Shy and Aggressive: Book 2

by Johng117


Chapter 28: Encore

The sound of weeps filled the air. Tears fell upon the ground, soaking into the cotton innards of a torn doll. It was ravaged to the point that it almost appeared unrecognizable. A small girl was on her knees, mourning the loss of her favorite toy. Her weeps echoed through the room.

"I told you not to have that bloody thing around the dog," said a harsh, feminine voice. The child continued to weep.

"Stop your crying. Tears won't bring it back. You're bawling over mere fabric and cotton," scoffed the voice. The girl sniffled as she raised her head. Her yellow-green eyes stared through the black locks of hair that hung over her face. She found an older woman to be standing over her. She was dressed in a long, dark gown. She met the child with a cold stare.

"Pathetic."

Malicia's eyes suddenly opened. She stared up at the ceiling of her room. There was very little light shining through the room on this early morning. It was the crack of dawn.

The empress rose out of bed with a sigh. She spent the next hour or so of her morning handling what was a daily routine. First, she was in her personal bath. Hand maidens scrubbed every inch of her naked body, as she soaked in the water. When that was done, she was helped dressed in her gown. Every accessory she wears typically was accounted for. As was her silver crown. Malicia's makeup was finished, allowing her to begin her day.

As of now, the empress was sitting in the dining hall, alone. She was chewing her food, while holding the same stoic expression that she's had since she had woken up. The dining door opened. She turned her attention to the doorway. Kenra and Sigyn stepped inside and greeted her with a bow. Malicia was expecting it to be Junior. But considering last night, she wouldn't be surprised if he avoided seeing her whenever possible. It at least spared her from looking at his sickeningly sad face.

"Oh. Your favorite little boy toy isn't here for breakfast?" asked Kenra, surprised.

"Hmph. What is that you want?" questioned Malicia, ignoring Kenra's question.

"We came to inform you about the progress over the Zeta Divison's relocation. We managed to salvage what we could from the old facility to construct a controlled environment prepped for more commissions," said Sigyn.

"Very good. Then I should be expecting more Skull Walkers soon. Lately, some of the ones that were deployed have been reported to have starved to death. Their metabolic rate is a double edged sword," said Malicia. It was unfortunate that such a powerful weapon had such a draw back. These Skull Walkers were just like Skull Crawlers. Always hungry. But unlike the beasts, the Walkers only ate when they were set loose on a Sacramentonian town. Feeding them from their cages, especially in a group larger than 5, made it tedious to keep them alive. Only some were allowed to roam free, mainly in the countryside. The rest were herded and taken to whatever city Malicia's general thought would prove to be more of a tactful advantage.

"Where are you going to get subjects on such short notice?" asked Kenra.

"I gave your Zeta Divison my permission to seek subjects from the locals," said Malicia. Kenra and Sigyn both glanced at her.

"The... locals?" asked Kenra.

"That's what I said."

"Yeah, but... You know that-" Kenra fell silent as Malicia sent her an annoyed look.

"Right. What you do with your subjects is your business," said Kenra, forcing a smile. She forgot that this woman was a whole other monster compared to the ones that lived in Equescidar.

"Well, since you are here, I have a request for Maximilian. I'd like for him to fetch some things for me," said Malicia as she drew out a small note and handed it to Kenra. The soldier did a quick skim. A brow raised.

"What's this for?" asked Kenra.

"I have no patience for your constant questioning today, Kenra. Just do as I say," said Malicia, her tone stern.

"U-Understood. I'll slip it to him as soon as I see him. I uh... I think he's messing with those Purists again," said Kenra, as she briskly left the dining room. It seemed that this ol' tyrant was in a pissy mood today.

"Sigyn," called Malicia, causing the nymphomaniac elf to jump with a start.

"How may I serve?" asked Sigyn.

"Your institution is capable of creating Demi-Titans, correct?" asked Malicia.

"Y-Yes. Were you interested in commissioning one? Something different compared to the Skull Walkers?" asked Sigyn. Malicia nodded.

"Something that will back our guest into the corner. I intend to win our wager and frankly, I've lost my patience with him," said Malicia, sipping from her chalice.

"If that's the case, then why not allow me to punish him? I'll whip him into shape." Sigyn giggled, her face reddening as her lips curled, giving the elf a lewd expression.

"Can you grant my commission in a short amount of time or not?" asked Malicia, narrowing her eyes. Sigyn quickly regained her composure.

"We'd have to review the target and look through our templates, but I think we can find something that can fulfill your wish. I'll run it by Onyx. In the meantime, you just think about who you'd want to be the subject," said Sigyn, before leaving. Malicia sighed as she drank.

"Time to ween the child off the teat as well," said Malicia, standing up from the table.




Junior found himself led through the dark halls of the Gladiators' dungeon. A hard expression was on his face as two guards flanked him, while Malicia led him on ahead.

"How nice of you to personally see me off," said Junior sarcastically. Malicia kept a stoic look.

"You can't say that you haven't brought this on yourself. Your disrespect has become intolerable," said Malicia.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to stick my dick in crazy," said Junior. He felt himself shoved from the back by one of the guards, causing him to stumble.

"Hmph. And here I thought I was doing you a kindness by being the only woman willing to lie with you," said Malicia smugly. Junior narrowed his eyes.

"I'll take a lifetime of virginity over having to catch whatever you have," said Junior. Malicia chuckled.

"Oh. How I'm going to enjoy our relationship going forward," said Malicia.

"I think I threw up in my mouth a little," said Junior. He found himself led to a dungeon door, which was unlocked and opened. Malicia stepped aside and allowed the boy to enter, where he found some familiar faces. Among them being Kiri, Krush, Birdman and Callous. The door was slammed closed, as Malicia smirked at the boy. Junior had rarely felt the urge to hit a woman, but seeing that expression boiled his blood.

"Remember, there will be consequences if you try to leave~," Malicia sang before leaving. Junior peered through the grate on the door.

"Yeah, you just wait till I walk out of here with this curse lifted! I'm gonna love wiping that smug look off your face, ya harlot!" Junior shouted. He sighed in frustration as he turned away from the door.

"Having a fight with your girlfriend?" asked Kiri coyly.

"Very funny. But let's just say that, I was wrong. I was an idiot. And you guys were right," said Junior as he sat against a wall, letting out a heavy sigh. Kiri knelt right next to him.

"Whatever made you think that you could trust her to begin with?" asked Kiri.

"You wouldn't understand," said Junior, his eyes downcast. Kiri frowned at this. She could sometimes see sadness in the boy's eyes, but he seemed too prideful to confide in anybody.

"Well, look at the bright side. You'll be hanging around with us more often. At least until you win that wager, eh?" chuckled Krush. Junior lightly smiled.

"Thanks for the confidence."

The dungeon door suddenly opened. A team of guards stood outside, hardened expressions on their faces.

"Get moving, gladiators," barked the head of this team of guards.


Twilight was sitting against the wall, her eyes reading through a large tome. She muttered to herself as she turned the page, continuing her read. Her friends stood or sat around in silence.

"So, this will work?" asked Mosura.

"Can't say for sure. But if there's a way to lift a curse, then it's got to be documented," said Sunset.

"Well, I just hope the book that Twi bought from that geezer in Elsinore is worth every penny," said Rainbow in dismay.

"Wait, I think I might have found something!" said Twilight, perking up. The teens all crowded over her, their eyes gluing to the pages of the book.

"It looks like that certain curses have to a meet a criterion in order to be broken. You said that he had a mark like this, right?" asked Twilight, pointing to a page. It depicted a diagram of a figure sketched out, with a mark over the side of the face. It was too familiar to Sunset and Fluttershy.

"Yeah, that was it," answered Fluttershy.

"According to this, that particular curse revolves around 'The Heart'," said Twilight.

"Oh no! Don't tell me we have to do open heart surgery or something!" exclaimed Sonata in alarm. Aria sighed.

"No, idiot!" said Aria. She then looked to Twilight with uncertainty. "It doesn't, right? It's just some kind of metaphor or something?"

"It says here that the curse is fueled by turmoil within the host's heart. If that turmoil can be remedied, then the curse will be lifted," said Twilight. Rainbow scratched her head.

"So... We just have to make him feel better or something and we can leave?" asked Rainbow.

"That's a grossly simple way to put it, but I suppose," said Twilight.

"Alrighty! All love interests step forward! We're getting our friend back!" said Pinkie. Everyone looked at her oddly.

"Lo- Huh?" Twilight cocked a brow.

"Pinkie, I don't think giving him a girlfriend is what he needs," said Angirasu flatly.

"Eh sometimes it might be," said Rodan to himself.

"Angirasu's right. I don't think this is something we can solve easily," said Sunset, deeply frowning.

A curse that was tied to the heart. There were a lot of implications on what it could be tied to. But, Sunset had it narrowed down. From all of the times that she used her Empathic Touch, she was able to get a sense of Junior's heart. She felt everything that he felt. And for whatever reason, she was having these strange passes of the same kind of feelings she felt from him, even without making contacting. Her power was either evolving or she was just becoming an emotional wreck. She sincerely hoped that it was the later, rather than the former. Because if it wasn't, then Sunset feared that it may be a lot harder to lift the curse then she and her friends realized.

"Listen, we have a way to break the curse, right? If we do that, then we're free to just waltz out of here?" asked Rainbow. Twilight closed the book with the clearing of her throat.

"W-Well, you can say that-"

"Then let's tell the adults! We can make a plan to get in and get out! Piece of cake!" said Rainbow. Her tone of confidence, while usually seeming misplaced, stirred up resolve for the rest of the teens. They now knew what to do. Whatever it took, they were going to get their friend away from those games and escape from this place. Twilight met the rainbow haired girl with a determined smile.


The sound of boots stepping echoed throughout the cold dark halls of the bowels of Malicia's Citadel. Kenra's eyes were forward, as she navigated through the stone halls, making her way down to a heavy door. She heard muffled cries from behind the door, briefly prompting a chill in the woman's spine.

"Oh boy," said Kenra, before exhaling sharply. She began to knock on the door, which echoed off the walls in the hall. In a few moments, the door creaked opened. Maximilian's blood shot eyes peered through the crack of the door. His thin silver hair hung from his head. Kenra was more unnerved by this rather than the usual get up that he was in.

"Yes~?" Maximilian wheezed through his respirator with a manic giggle.

"Malicia needs you to run out and fetch some things," said Kenra, holding out a list to the old man. He reached out with a latex gloved hand and took it. He did a brief read through the list.

"Ah! No need for that! I have all that she needs in here!" said Max, opening up the door wider. He gestured for the soldier to step inside. Kenra reluctantly entered. She began to follow the older man inside. She found a large room to be filled up with tons of primitive medical equipment. On a counter, there were jars filled with human teeth, prompting Kenra to cringe.

"Don't touch my teeth," giggled Max as he made his way to a corner of the room, where a cabinet lied. He hummed to himself as he dug through the items that were stacked inside.

"I like to keep my cabinets stock for my gases. Whether it’s personal or for the job," said Max as he drew out different containers. Kenra made her way over to the other side of the room. She kept a neutral look as she stared at the subjects that were breathing raggedly.

"You've been busy," said Kenra.

"Oh they've been such fun! I even got to practice an old profession of mine!" Max giggled with glee.

Kenra found that the Purists that Malicia had essentially dumped on Maximilian were here. They were strapped down on chairs, with some distance put between them. Dreadnought's prosthetic was gone, leaving a metallic socket. His breathing was ragged, as he began to drool pink saliva onto a paper sheet that was wrapped around his neck. The rest wore similar coverings. Kenra had a knot in her stomach form as she found Adrian to be sitting with her seat reclined back. Her mouth was held open by a pair of prongs. But, every tooth in her mouth was missing. All save for one. The young woman was in tears as she violently shook.

"Looks like you did a number on this one," said Kenra, warily.

"It was her own fault. Stupid bitch bit me when I was just trying to extract one. So, I took all of them," said Maximilian as he made his way over. Adrian's eyes widened in alarm, her breathing grew quick and she began to squirm. She began to make partial guttural sounds, unable to form proper words due to her mouth having been pried upon.

"Just oooooone... more," said Max with a giggle, reaching into the Purist's mouth. Kenra instinctively looked away, as Adrian began to scream in agony. Max grunted as he held the last tooth in a pair of pliers. It glistened in the light, stained with blood. He then placed the last tooth into a small tray, where the rest of the teeth rested as well. Adrian sobbed, as the prongs were removed from her mouth.

"I've missed this," Maximilian giggled as he took the teeth and dumped them into another jar, filled with a clear liquid. He then turned to the Purists.

"I'll be back later to play some more~!" Max laughed manically. He then made his way to a counter, where all of the ingredients he had gathered lied. He hummed to himself as he drew out a bowl and began to grind up the ingredients.

"She must have some big plans for this, huh?" asked Max.

"Well, the kid's involved. I'd say so. Whatever the hell this is for," said Kenra, looking over one of the containers. She then looked behind herself.

"Say uh... Are they able to be in action right now?" asked Kenra.

"Not toothless over there. Maybe wait until her new set grows in," said Maximillian with a giggle.

"Alright, she can stay here," replied Kenra. Though as she said that, she almost felt bad for the young lady. Almost. Kenra wasn't here to make nice with the prisoners. She made her way to the rest of the Purists.

"Listen up, chumps. Today is your lucky day. I received word that a village in Dogomite territory is defecting under a mutant. Malicia has a zero tolerance for traitors and challengers. You have the privilege to step outside and make yourselves useful," said Kenra, speaking as though she were looking down on lowly recruits. Scar merely glared at the woman.

"I'm not doing anything that bitch says," said Scar. Kenra just stood with an indifferent look. She then looked to Dreadnought.

"If there's no cash, then forget it," said Dreadnought, spitting blood to the ground. Kenra sighed.

"Come on. I thought you guys liked killing mutants. If you do this, you might be on your way to getting back into Malicia's graces," said Kenra.

"You mean we can redeem ourselves? As long as we do whatever you want?" Alexandra spoke up. A glimmer of hope in her tired eyes. "We even get to kill a mutie?"

"Eh. Sure. By the way, why do you guys call them that? That shit sounds stupid." Kenra cocked a brow.

"Then I'm in. Just get me the hell out of here!" said Alexandra urgently.

Elsewhere...

Onyx was reading through a parchment. His eyes were narrowed as he skimmed through the sheet. Over and over again, he read. He sighed in exasperation, rubbing his wrinkled brows. Sigyn stood behind him at attention, her head held high.

"This is going to be a tedious commission. There's a scarcity of prisoners of war that would serve useful, and I doubt she'd be willing to lend us her 'champions'." Onyx set the parchment aside.

"I think she's starting to get desperate. Did you know about the wager she made with the boy? Do we even have a template that would meet her commission?" asked Sigyn. Onyx drew out a disc-like object. A holographic image appeared.

"There are a few. But, we should stick with something that's easy to keep tamed," said Onyx. The image displayed a multi-limb creature. Hooked appendages made up the ends of its long fore limbs. It had a sleek hide, that gave it an almost insectoid appearance, with jaws that curved like a beak.

"Fast, nimble, a powerful and painful bite. It even has the ability to project an electromagnetic field in a wide radius," said Onyx.

"What's that gonna help with?" asked Sigyn. Considering the level of technology this world had, she failed to see how something like that would serve as useful.

"It kills the range attacks of Lucky Dragon's class of Transmutants," said Onyx, before shutting off the hologram. Sigyn merely shrugged. Obviously this man knew more about templates than she did. So she decided not to question it.

"Did she absolutely ask that she wanted a commission done before the games today? That isn't a lot of time. Especially on such short notice," said Onyx.

"Well, she didn't say specifically when exactly. But I do think that she wants it done before the next three matches. Otherwise, he'd be free to walk on out of here," said Sigyn.

"I see. Then that gives us a bit more time. We still need a subject," said Onyx as he stood by a wall. He heard the faint cheers from beyond. It seemed that the games were about to begin. Even behind these thick walls in the bowels of the Colosseum, one could make out the cries of the audience. Sigyn sighed.

"I still don't understand why she's going in such a roundabout way over this. I mean she can easily just-"

"Even tyrants have to operate within the rules of the world. Operating in chaos will be one's downfall," said Onyx as he began to walk down the hall, with Sigyn following behind.

"Speaking of rules, how is Kenra?" asked Onyx.

"Still bitchy. But, she's adjusted somewhat," answered Sigyn. Onyx hummed.

"Then I'll continue to leave her to you. Be sure she's relatively behaved, where it doesn't endanger our relationship with Malicia," said Onyx.

"Understood, sir."

Onyx abruptly stopped in his tracks. He raised his hand to Sigyn, signaling for her to hold her position. The older man crept towards the wall and began to step towards a corner. He peered over, finding a glimpse of unfamiliar figures.

"OK, so we just need to split off from here and handle our roles," said Aiko, appearing in Onyx's line of sight. His eyes widened, having recognized the woman's face.

"Yeah, so you just set off the bombs and we snatch him during the chaos. Sounds easy enough," said Rainbow. Onyx narrowed his eyes.

"Good. When he's done, we'll set the plan in motion," said Aiko. Onyx turned to Sigyn, sharing a villainous smile.



Junior panted as he was stared down by a great beast. A giganotosaurus, a theropod that's slightly larger than the tyrannosaurus, stared him down. It had much larger and longer jaws that were filled with long razor sharp teeth. The beast roared as it stood over the ravaged corpses of other gladiators. Very few remained alive.

At the other side of the arena, a second large carnivore stood, facing off against the remaining gladiators. Among them being Kiri, Krush, Birdman and Callous. The carnivore in question was none other than a Spinosaurus. It was coated in dark green scales, with speckles of lighter green on its large body. It stood close to the ground, with its arms reaching the ground to support its size. It shrieked, spraying saliva from its long snout, filled with many sharp teeth.

"Lucky for us, this thing spends most of its time in water! It's not designed to commonly reside on land!" said Kiri, as the Spinosaurus stumbled after Birdman. Krush ran after the beast, swinging his mace at the back of its leg. The dinosaur shrieked before stopping to turn. Birdman dove down from behind, slashing his talon blades at the back of the neck.

Kiri turned her attention from the beast and to Junior, who was facing off with the giganotosaurus. Just as she turned, Junior was swept up into the jaws of the creature, much to her shock. Junior cried out in pain as he forced the jaws open, but had the teeth dig into his flesh. Kiri ran to the beast, sheathing her sword. She latched onto the tail and quickly began to scale up along it. She climbed onto its back, drawing her sword back out, then plunged it into the creature.

The giganotosaurus wailed in pain, dropping Junior out of its jaws. Junior fell the ground, his wounds bleeding into the sand. He groaned as he struggled to stand, but heard the approaching feet of Callous. The older man held out a hand. Junior took it and was pulled up to his feet.

"You would not believe the smell of that thing's mouth," said Junior, before running off to rejoin the fight. Callous was about to step forward but stopped. He noticed that in the dark patch of sand, where the boy's blood had soaked, something was beginning to emerge. He hadn't had time to study it, since he heard the roars of the beasts that they were fighting.

Kiri yelped as she held onto the handle of her sword, as the blade was embedded into the back of the giganotosaurus. It began to thrash around in a vain attempt to knock her off. Junior was charging for the beast, but was met with the swing of its tail. He was knocked back several feet. The giganotosaurus was still thrashing about, in agony.

"Birdman! Lead that thing over to this one!" cried Junior, pointing to the giganotosaurus. Birdman squawked before turning his path of flight. He soared towards the giganotosaurus, with the Spinosaurus still chasing him.

The giganotosaurus continued its thrashing. Once again, its tail swung and unintentionally struck one that was unfortunate to be too close. In this case, the Spinosaurus. Birdman narrowly avoided the tail and soared over head. The Spinosaurus snarled in anger at the contact, lunging for the tail. As it clamped down its jaws, the giganotosaurus shrieked.

Kiri quickly drew her sword out of the gigantosaurus's back. She leapt off, just as birdman swooped in and carried her away from the two large reptiles. The two dinosaurs began to fight, their attention now on each other. The audience cheered wildly.

"Flawless!" Said Junior, as Kiri was dropped next to him.

The Spinosaurus found its neck trapped in the jaws of the giganotosaurus. The teeth pierced its flesh, resulting in a loud pop. The creature collapsed, having died. The giganotosaurus snarled, its maw coated in the dark blood of its kill.

"Just one to go!" said Kiri. She and Junior charged after the remaining carnivore, which had its attention to them. It snarled as it lunged forward. Both Kiri and Junior side stepped away from the beast, its head close to the ground. Kiri then retaliated by slashing her sword at its neck.


Meanwhile...

The rescue team's operation was under way. While Aiko, and half the group split off to plant explosives for a diversion, the other half are to be close to extract Junior during the panic and chaos it will stir. Angirasu led the group. All the while, Rainbow Dash, Miwa, Fluttershy, Twilight, Mosura, and Sunset followed close behind.

By now, the group had made their way behind the arena, near the animal pens. There were multiple tunnels that led outside. These must have been where the creatures were set loose through. Angirasu motioned for the group to stop, as he peered over a corner. A pair of guards stood near one of the cages, where a pack of raptors lied. A guard tossed a small piece of raw meat into the cage, prompting the dinosaurs to fight over the morsel. Their shrieks echoed into the halls.

"Heh. Dumb beasts. This is the only way to enjoy this assignment," said a guard.

"So why do we feed them so little?" asked the second guard

"Why waste food on animals that are supposed to be killed off? Besides, starving them makes them more aggressive. More carnage, and more show," said the first guard as he drew out a staff, which bore a green spark. He jabbed the staff into the cage, where wolves were held. The creatures yipped in pain and with a start. They scrambled to the far back of the cell, huddled together.

"Heh. You'll get a kick at seeing beasts like this cower. It's cathartic that in spite of us being smaller and lacking any claws and fangs, we can strike fear into these monsters," said the guard. The two men began to make their way to the exit.

Angirasu stepped out of hiding, followed by the rest of his group. Here, they found themselves in the massive room, where many cages and pens lied. There were dinosaurs, mammals, large insects that filled the cells. Upon closer inspection, some of these creatures bore burns and lashes of what looked to be from whipping.

"How can anyone treat living things so horribly?" asked Fluttershy, deeply frowning.

"Yeah, it's pretty sad," said Mosura. She of all people knew that a lot of the beasts here would not think twice about gobbling her up, but this was no way to treat them. It was bad enough that the animals were being forced to fight in the games. It was even worse now that they were being abused and starved. The longer they stayed in Dogomoto, the more depravity they saw. And they knew that this was the tip of the ice berg.

"Alright. Let's wait in one of the tunnels. Hopefully we'll get a good look at him," said Angirasu, making his way down one of the tunnels. The rest followed, save for Fluttershy. She took notice of a massive iron cage, where a full grown tyrannosaurus lied inside. It lied like a chicken resting, but its legs and neck were bounded by heavy iron. The creature groaned, resting its head on the cold stone ground. The girl deeply frowned. With a creature this large, it was bound to be starving.

Fluttershy noticed a small trail of red spots on the ground. She followed the spots, finding them to be leading to a door. She carefully made her way over to the door and opened it. The creak of the door on the hinges caused her to cringe. She hoped that the guards that were here moments before are out of ear shot.

Inside of the room, Fluttershy found a closet full of hooks that held onto large carcasses of livestock. The girl stepped inside, finding a table where a butcher knife lied, along with freshly cut meats. The girl grabbed a couple of the largest pieces that she could and carried them out of the room. She soon stopped at the cage, where the rex was held. Fluttershy dumped the meat into a large tray. She then pushed it forward, sliding the tray into the cage, drawing the theropod's attention.

"Here you go," said Fluttershy sweetly. The rex raised its head and brought its muzzle into the tray, eating the contents inside.


Meanwhile, just on the opposite end of the arena, the second group of the rescue team was in the process of venturing through the dungeon halls. Among them were Aiko, Senior, Inoue, Koizumi, Battra, the Dazzlings, Applejack, Rodan and Rarity. Meanwhile, the rest of the MONARCH soldiers, Posey and Guardians were back at the crypt, keeping their exit out of this city secured.

"This chamber right here will do," said Aiko, pointing to a section of their location. Koizumi, Inoue and Battra began to rush to the walls and pillars, drawing out packs that contained C4 explosives.

"Make it quick. Sounds like the game is about wrapped up," said Aiko. She noticed Senior to be standing about, anxiously.

"You holding up?"

"No. My wife is on her own. I should've gone with her," said Senior, berating himself.

"She'll be fine. Besides, she's got the 'Teen Titans' on her side," said Aiko in reassurance. Rodan chuckled in amusement, while Senior cocked a brow.

"I don't think I understand that reference."

Inoue was making her way down to a corner in the chamber. After securing an explosive to the surface, she took notice of something in the corner of her eye. She gasped in shock, finding a familiar man to be standing far down a hall, his cold eyes locking with hers. She trembled, believing that she was staring at a ghost. Inoue quickly rubbed her eyes, finding the man to be gone.

"H-Hey, Sarge. I think I just saw Onyx. He was watching us from the next corridor," said Inoue, her voice shaken. Koizumi didn't pay her mind, as he planted an explosive.

"The man's dead. It's just a stress induced hallucination, kid. I've had a couple of them myself when I was around your age," said Koizumi dismissively.

"But-" Inoue grimaced as she looked back down the corridor, biting her lip. What she saw seemed so real. But, that was impossible. She herself knew that Onyx had passed away. She decided to ignore it. She was nervous after all for this operation. No need for distractions.

Unbeknownst to the group, Onyx was indeed residing behind a corner, at the far end of the corridor. He held up a wristwatch-like device close to himself and began to whisper.

"Alright, let's had for the gladiator entrance. We can get a good look for him from there," said Aiko, as the remaining explosives were planted.

The crowd cheered, as Kiri rode on the back of the giganotosaurus, her blade pierced into its back. The creature thrashed and squirmed in a vain attempt to shake her off. Meanwhile, Junior came rushing to the back ankle of the beast, swinging his shield at the joint. The blunt force resulted in breaking the joint that held the tarsus. The dinosaur shrieked as it stumbled, attempting to reduce weight on its broken limb. Junior then swung his sword at the other leg, slashing through muscle and cartilage that held the undamaged tarsus joint. The beast shrieked as it collapsed, unable to support itself on its severely damaged joints. Kiri stood up, pulling out her sword. She then lunged for the back of the head, while Junior sent his sword into the creature's eye. The dinosaur went limp, as both blades penetrated through its skull.

The audience cheered. Junior held out his hand to Kiri. The girl took it, allowing herself to climb down from the head of the now dead beast. The two shared a smile to each other.

"We keep this up, I can get out of here in no time," said Junior, as the two began to walk away, along with the rest of the remaining gladiators.

"Yeah. It won't be the same facing death without you around," said Kiri, a sad smile on her face. Junior frowned. He hadn't thought about the ones that he'd be leaving behind. After all, Kiri, Krush and Birdman were prisoners that were to fight in these games until death. He'd have to abandon his newly made friends if he were to beat Malicia at the wager.

"Kiri... I-"

"Save it. You have an opportunity to regain your freedom. Don't squander that for us," said Kiri, a reassuring smile on her face. But, Junior saw through this. He knew that it hurt her to say that. This place was not where someone wanted to be damned too. He wanted to at least see them go free before himself. The bonds he was forging with them meant something. It wasn't the same that he felt with his friends from back home. This might have been what the military referred to as 'Brothers in Arms'. Or 'sister', in Kiri's case.

Junior took notice of Callous to be kneeling over on the sand, just away from the general battle. Junior hadn't realized that he was there. Had he been avoiding the battle this whole time?

As Junior was about to make his way to one of the tunnels, the crowd suddenly went quiet. It was odd, considering that they would normally continue cheering until he was out of sight.

"Congratulations on your battles!" Malicia's voice called out. Junior turned, his expression souring. He found the Empress to be standing in her skybox, smiling down upon the gladiators, though the smile seemed rather condescending.

"But, I think that the people deserve to see our new champion participate in one more battle. An encore if you will. What say you, Lur?" asked Malicia. The audience erupted into cheers. Junior furrowed his brows at this. He had a sudden bad feeling in his gut.

"The people want it," said Malicia, a smirk on her face. She then pointed to the gates.

"The rest of you may leave," said Malicia. Krush, Birdman and Kiri looked to Junior in reluctance. The boy merely nodded to them. They began to walk off. Callous lagged behind, his shield tucked closely to himself.

"Everyone but the girl," said Malicia. Kiri stopped in her tracks, turning to find Malicia holding an innocent smile on her face. Kiri made her way next to Junior, glancing at him. Junior gulped, feeling his anxiety shoot up. Malicia had that familiar cold and predatory look in her eyes. As Krush, Birdman and Callous left the arena, Malicia held a hand out.

"Now for the main event. Two promising fighters in the arena. Gojira, a demi-Titan, versus Kiri of the Battle-Borns," said Malicia. Junior felt his stomach drop while the crowd cheered. Kiri hardened her expression.

"Why do we need to do this?! Haven't we entertained you enough?!" demanded Kiri.

"The dragons were merely a warm up. The people want to see more. The real entertainment is a battle between you. To the death," said Malicia, a dark smile on her face. Junior merely threw down his shield and sword, glaring at the woman.

"Never," said Junior. The audience gasped. Malicia's brows furrowed.

"I don't care if it pisses you people off. You can put me against a hundred gladiators. Pit me against the biggest, meanest, and nastiest monsters that this world has to offer. But I will never raise a sword against a friend," said Junior. Kiri dropped her weapon as well.

"Nor will I," said Kiri. The bloodthirsty crowd began to boo the two defiant gladiators. From the skybox, Kenra narrowed his eyes. Malicia merely gave a throaty chuckle of amusement.

"I knew you'd defy me. It's a good thing that I've prepared for such a rebellion," said Malicia.

Unbeknownst to Junior and Kiri, Maximilian stepped up to the now gated tunnel, where the remaining gladiators had emerged from. He gave manic giggles as he drew out two metallic balls, with fuses lit on the tops. He tossed the bombs through the gate, towards the unsuspecting pair. The bombs burst into large clouds of yellowish green smoke, which was quickly inhaled by Junior and Kiri. The two coughed profusely, their lungs burning and their senses failing.

"What was that?!" exclaimed Rainbow, peering from one tunnel at the end of the arena. From the tunnel on the opposite end, Aiko's eyes widened in shock and alarm. Memories flashed back to her of familiar clouds of gas.

Back in the arena, Junior rasped as his eyes became blood shot. His sclera turned a tinge of yellow, giving his eyes a reptilian appearance. A snarl escaped him. All sense of rational thinking left him. All he felt was aggression. His senses were assaulted, and the world around him spun. He began to salivate profusely at the mouth, his breathing quickening.

"Gojira! Gojira!" Kiri's voice cried out to him. The voice was infuriating. It was too loud. Junior's head throbbed, unable to focus his thoughts.

Kiri coughed as she attempted to wave the smoke away. She found Junior hunched to the ground, clutching his head, sweating profusely. She called out his name, which seemed to only cause him more distress. As Kiri stepped closer to him, Junior suddenly snarled at her, an inhuman look in his eyes. Kiri recoiled, her eyes widening. Junior growled as he remained close to the ground.

"Go-Gojira?" Kiri meekly called. Junior yelled as he lunged for the girl. Kiri stepped away, as the boy came slashing his claws at her.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Pinkie cried from the tunnel, attempting to see the arena.

"It looks like he has one more fight," said Sunset.

"Heh. He'll easily take that chick down," said Rainbow with a smirk. Fluttershy grimaced as she watched. From what she can see, Junior seemed to be fighting in a manner that wasn't normal for him. He seemed to be acting berserk. Something was very wrong.

Kiri cried out as she was flung through the air, rolling in the sand. She gasped as Junior came charging towards her, bloodlust in his eyes. She rolled out of his path, while grabbing the shield that he had discarded. Kiri shot to her feet, as the boy stalked towards her.

"Gojira, stop this! You aren't-"

Junior suddenly sent his fist towards the shield. The impact caused a fist shaped indent that bulged out to the other side. Kiri yelped as she was sent several feet back, rolling along the ground. She cried out in pain as she attempted to move her arm. The strike was enough to damage her shoulder and arm. She was unable to raise it. Kiri panted as she attempted to stand, but found her leg grabbed by the mutant. Kiri whimpered as she dragged closer to him. She stared at his reptilian eyes fearfully.

"Gojira, please. You have to stop this. For your sake," said Kiri. In her heart, she knew that no good was to come with making a wager with Malicia. Because now that it seemed like that she was losing, she resulted to underhanded schemes. Not only was she taking the boy's sense away, she was making the two of them fight. Kiri would be lying if she said that she didn't fear death. But now, she had someone to fear FOR.

Junior planted his foot on Kiri's gut, keeping a tight hold on her leg. He snarled, with no humanity left in his eyes. With a yank, Kiri let out a shrill and agonized scream.

"OH MY GOD!" Mosura cried out in horror. Twilight suddenly dropped to her hands and knees, vomit spewing from her mouth and to the ground.

"JESUS H. FUCKING CHRIST!" cried Rainbow Dash.

The crowd cheered as Junior dropped a dismembered leg to the ground. Kiri continued to scream in agony, her senses began to fade from the shock. She teared up, as she found her friend growling at her. She weakly shook her head. Junior knelt down and reached for her neck with his clawed hands. She began to scream, which were quickly silenced. All that came from her was a guttural sound. She felt warmth on her chest. Her inability to scream and the warm feeling that began to spread over her now cold body told her to give in now. There was no reason to struggle. In spite of her desire, her body told her to let go. One final tear shed from the corner of her eye, as she stared at Junior's face. Before the light faded of her sight, Kiri caught a glimpse of the boy's expression softening.

The crowd continued to cheer as the renowned gladiator Gojira Takeshi Jr. stood over his slain opponent. Her blood staining his clothes and the sand around them. Junior blinked, his pain beginning to cease and as his senses returned, so did his rationality. The boy was greeted by the sight of a familiar, beautiful girl. But, the sight of her made him sick. It mortified him. At his feet, she lied on the ground staring at him. Her eyes having lost their light. A look of pain, fear, and despair was frozen on her face. Junior shakily stared at his hands, finding them drenched in a fresh coat of blood. The crowd continued to cheer, but Junior felt himself having gone numb to the world around him. The face Kiri was etched into his mind, haunting him. A face that experienced betrayal in her last moments.

Miwa stared from the tunnel, her expression in horror. The things she saw played over and over in her head. She was unable to keep her balance, as the world around her spun. The shock and frantic cries of the teens with her fell on deaf ears. It was all just noise to her in this moment. She barely was able to register the swarm of guards that broke into the room, surrounding them.

Meanwhile, just in the tunnel on the opposite end, everyone else stared in shock as well. Senior felt his stomach sink, as he watched as his child was coated in the blood of the girl he had slaughtered without mercy.

Aiko turned as she noticed a figure to be rounding a bout from a corner from another corridor. Her eyes widened, just as he casually walked by. He stopped, turning to find her. His face may have been obscured by the mask, but his eyes seemed to light up. The light only grew when he took notice of Adagio Dazzle as well.

"It's him!" cried Adagio in dread. Aiko's shock suddenly turned to rage.

"I've been wondering where you were hiding," said Aiko, venom in her tone. Everyone turned their attention to Aiko, who stared down the heavily clothed man. He merely gave manic laughs, his eye twitching. Aiko stood still like a statue, Adagio notice that her hands were clenched into a fist and shaking.

"Aiko?" Adagio said with concern.

Aiko gave an enraged cry as she charged for the old man. But, she was suddenly tripped, as a magic tendril whip wrapped around her leg. She slammed to the ground with a grunt, turning to find Sigyn smirking as she held a glowing tendril in her grasp.

Senior and the soldiers drew their weapons, while the teens got into a fighting stance. Sigyn wagged her finger in mock disapproval.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" said Sigyn, as a squad of soldiers dressed in dark uniform appeared from behind. All were armed with rifles that matched the weapons that the Zetas used. Senior turned to find more soldiers appearing behind Max, their weapons drawn as well. The Rescue Team were outnumbered.

"Weapons down'!" ordered Sigyn, holding out a pistol. Senior growled as he and the soldiers dropped their weapons to the ground. Sigyn giggled.

"How delicious."

Later that Day...

Malicia giggled in delight as she began to walk down from her throne. She found Junior to be standing before her, his eyes staring at the ground. The utter look of shock was a wonderful sight for the Empress. Just hours ago, he boasted confidence in winning the bet. Now, his mouth was sealed shut. He showed no signs of rage or despair. He just stood in silence. Even without expression, Malicia took pleasure in this sight.

"Oh, if only you could see your own face. What was it you said? You were going to wipe the smug look off of myself when you walked out of here? My smugness is still here, and as are you," said Malicia, taunting the boy. Junior said nothing, standing with his wrists bounded in magic shackles. Malicia giggled.

"You remember the wager. I won, and now you have to remain here and serve me," said Malicia, caressing the boy's cheek. Junior didn't respond. Malicia frowned. Her victory was beginning to lose its sweetness, the longer the boy didn't respond. She stepped away with a sigh.

"I thought it was strange that you were suddenly looking for ways to get out of our wager just a day after. Now I know why," said Malicia, glancing to the side. She found that the apprehended Rescue Team members were on their knees, bounded in enchanted shackles. She made her way over to them, met with glares.

"You were fools to believe that you can rescue him. Even if you got him out of the Colosseum, you would have no way to break the curse he was bounded by. But, it amuses me nonetheless," said Malicia. She turned to Miwa and Senior, her expression growing cold. Just looking at the two, she could see the resemblance the boy had with them. It was something to see it in person, rather than with just her power of insight. Just looking at them made her sick to her stomach.

"Hmph. Parents. They always seem to fail the child. You, the father, who abandoned his family. And you, the mother, who coddled him and sent him to a school with those that would never accept his kind," said Malicia. Miwa gritted her teeth and glared at the empress.

"You don't know-"

"I know everything he knows!" said Malicia, glaring at the woman. She began to move along the captives. She focused on the soldiers.

"Ah yes. I've heard much about you. You who enforce the oppression of the 'Transmutants' as you call them. No matter how much blood I spill, I will never be as bad as you," said Malicia with a dark smile. Koizumi furrowed his brows, Inoue's eyes were downcast, and Battra kept a stoic look. Malicia then made her way to the teenagers. A smirk was plastered on her face.

"Ah yes. You must be the so called 'friends' of his. My, my. I've especially learned things about you," said Malicia. She turned her eyes to the Main 6.

"When he needed you most, you denied him. You believed that he committed crimes, and never thought to stand by him until the truth revealed itself," said Malicia. The Main 6, excluding Fluttershy, bore looks of shame and regret. Malicia turned to Sunset and Adagio.

"You broke his tender heart. And you betrayed his trust," said Malicia. Sunset and Adagio looked away. She then looked to Angirasu with a scoff.

"You can't even be bothered to show the same kind of loyalty that he's shown you," said Malicia. Angirasu furrowed his brows. Malicia took a step back, looking to the captives with disdain.

"All of you are guilty of sin against him. Those of you looking to redeem yourselves, abandon that hope. Now, he belongs to me," said Malicia. She then waved to one of the guards.

"Take them away to the dungeon. They'll have to be well rested for tomorrow's torture," said Malicia with a cackle. As the guards began to usher up the captives, Fluttershy began to tremble.

"You..." Fluttershy muttered. Malicia turned to her.

"I'm sorry? Speak up," said Malicia. Fluttershy turned to glare at the empress.

"You cheated the bargain. Gojira wouldn't have killed that girl if you hadn't played an underhanded trick as that," said Fluttershy. Malicia merely smirked.

"So what? I don't like to lose," said Malicia, shrugging.

The Rescue Team was escorted through the endless halls of the dungeon in the bowels of the Citadel. They were soon led to their cell. The teens and adults were separated from each other. Rarity yelped with a start, finding a crocodile-like man to be sitting against the wall.

"What's up?" greeted Krush, casually.

"Hey, you're a crocodile man!" said Sunset, stepping to the cell bars.

"Yep. Name's Krush. This is Birdman," said Krush, pointing to the avian next him. Birdman squawked, though it was rather small and solemn. Callous sat in the corner alone, while a few other gladiators sat around.

"They locked us up with the gladiators," said Twilight in dread.

"Relax. This dungeon is for people on Malicia's personal shit list. And for special gladiators that are 'on a holiday'. You don't have to worry too much. Now if ya don't mind, we're in the middle of mourning," said Krush as he set down a belt buckle, which bore a shield-like engraving on it. He sighed heavily.

"It doesn't seem right. He never would've done that," said Krush to himself. The teens all sat around, looks of disbelief and sadness on their faces.

"He wouldn't..." said Fluttershy, staring at the ground.

"I can't believe we came all of this way to just lose him," said Adagio, her lip quivering.

"And we got captured ourselves," said Rainbow, a heavy sigh escaping her.

"I can't even use my magic. These shackles must be nullifying my powers," said Twilight.

"Mine too," said Applejack, straining to break free. Pinkie scooped up some dirt and tossed it. She deeply frowned.

"Me three..."

"We aren't done yet, guys," said Koizumi, from the cell across from the girls. They turned their attention to the door, where he was peering from.

"We still have the remote for the Dimension Tide. We can just return to our world, grab more men and weapons, and blow the Dogomites to Hell!" said Koizumi. Miwa perked up.

"Hey, that's right! I forgot how we got here! What were we worried about?" said Miwa in relief.

"Good thinking, Sergeant. Private, open up a way home. We'll come back and bust the rest out of here and level that bitch's army," said Aiko, a determined smile on her face.

"Click that shit," said Koizumi. Inoue reached to her person. As she searched herself, her excitement began to slowly shift into horror.

"It's gone," said Inoue.

"Heh. That's not funny," said Koizumi with a nervous chuckle. But, his shoulders slumped as he found the grimace on the young woman's face.

"Well, fuck," said Koizumi.

Meanwhile, in the higher levels of the Citadel, Sigyn was strolling down the hall. She sauntered passed guards, catching their eye. She smiled to herself, making her way into a room. She found Onyx to be standing inside, with Megaguirus leaning against the wall.

"Found this on them. I recognized it as something you were working on," said Sigyn, reaching into her cleavage. She drew out the remote to the Dimensional Tide and handed it off to Onyx.

"Very impressive. This can open a way back to their world," said Onyx, as he handed it off to Megaguirus. The woman grimaced.

"What?"

"You mind wiping that? It's kind of awkward touching that after it's been..." Megaguirus was interrupted as Onyx sent her a deadpanned look. Megaguirus sighed as she took the remote.

"Contact Destoroyah when you return. The time has come. Execute order: Bellus," said Onyx.


Meanwhile, in Equestria...

Xenjira found himself walking down a hall in silence. He stood, with only a pair of jeans. He had neglected to wear a shirt these days, considering the crystalline structures that protruded from his flesh. He found the stares of other men, who were fully clothed, some carrying weapons in their grasp. As of late, Xenjira has become the subject of gawking for those here.

Despite being among other Transmutants, Xenjira still managed to be the odd one out. But, that didn't matter. He was only here because someone offered him something. And now, he wanted to see him as of this moment. Xenjira made his way to a room, where he found Destoroyah to be standing with two other men. They were discussing something he couldn't discern. Because he was focused on the fact that one of these two men was sporting a Purist emblem on his jacket.

"What the hell is this?!" demanded Xenjira. This drew the men's attention.

"Ah. You're just in time. Please, come over here," said Destoroyah.

"No way! Tell me what these Purist bastards are doing here among the Revolutionaries?!" yelled Xenjira.

"I'm Natas. And this is Lucien. We're actually not working with the Purists anymore," said the man in the jacket, casually. Xenjira cocked a brow, a puzzled look on his face. Destoroyah chuckled.

"Come. We're setting up a plan to take over a MONARCH base. They even have a nifty name for it. Operation: Bellus," said Destoroyah.