The Arrogance of Man

by Johng117

Chapter 13: Battra's Fall

The sun was setting. The sky was orange and growing darker. On the ground, an abandoned village laid in ruins. The bodies of dead men and women dressed in MONARCH's military apparel lied on the ground. Rifles were scattered all along the road and mechanical figures lied on the ground, their bodies sparked with electricity. The air was filled with smoke that tainted the air with its toxins. Among the destruction, a soldier was crawling on the ground. His face was covered in scars and his Valkyrie wings were missing, bloody stumps were present upon his back. His breathing was labored as he tried to escape death's clutches.
The soldier couldn’t believe that a mission to stop a Transmutant attack ended up in a massacre. Some of the Transmutants effortlessly killed his team without transforming despite the fact that they were outnumbered and outgunned. He suddenly understood why MONARCH invested in the Neighponese for their magic research and robotics. They knew that those things wouldn't go out without a fight.
The man continued to crawl away from the destruction. He hardly made any distance. He couldn't feel his legs, and his blood was draining out of his body from his open wounds. He was suddenly stepped on by a heavy weight. The men cried in agony as what was left of his wings were pressed against his back.
"You call yourself a warrior? You're a disgrace!" spat Destoroyah. The man groaned beneath his stumped foot. Destoroyah grinned as he put more weight on the soldier. A satisfying crack met his ears and the soldier wailed in agony.
"I love to hear the sound of bones cracking. It gives me satisfaction to hear my enemies’ suffering." chuckled Destoroyah. He lifts his foot off of the soldier and picks him up by his neck. The Transmutant raised the soldier to meet his face. His yellow eyes sent fear into the soldier as he stared into them.
"Since you lived this long, I think it’s fitting that you receive an honorable death." said Destoroyah. He then opens his mouth, and out from his throat comes a second, smaller mouth that was attached to a fleshy appendage. Sharp teeth were attached to the mouth and were positioned in a way to puncture a victim. The man cries in terror as the horrific mouth chomped at him, saliva dripping from the sharp teeth. Destoroyah turns the man's head and dives for his exposed neck. The mouth bit into his neck and pierced his flesh. The man began to writhe as Destoroyah began to produce a foreign substance into the Valkyrie's body. He removes his mouth from the Valkyrie's neck, leaving a large punctured wound. Destoroyah drops the soldier to the ground as he chokes and began to foam at his mouth. The foam turned from white to pink and slightly red. The soldier slumped over dead as the foam left flowed out of his mouth. Destoroyah chuckles darkly at the dead human. It was satisfying to see him die without oxygen. He turns to leave corpse alone, making his way through the town.
Today was one of those days that Destoroyah spent reminiscing his memories. Killing humans was one of the only few things that brought pleasure in this world anymore. Of course, it wasn't always like that. Killing for the sake of killing was a rare thing for him in the past. He had once killed for other reasons. As Destoroyah made his way through the town, he stopped. He found his apprentice, Battra wielding a katana. Battra favored that weapon in combat when he wasn't transformed. Battra walked past the fallen humans that littered the streets, wiping the blade with a towel.
"Had fun?" asked Destoroyah. Battra shook his head.
"I don't do this for fun, Sensei. I do it for justice." answered Battra. Destoroyah gives him a knowing nod, then turns to look up at the sky.
"How I yearn to watch MONARCH burn for what they did." said Destoroyah. Battra stood in silence as he watched the sky darken. Battra sighed as he thought far back into the past. His past before the day his life was ruined.

It was a bright and sunny day. The summer breeze shot across the land. The birds chirped along the green grasslands. The sky was clear of clouds, revealing the beautiful blue sky. A temple sat in the woods, with trees shading most of the area from the hot sun. Statues of serpent-like dragons sat on pedestals around the area. A larger statue sat in the center on the temple grounds. This statue had the appearance of a dog combined with a lion. Its ears were floppy, and a mane covered its neck and head. The stoned creature was in a sitting position, with its head lowered down and its eyes wide open and sharp claws on its paws. Its tail lay behind it.
"Tag! You're it!" exclaimed a brunette, nine year old Neighponese girl. She wore a brown kimono, her eyes were bright blue and her brown hair was short. She laughed as she ran away from a boy with jet black hair, red eyes and a dark grey kimono. The boy chased her around temple ground, laughing in excitement. The girl giggles as she outran the boy, hiding behind one of the statues. She panted as she crouched behind the dragon statue. She suddenly felt something touch the back of her neck, causing her to yelp in surprise. She quickly turned to find the boy grinning at her.
"Tagged you back, sis!" said the boy. The girl puffed her cheek out in disappointment.
"Children! Come inside, it’s time to eat!" called a feminine voice. The children smiled as they heard the call of the woman. They both raced each other over to a small house that was next to the temple grounds. They both stopped running as they made it the house, panting. A woman with long, jet black hair and blue eyes is setting a table. A man with brown hair and red eyes sat at the table while reading a newspaper. The children made their way into the room, taking their seats near the man. The boy with Jet black hair looked at the newspaper and saw the heading that read: "Man-made Monster killed. Lucky Dragon is still on the loose". The boy had heard the rumors at school that a monster made by scientists had returned and killed the scientists. The thought that the monster was gone now had put him at ease. However, he learned that there were actually two of them. Now, only one was left.
"Honey, put that paper down! It’s time to eat." scolded the woman. The man immediately places the paper down and titters at the disapproving glare that the woman sent him. The woman then notices that the children were seated at the table.
"Battra. Mosura. Did you two remember to wash up?" asked the woman. The children sighed.
"No." they answered in unison.
"That won't do. Go wash up now." said the woman as she pointed out of the room.
"Yes, mom." said the children as they got out of their seat. The children spent their time in the bathroom, washing their hands thoroughly. After they were finished, they made their way back to the dining room and found that their mother had set the large platter of different foods on the table. The children sat next to their parents, eager to eat. They all clasped their hands together and bowed their eyes and closed their eyes.
"I humbly receive." the family said in unison.

Mosura and Battra lied in their own bed. They wore their pajamas and were tucked in bed. Their parents walked into the bedroom, giving their children smiles.
"Ready for a story?" asked the father. The children nodded eagerly. He sat down on a chair, clearing his throat. He thought of a story to tell them, then he remembered one that he was told when he was a child.
"I will tell you the legend of one of the mightiest creatures to have ever lived.” said the father. His children were eagerly waiting to hear the story.
"Legend says that there was once a time where man was threatened by a terrifying creature! It was an enormous dragon that had golden scales and three heads! It had red eyes that glowed in the darkness, horns that stuck from the back of its head and teeth that were sharp enough to pierce through steel. It lacked arms but had great wings that allowed it to soar in the sky!" said the father. The children listened in awe as they heard the descriptions of this beast.
"The dragon would spread death and destruction across the land, leaving it scorched and desolate." said the father. The mother sat on the bed with her son, running her hand through his hair as he listened to the story.
"The people were helpless against the dragon. All hope seemed to be lost. One day, a group of humans traveled the land to seek help. They traveled through the desolate lands, and the dangerous wilderness where they came across many creatures. They met with dangerous creatures that were feared among the locals. They asked for their help. The creatures would either refuse or would try to eat them. Some creatures even cowered as they heard about the three headed dragon." said the father. Mosura frowned as she heard the story since the people had little hope to survive.
"One day, the group of friends met a Shisa. They begged the Shisa to help them and to vanquish the dragon. The Shisa saw how they were in need of help. So, he told them of a creature powerful enough to defeat the dragon. The humans were given hope. They asked the Shisa for the name of such mighty creature. The Shisa answered, 'The king of all monsters. Gojira.'" said the father. Mosura's face brightened as she heard the name of the creature.
"The Shisa told them that they couldn't possibly reach Gojira, since he was asleep at the bottom of the sea. The friends felt their hopes crushed at hearing that. But, the Shisa said the way to awaken him was to speak to the Guardian of Peace. He said that she would be the one to awaken him and to convince him to fight. So, the humans journeyed further along the land to a small island. There they met the natives of the island. They asked them if they could see the Guardian of Peace. The natives took them to two priestesses. They told them that they would speak to the Guardian of Peace for them. The people were overjoyed at the news and immediately went home to tell them the news." said the father. Mosura adjusted herself in her bed as she continued to listen to the story. Battra listened in as he wondered what sort of creature was Gojira.
"When they returned home, they told their friends and family that the dragon would be defeated. The next day after they had returned home, the two priestesses from the island arrived. They were shocked to see them at their home and asked why they had come. The priestesses apologized and told them that Gojira would not fight the dragon." said the father. The children gasped as they heard that. Mosura felt herself growing sad as the villagers’ last hope was gone.
"The people who traveled to the island were devastated. They asked, 'Why will he not fight for us?' The two priestess answered, 'He doesn't care about what happens to the people. He just wants to be left alone and sleep.' They then told them that the Guardian of Peace was still trying to convince Gojira, but if he doesn't, then she will for she cares for the people. One day, the dragon had arrived at their village and wreaked havoc on everything in sight, making the villagers lose their hope. Suddenly, a great creature descended from the sky, said to look like a moth. The two priestesses told them that Guardian of Peace had arrived to fight." said the father. As he told the epic tale, Mosura frowned because Gojira still refused to help. This made her feel very upset that he didn't care about them and would rather sleep.
"The two giants fought. The Guardian at first seemed to have the edge, but she was beginning to falter. The people felt their hope lost and the two priestesses wept for the guardian as she suffered against the dragon." The children felt themselves growing depressed at the story.
"Then, a loud mighty roar echoed. Out from the ocean near the village, a giant wave splashed onto the land. The people were terrified on the cause of such an event. Suddendly, another dragon came out of the water. It stood upright like a man on two strong legs. It roared at the three-headed dragon in defiance.The two priestesses then cried out, 'Gojira has come to fight!'" Mosura's heart leaped with joy.
"Gojira and the Guardian of Peace joined together and fought the three headed dragon. After a long battle, they defeated it. Gojira gave a mighty roar of victory, in declaration as king. After the battle, Gojira returned back to the sea and the priestesses and the Guardian returned to their home on the island. The people rejoiced at the defeat of the dragon and began to celebrate. The friends that traveled were thankful to the Gojira and the Guardian for saving them from the dragon." Mosura and Battra wore smiles as they heard the ending of the story.
"That is the legend of Gojira. The king of the monsters." said the father.
"That was an amazing story, dad." said Mosura. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her on her forehead. He then does the same for Battra.
"I'm glad you two enjoyed it. Get some sleep." said the father. The mother gave her children kisses, wishing them goodnight with the children doing the same.
"Love you!" said the children in unison.
"We love you both, too." said the parents. They then turned off the light and closed the door. The two children laid their heads against their pillows, drifting off to sleep.
The children awoke late at night. Sounds of yelling and screaming were coming outside of their bedroom. They immediately got out of bed and ran out of their room. They found their father fighting a couple of men in dark suits. Their mother was beating a man with a bat. The children grew frightened before they were suddenly grabbed by a masked figure in a red magical aura. They cried out for their parents.Their father struggled as he tried to fight off the men while their mother chased after the man in the mask, raising her bat to strike him. Then, a magical bolt pierced her in her heart, causing her to immediately drop to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she limply reached for her children before she dropped to the ground. The children screamed as they saw their mother die in front of their eyes.
Their father was stabbed by one of the men. He dropped to his knees as the knife was driven in his chest. He stared helplessly as his children wept at the sight of their dead mother. The masked figure that held the children by a magical force was holding a pistol, capable of firing lethal magic bolts. He then points the gun at him. Their father lets one last tear drop as he sat on his knees and the masked figure pulled the trigger, shooting the father in his head. The children continued to scream as they saw their father die. The masked figure places the gun back into his holster and waves his free hand over the faces of the children, forcing them to sleep.
"Candidates acquired. Requesting Evac back to base." said the masked figure as he held a walkie talkie.

Battra sprinted through the empty village, his katana in his grip. He dashed past destroyed buildings and corpses that lied on the streets. He found death everywhere he looked, but he knew that the humans brought it upon themselves by starting the war with the Transmutants. Battra dashed through the area, sliding behind a corner. He heard the sound of chatter among MONARCH soldiers. He readied his katana, preparing to strike.
"I will kill every last one of you." whispered Battra. He then turns away from the corner and sprints toward the soldiers. He decapitates the closest soldier, which causes the other soldiers to turn. They were startled by the Transmutant, yet they raised their rifles at him. Battra slashed the soldiers, cutting them down one at a time. He grabs one of the soldiers and uses him as a shield against the last two who fired their rifles. Battra yells as he tosses him at the soldiers and then dives in for the kill.

Battra sat alone in a steel box cell. His body was covered in stitches and his eyes glared at the ground. He stands and begins to slam his fists against the wall.
"Where is my sister?!" demanded Battra. He continued to slam his small fists against the steel wall. He then felt a jolt of electricity shock his body, causing him cry out as he dropped to ground.
"Stay away from the walls!" shouted a man on the intercom. Battra wept as he lied on the ground.
"Why? Why did you have to kill our parents?" asked Battra. He stood back up and made his way back to his bed, lying down. He wondered how long he was trapped in that cell, as he felt like he had spent years locked in that room. Eventually, he was told his parents were killed to avoid conflict, as making the parents test subjects along with the children was dangerous. The man who told him that information said so indifferently that Battra felt hatred towards the man.
Battra rose from his bed, hearing a sliding noise. He turned and saw a pair of grey eyes staring at him.
"I brought you some dinner" said a feminine voice. A tray filled with a sandwich, mashed potatoes, peas and a plastic cup of water was slid through a slot on the lower half of the steel door. Battra glared at the pair of eyes and turned away on his bed.
"I'm not hungry." spat Battra. The woman frowned as she saw the boy turn away.
"But you have to eat something." said the woman. Battra turned with a hateful glare.
"Go away! I don't want any of your food!"shouted Battra. The woman sighed.
"Is that little brat still refusing to eat?" asked a man behind the door.
"He is."
"Move, I'll force feed him if I have to." said the man.
"No! Are you crazy?! He's just a little boy!" shouted the woman.
"I'll bite you if you come near me!" said Battra. The man inhaled sharply.
"Why you little-"
"Please, go away. He's upset." said the woman.
"Oh boo hoo! We all get upset! This little street rat should be grateful that we picked him and his sister off of the streets." spat the man. Battra laughed.
"Is that what they told you?" muttered Battra. He then heard the footsteps of the man leaving. He still sat on the bed, sighing sadly.
"Your sister will be in the cell next to yours." said the woman. Battra turned as he heard that.
"What?" asked Battra. The woman smiled warmly behind the door.
"Yes. She's recovering out of surgery as we speak. They want to place her near you."
"Why are you people doing this to us?" asked Battra.
"We want to make you and many others into warriors." said the woman.
"Warriors?"
"Yes. You will one day find and destroy the monster that MONARCH called Lucky Dragon." explained the woman.
"One of the monsters that were made by those scientists?" asked Battra curiously.
"That's right."
"You'd send kids to do that?!" demanded Battra.
"Of course not! We actually have a few adults ready. One of them actually killed the other one before." said the woman. Battra sighed in relief.
"What are you going to do with us when Lucky Dragon is gone?" asked Battra.
"The plan is to hopefully keep you all around as soldiers either for Neighpon, Equestria, or the Griffon Kingdom. The higher ups are still deciding on that." explained the woman. Battra sat with his head down.
"Hey, you're at least better off here instead of being without a home in the streets. Poor thing."
'Except I had a home, you idiot.' thought Battra. The woman's eyes left the slot, her footsteps echoing. Battra placed his face in his hands. His stomach began to grumble. He then turns and finds the tray still there. The food just looked too appetizing to resist. Battra walks over to the slot, picking up the tray and sat down on his bed.

Weeks went by and Battra's scars from the surgery were beginning to fade. In fact, they almost seemed to be disappearing. The scientists told him something about quicker healing. Also, the replacement of flesh one cell at a time seems to be making them disappear quicker. Battra felt his body having occasional pains. His body ached and his head was assaulted by terrible headaches. The woman that brought him food informed one of the doctors about his headaches. They looked him over, but couldn't find anything wrong with him. There was something about an abnormal amount of brain activity, but they didn't seem concerned about it. Battra hated that the scientists treated him as a lab rat rather than help him with his headaches. Battra groaned as his head was pounding, but then he began to hear voices. He gasped as he turned to find the source. Voices echoed all around him, idle words as if they were speaking to themselves. Battra clutched his head as the voices continued.
"Stop! Stop talking!" shouted Battra. He rose to his feet and began to slam his fist against the wall. He was met with an electric shock as his hand made contact with the door. He cried in agony as he felt the volts traveling through him.
"How many times do I have to tell? Stop hitting the Goddamn door!" shouted the man over the intercom. Battra stood back up, continuing to slam his fist against the door. He was met with volts of electricity every time that he hit the door. He didn't care about the pain as long as he had something to distract him from the voices. The door suddenly opened with a couple of men in armored suits. They shoved the boy to the ground and began to beat him with batons. Battra cried as he was assaulted by these men.
"Make the voices stop! Make them stop!" cried Battra. From behind the men came two other men in dark uniform.
"What the hell are you doing?!" demanded one of the men. He spoke in a language that Battra didn't understand. Was that...Equish or something? They immediately stopped.
"Disciplining this little brat!" retorted one of the men. He had red hair and was an Earthbound. Battra recognized him as the man that threatened to force feed him.
"Discipline? Kenpachi, you're beating him with batons!" shouted one of the other men.
"Hey, you can't be soft on him just because he's a kid! If you go easy on him, he'll be like the older ones!"
"But some of them are docile and hardly even start trouble. You're just going to make him turn out like the others!" retorted one of the armor-less men.
"What is going on here?!" demanded a voice with authority. They all went stiff. They turned and found an older man.
"Sir! These two were beating one of the test subjects!" said one of the armor-less men.
"They're doing their job to bring order with troublemakers." said the older man.
"Yes, but they are beating one of the children!" exclaimed the man. The older man raised a brow. He made his closer to the cell, finding a sight that shocked him. Battra lied on the ground, clutching his head and his body bruised as he cried. He glared at the two men that stood with the batons.
"You two. Go to my office now!" barked the older man. He led them out of the cell, disappearing through the metal facility. The two men that were left then went over to the boy, attempting to help him up.
"Get off of me!" shouted Battra. He then cried out in pain as the voices in his head began to grow louder.
"Go get a doctor!" said one of the men.

Psychic abilities. Whoopty frickin doo! Battra has gained the ability to hear the thoughts of other people, but he couldn't control it. The voices sometimes came and left, giving him periods of time that gave him relief and annoyance. He was tossing and turning in his bed as he continued to hear the voices echo in his mind. He then shot up, scowling.
"I can't sleep like this!" exclaimed Battra. An idea formed in his head. He sat cross legged on his bed, shuts his eyes and began to inhale through his nose and exhaled out of his mouth. He listened to the thoughts. He heard and felt the emotions that were behind them. He continued to listen, and then tried to focus his thoughts. He heard a familiar voice.
"I'm so scared. I want to see my brother!" cried Mosura's voice. Battra's eyes shot open. He leaned against the wall next to his bed, attempting to listen. His senses were overwhelming and nearly unbearable during the first week. He managed to get them under control, and he noticed that his hearing seemed to be better. He listened, hoping to hear a sound, but the walls were too thick. Battra frowned as he laid back down on his bed, a tear trailing down his cheek. Although Mosura was in a cell that was next to his, he hadn't been able to see her. They never let him out unless it was for a checkup, which came once a week. He was also sometimes abused by some of the guards, particularly Kenpachi, when he would act up in these cells.

Battra sat in white room on a desk. His wrists were shackled and were held by a magical force. His arms were bounded to his desk. He sat next to Mosura, who was in the same situation as he was. He looks to her and gives her a warm smile, which she returns. This was the first time that he was able to see her since they were locked up in this place. They sat with a few other children. A couple of the children were younger than them. A boy with crimson hair and another boy with brown hair sat in seats near Mosura. The rest of the children seemed to be a little older than them. A white board was in front of them. The children sat and were watched by guards outside of the room, peaking through the room. An Earthbound woman stood at the front of the room dressed in a coat and a skirt. She smiled warmly at the children.
"Good morning class."
"Good morning" said the children in unison. Battra remained silent.
"MONARCH has been kind enough to allow you all to continue your education. So, I am your teacher, Ms. Nakada." said the woman. Some of the children groaned in frustration as they heard that.
"School in prison? Jeez!" muttered the crimson haired boy. All of the children wore name tags on their grey t-shirts. His nametag revealed his name, Shou Rodan.
"Mr. Shou, is there something that you would like to share with the class?" asked Nakada. Rodan sighed in response.
"No, ma'am."
"Good! Now class, we will get started on learning Equish!" said Nakada.

"Nakada..." said Battra. He stood among dead soldiers as he stared at a window. Behind the window was an Equish text book. It stood among other school textbooks on a shelf. This was one of the few things that brought memories to him about the time when he was locked in that prison. Receiving an education for math, history, Neighponese and equish at least allowed him to leave his cell during those days. He even got to see his sister and got to interact with the children. A kind of recess was given to the children where they were free to roam a larger room for exercise outside of their cells. Guards would always keep a watchful eye on them. The room wasn't as bad as the one that the adult prisoners resided in. They were locked in a smaller room and had guns pointed straight at them. He recalled the days learning Equish. He wasn't very good at it when they first started. Mosura had gotten down quicker than he did. She was kind enough to keep teaching him during recess. Nakada, the teacher, was an intriguing human. She was one of the few people that treated them as people rather than lab experiments or animals like the guards would. He didn’t care for her when he first met her, but she began to grow on him. Nakada was there to help him along with his sister whenever he struggled. He felt that he bonded with the woman.
"Out of all the humans that worked for MONARCH, I hated you the least." said Battra. He then looks down at the ground solemnly. Things seemed to go wrong one day in his past.

"The children have seemed to have gone through a transformation as well." said a male Elf in a lab coat. The older man in uniform sighed.
"Here I thought that Alpha and Lucky Dragon were just random accidents. It seems that no matter who we use, they will all develop these kinds of traits. I'm surprised it took this long." said the older man.
"We have the children sedated right now. They reverted back to their human forms. However, we will have to put them in stronger cells."
"I see." said the older man.
"There is one other thing. The boy that's DNA was spliced with that horned Moth's DNA."
"Battra? What about him?"
"He seems to be acting up more. In fact, he went berserk in his cell when he transformed. I think that maybe it’s time that we move him over with the adults." suggested the elf. The older man looked at him incredulously.
"Look, I know that he's been a handful lately. But we can't just move him with the adults! He's an early teenager for Faust’s sake!"
"He'll still receive his education, but he's going to be separated from the other kids. He's too strong to be kept in these cells and I think he's learning how to control his abilities. It's for the safety of everyone here, sir."
"Very well." sighed the older man.

Battra sat in anger in this new cell. It was a bit larger, but was also more fortified and was enchanted to shock him even if he just makes contact with the wall. At least his previous cell remotely shocked him. He wondered what kind of alterations MONARCH has done to him. One minute he was resting and all of the sudden he wakes up in agony and changes into a monster His body shifted into some kind of half human and half caterpillar monster. In rage, he slammed himself against his cell and nearly got out until they used narcoleptic gases on him. He awoke and found himself in a new cell. He has been trapped for week and only recently he was given permission to get out for some yard time. A loud alarm blared for a brief second. The door to his cell slowly began to rise, revealing light. He slowly began to walk out; he noticed a face that just made him want to throw up.
"Get moving, freak." spat Kenpachi. Battra glared at him as he continued to walk. He made his way down a hall, a magical field appeared behind. He turns, finding it shiny as it sealed him inside. He turned back around and traveled deeper in the room. He found himself in a large room that was lit by bright lights. Inspecting his surroundings, he saw adults roaming the room. Battra saw a group of men and a couple of women holding cards. He noticed a few of them were playing basketball. A lot of the men were tall and muscular. He was actually intimidated by them. Battra made his way over to a wall and sat against it, feeling his anger boil. He then notices a man with light blue hair approach.
"What's a kid doing here with the adults?!" asked the man incredulously. Battra shot him a glare.
"They decided to lock me up with adults." spat Battra.
"Damn. MONARCH has no shame." said the man as he rubbed the back of his head. He then made his way past him over to a small group of people. Battra stared at the man as he spoke with them. Obviously, telling them that there's a punk kid here. Battra suddenly heard a clicking sound. He turns and what he saw nearly gave him a heart attack. Before him was a mantis-like creature that glared at him.
"What are you doing here, kid?" asked the mantis. Battra backed away in fear.
"Th-they moved me with the adults!" exclaimed Battra. He was then grabbed by the throat by the mantis and was raised in the air against the wall.
"I don't like kids. And I sure as hell don't like it when they don't speak properly to their elders!" snarled the mantis. Battra felt the creature choke him. He closed his eyes as he felt them water with tears.
"L-let go!" begged Battra. He then felt a surge of adrenaline course through him. He opened his eyes, as they glowed brightly. Out from his eyes, came a purple beam that struck the mantis. His head was engulfed in the ray, disintegrating. The mantis fell over dead, dropping Battra. He coughed as he tried to regain his breath. Suddenly, everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. A couple of other mantises came rushing over. They stopped and found the one that was decapitated.
"You killed him!" exclaimed one of the mantises.
"No! No, it was an accident! i swear it!" cried Battra. He didn't mean for this to happen. He wanted to stay out of trouble. He didn't even know that he could do that!
"That was my brother, you little bastard! I'm gonna kill you!" shouted one of the mantises. He then began to charge at Battra. Battra got up to his feet and began to run for his life. He then began to feel pain coursing through his body. He cried in agony as his body began to shift and bones were beginning to reform. He dropped to his stomach, his head sprouting a large golden horn and his body being covered in an armored exoskeleton. His lower body extended into a catterpillar-like tail with many feet under his body. His body grew and his eyes turned into big red, ominous insect eyes. His upper body extended and became erect and appeared like a monstrous human half with short human-like arms and sharp claws. His mouth was sideways with sharp teeth. He turned was tackled by the mantis. The mantis towered over him while Battra was merely a little over six feet tall. The mantis struck at him mercilessly. Suddendly, Battra felt his anger explode, as he was sick of the abuse he was getting put through.
"Leave me alone!!" roared Battra in a deep voice. He then began to slam his body against the mantis. The two engaged in combat, roaring and screeching as they tried to end each other. Battra bit onto the neck of the mantis, mauling him.
"Dear Faust!" exclaimed a woman. The man with blue stared as the boy turned caterpillar savagely fought one of the mantises. He realized that the boy was moved with the adults for being too strong to be kept in the kids’ cell. A figure in the shadows watched the fight, intrigued by the young Transmutant.
Battra knocks the mantis to the ground, and then impales him with his horn. The mantis slumps over dead as Battra removed his horn from his abdomen. Battra roared at the other two mantises, daring them to attack him. The two mantises both leapt at him shrieking. The figure in the dark steps out of the shadows and then charges towards the mantises. He rams into them both, slamming them against the wall. They screeched at him, but their heads were grabbed by his large three fingered hands. The figure crushes their heads in his palms, leaving a yellow liquid mess. He drops them, and then looks toward a larger group of the mantises that were up to at least thirty in number.
"If you are wise, you will back off." said the man. They all turned away, slowly making their way to the far end of the room. The figure turns to face Battra as he remained still. The man stood at seven feet tall, his body was covered in crustacean like armor. His hands were large but only had three fingers on each hand with claws. His feet were wide with three toes and large claws. His chest had a crest in the center and his shoulders had sharp and small spikes. His face was humanoid, but he had sharp teeth and yellow eyes. He turns to face all of the people that were in the room.
"If anyone here dares to mess with this young Transmutant here," the man points toward Battra as he remained still, staring at him. "I will kill you. And trust me, I will make you suffer!" shouted the man. The Transmutants in the room slowly began to back off. Suddenly, a group of guards in armor entered the room with a dozen mechs. All of the Transmutants immediately got on the ground with their hands of their heads.
"Destoroyah, lay down on the ground!" shouted an Elf guard. The crustacean armored man glared at him as he slowly got on the ground with his hands over his head. The Elf guards made their way over to Battra and fired lightning at him with their magic. He roared in pain, squirming in place and then collapsed on the ground.

Battra sat with shackles wrapped around his neck and wrists. These were specially designed to prevent him from transforming and drain his body of energy. He felt tired and weak, but then he heard heavy footsteps approaching him. He turned and found the man that had killed those mantises.
"Calm down. I won't kill you." said Destoroyah.
"I'm having a hard time believing that." retorted Battra. Destoroyah chuckled, revealing his sharp teeth. Battra felt unnerved by his appearance.
"I don't blame you, child." said Destoroyah. The two sat in silence.
"Why did you kill them?" asked Battra.
"Would you rather I not?" asked Destoroyah. Battra shrugged.
"I don't have a problem with it. They were assholes! I just want to know why you did it and stood up for me."
"Would your parents appreciate you using that language?" asked Destoroyah. Battra looked down sadly.
"They're dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry." apologized Destoroyah.
"It's not your fault. It's MONARCH's. They were the ones who killed them." spat Battra. Destoroyah had a light smile. Someone who held this much spite for MONARCH would make an excellent ally in these walls.
"Yes. They are scum." replied Destoroyah. "To answer your question, I saw that you have potential."
"Potential?" asked Battra, quizzically.
"Yes. I saw that you fought with much ferocity and refused to back down. You're a merciless fighter."
"I was just trying to protect myself." said Battra.
"And a damn good job you did at that." smiled Destoroyah. He then turns to face the child. "I can teach you more. I can teach you how to better defend yourself."
"You could?"
"I will. But, one day you will have to help me." said Destoroyah. Battra looks to him quizzically.
"How?"
"MONARCH has made progress to influence on how we are able to transform. These shackles drain us of energy. Without that energy, we are weak and vulnerable. They even found out that we can die if we are drained of all of our energy for a certain period of time." explained Destoroyah. Battra looks at his shackles fearfully when he realized how deadly they could be.
"Don't worry. They only drain enough to prevent us from transforming." reassured Destoroyah. He then stands to his feet and extends his hand to Battra. "When the time comes, and whatever opportunity reveals itself, you will help set us free. What do you say, child?"
"I..." Battra pondered this. He knew that he was not going to last here on his own. He likely was not on a good terms with those Mantises and he didn't count on these other Transmutants to defend him. Battra gives him a serious expression and takes Destoroyah's hand. "I accept."

A few months had gone by in the adult cell block. Kenpachi would find times to provoke Battra along with his friends, much to Battra’s ire. Battra threw punches in the air along with a series of kicks. He was sweating as he fought in an invisible opponent. Destoroyah stood by and watched as the young Transmutant trained. He smiled at the warrior that was being molded before him. Destoroyah had experience in martial arts that were used to kill. It involved attacking your opponent mercilessly with offensive attacks and to have a mindset that sees your opponent as an animal that must be killed, not as a human being. Battra continued his fighting, giving shouts at every few strike. He then stops, panting.
"Get some rest, Battra. We're done for today." said Destoroyah. Battra turns and bows to him.
"Hai, Sensei."
Destoroyah and Battra made their way over toward another group of Transmutants. One of them had an orange mohawk and yellow eyes. He stood to be six foot four with round muscles.
"This man right here is named Titano." said Destoroyah, pointing to the man. He then points to the man next to him. He was a bald man with red eyes. His shoulders were broad and his muscles were larger than the man with the Mohawk and stood at six foot three.
"He's Ebirah." Destoroyah then points to another man with yellow eyes and messy scruffy green hair. His teeth were crooked and his muscles build were like the average Earthbound's. He stood at five foot nine.
"This man is Gaira." said Destoroyah. Titano raises a brow.
"Who's the kid?" asked Titano. Battra bows to the men.
"My name is Battra." answered Battra.
"I'm teaching Battra my ways in combat. He has developing quickly." said Destoroyah with pride. Gaira looks to him with deadpan stare.
"So...what reason does he have to learn your moves?"
"He will be part of our group." answered Destoroyah. Battra looks to him in surprise.
"Great..." muttered Ebirah.
"I have no problem with it. If you're OK with it, then who am I to go against it?" shrugged Titano. Gaira turns away and begins to sit down with a pack of cards.
The Transmutants, including Battra, were sitting in a circle with cards in their hands. They sat in silence. There hasn't been a word said. Only the occasional, 'Do you have any aces?' Battra wanted to stir a bit of conversation.
"Sensei, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" asked Destoroyah.
"Why is it that those Transmutants never change back?" asked Battra, pointing toward the Mantises. Destoroyah sighed.
"They can't. MONARCH tried using an experimental drug that they thought would rid us of the ability to transform. The Mantises were chosen to be guinea pigs since they are weaker than most of us in their form. They are stuck like that." said Destoroyah. Battra frowned when he heard that MONARCH continued to experiment on the prisoners despite having already corrupted their DNA.
"I even suffered the same fate." said Destoroyah. Battra looks to him, now understanding why Destoroyah looked less human.
"Why did they choose you? And why do you look more human than they do?" asked Battra.
"They thought that maybe the Mantises were just mishaps with the drug. They even tried to modify it to make sure it would work. I don't know the science behind it but I'm guessing that the modified drug only changed most of my physical body. They considered me the perfect specimen for the experiment." explained Destoroyah. He stared at the ceiling, recalling the past.
"They did?"
"Yes. I was actually one of the first few to be made into a Transmutant, a few years ago. But, I wasn't able to participate in the drug therapy that continued to change me on my own free will." said Destoroyah. He then taps the side of his head.
"They cast a powerful spell on my mind and a majority of the others. We are forced to obey these humans." said Destoroyah, solemnly. Battra frowned. He thought that he had it rough here, but there were others that had it worse than him. "Only a few Elves have control over us. There are always two of them close by."
"That's terrible." said Battra. Titano groans.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to go insane if I to stay in this place any longer!"
"I know. I hate these damn guards too. Treating us like animals." said Ebira. Gaira shook his head.
"No. We're treated as less than animals." said Gaira.
"Do these humans give you any trouble?" asked Destoroyah, looking toward Battra.
"They do. Especially that bastard Kenpachi. I just want to break his bones and make him beg for mercy." spat Battra. His tone was filled with hate. Gaira smiled.
"I think I'm starting to like this kid."
"Kenpachi is the worst!" said Titano. All of the Transmutants in the group nodded in response.
"Let's keep playing. Your turn, kid." said Ebirah.
"OK. Gaira, I'm looking for kings." said Battra.
"Go fish." said Gaira.
"Damn." sighed Battra. He then went for the pile of cards and drew one.

Battra walked along side Destoroyah, Titano and Gaira. They walked through the desolate town and made their way through dead soldiers. They were regrouping with the rest of their team. They came across and found Ebirah and a few other Transmutants standing next to a man in uniform on his knees. They stopped in front of the man, looking at him as head was slumped down.
"What's this?" asked Destoroyah. Ebirah gave him a grin.
"This commanding officer here knows something that may interest you." said Ebirah. He then kicks the man onto his belly, causing to grunt as he lied in the dirt. Destoroyah kneeled next to him.
"So, are you going to talk?" asked Destoroyah. The man looks up to him and spits at him in his face. Destoroyah glared at him, wiping the spit off of his face.
"Go to hell!" shouted the man. Destoroyah stood up to his feet.
"Sorry. Something slipped out of his comrades that got us curious. Something that MONARCH kept from the lower personnel. I've been trying to get it out of his mouth. No luck." apologized Ebirah.
"As much as I would like to kill you, human. I am curious to know what my colleague heard." said Destoroyah. He then looks to Battra, who gave him a nod of understanding. He walks up to the soldier and grabs his head. He closes his eyes, searching through his memories.
"He knows about a...a few weapons that MONARCH has been creating. Two of them are bio weapons. The other is a new mech." said Battra. The man struggled under his grip. Battra held his head still so he could clearly read the man's mind.
"Bio weapons? Like a virus?" asked Titano.
"No. Living weapons. Transmutants. One of them is finished. Project: Rose." said Battra. The Transmutants all looked to each other. They couldn’t believe MONARCH’s idiocy of making other Transmutants to hunt them.
"Rose is...no." said Battra.
"What's wrong?" asked Destoroyah. Battra opened his eyes in shock.
"No! That's impossible! She should be dead! I killed her!" exclaimed Battra.
"Who?" asked Ebirah. Battra suddenly grabbed the man by his collar and raised him in the air.
"You brought that soldier back from the dead, didn't you?!" demanded Battra. The Transmutants eyes widened in shock. The man chuckled in response.
"You're not afraid of ghosts, are you?" asked the man. Battra sent him a glare. Then he smiled.
"No. I just think you made a grave mistake. You brought a soldier back to life, one who served MONARCH. You then combined her DNA with the Alpha's and a plant and made her into a new Transmutant. She might not know, but she will turn on you when she recalls the truth." said Battra. His eyes began to glow; the man felt his head beginning to ache. He groaned.
"I have everything that he knows. It’s not much but it gives us a little more information about the weapons." said Battra. Destoroyah nodded in approval.
"Kill him."

'How are you doing, Battra?' Mosura's voice echoed in Battra's mind. He lied in his bed at night. Battra had learned to control his psychic abilities and could now speak to his sister with his thoughts. She had gained the same ability as he did. He wondered what type of DNA was given to him and his sister that caused them to develop such powers.
'I'm fine. I'm just tired. I'm upset.' answered Battra, solemnly.
'I'm sorry to hear that.'
'It's fine. At least I made some friends on this side.' said Battra.
'That's great!' said Mosura with joy.
'Yeah. I just wish you were here with me, sis. I miss you.' replied Battra.
'I miss you too. At least we can hear each other's voices.' said Mosura, hoping to brighten up Battra's mood.
'Yeah. Sister, can you promise me something?' asked Battra.
'Anything!' replied Mosura.
'Promise that you will stand by me. Promise that we will stay together if we ever get out of here.'
'I promise. We only have each other left. I'd be happy to stand by you.' said Mosura. Battra lets a tear of joy trail down his cheek. He sniffs and wipes the tear.
'Thank you. I love you Mosura. Goodnight.' said Battra.
'Goodnight, Battra. I love you too.'

Battra lied asleep in his cell. He was in a deep and blissful state. His dreams allowed him to escape this dreadful place. His sleep was rudely interrupted as he felt something cold splash his body. He yelped as he shot out of bed, drenched in cold water. He looked and saw that his cell was open. A few guards were standing in the doorway.
"Kenpachi? What gives?!" demanded Battra. Kenpachi chuckled at him, raising a baton. It then began to light up with electricity surrounding it.
"I never liked you, brat. I especially can't stand to look at your face, you little abomination." Battra gritted his teeth, offended by the label that he had given him.
"Abomination? You guys were the ones that did this to me in the first place!" exclaimed Battra.
"Shut up!" said Kenpachi. He stepped in the cell and swung the baton against him, sending high volts of electricity into him. Battra yelled in pain, twitching as the electricity shocked him. A couple of the guards stepped in and began to beat him with their own batons.
"Stop! Stop it you bastards!" shouted Battra. A normal human would have passed out and maybe even died from this attack. Battra's abnormal durability allowed him to withstand this abuse.
"Let's just kill this little bastard! MONARCH has enough of these freaks." said one of the guards. Battra yelled as the men all put their batons at him at once. The volts of electricity coursed through him, combining together. He felt agonizing pain, but he also wanted the guards dead. Battra glared at them, then grabbed one of the batons and pulled on it. The baton was stolen out of one of the men's grip and was wielded by Battra. Battra swung the baton at one of the other guards that were shocking him. The guard yelled as he fell back, writhing on the ground. Battra then swung the baton at Kenpachi, pushing him away and making him fall on the ground. Battra stood to his feet, and then glared at an Elf guard that stood in the doorway. Battra gave war cry as he charged toward him.
"Stop." said the Elf. Battra suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He began to breathe heavil when he realized that he couldn't move. The elf smiled.
"Good thing they brought me along." said the Elf.
"You’re one of the Elves that have control over our minds." glared Battra.
"That's right." the Elf raised his hand, a golden aura formed over his hand. Battra was thrown against the wall, stuck. The elf began to chuckle.
"It’s against the rules to assault a guard let alone three. I'll have to punish you." The elf slowly closed his hand. Battra began to yell in agony as he felt his body being crushed. His breathing became shallow as he glared at the Elf. An idea formed in his head. He then began to chuckle darkly.
"What's so funny?" asked the Elf.
"Do you think you can keep us here? Do you think that we will bow to your will? You humans are idiots!" spat Battra. The Elf glared back at him. He suddenly felt his head ache. His concentration broke. He yells in agony as he dropped to his knees. Battra was released from his magical grip, dropping to the ground. He groaned as he felt his body ache. The Elf noticed that he was walking toward him.
"Stop!" commanded the Elf. Battra stops for a moment. He then smiled wickedly. The man cried in pain again, his concentration thrown off again.
"You might have control over my body, but I have control over your entire mind." said Battra. The Elf clutched his head.
"My head...it feels like it’s being nailed by a hammer!" exclaimed the Elf. Battra laughed at his pain.
"I've been getting better at using my powers. I even learned that I can do a lot more than just read minds." Battra eyes began to glow red in the dark as he stared at the Elf.
"Now, you die." said Battra. A sick sounding squish was heard in the cell. The Elf's eyes were wide open, and then blood began to trail out of his sockets. He drops dead on the ground. Battra stared at the corpse, smiling. He then made his way to the corpse and plucked a ring that held five odd looking keys from him. They appeared to be rectangle in shape and were of different colors. They were blue, red, green, yellow, and black. He then made his way out of his cell and down the halls, searching the prison doors. He found a large door armored with a green mark. He peaked through the window, finding Ebirah lying down in his bed. He smiled as he found a familiar ally. He fished for the green key, and then found a slot. He sticks the key into the slot, causing it to let a short beep. The cell door slowly began to raise, dim lights shining in. Ebirah stirred in bed, turning with groggy eyes.
"Ebirah, it’s me." whispered Battra. Ebirah quickly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Battra?!" asked Ebirah.
"Shhh! Quiet, I escaped out of my cell. Come on, we're getting the hell out of here."
"You little bastard!" Battra went stiff as he heard a familiar voice. He turns and finds Kenpachi holding a baton that sparked with electricity. The other few guards that he knocked unconscious were with him as well. "Get back in your cell!"
"Just a minute ago, you were trying to kill me. Now you want to contain me?" asked Battra. Kenpachi then charges at him. Battra grinned as the rest of the guards came at him. They suddenly stopped, groaning in pain. Kenpachi was on his knees as blood began to trail out of his eye sockets.
"Hurts, doesn’t it?" asked Battra. Ebirah walks out of his cell, surprised to find the guards on their knees.
"Here, go free the others on our block. We're all getting out of here tonight." said Battra as he tossed Ebirah the keys.
"Alert! A small number of Transmutant experiments have escaped from their cells! All units to the cell block!" commanded a male voice on the intercom.
"Uh-oh!" exclaimed Ebirah. He then made his way down to the other cell doors, fishing for the right keys.
"You might think that we won't escape, but we will." said Battra as he taunted Kenpachi. A squish sound echoed in the area, with all of the guards except Kenpachi dropping dead. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, Kenpachi."
Battra made his way over to Kenpachi and began to savagely beat him. Kenpachi cried out in pain after every powerful punch. His eye was swollen and his teeth were knocked out of his mouth. His nose was bleeding and his face was bruised. Battra continued to beat him with a smile on his face.
"How do you like it?! How does it feel to be beaten?! It hurts, right?!" Battra then grabbed the baton, not turning the power on. He swung it against Kenpachi, beating him with hard metal. Battra gave one last swing at Kenpachi, knocking him to the ground. He then walks over to him and turns the power on. He sticks the baton against the neck of the guard, sending volts of electricity. Kenpachi began to twitch from the volts, his face began to smoke and his flesh started to burn as Battra held the baton against him. Battra removed the baton from Kenpachi's neck, his face sizzled in burns.
"Jigoku ni kirainahito o yasumaseru." cursed Battra. He then turns and finds Destoroyah smiling to him in approval. Titano had wide eyes and Gaira looked to him with a look of awe. Ebirah had mixed emotions of surpise, awe, and fear
"Just as I have said, ‘you have potential’." said Destoroyah. Battra grinned. Destoroyah then walked over to him and looked at the shackles that bounded him and drained his energy.
"We need to get these shackles off." said Destoroyah.

"So, how was it that you were able to get the shackles off? Why did they assume that Destoroyah was the one that escaped first if it was actually Battra?" asked a female Transmutant.
"Battra killed the only ones that knew that he was the one who escaped first. Destoroyah was the one leading the escape, so they figured that he went insane and his mind rejected their commands. Battra actually kept this belief going when he disrupted their spells with his power. About the shackles, Destoroyah had to use one of his crab-looking arms that sticks out of his back to break them." answered Gaira. He sat inside of a room with Ebirah and other Transmutants who listened to the story.
"Couldn't he have used those to begin with back at the MONARCH base?" asked a Transmutant male.
"No. His body hadn't been able to produce them since his energy was weak. He actually feeds on a different source that gives him energy." said Gaira.
"What is it?" asked the female Transmutant.
"I don't know. He said that he was drawn to some kind of chemical reaction that had the ability to destroy oxygen. It was discovered by someone named Serizawa years ago before they first mutated Destoroyah. Destoroyah found a device that was designed by Serizawa and sealed himself in a tank. That was where they tested it safely." said Gaira. He recalled the device’s power. It was terrifying.
"That device destroyed anything that was around it. It killed fish and disintegrated their skin till they were nothing but bone. Destoroyah emerged from the water unharmed. He said he felt powerful and that the device was what gave him power." said Gaira. The Transmutants sat worriedly as they heard about the device.
"So, what happened next?" asked another male Transmutant.
"Well, the device that he used could only be used once, like a bomb. Serizawa escaped before Destoroyah could reach him. We worried that Destoroyah wouldn't be able to survive now that the secrets to his only source of energy was gone. But, as the years went by, he never aged or got weaker."
"How's that possible?!" exclaimed a female Transmutant.
"We don't know. Destoroyah thinks that maybe, the drug that they experimented on him gave him the ability to produce this chemical reaction within his own body, sustaining himself. They starved him of his energy source the most out of all of us." said Gaira.
"Can you confirm that he can do that?"
"Well, Destoroyah has unique abilities that relate closely to that chemical reaction when it comes to liquefying organics. He used them regularly at first, even though using our abilities actually drains us faster. I can’t say for sure, but his abilities and endurance are almost limitless." answered Ebirah. He then turns to find Destoroyah alone, sitting on a pile of rubble. "He's a walking holocaust."