Junior with a wince.
"Oh. So, the worst wasn't us getting killed ourselves?" asked Rodan in a sarcastic tone. Kumonga finished sewing Junior's wound.
"Alright. Don't mess with your stitches. They should dissolve eventually," said Kunonga.
"Thanks," said Junior as he placed his shirt back on. Kumonga smiled as she ruffled Junior's hair.
"No. Thank you for looking out for my girls. The both of you," said Kumonga with a warm smile. Junior bore an inquisitive look.
"Your girls?" asked Junior.
"After your dad took us in, Kumonga had been there looking out for us, teaching us the ropes about the group and how to contribute to the cause. She's like family," said Thorn.
"Oh. Well, it was no problem. Rodan enjoyed himself, right?" asked Junior as he looked to his friend.
"I'm not talking to you right now. You almost got us killed," said Rodan as he crossed his arms. Junior scoffed.
"What are you complaining about? I'm the one that got shot!" said Junior in annoyance.
"We'll have to tell your dad about this. We may need to watch over you if Purists are willing to take violent actions against you over the X case," said Manda.
"Damn you, Xenjira," growled Junior with a scowl. He knew that once she found out, his mother was going to throw a fit.
Later that night, Junior and Rodan were dropped off near their neighborhoods. The two walked together in the night.
"Crazy night," said Junior.
"Scary is more like it," deadpanned Rodan. As the two walked, Rodan chuckled.
"Man, I didn't even tell my folks that I loved them today. So, glad we lived," said Rodan in relief.
"Hey, how did you know beforehand that those guys were gonna shoot us?" asked Junior in curiosity.
"Heh. Well, I use to live in a rough neighborhood back in Los Pegasus," said Rodan. Junior looked at him in surprise.
"You?" asked Junior.
"Yep. In the hood, when you see a vehicle slowly rolling by or coming out of the darkness like a ghost, you're in trouble. I lived in a neighborhood filled with Transmutant gang members. I was the little brother of the neighborhood, so I got along with the older kids. One day however, one of them would no longer be around. They either died because of something trivial and stupid with another Transmutant gang, or they were jumped by a gang of Purist supporters. Gang members, but with Purist ideology," said Rodan. He sighed heavily.
"The hood was no place for a kid, especially when his parents were trying to raise him to be an upright individual, so my folks had me move in with my uncle here in Ponyville. When I was in middle school, my parents surprised me when they told me that they managed to buy a house here in town. It was in a decent neighborhood too," said Rodan as he looked to the sky with a soft smile.
"Dad got into a good job involving construction, and mom became a teacher in a school that actually could afford to employ her. Things had become steady for us, though I have a bit trouble at keeping my change in my pockets," said Rodan with a chuckle.
"Yeah? How's your relationship with your family compared to mine?" asked Junior.
"Mine? Well, pretty decent. Mom's kinda a nag," said Rodan as he scratched his head.
"Hmm. Hey, did your dad ever try to say that he hits you because he loves you?" asked Junior with a raised brow. Rodan looked at him in confusion.
"You talking about abuse?" asked Rodan.
"No, of course not. I just meant... Has he taught you how to fight?" asked Junior.
"I'm sure a lot of fathers do that with their sons, right? Mine did. We use to box when I was a little kid," said Rodan. Junior chuckled.
"Sounds ideal. Mine never stuck around long enough to teach me to fight. I had to learn on my own through trial and error. Plus, my mom was always opposed to him teaching me, worried that I'd just use my fists on anyone I didn't like," said Junior.
"Recently, he's taught me. But damn, I think he's rough on me," said Junior as he winced at the pain he felt whenever his father knocked him down into the dirt.
"Yeah. Good thing we learned how to defend ourselves. Otherwise we'd be toast. And for what? Over a mistaken identity of your half-brother from Flash Sentry's phone?" chuckled Rodan. Junior's eyes widened in response.
"Wait, what did you just say?" asked Junior as he looked towards Rodan.
"Uh..." Rodan stiffened as his eyes widened.
"Er... What?" asked Rodan. Junior hardened his eyes.
"Rodan, don't bullshit me. I heard you. That video was from Flash? And you guys never told me?" demanded Junior. Rodan winced in response. He sighed.
"Well... Yeah. Gojira, look I didn't tell you because I was worried that you would've done something to make your situation worse. I'm sorry man," said Rodan. Junior inhaled deeply through his nose and let out a long exhale.
"You know, that's fair. You're right, it may have been a bad idea to tell me sooner," said Junior in a calm tone. Rodan gave a weak smile.
"So... Are we still cool?" asked Rodan. Junior nodded with a sigh.
"Yeah, we're cool," said Junior. Rodan sighed in relief.
"OK, cool. Come on, let's go home before we get shot at again," said Rodan in a joking manner. He quickly walked ahead, while Junior lagged behind, with his expression hardened. His fist was clenched and his brows were furrowed with a building anger. His misfortune of late, and the near loss of his life and Rodan's was all because of Flash Sentry. Upset was a soft, loose term to use to describe Junior's mood right now.