The Arrogance of Man

by Johng117

Chapter 29

The day was fading over the nation of Neighpon. The Empire had faced dark times when the civil war for power occurred centuries ago. The oppression of the Samurai by the corrupt Emperor caused pain and sorrow until a few samurai and their clans banded together with the Griffons to liberate their home. After the war, tensions were high for decades between the Griffon Kingdom and the Neighponese Empire, causing Equestria to act as an intermediary to settle peace between the two lands. Now, however, a new darkness plagued the Neighponese people and the new Emperor.

The sound of men crying out in agony was heard in the coming evening. Men in MONARCH armor fought against three Transmutants that remained in their human forms. Battra led Shinomura and Ebirah into battle against over a dozen men and women holding rifles. The soldiers fired their guns as civilians dressed in modern clothing ran past them, screaming in terror. The Transmutants dodged the incoming bolts and took cover behind anything that they could find. Battra peaked over a carriage but immediately ducked down as a bolt came his way.

"Damn." cursed Battra as he remained in cover. He then pulled out a katana and took calm breaths.

"Ebirah, Shinomura, charge and take them out on my mark!" commanded Battra. Ebirah and Shinomura nodded in confirmation. Battra closed his eyes as he cleared his mind of the battle around himself. Everything moved slower compared to him and he heard every sound that reached his ears. He then opened his eyes and immediately hopped over the carriage, eyes aglow as he was airborne. As Battra dropped back onto the street, he shot his arms forward. Suddenly, the soldiers were thrown off of their feet by an invisible force.

"Go!" shouted Battra as he dashed towards the nearest soldiers. As they attempted to stand, he swung his sword and cut down five soldiers in three seconds. Ebirah moved forward and snatched a rifle from one of the soldiers and slammed it against him. Shinomura sent quick jabs into the throats of any close soldier. He then grabbed a Valkyrie soldier by her wing and snapped it with the flick of his wrist. The woman cried out in pain and was met with a powerful punch to her gut. Shinomura was suddenly tackled by three other soldiers. He growled in anger as he began to squirm from under them. Ebirah came and knocked the soldiers off of him and then sent a powerful punch against one of the soldiers’ chest. He then stomped the one lying on the ground in his back, crushing his spine. Shinomura stood up to his feet and then snapped the neck of the last soldier.

"I'll take out any strugglers! Go and gather as many of the ammo magazines as you can!" commanded Battra.

"Got it!" said Ebirah. He and Shinomura rushed towards the fallen soldiers and began to take apart their rifles and took their magazines. The magazines were rectangular and glowed brightly. Battra made his way deeper into the town. It was small, but it was more modern compared to certain settlements in Neighpon. Battra continued to search the streets for any soldier that he could find. His eyes burned with hate as he searched the streets. His ears picked up the sound of a rifle cocking. Battra turned and threw his katana. The flying sword impaled a MONARCH soldier in his exposed neck, causing him to drop to the ground.

"Think I wouldn't catch you? Think again asshole." said Battra as he held his hand out forward. The soldier's body began to twitch as the katana was pulled out of his body by the telekinetic abilities of the Transmutant and flew back into his grip. Battra turned and continued to search the deserted town. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps. The Transmutant turned and spotted two figures disappearing into an alley. He walked through the street in pursuit of the figures.

"I know you're on the rooftop." said Battra as he turned and held his hand out. An Elf soldier was levitated into the air, she yelped in surprise. Battra shook his head in disapproval.

"You should have ran when you had the chance, MONARCH scum." said Battra. He then motioned his hand down over to another building, causing the soldier to scream as she was hurled into the building at high speed. Battra sighed as he continued to move on towards the alley where the figures had disappeared into. He drew his sword as he spotted them backed into a corner. Battra chuckled darkly.

"I thought you would at least still have some fight in you. Now you'll just die like dogs in the-" Battra was interrupted as one of the figures charged towards him with an item in his grip. Battra's reflexes kicked in as he suddenly sent a round house kick towards the figure. The figure cried out in pain in a young male voice as he landed on the ground. Battra flared his nostrils in annoyance as he began to stalk closer to the human. Suddenly, he noticed that the human was not wearing any MONARCH apparel. In fact, he wore civilian clothing. His eyes were wide as he saw at what he had thought was an enchanted sword was actually a pipe lying at his side. The figure groaned in pain and revealed the bruised face of a young teenage male. Battra felt his muscles go slightly stiff at the sight. But he hardened his glare and raised his katana.

"Onii-chan!" cried a female voice. Battra's eyes widened as a pre-teenage girl ran over to the fallen boy. Her eyes ran with tears as she held her brother tightly. The boy sent a glare towards the Transmutant, who merely stared with wide eyes. Battra's grip on his katana loosened.

"Please, leave my brother alone!" pleaded the girl as she sobbed. The boy pried the girl off of himself, which she responded with a gasp. He stood to his feet and picked up the pipe and held it like a sword. Battra stared at the boy and inwardly questioned the rationality that ran through the boy's mind to challenge someone that could easily crush him with prejudice.

"Get out of here while you still can, Toru." said the teenage boy. Battra raised a brow.

"Shinji, no! Mister, please let us go!" pleaded the girl on her knees with tears running down her cheeks. Battra had grown to hate the humans in his years of being rejected by them and for what their hubris at tampering with nature had cursed him. But, his heart was tugged at by the pleading of this child.

"Why are you challenging me, human?" asked Battra with a tone of superiority. "You're outmatched. I am stronger than you and I will be the one who emerges in victory."

"I don't care about that! You can kill as many soldiers as you want. But I'll be damned if I stand by and let you hurt my sister! I will fight any of you Transmutants as long as it guarantees my sister's wellbeing!" shouted the boy in defiance. Battra's eyes widened at his response; he found the boy’s foolish yet admirable desire to protect his sister from a superior enemy to be surprising. Battra sensed great fear inside of the boy, it was even obvious in his slight trembling, but the boy kept himself together for the sake of his family.

Battra felt himself relating to the boy. He could relate as to protecting a sibling against the enemy, even if it went taking their lives and risking their own life. The boy reminded Battra of himself. He hesitated with his actions, as he had never killed children before and wasn’t planning on starting any time soon. Battra lowered his katana.

"I see..." said Battra. He then heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Battra, we have all of the magazines packed up." said Shinomura as he approached the black haired Transmutant. He then noticed the humans.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to kill them?" asked Shinomura. The girl whimpered as she heard those words while the boy tightened his grip on the pipe. Battra placed his katana back into its sheath and hung it back onto his back.

"No." said Battra. Shinomura scoffed in response.

"Then I'll do it if you don't feel like it." said Shinomura as he approached the children. Battra immediately placed a firm hand on his shoulder with a hard stare.

"No. There is no point in killing children." said Battra. Shinomura sent him a glare.

"No point? We decline their numbers by eliminating them!" said Shinomura. Battra tightened his grip on Shinomura's shoulder.

"Do not go against my orders, Shinomura. We are leaving." said Battra in a stern voice.

"What's going on here?" asked Ebirah as he arrived into the alley with a large sack over his shoulder.

"Battra is getting cold feet about killing these humans." said Shinomura. Battra's eyes sent a glare towards him. He then grabbed the Transmutant and threw him against the wall. The girl yelped in fear as Battra began to beat the Transmutant.

"I'll show you cold feet you insubordinate-" Battra continued to beat the Transmutant. Ebirah immediately ran over to the two and grabbed Battra.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" said Ebirah as Battra struggled in his grip. Shinomura stood to his feet with his nose bleeding and his face bruised.

"You bastard!" said Shinomura. He then began to stalk over towards the red-eyed Transmutant with a glare.

"Hey! Don't antagonize a superior, you idiot!" said Ebirah with a glare.

"My superior?! He has hesitated to kill these children! Should we all start sparing humans as well in this war?!" demanded Shinomura. Battra pried himself out of Ebirah's hold and made his way over to the cobalt haired Transmutant. "I refuse to be under someone that can't even take their lives!"

"Listen you little shit! Whether you like it or not, you will listen to me and do as I say! I refuse to take their lives because we only came here for the magazines and to kill the soldiers! These children are not on our list of killing!" said Battra as he and Shinomura stared each other down.

"Shinomura, back down." said Ebirah. Shinomura sent him an incredulous look.

"Are you fu-"

"No I am not. Battra is right, we got what we need. Come on, unless you want Lord Destoroyah to know that your disobeying the orders of his right hand man." said Ebirah with a hard stare. Shinomura sighed in resignation.

"Fine." said Shinomura. He then sent a glare towards Battra. "This isn't over."

"Don't push it." warned Battra. The cobalt haired Transmutant made his way out of the alley. Battra sighed in exhaustion.

"I swear, he's always trying to undermine me. The son of a bitch wants my job, I know it." said Battra, Ebirah chuckled in response.

"He's too impulsive. Besides, I'd rather you be second in command than him." said Ebirah. Battra smiled in appreciation.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that. It's a thankless job honestly." said Battra. He then noticed the humans staring at them with uneasy expressions. For a brief second, he thought he saw Mosura's face on the girl's. He immediately turned.

"If you value your lives, you will stay out of the streets and away from MONARCH" warned Battra. He made his way out of the alley with Ebirah taking a quick glance at the children. He then proceeded to follow the black haired Transmutant. The sound of sobbing from the girl caused Battra to lightly frown. He immediately wiped his frown away and turned it into a scowl.

'What the hell is wrong with me? I have no reason to pity those humans.' thought Battra.

---

Battra remained seated outside of an abandoned facility in the middle of the forest. The metal building was rusted and covered in dents and plant life. The vines wrapped themselves around the building and a large fallen tree lied on top of the roof of the facility. Wires hung outside along with the destroyed watchtowers. Battra recalled that the place was once a facility that was focused on the genetic research of the Transmutants. Due to the failure of containing a few of their experiments and Transmutants, the staff suffered dearly for it. Battra continued to sit outside as the moon hung high in the sky. After the attack on Ponyville, he has felt a little restless. It was the second time that he had seen his sister again in years. Due to his enmity towards her, he attempted to make it the last time they would meet. Unfortunately, that could not come to past due to the interference of Takeshi, whom Battra bowed to destroy. Battra sighed as his mind was plagued with the children from earlier. He wondered why they had caused him to hesitate as they were the children of his enemies.

'To protect his sister...' thought Battra. Yes, that was something that he hadn't done in years. Battra heard the footsteps of someone approaching. He found Ebirah walking out of the facility, where the doors lied scattered onto the ground.

"Hey, kid." said Ebirah as he sat next to Battra.

"Please refrain from calling me that. I'm not a child anymore." said Battra in annoyance. Ebirah chuckled in response.

"Sorry." said Ebirah. The two sat in an uneasy silence in the night. The cool air blew against them, sending chills. Battra felt himself growing anxious.

"So, did you want to talk about something?" asked Battra.

"Nah. I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. You kinda lost it earlier." said Ebirah.

"Can you blame me? Shinomura is just so damn aggravating. Someone needed to give him a reality check to show him who's in charge." said Battra with a scowl. Ebirah frowned.

"Battra, about sparing those humans..." said Ebirah. Battra groaned in frustration.

"Yes! I know it isn't something that we would normally do, but they were wasting our time! We had to leave as soon as possible." said Battra, defensively. Ebirah shook his head.

"No, that's not what I meant." said Ebirah. Battra raised a brow. "I think it's good that you did."

"Good? But...aren't I a disgrace to the other revolutionaries by doing that?" asked Battra.

"Battra, you fight to guarantee the survival of Transmutants. We kill the soldiers to protect ourselves. Well, at least most of us do. Some of us just have a grudge against all humans." said Ebirah as he glanced at Battra. "But, I'll be honest with you. I like being a part of this community and I'm glad that I have formed some friendships with others and you."

"But?" asked Battra. Ebirah sighed.

"I have no problem killing these soldiers. Honestly, some of them can rot in hell for all I care. But, when it comes to civilians, I can't bring myself to do it like you and a few others." said Ebirah. Battra looked down.

"Battra, I don't want you to think that I am looking down on you for doing so. I understand why you do it, but I can't bring myself to take their lives. Not again." said Ebirah solemnly. Battra looked to Ebirah in confusion.

"Back in Ponyville, I was alone fighting several soldiers. I was so caught up in battle that I ended up striking a young woman. She was sent flying across the street. I heard the sickening crack of her bones as I hit her. I found her lifeless eyes staring up into the sky. She haunts me to this very day." said Ebirah as he placed his face into his palm.

"But, you were fighting to save members of our kind. You do what you have to do!" said Battra, trying to justify Ebirah's actions. As he continued to try, it just sounded like selfishness trying to keep his friend to feel well about himself even when the average person would question it. After all, Battra has been justifying his actions for the last several years.

"Maybe. But, sometimes, I wonder if this is a war worth fighting." said Ebirah as he stood to his feet. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. We may be stronger than humans, but we are at war with an entire race. A race we were once a part of. Do you think our story will have a happy ending?" asked Ebirah. Battra stood to his feet, struggling to give an answer.

"Ebirah, our unity is what will allow us to win. MONARCH isn't exclusively Transmutant exterminators, they are also guns for hire. Humans are not united. They are divided over the most trivial of things! That is our advantage over them!" argued Battra.

"They have wars with each other and MONARCH may be one that helps the nation that claims to be the force of good, but they can unite against a common threat." said Ebirah. He then looked towards Battra.

"Battra, why do you hate your sister?" asked Ebirah. Battra's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wh-what does that have to do with anything?" asked Battra.

"It was just a simple question. I remember when we met and began to hang around with you more. I remember how you would speak fondly of her. She was the world to you." said Ebirah. Battra looked down with a scowl.

"She 'was' the world to me. She's dead to me now." spat Battra. Ebirah frowned. He realized how these years really had changed him. He grew to be unloving to his own sister.

"Why?" asked Ebirah. Battra scoffed.

"Why?! She's a traitor! She left and took Angirasu and Rodan to live in Equestria among the humans! She let herself get stepped on by their prejudice! She protects them when they will only reject her!" seethed Battra. He then stood up to his feet with his red eyes burned with anger.

"Battra, I think there's more to what you are telling me." said Ebirah.

"There isn't any more! She's just as bad as the humans!" said Battra.

"You don't mean that." said Ebirah. Battra sent him a glare.

"What do you know about what I mean?!" demanded Battra. Ebirah kept a neutral expression.

"Because I know you. I know why you're angry. You don't hate her. At least not for that reason." said Ebirah. Battra turned away with a growl.

"I do hate her! I hate her more than anything in the world!" said Battra as he gritted his teeth. Ebirah sighed in response.

"Alright. I apologize for this, my friend. But, think about our conversation." said Ebirah. He then turned away and made his way back into the facility. Battra clenched his fist tightly, but then loosed his muscles. His shoulders slumped down and his head lowered. He sighed.

"I do hate her. I hate her because...she..."

---

The next day...

Megaguirus leaned against Mukade's back with a bored expression on her face. Her arms were crossed and her legs were splayed about on the tiled ground. Mukade merely tampered with an old gadget that he had found lying around. Megaguirus sighed in exasperation.

"I'm so bored!" said Megaguirus. Mukade sighed in response.

"Well, go do something productive." said Mukade in annoyance. Megaguirus raised herself off of Mukade and looked curiously at the device in his hand.

"Whatcha doin'?" asked Megaguirus.

"I found this old data pad lying around. I'm trying to see if I can fix it up." said Mukade. Megaguirus snorted in response.

"Don't you need to be like, a nerd or something to fix that?" asked Megaguirus.

"Ah! Intellectual. Please be respectful to them. If you have knowledge on how to work on some of MONARCH's electronic devices, then it’s easy to fix them." said Mukade. He began to use a thin metal screw drive against the computer chip inside of the backside of the device.

"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Megaguirus.

"I didn't. I'm just messing with this in hopes that I can fix it since I don't know a damn thing from computers or any other kind of electronic device." said Mukade.

"Eh?! Some genius you are!" said Megaguirus with an appalled expression.

"Hey, I never claimed to be a genius. I'm just trying my hand at other things." said Mukade. Megaguirus gave him a deadpanned stare. Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps. She turned and her face brightened up as she found Battra walking down the halls with his hands in his jacket's pockets.

"Well, you have fun with that. I'm gonna go mess with Battra." said Megaguirus as she stood to her feet and ran after the man. Mukade rolled his eyes in response.

Battra continued on through the halls of the facility where dents, rust, dirt and vines greeted him at every turn. It was quiet and dark. The lack of lighting and moist air allowed fungus to sprout from the cracks of the ground. Battra suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

"Hey! Batts, wait up!" called Megaguirus. Battra turned around and found her rushing towards him.

"Hey...you got anything that we could do today? I'm getting kinda bored." said Megaguirus.

"No, not yet. But, I'm going to check on Hok and his wife." said Battra. Megaguirus face brightened.

"Oh yeah? Mind if I tag along?" asked Megaguirus. Battra wore an uneasy expression.

"Uh...I don't know." said Battra as he looked away. Megaguirus pouted in response.

"Aw come on! Don't be mean!" said Megaguirus as she placed her hands on her hips. Battra blushed in embarrassment as the woman got closer to him and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Fine. Just keep your voice down, alright?" asked Battra. Megaguirus grinned in response.

"You got it, boss!" said Megaguirus as she gave a mock salute. Battra turned and lead the woman down the halls. They made their way out to an open room where several Transmutants worked to store food and supplies away. A few waved and greeted the pair as they walked. Battra greeted them in return as Megaguirus gave a wave with a flirty wink to a few of the men. One of the men chuckled.

"Man, I'd hit that." said a man as he nudged his friend. His friend nodded in agreement. They then heard a feminine voice cleared her throat. The men turned and shrunk nervously when they found a few women looking at them with glares.

"Get back to work, you perverts!" commanded a woman. The men lowered their heads in shame. Another man snickered to himself as he lowered a box. He then felt one of the women gazing at him.

"So, you think she's more attractive than me?" asked the woman. The man turned and held his hands up defensively.

"Hey, I just greeted Battra. Besides, you're the most beautiful woman and the only one for me." said the man. The woman felt her face flush and began to giggle like a school girl.

"Oh, babe!" said the woman. She then made her way over to the man, wrapped her arms behind his back, and gave him a kiss. The sounds of smooching made a few people to roll their eyes or smile at the scene. Suddenly, the couple was interrupted by the sound of a large crate dropping to the ground. They turned and found Titano looking at both of them with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, you two are on the clock. Make out when you're through here." commanded Titano. The couple immediately released each other.

"Yes sir!" the couple answered in unison. Titano made his way through the area and continued to help move the supplies. Another woman came up by his side.

"Come on, don't you think you're being a little too hard on them?" asked the woman.

"I just want to make sure they don't get in trouble with Destoroyah or any other of our members of a higher rank. You know how the boss hates it when we slack off." said Titano as he moved a box. The woman gave an amused smile.

"Well, thanks for looking out for us." thanked the woman.

"No prob." said Titano.

Battra and Megaguirus strolled through the facility where they passed Mantises that hung from the ceilings and that devoured the vines and tree branches above.

"Blegh! I hate bark!" spat one of the mantises. Kamacuras crawled up along the wall and began to bite on the vines.

"Just keep munching away at them! We need to trim these tree branches so they don't fall on anybody." said Kamacuras as bit into the vines. Battra shook his head in amusement. The mantises not only worked as soldiers, but also as gardeners. Battra and Megaguirus made their way into a new hall. They walked and found themselves at a large, metal door. Battra began to type a combination in on the panel that was built into the wall. The door creaked, slowly rising with the sound of the gears that turned inside. The pair walked inside of the room as the door had opened.

"Hok? Are you in here?" called Battra. His red eyes scanned the dark room that was filled with dirt, torn wires and foliage that had sunken through the roof. It was a miracle that some of the power still worked inside of the facility. Battra and Megaguirus continued on. The woman suddenly took Battra's arm and walked closer to his side.

"W-wh-what are you doing?" stuttered Battra.

"Mmm. Nothing. It's just so dark and empty in here that I rather be close to you." said Megaguirus innocently. Battra's brow twitched in annoyance.

"You're a Transmutant. We can see in the dark." said Battra. Megaguirus held on tighter, looking up to Battra with seductive eyes.

"What's this? Are you embarrassed?" teased Megaguirus. Battra sent her a glare.

"No." answered Battra. Megaguirus raised her brow with a smile.

"You're face says otherwise." said Megaguirus. She then pinned the man against the wall, a blush appearing on her face as well. Her breath was shallow as their eyes locked. Battra began to sweat and felt his heart beat as he stared nervously at her while she leaned in close to him with her eyes half open.

"What are you doing?" asked Battra in a nervous tone. Megaguirus leaned in closer to his ear.

"You're just so hot. I want you." whispered Megaguirus in a seductive tone. Battra's eyes widened and his blush increased.

"Huh?!" asked Battra. Megaguirus smiled in amusement and then released the male Transmutant.

"Just kidding. Sorry, I just wanted to see how you would react." said Megaguirus with a shrug. Battra glared at her.

"That was not funny!" said Battra. This woman had toyed with his male hormones as it were game. He was miffed that she didn’t get the concept of keeping sexual acts sacred.

"For me it was." said Megaguirus. She then looked to Battra with a light smile.

"But, I wasn't lying when I thought you were hot. You are good looking guy." said Megaguirus with a wink. Battra turned away in embarrassment.

"Man, I hadn't seen a reaction this priceless since I messed with that one Transmutant back in Ponyville!" chuckled Megaguirus. Battra's brow rose.

"You mean, Gojira Takeshi?" asked Battra.

"Yeah that's the one! Man, he was so embarrassed! It was even funnier when his girlfriend walked in!" laughed Megaguirus. She then thought back to his reaction. 'He was kinda cute too. He had that rugged kind of handsomeness to him.'

"Ah. You're referring to the Elf girl. Well, Gojira never had any intimate relationships of that caliber, which would be why he reacted so strongly. The girl was hardly his girlfriend. They were just friends." said Battra.

"Heh. What are you? His stalker?" asked Megaguirus.

"In a way. I was actually observing him during his earlier days living in Ponyville. I sensed a great power inside of him along with that burning hate for the ones that had changed him. I learned a lot from scanning his memories and mind. He's prideful and stubborn." said Battra.

"You should totally start your own fortune teller business!" suggested Megaguirus. Battra sighed in annoyance.

"Just because I can read minds doesn't mean I can predict the future. Well, at least not on a cosmic or spiritual scale. I can only predict someone's next move if I choose to." said Battra. Megaguirus shrugged in response.

"Oh well." Megaguirus's ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching. A man that was slightly older than Battra appeared. His eyes were red-orange and his hair was grey with white streaks. He stood to be five foot seven, an inch shorter than Battra.

"Good day, Battra and Megaguirus." Hok greeted with a smile. He was young Equestrian man that was abducted by MONARCH years ago. Such a tragic turn of events for a teenager that has now grown to be an adult in his early twenties.

"I suppose." replied Battra as Megaguirus casually waved. Hok shook his head.

"You have to lighten up my friend. It's not good if all you do is stress. Enjoy the miracles in life!" said Hok. Battra sighed.

"Forgive me if I don't share your optimism. Life hardly offers me any miracles." said Battra. Megaguirus scoffed in response.

"Dude, you're such a downer sometimes ya know?" Megaguirus slapped Battra against the shoulder in a playful manner. Battra rolled his eyes.

"Right. Speaking of miracles of life, how's your wife and the babies?" asked Battra.

"She's doing well. She's lying down and watching over the eggs." said Hok. Battra nodded in approval.

"That's good." This was the first time that the Transmutants were passing their genes on towards the next generation. Battra only wished that the world was safer for them to live in.

"Well, Destoroyah wanted me to check on you. So, I'll be sure to let him know that you're both doing well." said Battra. As he turned to leave, Hok called his name. Battra turned back to the man, wondering what he had to say.

"Would you...like to see them?" asked Hok. Battra's eyes widened in surprise.

"I...I don't know. Would it be alright?" asked Battra in hesitation. Hok nodded to him.

"Sure! Come on Meg, you can come to." said Hok as he turned and began to lead Battra. Megaguirus went stiff at the invitation.

"I uh...O-OK. Thanks." said Megaguirus with a nervous smile. The trio made their way deeper into the room, passing destroyed computers and broken glass. Battra found himself looking at the ruins. Memories of this place flooded back to him. The facility contained Transmutants because it was the same one that brought about the rest of the Transmutants after Alpha and Lucky Dragon. He recalled how he, Destoroyah and several others returned five years after their escape and eliminated anyone within. Ironically, what was once their prison had now become their home.

Battra suddenly spotted an orange light through a door in the room. He, Megaguirus and Hok continued on, entering the room and found a young woman with red high lights in her hair lying down on an old mattress on the cold ground. She was wrapped in blankets. She noticed the visitors and sent a smile.

"Battra, it's good to see you." greeted the woman. Battra bowed in respect.

"Likewise, Abra." said Battra. Abra noticed Megaguirus standing beside Battra. She then made a forced smile.

"Ah. Megaguirus, it's good to see you too." said Abra. Megaguirus rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Hey. Good to be here." said Megaguirus. Battra then noticed the source of the light. The source of the light consisted of seven orbs that were within a slimed, organic substance that was wrapped around a large machine at the base. Inside of the orbs were small figures, one in each orb. Hok led Battra and Megaguirus closer to allow them to have a better look. Megaguirus stared with wide eyes as she held onto her sweater.

The pods contained human infants. They all floated in a fetal position inside of the pods. Battra and Megaguirus stared in awe at the beauty of life at such an early and innocent stage. They both couldn't remember the last time that they saw a baby. Suddenly, one of the infants squirmed and kicked, causing Battra to flinch. The sudden movement of Battra startled Megaguirus and caused her heart to jump. Hok chuckled in amusement at their startled state. He then noticed Battra's worried expression.

"Relax, she just kicked. She's fine." reassured Hok. Battra began to relax.

"O-of course." stuttered Battra. He felt silly for reacting so strongly at a baby's sudden movements. Megaguirus's light chuckle made him feel worse. He began to realize how different his life was from a normal one. Just the flinch of a premature baby raised concern due to his ignorance on how a Transmutant infant will develop compared to a normal human. Abra sighed in disappointment.

"I wish I could have had children normally. I've always wanted to feel the kick of my baby while I still had him or her in the womb." said Abria. Megaguirus twiddled her thumbs.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about holding all seven babies. God knows that would be painful to deliver." chuckled Megaguirus.

"Right." Abra said in a low tone. Megaguirus rubbed her arm and looked away and cleared her throat. Battra raised a brow at their exchange.

"Well, I have to congratulate you and your wife. They will grow into wonderful children." said Battra with a smile.

"Thank you. Man, we're going to have to change a lot of diapers." chuckled Hok. Battra shared his amusement.

"Well, if you'd like some help with gathering some necessities, I can take a team to find them." offered Battra.

"I couldn't possibly trouble you with errands that I should be doing. I mean, you're busy fighting battles and you're Destoroyah's second in command." said Hok.

"Nonsense. I can honestly use a break from the battlefield. I don't mind helping one of our own." said Battra with a dismissive wave. Hok gave a smile but then his face turned serious. He motioned Battra to follow him. The two male Transmutants walked further from the two women, who remained in an awkward silence.

"Battra, I'm worried about this generator that my wife had laid her eggs around. This thing has not been maintained in years and is continuously giving off radiation." said Hok as he stared at his children. Battra thought about what could worry him so much and then recalled that the facility mostly ran on radioactive generators. He then noticed the caution sign for radiation that was covered in slime on the generator.

"Battra, I'm afraid to remove the eggs if this machine shuts down or runs out of radiation. My wife claimed that she felt something inside of her take over to lay the eggs near something radioactive. What if my children need to consume this radiation more than we do?" asked Ho in dread. "Our babies will die if this machine shuts down.

Battra felt himself consumed by worry. MONARCH was not the only threat to the babies. There was the threat of not being able to provide them with the energy that they needed to be nourished. Battra calmed himself and gave Hok a hard stare.

"I'll make sure that we are prepared if that happens." said Battra. Hok nodded to him.

"Thank you."

Battra turned and faced Megaguirus, who stood and looked at him curiously.

"Come on. Let's leave them alone." said Battra as he made his way towards the exit. Megaguirus followed Battra quickly with a nervous expression. Hok noticed the scowl that Abra held.

"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Hok.

"I can't believe you invited that tramp inside." said Abra. Hok sighed in response.

"Dear, I was just being polite. Although she does fool around, I believe that she is genuinely a good person inside." said Hok. Abra sighed in response.

"One could only hope." said Abra. Hok smiled in amusement. He made his way over to his wide in bed and lied beside her. The couple watched their children as they continued to take in the radiation for nourishment.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" asked Abra.

"A few." said Hok with a smile. He then planted a kiss on his wife's cheek before the two cuddled in the warm blanket.

---

Battra and Megaguirus continued on through the facility alone in silence. Battra was busy planning on a contingency plan in case the generators were to shut down. Megaguirus had her hands behind her back.

"Hey, Battra." called Megaguirus. Battra snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face the woman.

"Why are you going out of your way to help them?" asked Megaguirus.

"Why? Well, it's as I said. I want an excuse to get out of fighting for a while and I am always willing to lend one of our own a hand." answered Battra. Megaguirus hummed in thought.

"I see." said Megaguirus. Battra felt the need to bring up a certain topic that he wanted to address.

"Tell me, why were you so nervous when we were inside?" asked Battra. Megaguirus went stiff at the question.

"Oh! Uh...you see..." Megaguirus rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Abra...she doesn't really like me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I once ended up flirting with Hok a week ago just for the fun of it. Next thing I know, Abra comes out of nowhere and starts screaming at me. I was honestly terrified. I wouldn't have flirted with Hok if I knew he was married. That's where I draw the line." admitted Megaguirus. She then sighed. "Battra, I know I come off as a skank by flirting with men the way I do. I don't fault you for thinking that way."

"Then why do it? Why go overboard with how you flirt if it's just for fun? That's sexual harassment." said Battra. Megaguirus looked towards the ceiling.

"I don't know. It's just my way of dealing with stress." said Megaguirus. Battra felt that it was part of the reason as to why she would be behaving in such a way. Still, he felt that there was something else to it that she wasn't telling him. He wanted to scan through her thoughts but thought it was wrong to invade her privacy. Therefore, he was surprised that she was opening up. He thought of her as a carefree individual that didn't seemed bothered by the situation that was going on with them. Perhaps, his initial opinion about Megaguirus was erroneous as even she was someone who had worries.

"Heh! Listen to me getting all mushy here. So lame." muttered Megaguirus. Battra frowned in response.

"Hey, do you want to be a part of my team to gather supplies for the babies?" asked Battra. Megaguirus had a slight blush.

"R-really? You want my help?" asked Megaguirus. Battra nodded in response.

"Yes. I heard you get bored, so I thought this would be something that could give you something to do." said Battra. He then gave her a smile. "I have also seen that you're pretty fast and light on your feet during our exercises." said Battra. Megaguirus held a mischievous grin as she raised her leg, revealing her boot-covered foot.

"Oh? You've been staring at my feet?" asked Megaguirus in a flirtatious tone. Battra began to wear a vague smile as a bead of sweat formed on the side of his head. Megaguirus moved closer and placed her leg on his shoulder, causing the man to stiffen and blush furiously.

"Want a closer look?" asked Megaguirus. Battra grabbed her leg and removed it from his shoulder.

"No, I'm good." said Battra. He then sighed in annoyance as Megaguirus gave him a wink. "Way to ruin the moment."

"Sorry, couldn't resist." said Megaguirus. She then patted Battra on his shoulder.

"I think I'll take you up on your offer, handsome." said Megaguirus. She then began to walk away, her hips swayed with every step. Battra shook his head and tore his eyes away from her sensuous figure.

"I need to be more careful around that woman." Battra said to himself. He then made his way over towards another hall, disappearing from Megaguirus's sight. The woman had turned and watched the man leave. She lightly smiled to herself as she turned back around, humming to herself as her chest filled with butterflies.

---

Later that night...

Destoroyah sat on his throne of rubble. The moon's light was shining down in the middle of the room while he was shrouded in darkness. In the room with him were Shinomura, Gaira, Titano and Ebirah. The four loyalists sat in the dark in a circle with cards in their hands. Ebirah turned and looked back to Destoroyah.

"Hey, wanna join in?" asked Ebirah. Destoroyah shook his head in response.

"No, thank you." declined Destoroyah. Titano frowned.

"Are you sure? Come on, just for old time's sake!" said Titano.

"Not tonight." said Destoroyah. The other four Transmutants sighed in response. Titano often wondered how becoming a leader of an entire group would just render that one person into a workaholic. Things haven't been the same, especially as their group began to expand. Suddenly, the Transmutants heard the sounds of footsteps. They turned and found Battra walking into the room. Gaira gave him a smile.

"Hey, Battra! Care to join in just like old times?" asked Gaira. Battra gave him a smile, nostalgia filling his eyes. But he then remembered his purpose for coming here.

"Sorry, not tonight. There's something important that I need to discuss with our leader." replied Battra.

"Fine. But you owe us a game." said Titano. Battra nodded to him. He then approached Destoroyah. He stood in the moon's light and bowed.

"What is it that you wanted to discuss, my student?" asked Destoroyah as he sat up straight.

"I wished to inform you that Hok's wife and children are doing well." said Battra. Destoroyah nodded in approval.

"Also, I wish to form a team led by me to gather necessities such as diapers, baby food, etc." said Battra, Destoroyah's brow raised.

"You want to lead this team? Battra, you're skills are needed in battle. The magazines that we have taken from the weapons of MONARCH still need to be gathered for the gems inside. Their enchanted abilities are what allow us to store radiation into them for ourselves." said Destoroyah.

"I understand. But, there are others that are qualified to do so. It's not like we're breaking into a prison. Besides, I have already promised Hok that I would do so." argued Battra. Destoroyah sighed.

"Very well. Since it is only that, I suppose I can let you slide just this once." said Destoroyah.

"I have a few people in mind to join me. Megaguirus, Mukade, and a few other Transmutants who are not warriors." said Battra.

"Alright. You may start as soon as possible." said Destoroyah. He then noticed Battra's uneasy expression. "Was there something else you wished to tell me?"

"Yes, Sensei. Hok has brought a concern in regards of the generator. He worries that it may shut down and cut off the radiation that the babies have been feeding on. We have nowhere else to put the eggs. Hok is even reluctant to move them." explained Battra.

"Fine. We will have to double our task at taking these gems from the weapons of MONARCH. We will continue to discuss this later." said Destoroyah. Battra bowed in response.

"Thank you, Sensei." said Battra. He then turned and made his way out of the room and down the hall. Shinomura glared at the Transmutant behind his back.

"Lord Destoroyah, what reason do we have to waste our time on caring for infants?" asked Shinomura. The remaining Transmutants all turned and focused their attention on the man.

"Reason? I'm pretty sure it's obvious why we would need to do so." retorted Ebirah with a deadpanned stare.

"They are a liability! You expect us to babysit while MONARCH is looking for our lair?!" demanded Shinomura as he glared at Ebirah.

"But these are babies that we're talking about! We can't just let them die when we can do something about it!" said Ebirah. Titano placed his cards down.

"I'm kind of split on the decision. On one hand, you make a valid point on the infants being more than what we are used to. It could be a bit of a distraction with what we're doing to find supplies that we need for them." said Titano. He then rubbed the back of his neck. "On the other hand, we might give our members a bad impression if we don't do anything."

"Honestly, I don't care. Whatever you guys want to do, go for it." said Gaira. Ebirah gave him a look of disapproval.

"Real helpful of you."

"Hey, they're not my babies." retorted Gaira. Destoroyah sighed in response.

"After listening to the options, I've decided to go along with Battra's plan. He has offered to take Transmutants who are not warriors. There is no need to worry about losing our muscle advantage. I would hate to lose any of our loyalists, anyway." said Destoroyah. He then looked up to the moon's light.

"If all else fails, the babies will die. No one can fault us since it was beyond our control. We just need Battra to stay alive." said Destoroyah.

"Just Battra? Are we not expecting the others?" asked Ebirah.

"I'm not. Some of these Transmutants do nothing but sit on their asses anyway. I have no tolerance for Transmutants not acting. If something were to go wrong, this could root out the weak in our midst." said Destoroyah. Ebirah looked down.

"How will Battra react if members were to die while in his care?" asked Ebirah. Destoroyah looked to him with a cold stare.

"We tell him what he needs to hear. 'They were weak. They were only going to drag us down with their lack of fighting spirit'." answered Destoroyah. Ebirah gritted his teeth. Ever since the group increased in number, Destoroyah no longer spoke of standing together as one. Destoroyah only spoke of unity among the other Transmutants. Something had changed in Destoroyah during the years. He had grown more ruthless and the thought of how far Destoroyah will go frightened him. He wasn't the man he knew all of those years ago.

Comments

[ben24]

Este es un capitulo muy informativo. Sabes cuando di mi primer comentario me olvide de poner otra pareja que se me ocurrio titanoxtwilight devido a un caso especial que explicare, segun la toho titanosaurus es un kaiju de la faccion de los mutantes pero se lo considera neutral y algunas veces se lo relaciona con los defensores de la tierra, por lo que pense si el de tu historia muestra una actitud neutral podria ser que en alguna parte de la historia se encontrara con twilight quien podria tratar de hablar con el y lo convenciera de separarse del grupo de destroya.claro que es solo una idea, actualmente quisiera saber como será la forma de mukade al transformarse. Gracias por el capitulo.

[AtTheCrimsonFckr]

6038437 Wat?

[SCP-096]

6038437 Uhhh... you do know this is the U.S.A. right?

[Johng117]

6039954 Oh come on, there's no need for that. This is the internet. A global computer network.

[SCP-096]

6040324

No idea what happened just now. :P

[ben24]

Quisiera preguntar pasara en la historia que algun personaje en la historia encueencuentre una cura para los transmutantes como el doctor samuek sterns en la pelicula de hulk?. Por otro lado por fin pude ver x-men: dias del pasado futuro que me pareció una buena película aunque sacar algunas ideas de esta para la historia creo que no quedaria bien. Con respecto a la pregunta de la cidra es una bevida echa de manzana, con paca concentracion de alcohol.cuando le echan azucar para endulzarla mas es cuando aumenta el contenido alcoholico.

[AuthorKnight90]

"How will Battra react if members were to die while in his care?" asked Ebirah. Destoroyah looked to him with a cold stare.
"We tell him what he needs to hear. 'They were weak. They were only going to drag us down with their lack of fighting spirit'." answered Destoroyah.

Uh, I wonder if Destoroyah is a Darwinism fanatic.

cdn.omg-facts.com/2012/8/21/afc031a5390a2d79d7dcc9ce845c79a0

cdn.meme.am/instances/54634111.jpg

With that said I make me wonder just how long before even some of his own people start to turn on him? Not to mention when Junior figures out that Destoroyah is the one who kill his own father. Junior going to have major identity crisis with not only Monarch made him and his father into transmutant but a transmutant kill his father. He might have that chance to go neutral like the heisei or just go 'screw everyone around him'.

[Ultimate Warrior of Zera]

Ebirah is a pretty cool dude and Megaguirus is as hot and amusing as ever. I'm sensing dissension in the ranks.

[LegionCenturionMaster]

"I do hate her. I hate her because...she..."

Yes...?

The next day...

Oh come on!