Shy and Aggressive

by Johng117


Chapter 67: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind

Angirasu and Sonata found themselves walking through town. Sonata clung to his arm giddily as Angirasu had a blank and almost zombified look in his eyes. As they walked, Aiko, was peeking from behind a building wall, just several feet behind. Her expression was hard as she watched as her son was skipping school just to be with this brat. The revelation that he had disobeyed her and was skipping school left her choleric

As Aiko continued to follow them, Adagio was sneaking not too far behind. She was hidden behind a mailbox as she found Aiko stalking her little her sister and Angirasu. Adagio found herself growing infuriated. It seemed like everyone out there was just trying to dictate what everyone else was doing. Everyone was just hellbent on preventing someone else's happiness.

Adagio noticed a shadow in the corner of her vision. She turned to her left and found a dark alley. Adagio felt a chill in her spine as her heart rate jumped. She quickly stood up and followed Aiko, not wanting to hang around in one spot.


It was noon. Junior was in the school library during lunch. He was reading through his textbook as he was writing on a sheet of paper. He sighed heavily as he squinted his eyes, attempting to comprehend what he was reading.

"Shit," said Junior as he began to erase his progress on his sheet. As he continued to read, he noticed Fluttershy to be standing over his shoulder. She flinched as Junior took notice of her.

"Oh. What are you doing here?" asked Junior as he faced the girl.

"I didn't see you in the cafeteria. I... wanted to see you," said Fluttershy, twiddling her fingers.

"Yeah, I was just trying to finish some homework early," said Junior as he redid the equation on his sheet.

"Do you... want some help?" asked Fluttershy.

"I'm good. I have to figure this out myself or else I'll be stuck asking Sunset and Mosura for help until I graduate. If that is..." said Junior, muttering the last sentence to himself. Fluttershy stood by in silence as Junior went back to work. The Transmutant felt her eyes on him as he wrote down his equation. But he felt himself distracted, as Fluttershy stood by with her hands behind her back. Junior sighed.

"You wanna hang here?" asked Junior. Fluttershy quickly took a seat next to Junior, with a smile. As Junior went back to writing, his phone began to vibrate on the table.

"Shy could you get that, please?" asked Junior as he began to calculate his equation. Fluttershy took the phone and swiped it. Her brows rose.

"Your mother just sent you something," said Fluttershy.

"What is it?" asked Junior.

"Something about aliens," said Fluttershy. Junior looked up at her with a confused look.

"What the hell?" Junior was handed back his phone. He began to look at the link he received in his messages and found himself at a news article.

"Satellites detected unidentified flying objects over the southern and northern regions of the state of Carouselfornia. They appeared for just moments, only for them to suddenly disappear from sight just moments later." said junior, reading the article. He scoffed as he read on.

"Ah, probably just a hoax," said Junior.

"Do you really think so?" asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, yeah. I don't think aliens are real, personally. Even if they were, there's nothing special about our planet. Why would they come all the way out here?" asked Junior. His brows raised as the article depicted a satellite image of a sleek, chrome object that appeared to be over the wilderness. Only the top of the object was visible, but it certainly didn't look man-made.

"Whoa... That's freaky," said Junior. Fluttershy peeked over his shoulder and gasped in shock at the image.

"Still think it could be fake?" asked Fluttershy.

"I'm sixty percent sure. I mean, it's the internet. Someone could have just used Photoshop or even CGI to make that," said Junior. Fluttershy sent him a deadpanned look.

"Do you ever wonder if you have an unhealthy amount of skepticism?" asked Fluttershy. Junior shrugged in response. He stood up and began to stand up.

"I'll be back. I need to use the restroom," said Junior as he grabbed his phone and walked off. Fluttershy propped her head up on the table as Junior left, with his sweater resting on the chair he sat at.

Junior made his way out of the library and into the hall. His journey led him to the nearest restroom that he could find. He entered the boys' room and made his way to the urinal. After evacuating himself, he made his way to the sink and proceeded to wash his hands. Junior heard the door open, prompting him to turn and for his brows to raise. Before him were Chris and Harold. They both stared at him with cold expressions. Junior recalled Eliza warning him about her cousins. The Transmutant slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Is there a problem?" asked Junior. Chris suddenly drew out a metallic object. Junior's heart jumped in his chest as he processed what was in his hand. He was about to react but cried out as a small object shot towards him, piercing his shoulder. Junior cried out in agony as electric-like energy began to course through his body. He dropped to the ground, flailing as he foamed at the mouth. Junior suddenly went limp, with his eye sight fading. All he saw were Chris and Harold approaching him.


Fluttershy was sitting at the table in the library. She had a bored expression as she doodled animals in her notebook. She looked at her phone, her expression turning to confusion. She noticed that Junior was gone for quite a long while just for a bathroom break. Twenty minutes seemed a little too long, even for the bathroom. This was concerning, considering that class would start back up again soon. So, Fluttershy got up from the table and made her way out of the library.

Fluttershy soon came across the nearest boys' restroom. She stood several feet away from the door at the other side of the hallway, to avoid looking like some kind of peeper. Her expression turned to worry as she looked back at her phone.

"What's taking you so long, Goji?" asked Fluttershy as she looked around. She gasped as she found Rodan passing by in the hall.

"Rodan!" called Fluttershy. Rodan turned and smiled with a wave. He began to jog over to her.

"Hey, Flutters! What's up?" greeted Rodan.

"Have you seen Gojira? He should've been back in the library to do his homework by now. I think he might be in the restroom. Would you mind checking for me? I would but.... You know," said Fluttershy, awkwardly.

"Oh, sure thing!" said Rodan as he entered the bathroom. Fluttershy stood by, waiting patiently for about a minute. Rodan suddenly came out of the bathroom, with an odd look.

"He's not in there," said Rodan. Fluttershy's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" asked Fluttershy.

"You can see for yourself if you want," said Rodan as he gestured to the bathroom door. Fluttershy grimaced as she waved her hand frantically.

"No, I'll take your word for it!" said Fluttershy. She sighed as she looked back at her phone.

"He's gonna be late for class if he doesn't come back soon," said Fluttershy.

"Hey, I can check other bathrooms if you want. You can stick around in the library in case he comes back," said Rodan. Fluttershy smiled brightly.

"I'll text ya!" said Rodan as he took off jogging down the hall. Fluttershy walked back to the library, hoping to find Junior there. She hoped that maybe he might have slipped by. Alas, he was still nowhere to be seen. Fluttershy sighed as she took a seat. She gasped as a thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, I can just call him!" said Fluttershy as she drew out her phone. As she selected Junior's name in her contacts list, the screen on her phone turned red as text appeared. It read, "Call Failed". Fluttershy's brows rose. She hung up and attempted to call again. She still couldn't get through.

"What in the world?" Fluttershy began to check her signal, finding it to be strong. Something must have been wrong on Junior's end. Her expression turned to worry. It always felt like she was going to lose him if she couldn't find him.


Senior was standing before the Guardians. His expression filled with sadness as he stood before the men and women that he had come to known for years. They all bore confused and incredulous looks.

"W-Wait a minute. What do you mean, you're leaving?" asked Manda.

"It's as I said. I will be leaving the lair and I may not come back," said Senior.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Gojira, what the hell brought this on all of the sudden?" asked Baragon incredulously.

"Yeah, what are you thinking?" asked a Transmutant among the group. The Transmutants all began to speak incoherently as they spoke over each other, questioning Senior.

"How can you leave when you brought us on here to begin with?!" demanded Kumonga.

"I know, I know. Truly, I wished that I could stay. But my family needs me," said Senior.

"But you see them anytime you want," said Thorn.

"Yes, but it's not enough. My wife is with child," said Senior. The Transmutants fell in silence.

"Miwa worked hard raising Junior when I wasn't around. I regretted leaving them behind ever since. Truly, I was selfish. I thought that taking on this burden would protect them. In the end, I brought more harm to them," said Senior as he bowed his head.

"I cannot put them through that again," said Senior.

"Alpha... What are we gonna do without you?" asked Manda.

"I've talked it over with Amber. She will remain here to guide you as she did me. But, you also are free to leave and pursue your own paths. I only ask that you understand why I'm leaving," said Senior as he bowed.

"It has been an honor serving with you all," said Senior. He began to walk away from the Guardians' lair.

"Unbelievable! He's bailing on us! What the hell are we even doing here?" asked a Guardian.

"Does he think he's the only one with family?" scoffed another Guardian.

"You guys can leave if you want. Personally I rather stick around," said another Guardian.

"Yeah. This is the only place I have to go," sighed a Guardian.

Senior continued to walk away as he heard these idle conversations. Pain welled up in his heart. It seemed that no matter what he did, he was going to let down those around him. As he walked outside, Baragon, Manda and Kumonga came running after him. Senior stopped and turned to find the three. Kumonga appeared angry, while Manda appeared saddened, while Baragon bore a neutral expression.

"I... I hope to see you all again. You are always welcome to visit," said Senior softly.

"How could you think of abandoning us after all of these years?" demanded Kumonga.

"Kumonga..." called Baragon as he looked to the woman.

"No! To hell with that! You're our leader! We were supposed to be doing some good!" said Kumonga. She jabbed her finger at Senior, her face red as her eyes glistened.

"You think you can just leave after all this time?!" demanded Kumonga.

"Kumonga!" shouted Manda. Kumonga turned and found Manda tearing up.

"He has to take care of his family. Doesn't that matter?" asked Manda. Kumonga hardened her expression and turned away.

"Alph- Gojira... Thank you. Thank you for all that you did for us," said Manda with a sad smile. She wrapped Senior into a tight hug, allowing some tears to stream down her face. Senior returned her hug.

"And thank you, for standing with us," said Senior. Manda released him, sniffling as she wiped her eyes.

"I call dibs on being the baby's godmother!" said Manda with a laugh. Senior chuckled with a warm smile. He turned to Baragon, who sighed as he scratched his head.

"Let's not get sentimental, man. It's kind of awkward," said Baragon. He smiled as he approached Senior as they both locked hands and bumped shoulders. The two gave each other a quick pat on the shoulder and released.

"Take care, brother. Don't be a stranger," said Baragon. Senior nodded in response. He then turned to find Kumonga, still refusing to face him. Senior's expression softened.

"Kumonga..." called Senior as he reached out to the woman.

"Don't," said Kumonga, choking up. Senior placed a hand on her shoulder. Kumonga sniffled as she still refused to face him.

"I'm proud of you. Please, take care," said Senior. Suddenly, he felt his pocket buzz. He reached into his pocket and drew out the phone that was given to him by Hayato. He answered and held the phone against his ear.

"Yes?" asked Senior.

"We have a situation," said Hayato over the line.

"There's been an attack-" Hayato's sentence was cut off as Senior's phone beeped.

"Hold on, I have another call," said Senior as he looked at the caller I.D. He found the I.D. read, "Sgt. Koizumi". Senior answered the call.

"Hello?" answered Senior.

"Takeshi, your kid is missing," said Koizumi. Senior's eyes widened.


Junior felt his body sore all over. He found himself unable to move. It was as though his muscles were like jello, unable to support his own body weight. The teen's sight was blurred as his consciousness returned. He felt himself lying on a metallic surface and being towed through a cold dark hallway. Junior's sight began to clear up. He found himself lying a slab of metal, which hovered a couple of feet off the ground. Soft lights glowed on the walls and two figures were walking ahead of him as he was towed down the hall. Junior grunted as he attempted to move, but found his wrists and ankles bounded by cuffs from the board he lied on.

"Look, he's awake," said a familiar voice. Junior squinted his eyes and found Chris and Harold walking ahead of him.

"Great. Now we have to hear his insensate whining," said Chris. Junior grunted.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?!" demanded Junior.

"Be silent, filthy creature!" said Chris.

"You are what we've been looking for, Gojira Takeshi II," said Harold, looking back at Junior. The Transmutant bore a confused look.

"What are you talking about? Where am I?!" demanded Junior. He soon found himself taken to a grand room. It was massive, almost like a warehouse. There were metal walkways that hung several feet above ground. They intersected each other and led to different doorways that were made up of a chrome metal. In the center of this area was a structure that bore glowing lights.

"Behold, the Hive. A colony ship that hailed from the planet of the great Millenian Empire," said Harold. Junior's eyes widened as he found the vastness of this area along with its alien-like structure.

"Huh. Guess there are such thing as aliens," said Junior, still processing this revelation. He soon found himself taken into a hall, where many doors lied, with different rooms.

"Our kind has been stranded on your primitive world for centuries. Only having reawakened 20 years ago, we've been learning what we could to survive," said Chris. The three soon entered a room, where tubes stood. These tubes contained many different kinds of earth creatures and plant life inside, all inside a liquid substance. Junior was even shocked and horrified to find a couple of full grown humans inside, male and female.

"We've studied your ways of life, your biology, and the genetic potential of the organisms on this planet," said Chris. He shuddered.

"Disgusting," said Chris. Junior bore an annoyed look.

"You obviously don't sound too keen to be on Earth. Why didn't you assholes just fix your ship and went home to your own fucking planet?" asked Junior in annoyance.

"Because we have nowhere else to go," said a familiar voice. Junior turned and was shocked to find Eliza standing here.

"Eliza!" cried Junior. Eliza bore a solemn expression.

"My name is Eli'za," said Eliza. Junior's brows furrowed.

"Big deal! I should've known. You were just as weird as these two cunts," said Junior. He grunted as Chris slammed a fist on his gut. Eliza cupped her mouth as Junior groaned.

"Know your place, worm!" said Chris.

"Gah! Hey, you don't get to show up on another species' planet and act like you own the damn place! Go back home to where you came from, space boy!"

"I wish we could. Unfortunately, our home is a dead world," said Eliza. Junior turned his attention to the girl as she bore a solemn look.

"Our world was once filled with life. But our ruling class became incestuous. They thought themselves genetically superior to the lower classes and even began poisoning our own people," said Eliza.

"Sounds familiar," muttered Junior to himself.

"This led to millions dying. The fools were convinced that our population needed to be quelled to save the rest. But that was only a ploy to trick the lower classes to have their elders killed and to stop having children. It only led to our downfall," said Eliza.

"Jesus," said Junior with a disturbed look.

"It had to be done! Our world was dying!" said Chris.

"It was all a lie! Our world grew colder because we killed off the majority of the planet and because the fools thought the heat cycle on our world was going to kill us! It just made the climate wetter and provided fertile land!" shouted Eliza.

"Oh shit," said Junior in horror.

"The plague is what killed our world! Not our attempts to save it!" said Chris.

"Plague?" asked Junior.

"The Krystal plague," said Harold as he projected a hologram, depicting a meteor covered in crystals.

"A mysterious viral infection that originated from a meteor that landed on our world," explained Harold.

"Yes. The plague spreads through the soil, water and air. It tore the insides of its hosts and covered the land in crystal. The mysterious nature of these crystals brought many disasters," said Chris solemnly. The hologram depicted the alien planet, which changed from blue and orange to a dark, storm covered world. Images of sleek technologically advanced cities covered in crystals were shown, as storms raged. Earthquakes occurred, magma burst out of the ground as volcanoes emerged. There was definitely no chance that these aliens were going home.

"All of that from a virus?" asked Junior incredulously.

"Yes. The remaining Millenians were forced to flee in this colony ship, which crashed here long ago," said Chris.

"Wait, how old are you again?" asked Junior in confusion.

"17. Technically 527," answered Eliza.

"Huh? How does that work?" asked Junior as the teens took Junior through the hall.

"To survive, our bodies were degraded into a biomass state, which was kept in cryostasis. Our minds were preserved through our technology," explained Harold. Eliza pointed to her chest.

"This body you see is merely a disguise. A vessel for my consciousness, designed to mimic human biology," said Eliza.

"Unfortunately, there was no way to reverse the process. We cannot restore our bodies," said Chris with a sigh.

"So we've been searching Earth for a life form with advanced regenerative abilities. No other creature but you had this miraculous regenerative ability," said Harold.

"This is what it's about? You want your bodies back?" asked Junior as he found himself taken to a room that appeared as a lab. The room had metal tools lying on pans. Lights lit up the entire room. Junior felt his stomach sink.

"Gojira, our race is dying. We need you to save our kind," said Eliza softly. She looked to him in sadness.

"Wait a minute! You guys are the ones who brought this on yourself! Sure that plague shit is bad, but you could have had a fighting chance! I mean you killed your own kind, your ruling class must have fucked up your gene pool with all the incest they had, and it sounds like you thought C02's were gonna kill you! Forgive me if I'm not feeling sympathetic!" said Junior with a glare.

"Disrespectful welp!" Said Chris, punching Junior.

"You hit like a girl! How about you go fuck your sister, you eugenic freak!?" shouted Junior. Chris yelled as he began to strangle Junior. Harold and Eliza quickly pulled him away.

"We need him alive!" said Harold.

"Come on, bitch! I'm right here!" yelled Junior, thrashing about. Chris panted as he bore an enraged look.

"Fine. We just need his DNA. Extract it and we can dispose of him like his brother," said Chris as he made his way to the tools on the counter.

"My brother?" asked Junior in confusion. His eyes widened as he found Xenjira bounded to a slab of metal, his mouth covered by a mask, and his limbs restrained by cuffs. He grunted as he struggled to get free. Junior bore a look of shock.

"The Krystal plague nearly took over your planet as it did ours. Fortunately, we contained it before it could spread. But this one here contracted it. Somehow, he survived the infection," said Harold as he drew out a tool that looked to be some sort of saw.

"I want to inspect him before we dispose of him and the infection," said Harold.

"H-Hey, do whatever you want to him. Just leave me out of it," said Junior with a nervous laugh. He then felt the platform he was lying on raise him upwards. He found the teens beginning to place on sanitized clothes, made of a rubber-like material. Eliza drew out a syringe as she glanced at Junior. The Transmutant tensed as she approached him.

"Wait. What's gonna happen after you- ah!" Yelped Junior as Eliza stuck the needle into his arm, drawing blood.

"We will engineer your DNA and integrate the traits of regeneration into our own," said Chris.

"Then, we will take your world for ourselves," said Chris as he looked to Junior with a cold smile. Junior's eyes widened.

"Yeah good luck with that! It’s our planet vs your colony!" scoffed Junior.

"Yes, indeed. Your atmosphere isn't suitable for us, but that'll change. Our terraforming technology is superb. There can only be one dominant species," said Chris as he turned on his saw. Junior's eyes widened as his blood ran cold. Chris began to saw at one of Xenjira's crystals on his arm. He gave a muffled cry of agony as the crystal was sawed.

"You- Eliza, he's joking right?" asked Junior with a forced chuckle, but his heart sank as the girl avoided eye contact. Her lack of response was all that Junior needed to know.

"Eliza, are you OK with this?! We're talking about you guys orchestrating a mass extinction! You're killing us!!" cried Junior. Eliza walked over to Laura, who had just entered the room.

"DNA sample retrieved," said Eliza as she removed the glass tube from the alien syringe. Laura took the glass tube, with the needle facing down. She drew out a device and stuck the syringe, needle first, into a socket. The device lit up and depicted a hologram of Junior's blood cells. Among these cells were cells that were multiplying and were attaching themselves to the blood cells, almost as if they were piggy backing them.

"Excellent. All that's left is isolating the genetic sequence of producing G-cells," said Laura as she made her way over to a table with the blood sample.

"Eliza, what about Rodan? Doesn't he matter to you?" asked Junior. Eliza's lips quivered as she stood facing away from him.

"Eli'za has a mission, human. Her people is worth more than a single measly alien," scoffed Chris as Harold carefully removed the crystal from Xenjira's arm. The crystal bled as it was sawed off.

"Agh. Make sure that this room is quarantined. The virus may not be as active but let's not risk it," said Harold as he placed the crystal into a metal bowl.

"The Terraformer is being prepped. The seeder has been retrieved and is loaded," said a distorted voice from an intercom.

"The glorious return of the Millenian Empire is at hand," said the voice.

Junior couldn't believe what was happening. He was actually abducted by aliens and they were holding him and his half-brother captive as they prepared to destroy and dominate his world. He grunted as he thrashed in place, attempting to free himself. Chris sighed in annoyance.

"Do we still need him?" asked Chris.

"Yes," answered Laura. Chris sighed in annoyance. He drew out a mask and forced it over Junior's face. The Transmutant struggled as he inhaled the gas, drifting out of consciousness.


Inside of the Takeshi residence, Senior found himself standing among Manda, Baragon and Kumonga. Among them were Koizumi, and Inoue, and tablet resting on the kitchen table. Hayato Yoshi's face was depicted on the screen.

"We haven't been able to find him. He had to have disappeared sometime around noon. He was marked absent from his last two classes and he was nowhere in sight," said Koizumi.

"I had spoken with one of Junior's friends. She had not seen her either," said Senior. He shook his head. "That boy always seems to disappear."

"He's not the only one. The facility that held Xenjira was attacked recently. There were no survivors, but security footage caught something disturbing," said Hayato. His face disappeared and was replaced with security footage of the base. The footage depicted different feeds switching to other portions of the base, from the exterior to the interior.

Footage from the barracks were shown, of soldiers becoming alerted to the emergency siren from outside. The feed changed to a view from a watchtower near the base, where a large metallic object hovered over. The object was around the size of a two story house. It was chrome, sleek, with no visible source of propulsion that would allow it to remain in the air. The oblong shaped object hummed as a hole in its side began to light up. As the glow became bright, the camera feed crackled and became incoherent to see. A loud pop and crash blew out the audio. In just moments later, an interior shot of a room where Xenjira was locked in appeared. The group witnessed the room breached by mechanical figures, who entered the room and dismantled everything that kept Xenjira in his coffin-like prison.

The footage distorted, ending. The group bore looks of shock as Hayato's face reappeared.

"What the hell was that? I swear to God, if you tell us it's classified, I'm walking out of here," said Koizumi.

"We weren't sure at first, but we believe that there was more to the anomaly in sky back in December," said Hayato as images via satellite were shown, depicting a blob-like mass.

"We were considering that the origins of this were extraterrestrial. Considering that the mass you see here was biological," said Hayato. Manda's eyes widened.

"As in, aliens?" asked Manda.

"Recently, our satellites detected unidentified flying objects in Equestrian Airspace. This was what attacked the facility," said Hayato as a satellite view of the UFO appeared.

"Oh my God," said Inoue in shock.

"Guess that answers the question, 'Are we alone?'," said Baragon.

"Right now the general public isn't aware, despite the image leaking onto the internet. It's being dismissed as a hoax but this is legit," said Hayato.

"So aliens abducted Takeshi's oldest son? Why?" asked Koizumi.

"We don't know. We're still trying to prep our military. This was no different than an attack from a foreign nation. We should consider these life forms hostile," said Hayato.

"Yeah, you think? Aliens just blew up one of your bases!" said Baragon.

"Wait, what does this have to do with Junior?" asked Kumonga.

"Well, when Koizumi and Private Inoue reported to me that he was missing, I became suspicious. This was during when the report that Xenjira being abducted came in," said Hayato.

"The UFO left behind traces of plasma energy after the attack. This energy has also been detected in the south of the state," said Hayato as a satellite image depicting a yellow tiny of color near the mountains.

"I suspect that our visitors are looking for something in the state. Considering that they took Xenjira, I believe that may be linked Takeshi Junior," said Hayato. Senior's brows furrowed.

"Anything could have happened to him. I have enemies after all," said Senior.

"Well, what other leads do we have? Shouldn't we act?" asked Inoue. Senior nodded.

"Yes, I agree," said Senior.

"But where do we find them?" asked Kumonga. The tablet depicted a grid map.

"We've found a trail from the UFO's plasma leading North. Just under Lunar Lake," said Hayato.

"That's around where Canterlot City is!" said Manda. Senior hardened his expression.

"Then we better get moving," said Senior.

"Unfortunately, I can't get MONARCH to mobilize to Canterlot unless the President allows it. Right now they're working out a response. So to save time, we're going to go off the books," said Hayato. Inoue's eyes widened.

"Off the books?" asked Inoue.

"Koizumi, Private, you will continue to search for Gojira Takeshi Jr. I expect your search to be thorough, and any threats to be eliminated. Am I clear?" asked Hayato. Koizumi smirked as he winked.

"Crystal clear. Should we expect any help?" asked Koizumi.

"It's a little early, but I think most generals would agree that this is good time to give our 'special forces' a shot in the field," said Koizumi.

"Copy that. We'll find the kid," said Koizumi. The tablet screen went off as the feed cut off. Koizumi turned to Senior.

"Let's go find your brat, pops," said Koizumi as he patted Senior on the shoulder. He took off to the front door and left. Inoue's expression was that of reluctance.

"I swear I'm gonna get a court martial because of that maniac," said Inoue with a gulp.


Fluttershy sat in the school library alone. Her expression was that of great worry. It was the afternoon, just 30 minutes after school ended. She sat by the seat where Junior had left his sweater and his school bag and textbook. Rodan hadn't been able to find Junior anywhere. She was hoping that when the bell rung, Junior would have rushed back to get his stuff. However, it was still here, with no sign of being moved. She noticed Mosura and Rodan entering the library.

"There she is!" said Rodan. Both Transmutants began to make their way over to the girl.

"He still hasn't shown up?" asked Rodan. Fluttershy shook her head.

"No. I'm getting worried. The others haven't seen him either," said Fluttershy.
"Odd. I haven't seen Angirasu either, lately. I know we saw him this morning," said Mosura. Her expression turned to worry as well.

"He hasn't answered his phone either, huh?" asked Mosura.

"I called every five minutes. Still nothing," said Fluttershy. Then, an idea came to her. She quickly grabbed Junior's sweater and held it up to the Transmutants.

"Smell this!" said Fluttershy. Mosura blushed as she recoiled while Rodan bore an odd look.

"Fluttershy, come on. The guy can't smell good," said Rodan as he backed away. Fluttershy groaned.

"We found him last time this way! One of you can pick up his scent and we can find him!" said Fluttershy.

"Oh! Right!" said Rodan as he took the sweater. Then he glanced at Mosura, who crossed her arms as her blush intensified.

"W-What?!" exclaimed Mosura. Rodan sighed heavily.

"You suck," said Rodan as he took a couple of sniffs of the sweater. He walked off as Fluttershy packed up Junior's things and tossed his bag over her shoulder. The girls followed Rodan as he walked through the school hallway, entering the bathroom. They both looked to each other in confusion as Rodan entered the bathroom before he came out.

"Weird. His scent ends here," said Rodan as he scratched his head.

"You must be tracking him wrong!" said Mosura in annoyance. Rodan glared at her.

"Then you do it, Sherlock!" said Rodan as he tossed the sweater to the girl.

"Fine!" said Mosura. She then blushed as she brought the sweater up her nose. Her face reddened intensely as she took in the scent. Fluttershy and Rodan both stared at Mosura, who seemed to have the clothing to her nose a little too long. Mosura quickly removed the sweater as she cleared her throat.

"Huh. You're right, he seemed to have been here," said Mosura as she opened the bathroom door and sniffed. She then gagged as she recoiled from the door, cupping her nose.

"Not so easy, is it?" smirked Rodan. Mosura's brows crinkled as she rubbed her forehead. Her eyes twitched as she teared up.

"Mosura?" called Fluttershy. Mosura grunted in pain as her head began to grow two thin appendages, which began to sprout little hairs. Rodan and Fluttershy recoiled.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Rodan in alarm.

"Agh! What?!" asked Mosura, startled out her wits. She then felt the appendages on her head. She frantically ran her hand over it, feeling the sensitive hairs. She quickly ran into the girl's bathroom. Rodan and Fluttershy flinched as Mosura screamed in alarm from inside the bathroom. Mosura came rushing out of the bathroom, frantically pointing at the appendages on her head.

"I-I- Bug! Fuzzy- Antennae! Changing!" exclaimed Mosura, unable to coherently form a sentence.

"Relax! It's not that bad!" said Rodan with a forced smile.

"Not that bad?! I look like a freak!" cried Mosura.

"I-I think they make you look kind of cute," said Fluttershy with a smile. Mosura whimpered as she held the antennae down. She then gasped in alarm as a couple of students came walking by. Mosura quickly placed Junior's sweater on and pulled the hood over her head. The students passed by, paying no mind. Mosura sighed in relief. It was here that Mosura felt the warmth of the sweater. She could see why he would always wear it. Mosura's brows raised as her antennae twitched under the hood.

"Hey... I can sense Gojira," said Mosura. Rodan and Fluttershy looked at her in confusion. Mosura raised her arm as she removed the hood. Her antennae ran their hairs over the sleeve.

"It's like I can smell him. I actually have a better lock on his scent!" said Mosura as she began to walk as her antennae twitched upright.

"You're like a butterfly!" said Fluttershy.

"Moth, technically," said Mosura as she led the teens to the backdoor. They found themselves outside in the back of the school. Mosura looked to be in a trance as her pupils dilated. She was staring off as her antennae twitched in the wind.

"It's faint... But I think he's this way," said," said Mosura. She then closed her eyes, taking a breath.

"Mosura? What are you doing?" asked Fluttershy.

"Shh. I need to concentrate," said Mosura as her antennae twitched, Her brows crinkled as her mind focused on Junior. She pictured his face, everything about him that she loved. All that was on her mind was him. Mosura's eyes shot wide open.

"I found him. He's in trouble!" said Mosura.

"Trouble?!" exclaimed Rodan and Fluttershy. Mosura turned to face them.

"Yes! We need to get to him fast!" said Mosura.

"Wait, how do you know he's in trouble? What was that just now?" asked Rodan in confusion. Mosura sighed.

"Promise you won't freak out. I... I'm psychic," said Mosura, closing her eyes as she shrunk defensively. She peeked out of one eye, finding blank looks on Rodan and Fluttershy.

"Yeah, makes sense," said Rodan.

"Wha- Really?" asked Mosura incredulously.

"Mosura, it's not the weirdest thing we've seen," deadpanned Rodan. Mosura bore a dumbfounded look.

"So... It doesn't freak you out?" asked Mosura.

"Well I mean... A little bit. Only because my mind wanders," said Rodan awkwardly. Mosura raised a brow. Her face then flushed brightly.

"Rodan!" said Mosura, appalled.

"Get out of my head! Besides, Applejack would look awesome in a maid uniform!" said Rodan defensively.

"So... You found Goji?" asked Fluttershy. Mosura gasped.

"That's right! I rarely use my psychic abilities, but I think these things helped me lock onto him," said Mosura as she ran her fingers through the hairs of the antennae.

"Well where is he?" asked Rodan.

"Far. North from Ponyville," said Mosura. Fluttershy bit her lips.

"But you said he's in trouble. How can we possibly reach him on time?" asked Fluttershy. Rodan took a breath.

"I uh... I might have an idea," said Rodan as he popped his knuckles and began to loosen his joints. The girls' eyes widened.

"You can't be serious," said Mosura.

"It's happened to me before. I don't remember much, but I remember being fast. Just do what you did with Goji, Fluttershy," said Rodan. Fluttershy nodded with a firm expression. Rodan then handed Mosura a backpack.

"Hold onto my bag. I've been keeping a spare change of clothes in case... You know." Rodan grunted as his body began to morph and grow. The girls stumbled back as his arms grew longer and his body tore through his clothes. His flesh was covered in maroon lava-like textured scales. His twin crests sprouted from his skull as he grew his beak. His bead became flat, restructuring itself into the shape similar to an eagle. He groaned as he grew to be thirteen feet tall as his arms grew thick membranes, structuring his arms into great wings. He gave a loud screeching roar as his belly scales shifted into an armored spiked chest.

The girls stepped back as Rodan focused his eyes on them. Fluttershy stiffened as he squawked. She gulped as she shakily raised her hand.

"Rodan, do you understand me?" asked Fluttershy cautiously. Rodan tilted his head with a chirp. She stepped closer as Mosura tensed. Rodan lowered his head close to Fluttershy, who carefully brought a hand on his head. He softly groaned as he nuzzled Fluttershy, who giggled in response. She began to scratch his neck as Mosura began to relax.

"Rodan, we need your help to find Goji. Can you do that for us?" asked Fluttershy. Rodan squawked as he lowered himself down. Fluttershy climbed the large reptilian Transmutant and sat on his back. Mosura gulped as she climbed on as well, wrapping her arms around Fluttershy's waist.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Mosura.

"Alright... G-Go North," stuttered Fluttershy, beginning to regret agreeing to this. Rodan began to walk forward as he raised his large wings flapped them, lifting them off the ground. Mosura tightened her hold on Fluttershy as Fluttershy clung to Rodan's neck.

"Oh God!!" cried Mosura as Rodan took off soaring through the air. The girls screamed as the Transmutant soared, swift as the wind. Rodan then made a great flap with his wings, thrusting them higher into the air, shooting up like a rocket. The girls continued to scream as they flew through clouds. Mosura screamed as she clung closer to Fluttershy, finding them hundreds of feet above the earth.

"THIS WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA!!" screamed Mosura.


Sonata and Angirasu were sitting at a restaurant. Angirasu poked at his food as he sat across from Sonata. The two were silent.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" asked Sonata, mild concern on her face.

"Sonata... I have to be honest," said Angirasu. Sonata tensed.

"A-About what?" asked Sonata.

"Well it's just that... I haven't been feeling myself, lately. I don't know how to explain it. I feel like... I feel kind of... Lost, I guess?" said Angirasu. Sonata tilted her head in confusion.

"I mean at one moment, I feel fine. Sometimes I feel good. Great, even. But at the end of the day... I feel like I've just been coasting. Like drifting in the wind, without much control," said Angirasu. Sonata felt her stomach sink.

"Really? Even now?" asked Sonata. Angirasu nodded.

"It's weird. Like right now... I don't think we should have skipped school," said Angirasu quickly. Sonata bore a look of disappointment. She thought things were going to go so well.

"I knew it was wrong. But I just couldn't stop myself. Deep down i guess I wanted to just to get away, but I just..." Angirasu sighed as he rubbed his head.

"My head is killing me," said Angirasu.

"Oh you poor thing. Excuse me, can we get some water?" called Sonata. This wasn't right. Normally her influence had the boy forget about his troubles. It seemed like he was starting to resist it.

'I can just sing a couple of lines to him. Maybe that will work', thought Sonata. She cleared her throat.

"You!" Shouted a familiar but enraged voice. Angirasu and Sonata whipped their heads to the source and found Aiko stomping passed some tables, startling customers.

"Uh oh," said Sonata as she shrunk in her seat. Aiko stopped at their table as she glared at Sonata.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want you anywhere near my son!" Said Aiko as Angirasu stood up from his seat.

"Mom, I-" Angirasu was interrupted as Aiko glared at him.

"And you! What the hell were you thinking, skipping school just to go out with this brat?!" Demanded Aiko. Angirasu hardened his eyes.

"Don't talk about her that way!" Said Angirasu. Aiko narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me, who do you think you are to talk back to me? Just get marching, mister!" Said Aiko as she pointed to exit of the restaurant.

"I'm not one of your little soldiers, mom!" Said Angirasu. Sonata got up from her seat with a glare.

"We were just hanging out!" Said Sonata. As the three argued, customers were growing annoyed and uncomfortable with the situation. A waitress came walking over.

"Is there a problem, here?" Questioned the waitress.

"No, we were just leaving. Angirasu, let's go," said Aiko.

"No! No, I'm sick of doing everything you want!" Said Angirasu.

"Angirasu, I am your mother!" said Aiko in a strict tone. But Angirasu was unphased.

"Some mother! You sent me to live here and have never contacted me! You don't get to throw your status at me when you weren't there!" said Angirasu. Aiko was unable to respond. She was red in the face but couldn't utter a response to rebut his point. Her son's words cut deeply into her.

"Unbelievable!" Said another familiar voice. Adagio came walking by with a look of disgust.

"I thought a mother would be supportive of her child spending time with someone they liked. Yet here you are trying to ruin this for them!" said Adagio. Aiko narrowed her eyes, her anger rising.

"Don't give me that! You girls are a terrible influence on him!" said Aiko as she turned her attention on Adagio.

"Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you folks to leave," said the waitress, her attention on Adagio and Aiko. Both Aiko and Adagio glared at her in annoyance.

"Butt out!" said the two in unison.

"What is your malfunction, lady? Wasn't there a time that you liked someone that others didn't approve of?" asked Adagio. Aiko scoffed.

"Of course not!" said Aiko. Angirasu's eyes widened.

"Are you serious? No one?" asked Angirasu incredulously. Aiko turned to find him looking outraged and saddened. Aiko felt her heart sink into her chest.

"I didn't mean it like that. It wasn't the same with him, son," said Aiko.

"Why should I believe you?! You never talk about him!" yelled Angirasu. During this, customers began to leave their tables, making their way over to a booth.

"I'm sick of it! I'm sick of it all!" said Angirasu. He grunted as his head began to throb.

"Angirasu?" called Aiko worriedly. Angirasu's eyes shifted to appearing reptilian, quickly reverting back to normal. He shuddered as his eyes flickered green. The throbbing had stopped.

Screams erupted from the booth in the restaurant entrance. People flocked back away from the entrance as several young men came rushing in, armed with pistols and wearing yellow bandannas.

"Get on the fuckin' floor!" shouted one of the crooks. As a man attempted to reach for a phone on the wall, a glob of web splat onto his hand and the phone. He gasped as he turned to find one of the young men with his bandanna around his neck. His jaw was unhinged and had just popped back into place.

"Alright, everyone on the ground! Phones in the bag! Hey, don't look at my face!" warned one of the men as he aimed his gun at a woman's head.

"Oh shit," whimpered Adagio as she, Sonata, Aiko and Angirasu got on the ground. Aiko cursed under breath as she recognized the bandannas. One of these gang members just confirmed her suspicion. These were Transmutants. She was about reach for her side arm but took note of the fact that she was outnumbered, surrounded by at least a dozen civilians. Not to mention she'd be putting her son in danger.

The gang members began to web up the entrance, while closing the curtains. Once the doors were sealed and all of the phones confiscated, they surrounded the fearful patrons. Aiko carefully reached to her side, pressing on a small device that began to flash briefly.

'Hopefully backup can get here soon', thought Aiko as she handed her phone over. The gang members waved the guns around just to get a kick out of the frightened reactions of the humans.

"Not so tough are ya, dirty humans?" laughed a gang member as he grabbed a cup and poured the contents onto the head of a man.

"Now! We don't have to make this bloody! As much as I'd love to cap a few of you, we're just going to take everything you have! Either cash, rings, watches, anything of value! No credit cards!" said a gang member as he waved his gun in the air. The customers and even the employees of the establishment quickly discarded anything of value like wallets, change, earrings, and other accessories worth. Adagio and Sonata quickly removed the pendants that hung around their necks. Sonata looked to Adagio, almost teary eyed.

"It's not worth it," said Adagio as she took Sonata's pendent and handed it over to one of the Transmutants.

"Is that it?" questioned the Transmutant in annoyance.

"That's all we have," said Adagio with her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah all I have on me is a debit card," said Sonata with a nervous smile. The Transmutant smirked under his bandanna as he eyed Adagio.

"i think you might have a little more to offer," said the Transmutant, removing his bandanna. Adagio's eyes widened, recognizing this boy as Spinner.

"You?!" exclaimed Adagio.

"Hey, sweet thing. Fuck, it's better seeing you face to face than from a distance," chuckled Spinner as his eyes flashed green. Adagio trembled.

"W-Wait... That was you?" muttered Adagio fearfully.

"You're sexy when you get scared," chuckled Spinner as he began to rub the muzzle of his pistol against Adagio's breast. The girl whimpered in fear at the sight of the gun on her, as well as humiliation.

"Leave her alone!" said Aiko. Adagio looked back at the woman in surprise, while Spinner growled in annoyance.

"Can it, bitch!" said Spinner as he aimed his gun at Aiko. He heard a deep growl, prompting him to turn. His expression turned to surprise, then a smirk as he noticed Angirasu.

"Angirasu Riku. I wasn't expecting to see you here!" said Spinner.

"We don't have anything you want! Just let us go!" said Angirasu. Spinner sighed as he scratched his head, with a mock conflicted look.

"See... I would, but I didn't think anyone else here would recognize know me. If I'd let you go... Well, I know that you don't have the balls to roll with my crew. I take you as a snitch too," said Spinner. Angirasu hardened his eyes.

"I didn't see anything," said Angirasu. Spinner sighed.

"If only I believed you. Anyway, there's something I want," said Spinner as he suddenly punched Angirasu in the face, knocking him to the ground. Satisfaction filled the thug from this act, considering their last fight landed him in a cell prior. Sonata cried out in alarm as Aiko knelt near her son. Spinner quickly grabbed Adagio by the hair and yanked her up to her feet. The girl cried out in pain as she held her hair.

"Adagio!" cried Sonata. Aiko and Angirasu were about to react but Spinner pointed his gun at Adagio.

"Sit the fuck down!" shouted Spinner. Angirasu and Aiko hardened their expressions. Angirasu felt his skin growing irritated as his body ached. But he ignored the pain, only focused on his growing anger. It seemed as though all of the emotions he tried to keep buried were swelling up inside of him.

"I pretty sure someone famous like her would be worth a shit ton of money! But first, I wanna have a little fun with her," said Spinner, licking Adagio's neck. The girl whimpered, trembling. She felt herself freezing in fear. This was the same feeling that she had when she first felt that someone was watching her. It was worse than when she first ran into this guy. Because now, Adagio was powerless to anything about it. She was too fearful to attempt to use her power. This guy clearly displayed signs of being influenced by her, but it was though he was acting on his own volition.

"No! Stop!" cried Adagio as Spinner forced her to move over to the back. Adagio grabbed a table cloth in attempt to leverage herself to avoid being taken further away. She instead cried out as she was pushed to the ground, knocking the table over. Spinner pinned her to the ground, but most of their bodies were out of sight, obscured by the table.

"NO!!" cried Adagio as Spinner began to force her jacket off, then reaching for her top of her romper. Sonata was sobbing into her palms as she watched as her sister was about to be violated by this monster. Aiko's hand hovered over her side arm, darting her eyes back and forth to Spinner and the other gang members who stood guard and continued to take any valuables. Customers either looked on in horror or averted their eyes as they were powerless to help Adagio. Her screams ranged in Angirasu's ears, whose eyes became reptilian. His teeth sharpened and his flesh hardened into scales.

"Hey! I hope you plan on letting us in on that ass!" laughed a gang member. He noticed Angirasu to be rushing towards him like a mad bull. The teen slammed into the thug, knocking him off of his feet. Everyone turned in shock at the Transmutant, who was in the process of changing form. His arms and torso became larger in mass, giving him an almost tank-like appearance. His fingers had fused into almost large clawed appendages. Spinner turned his attention to Angirasu, who began to pick up the thug he had knocked down.

"Waste him!" shouted Spinner, raising his gun.

"No!!" cried Aiko as she drew her pistol. The gang members began to aim and fire at Angirasu. The Transmutant grunted as the bullets struck his body, but they failed to penetrate the hide that had grown. His back began to sprout thorn-like spikes. Civilians cried out as the gang fired on Angirasu, who pushed through the coming bullets. He slammed into the nearest thug. Then, Angirasu swung the thug he had picked up and slammed him against another. He roared at her leapt several feet across the room, tackling another thug. Aiko began to fire her pistol at Spinner, who rolled away and fired back. Sonata screamed in fright as she took cover. Aiko cursed as she forced a table onto its side, using it for cover. She peeked from cover and fired several shots, while Spinner leaped over the bar. He groaned in agony as his body shifted and change. Aiko began to reload her weapon but grunted as a bullet nearly struck her head. She turned and found a couple of gang members firing at her. She fired back, catching one of them in the shoulder and the other in the head.

Angirasu roared as he charged into the wounded thug and punched him in the chest, sending him flying several feet. Angirasu snarled as his veins became exposed, and his upper jaw protruding sharp tusks. Aiko stared at Angirasu, who was stuck in a transition between man and beast. She shuddered and trembled as he flared his nostrils like an aggressive animal. Civilians screamed in horror at the now transformed teen, and the emergence of Spinner. Spinner had grown in size, with his limbs becoming eight and spider-like. His body was stuck between man and arachnid, as multiple eyes appeared on his head. Fangs sprouted from his face. He gave a shriek as he crept over to Adagio, who screamed in horror.

Spinner was suddenly struck by a vase, which shattered against his head. He shrieked as he faced Angirasu, who roared. Spinner crouched and leapt several feet, latching onto his opponent. Angirasu snarled as Spinner dug the sharp appendages from the tip of his legs into his hide. The two spun as they attempted to overpower the other. Civilians began to head for the walls, away from the fighting Transmutants. Sonata quickly made her way over to Adagio. She gasped as she found her older sister, lying on the ground. She was trembling as her eyes ran with tears. She held her arms over her exposed chest as her hair was a mess. Sonata quickly wrapped her sister into a tight embrace, allowing Adagio to sob into her shoulder. The two heard Angirasu wail as he was bit by Spinner. The spider jumped off of his foe and chuckled in a raspy voice.

"That bite may not be enough to kill you, but it'll slow ya down!" said Spinner as he scurried over to Angirasu, slashing his front legs at him. Angirasu raised an arm and caught one of the legs as they pierced his shoulder. He then swung Spinner against the wall, sending him into a daze. Angirasu then grabbed him and slammed him back and forth into the wall. In his primitive mind, Angirasu found himself thrilled. Thrilled to be able to beat the ever loving shit of someone he hated. All of those years of trying to be passive down the drain. Good riddance!

Angirasu bit down on one of Spinner's legs, causing him to wail in agony. Yellow bodily fluid drenched Angirasu's mouth as he clamped his jaws down, surpassing that biting force of an alligator. Angirasu released him and began to punch Spinner in the face repeatedly. Every impact caused a dent into the wall. The teen grunted as Spinner went limp. He dropped him to the ground. Spinner shuddered as he lied twitching and in complete agony. Angirasu panted like a large beast. He roared in the face of Spinner, who shrunk back as he could manage. Angirasu stumbled back, finding Sonata clinging to him joyfully. The Transmutant snarled as he hardened his expression. He pushed Sonata away, who bore an incredulous look. She was about to approach him again but Angirasu responded with a snarl. Sonata stepped back, frightened.

"Stay. Away." Grunted Angirasu in a deep tone. His expression was filled with anger and betrayal

"I know what you did to me!" snarled Angirasu. Sonata recoiled. Her eyes welling up with tears.

"A-Aangie..." Sonata muttered.

"Don't call me AANGIE!!" Angirasu snarled as he slammed his fist onto a table, causing Sonata to fall back on her rear, tears streaming down her face. Adagio stared, her mouth cupped as Angirasu acted as he did. It was here that she felt her mind wandering back to some time ago. With Junior.

Angirasu growled as he flared his nostrils. He then heard the sound of a gun clicking. He turned and found Aiko standing several feet away, with her pistol raised. She looked to be trembling as she held her gun aimed right at Angirasu. The teen merely hardened his eyes. He stood upright and held his arms out. A neutral but firm expression was on his face. His stance read, 'Do it. I dare you.'

Aiko's eyes widened at his posture and stance. She looked at her gun, finding it aimed at the chest of Angirasu. Her own son. This fact had suddenly washed over her rational part of her mind like a tsunami.

'What the fuck am I doing?' thought Aiko. She then shakily lowered her gun. Angirasu merely snort. Suddenly, the entrance exploded.

"Go! Go! Go!" shouted a MONARCH soldier. Several soldiers came rushing in, armed with rifles and quake cannons. The men began to spread out, as civilians got on the ground.

"On your knees! This is your first and final warning!" shouted a soldier as they began to surround Angirasu. The Transmutant merely bore a calm expression. He merely got onto his knees. Aiko stared as she watched as the soldiers advanced closer to her son. One of them drew out an inhibitor collar and locked it around his neck. The device beeped as the lights lit up. Angirasu grunted as he felt his nerves settle and his body ache from its morphing. He felt himself shrink down back to his normal build, with all beastly features disappearing. All that was left was a boy in torn clothing, with a bite wound on his shoulder.

"Take him," ordered the commanding officer of the squad. Aiko's eyes widened.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" demanded Aiko.

"Our job, ma'am. We received a distress beacon from you of an attack. Get the rest loaded as well!" said the soldier as he and another began to escort Angirasu out of the building. Aiko quickly followed after them, along with Sonata.

"I am in charge of this one! As Lieutenant of the MONARCH Armed Forces, I am ordering you to stand down!" said Aiko.

"Just stop, mom," said Angirasu coldly. Aiko looked at him in shock. Her son looked to her with cold dead eyes.

"You said it yourself. A Transmutant who can no longer control their animal instincts, are thrown in the vault or killed," said Angirasu. Aiko gasped as she heard this. Her heart breaking as her own words were thrown at her by her child. Angirasu was guided into the back of the large truck, where he was placed into a cage with bars of iron.

"Angirasu..." called Aiko weakly. Her son paid her no mind as the back of the truck was sealed. She watched as the truck drove off. Aiko trembled as the world continued on around her. The civilians were safely escorted out, the gang members that were still alive were brought into the remaining trucks. Aiko merely bore a blank stare as she watched the vehicle leave her sight.

"Angirasu... I'm sorry," muttered Sonata as her eyes ran with tears. Adagio stood beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Aiko hardened her expression. She turned to Sonata and Adagio, with a look of hate and anger in her eyes.

"This is all your fault!" yelled Aiko, startling both Adagio and Sonata.

"If you had just stayed away! If you hadn't been doing... Whatever the fuck you witches were dong, this wouldn't have happened! My son would be safe at home!" yelled Aiko. Her rage exploded like an atomic bomb, bent on scorching at anything around her.

"But I just-" Sonata spoke as her tears ran.

"Shut up! This on both of you!" said Aiko. Adagio glared at her.

"Hey, you're just as much to blame! Things would have been fine if you had just backed off!" said Adagio. Aiko gritted her teeth as her face grew more red.

"Who do you think you are?! I'm his mother! I was just trying to do what was best for him!" shouted Aiko. The three got into an incoherent shouting match. Each person gave their excuses, while blaming the other. During, a loud distorted harmonious sound filled the air. The three cupped their hands over their ears, as did those that were still in the area. The three turned, finding Aria panting as she rubbed her throat.

"That's better," said Aria.

"Aria?!" exclaimed Sonata and Adagio in shock.

"This is where you've been? I was looking for you girls as soon as school ended!" said Aria with a glare.

"Mrs. Riku here was interfering with Sonata's and Angirasu's date!" said Adagio.

"Which he didn't consent to!" yelled Aiko.

"Alright, enough!" said Aria, getting between Aiko and Adagio.

"Where is he now?" asked Aria. Sonata sniffled.

"MONARCH is taking him to the Vault," said Sonata with a sob. Aria's eyes widened, She sighed.

"Shit..." said Aria. She glanced at Aiko, who held her arms crossed, staring at the ground.

"I just wanted to protect him..." muttered Aiko.

"Mrs. Riku, what happened?" asked Aria. Aiko looked at her, confused but her face filled with despair.

"What?"

"What happened between you and your son? Why are you so protective of him? I mean, this seems extreme, even if he is a Transmutant," said Aria. Aiko shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand," said Aiko.

"Only because we don't know!" said Aria, Aiko glanced at the girls, who stared intently, wanting an answer. Aiko lowered her head.

"It was years ago. We lived in Neighpon at the time. Angirasu had just turned nine, and we went to celebrate his birthday," said Aiko, her eyes staring at the ground.

"His father thought it'd be a good idea to go this restaurant in our neighborhood in Trotkyo city. He was a gentle, kind man. But... He was also a Transmutant. The Neighponese government saw him and others like him as just a bomb waiting to go off. Because of that, we lived in a government enforced segregated neighborhood. But we were happy, because we had each other," said Aiko, sniffling.

"But... we lost that when the Purists happened," said Aiko, bitterness in her tone. The girls were silent, listening into this mother's story.

"Because Neighpon practiced very strict gun control laws, the Purists in the country had to get creative. Ever heard of 'Oni Night'?" asked Aiko. The girls looked to each other, all three unable to give an answer.

"No, what's that?" asked Adagio.

"It's an event well known in Neighpon. It refers to the night where Transmutants in the neighborhood began to attack the city. But it was provoked by the Purists," said Aiko, her expression hardening.

"There was a gas that they somehow developed. Made by someone involved with the Purists," said Aiko. Her memory flashed to a figure dressed in a trench coat, standing among a green cloud of gas. The figure bore a gas mask, along with a heavy tank on his back, but what she remembered the most were the blood shot sunken eyes in his sockets.

"It was so sudden. This guy just burst into the restaurant, laughing like a maniac. He started throwing these canisters that gave off this gas. It made all the Transmutants in the building become aggressive, almost like they devolved into animals," said Aiko, placing a hand over her face. Her eyes burned as her heart ached. She recalled horrifying images of people in the restaurant suddenly screaming and thrashing into madness, only to start behaving like beasts, stalking on all fours and destroying everything.

"When I realized what was happening, I managed to cover Angirasu's face with my jacket to keep him breathing it. But... Oda had already inhaled it," said Aiko, beginning to tremble. She recalled, holding her son close in horror as he was lost to the gas.

"Next thing I knew, I was fighting my husband in the middle of the restaurant. It didn't matter how much I kicked and screamed or how much I pleaded, he wouldn't stop. Oda was gone. It was like he was possessed, He was like an animal," said Aiko. She hated saying these things about her late husband. Just the memory alone of what she witnessed brought her into despair.

"At the same time, Angirasu was started to be affected by the gas and the other Transmutants were fighting or were leaving the building and heading out of the neighborhood. I knew... I knew that I couldn't save both of them. As much I wanted to. I just wasn't strong enough," said Aiko, holding back her tears. But it was growing harder as she continued to tell her story.

"I knew that if I died... I was going to lose them both. There was a knife next to me. I..." Aiko recalled herself pinned to the ground. Her arms and body covered in bruises as her husband attempted to maul her throat. As her son, Angirasu, was convulsing and foaming from the fumes in the air. She recalled spying the glint of the knife, under a plate beside her. She remembered reaching for the black handle.

"I... I..." Aiko cupped a hand over her mouth, unable to finish her sentence. All she remembered was drawing the knife and thrusting it. Aiko broke into a sob as her tears trailed down her cheeks. Sonata held her hands cupping her mouth in horror.

"It all happened in front of my son! I doubt he remembers it, but I could never face him! I just grabbed Angirasu and ran away! Even when he thrashed, kicked and squirmed, I kept running! I locked him in his room and cried as he kept screaming, trying to break down the door!" sobbed Aiko. She shook her head violently.

"I took his father away from him! I couldn't live with that guilt, so I just sent him to live with my sister and brother in law here! I stuck with MONARCH for so long, just to have an excuse to avoid him!" cried Aiko. She clenched her fists.

"I thought I could teach him to always do what was right, and to never give into those instincts that took over his father. But I never put comfort in him! I never gave him real security! I never gave him peace! It was all just fear!" sobbed Aiko, dropping to her knees. Aria knelt beside her with a soft expression.

"Listen... You need to tell him. Everything," said Aria. Aiko shook her head.

"How can I tell him that I was the one who murdered his father?! It'd just make things worse!" said Aiko.

"Worse than it already is? Mrs. Riku, do you have any idea what someone neglected as he was would think? He must have thought you hated him or that you were ashamed!" said Aria. She placed a hand on her shoulder,

"He might understand. I may not be as experienced as most adults, but I know that life is full of tough decisions. Doing nothing is the worst thing you could possibly do," said Aria. Aiko looked at her, tears staining her cheeks. Aiko softly gasped, recalling Oda in her dreams saying something almost similar.

"You can either sit here and mourn while your superiors put you in another job position, or you can break some bullshit rules that they've given you, so you can keep your son from being put into an underground box!" said Aria, her expression firm. Aiko stared, processing what she's been told. Aiko turned and found an armored jeep parked, empty of soldiers. Aiko quickly shot up and rushed to the vehicle, hopping into the driver seat. She found the key conveniently in the ignition. Aiko clicked her seat belt, then turning as she heard a second clip. She found Sonata sitting in the passenger seat.

"I'm coming with you too!" said Sonata. Aiko sighed.

"Fine. Oh, shoot. I forgot my phone in the restaurant. Would you mind going back and getting it for me?" asked Aiko. Sonata smiled as she nodded. She quickly got out of the vehicle and ran to the restaurant. As she was about to walk through the breached doorway, she heard the sound of tires screeching. She turned and found Aiko driving off.

"First Rule of Aiko Riku: Ditch the Bitch", said Aiko with an annoyed look a she left the area.

"Wha- Hey! Come back!!" cried Sonata. She pouted as Aiko turned down a street corner. Aria and Adagio joined Sonata's side.

"What did you expect? You hypnotized her kid. She obviously can't trust you," said Aria with a deadpanned look. Sonata moaned in disappointment.

"Oh by the way, Aunt Sarilla says that you two are grounded," said Aria. Both Sonata and Adagio stiffened in response.


From the air above Lunar Lake, Rodan descended. He flapped his wings as he planted his feet onto the earth. He lowered himself onto his wings, allowing Fluttershy and Mosura to both roll off of the pterodactyl-like Transmutant. The girls were in a daze as they lied in the grass.

"I think I'm gonna be sick. Again," said Mosura with a moan. Rodan grunted as he dropped to the ground, his bones popping and reforming. In moments, he began to change back. He panted as he held his sides. Fluttershy was surprised at this. It seemed that he was having a better grasp on changing compared to the others. Fluttershy weakly held out Rodan's backpack.

"Here," said Fluttershy, keeping her sights away . Rodan took the bag and stepped away, wincing as he bore an embarrassed look. Moments later, Rodan returned, sporting a pair of sweat pants and a shirt and socks. He groaned as he rubbed his aching body.

"Man, you guys look like Hell," said Rodan. Mosura and Fluttershy stood up. Mosura grunted as she held her head. “He's close. Come on, I don't want to waste time," said Mosura as she led the two over to the water fall in the side of the hills. The three stopped as they noticed a cave behind the fall.

"He's in there?" asked Rodan.

"He has to be," said Mosura. The teens made their way to a rocky path, leading to the cave. They slipped behind the fall and entered the dark cave. Fluttershy gulped as they entered the cold dark cave. However, knowing that Junior needed their help gave her the courage to press on. It helped knowing that she had friends with her as well.

"Whoa. Do you see that?" asked Rodan as he pointed to the wall. As the teens traveled deeper into the cave, they found some of the stones in the wall being replaced by a chrome surface.

"Yeah. Weird," said Mosura as she ran her hand over the metallic surface. The three continued on until all of the natural rock seemed to have been nowhere in sight. All that was left was a metallic corridor. The cell phone lights of Mosura and Fluttershy guided their path, but they soon became irrelevant as soft glowing yellow lights lined on the walls. The three soon found themselves in a room, splitting off into different hallways.

"What is this place?" asked Fluttershy as she looked back and forth. Mosura closed her eyes as her antennae twitched. She pointed to the hall down the right.

"Over here," said Mosura. The three continued on through the hallway. They stopped as they found themselves standing on a walkway, leading across a massive room. The teens looked around in shock at this mysterious place.

"What the hell?" asked Mosura incredulously. The three flinched as a low hum filled the air. They found a grand glowing structure to be flashing.

"This entire place is in a cave? What the heck is it? Some kind of secret government base?" asked Rodan. The three heard heavy footsteps, prompting them to turn and found a mechanical figure appearing behind them.

"Intruders!" said the machine in a distorted voice, raising its arm. The teens yelped in fright as they took off running. The machine began to fire st them, barely missing the teens. The three had soon made it the end, entering another hallway. The teens scrambled, searching for any possible routes to flee to.

The machine came rushing through the hall. Its optics scanned the area, with its arm cannon humming. It began to run off, continuing its search. From behind metal crates, the teens emerged from hiding.

"He's near!" said Mosura, her antennae twitching. Rodan and Fluttershy followed her to a blast door nearby in the hall. Mosura grunted as she looked the door over.

"How do you get this thing to open?" asked Mosura in annoyance. She began to inspect a pad on the wall, finding buttons that bore strange foreign symbols.

"Ugh! What is this?!" asked Mosura in frustration. Suddenly, the door opened, where a woman was beginning to exit. She gasped as she recoiled in shock. The teens froze. However, Fluttershy noticed Junior strapped to a floating table, surrounded by figures dressed in rubber-like clothes. Junior was unconscious, as one of the figures raised a scalpel-like object to his chest.

"Gojira!" cried Fluttershy. The teens shoved passed, the woman, who bore an incredulous expression. She quickly raised her wrist and pressed her fingers onto a holographic image. Suddenly, a force field trapped the teens before they could reach their friend. They looked around themselves in shock, unable to break free from this bubble field.

"How did these humans get in here?!" demanded Laura as she stepped up to the imprisoned teens.

"Just get rid of them! We need to harvest samples from this one!" said one of the figures. Rodan's eyes widened as he recognized the figures under the rubber apparel.

"Chris? Harold?" asked Rodan in shock. The boys turned t face him with cold looks. Then, Rodan saw Eliza turning, causing his blood to run cold.

"Eliza?" called Rodan weakly. The girl avoided eye contact as she made her way over a device that was spinning, with over a dozen test tubes filled with a strange orange liquid. The device beeped as it ceased spinning, allowing the contents in the test tubes to settle. Laura made her way to the device, looking over one of the test tubes. A satisfied smile crept on her face.

"At last, restoration of our race is at hand!" said Laura.

"Your race? What is going on here?!" demanded Mosura. Fluttershy gasped as she found Xenjira sealed up behind a field, restrained to a table facing upright. Some of the crystals in his flesh were either missing or were partially sawed off.

"Xenjira!" cried Fluttershy in alarm. From behind a door, a figure entered. The teens bore wide eyes as the figure was mechanical, covered in a sleek chrome metal. It bore two blue optics. It almost looked like a metal jelly fish, with an oblong head shape, with six metallic tentacles holding it up above the ground.

"Supreme Leader!" said Laura in surprise. Laura, Eliza, Harold and Chris all bowed before this mechanical figure. The figure looked to the teens trapped behind the field.

"What is the meaning of this?" questioned the Supreme Leader.

"Unknown, my liege. We found them sneaking about," said Laura.

"What are you doing with Gojira?!" demanded Rodan, banging his fists against the field.

"Hmm. They're familiar with the subject?" questioned Supreme Leader, focusing his glowing optics on Junior, who lied unconscious. He began to stir awake, his eyes widening as he found the Supreme Leader looking down on him.

"Fuck! I was hoping that I just dreamed aliens abducting me!" said Junior, straining.

"Aliens?!" exclaimed Mosura, Rodan and Fluttershy. Junior's eyes widened as he noticed his friends here.

"What the- What are you guys doing here?!" asked Junior.

"What would you like us to do with them, my Lord?" asked Chris.

"Do whatever. They are of no use to the Millenians, like the rest of their filthy kind," said the Supreme Leader.

"Supreme Leader, we have done it. We've engineered the G-cells to be suitable for our race. It was simple from what with the information we've uncovered from GeneCo," said Laura as she held out a test tube. The mechanical figure raised a tentacle and picked it up.

"Excellent. Your names will go down in the records of our empire," said the Supreme Leader, his optics flashing with every word that he spoke.

"Hey, Chris! Get that fucking scalpel away from me! My health plan doesn't cover alien abduction!" said Junior with a glare.

"Ah Takeshi. I may despise your race, but I will miss your dry sense of humor," said Chris as he held his scalpel with a dark smile.

"Don't you dare touch him!" screamed Fluttershy.

"That must wait. Right now, the seeder is being prepped to be launched. When that comes, their atmosphere will be converted to be suitable for us. We must be restored and ready for battle," said the Supreme Leader.

"Battle? What's going on?" asked Harold in confusion.

"We've detected human military aircraft approaching. I fear that our recent activity has compromised our position," said the Supreme Leader.

"They must have detected the plasma trails from our ships," said Eliza.

"Hmph. Then it is time to show these humans who the true rulers of this planet will be," said Chris with a smirk.

"Ready the G-cells for integration. It is time to return to the flesh," said the Supreme Leader, leaving the room. Laura drew out a case and proceeded to place the samples of G-cells inside.

"You heard him. We're on a tight schedule," said Laura as she carried the case. Harold removed his sanitation clothes and followed the woman out. Chris sighed as he placed his tools down.

"We'll have to continue this later, Takeshi. I look forward to seeing you truly face to face," chuckled Chris as he left. Eliza began to follow.

"Eliza!" cried Rodan. The girl stopped in her tracks, not facing the boy. Rodan bore a look of despair.

"Is it true? 'Liza? Are you one of them?" asked Rodan.

"I didn't want you to know..." said Eliza in a small tone.

"Eliza, why?" asked Rodan, his voice growing hoarse.

"I'm sorry..." sniffled Eliza. She turned to face Rodan, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm sorry for hurting you. It was the only way that I could protect you! From this!" said Eliza, gesturing to the lab.

"From the truth you mean?" scoffed Rodan. He shook his head.

"Was there really anything there? Was any of it real?! Or was it all just bullshit?!" demanded Rodan, tearing up.

"Rodan, those moments with you were the best days of my life! But I can't give into my feelings for you, as much as I want to. My people, they need me," said Eliza, her expression filled with despair.

"You're people are going to kill our people!" said Junior. Eliza gritted her teeth as she stared at her feet.

"Eliza, please don't do this. There has to be another way," said Rodan, pleadingly. Eliza shook her head.

"It's too late now. I'm sorry," said Eliza as she ran off. Rodan began to beat his fist against the field in despair.

"Eliza!!" cried Rodan.