It was almost evening. Twilight was rushing down the sidewalk as she held an umbrella over herself. The rain fell as the cold air chilled her. Twilight carried a bag of books that she had borrowed from the library that she was at earlier. Right now, her eyes bore anxiousness in them as she ran. Soon, Twilight came across a house that stood in a neighborhood. She quickly knocked on the door as she stood in the rain. The door opened, revealing Rarity as she quickly gestured for Twilight to come inside. The petite girl complied as she stepped in, after closing her umbrella. She removed her coat as she gave a tired pant. Twilight found herself among the rest of the Main Six and Sunset Shimmer within Rarity's living room.
"Glad you can make it, Twilight," said Sunset in relief. Twilight nodded as she took a seat on the couch.
"I was just at the library. What's happening?" asked Twilight as she caught her breath.
"I... I think I can talk to animals," said Fluttershy. The girls looked at her in confusion.
"You mean that you talk, and they talk right back?" asked Applejack.
"Sort of. They can't speak like humans, but I understand what they're saying. Watch," said Fluttershy as a white, fluffy cat with well-groomed fur and a bow came by. Fluttershy got on her knees on the ground as she drew the cat's attention.
"Hi Opal. How are you doing today?" asked Fluttershy. The cat merely tilted her head and meowed.
"We're discussing some problems that we have. Mine is that for some reason, I can understand kitties like you, and other animals," said Fluttershy as she smiled at the cat. The rest of the girls watched with wide eyes as Fluttershy began to have a conversation with Rarity's cat.
"Hey, ask her something that only she would know!" said Pinkie, eager to see if what they were witnessing was real. Fluttershy hummed in thought.
"Oh! How do you like living with your owner, Rarity?" asked Fluttershy. Rarity leaned closely with a look of curiosity on her face. The cat sat in silence.
"Meow." Fluttershy's eyes widened as she held a hand to her mouth.
"Oh my," said Fluttershy.
"What did she say?" asked Rainbow in confusion. Fluttershy lightly flushed as she looked away.
"I... I can't say." The rest of the girls looked at Fluttershy in confusion.
"Why not?" asked Twilight.
"She said that... 'it's poop'," said Fluttershy. The girls sent her odd looks.
"Poop?" asked Pinkie. Fluttershy leaned closer as she held a hand by her mouth.
"She actually said the 'S' word," whispered Fluttershy. Rarity gasped in shocked.
"Opal!" said Rarity. Opal merely gave an inaudible grunt as she turned away. Rarity felt as though her heart was stabbed.
"Uh." Rarity stared with a slack jawed look.
"B-But why? You don't like living with me?" asked Rarity with teary eyes.
"Meow, meow. Meow! Meow! Meow!" Opal meowed as if she was on a rant. The teens stared and looked to Fluttershy for a translation. The rose haired girl jumped in realization as she noticed the stares.
"Oh! She says that the brush that you use hurts and that when you aren't around, Sweetie Belle smothers her when she wants to be alone," said Fluttershy.
"Oh. Ugh, Sweetie Belle," growled Rarity in annoyance. Fluttershy cleared her throat as she glanced at the cat.
"She’s also mad that you took away her cat nip privileges," said Fluttershy. Rarity crossed her arms with a scoff.
"Of course, I did! You made a mess the last time that you got your paws on cat nip! I can solve the brush and sister issue, but you are not having cat nip!" said Rarity. The cat yowled as she faced Rarity.
"She said that's not fair. She's going to tear your fabric next time in your room," said Fluttershy. Rarity gasped in shock. She then stared down the cat with furrowed brows.
"Fine, you can have cat nip once a month," said Rarity. Opal meowed.
"Once a week," said Fluttershy.
Once every two weeks. That's my final offer!" said Rarity as she crossed her arms.
"Meow."
"Deal," said Fluttershy. Rarity knelt to her cat as she held a hand out to shake. The cat merely stuck her nose in the air and left as she meowed.
"Only smelly dogs shake," translated Fluttershy. She then gasped and looked at Opal in disapproval as she left. Rarity moaned as she slumped her head.
"Man, cats are mean," said Rainbow as she watched the cat.
"Heh. That's why I own a dog," said AJ as she crossed her arms. Pinkie grinned from ear to ear.
"That is super-duper awesome! You're like the doctor from that Eddie Murphy movie!" said Pinkie as she excitedly shook Fluttershy by her shoulders. Twilight and Sunset still bore dumbfounded looks on their faces at what they had witnessed.
"I... I always fantasized about being able to talk to animals and understand them," admitted Fluttershy with an embarrassed smile.
"Cool. Now you get to come off as a freak to people whenever you talk to animals," deadpanned Rainbow. Applejack nudged her with a look of disapproval as Fluttershy deeply frowned with a look of worry.
"At least you can hide it, sugarcube. Earlier, I lifted a dang tractor over my head, with my bare hands!" said Applejack as she pointed at her biceps on her arm.
"No way!" said Rainbow with wide eyes.
"I swear! My sister saw me!" said Applejack.
"Well you can pretend to not be so strong. I ended up running to three different countries in less than an hour! I don't even know how to stop myself! Running fast is part of my life, man!" said Rainbow in misery.
"I was trying to reach for a book earlier, but my hand started glowing and the next thing I knew, books were levitating in the air with the same kind of glow," said Twilight as she held her own hand with a look of worry.
"I can project some kind of force fields, shaped like diamonds. I mean, they are beautiful, but it isn't natural!" said Rarity. Sunset nodded.
"I... When I touch someone, I kinda get a glimpse at their memories. I can feel what they feel and see what they saw. It's how I knew that Gojira's brother was the one that framed him," said Sunset. The girls all directed their attention to Pinkie, who remained silent.
"Pinkie, did you experience anything freaky?" asked Rainbow with a raised brow.
"I'm not sure what happened. I was just making cookies and I tossed some more sprinkles on one of them and my kitchen exploded," said Pinkie with a shrug.
"Exploded?" asked Twilight with wide eyes.
"Yeah! Like this!" said Pinkie as she poured sprinkles into her hands and tossed them in the air.
"No!!" cried the girls in alarm as the sprinkles left Pinkie's hand. The sprinkles glowed brightly and sparked and then burst into a pink explosion. As the pink smoke cleared, the girls all stood in the living room with their hair blown all over. Rarity wailed in horror as she felt her hair.
"My hair!! My house! What's the damage?!" cried Rarity in dread as she looked around. Nothing seemed to be seriously damaged. A few chairs were knocked over, some picture frames lied flat, and a bit of dark spots covered the wall.
"I thought if I used less sprinkles, the damage wouldn't be so bad," said Pinkie as she held up her sprinkle container. Rarity turned to face her with her eye twitching and her teeth grinding.
"Pinkie Pie," growled Rarity. Pinkie bore a sheepish smile as Sunset cautiously approached her side.
"Let's avoid touching stuff for a while," said Sunset as she took the sprinkles away from Pinkie. Twilight bit her thumb as she looked around.
"This is serious! Pinkie carried such destructive power! Who knows what sort of damage that can be done?" said Twilight as she pulled on her hair.
"I could levitate the town miles into the air! Pinkie can blow up like five blocks of an area! Applejack can unintentionally hurt someone or even kill them!" said Twilight as she held her head as her eye twitched. The girls looked at each other worriedly at the damage that they could cause, but also Twilight's nervous breakdown. Twilight laughed crazily as she held her arms. Sunset began to furiously shake Twilight with a glare.
"Hey! Don't talk like that! None of those things are going to happen!" said Sunset as she snapped Twilight out of her breakdown. Sunset stood the petite girl up.
"We're going to figure this out somehow. Gojira's bug friend wasn't much help when we went see them alone, but I-"
"Wait, he helped you but not us?! What the hell?!" said Rainbow in disbelief. Twilight deeply frowned as she looked down at the ground.
"Can you blame him? We brought it on ourselves," said Twilight. The rest of the Main Six frowned in response, though Fluttershy's frown was for her friends that were filled with guilt and regret.
"Look, maybe if we all go together and tell the Transmutants, they'll help us. They can't risk chaos caused by a bunch of teenagers. Let's see if we can get Goji to take us tomorrow," said Sunset.
"Can't you just take us there yourself since you already know the way?" asked Applejack with a raised brow.
"I could, but I feel safer with Gojira around. I can bet that he'll make sure they don't shoot us," said Sunset. The girls all bore looks of discomfort.
"Oh, I'm just oozing with confidence," deadpanned Rainbow.
"Can you girls please help me clean up?" asked Rarity as she looked around the living room with slumped shoulders. "My parents will kill me if they find the living room like this."
Genshiro Shiragami sighed in relief as he rubbed his tired eyes. He smiled as he reached inside of a cage and pulled out a lab mouse. He looked it over as it squirmed in his hand. He stared at a forelimb that appeared as bare as a baby's bottom. He then began to gently pick at the limb as he looked the mouse over. He then gently placed it back into the cage.
"The subject appears to be healthy," said Genshiro as he looked to the other cages as Amoeba placed a water bottle for one of the cages. The mice in the other cages bore limbs that were stumps, but they showed signs of regrowing. One in particular bore a nearly full regenerated limb.
"This is incredible. We managed to not only create a possible finished product for the super soldier program, but also the most powerful cure for all diseases and those suffering from severe injuries," said Amoeba with a smile. Genshiro nodded as he rubbed his sweating brow.
"Soon, we may be able to move on to human trials," said Genshiro.
"Not soon. Now," said a familiar voice. The two scientists turned to find Discord to be standing in front of several men and a couple of women in dark uniforms.
"Wha... Now?" asked Amoeba with wide eyes. Discord nodded.
"Yes. I've been working with Genshiro on this project and have done studies of my own before. We succeeded in keeping unwanted genetic information from being passed onto the mice, and they have been in great health ever since the first week and a half. We are ready to test this on humans," said Discord as he gestured to the people behind him.
"MONARCH has been so kind as to let some of their soldiers volunteer for this project. And I intend to give them the desired results," said Discord as he made his way to Genshiro's side.
"Genshiro, make sure that they are prepped for the process," said Discord. Genshiro nodded in reluctance.
"Right this way," said Genshiro as he led the soldiers away from the lab. Amoeba looked at Discord worriedly.
"We still have to monitor the vitals of the animal subjects. It's not 100 percent certain that they won't suffer from severe side effects," said Amoeba.
"Worry not, my dear. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. If there are some unexpected side effects, we can learn from that and try again, without starting back to formula," said Discord. "Though it is unlikely."
"How can you be sure?" asked Amoeba. Discord smiled as he stared at the mice.
"Because, we now have a better understanding of the Transmutant genetic code. Once we succeed in utilizing Gojira Takeshi's blood for this project, we can look to other sources that may provide advantages that Gojira himself doesn't have," said Discord. Meanwhile, Genshiro led the soldiers down a hall. He bore a look of worry. He was confident in his research that was brushed up after reviewing his work on Erika. However, he was worried that Discord jumped the gun on starting human trials when there was still research needed to be done when monitoring the mice. He feared the fact that Discord was making the same mistake that he himself made with his daughter. He only hoped that this early start will pay off in the end.
Scar stood within a room, where several Purists stood before him. Among them were Impact, Adrian, Stinger, who wore a skull mask that hid his face, and Dreadnought. This man was more muscular compared to the other Purists in the room. He bore some wrinkled skin around the eyes and graying hair.
"One of our moles had learned of a general location of a rogue Transmutant base of operations," said Scar.
"General?" asked Impact with a raised brow.
"Yes. Unfortunately. He couldn't get any more information on the exact location given the prisoner, 'The Alpha', droning on about something called, 'The Ark'," said Scar as he drew up some pictures and placed them on a table.
"We learned that one of MONARCH's agents followed this Transmutant's son into the Everfree forest just south of Ponyville. Along with this girl," said Scar as he moved the pictures, which were surveillance pictures or hidden photos taken by a MONARCH agent, given the labeling in the corners of the photos. Gojira Takeshi Jr. was depicted in the photos, among some teenage girls and other boys. Even one photo of Junior walking alongside Sunset Shimmer from the back was present.
"That's X," said Adrian with wide eyes.
"Wrong. This is Gojira Takeshi Jr. Our mole tells us that there is another individual that was at the school during the cleansing that turned out to be the actual X. The three are related, however," said Scar as he moved a mug shot photo of Senior and Xenjira, comparing them to a photo where Junior's face was more visible.
"The resemblance is uncanny," said Impact.
"So, what are we here for?" asked Dreadnought with a look of impatience on his face.
"You're here to be briefed on the plan to find these rogue Transmutants and destroy their base while wiping them out," said Scar.
"Apparently this Ark that they are guarding has more power than a nuke. That's dangerous in the hands of Transmutant trash," said Scar. The Purists murmured among themselves, excluding Stinger.
"So, what is this ark?" asked Adrian.
"The Transmutant rambled about it being from another world or some type of nonsense. But what interests me is that it 'enhances' individuals. I want it to be looked into. That is where you come in," said Scar as he pointed to a picture where Sunset was shown next to Junior on school grounds.
"These kids may know where the exact location of the base is. We need to get that information, by any means," said Scar with a hard expression. Impact nodded.
"Understood, sir. When do we head out?" asked Impact.
[The next day...
Junior was walking along the sidewalk in silence. He found himself making his way down over to a cafe on the corner. As he entered, he found some customers already seated. Junior looked around and found Angirasu to be sitting at the counter by himself. Junior began to make his way over to the counter and sat in the empty seat next to his friend.
"Thanks for coming by," said Angirasu.
"No problem. So, what's up?" asked Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"I need some advice. It's about my mother," said Angirasu. Junior let out a wary sigh.
"Well... I'll help the best I can. What's the issue?" asked Junior.
"Well, my mom doesn't seem very fond of the Dazzlings. Especially Sonata," said Angirasu as he propped his head up with his hand on the counter.
"Really? I mean, I can see why with Adagio. But Sonata? She's like a child. I mean that respectfully," said Junior.
"She suspects something about what happened during the musical showcase. My mom might seem a little paranoid about the thing, but she also thinks that Sonata's..." Angirasu cleared his throat. Junior raised a brow.
"She thinks that Sonata is 'too all over' me," said Angirasu. Junior shrugged.
"Well... She is affectionate with you. It's a little endearing though," said Junior.
"My mom is acting like we're going to stay the night in a hotel together and end up with a baby nine months later. It's crazy!" said Angirasu. Junior grimaced.
"Yeesh. Helicopter mom, huh? I can relate a bit with that," said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"But at least your mother hasn't banned you from being friends with Sonata and her sisters," said Angirasu with a light frown.
"She did?" asked Junior in shock.
"Well, she said that she would 'feel more comfortable' if I stopped hanging around them. She might as well have just come out and grounded me from them," said Angirasu. Junior patted his shoulder.
"Hey, parents sometimes do these things because they care. We might not agree with it, and sometimes our folks may know better," said Junior. Angirasu scoffed.
"So, you think its fine what she did?" asked Angirasu.
"Hell no. That's overprotective parenting right there. My point is, don't be angry at your mom or even hate her. Just keep being you, Aang. And if you want to hang out with Sonata because you like her, go for it. Maybe your mom will understand and see it as it is," said Junior.
"I don't even know that she can," said Angirasu.
"Why not?" asked Junior.
"My mother wasn't always this distant. Sure, she was always strict, but we were closer before," said Angirasu as he looked down at the table with a deep frown.
"What happened?" asked Junior. Angirasu shook his head.
"I... I don't think I'm ready to talk about it yet," said Angirasu. He then held a bitter smile.
"Man, I admire your relationship with your mother. She's always so kind, loving, and she is active in your life," said Angirasu. Junior sighed as he looked down at his hand.
"We're not perfect, Aang. I'm getting into trouble a lot, I worry her to death, and I am the reason why we have some financial troubles and why she hasn't spoken with her folks in years," said Junior.
"We all have our problems in family, Aang. They differ every time. If you just admire other family's' relationship, you'll never improve your own," said Junior. Angirasu looked down in thought.
"Hmm." Angirasu hummed to himself.
It was just a little later. Junior and Angirasu were walking alongside each other. Junior held his hands in his pockets as he thought back to the relationship that his friend may have had with his mother. It certainly did not sound abusive from what Angirasu had told him, though there was a lack of connection. And Mrs. Riku may have been a bit paranoid, but she wouldn't be doing some of these things if she didn't care. Junior pondered on how the two became distant. It would likely give him a better idea if Angirasu told him, but he wasn't comfortable with talking about it. Though this entire situation had Junior think about something. If he were in Angirasu's shoes, he questioned how he himself would develop. Hell, he even wondered how Angirasu would develop in his shoes. As the two walked around a street corner, they stopped abruptly as Fluttershy stepped in their path.
"Oh. Hey, Shy," greeted Junior with a smile. He then noticed how anxious his neighbor appeared as she stood in their path.
"H-Hello. Um... Goji, can I ask a teensy favor?" asked Fluttershy with a forced smile.
"Uh... Sure. Is something wrong?" asked Junior.
"You can say that. Can you follow me?" asked Fluttershy. Junior and Angirasu shrugged at each other.
"OK? I'll catch you later Aang," said Junior as he followed Fluttershy down the corner of the street.
"Sure," said Angirasu as he watched the two leave. He lightly sighed to himself as he left the area. Meanwhile, Junior followed Fluttershy right near an alley, where they stopped. Junior's eyes slightly widened as he found Twilight and Sunset Shimmer standing by. His expression soured as his eyes fell on Twilight as she gave a forced smile with a wave.
"What is this?" asked Junior as he glanced at Fluttershy, who bore a nervous smile.
"Well... Weird things have been happening to us lately and we think it’s 'Ark' related. The favor is that you help us talk to those Transmutants like you did for Sunset," said Fluttershy.
"Hmm. So, something has happened?" asked Junior.
"A lot, Gojira. Please, we need your help, including Twilight and the others," said Sunset. Twilight nodded as she bore pleading eyes.
"Gojira, I know you're pretty mad at us-"
"I'm pissed!" said Junior with a glare. Twilight recoiled.
"R-Right. But we really could use your help," said Twilight.
"Hmph. I don't know. I kinda feel like just helping Sunset and Fluttershy out. Why should I bother with you?" asked Junior. The girls' eyes widened in alarm.
"B-Because you're..." Twilight began laugh nervously. Junior scoffed.
"Forget it, Twilight. I don't help back stabbers," said Junior as he crossed his arms. Twilight looked down at the ground while Fluttershy and Sunset looked at him in disapproval.
"Well, looks like there's one way to settle this," said Sunset as she glanced at Fluttershy. Junior raised a brow as the girl nodded.
"Charge!" shouted Sunset. Suddenly, the three girls rammed into Junior and began to push against him. Junior slightly stumbled but planted his feet firmly on the ground. The girls strained as they attempted to move Junior, who was heavy like a boulder when he stood his ground. Junior bore a deadpanned look.
"What are you doing?" asked Junior.
"Second wave!" grunted Sunset. Junior found Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie running from across the street. They both grunted as they pressed against the girls' back, but Junior still did not budge.
"Well this is amusing," said Junior as the girls groaned and strained as they attempted to force him into the alley, but to no avail.
"Come on, give it up. I'm stronger than all of you combined. One of the pros without being limited by an inhibitor chip," said Junior.
"Third wave!" shouted Sunset. Junior looked up and found Applejack to be charging towards them.
"OK. Girls, this was kinda amusing at first, now it's just about to get sad," deadpanned Junior. As Applejack slammed into the group, Junior felt himself being pushed back.
"What the-" Junior yelped as he and the girls pushed him into the alley. The teens all cried out as they stumbled and fell onto the ground. The teens groaned as they were all piled on each other, with Junior on bottom.
"Ow..." groaned Junior. He then attempted to stand up but the girls all began to force their own weight against him.
"Get off!" said Junior in annoyance as he attempted force the humans off, who all clung to him.
"Gojira, if you help me and Sunset, you have to help the rest of us!" said Fluttershy. Junior growled in annoyance.
"I said no!" said Junior.
"Please! Look, we can compensate you! I'll do your homework for you!" said Twilight.
"I'll make you a bunch of tasty sweets! I'll even bake you a chocolate cake, Goji! Chocolate cake!" said Pinkie as she grabbed Junior's cheeks and pressed her face against his, with their noses touching.
"And I'll come by and lend a hand if you have a leaky roof, broken fence, any kind of handiwork! For free!" said Applejack in desperation. The girls all began to simultaneously talk Junior's ear off as they pleaded to him for help and offered ways of compensation. Junior's eye twitched as he grew more annoyed. He growled as he began to raise his arms, where the girls all began to yelp as they were raised off him.
"Alright! Shut up! Just shut up!" shouted Junior in aggravation. The girls all fell onto on their rears and knees as they went silent with startled looks. Junior breathed heavily as his skin grew irritated and his irises grew. He gave a small beastly growl as he rubbed his face.
"Fine! I'll take you all to go see Amber! I don't want compensation from anyone for this! I just want you all to shut the fuck up, and to leave me the fuck alone after this! Is that clear?!" shouted Junior, while the girls all flinched at his tone.
"Yes," answered the girls in unison with forced smiles. Junior sighed in relief.
"OK. Now, why don't you get the Dazzlings. I have to drop off something at home. I'll meet you at the Everfree," said Junior. The girls all smiled brightly.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Twilight was about to wrap her arms around Junior but the Transmutant caught her by the forehead and held her back.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," said Junior in annoyance as he stood up. Twilight backed away as she rubbed the back of her head with a light frown. Junior began to leave the area. Sunset shrugged as she gave Twilight a forced smile.
"Well, at least he said yes," said Sunset.
Miwa was walking down the sidewalk through town. She had just crossed the street and entered a small cafe. She made her way to the back where a booth was present. She found Celestia and Luna to be sitting on one side. Celestia greeted Miwa with a warm smile and a wave.
"You emailed me that you wanted to meet. What was it that you wanted for?" asked Miwa as she sat across from the women.
"Well, Mrs. Takeshi. As your son's Principal and Vice-Principal, we feel that it is important that we help steer him in the right direction for his future. We wanted to discuss this with you in person," said Luna. Miwa nodded.
"I see. Well, let's get started," said Miwa with a smile.
"We were curious to know if he has any particular interests. Like art, music, etc." said Luna.
"Ah. Yeah, Junior isn't very vocal with his interests, though I do know that he has some interest in art. He also enjoys a good story. If you make him read a bad one or even watch a bad movie, he will tear it apart. From stating how contrived a scene was or how poor the motivation is, to even tearing apart characters on how they were written," chuckled Miwa. Celestia smiled.
"Really? Then you think he would be interested in some kind of career in art or maybe even writing?" questioned Celestia. Miwa sighed as she propped her head up on the table.
"To be frank, I don't know. I try asking him what he wants to do when he gets older but all I get is an 'I don't know'. It worries me, you know. He's almost eighteen and almost out of high school, and he still doesn't know what he wants to do," said Miwa. She sighed heavily.
"I think he feels discouraged. I don't know. I guess since he's had a hard time getting along with others growing up and has been stigmatized by other kids, he just never bothered thinking about his future," said Miwa. Celestia lightly frowned in response.
"Speaking of other kids, you are aware of the situation with some of his fellow students, correct?" asked Luna.
"Could you be more specific?"
"The tension going on between him and some of the girls," said Celestia. Miwa nodded with a sigh.
"Oh, yeah. This actually hurts me especially. Knowing that despite their apology and wanting to make things right, Junior rejected them," said Miwa. Celestia nodded.
"I agree. It's a tragedy. But do you think that maybe...He'll come around?" asked Celestia in a hopeful tone.
"I don't know. You must understand that Junior is new to friendship. At most, he considered Rodan nothing more than an acquaintance when they first met. That seemed to change when Fluttershy came along," said Miwa.
"While he has every right to be angry at some of the girls over what happened, I don't think he even knows how to forgive them," said Miwa with a deep frown.
"He's just stuck on what happened and feels more pain caused by the only few that he called his friends," said Miwa. Both Luna and Celestia glanced at each other.
"Oh! Hello, neighbor!" said a familiar voice. Miwa perked up as she turned around and found Posey to be present at another booth behind her. Miwa smiled.
"Hey, neighbor," greeted Miwa.
"Quite a coincidence to meet you here. Good afternoon, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna," greeted Posey as she faced the three behind her.
"Posey. This is unexpected," said Luna in surprise.
"Likewise. I never thought that I would meet familiar faces while having a meal here at my favorite establishment," said Posey as she stood up and took a seat next to Miwa.
"I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but I couldn't help but over hear what you were talking about. I understand that your son is having some trouble?" asked Posey with a tilt of her head. Miwa nodded.
"He is. In several other ways," said Miwa with a sigh. Posey smiled as she placed a comforting hand on her neighbor's shoulder.
"I wouldn't worry too much about him. Gojira seems like a good boy. Fluttershy is pretty fond of him," said Posey. She then gasped as she cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Oops! Good thing she isn't here to hear me say that," said Posey with a nervous titter. Miwa merely smiled.
"It brings me comfort to know that he is surrounded by friends." Celestia cleared her throat, drawing the mothers' attention.
"Since you are here, would you care to join the conversation? Perhaps you can recommend anything on how Gojira can resolve the issue with the others," said Celestia. Posey hummed to herself in thought.
"Well, I can only give something opinion based. But, I feel that there isn't anything that we can do," said Posey. Luna and Celestia's eyes widened.
"That's... Not really what we were hoping you would say," said Luna with her shoulders slumped.
"No, listen. This seems to be a personal problem between him and the others. We can tell him all we want to not hold it against them about what happened. But that will never negate the fact that ultimately, it is up to him to put this behind him. Pestering him will only push him away," said Posey. Miwa looked down at the table.
"Maybe. But it pains me that he is just holding onto this. He will only hurt himself by holding onto that grudge," said Miwa.
"I know. But, one way or another, he will stop being angry. Either because he grows tired of it, or he just realizes how there is no sense in holding onto it. I know that Fluttershy and the others will one day get through to him with the kindness that they show him," said Posey with a warm smile. Miwa cracked a small smile in response.
"Yeah," said Miwa with a nod.
"Posey, do you happen to know what your daughter plans to do with her future?" asked Luna. Posey was about to answer, but the sound of glass being shattered startled the women. They turned to find a couple of canisters to have been bouncing across the floor while rolling against the counter, emitting gas. The women bore looks of alarm as people began to panic as the gas began to spread. The women began to cover their mouths as the gas came by, while others started to flee from the cafe. From the back of the counter, a few figures came rushing out from a door as they were shrouded in the clouds of gas. The women were unable to notice them as they were attempting to flee from the cafe.
Celestia was forced against a counter as her lungs took in the gas. She panicked as she attempted to fight off her assailant. Luna was about to swing a plate against her sister's attacker but she was quickly subdued by a figure who stuck a gun-like object against her neck, where she felt the prick of a needle against her skin. She slumped in the figure's arms, while Miwa and Posey were stopped by figures as well. Posey gave a muffled cry as her mouth was covered. Miwa attempted to reach into her purse to draw out her pistol but she cried out in pain as she felt a jolt of electricity in her back. She dropped to the ground shaking as her muscles in her back contracted. She coughed as she struggled to breathe from the gas, finding Posey being subdued by a man with a white mask on his face. Miwa attempted to reach for her purse on the ground, but she gasped as she felt a prick in her neck. Her eyes grew heavy as her motor skills began to shut down. The last thing she saw were a few men in these white masks to be rounding up Celestia, Luna and Posey, while one in particular approached her.
Aiko was moving through her apartment. It was rather roomy, with a living room where a television set was against the wall. In this apartment were two bedrooms and one bathroom. The woman found herself in the short hall and entered a bedroom. Inside, she found a tidy room, where a couple of boxes remained packed. Aiko made her way over to the box that was labeled, 'miscellaneous'. Curious, Aiko grabbed a box cutter that was resting on top and began to cut through the tape that sealed the top. She opened the box and found a few items that were unfamiliar to her.
There were a couple of clay sculpted items that had been hardened and that bore a glossy and almost glass-like texture that prevented the solidified clay from leaving dust. Aiko thought that it must have been some old art projects that her son had finished. She softly smiled to herself as she admired the clean sculpting. Her expression then softened as she found a picture frame in the box. She took it out and began to stare at the photo. In it, she was sitting with her son, who was nine at the time, and a man that bore a somewhat greyish-brown colored hair. Aiko sat beside her son's bed as she held the photo frame in her hands as she stared at the smiling faces that were frozen in time. Aiko's expression turned gloomy as she stared into the photo. She softly sighed as she put the picture down in her lap and laid her head back against the bed. She then heard knocking. Aiko shot up and looked out of the room. The knock came from the front door. Aiko carefully placed the photograph on the dresser by Angirasu's bed and proceeded to make her way to the living room.
She peeked through the spy hole of the door and found an unfamiliar man that was standing on the other side. Aiko raised a brow. She began to unlock her door and proceeded to open it. As she opened her door, it was suddenly forced open, causing her to stumble back. The man that was at the door charged in and tackled her to the ground. Aiko grunted as she felt herself being pushed down. Her instincts kicked in, prompting her to punch the man in the face. As he was disoriented, Aiko quickly brought her legs around the man's neck and forced him onto the ground. She then delivered multiple punches to the invader's face, causing him to bleed and bruise up. Aiko grunted as she quickly stood up with a pant. She then gasped as she found two more men rushing in, drawing pistols.
"Oh shit!" cursed Aiko as she quickly ran to the kitchen, where an entire counter provided cover from the incoming bullets. Aiko remained pinned against the counter as her kitchen was shot up. She quickly reached for a cabinet and opened it, where two pistols were revealed to have been on racks with clips filed with bullets on the bottom of the cabinet. She quickly drew the guns and loaded them up with the first two clips she saw. She then quickly peeked from cover and began to fire her guns at the two men that shot at her. They quickly dispersed and took cover behind furniture. Aiko took cover as they fired back. She took a breath as she peeked over the corner of the counter, while ducking from shots that came. She even fired random shots over the counter to cause the invaders to hide.
Aiko then unloaded her guns and replaced the empty clips with new ones. She peeked over to her cabinet and saw six other full clips for her pistols. She had a fair amount of ammo, but it would be unwise to waste it with these attackers, as she didn't even know how much ammo they had on themselves. Aiko then quickly reached further back into the cabinet, where she drew out a can-like object. She pulled the pin and tossed the object over the counter. She clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears. Suddenly, a bright flash and boom filled the living room, while the invaders cried out. Aiko opened her eyes and quickly emerged from cover, where she found the two men standing out of cover, disoriented. She then raised her pistols and popped a round each into their heads. The two men dropped dead on the ground. Aiko panted as she raised her guns and carefully made her way to the front door. She peeked outside and found no one else around except for a single van outside. She made her way over to it and sneaked to the side. With one hand, she opened one of the back doors and pointed her gun.
"Don't move!" shouted Aiko. A man gasped as he shot up in alarm as he sat near the back. He drew a pistol from the side by was shot in the chest by Aiko and dropped the gun. He attempted to cry out but the shock from the bullet in the chest prevented him. Aiko began to drag the man out of the van and was shocked to see a Purist tattoo on his arm. Her eyes hardened as she dragged the wounded man back into her apartment. She found the first man that had attacked her groaning as he attempted to stand. She then released him and forced him onto his back. Aiko pointed her pistol at the man's forehead with a cold expression.
"What are you bastards doing here?" demanded Aiko. Angirasu suddenly rushed inside of the house and gasped in shock.
"Oh God. Mom!" cried Angirasu.
"Son, I need you to stay back. Call the police," ordered Aiko. Angirasu nodded as he began to dial the emergency number on his phone. Aiko glared at the man.
"What are you doing in my home?" demanded Aiko. The Purist bore a hard expression.
"Just looking to take out your little spawn for a drive," said the man. Aiko's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth and trembled in anger as she held the gun against this man's forehead. She wanted to pull the trigger and end it here, but she needed more information. Instead, she beat her pistol against his head, knocking him out. A crackling sound came from her side, prompting Aiko to reach for her side and to draw out a walkie talkie.
"Lieutenant, do you read?" asked a male voice over the COM.
"This is Lieutenant Riku," said Aiko.
"The Director just gave word that he wants all nearby available units to zero in the Ever free, South of Ponyville. We have discovered a base of Rogue Transmutants," said the voice. Angirasu's eyes widened in shock as he turned his head to where his mother was.
"Understood, but I cannot deploy. My home has been compromised. I need to relocate my son to a safer place," said Aiko.
"Copy. We'll send in back up that can be spared for an escort," said the man over the COM. Aiko turned to find Angirasu to be staring at her. She stood up and made her way over to her son and placed her forehead against his.
"I'm going to drop you off at your aunt and uncle's house. There's gonna be some soldiers around to keep an eye on you until I get back," said Aiko.
"Do you have to?" asked Angirasu. Aiko nodded in reluctance. It pained her to leave her son alone with some strangers that he didn't know. But he would be safe with his aunt and uncle until she got to bottom of this attack and hopefully put an end to a group of dangerous rogues.
The Vault
From within the heavy concrete walls above ground of the prison, a man was currently sitting at a computer console with a hard drive attached to it. By him on the console was a small COM device.
"OK, good to know that lieutenant Riku's information came in handy. I'm in the process of decoding the information on the prisoner" said the man. He then cursed to himself.
"Why is it that I'm risking my ass here by hacking into the database?" questioned the man.
"We need the information on the exact coordinates of those rogue Transmutants in case we can't make Takeshi's kid squeal. This can be a great opportunity for wiping out resistance," said a voice over the COM. The hacker sighed to himself as he continued to type away at the computer.
"That's odd. It seems that there's nothing about the information on a Rogue Transmutant base in Ponyville," said the hacker in confusion.
"That can't be right. Why would there not be any information on that?" asked the man on the COM.
"It's possible that they haven't been able to get the information out of him, or he doesn't know jack shit about latitude and longitude," said the hacker as he scowled in annoyance.
"In any case, there's nothing that can be found. But since I'm here, I might as well leak out some information on Transmutant citizens and their household. I rather not hear Scar get on my ass about not doing anything later," said the hacker as he typed away at the computer.
Several helicopters were present at an airfield just a mile from the Vault. Meanwhile, jeeps and armored trucks began to roll out from the base. Approaching the choppers were some armed MONARCH soldiers. From within a hangar, Onyx stood by Hayato Yoshi as they watched as Gojira Senior was escorted through the hanger, bounded by cuffs and a metallic collar. Senior was brought over to Onyx, who bore a hard expression.
"Here's how I would like this to go down. You're going to listen and do as I say. You are to lead us to your base and tell your group to stand down and to surrender. Then, you are to take us to the Ark. Do I make myself clear?" questioned Onyx. Senior bore a neutral expression.
"Do I have your word that they will be spared? That my family will be safe, especially my youngest son?" asked Senior.
"Your wife and son will not be touched. But as a Transmutant with no inhibitor chip, we will have to continue to keep an eye on him. As for your group, so long as they do not resist, they will be locked away in the Vault for violating laws by organizing in a militaristic manner, possession of unregistered fire arms, ordinance, etc. I rather there not be any bloodshed," said Onyx. Senior nodded.
"That's something that we can agree on," said Senior. As he was escorted to one of the choppers, Onyx turned to Hayato. "Lieutenant, you are to oversee the Vault during my absence," said Onyx. Hayato gave a solute.
"Yes, Director," said Hayato. Onyx glanced back as Senior was placed in a chopper. He reached into his pocket and drew out a black cube.
"I also have a favor to ask," said Onyx as he handed Hayato the cube. His eyes widened in response.
"This is..."
"The Tool Box. I need you to take care of this for me. It will have all the information necessary for the head of the organization," said Onyx. Hayato looked as though he was slapped.
"But sir..."
"It's a precaution, lieutenant. Just keep this safe until... Whichever scenario plays out," said Onyx as he began to make his way to the chopper. Yoshi stared at the object in his hand. Here, he possessed a drive that contained information that the Director himself kept on some of MONARCH'S projects and some other sensitive data. Normally the Director kept it hidden for only where he knew where to find it. Onyx giving it to Hayato meant that he wasn't planning on coming back alive from this mission. This only made Hayato's stomach turn.
It was the late noon. The sun was beginning to set, and the Main Six, Sunset, and the Dazzlings were currently standing together at the Everfree forest. They had been waiting here for a while now at the entrance. The girls bore looks of boredom, while some like Twilight appeared anxious. Rainbow sighed in annoyance.
"I doubt he's coming," said Rainbow.
"No, he'll come. I know he will," said Sunset. Applejack leaned against a tree, only to hear it creak. She gasped in alarm as she stumbled away, while the tree was uprooted and fell back. The girls stared in shock as the tree fell over.
"Oh shoot," said Applejack with a grimace. Twilight bit her lip as she stared at the fallen tree.
"Do you really think they can help us with our situation?" asked Rarity in worry.
"I hope so," said Sunset. As the girls continued to wait, Adagio spotted something in the air.
"Hey, do you see that?" asked Adagio.
"See what?" asked Aria.
"That. What is that?" asked Adagio as she pointed to the sky at an object that was merely a silhouette under the sun.
"Probably just a plane," said Rainbow. Twilight squinted her eyes.
"It's too small to be a plane," said Twilight. The object began to soar around in the air, appearing to have gotten closer. From the object, a smaller object fell and began to descend closer. It came by at high speed, appearing as a metal object. It sported a flat top with a large underside and two metal wings.
"Shit, is that a drone?!" exclaimed Aria in alarm. The object swooped by as it dropped black pill shaped objects onto the ground in the middle of the girls. They screamed in fright as the pellets exploded and released torrents of gas. The girls coughed furiously as they inhaled the gas that surrounded them. They even attempted to flee, but from the air, an armored figure descended. The figure was feminine in build, which was evident under the suit of armor. Carbon fiber wings retracted as this figure released the handles to the wings and drew out two pistols. One by one, she fired at the girls as they attempted to scatter. The girls dropped to the ground as tranquilizer darts were embedded into their skins. The girls lied scattered on the ground, while the gas flowed away. The armored woman placed the pistols away at her side.
"This is Darkwing. Targets have been located and subdued," said the woman.
"Nice work, Adrian. We'll be there shortly," said Scar over Adrian's COM.
Aiko was currently standing in the kitchen of another house, where Angirasu was present with his aunt and uncle. A couple of MONARCH soldiers stood by in the living room.
"Director, there was no way that Purists could have known that my son was with me nor where we were staying unless that information was leaked. MONARCH keeps a record of Transmutant identities from around the world but they're kept out of civilian hands. If they could get their hands on Prototypes by knowing of when they were being transported, then it's logical to assume that they would use our database to their advantage," said Aiko.
"I agree. Ever since we lost those prototypes, I suspected that we had a mole. Riku, you are to remain with your son during this mission," said Onyx over the COM.
"But sir-"
"That is an order, soldier. I chose you specifically for the job because I know that you can offer better surveillance over him. We will handle the rogues," said Onyx. Aiko glanced back at her son, who was texting on his phone as he bore an anxious look on his face.
"Understood. Riku, out," said Aiko. She placed her COM away and began to make her way over to the living room.
"A change of plans. I'm going to remain here as well," said Aiko.
"Sis, what is happening?!" exclaimed the aunt.
"Some Purists attacked my apartment. They somehow knew that I was living there and were looking for Angirasu," said Aiko.
"Purists?!" questioned Angirasu's uncle.
"They were taken care of. Right now, we're going to remain here with you where I doubt the Purists will think to look, at least until we can figure something out. We may have to relocate," said Aiko. Angirasu looked to his mother.
"But how far?" asked Angirasu in worry. Aiko took a breath.
"I don't know. It depends on what I find out. Until then, keep calm and don't tell anyone anything. Angirasu, I need you to hand me your phone," said Aiko.
"I-" Angirasu was about to hide his phone but thought against it. He found his mother to have appeared to look almost panicked. The Transmutant was in the middle of warning Junior about the Guardians' lair possibly being compromised. But, it seemed that he wasn't going to be able to. So, he erased the draft of the message, unbeknownst to his mother, and handed her the phone.
"We can’t risk any texts or calls being traced. You'll get this back later," said Aiko as she placed the phone in her back pocket. Angirasu took a breath with a nod.
"Right," said Angirasu.
Junior was currently standing in his living room as Mosura sat on his sofa, taking a breath. She held her hands on her lap as she tapped her foot in place.
"Maybe the time isn't right. We should reschedule this meeting," said Mosura as she quickly drew out her phone. Junior quickly snatched her phone from her hand with a deadpanned stare.
"No, we're staying the course," said Junior. Mosura stood up and attempted to take her phone back, but Junior kept pulling it away from her reach.
"No, I think this meeting should be tomorrow. Or maybe next week!" said Mosura as she continued to reach for her phone but Junior held it up in the air. She grunted in annoyance as she stood on her toes and attempted to take back her phone.
"If you keep delaying this, you'll never work it out!" said Junior as Mosura caused him to fall against the couch. Mosura got on her knees next to him and forced herself onto him as she attempted to reach for the phone he continued to hold back. Junior merely raised his arm and held Mosura back as she fruitlessly reached for her phone.
"You suck!" whined Mosura as she sat on her knees and crossed her arms. Junior rolled his eyes in response. A knock came from the door, causing Mosura to stiffen. Junior stood up and made his way over to the door. However, Mosura grabbed his hand and attempted to hold him back, but Junior forcefully pulled his arm, causing Mosura to yelp as she stumbled into his arm. He locked his arm tightly around her shoulder and brought her to the door. He opened it, and found Battra to be standing on the porch.
"Battra. Good to see you," said Junior as Mosura struggled in his hold. Battra bore a raised brow. Junior sent her a glare.
"Stop being difficult! You said you wanted to talk to him, so do it!" whispered Junior as he forced Mosura into the doorway. Mosura cleared her throat as she adjusted her shirt to rid her sleeves of wrinkles. She then gave her brother a forced smile.
"Hey Battra. Um... Come on in," said Mosura as she gestured to the house. Battra nodded as he stepped into the house. The siblings took a seat in the living room in separate chairs. Junior stood by as the two sat in an awkward silence. He quickly looked at his phone.
"Hey, do me a favor and hold down the fort. I need to go out and take care of something," said Junior as he made his way to the door. Mosura bore a look of panic as she shot up.
"Uh... Wait!" cried Mosura. Junior shook his head.
"Sorry, gotta go," said Junior as he walked out the door and closed it. Mosura slumped her shoulders. She then glanced at her brother. She sighed as she sat down.
"Uh..." Mosura and Battra were about to speak, but their voices overlapped.
"Oh, you go ahead," said Mosura.
"No, you go ahead, Mosu. You called me over here, because you had something to tell me," said Battra. Mosura took a breath as she nodded, though Battra was more nervous than she was. He feared what his little sister had to say.
"Well, first I want to say that I appreciate you giving me some space," said Mosura. Battra nodded.
"During this time, I've been thinking about everything," said Mosura. Battra slightly nodded with a tight stomach.
"Right," said Battra. Mosura brushed a strand of her hair away from her eye as she looked to the ground with a soft expression.
"I... I just... I wanna say..." Mosura avoided eye contact with her brother. Battra tensed, unable to bear the wait to hear what Mosura had to say. Before Mosura could speak again, the window suddenly shattered open. Battra and Mosura shot up with a start as they found a man with a white mask to be lying on the ground groaning as he was covered in glass. The Transmutants' eyes widened in shock. Then, Mosura gasped.
"Gojira!" cried Mosura in dread. She quickly ran out of the living room to the front door and opened it. She found Junior to have been surrounded by several men in white masks. Junior had kicked away one in front of him, while his arms were held back. A man had stuck Junior in the neck with a gun-like syringe, causing him to slump in their hold. He was hauled over to the one of the vans that were parked roughly on the house.
"No!" cried Mosura as she was about to run outside, but Battra grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back into the house, just in time avoid a hail of bullets. A few of the Purists had stood behind firing their weapons at the house, while the van that contained Junior drove off with a screech. Battra held Mosura close on the ground as she held her hands over her head as debris fell over them. Battra allowed Mosura to crawl through the living room and to take cover behind furniture, while Battra moved to the end of the living room as the bullets came. The bullets stopped, prompting Battra to pant as he looked to where Mosura had hid, finding her to be unscathed. Battra picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, causing his stomach to turn. He found the downed Purist on the ground, where a pistol lied at his side. He was about to crawl over to the Purist to take the gun but suddenly heard several pops in the air. He flinched as he quickly turned his head to the doorway, expecting to find a Purist shooting at him. However, no one was at the door. The popping continued as the sound of the Purists crying out mixed with the sounds of gunfire and then silence. Battra began to slightly get onto his knees as he remained low and close to the ground.
"Battra!" whispered Mosura, who bore a look of panic. Battra merely held a hand to her, gesturing for her to remain where she was. He made his way over to the wall just where the broken window was. He peeked over and found the Purists to have been lying on the ground dead. Battra's eyes widened as he found a Neighponese man to have been walking across the lawn with two pistols drawn and a neutral expression. He then looked to where Battra was peaking, who then ducked back behind the wall.
"Hey, come on out! They're dead!" called the man.
"Which makes us more reluctant to step out!" said Battra from the house. He then heard two voices bickering, causing him to bear a look of confusion.
"You're safe! I am Private Inoue, and this is Sergeant Koizumi! We're from MONARCH!" said a feminine voice from outside. Battra looked to Mosura, who bore a nervous look. He took a breath as he slowly stood up with his hands raised.
"Kid, put the hands down. We aren't gonna shoot you," deadpanned Koizumi as he held his pistol at his side.
"Where did you come from?" asked Battra as he cautiously lowered his hands. He didn't know who these people were and found it hard to trust who claimed they were. After all, they weren't wearing any uniform.
"That's classi-" Koizumi was interrupted as Inoue stepped in front of him.
"We're assigned to keep eyes on Gojira Takeshi II after we learned of his destroyed inhibitor chip. We were down the street keeping our eyes on him as usual, but then we caught these assholes pulling up on the lawn and jumping him. We were too late to stop them," said Inoue with regret in her tone. Battra and Mosura both stepped out of the house and met with the two soldiers.
"But, I'd say it wasn't a total loss. We did save a couple of kids from being slaughtered in the middle of kidnapping. I say we call it a day," said Koizumi as he drew out his COM.
"Wait, you're not going after them?!" exclaimed Mosura in shock. Koizumi merely looked to Inoue, who bore an expectant look on her face.
"Ugh. Are you kidding?" asked Koizumi.
"He was kidnapped! We have the training and guns to do something! We should call for some back up and tell the Director!" said Inoue.
"Or we could say we did and go get some tacos," said Koizumi with a shrug. Mosura looked on in shock.
"Wha- Are you kidding?!" Mosura smacked her forehead with a dumbfounded look.
"Are you actually a soldier for this organization?" asked Battra incredulously.
"Technically, I’m a mercenary. The rank is a formality to let me lead some drones like her for some jobs that the others are too cowardly to do," said Koizumi as he pointed a thumb at Inoue, who scoffed in response.
"Gee, thanks," said Inoue indignantly. Mosura bit her lip. If this man was the commanding officer, then that meant that he could order his private to stand down and to just leave the situation be. That meant Junior would be doomed if this man was serious.
"B-But you must! If you don't... You'll probably get your payment cut!" said Mosura. Koizumi's brows raised.
'Yes! I got his attention!' thought Mosura. Inoue looked at Koizumi with a smirk.
"She has a point, Sarge. I mean, the Director pays you to do your job. Even though you're getting paid to babysit a Transmutant, you're still being paid. If you let the Purists have him, when we are meant to watch him, I bet the Director will have no problem in cutting your pay. I wouldn't put it passed him of actually not giving you a dime," said Inoue. Koizumi exhaled through his nostrils with an annoyed look.
"But I bet you may get a raise or even a promotion in rank if you go beyond the call of duty and save him," said Inoue as she leaned against the mercenary with her elbow against his shoulder. Koizumi merely scowled.
"Huh?" Inoue nudged Koizumi with a smirk.
"Fuck it. Private, lock and load. We're gonna go save the kid," said Koizumi as he made his way over to a van that was parked down the street. Inoue crossed her arms with a smirk. Mosura bore a look of relief.
"Thank you," said Mosura.
"No problem. Listen, you two head on home. We'll get your friend back," said Inoue as she began to run after Koizumi. Mosura still bore a fearful look, for Junior's well-being. Battra looked down at the ground. They couldn't just rely on two soldiers to take on a group that were full of surprises like the Purists. They needed reinforcements.
"Mosura," called Battra. Mosura turned to look at him curiously.
"Let's go find the Guardians. We're gonna need all of the help that we can get," said Battra. Mosura's expression brightened.
"You mean it?" asked Mosura. Battra nodded with a smile.
An armored truck with the MONARCH insignia moved through the Everfree forest, tailed by a couple of armored jeeps. From within the armored truck, Senior was confined within a cell with his hands and neck bounded by shackles. His expression was stoic and unreadable as he sat in a cell, while Onyx stood in the truck, dressed in uniform with a pistol at his side. In front of Senior was a holographic screen that showed live footage of the area in front of the truck, while the lights lit up the forest.
"Just keep driving down this path for the next mile," said Senior. Onyx turned to one of the soldiers present in the back of the truck with him and nodded. The soldier nodded as he made his way down to where the driver was. Onyx felt that things were so far progressing well. But that made it unsettling for him, since he was counting on this mission to be far from easy. He took a seat at a seat that was built into the metal side of the truck as the vehicle continued. Senior's expression remained neutral.
'Perhaps I was a fool to believe that I could redeem myself,' thought Senior.
Soon, the truck had stopped just as they made it to a clearing in the forest. They found a chasm below, as a dark and ominous castle stood as the setting sun created a silhouette. Soon, Senior found himself standing by Onyx outside of the truck as soldiers were surrounding them, while Jeeps parked and the men on the turrets remained vigilant.
"This is the place? Interesting," said Onyx as he looked at the castle.
"No, the castle is too obvious. Down there," said Senior as he stared down at the chasm. Onyx hummed to himself.
"Delta, remain with the vehicles. The rest of you, with me," ordered Onyx as he drew out a pistol. Senior led the soldiers down the steps that led down to the bottom of the chasm, while several other soldiers remained above with the vehicles. The group stood before the cave entrance as a chopper hovered over the forest, where a minigun was attached to the side. Senior took a breath as Onyx stepped forward with a bullhorn.
"Attention! Rogue Transmutants! This is Onyx, director of MONARCH!" called Onyx. His amplified voice echoed out through the chasm.
"We have your leader, Gojira Takeshi! We have agreed that in exchange for your surrender and the relinquishment of the Ark, you will be spared and arrested," said Onyx. He then held the bull horn to Senior's mouth. The Transmutant sighed solemnly.
"Manda, this is Gojira. I am here," said Senior. From within the cave, the Transmutant Guardians were in the process of arming themselves, but Manda's eyes were wide in shock.
"No..." said Manda.
"I have agreed to surrender the Ark and the Guardians. I ask that you do not resist, for your sake," said Senior from outside of the cave.
"He sold us out!" said a Transmutant, while Kumonga clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
"They found out everything, Manda. I'm sorry, for I have failed you all. Please, no blood must be shed," said Senior over the bull horn. Manda's eyes watered as she stood in place. She turned to the other Guardians.
"Arm up! We're not going down without a-" Manda was interrupted as Baragon yanked on her arm and pulled her close to him.
"Are you out of your mind?! We're finished! Fighting is only gonna get us all killed!" said Baragon. Manda pulled her arm away with a glare.
"And what do you think we should do?! Surrender and get locked away in the vault?!" demanded Manda.
"Hey! I'm not any more thrilled about this then you are! But we can't possibly win this fight! I hear a chopper, and I bet that thing is packing fire power! What makes you think they aren't doing the same?! Not to mention that we are backed up in a dead-end!" said Baragon. Manda gritted her teeth as she looked around. Her mind raced as she attempted to think of anything to possibly use to the advantage in this situation. But as much as she thought, the more she began to realize just how hopeless the situation was.
"But... What have we been fighting for? Why were we here?" asked Manda in despair.
"We were here for the reasons we chose. But none of that matters now. What matters is doing what's best for the group," said Baragon as he placed a hand on Manda's shoulder. Manda looked around and found the faces of the Transmutants that she had grown so familiar with. They had grown to be family to her. Now, they were dealt a cruel hand. She then found Zip and Thorn's worried expressions as they stood with the rest of the spider teen Transmutants.
"What about the girls?" asked Manda.
"They're just kids. Hopefully they'll go easy on them," said Baragon. Manda sniffled.
"Everyone. Stand down," said Manda as her eyes watered. She began to sob to herself as she cupped her eyes. She felt like a total failure from being unable to bring up some magic card that would get the Guardians out of this situation. Baragon rubbed her back in comfort, but Manda immediately turned to face him and wrapped him into a tight hug. She sobbed against his shoulder, while Baragon's expression softened as he returned her hug. From the back of the cave, Amber and the fairies bowed their heads in sadness.
From outside of the cave, Senior stood by watching as they found multiple figures to be emerging from the dark cave. Soldiers raised their guns as the Guardians walked out of the cave, with their hands behind their heads. They a couple of dozen soldiers armed with assault rifles, light machine guns, and a few with rocket launchers. These men were obviously prepared to fight these physically superior opponents. The Guardians found a chopper to be hovering above, where a gunner was aiming at them. The Transmutants all stopped in the center of the chasm, with the soldiers across. Onyx raised the bull horn.
"In case you get any funny ideas, know that we have additional reinforcements above and jeeps carrying fire power," said Onyx. The Transmutants got on the ground on their knees as the soldiers began to approach. One by one, the soldiers began to cuff the Guardians while also locking up collar-like objects around their necks.
"The hell are these?" asked Kumonga in confusion.
"Inhibitor collars. Used for Rogues like yourselves," said a soldier as he pressed on a digital pad on his gauntlet, which caused Kumonga's collar to flash a few lights. Kumonga gasped in pain as she felt something pricking her along the base of her neck.
"Inspired by the old inhibitor packs, but less gruesome. But just as effective in preventing those signals to keep you from transforming," said the soldier as Kumonga panted from the pain she felt. The rest of the Transmutants were bounded by these cuffs and these inhibitor collars, and Onyx pointed his pistol against Senior's back.
"I'm surprised at small your group is," said Onyx.
"It was easier to manage. But they proved to be strong and dedicated warriors," said Senior as he began to lead Onyx and a couple of other soldiers to the cave. He caught Manda looking his way in despair.
"Alpha..." called Manda. Senior merely looked away with a look of regret. It seemed that no matter what, he brought misfortune to those around him. Because of him, these Transmutants were now going to lose their freedom. Senior led the soldiers and Onyx into the lair, which was completely empty with the weapons and ordinance crates being present.
"How did you get a hold of all of this?" asked Onyx in shock.
"Stolen from Purists that we encountered. Some of these were bought from shady characters," said Senior. Onyx scoffed.
"You hold yourself above the Revolutionaries, yet you possess illegal fire arms like you're ready for war?" asked Onyx.
"Sometimes you must break a few rules to do good. The war I prepared for is the one I fought every day until now, against the Purists," said Senior as he led Onyx to the back, where a crate was present. The soldiers gazed onto it as a soft white light glowed from the top.
"So, this is it?" questioned Onyx. Senior nodded.
"It is," said Senior. The COM from Onyx crackled.
"Sir, we have a problem. Delta squad isn't answering their COM," said a voice over the COM. Suddenly, the sound of an explosion filled the air, startling the group.
"Director! Our chopper is down! Oh shit! We're- Agh!" cried the same voice. Onyx's eyes widened. He then turned to Senior as he aimed his gun at the Transmutant's head with a hateful glare.
"You son of bitch!" said Onyx.
"This isn't my doing!" said Senior.
"Attention! Director Onyx and Gojira Takeshi!" called an unfamiliar masculine voice. Senior and Onyx both turned to the cave entrance. From outside, the Transmutants were on their knees as several soldiers lied dead on the ground as the chopper lied as a burning mess on the ground. From above the chasm, Scar stood with a bullhorn and his dark mask. Several dozen Purists armed with weapons stood by, while a mech piloted by Dreadnaught stood by, while Adrian descended from the air beside Impact and Stinger.
"We have you surrounded," said Scar with a smirk under his mask