It was almost evening. Adagio sighed as she stepped out of the Healer's tent. She was fully clothed in the clothes that she's gotten in her time in Elsinore. She grunted as she stretched out her arms and back. The girl let out a relieved sigh. Aria and Sonata stepped out of the tent with her.
"Glad to see you're doing better," said Angirasu, walking by. Adagio smiled.
"Yes, sirree! Thanks to you," said Adagio sweetly. She noticed Aiko standing at a distance away, standing casually by a hut, but she was clearly glancing their way. Adagio slightly shivered.
'I wonder if she was a stalker growing up,' thought Adagio. She noticed Dwan to be stepping out of the hut. But once she took notice of Angirasu, she began to suddenly sway.
"Man, I still feel a little dizzy. I might need a little more rest," said Dwan, holding her head with a sigh. Adagio scowled in annoyance. as the girl stumbled.
"I-I don't think I can make it to my hut. Nice Aang, would you mind?" asked Dwan, innocently. Aiko furrowed her brows, seeing through this girl's act.
"Sure. But maybe you’re dehydrated. Have you had water?" asked Angirasu, stepping over to the girl, allowing her to wrap her arm around his neck and shoulders.
"That'd be nice. You're the best," said Dwan, as she was helped to the hut. After taking the girl to her hut, and giving her a fresh batch of water, he made his way back to his own hut. As he stepped inside, he noticed Aiko waiting for him as she sat down on her knees. Angirasu scowled in annoyance and began to turn to walk out.
"Please don't go," called Aiko. Angirasu sighed, his head hanging low. He knew that eventually, he had to face her. This was much to his dismay. He turned back around, standing in silence. Aiko was also silent. Neither mother nor son spoke, leaving an awkward atmosphere.
"I'm glad that you're safe. Being in a world full of harsh conditions. You even managed to find refuge for yourself and your friends," said Aiko with a soft smile.
"Yeah, but not all of them..." said Angirasu, a frown on his face. Aiko glanced away.
"Sorry about your friend..." said Aiko.
"Well... I'm not gonna give up on him. Believe it or not, I've been learning to control my mutantism. I've even helped saved this village from a coven of actual witches," said Angirasu, his expression brightening up a bit.
"Oh, is that so?" asked Aiko in surprise. There definitely seemed something different about her son.
"Yep," said Angirasu. Aiko scratched her head awkwardly.
"So... That girl, Dwan. She seems to be quite all over you," said Aiko. Angirasu sighed.
"I know what you're gonna say. You don't want me to around her, just like Sonata," said Angirasu in annoyance.
"No, that's not what I was gonna say," said Aiko. Angirasu cocked a brow at her, finding that hard to believe.
"I was gonna say just to be smart with her. She kinda reminds of your friend, Rodan," said Aiko with a grimace. Angirasu snorted.
'Rodan's much tamer than Dwan,' thought Angirasu.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that. Unlike Sonata, who hasn't been subtle about her displeasure of Dwan's behavior towards me," said Angirasu. Aiko smirked.
"If you two aren't getting along, than maybe you should get it on with that Dwan girl. That should make her lose her shit," said Aiko. She and Angirasu shared a chuckle. It wasn't much, but she was at least happy that she was able to connect with her son on something.
"Even if you were going to try to keep me away from Dwan. It wouldn't really matter. After all, she's not the only one here who's taken a liking to me," said Angirasu with a sigh. A smile grew on his face.
"I've never felt so welcomed in my life. These natives... This world... They don't treat us the same way as people from our world do. They even respect us!" said Angirasu, grinning. Aiko smiled, but that smile turned to bitter sweet as her son went on.
"Things like the Purists and the Vault are nonexistent. This world is like a paradise for me. Why would any mutant would want to leave a place like this?" asked Angirasu. Aiko felt those words struck a chord in her. She finally realized what was different with her son. For once, in many years, she saw that he was actually happy. And it wasn't with her, back home.
"Well... I'm glad that you managed to find happiness. I'll leave you to rest. Good night," said Aiko, softly, before leaving the tent. Her son just watched as she left.
Aiko sighed, feeling a growing depression. Her quest would soon be coming to an end. And it would bear no fruit. Yes, she found her son. But, it was clear to her that he had no intention on coming back.
Frankly, Aiko didn't think she was within her right to be upset with him. She couldn't force him. After all, she might've been the reason why he was staying. She was lousy as a mother. Even looking back, Aiko realized that her own mother wasn't as bad as her. At least she never let her get taken to be locked away for the rest of her life. No, Angirasu was well within his right to stay here. He even seemed content to be here. Aiko was glad that he was happy. But, she still felt a terrible sadness.
Aiko took a seat before a fire pit. She grabbed a stick and poked at the flame, absent minded. She noticed that the villagers nearby either averted their gazes from her, or simply left. This made Aiko feel worse. It was like these people could tell how awful she was. She must've been so terrible that no one could stand to look at her, let alone be in her presence.
"Thought you'd be asleep by now," said an unfamiliar voice. Aiko raised her head, finding Ann Darrow to be sitting by the fire with a sigh.
"I mean, you're the one running that platoon, aren't you?" asked Ann.
"Yeah..." Aiko awkwardly replied.
"You seem to be down. Need an ear?" asked Ann. Aiko raised a brow at the young woman.
"Hey, don't worry. I don't gossip," said Ann with a chuckle.
"Nah. It's nothing. I'm just shocked that my son's popular with girls. Though he might be attracting the wrong kind," said Aiko, scratching her head, a small chuckle escaped her. "I mean, he had an obsessive brat like Sonata, and then gained someone like Dwan. But honestly, I could do without both."
Aiko took notice of the Iwi that were making distance from her. It was becoming more obvious that they were avoiding her.
"Hey, what's the deal with the natives? They seem to hate me and my troops," said Aiko, though she noticed a couple of the Guardians to be passing by. The nearby natives gave a silent bow to Baragon and Manda, who looked to each other in confusion.
"Well...Angirasu has been quite the guest. They've taken a liking to him. He's quite the hero," said Ann.
"But why are they acting hostile towards us? Just yesterday, I had a group of my troops telling me that they got aggressive with them," said Aiko.
"Angirasu has told some stories about our world. Especially about MONARCH. They're worried that you guys came here to take him and lock him away," said Ann. Aiko was taken aback. In fact, she was quite offended.
Aiko was about to retort, but the words were stuck in her throat. The woman had forgotten that her son was on his way to the Vault, from acting aggressive with no self-control, while transformed. Then, she went out with the intention to break him free and flee from Ponyville, if not the country. Even though Hayato said he would conceal that last fact, the woman didn't think she could trust him. Aiko realized that she was in the dark of what would become of Angirasu if she were to bring him home.
Meanwhile, Battra sat with Mosura by a fire pit. The younger sister felt some comfort with her brother being in her presence. She missed him and worried about him, terribly. Now, they were together again. Even if they couldn't be around each other regularly to talk during the day, due to Battra still being under a chain of command, Mosura was still happy.
"Twilight thought we could try to get back home by recreating what brought us here in the first place. But we still aren't sure if it's wise. Or if we can even recreate it," said Mosura.
"Don't worry about that. We already have a way back. We can return home at any time," said Battra with a smile. Mosura frowned.
"You think they'll make us leave without Gojira?" asked Mosura, worriedly. Battra said nothing.
"I can't leave without him. I won't. Otherwise, I'll never forgive myself," said Mosura.
"I doubt we'll leave without him. His family came along, after all," said Battra. Mosura lightly nodded.
"Hey, cheer up! We'll rescue your boyfriend," chuckled Battra.
"He's not my boyfriend," muttered Mosura, her cheeks flushed.
"Nah, but I know you have strong feelings for the guy. So, I'm just trying out my next arsenal of teasing," said Battra.
"I'm surprised that you're OK with that," said Mosura, tilting her head.
"Well, he's not ideal. Though honestly, I think my big brother instincts would have me worried about any guy. But at any rate, you're my little sister. So long as he treats you well, I'll respect your feelings. Even if I don't approve," said Battra, with a playful wink. Mosura giggled.
"Thanks, bro," said Mosura.
Meanwhile, at just another part of the Iwi village, Senior stood with a map of Equescidar. Manda was scanning the map with him, while Twilight, Angirasu and Sunset stood with them.
"Ugh. This map is difficult to grasp. There's much information here, and very unusual landscapes," said Senior, as he scanned the map.
"Well, we already have a feel for the land. We could help. But we should find someone who's much more experienced, " interjected Twilight.
"You kids don't need to come. You've been through a lot, already," said Manda.
"No way are we sitting this out," said Sunset.
"Yeah. First thing in the morning, we'll head back in the Sacramentonian kingdom," said Angirasu, a determined look on his face.
"Then get some rest, children. You'll need your strength," said Senior, handing Twilight back the map.
"Goodnight, Mr. Takeshi," said Sunset. As the teens bid the Guardians farewell, they left the area. Manda smiled.
"Your son's quite lucky to have such good friends," said Aiko.
"Junior always had a hard time growing up," said Senior, drawing the woman's attention. Senior bore a melancholic look.
"He was a strong boy. That bred resentment towards him. He was such a lonely child," said Senior. But, a small smile grew on his face.
"But, it's good to see that's changed," said Senior.
Adagio panted as she lied in her sleeping bag. She began to toss and turn, her brows sweating. The girl muttered to herself, distressed.
The Dazzling gasped, her eyes shooting wide awake. She lightly frowned as she stared up at the hut's top. She raised herself up, finding her sisters to be sound asleep in their own sleeping bags.
"Not again," muttered Adagio rubbing her tired eyes. She's been having a hard time sleeping this night. After all, she's been woken up by the same nightmare three times already. The same horrible nightmare kept replaying. Being all alone, with no one, not even her sisters, paying her any mind. Not to mention, the nightmares were topped off with Spinner. Adagio trembled as she kept recalling that moment. Every time, she would wake up just as he prepared to do horrible things to her.
Adagio sighed, getting out of the hut. She couldn't go back to sleep. Not tonight. The girl thought that a nice evening stroll would do her good. As she left, she found that there was a bit of light in the sky. She couldn't see the sun, but the crack of dawn was upon them.
During her walk, Adagio noticed the tents that were neighboring the Iwi village. She had forgotten that Aria mentioned that help came. The Dazzling also took notice of the Guardians nearby, sleeping under the stars in their own sleeping bags. Miwa and Senior slept close together.
Adagio softly smiling to herself. It seemed that their rescue was on the way. But looking at Senior, she was quickly reminded of Junior. She deeply frowned, remembering what her sisters told her. Apparently he had gone missing. Somewhere, her friend, the boy who gave her these almost alien feelings, was all alone. Adagio wandered over to the wall, sighing sadly.
"What I'd give just to know that you're safe," said Adagio softly.
Adagio slightly jumped as she heard what seemed to be a bump. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the wall. Curious, Adagio stepped over to the wall, hearing a faint jingle. She leaned close to the wall, her brain attempting to decipher where she could've heard a sound like this before. The jingles soon began to become more rapid. Adagio's eyes widened, once she registered that it was in fact beeping. A rapid beep.
Adagio cried out as she scampered away from the wall. There was a sudden loud deafening explosion. Adagio found herself flung through the air, crashing into the earth. Her ears rang, as the world became silent. Adagio lied on her belly, in pain. Dust, chips of wood, and dirt clung to her body. She weakly looked around, finding the village and the camp to suddenly stir from the sound. Adagio shakily held a hand to her ear, as the ringing continued. She felt the earth around her vibrate. A shadow was cast over her, and a large therapod foot stomped passed her. Adagio turned, finding a grey allosaurus to be passing by, standing at 9 feet in height. It was mounted by a human. Adagio turned, finding a few more similar creatures, all mounted as well. Even as the creatures shrieked, Adagio was still unable to hear. She remained on the ground in a daze, as the creatures passed by.
The Purists stormed into the village of the Iwi, all armed with new equipment. Scar, Adrian, Stinger and Alexandra hopped off their mounts, which began to run free.
"Rock and roll!!" Dreadnought cackled, wielding a large cannon, balancing it on his shoulder. A couple of soldiers scrambled from their tents, who were then met with the concussive blast from the cannon. In just moments, the Purists were firing off their weapons at the soldiers. Instead of bullets, their guns fired strange bolts of energy that zipped through the air, piercing through the soldiers.
Iwi that shot out of their huts were immediately greeted with the carnivorous dinosaurs that the attackers rode in on. These beasts snatched up any native they came across, crushing them with their powerful jaws.
From within Kong's cave, his eyes shot wide open. He bolted from his cave, finding the chaos that the village was suddenly in. He froze, watching as the carnivorous saurians stomped about, terrorizing the Iwi, who scrambled for whatever weapon they could find. He then heard the sound of gun fire. He found that the MONARCH soldiers shouting frantically, as they armed up, firing back at the attackers. Kong snarled as his eyes hardened, burning with rage. He grabbed a large stone axe from his cave and rushed out.
Meanwhile, the Main 7 had shot awake, as Iwi passed them. They found Mosura, Angirasu and Rodan to be racing over.
"Are you OK?!" asked Mosura.
"What the fuck is going on?!" asked Rainbow in alarm.
"We're being attacked!" said Angirasu, turning to find an Allosaurus to snatch up a MONARCH soldier into its jaws. Dreadnought cackled as he rode on its back, firing wildly. One of the blasts from his cannon raced towards the teens.
"Hit the deck!!" cried Rodan. The teens dropped to the ground, but Rarity remained standing. She grunted as she projected a shield in front of the group. The blast struck the shield, causing Rarity to fall back from the force of its power. The teens got up, finding the horror that was brought to this peaceful village. Aiko suddenly came racing by, holding tight to her rifle.
"What are you still doing here?! Get to safety!" shouted Aiko. She pointed to where Senior was with the Guardians, as Posey and Miwa were taking refuge with the Iwi women and children.
"But-" Twilight was about to protest but the woman had already bolted to the battlefield. Aria and Sonata rushed by, hair disheveled from the rude awakening.
"Where's Adagio?!" asked Aria.
"She's not with you?!" asked Sunset. Angirasu hardened his eyes. He ran off.
"Angirasu!" called Pinkie in alarm.
"Protect the Iwi! I'll find Adagio!" said Angirasu, running off. The teens gritted their teeth.
"OK, come on guys! Sunset, Rarity, let's defend the women and children! Wouldn't want stray bullets to hit anyone!" said Twilight, before running off.
"Damn it! What do we do? What do we do?!" asked Rodan, frantic.
"We can probably start with the runaway dinosaurs!" said Rainbow, pointing to the rampaging beasts.
"Aye yai yai! I shouldn't have slacked off on transformation training!" said Rodan, pulling his hair. Rainbow suddenly made a mad dash through the village. She snatched up a child that had fallen prey to one of the dinosaurs.
"Just start somewhere!" said Applejack, rushing into the chaos. She was followed by the rest of the teens. They risked their lives, escorting those who were still in the sights of the dinosaurs. Rainbow acted as decoy, running all around the dinosaurs. Pinkie threw whatever she could, causing the objects to explode on impact, startling the dinosaurs and caused them to back away. One Allosaurus snarled as it shook off its start and proceeded to charge for the pink haired girl. Pinkie screamed in fright as it opened its jaws to snatch her up. But, it found itself suddenly pushed off its feet, falling over. Mosura grunted as she held her hands forward, focusing her telekinetic powers. She dug her heels into the earth, pushing the dinosaur away, allowing Pinkie to retreat.
"Jira!!" Fluttershy cupped her hands together and cried out. The dinosaurs stopped as they heard rumbling from beneath the earth. Jira, the genetic hybrid burst from the earth with a shriek. It lunged for the one of the dinosaurs, biting down on its neck.
"Haha! You're the beast whisperer!" cried Pinkie, shaking Fluttershy with a grin.
"But he's doing all the work," said Fluttershy. She gasped as Jira was suddenly ganged up on by the four theropods. They began to bite and scratch at the mutant iguana, causing him to retreat. He hissed as he swayed his tail, crouching low to the ground.
"Jira, no!" cried Fluttershy. The dinosaurs began to spread out around the hybrid, snarling. As the dinosaurs prepared to strike, one of them was suddenly constricted by Manda, as she took on her Neighsian dragon form. She quickly tightened herself around him, shrieking as she squeezed. As the dinosaurs turned their attention to her and their pack member being constricted, another beast burst from the earth.
It was Baragon. He had transformed into a dark red quadrupedal beast. He looked reptilian in appearance, bearing thick armor scales and scutes that ran along his back, down to his tail. He also sported a long sharp horn upon his head. Two long bright red ears stuck out from his head. His front paws were large and wide, almost like a mole's paws. And like a mole, he bore long and thick claws. He was around the 10 feet in size, just a bit bigger than these theropods.
Baragon gave a wail as he lunged out of the burrow, biting into the neck of one of the other saurians. There were two occupied, but two free. Jira narrowed his eyes, recognizing an opening. He quickly lunged for the third allosaurus. The last theropod stumbled back with a startled cry. Its mind unable to fathom how the pack was suddenly overcome in just mere moments. Especially by a pack of creatures that were completely unrelated to each other. Before it could attack one of them to free its kin, a human form darted in its line of sight. It felt its neck latched onto, forcing it down to the ground. It kicked its legs in a vain tempt to get back up. But all it saw was a burly bearded man, raising a large stone axe over its head.
Kong brought the axe down with all of his might, penetrating the skull. The creature shrieked as it thrashed, as it was struck with the trauma. Kong quickly raised his axe and brought it back down, penetrating deeper. It went limp, but still moved from its 'ghost run'.
"Whoa!" Rainbow stared wide eyed, as did the rest of the teens. They watched as the remaining mutants killed off the remaining dinosaurs, either through tearing out their throats via bite, or constricting the life out of them. Ann quickly ran over to the teens.
"Hey! What are you kids doing out here still?!" asked Ann.
"W-We were helping! But Angirasu went off to find Adagio!" said Applejack.
"There they are!" cried Mosura, pointing.
From just a short distance away, Angirasu was running with Adagio in tow. The two waved to the teens.
"Come on! Hurry!" called Rarity. There was a suddenly a streak of light that caught everyone's eye. The light zipped towards Kong, piercing through his arm. He cried out in agony as he fell over, clutching his wound.
"KONG!!" Ann screamed in horror. Angirasu gasped as he and Adagio stopped. Angirasu quickly followed where that light had came from. He found Alexandra to be standing on top of hill, firing off her rifle.
"Look out!" Angirasu tackled Adagio to the ground. The rest of the teens took cover as the bolts shot from the Purist's spot. Adagio began to crawl over to a better point of cover, but noticed Angirasu standing to his feet.
"Aang, what are you doing?!" asked Adagio in alarm. Angirasu grunted as he rushed over to Kong and began to drag him away. Alexandra continued to shoot at them, but was unable to hit her targets as they hid behind a set of huts.
"Kong, are you OK?!" asked Angirasu. Kong winced as he clutched his arm.
"Dogomite, scum," groaned Kong.
"Those aren't Dogomites," said Angirasu, his expression hardening. He turned out to the open, finding the bloody axe stuck in the allosaurus's head. All the while the Guardians and Jira were still occupied with the remaining dinosaurs.
"Angirasu, don't even think about it!" Adagio called, her eyes wide. Angirasu ignored her. He darted from cover, hearing Alexandra shoot at him. He snatched up the axe and hid behind cover again. He panted as he looked from his cover, but retreated as a bolt burst through the corner.
"You messed with the wrong mutie," snarled Angirasu, clutching the axe. He jumped out of cover and ran.
"Easy target!" Alexandra leaned into her rifle as she aimed. As she was about to shoot, Angirasu hurled the axe he carried, sending it to the Purist. Alexandra yelped as she quickly dove for cover, the axe missing her. She got up to shoot again, but Angirasu had reached her. He kicked the rifle from her grasp, then picked her up by her vest. He slammed her to the ground with a hateful look.
"Fuck off, freak!" Alexandra, kneed Angirasu in the groin. He groaned as he released the woman and fell over.
'Kong never taught me how to defend myself from that!' thought Angirasu with a groan. He gasped as he found Alexandra drawing out a hand gun. It bore a similar appearance as the one that the Lizardmen had given Junior. As Alexandra aimed her gun at Angirasu, an arrow shot through the air, impaling her hand. Alexandra screamed in agony as she dropped the gun to the ground. Angirasu grabbed the pistol and rolled away from the wounded Purist. He found Dwan racing over onto the hill.
"Nobody points a gun at NICE AANG!" Dwan shouted in rage, swinging her bow at Alexandra's head, knocking her to the ground. Angirasu panted as he found Dwan glaring at the woman.
"Nice shot," panted Angirasu with a smile.
"Actually I missed," said Dwan with an annoyed look, as Alexandra attempted to sit up. She then punched the Purist in the jaw, knocking her out cold.
Meanwhile, Dreadnought was cackling as he fired off his cannon everywhere. Any soldier he missed, the Allosaurus chomped down on them and threw them aside. This was like a dream come true for the mercenary. He was wielding a powerful weapon and was blasting away many targets, while riding a damn dinosaur.
"Hey!" a voice called out. Dreadnought stopped and turned, finding Koizumi to be standing a distance away, holding his own weapon. Dreadnought smirked.
"Long time no see, Kira! We didn't get a chance to talk last time!" said Dreadnought.
"What the hell happened to you man? Why would you team up with xenophobic terrorists like the Purists?" asked Koizumi, incredulous. Dreadnought snorted, as he hopped off the Allosaurus. He smacked it on the thigh, prompting it to run off and cause more havoc.
"This coming from the guy on MONARCH's payroll?" asked Dreadnought. Koizumi looked away from a brief moment.
'Fair enough,' thought Koizumi.
"Let me rephrase that. Why're you taking part in their actions? I thought you had more honor than that," said Koizumi, glaring at his old comrade. Dreadnought glared back.
"Honor? There's no gain from honor! Sounds like Hayato's gotten into your head, old friend!" scoffed Dreadnought.
"You think I care about the Purists? Or MONARCH? Or even mutants? I'm looking out for number one!" said Dreadnought pointing to himself.
"If the money's right, I'll wipe out anyone you point me at! Why do you think I make my living off this lifestyle? One, I'm good at it. And two, brutality is like food and water for me. I do it because it's a hunger and thirst that needs to be quenched. And I refuse to starve!" said Dreadnought, firing off his cannon. Koizumi took off running, feeling the blasts of the cannon send clouds of dirt on him. Koizumi rolled into cover behind a Humvee and fired off his rifle at his former colleague.
"Come on, Kira! Show me what you're made of!" cackled Dreadnought, taking cover behind a truck. He gasped as a bullet struck near his head. He turned and found Nakada, Inoue, and Ford firing off their weapons at him. Dreadnought darted for more cover, firing off his cannon. The younger soldiers scrambled for cover and continued to fire back. Dreadnought chuckled as he continued to exchange blasts.
"Ahem."
Dreadnought turned and found Koizumi raising his rifle. With a quick and hard strike, Koizumi knocked Dreadnought unconscious.
"Always watch your back," sighed Koizumi, before giving the younger soldiers a thumbs up. Inoue grinned as she gave a thumbs up back.
Meanwhile, Adrian was racing down through the Iwi village. She turned and began to fire off her rifle. Battra was hiding in cover, as the violet bolts whizzed by.
"I can't believe MONARCH enlisted a Mutie like you!" spat Adrian. She fired off her weapon again before running off. Battra gave chase, carrying a hand gun. He was certainly outmatched in regard to fire power. He hadn't gotten the chance to grab his own rifle. But a pistol was better than nothing.
"Look, why are you doing this?! You're not even in our world to have back up! This is basically suicide!" said Battra, firing off his gun. Adrian hid behind a hut and fired back.
"It doesn't have to be this way! Just give up! I'm giving you one last chance!" said Battra.
"I don't want your damned mercy! You freaks don't deserve to live! All of you deserve to be put down for what you did to me and my family!" screamed Adrian, firing off her rifle. Battra cursed as his gun clicked. He dropped the clip and reached for his ammo belt. But, there were no more clips.
"It's terrible that you think that way. But I wonder what could've happened that would make you this way," said Battra, tossing the gun aside. He took a breath as his mind became focus. He jumped out of cover. Adrian was about to fire but found herself unable to pull the trigger. It was stuck. Or rather, she was stuck. Adrian realized that her entire body had froze in place. She strained as she attempted to move, as Battra approached, his hands slightly raised.
"At any rate, I'm fed up with you pinning your tragedy on mutants who had nothing to do with it," said Battra, moving his hands. Adrian felt her arms spread apart, her eyes wide in alarm. She found herself suddenly flung to the great wall, her head hitting the wood. She was given a concussion on impact.
Elsewhere in the village, Stinger was prowling about with a cold look. He was armed with twin heavy gauntlets. He found a few stragglers of Iwi to be passing by. Stinger raised a hand, which shifted and changed to a barrel. A bolt of energy shot from the gauntlet, shooting the Iwi down. His gauntlets then shifted into scorpion-like claws. He lunged for the few Iwi, slashing them with the sharp blades. The claws also snipped like scissors at the flesh of their prey. Stinger's eyes than fell upon the rest of the teenagers, who came rushing over.
"Get him!" shouted Rainbow, before racing towards the Purist. Stinger raised his gauntlets, as they began to change into barrels. He began to shoot, prompting the teens to take cover.
"Spread out! Spread out!" shouted Applejack. As the teens did this, Rodan was left behind, frozen. The chaos he was witnessing triggered old memories. Particularly, the day where Ponyville High was attacked. He remembered the gun fire, the blood, and the deaths. Students he knew or never knew were gone the next day. Seeing the dead Iwi on the ground in the area reminded him exactly of that.
Unbeknownst to Rodan, Stinger had his sights on him. He began to approach, his gauntlets cooling down. Rodan sluggishly stood up, starting to tremble.
As the mutant relived his trauma, they intertwined with another. Eliza. Just seeing the fire, hearing the gunfire and cries, his memory flashed back to when he killed Eliza. This made his trembling more violent. As Stinger raised his gauntlet at the mutant, Aria suddenly screamed, her voice amplified by her ability. Stinger retracted the weapons on his gauntlets and cupped his hands over his ears. He gave an agonized cry, as Aria continued to scream. She then rushed over to Rodan.
"Get moving, you idiot!" barked Aria, hauling the boy away. She gasped as Stinger suddenly raised his gauntlet again. Before he could fire, Angirasu lunged for him, tackling him to the ground. The two began to roll along the earth, both striking each other. For a human, Angirasu noticed that Stinger was surprisingly strong. Stinger shouted as he headbutted Angirasu, who was in a slight daze. He quickly shook it off and began to beat the Purist into the dirt.
The two continued to exchange blows, even switching on who had who pinned to the ground. Stinger managed to finally kick away the mutant. He got up and was about draw out his guns, but Angirasu rushed in, sprouting claws at his finger tips. He slashed at Stinger's chest, tearing through the vest he wore, while drawing blood and tearing the clothes..
Angirasu was about to go for another strike but noticed something that looked off. Stinger grunted as he scrambled to keep his torn shirt together, which was getting stained in his blood. As he attempted to tie the torn ends together, Angirasu swore that he saw that Stinger almost appeared shorter than what he remembered. A strange soft grunt came from him, different from the more rough grunts he was giving before.
"What's your deal?! I thought this was a fight!" scoffed Angirasu, clenching his fists. Stinger still seemed fixated on his shirt. It was strange. If Angirasu didn't know better, he'd say that this guy was attempting to conceal something.
Meanwhile, Scar grunted as he was thrown to the ground. He quickly drew out a pistol, firing at Gojira Senior, who raised his large muscled arm. Reptilian scales quickly sprout and deflected the bullets. The mutant continued to stalk towards the Purist. Scar got up to his feet and stumbled back, panting as he kept his gun drawn.
"Call it off, Scar. You're not going to win. Why try, when your heart's not in the game?" asked Senior, his eyes slightly narrowing. Scar slightly trembled, holding the gun tightly.
"I can tell by looking into your eyes. I know you don't want to do this anymore," said Senior. Scar gritted his teeth.
"Yeah? Well, you're right. In fact, I'm sick of it. I don't know why, but I've lost my taste for this," said Scar, before pulling the hammer on the gun back.
"But there's nothing left for me now. This life is all I have left," said Scar. Senior hardened his expression.
"So be it," said Senior. Before either could make a move, a bullet zipped through the air, piercing through Scar's kneecap. The Purist cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground. Senior found Aiko Riku standing, a handgun in her hand. She bore a hard expression.
"You easily could've killed him," said Senior.
"Don't look into it. They're not getting out of this that easily," said Aiko, making her way over to Scar, who groaned in pain on the ground.
Moments later, the remaining Purists were apprehended. They were either wounded or in pain, as they were forced to the ground. The Iwi stood with Kong and Ann, aiming their spears at them. Hard expressions were on the natives. Meanwhile, MONARCH stood, with their rifles drawn on them, with Aiko having a firm grip on her pistol. And the Guardians stood in their beastly forms, glaring at the Purists, as Senior stood in his human form, arms crossed over his chest.
"What do you wanna do with them, Lieutenant?" asked Koizumi.
"I say we waste them now. Ain't no one gonna miss them. They have it coming!" said a soldier.
"I can get behind that," said Angirasu, venom in his tone. Aiko looked to her son, her heart jumping. This boy has definitely changed. She wondered if this is what Senior saw in her.
"W-Wait! We didn't know MONARCH was going to be here! We came here to help these natives! They were being oppressed by a mutie named Kong!" said Alexandra. Angirasu clenched his fists, a growl escaping his throat.
"You just killed several innocent natives with those fucking dinosaurs! You shot their King, who they hold reverence too!" said Dwan with a glare.
'Huh. That's a big word for her,' thought Adagio in surprise.
"Bullshit! We know they're tyrants here! If we can't take you freaks out back in our world, then we'll do it here! At least they'll be grateful!" said Adrian. This managed to anger those who suffered from this attack. MONARCH, mutant and Iwi alike.
"You stupid bitch! You don't know anything about this world, do you?!" snarled Angirasu. Some recoiled at the boy's tone and rage.
"These people don't think like you do. They see the real value that mutants have! And I'll be damned before I let you bastards take that away!" said Angirasu.
"Just say the word, Lieutenant! We'll put these fucks in front of a firing squad this instant!" said a soldier.
"What kind of punishments does your tribe offer?" asked Angirasu, looking to one of the teen natives.
"We rarely had to. We could stone them. Maybe burn them at a pyre," said the native.
"Or feed them to the dinosaurs out there!" said Dwan.
"Or Skull Crawlers," said Angirasu, a smirk growing on his face.
"Bingo." said Dwan.
As their captors debated on how to punish them, the Purists felt a growing sense of fear and almost regret. How long has it been since they felt this way? Though the most regretful of all was Scar. Why did he go along with this? From the beginning, he had a bad feeling about it. He should've tried harder to talk his comrades out of attacking this village. Instead, he just went along with it like a drone without a mind of its own. It didn't matter if his conscience was now being heard. He deserved the harshest punishment like the rest.
There was a sudden shriek. Everyone looked up to find three great pterodactyls to be swooping down to the village. Their large wings beating against the wind. They carried Max, and two Dogomite soldiers. The pterodactyls wore masks that were designed to cover their eyes.
"Hold your breath!" called Max, riding one of the winged reptiles. He began to spray a pink mist from his gas gun, enveloping the village. He cackled as he spread the gas, which began to fill the nostrils of those below. The Iwi began to flee, coughing and their eyes burning.
"Tear gas!" cried Koizumi, coughing as he felt his senses becoming impaired from inflammation. As everyone began to disperse, the pterodactyls swooped in and grabbed the Purists. They began to fly. But Max lagged behind. He looked back, finding Aiko glaring at him with teary eyes from the gas. He narrowed his eyes in malice as his ride flew through the gas clouds, disappearing from sight. Aiko quickly began to fire her pistol at him, her senses still overwhelmed by the gas. As the gas began to dissipate, she saw that all three flying reptiles were still airborne, along with their passengers.
Junior groaned as he began to stir awake. He found himself slumped at the back of small wagon. Endurous sat at the front of the wagon, as a horse towed along.
It was here that Junior found himself in a unfamiliar setting. He saw crowded and dense streets, full of people dressed in fine clothes of silk and other high quality materials. Some were decorated in makeup and expensive looking accessories such as rings, necklaces, and jewelry.
There were dull and cold buildings that filled the city, made up of stone and bricks. Some buildings were stacked tall and high, reaching to at least 8 stories or so. The air reeked of something foul, and a few of these citizens appeared sickly.
The boy found his wrists and ankles bound in rope. Quietly, Junior tore through the rope for his wrists. Then he tore the ones around his ankles. As he was about to hop out from the back of the wagon, he felt a sting in the back of his neck. He reached back and pulled out a small dart. He turned, finding Endurous smugly holding a blow dart.
"Can't have you running off now," said Endurous. Junior felt his limbs turn to jello, as he struggled to stay up. He collapsed in the back, panting as he felt a growing weakness.
"Don't worry. It'll wear off soon," said Endurous, as the wagon made its way to the Citadel at the center of the city.
Meanwhile, inside the Citadel, Malicia laughed, as Onyx poured the contents of a bottle into a chalice.
"Oh, you have quite the sense of humor," sighed Malicia. Onyx smiled as he handed the Empress a chalice, before raising his own.
"To humor," said Onyx.
"And to a fruitful alliance," said Malicia, raising her own chalice. The two took a drink.
"Mm. I'm fond of your choice of beverage. What was this you said? Champagne?" asked Malicia, curious.
"Correct," answered Onyx.
"How divine! Oh, I must say that I'm pleased with your work. Especially how the Skull Walkers are susceptible to my will through the dark arts," said Malicia.
"That reminds me. There's an alternative for you, as to not overuse your dark magic," said Onyx, drawing out a small device.
"Behold, the Inhibitor Chip. A few of our last test subjects retained their humanity and rebelled. As to prevent that from happening again, we developed this device. It will suppress the human cognition, making them more like the feral animals we intended," said Onyx. Malicia bore an intrigued look.
"Could you implant them for all future Skull Walkers?" asked Malicia.
"Indeed. We've also developed a new variation of the chip that is still experimental at this point of development. We only have a few, but they're meant to control the internal functions of the subject," said Onyx.
"I look forward to testing them out eventually. Magic can be quite exhausting. Even for someone of my level," said Malicia with a sigh.
"Agreed," chuckled Onyx.
There was the sudden knock on the doors of Malicia's study. The empress turned.
"Enter!" called Malicia. The doors opened, allowing a guard to be rushing in. He quickly knelt to the ground and bowed his head.
"Pardon the interruption, your Majesty. But I've come to tell you that Endurous has returned, with the Son of Leviathan," said the guard. Malicia's eyes widened in surprise. Onyx smirked as he stood up.
"Perhaps we should finish our conversation another time," said Onyx. He began to turn to walk away. Malicia nodded to him.
Meanwhile, Endurous hauled Junior through the halls of the Citadel. Junior groaned as he was dragged along the cold ground, finding some guards to be flanking him. Along the way, he saw the almost gothic-like architecture of the hall, which was made up of archways that were sculpted with long elaborate angles and sharp corners. The halls had very little light, with only the torches that hung on the walls being the only light source.
Junior found himself thrown to the ground, inside of the throne room. He panted as he shakily stood on his hands and knees. He felt like collapsing, but his will to resist remained strong. If only his body matched that at this point.
There were a pair of boots that stepped in front of him. Junior raised his head, finding Kenra looking down at him, smirking. Sigyn stood by her, playing with her own locks of hair.
"Nice to see you again. Remember me?" asked Kenra, kneeling down, pointing to the scar that ran over her face. They looked to have been made by claws. Junior was silent for a brief moment.
"Uh... No?" Junior cocked a brow. Kenra suddenly grew red with anger.
"You son of a-" Kenra suddenly kicked Junior in the face.
"I'll show you to forget me! You little twerp!" Kenra furiously kicked Junior's face, over and over. The boy was unable to retaliate due to his weakened state.
"Kenra, I think you're taking it too personal," deadpanned Sigyn. Endurous merely chuckled in amusement. Junior couldn't fathom what was happening. He didn't know where he was, and why. He didn't even know why this woman was flipping out on him.
"Stop! That's enough, Kenra!" said Malicia, walking into the throne room with a couple of guards. Kenra begrudgingly stomped her foot on the ground, before stepping away from Junior, whose face began to swell. He panted, finding that over a dozen guards stood around the throne room. He then found Malicia to be standing beside Endurous. She was dressed in a long dark gown, and wore a silver crown upon her head. Some strands of her long raven hair hung between her eyes. The boy had to admit that this woman had quite an attractive appearance. But unlike most women he's seen, she was taller than the average. She stood around 5'11" in height. Her frame was a slim one, but with strong wide hips that would make any hot blooded man look her way.
"Congratulations, Endurous. You live up to your reputation," said Malicia with a pleased look.
"Yeah, yeah. Just give me what I'm owed," said Endurous.
"I have your gold ready. As for a bonus, my guards will escort you to my bed chambers," said Malicia, almost dismissive. Endurous narrowed his eyes.
"I was actually thinking I'd claim that reward now. After all, it was a real hassle to catch this one," said Endurous, grabbing the Empress's arm. The guards snarled, while Kenra bore a look of disgust. Sigyn crossed her arms, shaking her head. Malicia bore a slightly surprised look. She then smirked.
"Very well," said Kenra, pulling her arm away. She took a dagger from her side as she stride close to the man. She began to slowly and seductively tear through his shirt. Junior's eyes widened, as did some of those in the room.
"Wait, maybe we should-" Junior attempted to crawl away, but grunted as Sigyn stomped on his back, forcing him to the ground.
"No shame in watching, dear," said Sigyn with a wink.
"Yes there is!" protested Junior. He groaned as he saw that Endurous's clothes were torn off more, until he was down to his drawers. Meanwhile, Malicia was removing her dress and crown, exposing her black lacy undergarments. The Empress giggled as she began to cling to him, grinding against the man's pelvis. Junior shuddered as he looked away, his face growing red. He gritted his teeth as he heard the pants of Malicia and Endurous, along with the smacking of their lips locking together.
"That turn you on?" whispered Sigyn, leaning close to the boy's ear. Junior grunted as he buried his face to the ground, his spine tingling.
As Malicia continued to kiss Endurous, she felt him reaching for her undergarments, attempting to remove them. She began to caress her fingers along his bareback. The fingers suddenly sprouted sharp talons, which then dug into his flesh. Endurous cried out in pain, prompting Junior to quickly turn back with a start. He gasped as he found Endurous bleeding from his back, as Malicia held him tightly. She then looked at the man seductively. She let out a smile, exposing rows of sharp teeth. Her pupils suddenly constricted as they became horizontal. She suddenly pounced the man to the ground and sunk her teeth into Endurous's throat. The man cried out as he attempted to force her off. Junior watched in horror, unable to actually see what she was doing since her back and rear were in his line of sight. However, he saw the muscles beneath her body beginning to bulge and contract. Sigyn and Kenra smirked, taking pleasure at the scene, while a few of the guards stood anxiously.
"If Max was here, he would have thought that this was a great joke," said Kenra with a chuckle.
Endurous suddenly stopped struggling, falling silent. Malicia sighed as she stood back up to her feet, rolling her neck. Her muscles returned to normal. Junior gasped as he saw Endurous lying on the ground, his eyes dead as his throat was torn open. Malicia turned to face the boy, her mouth area drenched in blood. She smiled to the boy.
"I am so sorry that you had to see that," said Malicia, her tone sweet. Junior felt a chill in his soul as he gazed into her yellow green eyes. While her tone were sweet, the blood and the look in her eyes told his instincts that she was a threat, even without the corpse that was once Endurous. It didn't help that she had a wide, unnerving toothy smile. It was like looking at a reptile, rather than a human.
Malicia gestured to one of the guards, who walked over to her and handed over a cloth.
"It's a shame. He just got too greedy. You might see more of that. There's always someone like him that live to conquer another. Whether its through a physical battle or through intercourse. Makes you wonder about 'love'. It's merely a power-play, a way to control others to make them feel safe," said Malicia as she cleaned her face. A guard stepped over to her and placed on a black silky web textured robe. She began to wrap the ribbon around her waist, covering her naked body.
"People like us have to fight harder just to survive. Believe it or not, you and I have something in common when it comes to being dominated by other forces. Conscience. Emotion. The unfairness of life. Even 'Friendship'," said Malicia, turning to face Junior. The boy panted as he shakily stood up to his feet, while the guards tensed. Junior looked around, seeing that he was clearly at a disadvantage.
"You don't know me. How can you say we're alike? Who are you?" asked Junior.
"Malicia, Empress of Dogomoto. Welcome," said Malicia. Junior's eyes widened.
"Empress... Malicia. You're..." Junior felt a growing anger.
"I'm sure you've heard about me. The big evil tyrant that terrorizes the weak," scoffed Malicia. Junior suddenly darted towards the woman. The guards barely had enough time to react. Malicia grabbed his arm as he sent a punch, then flipped the boy over and slammed him to the ground. Junior groaned, lying on his back in pain. He didn't have the strength to get up, as Malicia planted her foot over his chest. The guards rushed over, drawing their weapons.
"Your Majesty!" cried Sigyn in alarm.
"I'm fine. Just fine," said Malicia, calmly. Junior panted with an enraged look. He heard the stories of the Empress, and remembered that someone named Malicia was responsible for the Skull Walkers. They were one in the same. Just knowing what kind of pain she brought filled him with a burning hate.
"How does it feel? To feel powerless? Alone?" asked Malicia, her tone soft and motherly. Junior was breathing hard as he glared at her. But, she had an almost compassionate look in her own.
"How did it feel when you learned you couldn't count on those you called your friends? When you needed them most?" asked Malicia. Junior's eyes widened as the woman began to use her magic to project familiar images. They were events from the boy's life. At least the most recent ones he could remember.
Junior bore witness to when he was taken away from school grounds by the police, where he was then locked away in a holding cell as he dreaded the future. It then skipped to where he was released, found innocent. But then the image of him returning to school was shown. Junior found himself more shunned among his peers, and was turned away by the Friendship Club. He watched as his past self was stunned, as some of the Main 7 acted coldly to him, while informing him that he was banned from the club. While there was no sound, Junior remembered every word exchanged just by watching it.
"How the hell do you know about this?" demanded Junior.
"My dear, magic gives me greater insight into others. I know your woes," said Malicia, stepping off of the boy. She stepped away, as Junior stood up, his expression still hard.
"Back away. You'll just make him more tense," said Malicia. The guards reluctantly stepped back, but kept their weapons up.
"It's alright. You don't have to hide your feelings. I know what's it's like to feel that your life is in danger," said Malicia, as she projected a montage of images. Junior turned to the projection, finding himself and Rodan fleeing down an alley, as Purists fired their guns on them. Then, images of Junior fighting for his life against Stinger, just as the mechanical tail he bore scorched off his left arm. Junior reflexively felt his left arm twitch, as though the ghost of his old arm was prodding him.
"To have your heart broken..." said Malicia, projecting another image. Junior grimaced as he bore witness to himself, standing at the sidelines as Flash Sentry asked Sunset Shimmer out, all the way back in Freshmen Year..
"To be alone." Malicia then projected a montage of memories. Junior bore witness to all the times that he was alone. From his couple of days of being stranded in the jungles of Equescidar, to the times he sat alone during lunch at school, during P.E. class, and walking home from school alone. But the boy felt a pain in his chest as he bore witness to a memory of a little boy, who sat under a tree as he watched the other children play. Alone.
Junior felt a slight tremble as the projections ended. He hated the empathetic look that this woman was giving him. It was almost close to what Sunset has given him in the past. That made him hate this woman more, who was reminding him of the past that he wished to forget. It didn't help that she was a tyrant.
"I've been through it all. You're not alone anymore," said Malicia. Junior scoffed,
"I don't care about any of that. Nor about your life story. What I want to know is why in the hell would you hire that guy to bring me here? To attack me and my... friends," said Junior. He didn't know why he hesitated to say that word. Just being reminded of the past was starting to rile him. He thought he had put that away, for the sake of them all getting home. He wondered why now it was bothering him again.
"Truly, I'm sorry. I thought that he'd be more civil when fetching you. The reason I had you brought here was because I thought that you and I could help each other," said Malicia. She levitated a sword from the belt of a guard, who recoiled in shock. Junior tensed, as he found the sword drawn via magic.
"How can you help me? Hell, I don't even know what I can do for you," said Junior.
"I can give you your greatest desire. Control," said Malicia, firmly. She grabbed the sword and held it out to him, the blade pointing up the ceiling.
"With me, I can help you find your destiny. Or... You can leave and continue to be a slave to those so called friends, and anyone who would seek to exploit you," said Malicia. Junior looked at the woman suspiciously. This all seemed off. But, some of the things she said resonated with him. He remembered the awful things that happened to him throughout his life. Even to the days leading up to him being marooned on Equescidar. He was hated, feared, and exploited for his genetics. He really wasn't in control. But what could this woman offer him that could possibly change his destiny? There was only one way to find out.
Junior reached out and took the sword. He looked at the cold iron blade, which bore a dark grip and decorative guard, which appeared like spider legs.
"I'll bite," said Junior. Malicia smiled.
"Wise decision, my son" said Malicia. Junior sent her an odd look.
"Wait, what was that?" asked Junior.
Later that Morning...
The Iwi villagers were in the process of recovering after the recent attack. The wounded were tended to, and the dead were gathered. As were the MONARCH soldiers. Fortunately, there were more wounded than casualties for both parties, though that didn't take away from the tragedy of those that were lost.
Kong winced as a medical officer from MONARCH began to place a damp cloth on the wound, soaked up with alcohol. Then he moved away as an Iwi took Kong's arm and began to sew up the wound. Ann was knelt next to the mutant in worry.
"Luckily, it went through. Missed the bone too. Just try to take it easy for a while," said the medic.
"Those were Dogomites. They just made a grave mistake," said Kong, growling.
"What happened to not getting involved with the war?" asked Ann.
"It's not about the war. This is personal," said Kong, wincing as his wound was sewed. He then noticed a flock of birds to be soaring over. He hardened his expression.
"There's nothing that I hate more than uninvited guests," said Kong, prompting Ann to look to where he was staring. The flock of birds were large, carrying armored men on their backs. The birds landed, allowing the soldiers to hop off. Among them was Prince David.
"The Sacramentonians!" said Ann, shooting up to her feet. Kong was about to stand but the native treating his wound placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hurry and finish," said Kong in frustration.
Meanwhile, the Main 7, Dazzlings, Mutants and Dwan took notice of the newcomers.
"Hey, that's the Prince! What's he doing here?" asked Rainbow.
"Let's find out," said Twilight. The teens began to make their way over, as David began to approach
"What are you doing here?" asked Ann.
"We were nearby and were given word that the Dogomites were riding dragons over the jungle. We heard strange loud sounds coming from here. We came to help," said David.
"We're fine without you," said Kong, narrowing his eyes. David looked around, finding the destruction, and the wounded.
"We have supplies. Please, accept them so you can better recover," said David. Kong merely hardened his eyes. But, Ann looked to him with a soft expression. Then Kong looked to the village, where the natives stood among the aftermath of the attack.
"Very well," said Kong.
"Get those supplies distributed!" ordered David. Two familiar guards quickly began to carry over crates filled with food, water, and medial items from herbs to ointments and bandages.
"How this tale has taken a strange turn," said first guard.
"Don't you start again with your so called, '4th Wall' nonsense. You'll be thrown in the asylum," said the second guard.
"Yo, your highness!" Rainbow waved, as she and the other teens approached.
"Lady Rainbow. I wasn't expecting to see you and your friends so soon," said David with a smile. He then turned to Kong, bowing his head apologetically.
"I am sorry that we weren't able to get here sooner," said David.
"I didn't expect your help. No reason for you to apologize. Besides, this was a sneak attack," said Kong.
"Oi. Do you see those weirdos over there?" whispered second knights pointing a thumb to the MONARCH soldiers that were a distance away, preoccupied with their own trouble.
"The sinister looking armored foreigners? No, I was looking at the ground," said the first knight sarcastically.
"OK, smart ass. I think one of us should inform the rest back at the town we were at. We'll need more men," said the second knight.
"I shall be off! It is my role!" said the first knight. He cleared his throat.
"Prince David! Perhaps I should go off to gather more supplies," said the first knight.
"Very well. But be on your guard," said Prince David. The first knight bowed before hopping on his bird. The large feathery creature shrieked as it took to the air, flying off.