//------------------------------// // Chapter 54: Metamorphosis // Story: Shy and Aggressive // by Johng117 //------------------------------// The Vault's quarantine was still going on. At least dozen victims had perished due to this mysterious illness: guards, technicians, and a couple of others who worked here. The warden, wearing a mask and hazmat suit was currently standing before a screen in his office that was displaying Hayato Yoshi. "The infection was successfully contained. Unfortunately, we've lost twelve victims. The last one just died recently," said the warden. "And what was the cause?" asked Hayato. "We don't know. This was something that couldn't be recognized. There should be a report being sent to you soon," said the Warden. "And what about the prisoners in the Vault?" asked Hayato. "At least five were infected, likely from the first carrier. Remnants were found in the vent, spreading to their cells. The rest were safe," answered the Warden. The new Director rubbed his brows. "How could this have happened? Mysterious diseases do not just spring into a highly fortified facility," said Hayato. The Warden's eyes slightly widened. "Wait... I think I may know where it came from," said the warden. He drew out a COM. "I want the meteorite secured in the 'basement'. Prep it for proper disposal," said the Warden. Hayato bore a look of confusion. "The meteor?" asked Hayato. "That has to be it. This all started when that damn thing crashed into the facility. This infection might not even be terrestrial," said the Warden as he silently cursed under his breath. "Then we need to dispose of everything that poses a national risk. I want this facility properly sanitized, and I want the bodies burned," said Hayato in a serious tone. The warden nodded. "Understood, sir," said the warden. Meanwhile, down below, a couple of men in hazmat suits made their way down a dark hall. They eventually made their way towards a secured door, which they then unlocked. Inside, they found a metal box that bore the MONARCH insigina. As the box was opened, the men in hazmat suits gasped in shock as they found nothing but ash and smelted metal inside. One of them reached for their COM. "We might have a situation here," said one of the men. Eliza was currently sitting down in the cafeteria in silence as she looked at a notebook before her. Her pages were littered with a couple of drawings of a DNA helix along with notes that segmented out the connecting bars of the drawing. The girl sighed as she tiredly looked through her notes. It was a drag to go back on what you had learned to review it, but she had the responsibility to study. Eliza grew tired of just reading through her notes that she decided to briefly look at her surroundings. She, of course, found the dozens of students waiting in line to get lunch or sitting at the tables conversing as they ate. But she also found a growing number of students crowding over one particular table. There, the Dazzlings were present. But all of the attention was on Adagio. Eliza watched curiously at this. Then her eyes slightly widened as she found Adagio seemingly flirting with the other students that surrounded her. Though Aria looked annoyed while Sonata looked on studiously. Judging by what she was seeing, Eliza thought that Adagio may have been the most popular of the three. Judging by how Adagio behaved, she could see why. "Hmm. I wonder what's the joy of flirting? It seems so shallow to do if you have no real interest in the other," said Eliza in wonder as she propped her head up on the table as she observed the curly haired girl. Meanwhile at another table, the Main 7 watched as Adagio had a flock of students at her table. They all bore worried, or hard expressions. "Just look at her. Acting like everything is dandy," said Applejack as she shook her head in disapproval. "Hey, if we gotta abide by the rules of keeping things on the down low, so should she," said Rainbow Dash in annoyance. "She's supposed to. I don't know why she's doing this," said Twilight incredulously. "For fun!" said Sunset, mimicking Adagio's voice the best she could. "I don't get it though. How come she's got all of the other students hypnotized when she's already famous and has plenty of fans here already?" asked Pinkie in confusion. "Obviously she's full of herself and feels like she can do whatever," said Rainbow. "You know, I heard from Mosura that she tried to kiss Gojira when she had him hypnotized," said Rarity. The girls looked at her in shock. Fluttershy's jaw was dropped. "Are you serious?!" asked Applejack. "Yes. Mosura walked in on them and snapped him out of it. That's why he and Adagio aren't talking right now," said Rarity with a nod. Twilight hardened her eyes. "Now that's going to far! Of all the-" Twilight flushed with anger. Of course, she was no saint when it came to actions that affected the Transmutant personally, but the thought of him being used or possibly hurt infuriated her. Sunset looked back as she shook her head. "Jeez. I'm afraid to think what would've happened if Mosura hadn't stepped in," said Sunset. Fluttershy lightly gasped to herself as she dropped her fork on the table. A stunned look was plastered on her face. The girl gulped as she bore an anxious look as her mind wandered. Pinkie gasped as she found Angirasu to be walking down through the cafeteria with tray of food. "Hey Aangey!!" Pinkie cried as she waved violently to the boy, was just a few feet away. The Transmutant jumped with a start, dropping his tray onto the ground. He groaned and then shot Pinkie a glare. "Hey, how about using your inside voice next time, huh?!" said Angirasu in a sharp tone. Pinkie shrunk back while the other girls winced. "I'm sorry..." said Pinkie with an apologetic look. "Oh you're sorry? I guess things are fine now!" said Angirasu with a scoff as he cleaned up what mess he could. The girls looked at him in shock and surprise at his tone. "Hey, it was an accident Aang. No need to blow up," said Rainbow. "Hey, you would too if your damn lunch money went to waste!" retorted Angirasu. "But darling, don't you think you're being too harsh?" asked Rarity incredulously. "Oh yeah. You mean like how Twilight kicked Gojira out of the club?" asked Angirasu in a sarcastic tone. The girls were taken aback at this. Twilight bit her lip as she visibly shrunk in her seat as she looked away. "Hey, back off man!" said Rainbow with a glare. "How could you say that?" asked Fluttershy in disbelief. Angirasu merely scoffed as he walked to the nearby trash bin and tossed the garbage inside, as he made his way over to the Transmutant table. The girls watched him leave in shock. "That just happened," said Applejack. "He's never hostile like that. He always seemed like a nice guy," said Sunset in disbelief. "I wonder why..." said Rarity as she looked on worriedly. Twilight merely sat in her seat as she bore eyes that stung. Meanwhile from the other table, Eliza stared in surprise at what she had witnessed. She didn't know Angirasu well, but he seemed like pleasant company. From the Transmutant table, Angirasu took a seat with an annoyed grunt. Junior merely stared blankly as he held his lunch bag. "Um... If you want, you can have my lunch," offered Junior as Mosura, Erika and Rodan sat by awkwardly. Angirasu shook his head. "I can't do that," said Angirasu. "Nah, it's fine. I can buy myself lunch anyway. I know how hard it gets when missing a meal," said Junior as he placed his bag of lunch before his friend. Angirasu merely sighed as he took the bag. "Thanks..." said Angirasu as he dug inside. Mosura cleared her throat as Junior stood up and went to go stand in the lunch line. "Are you feeling alright? You don't normally react so strongly," said Mosura. "I'm telling you. You're turning into Gojira," said Rodan. Angirasu sighed in annoyance. "I'm not. I'm just irritable lately," said Angirasu. Erika clasped her hands together. "Maybe it's your diet. You can try eating more greens and maybe drink something to wash out those toxins building up in you," said Erika. Mosura bore a look of interest. "Oh! Do you think you can give me some tips?" asked Mosura. Erika and Mosura began to converse with each other, while Angirasu slowly ate. Rodan merely looked off to the side and watched the Dazzlings as students showered Adagio in attention. He then looked to where the Main 7 sat, as Twilight was walking away from the table and out of the cafeteria. "Things have been tense lately," said Rodan to himself. Twilight was sitting alone at the bottom of the stairs to the upper floor of the school. Her hands were on her lap as she softly wept to herself. Her eyes ran with tears and her cheeks were hot. As the petite girl cried, she failed to notice someone stepping near her. "Twilight?" called a familiar voice. Twilight immediately wiped her eyes as she sniffled. She turned to her side and found Flash Sentry to be looking down at her in surprise and a slight worried expression. "Hey, you OK?" asked Flash. Twilight merely sniffled as she dried her cheeks. "I'm fine.” Twilight responded with a forced cheerful tone. Flash took a seat next to her. "Come on. You're not fooling me," said Flash. Twilight sighed. "I... I just can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about how I assumed that Gojira was the one responsible for X's crimes," said Twilight with a sniffle. Flash's expression softened. "I wish I gave Gojira a chance. But I was too scared and too stupid to trust him," said Twilight with regret in her tone. "I don't know if I can ever make it up to him. It's all my fault to begin with," said Twilight as she held her knees. Flash sighed as he shook his head. "No, it's not," said Flash, drawing the girl's attention. "I'm the one who filmed that guy. I was the one who blamed Gojira for something he didn't do. I'm pretty much the reason why he's had it rough," said Flash with a heavy sigh. Twilight glanced at Flash. "I guess we both made stupid mistakes, huh?" asked Twilight. Flash chuckled. "Yeah. That's youth," said Flash. Twilight fixed the wrinkles on her skirt as she sat up straight. Flash suddenly stood up, catching the girl's attention. "Tell you what, I'm gonna talk to him," said Flash. Twilight's eyes widened. "A-Are you sure?" asked Twilight. Flash merely shot her a grin. The Vault prison level was filled with men in hazmat suits. The prison cells still hummed with their barriers as the prisoners watched as a few men in hazmat suits went to certain cells, where the barriers were turned off. Soon, they found the same men leaving the cells as they carried corpses over onto stretchers, with plastic-tubed tents attached to them. As the dead were placed on the stretchers, they zipped them up in plastic tube tents. The prisoners watched as their late fellow inmates were rolled away towards the elevator platform. Among them, Xenjira lied on a stretcher that was rolled. His eyes were sealed as his skin bore small crystal thistles sticking out. His face was stained with his own blood. Soon, the corpses on stretchers were brought towards transport choppers, where other corpses in these quarantined stretchers were placed on them themselves. The stretchers were secured inside of the choppers, as well as the passengers. Soon, the choppers took off as their twin propellers whirled about, allowing them to take off. The lunch hour was over. Rodan was strolling down through the hall in silence as he carried his back back. He smirked as he found Eliza to be digging in her locker. He sneaked over until he was behind her. He silently took a deep breath as he looked like he was struggling to keep his laughter to himself. Eliza was none the wiser to his presence. Rodan then hovered over her shoulder as he stood close to the girl's ear. "Hey," whispered Rodan. Eliza squealed as she flinched away from Rodan, with her hand covering her ear. Her face was flushed. Rodan chuckled in amusement, while Eliza gave a forced smile as she held her ear. "Rodan. Good to see you," said Eliza. "Hey, 'Liza. Studying hard?" asked Rodan. Eliza sighed with a tired look. "Correct. It's mentally exhausting," said Eliza. "Man, you're very diligent. I bet if you attended school during your younger years, all of the teachers would've made you their favorite student," said Rodan with a wink. Eliza smiled with a flattered look. But her heart skipped a beat in her chest. The girl briefly placed a hand on her chest as she briefly bore a frightened look. "You OK?" asked Rodan in worry. Eliza felt her chest as her heart raced. "I-I think so. I just had an irregular heartbeat," said Eliza. Rodan's brows raised. He then grinned. "Your heart skipped a beat, didn't it?" asked Rodan in a teasing tone. "I-Is that bad?" asked Eliza as she grew more concern as she held her chest. "You should know! You're the one who studies biology!" chuckled Rodan. Eliza flushed more. "I... I'm starting to feel strange," said Eliza as she felt herself growing hot. Rodan placed a hand over her forehead. Eliza gasped as her eyes widened. She found the Transmutant locking his green eyes with her as his warm hand rested over her forehead. Eliza trembled as her cheeks grew red, her body was stiff. She was feeling something very alien to her, something that she only heard of, but never experienced herself. "Hmm. Yeah, you are feeling hot," said Rodan. "H-Hot?!" asked Eliza in what sounded to be shock. She looked to be incredibly embarrassed as she stumbled back from Rodan. "Yeah. You know, the opposite of cold?" asked Rodan with a raised brow. Eliza moaned under her breath. She felt very antsy. She both liked but hated what she was feeling. Whatever it was, it was due to Rodan. "Actually, cold is the absence of heat. So... Er! I-I must go! I'll see you later!" said Eliza as she briskly walked past the boy. Rodan chuckled. "I like it when you bring up scientific facts like that," said Rodan. Eliza gulped as she picked up her pace. "Gotta go!" said Eliza, as she timidly looked back at Rodan. "See you later then," said Rodan with a wink. Eliza timidly nodded as she quickly walked off. Rodan chuckled to himself. "Hmm. Smooth operator," said a voice. Rodan looked to his side and found Spinner to be standing by the locker. "Oh. Hey, Spinner. Yeah, I got game," said Rodan with a chuckle. Spinner made his way passed Rodan and turned back around to face him. "Why waste your time trying to get ass from a human?" asked Spinner with a scoff. Rodan shot Spinner a glare. "Hey! Hey! Watch your mouth," said Rodan. Spinner smirked. "Aw. So you don't plan on just hitting it and quitting it. Adorable," said Spinner with a mocking chuckle. "Don't talk about her like that," said Rodan in a warning tone. "Alright. But, it's surprising considering she's a human. I guess that's a first here at this school, where a human isn't disgusted at just being near us to the point of affection. I've seen you two around," said Spinner as he strolled passed Rodan. He then smirked as he looked to Rodan's back. "How was that back surgery by the way?" asked Spinner. Rodan's eyes slightly widened. He looked at Spinner with a glare as he walked off. "Words get around fast when it concerns our race. If you aren't careful, you might end up killing those you love," said Spinner as he walked off. As he was ear shot, Rodan scoffed. "Dick," said Rodan as he clenched his back pack strap and walked off. Just a couple hours went on from the journey, where the choppers soon arrived near a building that appeared as an abandoned factory. It was miles from both civilization and the Vault. An abandoned road that sprouted grass as its asphalt was cracked led towards the building, but it hadn't been used in years. The choppers' engines shut down, as the GeneCo hazmat team began to carefully unload the stretchers from the chopper, where they began to roll the first few down towards the factory. They entered, where the door opened with a creak. Inside, the factory was dark, where abandoned equipment lied, and conveyor belts were covered in dust, debris, and parts of the roof. In the center of the main room of the factory, there was a large metallic structure that stood.It bore the GeneCo logo, and it appeared pretty new compared to the all of the old abandoned things here. It was an incinerator, but it was quite large, about the size of a bus. The stretchers were rolled near the incinerator, as the sunlight from the broken roof shined down over them. The machine's hatch was opened, where the corpses were placed on a large platform just at their feet, connected to the incinerator. The corpses were piled onto each other as the men backed away, as a pad was dialed on, causing the machine to whir as a yellow light flashed on top. The platform rose up as the infected bodies were carried up. A hatch on top opened up, allowing the platform to curl back and dump the bodies down the hatch, much like a garbage truck. The hatch closed as the arm came down and lowered the platform onto the concrete floor, and the tube on top of the machine began to smoke as the fire ignited inside. "Bring the rest of the bodies," said a man among the group. Soon, the rest of the bodies were rolled into the factory. Xenjira's body was the last to be rolled in, as the tubed plastic tent he was in was unzipped. "Load up the next set of bodies for cremation," said a man as the rest began to roll a few more stretchers towards the platforms, where they began to pile them on. The empty stretchers were pushed aside as they activated the machine's lift, dumping more bodies into the hatch. Soon, the rest of the bodies were loaded up onto the lift, with Xenjira lying on top of the pile. "Alright, last batch," said a man as he pressed on a pad, causing the lift to rise. Suddenly, Xenjira's body rolled off of the pile of the remaining bodies and fell to the ground. "Ah shit!" said one of the men in annoyance as the lift already dumped the bodies in the hatch. "Hold on, I'll bring it back down," said the man by the pad as he pressed on it. The lift began to lower back down as one of the other men made his way to Xenjira's body. A bit of blood had stained the concrete floor as he lied face down. He was then moved onto the lift. "Alright, let's try this a-" the man was interrupted as Xenjira suddenly shot up as he inhaled deeply. His eyes were blood shot and his eyes wide. "Jesus- Fuck!" cried a man as he stumbled away in shock. Xenjira coughed up blood as he attempted to stand. He continued to give hard coughs. The men in hazmat suits suddenly fled from the Transmutant that had suddenly shot up back to life. Xenjira stumbled onto the ground and fell on his hands and knees. His body was filled with an agonizing pain, like he was being pierced everywhere. He then puked blood onto the ground. He stood up and began to waddle through the dark factory as he gave groans of pain. From the entrance, a couple of soldiers came as they bore masks, with rifles drawn. "Stay sharp. This is a Transmutant after all," said a soldier in a whisper. The two began to quietly step inside of the factory as their rifles' lights shone through the darkness. They heard Xenjira's groans and wails of pain, which echoed out ominously in this dark building. The soldiers tensed as they tightened their grips on their weapons, while cautiously navigating passed the abandoned equipment. As they walked, they spotted trails of blood spots on the ground. They continued on, where Xenjira's cries grew more distant, as crashing could be heard. The soldiers picked up their pace, while remaining vigilant. On the floor, they found more splotches of blood to be on the ground. "He shouldn't be much trouble. He's lost a lot of blood," whispered a soldier as he took point. They were soon able to hear Xenjira's groans. He was close. As they came near a corner, they heard something that sounded like bones popping, and sickening sounds, like tearing. Xenjira was groaning as he shuddered. One of the soldiers peeked over the corner, finding Xenjira's form in the shadows. He was hunched over on his knees as it looked as though his body was convulsing. The popping of his bones was much clearer, and a foul stench from blood and bile came from him. Xenjira then shot his head up as he cried out in agony, which echoed out into the factory. The soldier was going to step out of hiding but stepped on glass. The soldier stepped back and hid behind the corner as he cursed under his breath and hid. He looked to his comrade, who bore a questioning look. The first soldier made a 'hush' gesture as he was about to peek back over the corner. Suddenly, Xenjira appeared in his sight as he gave a pained cry as he lunged for him, with dark claws sprouted from his fingers, and sharp teeth sticking from his gums. His bloody red eyes were that of a savage beast. The sound of gun fire echoed out in the factory, which shortly faded. From deeper in the factory, Xenjira was stumbling as he groaned. His shoulders appeared to have swelled up, along with his chin, his arms, and his forehead. His back muscles were also shifting and expanding, in plain sight for all to see. The center of his back along his spine was also swelling up. Xenjira dropped to his knees as the ulcers on his body burst, gushing with blood. Xenjira wailed in agony as he bled on the ground, where large jagged crystal structures jutted from his shoulders, his forearms grew bits of smaller crystals, which bled as they tore through flesh and muscle. His chin sprouted small spiked crystals, and two pairs of short and sharp crystal tusks came from his cheeks. His white of his eyes turned yellow as the back of his hands grew a pair of sharp crystals that stuck out forward. Xenjira dropped to his knees as his chest ached. He began to scratch at his chest, tearing through flesh with his claws. Xenjira continued to wail as he clawed his own flesh, exposing what one would assume was his breast plate. However, it was a crystallized structure with an almost diamond shape, flattened against the center of his chest. He dropped onto the ground on his belly as his forehead bled, as a crystal-like crest grew out. Xenjira lied in his own blood on the ground in the factory, panting. He shook violently as he lied on the ground. He began to crawl on the floor, dragging himself on concrete as he left a trail of blood like a bloody slug. He continued on until he found a hole in the wall, where he continued to crawl towards until he crawled out of the building and slumped himself into the bushes. He sighed as his vision darkened as his skin became pale from the blood loss. He lied in the bush, hidden, as the afternoon sun hung above him in the sky. Junior was digging through his locker as students flooded the halls behind him. Fluttershy was by his side as she was digging through her own locker, where she began to take a couple of books out. Junior rubbed his stiff shoulder as he lightly turned his neck, causing a small pop, which caused him to give a grunt in relief. Fluttershy closed her locker as she held one of her books against her chest. "Um... Goji, can I ask you something?" asked Fluttershy as she looked at the ground briefly. "Hmm?" Junior closed his locker door as he stuffed his last required book into his bag. "It's about Angirasu... I don't mean to sound rude or gossipy, but he seems aggressive lately," said Fluttershy. "Nah, I noticed that too," replied Junior as he carried his bag over his shoulder. "It just seems so odd. Especially after what happened at lunch today," said Fluttershy as she bit her lip in worry. "Well, Aang's been under a lot of stress lately. You know, the issue with his mom. Let's not hold it against him," said Junior. "But still, I'm worried. We're his friends, aren't we? Shouldn't we be there to help?" asked Fluttershy. Junior sighed. "Trust me, I feel the same. But he doesn't want to talk about it," said Junior. Fluttershy awkwardly looked to the side. "Can't you just... Make him tell you?" asked Fluttershy. "You mean I should kick his ass? Damn Shy, that's a little hardcore for you," said Junior in surprise. Fluttershy bore a frantic look. "I don't mean like that! I meant like maybe get him to understand how worried we are as his friends!" said Fluttershy. "Oh. So guilt trip him," said Junior with a nod of understanding. "No! Well, actually... No!" said Fluttershy with a flustered look. Junior chuckled. "I'm kidding. I know what you meant. Besides, I rather not get into a fist fight with him. Anymore fights started by me here will get my ass expelled," said Junior as he began to walk off, with Fluttershy after him. "So you'll do it?" asked Fluttershy. "I'll see what I can do," said Junior with a nod. "Gojira!" called a familiar voice. Junior and Fluttershy stopped as they turned to look back. Junior's expression soured as he saw Flash Sentry standing down the hall as he waved to him. Fluttershy glanced at Junior, who suddenly turned back and continued on his walk. "H-Hey! I'm talking to you!" called Flash. "Fuck off, Flash," said Junior in annoyance as Fluttershy followed after him, while looking back at Flash. Suddenly, the boy came rushing down the hall and got in front of them. "Hey! Come on, I just wanna talk," said Flash. "Yeah, well I don't. Get out of my way," deadpanned Junior as he side stepped forward, but Flash quickly got in his path. "It'll just be a minute! It won't take that long!" said Flash. "Flash..." growled Junior in annoyance. Fluttershy looked on anxiously. "Um Flash, I think you shouldn't bother Gojira right now," said Fluttershy in her usual timid tone. Though concern was present. "Hey, come on bro. Let's just have a civil conversation outside," said Flash. Junior scoffed. "Don't call me 'bro'. We're not friends. And when someone offers to talk outside, that usually means that person wants to fight," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes. Flash waved his hands with a nervous look. "H-Hey, I think I've seen enough to know that's a dumb idea," said Flash. "Yeah, but idiots are quick to forget," said Junior. "Goji..." called Fluttershy in a nervous tone as students passed by, watching the scene. "Look, it's important man," said Flash. Junior sighed heavily. "Fiiine. I'll fucking humor you," said Junior in a groan. He then began to follow Flash down the hall as Fluttershy bore a frantic look. "Go-Gojira!" called Fluttershy. "It's fine. I'll see you later." said Junior as he looked back to the girl. Fluttershy bit her thumb as she watched the two disappear in a sea of students. Soon, Junior found himself just off of school grounds. The two stood by a street corner alone in the winter air. Junior bore a scowl as Flash stood by awkwardly. "Hey, how's Sunset?" asked Flash. "Oh, you mean after you dumped her for standing up for me? She's fine, last I check," said Junior in a sarcastic manner, looking at the guitarist with a glare. He wanted to rub the fact in Flash’s face, but thought against it since he wanted him out of his face as soon as possible. Flash winced. "Right... Ahem. So... Did I ever apologize for that mix up with your half-brother?" asked Flash. "Yeah, but it doesn't mean jack shit to me," deadpanned Junior. Flash cleared his throat. "Noted," said Flash. "Is that why you brought me out here?" asked Junior in annoyance. Flash hummed as he made a 'so-so' motion with his hand. "I mostly want to talk to you about the girls," said Flash as he placed his hands in his pockets. "What about them?" asked Junior with an annoyed sigh. "Well... Don't you think maybe is now a good time to make up with them?" asked Flash. Junior scoffed. "No," said Junior. Flash sighed in frustration. "Come on, man! It's been over a month!" said Flash. "Yeah, and it feels like yesterday!" said Junior with a glare. He shook his head. "You know, I'm getting sick of everyone getting into my business about this!" said Junior. "But what do you want from them? They apologized, they feel bad about it! What more can you possibly want?!" demanded Flash. "I had it! But then they threw it away! Because of you!" said Junior as he jabbed a finger against Flash's chest with a glare. "I don't want anything from them. I just want to be left the hell alone," said Junior as he began to walk away. "Twilight was crying earlier today, Gojira," said Flash. Junior stopped in his tracks. Flash briefly cracked a smirk at how he stopped, but quickly hid it as Junior turned. But instead of a surprised look like Flash was expecting, Junior bore a deadpanned look. "So?" asked Junior. Flash's eyes widened. "Whoa. Did I just hear you correctly? You're harsh," said Flash with his eyes slightly narrowed. "Flash, I don't care if she's cries about this. Am I supposed to feel bad? Hell no, she made the decision not to give me a chance, that's on her. Not me," said Junior. "But they liked you. Hell, I was starting to like you when we were kinda hanging out before this whole shit storm," said Flash. "I think Hell just froze over and Satan is ice skating. You just said something that may be a sign to the apocalypse," said Junior with an almost surprised look. "You liked them too though, right?" asked Flash. Junior sighed, but did not answer. "Of course you did. Twilight said that you helped keep Pinkie from getting into too much trouble recently," said Flash. Junior was silent. "Flash, when you grow up with no friends, it's hard to trust people. But when you reach the point in your life where you somehow miraculously meet those you would consider your friends, but you end up being betrayed, it's hard to forgive them," said Junior as he looked to icy road. "But... It's also hard to hate them when they've been good to you beforehand," said Junior. Flash sighed. "Well, what if I made it right with you, right now," said Flash. Junior merely looked his way with a deadpanned look. "I'm serious. I'll let you deck me. This is all my fault to begin with. Take out your anger on me, not them. Give me your best shot," said Flash as he held his arms out. "My best would probably kill you," said Junior with a deadpanned tone. He then watched as Flash remained in place, with his arms open. "You're serious?" asked Junior with a raised brow. "Yeah. Do it. But you gotta make it up to the girls after this," said Flash. Junior merely made his way over to Flash. He then raised his fist and punched Flash in the jaw, causing him to cry out in pain as he dropped to the ground. Junior merely cracked an amused look. "Hmm. That actually felt good," said Junior as he watched Flash groan as he clutched his jaw on the ground. "Did I break it?" asked Junior. Flash groaned as he rubbed his jaw. "I don't think so," said Flash as rotated his jaw a bit. He then noticed Junior walking away. "Wait! What about Twilight and the others?!" called Flash. "I'll think about it!" called Junior back in annoyance. He shook his head as he left Flash alone. The blue haired boy sighed. He hoped that he at least was able to help with the situation in some way. During the cold, Senior was sitting at a table as he ate a meal. The other remaining Transmutants were eating as well, while some were working on keeping the cave heated. Right now, they were able to mostly focus on this or find something to occupy their time. Given the fact that they no longer devoted their time to moving weapons and prepping them. Now, they were no longer hidden soldiers for this mysterious Ark that they guarded. Now, they were merely just rogues in the eyes of MONARCH, squatting in a dark cave together in Ponyville, with only their hands to defend this artifact. Senior sighed to himself as he finished eating. Baragon came his way. "Hey, boss," greeted Baragons as he took a seat next to the Transmutant. "So... This is us now?" asked Baragon as he gestured to the cave, which seemed emptier without the crates of weapons and explosives stacked up. "Seems so," said Senior. "Sucks man. We had a great thing going too," said Baragon with a scowl. "MONARCH knows where we are. We can't just hold onto the weapons we had. We're lucky that we are being left alone and our place is being kept secret from the lower ranks and the public," said Senior. Baragon scoffed. "Yeah, for now," said Baragon. Senior nodded, hating how correct Baragon was. This was not paranoia, this was a legitimate concern. Anytime, the government can send MONARCH swarming in on them. They would be forced to leave and likely turn over the Ark to them. This was something that Senior dreaded. Not just for possibly being forced to be separated from his family again and leaving the Ark into the hands of the government, but the fear of what would happen to his allies here. He looked and found familiar faces he had led over the years. He looked to Kumonga as she taught Zip different uses of their webbing. He focused on Zip. She and her sister and the other girls were just children. This was the only home and family that they had. This filled Senior with pain in his heart. Family. These Transmutants were his family. Then, he recalled Xenjira, his eldest son. The one that he was never around for. Ever since Senior returned to guarding the Ark, he never forgot about him. In fact, thoughts of regret for leaving his son to rot in a cell alone while he himself is free to be with his family plagued his mind. Senior tried to do right by him, but in the end, he had done wrong by him once again. Laura stood by a tent in silence. Her supervisor was currently arguing with one of the Warden of the Vault. Both had their voices raised, which could be heard from a couple of tents over. This argument was over the failure to dispose of one of the bodies, which was apparently reported to have been alive. There was also the Warden arguing over how this had cost two of his men's lives. As the two continued on with their argument, Laura made her way away from the tent and further away until the men's voices faded of her hearing. She came across another man that was staring off blankly across the field beyond the Vault. He too bore the GeneCo logo on his lab coat. "The infection should have killed all of them," said the man as he stared off to the field. "And yet one of the infected survived. He's out there, somewhere," said Laura. "How is that possible?" asked the man as he glanced at Laura. "It shouldn't be. Even the other Transmutants that were infected had died. But that one didn't. His DNA may hold the key," said Laura as she crossed her arms over her chest. "A Takeshi..." said the man. Laura looked his way with a raised brow, her cold expression not changing. "Do you think so?" asked the woman. "What other Transmutant could it be? When Dr. Discord revealed Project: Heracles' source template, that lineage seems to be the most genetically advanced code on the planet. No other species is anything like it," said the man. "I looked into the records for the prison. 'Xenjira' was one of the fatalities. Our supervisor himself even confirmed for us that he was related to the Takeshi bloodline," said the man as he glanced at the tent that was further down away, where the inaudible argument between the Warden and scientist went on. "He can still be carrying the infection. This can pose a global problem," said Laura as she turned to fully face the man beside her. "Then we must take precaution. And I am certain that MONARCH is more than willing to act to prevent a pandemic. But to be safe, initiate the 'Containment' protocol," said the man as he began to walk off. Laura nodded as she drew out a phone and placed it on her ear. The sound of howling winds filled the night. The full moon hovered over the woods on this cold, freezing night. Xenjira was shuddering as he sluggishly walked through the woods, treading on freezing snow. His pale skin and the jagged crystals that stuck out of his body were stained with dry blood. He stumbled and fell onto the ground as he panted. His body ached, and the crystals stung as they stuck out of his flesh. Every breath that Xenjira took could be seen with every exhale in the cold. From around him, wolves stalked closer to him as they emerged from the shadows. The animals surrounded him as their dark fur bore snowflakes. Xenjira raised his head and found the wolves inching closer as they stalked over to him, being cautious while approaching their wounded prey. Xenjira growled under his breath as he bowed his head. One of the wolves suddenly rushed behind Xenjira and lunged for him. However, the Transmutant caught the beast by its neck and slammed it on the ground. The wolf whimpered in pain as it attempted to bite the Transmutant as it scratched and thrashed. Xenjira merely roared in its face. He then stood up as the rest of the wolves charged towards him. Xenjira threw the wolf that he had towards one coming from his left, knocking them back. He then raised his foot before a wolf on his right could bite his ankle, and then stomped on its skull. A sickening crack and splat could be heard as the snow was stained with fresh blood. Xenjira then charged towards the wolf heading his way as it jumped towards him. He then slashed the wolf's face, causing it to roughly land in the snow and to scurry away as it whined. Its muzzle and its brow were covered in deep scratches that bled. Xenjira then lunged for the last wolf that was coming his way and sunk his sharp teeth into its neck. The wolf let out a short whine before Xenjira's bite crushed its neck. Xenjira gave a screeching roar and a bellow at the wolves as fur and blood fell from his mouth. The remaining wolves quickly began to retreat, not willing to risk anymore lives in their pack against this foe that they thought was vulnerable. How wrong they were. As they ran off, Xenjira chuckled. "Learn your place! I'm still on top of the food chain!" shouted Xenjira. He grabbed the wolf by the neck and dragged it through the snow. He panted as he continued to tread through the freezing snow, as the wolf left a trail of blood from its wound. Soon, the Transmutant found a large tree that was lying on the ground, leaning on another fallen tree, where they formed a shade from the snow. The grass and leaves prevented snow from falling onto a spot that was shaded. Xenjira quickly made his way over to the fallen trees, where he dropped the dead wolf and began to dig through the snow with his claws, reaching the dirt. He continued to dig as the snow chilled his bones and flesh, threatening to encase him into an icy tomb. But Xenjira refused to die this way. Not when he had just became free. The Transmutant managed to dig a hole under the fallen trees, just deep enough to lie himself in. He rushed back to the dead wolf and dragged it into the hole with him. Xenjira curled himself into a fetal position in the dirt hole, providing some warmth, but only a little since he was still close to the cold surface. Xenjira held the dead wolf close to himself over his chest, using its fur to add some warmth. The Transmutant lightly shook as he closed his eyes, as the cold wind howled. During the evening, Mosura was currently washing dishes. She had just finished it and placed the last dish into the rack to dry. She stretched as she let out a yawn. The girl quickly made her way out of the kitchen as she turned out the lights and made her way down the short hall. "Night bro!" called Mosura as she passed Battra's door. "Good night," called Battra in a tired tone. Mosura lied herself down on her bed in her dark room. She kicked off her morning slippers as she enveloped herself in her blanket. The girl sighed as she rested her head. As she lied in bed, Mosura was feeling an itching sensation on her skin. She scratched her arms and legs as she attempted to catch some sleep but it was hopeless. The girl sighed in annoyance as she smacked her skin. The girl sighed as she lied her head down with her eyes closed. Mosura found herself standing in school. She was dressed in a school girl's outfit, as the area around her felt bright and vibrant. As if color was radiating off of the very surface of the earth. She was standing beside Sunset and Erika, who were also dressed in school girl uniforms. "So, I was thinking of getting this thing for my thing. But it costs about dingy dang ding," said Erika as she carried her bag in front of herself. "Hm. Well you should probably stick with the dangy dang. I hear its dingin'," said Sunset. Mosura merely stood in silence as she looked at the two. "Wingy dang dang?" Mosura shrugged. The other two girls looked at her and both smiled. "Wingy dang dang!" said Sunset and Erika in unison. Suddenly, Rodan appeared from a locker nearby, drawing their attention. The sound of a guitar and drum set being played filled the air. "Wingy Dangy-Dang~! Wingy Dangy-Dang~!" Rodan sang enthusiastically. Suddenly, the hall was filled with students clapping in unison in pace with Rodan's singing. "Boo-Dee-Bop-Boo-Bop-Dip-Beep-Bop-Boop-Bop-Doo-Dop-Deedle-Da-Doodle~! Doop Baddle De-Ping Pang~! Huzah La Do Da-Doodle-Loo!~" Rodan sang as the music suddenly ended. He then dove back into the locker and slammed it closed, while students immediately carried on with their business. Sunset, Erika, and Mosura returned their attention to each other, without so much of a questioning look. "So yeah, I'll probably go with the Wingy Dang-Dang jacket," said Erika. "Yeah, I agree," said Sunset as Mosura nodded in agreement. Mosura gasped as her cheeks flushed brightly. "It's senpai!" said Mosura as she quickly hid behind Sunset. Down the hall, a student came waltzing down the hall, dressed in a boy's school uniform. His dark jacket was open, revealing his shirt to have a couple of buttons undone, revealing a bit of the collar bone of his neck. His muscles were clearly defined under the uniform, and the way the boy carried himself showed his strength and confidence. He carried his school bag over his shoulder as he walked down the hall. "Gojira Takeshi..." whispered Mosura with her cheeks red hot. "Hi Senpai~!" greeted Sunset and Erika in unison as the boy passed the three girls. "Yo," greeted Junior as he continued on his way. Mosura was about to speak but felt her voice come out as a strained sound of breath. She attempted to speak again to greet the boy, but no words were able to leave her throat. Mosura groaned as the boy rounded the corner in the hall and disappeared from her sight. "Aw man," said Mosura with a whine. "Why didn't you say something?" asked Erika in confusion. "I couldn't,” said Mosura with a shrug. Sunset smirked as she looked to Erika. "Leave her alone. She's just shy," said Sunset. "I-I'm not shy! I can talk to him just fine!" said Mosura indignantly. She then flinched as she felt her bag vibrate. She quickly looked at it with her eyes narrowing. She then turned to Sunset and Erika with a forced smile. "Uh listen. I'll catch you two later," said Mosura as she took off in the opposite direction. Erika and Sunset shrugged at each other as Mosura made her way down the hall. She ended up hiding in the locker room, where she was alone. Mosura reached into her bag and found a disk with a cross in the center, bearing tribal marks around it. The object was flashing as it vibrated in her palm. Mosura held up the disk in the air. "Moth Power!" cried Mosura, her voice echoed. The disk shone brightly and enveloped the girl in the light. She found herself spinning in place as a glowing silhouette of her naked feminine form. Glowing moths flew around her as the girl spun, with her arms and legs glowing brighter. Her arms and legs were wrapped in glowing tendrils that changed into gloves and boots and stockings. Her body was covered in a sailor uniform, with the skirt hanging over thighs. An orange mask covered her eyes and brows, allowing her to open her blue eyes. On her head sprouted fuzzy antennae and on her back appeared two beautiful transport moth wings, comprised of magic. As she was fully transformed, Mosura struck a pose, with the symbol that was present on the disk responsible for her change appeared behind her, glowing brightly and dramatically. The disk itself appeared ln her chest as if it were part of her uniform. Meanwhile just outside of the high school, there were screams coming from the streets of Ponyville. Civilians fled for their lives. From the source of the fear was a young woman, whose long curly hair flowed in the wind. She was an attractive young vixen, but she was undoubtedly off. She wore clam shells over her large breasts, and a gown that exposed one of her luscious legs. Parts of her skin were covered in golden fish scales that glittered in the sunlight. Her ears bore fins and her eyes glowed red. She chuckled as she licked her fanged teeth, as the gills on her ribs flexed. She carried a trident at her side as it sparked with energy. With her were humanoid fish creatures, with googly eyes. There were other monsters with sea creature qualities as well. The monsters terrorized the citizens as they destroyed everything that was in front of them. The monsters even captured any male civilian that they could and hauled them over to the villainess that they served. The villainess giggled seductively as she caressed the face of one of the male captives, who trembled fearfully. "Oh, don't be afraid. I'll be gentle," cooed the villainess as she brought her lips against the man. He gave muffled cries in panic as he felt something being sucked out of him. He suddenly began to appear as though he were drying up like fruit, with his skin growing leathery and his eyes sinking into his sockets as he grew thin to the bone. The villainess released the man, allowing him to drop to the ground in a weak and corpse-like state. But he still lived, evident of his weak breathing. The villainess sighed as she stretched. "Mm. That hit the spot. But I still crave more," said the villainess as she gave a sinister smile. The captive men gave panicked cries as the sea monsters kept them on their knees. "Mistress Adagio!" called a gruff voice. The villainess turned and found one of her minions, who bore crab-like appearance, to be rushing towards her. He pointed a claw towards the sky. "There is something in the sky!" said the minion as his dead stick eyes were glancing back to where he was pointing in a panic. Adagio squinted her eyes as she looked to the sky and found Mosura to be soaring through the air with her magical moth wings flapping. She descended upon a roof of a building, striking a pose as the wings vanished from her back. "Who are you?!" demanded Adagio. "I am Lady Moth! Guardian of peace and champion of justice!" shouted Mosura as she made movements with her hands. She then pointed to Adagio with narrowed eyes. "And in the name of the moth, I shall punish you!" said Mosura. Adagio smirked. "Ah. Lady Moth, eh? Well, I am Adagio the Sea Witch!" said Adagio as she held her trident in the air. "My minions and I have journeyed onto the surface world so that I may feed on your men's energy! I shall use this energy to awaken the Kraken and conquer all coastal cities!" Adagio laughed wickedly. Mosura bore a look of confusion. "Wait... Just cities near the coast? Not the world?" asked Mosura. Adagio stopped laughing. "Huh?" asked Adagio. "Well it's just that... This 'Kraken' sounds pretty bad. I'd imagine you'd try using it to go after more of the mainland as well. Humans just don't live on the coast," said Mosura as she scratched her head. "That is true, but it's a sea creature. It wouldn't survive on land so it must be as close to water as possible," said Adagio as she leaned against her trident. "OK. But why are you attacking Ponyville? You're all from the sea, right? Why are you in a town that's miles away from the ocean?" asked Mosura. "I'm sorry?" asked Adagio. "Why go through the risk of drying out in the sun when you could just do this in a city literally right next to the sea? Seems to be more work than necessary," said Mosura. Adagio was about to respond but nothing left her mouth. She found her minions to be speaking to each other in agreement. "Hm. She has a point. And why do we need just men's energy? Won't the females suffice too?" asked a fish minion. Adagio suddenly smacked him with a glare. "Because, shut up! That's why!" yelled Adagio. She then pointed her trident at Mosura. "Attack, my minions!" ordered Adagio. The monsters gave war cries as they began to charge towards the building. Mosura drew out a staff that extended from a short rod to a tall metal object. It bore her symbol on the tip and was gold in color. Mosura dropped down to the street as the monsters came her way. She rushed towards them and swung her staff at any that came her way. The clanging of her staff hitting her foes rang in the air. She performed acrobatic feats as she dodged the attacks of her enemies and countered with her own. Mosura kicked a shrimp away towards a fish man and broke a crab minion's shell, only to yelp as an eel head stuck out of a body covered in barnacles and slimy flesh. The head snapped its jaws at her but Mosura caught the jaws with her staff. She then jabbed the minion in the throat and snatched her staff out of its mouth. Afterwards, she kicked the minion as it was stunned and proceeded to fight off her foes. Mosura then leaped into the air as her wings appeared, carrying her above her foes. "Spectrum beam!" cried Mosura as her antennae on her head glowed brightly. They then shot forth twin beams of energy that appeared as a rainbow. The beams struck the foes, obliterating them into sparkles. Adagio cursed as she found her minions being destroyed. She aimed her trident at Mosura, where electricity sparked. The electricity shot forth towards Mosura, who aimed her spectrum beams at Adagio. The beams clashed, creating a ball of mixed energies colliding and sparking in the center. The beams caused an explosion, which caused Mosura to shield her eyes from the light that was created. Suddenly, Adagio came bursting from the clouds of smoke, riding a wave of water that had burst from the tap sources of the nearest buildings. The sea witch lunged for Mosura, who had little time to react. Mosura was kicked in the rib and crashed into the ground, groaning in pain. She attempted to stand as she reached for her staff but it was snatched up by a tentacle. Mosura gasped in alarm as her weapon was taken and cried out as her leg was grabbed by another tentacle. She was dragged across the street and raised in the air by a minion with octopus features. He gave clicks and popping sounds as he chuckled. Mosura's arms were held up and were restrained as her legs were held by the tentacles. The magical girl struggled and thrashed in the grips of the monster as she was hung in the air. "Let go!" shouted Mosura as she cringed from the slimy texture she felt from the tentacles. "Don't worry, sweetheart. He's a well behaved octopus," said Adagio with a dark chuckle as she stepped over towards the girl. Mosura was brought closer towards Adagio, who grabbed her by the cheeks tightly. "You fought well. But today, Lady Moth falls," said Adagio as she released Mosura and raised her trident. Mosura's eyes widened as she gasped. Before Adagio could impale her with her weapon, a figure dropped down from the air, slashing a katana against the tentacles that held Mosura captive. The octopus cried out in pain as he dropped to his knees. Mosura yelped as she fell from the air but was caught by her rescuer, who managed to snag Mosura's staff. Adagio recoiled as she and her minions backed away in shock. "Who are you?!" demanded Adagio. Mosura gasped as she found who rescued her. She was carried bridal style by a man that wore silver armor like a samurai. His katana bore markings of a blue serpentine dragon, and the mask on his face bore the muzzle of a dragon. His amber eyes were furrowed as they focused on Adagio. "I am Steel Dragon. I’m warrior that is willing to put his life on the line to conquer his foes and defend his allies," said the samurai. Mosura bore a shocked look as she held her gaze on this man. "Steel Dragon. What are you doing here?" asked Mosura. Steel Dragon looked at her with eyes that looked to be smirking at her, despite zero visibility of his lips. "Just thought I'd lend a hand to my favorite moth," said Steel Dragon. Mosura flushed in embarrassment. "J-Just put me down!" said Mosura as she thrashed, causing the samurai to quickly lower her. "Geez! I-I had it under control," said Mosura as she crossed her arms with a glare. Steel Dragon gave her a deadpanned look. "Yeah. I could tell when that octopus had you. I've seen enough anime to know where that was going," said Steel Dragon. Mosura scoffed in disgust. "Pervert. You disgust me," said Mosura as she whipped her head away. "Just saying," said Steel Dragon as he held out Mosura's staff. "Here, you'll need this," said Steel Dragon. Mosura sighed as she took it with a smile. Adagio bore a look of interest as she focused on the new hero. "Hmm. You look to be a delicious meal. Minions! Attack!" Shouted Adagio. "Hope you like sushi, Lady Moth!" said Steel Dragon as he and Mosura got into a fighting pose. The minions charged towards the two heroes, wielding snouts from saw sharks, large fish hooks, and clubs with large urchins on them. Steel Dragon slashed his sword against a fish minion's saw shark sword, while Mosura twirled her staff. It sparked and the tip changed into a stinger-like tip. She began to quickly jab the staff against the closest foes, causing them to recoil in agony. The minions that were stung experienced agony as their bodies began to bloat, resulting in them exploding into sparkles. Mosura slid under a shark faced minion and kicked a short hermit crab-like minion away through the air. Steel Dragon slashed his sword against six total enemies at once, causing them to drop to the ground, turning into sea foam. He then was struck by a much larger foe from behind, causing Steel Dragon to roll across the street with a growl. He found large crab minion charging towards him, giving a war cry. Steel Dragon swung his sword against the creature but his blade clanked and sparked as it collided with the hard shell. Every strike that he made did nothing to damage his foe. The crab minion caught the next strike, having a tight grip on the steel blade. He then snatched the sword away and tossed it to the side. "Ah crap," said Steel Dragon, though his tone was that of being inconvenienced rather than concern. The crab chuckled as he swung his claw, but the samurai caught the claw and began to pull on his foe. His muscles tensed and he gave a strong yank, causing the crab's appendage to be torn from its socket. The crab wailed in agony as he dropped to his knees in agony. Steel Dragon then impaled the crab's shell with his own claw. The samurai chuckled as his mask split in two, revealing his mouth. Out came a stream of blue flames that began to scorch the crab and all of the minions that came his way. Cries of agony filled the air as they were cooked alive by the blue flames. Steel Dragon's mask closed as his foes lied as boiling bubbles of sea foam, allowing him to retrieve his katana. However, Adagio's trident came racing his way, prompting Steel Dragon to turn and to swing his blade, forcing it out of his path. As his eyes followed the weapon impaling the asphalt, Adagio lunged his way as she drew a dagger. However, Steel Dragon caught her wrist and pinned her to the ground. Adagio growled angrily as she struggled under Steel Dragon. Soon, Mosura had conquered the last of the minions. She panted as she retracted her staff. She turned and found the samurai pinning Adagio to the ground. "Not so tough, are ya?" asked Steel Dragon with a chuckle. Adagio smirked as her eyes looked to the sky above. The sky darkened from being shrouded by clouds. Thunder rumbled, prompting Steel Dragon and Mosura to look to the sky. Storm clouds were forming above them. Thunder roared, just as rain fell. The street was covered in rain water in just seconds. Adagio sighed in relief as she shifted under Steel Dragon. Her body was drenched by the heavy rain. "Mm. Just what I needed," said Adagio as her gills on her ribs flapped. Her teeth grew sharp and more scales began to cover her skin. Adagio kneed Steel Dragon in the gut, causing him to grunt and slouch in pain. The sea witch then backhanded him across his head, sending flying to the sidewalk. Mosura gasped in shock as she saw this. Adagio chuckled as she stood up, stretching as she allowed the rain to drench her curly hair. Her skin grew scalier and her build gained more toned muscles. Sharp nails had grown from her fingers and her forearms sprouted jagged fins. She appeared to have grown more fish-like and grew less beautiful and more frightening in appearance. "How lucky that it's raining season. The sun had me dried up. But now..." Adagio dashed towards Mosura with such speed that Mosura barely had enough time to react. She was kicked in the gut by the sea witch and slammed into a wall. She yelped as she quickly rolled away, avoiding being slashed by Adagio's sharp nails. The brick on the building wall scraped off from the slash. Adagio laughed wickedly as she licked her lips. "Come back here, my pretty~!" said Adagio as she chased Mosura through the street. Mosura turned and swung her staff at her foe, but Adagio was quick at dodging her strikes. Mosura round house kicked Adagio, but her leg was caught by the sea witch, who smirked in response. Mosura yelped as she was thrown onto the ground by Adagio, with the force causing great pain in her back. Mosura groaned as she lied on the ground but cried out in pain as Adagio grabbed her by the hair and held her up. "You may have defeated all of my minions, but you are no match for me!" said Adagio as she dropped Mosura on the ground. She then raised her trident in the air, as lightning flashed above. Mosura clenched her eyes shut, waiting for her the trident to impale her. As Adagio thrust the trident down on the girl, Steel Dragon slashed his sword in its path, catching the weapon before it could stab her. Mosura gasped as Adagio glared at the samurai, who interfered. Steel Dragon forced Adagio away and the two engaged in a fight with their weapons. Steel Dragon dodged each thrust that came his way from the trident, while Adagio dodged every swing from the katana. Their weapons clashed and sparked, as rain water collided with their bodies and weapons. Water splashed beneath their feet from the flooded street, and thunder roared as lightning flashed. Suddenly Adagio waved her free hand, causing a stream of water to splash Steel Dragon in the face, causing him to recoil as water got in his eyes. Adagio then quickly thrust her trident into his gut. "No!!" Mosura screamed in despair as she watched as Steel Dragon dropped to his knees, with the trident still in his gut. Adagio yanked the weapon out and knelt before the samurai. She removed the mask from the samurai. Steel Dragon panted as he coughed blood, while glaring at the sea witch. "Give me your delicious energy," said Adagio in a sensual manner as she brought her lips against Steel Dragon's. The samurai grunted as he felt his body growing weak and his skin growing leathery. Adagio held his head in place as she stole his energy. Suddenly, she was struck in the head by Mosura as she gripped her staff. The sea witch released Steel Dragon as she began to release mist from her mouth. "I have been defeated," said Adagio before collapsing on the ground. Mosura panted as she glared angrily at the sea witch on the ground. She then dropped her staff and knelt before the samurai. Her eyes were welled up with tears. "Steel Dragon! Speak to me!" cried Mosura as she held the samurai by the shoulders. Steel Dragon was breathing raggedly as he slumped against the girl and was gently lowered onto the ground. "Heh. We had a good run, eh? It's a shame. I enjoyed teaming up with you," coughed Steel Dragon. Mosura sniffled as her eyes ran with tears. "Don't say that. You're gonna get through this," said Mosura. It wasn't until she noticed the samurai's face without the mask. Her heart sank and her eyes were wide. Steel Dragon removed his helmet from his head, revealing his head to be covered in a rag that was wrapped around his head. He pulled off the rag and tossed it aside while grunting in pain, revealing his dark and spiky hair. "Senpai..." whispered Mosura in despair. Her tears were coming in full force. Junior coughed more blood as he held his chest. "No, no, no! No, this can't be happening!" cried Mosura as she sobbed into her hands. She then yanked off her mask that covered her face. "Not you! Why you?!" cried Mosura in despair as she buried her face into Junior's chest. The boy caressed her back gently. "Wow. Wasn't expecting to see that the famous Lady Moth was a student at my school," said Junior with a chuckle. Mosura raised herself up as she sniffled. "This isn't fair. I've always wanted to talk to you before. But I was too afraid. But here I am now, of all times," said Mosura with as she wept. "Hey... Better late than never," said Junior with a cough. He then smiled. "You know, I always thought you were cute as Lady Moth. But now..." Junior coughed as he clutched his stomach. Mosura sniffled as her cheeks lightly flushed. She took the boy's hand and held it tightly. "Oh, Senpai. Heh. I never knew you were talkative like you were as Steel Dragon," sniffled Mosura as she held the boy's hand tightly. She didn't dare let go, because she feared that death's cold and unforgiving hands would snatch him away from her in an instant. "But you found me annoying," said Junior with a chuckle. Mosura bore a guilty look. "I did. But you were always there to help me whenever I was in need. I can never imagine you not showing up when I needed you the most. You were my friend," said Mosura with a sniffle. She then bore a bitter smile. "I guess in a way, we got to know each other after all," said Mosura. Junior chuckled. "Suppose we did," said Junior. He then brought his other hand and held it over Mosura's as it griped his other hand. "Hey, can I count on you to keep doing what you've been doing. Even without me?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded with a sniffle. "Always," said Mosura. Junior smiled as he lied his head back as he caressed the girl's cheek. Mosura sniffled as she leaned in towards Junior as she closed her eyes. Her lips began to part as she came closer to the boy. "Beep! Beep! Beep!" An alarm blared, causing Mosura's eyes to shoot open. She found herself lying in bed, cuddling with a pillow as her lips were puckered against it. She looked to her dresser and found her alarm clock to be blaring. Mosura slammed her hand against the button, shutting it off. Her face bore a scowl. "Real nice," muttered Mosura. She turned on her back as she held her pillow close against her chest. Her cheeks were hot as her mind wandered back to her dream. "So close," said Mosura with a heavy sigh. She then grunted in annoyance as she felt her entire body to have grown itchy. She took her blanket off as she began to scratch his back, sides, legs, and stomach. However, she gasped as she saw tones of small white hairs to be scattered on her bed and pajamas. She yelped as she fell out of bed and quickly stood up. Leaning close to her bed, her eyes widened even more at the white hairs on her bed. It was as though a cat had shed onto her bed. She reached for the hair and picked up several strands, looking them over and finding them to be too long. She quickly felt around her head, not feeling a single bald spot. Mosura found that some of the hairs had some orange layers. This was not part of her natural hair color. Mosura gulped nervously as she stared at the hairs scattered on her bed.