Chapter 58: Exposed
It was the early noon. Gojira Senior was walking alongside Baragon in silence. The two were in the middle of town, cautiously navigating their way to their destination.
"I don't like this. The idea of meeting with the new Director of MONARCH," said Baragon.
"I know, but it'd be wise to comply. They could take it real personally if I refused," said Senior. "We already have somewhat of a truce. They look the other way of our group's existence so long as we do not look for trouble. And we keep the Ark hidden from everyone else and out of the hands of unsavory individuals," said Senior as the two made their way over to an alley. From the end was a lone man dressed in dark casual clothes, whose eyes fell on the two.
"Gojira Takeshi?" called the man.
"Correct. I understand that someone wanted to see me," said Senior as he stepped deeper into the alley. The lone man tossed a cigarette aside as he picked up a briefcase.
"Unfortunately, the Director was too busy to come in person," said the man. Baragon narrowed his eyes as he tensed.
"Then what's the deal with luring us out into the open? I hope you aren't trying some funny business," said Baragon.
"The Director may not be present, but that doesn't mean that you won't have anything to discuss," said the man as he opened his briefcase. He drew out a tablet with a screen that sprung to life. The MONARCH insignia appeared, before being replaced by Hayato Yoshi's face.
"Gojira Takeshi. A pleasure to see you have made it. I apologize, I have a lot on my plate right now to meet with you personally," said Hayato. Senior nodded.
"You told Baragon that there was an infection, which my oldest son has contracted," said Senior. Hayato nodded with a sigh.
"Yes. An unfamiliar infection was from a meteorite that crashed into the facility. There were lives lost to the infection of both guards and prisoners. It was nothing like we have ever seen before," said Hayato with a sigh. "Among the infected were Xenjira, your son. When cremating the bodies to prevent a further spread of infection, he just suddenly got up. We thought he was dead, but..."
"I see," said Senior. It seemed that his immune system was much more advanced then he realized. If his eldest son was able to survive the pathogen from beyond the stars, then nobody knew what the limits of Xenjira’s immune system were.
"Xenjira is out there right now on Equestrian soil, carrying a deadly pathogen. It's highly contagious. Not even the best filters we've installed into the ventilation system can prevent it from spreading. We could be looking at a pandemic," said Hayato in a grim tone. Senior and Baragon looked to each other briefly.
"And you want me to find him?" asked Senior.
"I know how it sounds. Asking you to help our organization find and capture your son, but I ask that you look at the bigger picture," said Hayato. Baragon crossed his arms. Personally, he wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over helping MONARCH catch Xenjira. He was a piece of shit to him after all. However, despite Baragon’s feelings on the matter, it was ultimately up to Senior to decide since it was his call.
"Then it seems I have no choice," said Senior. Baragon bore a look of surprise. He was certain this man would be a little more against it. Hayato nodded.
"Thank you, Takeshi. We will have a transport chopper sent to the forest. You are free to bring three of your own along if you wish," said Hayato.
"That won't be necessary. Only I will be coming," said Senior. Baragon's eyes widened.
"Understood. Be ready by evening," said Hayato as the transmission ended. The man in dark clothes closed the laptop and placed it away.
"Rather gutsy," said the man as he left the area. Baragon looked at Senior incredulously.
"What the hell are you thinking?! You can't go along by yourself!" said Baragon.
"It'll be fine. Just a precaution in case they try something funny. Besides..." Senior began to walk off with a hard expression.
"I have to be the one that finds him," said Senior.
A large house stood among other large houses in Caterlot city. A fence surrounded it, bearing an Omega symbol at the front gate. Inside of this large house, patterned marble floor made up the ground. Throughout the house, there were decorations that were reminiscent of Grecian culture. But mostly, there were references to its mythology. Vases stood, decorated with silhouettes of heroes, gods, and monsters. There were paintings of Olympus, Zeus and his fellow gods, and events illustrated from their lore. In a room, just below the house, there was a lab. Cabinets filled with chemicals and other substances sat. Discord chuckled as he stood at a counter, using a dropper to introduce a substance into a beaker. In sealed containers were silhouettes of different animals on them. And on a vial was a sticker that read, 'G-cells'.Discord bore a giddy look on his face as he continued to work. Bags were under his eyes.
"How can anyone rest when they have access to genetic perfection?" asked Discord out loud.
"Ah yes. Mixing and matching some of the best traits in the animal kingdom along with Transmutant DNA. Oh wondrous potential this holds for advancing the human genome!" laughed Discord as he continued to work.
Twilight Sparkle took a breath as she stood facing Amber, who fluttered in the air. The petite teen tensed as she held her hands slightly up, with her eyes narrowed. Nothing but silence was between the two. Suddenly, Amber shot a bolt of energy, zapping Twilight in the stomach.
"Ow!" cried Twilight as she held her stinging stomach. Amber sighed heavily.
"You're too slow, Twilight. Your reaction time will mean the difference between life and death," said Amber in a lecturing tone. Twilight rubbed her belly with a grimace.
"I'm trying. But it's hard to react fast enough," said Twilight.
"You just have to be faster!" said Rainbow as she suddenly zipped by Twilight's side.
"You see, the trick is to not think. Just act," said Rainbow with a smirk. Amber suddenly shot a bolt towards Rainbow, who merely swayed her body to the side, avoiding the bolt.
"See?" said Rainbow. Twilight scoffed.
"Yeah but you have super speed!" said Twilight. Sunset walked by as her hand glowed from levitating several rocks in the air, slightly sweating.
"She has a point, Twi. I think you're more focused on what you're going to do instead of acting in the moment," said Sunset.
"But that sounds so reckless! It'd be more effective to plan out how to subdue your opponent, right?" asked Twilight. She heard a scoff, prompting her to find Junior to be on his phone, leaning against a tree.
"What's there to plan? Just use whatever you got to beat the shit out of someone," said Junior. Twilight sent him a deadpanned look.
"Well you sound experienced. Care to enlighten me?" sassed Twilight.
"As a matter of fact, Twilight, I am. I've had plenty of time to learn through trial and error to win a fight. First, you need to learn to not be afraid to get hit," said Junior as put his phone away and stepped over to her. Twilight backed away nervously.
"Y-You're not going to hit me, are you?" asked Twilight nervously.
"No, of course not. Now if you were a guy..." Junior muttered the last part to himself.
"You see, you don't have a lot going on for yourself," said Junior as he drew the other girls' attention.
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight. Junior placed a hand on her head and caused her to slightly hunch down and bend her knees.
"For one, you're tiny," said Junior. Twilight growled in annoyance as Junior smirked at her.
"You're average in speed. And you're weak too. Hell, I bet Fluttershy could kick your ass," said Junior with a chuckle. Fluttershy looked away in discomfort.
"But you can at least use your stature to at least move faster than those larger than you. Though I have no confidence in you in particular," said Junior as he ruffled Twilight's hair. The girl pushed his hand away.
"Why are you being so mean to me?! Is this about your poems?" complained Twilight. Junior sent her a glare.
"Hey, we don't talk about that, half-pint," said Junior in a low tone.
"You know, I don't appreciate you putting me down like that," said Twilight as she crossed her arms.
"Well, prove me wrong," said Junior.
"Fine! I will! Amber-" Twilight was interrupted as Junior took off his sweater.
"No, let's try something else. Test your reflexes with me," said Junior. Twilight bore a blank look.
"Huh?" asked Twilight.
"I'm going to pin you. You have to avoid, counter, which ever you prefer, my attack," said Junior. Twilight bore a nervous look as she backed away.
"I-I'm not comfortable with that," said Twilight in a small tone.
"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. Just come at me with whatever you got," said Junior. Twilight reluctantly stepped forward, while raising her fists. Junior raised a brow. The girl made small steps, as if she were a boxer hot on her toes. Everyone bore confused looks.
"What are you doing?" asked Rainbow with a snort.
"Getting ready for him to come at me," said Twilight as she swung her fists through the air, while taking quick breaths. Junior pinched the bridge of his nose.
'This nerd...' thought Junior. He raised his head.
"Let's see what you got. You come at me first," said Junior. Twilight reluctantly stepped forward, with her fists still raised. With a grunt, she swung at Junior, who stepped back and avoided the punch.
"Come on, I'm wide open," said Junior. Twilight stepped forward and swung a fist again. The Transmutant stepped back again.
"Come on," taunted Junior with a smirk. Twilight grew flustered as she quickly rushed towards Junior. With a cry, she swung her fist. However, Junior caught her by the forehead and held her back. Twilight grunted as she swung her fists in a futile attempt to hit her opponent. Rainbow and Sunset were stifling their laughter at the sight, while Pinkie giggled. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy couldn't help but feel embarrassed for the petite girl.
"Now that's just sad," said Applejack as she shook her head. Junior bore an amused look as Twilight still continued to swing her fists at him.
"You jerk!" said Twilight.
"What? You're allowed to use your spells. You have plenty of opportunities. Instead you’re just taking me head on like an idiot," said Junior as he drew out his phone and checked the time, while still holding Twilight back. Twilight slightly gasped to herself as an idea came in her mind. Her hand glowed from a raspberry colored aura that sparkled in the air. She was about to swing her fist at Junior again, but the Transmutant quickly grabbed her by the wrist and held her arm back. Twilight was unable to process the fact that her attack was stopped and found her leg being swept by Junior. She yelped as she fell back and found Junior quickly kneeling with her, as his hand cushioned the back of her head as he held a tight grip on Twilight's wrist. The girl bore a shocked look as Junior looked down at her with an unimpressed look.
"Don't ever get in a fight," deadpanned Junior as he stood up, pulling Twilight up to her feet. The girl looked down at the ground with a scowl as her cheeks were red from her growing frustration.
Fillydelphia...
Battra found himself walking alongside Maud through the city. The frosted city was noisy from all of the traffic. The two had found themselves walking towards a large park just in the city. It was much quieter over here compared to the city. The snow covered trees stood tall as far as the eye could see. The center of the park bore a frozen pond, where dozens of people were present. Families and couples were skating across the frozen lake. Battra was about to continue walking down the path in the park, stopping as he noticed that Maud wasn't following him. He turned and found her to be staring off to the frozen pond. Battra softly smiled as he stood by her side.
"Looks fun," said Battra, causing Maud to slightly jump with a start. The Transmutant looked to the quiet girl.
"Wanna give it a go?" asked Battra. Maud didn't answer. Instead, she removed her backpack from her shoulders and knelt down to the ground. Battra bore a surprised look as Maud drew out a pair of ice skates.
"You already have a pair of skates?" asked Battra incredulously. Maud avoided eye contact as her cheeks seemed to have grown redder than it previously was from the cold. Battra lightly chuckled.
"It doesn't hurt to plan. But I didn't think to bring any skates," said Battra. Maud stood up as she pointed to where the pond was.
"There's a stand giving away skates for rent," said Maud. Battra followed her finger's point and found the stand that she was referring to. A family had just paid the owner in exchange for pairs of skates.
"Oh, problem solved," said Battra. He later found himself renting a pair of ice skates from the stand, where he was then placing them on. Maud had stood up before him and stepped onto the ice. The grinding from the blades attached to her soles was clear.
"Ready?" asked Maud. Battra took a breath as he took a breath and shakily stepped onto the ice. He gasped as he felt himself slipping. He slid on the ice as he stiffly stood with his legs slightly parted and his arms outstretched in an attempt to keep himself balanced. Maud stared as the Transmutant took nervous breaths as he attempted to skate.
"Oh crap!" yelped Battra as he nearly fell to the icy surface beneath them. Maud quickly made her way in front of him and took his hands. Battra breathed heavily.
"Thanks, Maud," said Battra. Maud softly smiled.
"Just relax," said Maud. She began to lead him further out to the pond, but a good distance away from others that shared the pond with them. Along the way, Battra was struggling to keep himself from falling to the ground. Maud released one hand and led him on with her remaining hand.
"You're doing good," said Maud.
"I don't feel good," said Battra as he kept his eyes on his feet. Maud smiled in amusement. The two began to skate around together in a general area that they had to themselves. Their hands were firmly locked together the whole time. Maud looked to Battra.
"I'm going to let you go now," said Maud. Battra's eyes widened. He bore a slight look of panic.
"Whoa, wait!" yelped Battra as Maud released his hand. He attempted to reach for her hand in a futile attempt to keep her from leaving him, but felt himself about to fall over. He quickly shot himself upright to regain his balance. He chuckled in relief as he remained standing.
"I think I got it!" said Battra. He moved to skate forward, but lost his balance immediately.
"And I jinxed myself!" said Battra as he wobbled and was about to fall face down on the ice. Maud quickly pressed her hands against his chest and shoulder to keep him from falling. Battra sighed in relief.
"Phew. Thanks a lot," said Battra.
"No problem..." Maud trailed off as she found her face inches from Battra's. She found herself looking into his red eyes. She felt her knees growing a bit weak as her hands rested against his chest and shoulder. Her heart began to beat much faster than she was used to. Maud quickly pulled away, causing Battra to yelp as he fell onto his rear. Maud placed a hand over her mouth as her eyes were wide in realization of what she had done. Battra winced as he sat on the ice.
"I'm sorry," said Maud as she knelt down and held her hand out. Battra took her hand and was helped back up to his feet, but wobbled. Maud tensed as she was about to catch him should he fall, but the Transmutant regained his balance on his own.
"I never was good at skating," chuckled Battra.
"We can stop, if you want," said Maud with a slight worried expression.
"Nah, let's keep going. I'll be damned if I don't at least learn how to stay on my feet on the ice today," said Battra with a smile.
Later...
Battra sighed heavily as he dropped himself on a bench. He was sweating under his jacket and panting. Maud took a seat beside him as she removed her skates. She nodded to him with a smile.
"You did good," said Maud. Battra sighed.
"Thanks. I may be hurting in the next morning," chuckled Battra as he slumped in his seat after removing his own skates. Maud bore an amused smile. She was about to speak but felt her phone in her pocket vibrate. She drew out her phone and found a notification from her social media app.
"Oh. It looks like Matthew Kingston is about to appear. Shall we get going?" asked Maud. Battra nodded, seeming to have been instantly rejuvenated. He quickly began to place on his shoes while Maud placed on her own boots.
Soon, the two found themselves walking through the city together. Maud glanced at Battra as her cheeks grew red. Her mind wandered back to when they were on the ice. How she felt the toned build of the Transmutant on the palm of her hands. The girl quickly looked away as Battra looked her way. Her blush deepened.
Meanwhile, a drone hovered through the air above the sight of the citizens. The camera on the drone focused on the crowds that walked. From the POV of the drone, the controller found herself growing a bit increasingly frustrated.
Adrian was standing on the roof of a building. Her suit was adorned, and her pack was warmed up, ready to ignite should see find her target. However, she was unable to act. There were too many people in the area and would prove to get in her way.
"Fuck! We spend the first few hours looking for this prick and right when we find him, there's a crowd!" said Adrian as she removed her helmet and looked to the her companion on the roof with her. Alexandra shrugged.
"Well, what do you want to do?" asked Alexandra.
"I kinda just want to swoop down there and pick him from the crowd and drop him on the pavement, but I risk grabbing the wrong individual," said Adrian an annoyed sigh as she placed back on her helmet.
"Alexandra, get back to the van. I have an idea," said Adrian.
"Wh-What are you gonna do?" asked Alexandra with an uncertain look.
"Something stupid. But it's our best shot to finish this quickly. I'm going to need your help. Are you up for it?" asked Adrian. Alexandra nodded.
Later, Battra and Maud were walking towards a crowded area, where many citizens had gathered. The crowd was standing by a large church that bore multi-colored stained glass windows. There was a stage in front of the building, where a podium was front and center. Pictures from cameras flashed from the citizens, cheering loudly as they called for the name, "Matthew".
Battra and Maud began to navigate through the crowd. Along the way, they found men and women and children holding up signs. These signs bore different appearances. One of them bore an image of different colored stick figures that reflected that of different ethnicities, standing together with hands locked. However, one of them was green in color. Battra was familiar with this kind of sign. The green figure was meant to represent those with Transmutant traits. Of course, that wasn't to say that Transmutants tended to be green, but it was likely the best that someone could come up to represent the Transmutant race.
Battra and Maud made their way to the front, standing beside several other citizens. It was here that Battra was able to see that there were clearly a number of Transmutants present along with humans. There were so many people in one spot, moving in excitement that it was difficult to count how many from both groups were present here. A lot of Transmutants had their sleeves rolled up, revealing their I.D. tattoos or wear shirts that read, "Proud Freak". It was ironic how some Transmutants were able to brand themselves with such a shirt that bore a word that was often used to stigmatize them in particular. Battra even found couples around him, but what stood out the most to him was that some of the couples were comprised of human and Transmutant partners. The Transmutant couldn't help but glance at Maud as she drew her phone out and held it up to record. Battra looked away with his cheeks hot.
The crowd began to go wild as a vehicle had pulled up on the corner of the church. Battra focused on the crowd and found that a couple of men in dark suits stood by the vehicle as another man emerged from the back of the vehicle. He was a tall man, with a muscled build. He was led to the stage as the people that had gathered were cheering his name. The man stepped to the podium as he waved to the crowd. Battra found himself grinning from ear to ear as he found Kingston before him and the crowd. The crowd settled as the man stepped to the podium. He greeted everyone with a smile.
"Good afternoon. I'm happy to see that you all have showed up to this gathering here today," said Kingston, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and applause. His voice echoed out through the air from the microphone.
"I see those of all ages, creeds and other backgrounds. While there are differences among us as individuals, but we all have things in common. That is the pursuit of happiness and freedom," said Kingston, as the crowd cheered.
"I have dreamed since I was a child that both human and Transmutant would one day drink from the rivers of prosperity and walk in the path of love as the Lord intended for all of his children," said Kingston.
"Little by little, we have been nearing that dream. Despite the actions of those who intend to keep us divided, we remain undeterred. Do not let yourselves give in to rage and violence by the actions of both the Purists and the Revolutionaries. They use violence against anyone who stand in their way. Neither have our best interest in mind, for they only wish to dominate," said Kingston. More cheers erupted from the crowd, while Battra listened, feeling inspiration from this man's words.
"They will guilt you, by claiming that you are 'traitors' to your race. They will condemn you for wishing good will for all. That is the reality of them. We should not judge one other based on genetic traits, between human and Transmutant. Rather, we should look to the content of the individual's character. Their ideas. For that is what matters the most," said Kingston. Battra automatically found himself applauding the man along with the crowd. Maud had joined in the applause as well.
As Kingston continued to speak, Battra felt the hairs on his skin raise. He felt extreme discomfort and began to look around, growing more anxious. The back of his head had a tingling sensation that nagged him like an alarm. All he saw around him was the sea of people that he helped made up, but the disturbance he felt was not coming from any of them. Battra's eyes caught sight of an object quickly moving through the air high above, becoming difficult to discern with the sunlight in his eyes. It moved so fast that it quickly disappeared from his sight. But a trail of pellets began to fall from the air. Battra bore a look of horror.
"Get down!" shouted Battra at the top of his lungs, but his voice was drowned out by the audience. The pellets landed in the middle of the crowd, bursting into smoke. People screamed in panic from the small explosions. The smoke began to spread through the crowd, even towards Battra and Maud. The two stood close together as they cupped their mouths and noses from the smoke. Citizens fled in panic, some bumping and shoving into each other from the smoke. Meanwhile, the bodyguards of Kingston quickly rushed to his side and escorted him off the stage.
Battra took Maud's hand and began to walk her away from the chaos, as they coughed from the smoke that filled the air. Suddenly, Battra heard the sound of something whizzing passed his head. Like a small object had just zipped passed him. His eyes caught sight of the concrete, which bore a hole where dust and debris flowed out of the ground. Battra whipped his head behind himself, his strong sight locking onto a small apartment building down the street. He sighted someone on the roof, aiming a sniper rifle. Battra quickly pushed Maud away, who gasped in alarm as she stumbled back. Battra dropped to the ground as the distant sound of the rifle being fired echoed out. The bullet missed him and he rushed away from the open as the shooter kept firing. Battra took cover behind a public mailbox, where he heard the bullet collide with the metal. He turned and found Maud attempting to get through the crowd to reach him.
"Stay back! Get to safety!" shouted Battra. Maud was about to protest but was unable to as her eyes widened.
"Behind you!" cried Maud. Battra turned back and found Adrian in her Nightwing suit, flying towards him with her legs raised up.
"Missed me, bastard?!" shouted Adrian as her metal clawed boots gripped the Transmutant by the shoulders, carrying off into the air.
"Battra!" cried Maud. Adrian soared over the crowd and towards the stage. She released the Transmutant and allowed him to crash into the podium. He grunted as he painfully stood up as Adrian flew off to gain a bit of distance.
"Feel free to shoot any Muties you find. Night Angel is mine," said Adrian over her COM. The sniper nodded as he looked down.
"Finally! Something other than driving! And I know just the one to shoot first," said the sniper as he focused his sight on Kingston as he was led to the vehicle he had arrived in. He fired, and the bullet traveled through the barrel and across the street. Maud had flinched having heard the shot. Then, she noticed Kingston dropping to the ground. Her eyes widened in horror as Battra turned in shock from the stage. He watched as Kingston fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground. His bodyguards rushed over him in attempt to shield him. Battra's eyes hardened in rage as they flash violet. He turned to where he had seen the sniper. His eyes then glowed brightly and fired the beams of energy from them. The beams shot across the air, racing towards the roof of the building where the sniper was. The sniper had little time to react as the beams struck his rifle, scorching it in half. He cried out with a yelp as he dropped the halves of the gun, which burned from the heat.
Maud stared in shock at the feat that the Transmutant was pulling. Battra then turned his head, dragging the beam across the air and followed after Adrian. The Purist performed evasive maneuvers to avoid the beams. She then dove from the air and towards the Transmutant. As she soared just a few feet above the ground, she retracted her wings as her pack shut off, allowing her to roll onto the ground towards the Transmutant. Before Battra could focus his beams on the Purist, Adrian shot back up from the ground and kicked him in the jaw. Battra spun from the kick, causing the beams from his eyes to wildly drag across the area, scorching through lampposts, cars, and the walls of buildings. Battra clenched his eyes shut, stopping the beams, but was met with punches to the face. Battra opened his eyes again, now able to focus on his opponent rather than causing more collateral damage. He swung his fist towards the woman but missed, being countered with a punch to his rib. Battra grunted and swung his knee against Adrian, forcing her back. She then reached to her boot and drew out a serrated toothed combat knife. Battra got into a defensive stance as his eyes narrowed.
"I'll say it again. Walk away," said Battra as he balled one hand into a fist.
"Fuck you," said Adrian in a low tone. She then lunged for the Transmutant and began slash through the air at him. Battra dodged each slash, then he caught he wrist and jabbed his hand against her gut. Adrian grunted in pain and dropped her knife, allowing Battra to swing her over his shoulder and over towards a trash can. Adrian panted as she quickly got up, while Battra approached with a hard expression.
"So be it," said Battra as he rushed towards the Purist. However, he stopped as he heard what he would associate with sci-fi laser bolt sounds. Several yellow-orange bolts raced through the air and onto the ground at his feet. Battra quickly turned and found Alexandra to be wearing the Prototype Armor that she had snagged from the Purist base. Her gauntlets glowed brightly as a hum came from her suit.
"I got your back, Adrian!" said Alexandra as she shot her fists forward, as her large gauntlets glowed brightly. From the gauntlets came the same yellow-orange bolts that had hit the ground. Battra leaped out of the way as the bolts whizzed towards him, crashing into whatever surface they found.
"The hell?!" exclaimed Battra as he landed. He then found Alexandra to be rushing towards him with her arm raised. From her gauntlet shot out a long blade-like object, appearing like the bolts that she had been firing at him. The blade gave a hum as she swung at Battra, who rolled out of the way. The blade scratched through the concrete, creating a cut at least an inch deep. Alexandra continued to swing her blade at Battra, who kept dodging each swing.
Meanwhile, Maud was rushing towards where Kingston and his body guards were. She drew out her phone as the Transmutant lied on the ground.
"I just called an ambulance! They're on their way!" said Maud. One of the guards looked to her.
"Stay here with him!" said the bodyguard as he drew out a handgun and rushed passed her.
"Hey!" called the remaining guard, startling Maud.
"He needs your help! I need you to keep pressure on his wound!" said the guard urgently as he held his jacket over Kingston's chest, who gave labored breaths. Maud nodded as she got on her knees and placed her hands on the jacket, applying pressure. She found Kingston looking at her as his breathing grew worse.
"Help's on its way," said Maud.
Back with Battra, the Transmutant caught Alexandra's arm before she could bring the blade against him. He slugged her against her helmet, causing her to stagger. The blade vanished from the gauntlet and Battra took the opportunity to kick her in the chest, sending her several feet away. Suddenly, Adrian soared towards him and kicked him in the chest. Her clawed boots pinned him to the ground as she stood on top of him. Adrian raised her carbon fiber wings, where the sharp blades extended out from the tips. She was about to bring the wings down but was shot in an exposed section of her armor. She cried out in agony as her left arm lowered and bled. Battra looked back and found one of Kingston's guards to be rushing in, with his handgun drawn. He began to pop off three more shots. One missed, and two dented Adrian's armor. The Purist growled as she raised her good arm with the wing in an attempt to shield herself. The guard suddenly grunted as a stream of bullets rained down on him. He dropped to the ground as Adrian's drone flew overhead, with a smoking gun barrel. Battra shot his hand forward, focusing his telekinesis. Adrian cried out as she was sent flying several feet away, landing on a car. She groaned in pain from the impact along with the gunshot wound in her arm. Battra stood up with a grunt and wiped his bleeding nose. He began to approach Adrian as she dropped off of the car. Glass crinkled under her as she crawled on the ground.
Before Battra could come closer, he turned and found the drone to be soaring his way. The drone fired a hail of bullets, forcing the Transmutant to run for cover. He peeked from cover and shot forth his eye beams, which was quickly cut off as he was struck in the back of the head. Battra dropped to his hands and knees, while Alexandra rose up her arm as a blade appeared. Battra quickly turned and caught her wrist. The blade hummed as it just inches above his head. The two grunted as they struggled to overpower each other. The sound of sirens filled his hearing. He took a moment to glance off to the side, where he found a few police cars to be screeching to a halt. Officers exited from the vehicles with their fire arms drawn.
"Freeze!" shouted one of the officers.
"Goddamn pigs!" spat Alexandra as she aimed her free arm towards the police, firing multiple bolts from the gauntlets. One of the officers was pierced by the bolts and dropped to the ground, while the rest took cover by their cars. Battra grunted as he took advantage of the distraction, where he forced his foot against her shin. Alexandra grunted in pain as she fell, only to for Battra to push her off of himself to the side, where she rolled onto the concrete. Battra quickly rolled away as the police got out of cover. Alexandra shot up and proceeded to fire her gauntlets as the police shot at her. Battra began to scan the area as the fire fight went on. He caught sight of Adrian running off holding her bleeding arm. Battra hardened his eyes as he shot up to his feet and sprinted down after her. Adrian made her way to an alley where Battra followed close behind. He lunged after her, delivering a kick into her back, knocking her down. He panted as Adrian rolled onto her back, breathing heavily.
"You're going to answer for what you did," said Battra. His hearing then picked up the sound of a door bursting open. He quickly turned and found the sniper to be aiming a hand gun at him. Battra lunged through the air like a flea before the sniper could pop any shots at him. He grabbed his wrist and forced his arm away. The sniper was punching and attempting to force him off, while trying to aim his gun at the Transmutant. Battra used his free hand and jabbed the elbow of the Purist. The bones snapped in his arm, causing the Purist to cry out in agony. Battra then slammed his opponent's head against the concrete wall. The Transmutant turned and found Adrian to be limping out to the street. Battra broke into a sprint after her. The purist briefly aimed a pistol at him and fired blind shots. Battra took cover by the nearby dumpster. As he took off from cover, a van screeched to a halt in front of Adrian. From the sliding side door, Alexandra was revealed with damage done to her armor.
"Surprise, bitch!" shouted Alexandra as she fired multiple bolts from her gauntlet. Battra grunted a curse as he rolled for cover by a parked car. The bolts shattered and dented the steel surface of the vehicle.
"Andale! Hurry up!" cried Carla from the driver seat in urgency. Adrian hopped in the back of the van with a pant.
"Wait, where's-" Carla searched the back of the van.
"Fuck him! Let's just get out of here!" shouted Adrian. Carla reluctantly slammed her foot on the gas pedal, causing the van to take off with a screech. Battra got out of cover and shot his eye beams again, scorching back door of the van. Carla screamed in panic.
"Keep driving!" shouted Adrian as she and Alexandra fired back at Battra. The Transmutant cried out in pain as a bullet entered his shoulder, causing him to stumble and for his eye beam to cut through a lamppost and scorch the asphalt. The Purists escaped his sight as the van rounded a street corner, passed a building that hid them from his sight. Battra held his bleeding shoulder, cursing under his breath. He then heard sirens coming from behind. He turned and found dark vehicles and an armored truck with the MONARCH insignia to be rolling his way. The vehicles stopped and out came MONARCH soldiers to be coming out with their weapons drawn.
"Freeze! Hands up!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"We have you surrounded!" shouted another soldier. Battra gritted his teeth as he turned to face the soldiers with his hands raised.
"Hey! Hey! Don't move! Any sign of resistance will be met with force!" shouted another soldier. Battra's breathing quickened as the soldiers cautiously approached him with their weapons raised. He could try to find a way out of this mess, but he knew that things may play out a whole lot worse. It was futile. He was caught, and they would discover a lot that he tried to keep hidden.
"On your knees!" ordered a soldier. Battra got on his knees as he kept his hands raised. A soldier came from behind and locked an inhibitor collar against his neck, which pierced its needles into the back of his neck. He winced and found his hands bounded by cuffs, as a chopper flew overhead.
'Im sorry, Mosu,' thought Battra. The Transmutant was stood up to his feet and escorted to the armored truck.
Battra was sitting in a cell with his cuffs on and his inhibitor collar on. A depressed look was on his face as he sat in a holding cell in an unfamiliar location. He heard his cellphone to be vibrating on a desk counter. A man was sitting at the desk as he looked through some paper work.
"Hey. Could you answer that for me?" asked Battra. The man was silent. The phone continued to vibrate.
"Come on, man. That could be my friend. Or even my sister," said Battra pleadingly.
"No phone calls. Maybe you should've thought of not tampering with your inhibitor chip. That's a federal offense," said the man as he switched on the television. Battra sighed heavily.
"So how long am I here for?" asked Battra.
"Till tomorrow. Then you're off to the vault," said the man. Battra's eyes widened.
"Bu- Hold on, I'm entitled to a trial, under the Metamorphosis Law, Section 2-5. 'Any Transmutants detained for exhibiting behaviors that result under the lack and/or malfunctioning inhibitor, are to receive a hearing from the Director of MONARCH and state court'." said Battra.
"I know the law. But I doubt you'll get off," said the man as he went back to his paper work. Battra sighed heavily. He then noticed the news playing on the television.
"Just hours ago, a mass shooting occurred in Phillydelphia by a local church, during an event put together by Transmutant civil rights activist, Matthew Kingston," said the news anchor as footage of the street where the attack occurred was shown. Yellow police tape closed off the area.
"Authorities responded, but were met with casualties by the shooters," said the news anchor. Battra bore a hard expression as he watched the television.
"After the shooting, Kingston died from his wounds inflicted by the shooter. Tonight, the Transmutant community mourns their loss," said the news anchor. Battra's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he heard. He didn't want to believe it, but it was senseless to deny reality. Kingston had died. No, he was murdered. The man that the Transmutant and human race needed, was gone. He clenched his fists and bowed his head. His blood boiled with anger.
'It's all my fault. If I hadn't shown up, this wouldn't have happened,' thought Battra. Kingston, the police, and the standbyers… their pain and deaths were all on him.
Aiko found herself panting as she clutched a rifle against her chest. Her body slightly trembled as she heard the sound of enraged cries that were a mix of roars. She quickly dashed from behind a wall, as a couple of other MONARCH soldiers fired their weapons. Before her eyes, she found Angirasu Riku, her son, to be roaring as his flesh was covered in thick scales as his body was morphing before her very eyes. He was slamming his evolving body into the closest soldiers, knocking them back. He dropped onto his hands as he developed a slightly arched back, where spikes began to protrude from his flesh. Tusks grew from his upper jaw, and horns sprouted over his head, like a frill. He roared as he charged towards Aiko, who clenched her eyes shut as she pulled the trigger, unloading dozens of tranquilizer darts into the Transmutant's hide. She heard him groan and collapse onto the ground. She opened her eyes, finding the Transmutant stuck in a state between human and beast, lying on the ground unconscious. Aiko panted as she dropped her rifle to the ground. Soldiers swept in and began to raise the Transmutant up to his feet, as they locked an inhibitor collar around his neck. A MONARCH containment truck rolled in, opening up from the back to allow the soldiers to place him inside. Aiko rushed over to the truck.
"W-Wait! You can't lock him away!" said Aiko as she approached the soldiers.
"We have orders, ma'am. All rogue Transmutants are to be confined to the Vault," said a soldier as he locked Angirasu's wrists in cuffs.
"But he's just a kid! He's no threat to anyone!" said Aiko in desperation as she saw that Angirasu was locked in a small cell in the back of the truck.
"No! You have to let him go!" cried Aiko. A soldier turned her way as she placed a hand on her shoulder. As she raised her head, her face was revealed to be Sonata Dusk. A dark smile was on her face as Aiko bore a look of shock.
"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him," said Sonata. She then pushed Aiko with tremendous force, sending the woman flying towards a wall. She crashed into the brick wall, which shattered on impact. The bricks crumbled into dust and pieces as the woman found herself drifting through an empty space. All that was present was darkness. Aiko soon found herself lying on her back, on a cold metal ground. She sat up immediately, hearing giggles in the air. Her eyes widened as she saw Sonata, but her appearance was different. Her skin was pale as a ghost, her eyes were red like rubies, and her clothes were that of a dominatrix, as she wore a skull necklace and her skin appeared scaly. She licked her fangs with a long tongue.
"You've been bad~," said Sonata as she stomped on Angirasu's head as she held a whip. Angirasu groaned as the stiletto heel made the side of his head bleed. He lied on the floor, bruised up. Aiko bore a horrified look as the demonic teen dominated her son. She growled as she shot up to her feet and rushed to the two. Suddenly, a blue field of energy sprung between her and the two. Aiko began to beat her fists against the field as she stared angrily at the girl.
"You can't lock me in here!!" screamed Aiko. Sonata chuckled sinisterly as she looked to the woman.
"Oh. But you aren't locked in. You're locked out," said Sonata. Aiko then noticed her surroundings. Her eyes widened as she found herself in the Vault, on the bottom cell block. The shadowy figures of prisoners in their cells stared at her with haunting red eyes. She turned and found that Sonata and Angirasu were inside of their own cell. From the ground, green clouds of smoke began to rise and fill the cell, obscuring the teens from Aiko's sight. The smoke began to seep through the cell, slowly forming into a masculine figure. Aiko's eyes were wide as a silhouette began to form.
"I'm going to take everything that you hold dear away," said a male voice it was dark and raspy. The voice chilled Aiko's spine.
Aiko shot up, covered in sweat. She was panting as her heart pounded in her chest. She was in her room, in her sister's home. It was all dream. Aiko sighed as she looked to the side to find time on the clock. She then gasped in shock as she found Sonata to be standing by her bed with a creepy smile on her face.
"Ah. Someone is having a bad dream," said Sonata in a sweat tone. Aiko felt her bed sheets grow mucky and sticky. She grunted as she found herself sinking a bit into her bed. Aiko raised herself upward and attempted to climb out, but multiple clawed hands reached out of the muck and grabbed her by her arms, and shoulders. Aiko grunted as she tried to shake off the grotesque limbs as they began to pull her down.
"Bad dream~. Bad dream~. Bad dream~." Sonata spoke. Her voice echoed in the air ominously as a deep and distorted voice spoke with her. Aiko cried out as she attempted to fight off the hands dragging her deeper into the pit, but they were too strong. She felt her strength and will leaving her as she sunk deeper into the pit. She found Sonata, still repeating the same line. The teen began emit green smoke from her mouth as she spoke. Her clothes changed, appearing as a dark trench coat, with a hat on her head, and a gas mask covering her face. Aiko stared with wide eyes as she was pulled deeper into the muck. She found herself pulled down till only her nose and eyes were free. The hands grabbed her head and were about to dunk her head under.
"Enough!" A gentle yet powerful voice spoke. The hands that were in the pit convulsed as howling shrieks filled the air. Sonata screamed in anguish as she and the hands disappeared from sight. Aiko took one last breath as she grew weaker. She began to sink under the pit until a large reptilian paw reached inside and pulled her out. Aiko felt herself lowered onto the ground. She winced as sunlight was cast over her. She opened her eyes and found herself in a great field, with grass as bright as emeralds. The blue sky hung above, and a light shone brightly over her. Aiko shakily stood up and looked around herself, finding rolling green hills as far as her eye could see. The world around her was bright and vibrant. The colors of everything around her looked as though they were producing their own bit of light.
"Aiko," a masculine voice called. Aiko gasped as she went still as stone. Heavy footsteps filled her hearing. She slowly turned and found a massive beast to be walking her way. It stood on four legs. It was reptilian in nature, with a stance that was almost like a tortoise, but its appearance was that of the ankylosaurus. It stood to be fourteen feet tall and was covered in greyish brown scales and thick carapace plates along its back. Its back was decorated with sharp spikes and its bony balled tail swung with each step it took. The spikes on the bony club just added to the potential devastation it would serve in a fight. Its snout bore a sharp horn, and the head bore horns that made up a frill. Sharp tusks rested proudly on its upper jaw, where other sharp teeth lied. Aiko was still as she stared at the beast as its grey eyes focused on her. The creature then glowed, with its form slowly changing to a human's. Aiko trembled in place as a man with smooth short hair was revealed. He stood taller than her, and bore a thick muscle build on his body. The man greeted her with a warm smile.
"Oda..." said Aiko. Her eyes watered. She then quickly ran to the man wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Oda!" cried Aiko. Her voice filled with joy. She brought the man's face close to herself and peppered him with kisses. The man held her close as a soft chuckle escaped him. Aiko softly wept as she held the man tightly, not daring to let him go. Oda caressed her head.
"Heh. You were always cute when you were affectionate," said Oda. Aiko softly laughed to herself as she nuzzled the man's shoulder. Reluctantly, she pulled away to look into his eyes.
"I can't believe you're here. You're here," said Aiko in a soft tone. Oda gently brushed a strand of hair away her eye with a soft smile.
"I am," said Oda. The two soon found themselves wandering through the vast land. They soon found themselves arriving at a garden, where a cherry blossom tree stood. Aiko gasped in awe.
"Thought you'd like this spot. The cherry blossom tree is a nice touch," said Oda as he led Aiko to a stone bench. The two took a seat together, staring at the tree as the wind blew on the branches. Around them, statues of angelic figures were present.
"The angel statues are a bit cheesy though, aren't they?" asked Aiko with an amused look. Oda chuckled.
"You think so? I find that they add to the peaceful atmosphere," said Oda. He sighed.
"I missed this. You and I. Strolling through the park. On a spring day, as the cherry blossoms bloom," said Aiko with a nostalgic smile.
"Our son, who was due any day on one of our spring walks," said Oda. Aiko lost her smile. Her expression turned to sadness as she looked away.
"Aiko, how has he been?" asked Oda. Aiko sighed.
"It hasn't been easy. I hadn't seen him in years since I sent him to live with my sister in Equestria. Only recently I got a chance to be with him. But now, he's grown to have a real attitude problem," said Aiko. She shook her head.
"I don't know what's wrong. I don't even know how to approach this," sighed Aiko.
"He's a teenager, Aiko. They tend to be like that," said Oda.
"I know. But it just felt so sudden. It was as if the longer I was around, the more he started acting like this," said Aiko. She grimaced.
"And his friends... Most of them are fine. They seem like good kids. But there are three girls... Something about them just doesn't sit right with me," said Aiko as a worried look was on her face.
"Something happened. I can't remember what, but they were involved somehow. One of the girls, though... I don't trust her the most. She is very close to our son. That bothers me. I mean, she is not only suspicious, but also a teenager too. I don't even know what kind of person Angirasu turned out to be. That makes me worry more," said Aiko. Her tone filled with distress.
"Ah Aiko. You were always a worrywart. Especially when it came to Angirasu," said Oda as he placed a hand on Aiko's shoulder.
"But you worry too much for your own good. The road ahead is only going to get harder," said Oda in a soft tone. He stood up, drawing Aiko's attention.
"And during that time, you will have to make the hardest decision you ever could. Or, your fears will consume you," said Oda. Aiko stood up with confused and worried look.
"I-I don't understand," said Aiko. Oda brought a hand against her cheek with a reassuring smile.
"You will when the time comes. I know you will," said Oda. Aiko reached for his hand on her cheek, wanting to savor the warmth of his palm. But, Oda pulled his hand away as he walked back.
"Love ya, Aiko," said Oda as he turned. Aiko's eyes widened as his form glowed and changed back into the large beast that he had appeared to her as. He continued to walk away towards a bright light. Aiko broke off into a sprint after him.
"Oda! Oda, wait! Please, come back!" cried Aiko in desperation as she chased after Oda. However, the world around shifted. She found herself lying on her side in bed, staring at a wall. Aiko quickly shot up, with bed head hair. She looked to the clock and saw that it was seven in the morning. She looked at her surroundings. She was back in her sister's home. Aiko felt her cheek, which had a crusted dry tail from her eyes. Aiko sighed heavily as she got up from bed and proceeded to get dressed. She begrudgingly slipped on her shirt.
"What a cruel dream," muttered Aiko as she walked out of the bedroom.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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Yay! I was so happy when I saw you upload another chapter and can't wait for the next ones
9197853
Yeah sorry about being so infrequent with my uploads. Working full time is a drain.
9197936
I understand that it's no problem just upload when you can we've been patient and we'll continue being patient
The only problem in this story is the fact that half Junior’s friends and up thinking he is the vigilante X. I would have been fine with it, but everyone that thinks Junior is X is stupid. I mean seriously if you compare X to Junior they might look the same, but they look extremely different. I would have cool with if it, if it wasn’t the mane 6 (except for fluttershy). It should have been easy for Twilight friggin Sparkle to tell if Junior was X. But nope she had to be an idiot and actually believed that Junior is X.
There should be an crossover between this story and arrogance of man. Because things would be get crazy if the two stories in two alternate universes and create by the same author did crossover.