Shy and Aggressive

by Johng117

Chapter 59: Quaranties and Schemes

The roar of helicopter blades filled the air. Gojira Senior was sitting in his seat along with a few MONARCH soldiers. He bore a hard expression as the chopper carried them towards the frosted wilderness.

"The target is infected with a highly contagious virus of extraterrestrial origin. He is to be caught dead or alive. Keep your hazmat helmets secured to avoid infection. Do not touch any bodily fluids from the target. After securing the target, cleanup crew will be deployed to sweep up any fluids and sanitize the area," said a voice over the COM.

"At that point, you might as well just burn the entire forest down," muttered a soldier as he secured his helmet.

"Alright, ladies! We're due for touchdown in 2 minutes!" said the commanding officer of the group, standing to his feet. The men all directed their attention to him.

"Like the docs said, keep your shit to yourselves unless you wanna catch space cooties. I honestly don't give a damn about how you apprehend the target. Knock him out, shoot him, blow him up, go nuts! But we are to not let him escape," said the C.O. as he held a handle that hung from the metal ceiling.

"Now you may notice that we have a special guest here today. Mr. Takeshi here has been so kind as to help us track the son of a bitch. And should the situation escalate, he'll provide the necessary back up. Now those of you who may hold animosity towards Transmutants, keep it in your pants. The mission will determine the security of the country, and I'll be damned before I let germs from outer space be the downfall of this country!" said the C.O. The soldiers gave hooting chants in response. Senior was merely silent during the ride. The chopper descended over a field and landed, allowing for the men to exit out of the transport. The soldiers drew their weapons as they formed a perimeter around their landing zone. The C.O. approached Senior.

"This is where he was last seen?" questioned Senior.

"More like where he was supposed to be cremated. Far off from civilization and the Vault itself, but he just got up moving apparently. Lost a couple of men as a result," said the C.O. He then turned to Senior.

"Listen, the Director has ordered me to keep my men off of your back and went as far as approved you to be armed. However, I will personally put a bullet in your head should you turn on us. Got it?" questioned the C.O.

"Understood," replied Senior.

The cold air howled through the woods. The snow crunched with every step that the soldiers and Senior took. The Transmutant had taken point, taking calm breaths as he kept his rifle hanging over his shoulders. His hot breath was concealed inside of the hazmat helmet that was given to him for this mission. He had the scent of Xenjira prior. They were near where he was, but there was no sign of him.

During this search, Senior has been given the opportunity to continue thinking about his situation. Here he was, on the hunt for his bastard elder son that he never knew existed until a couple months ago, all to prevent a pandemic from an infection from the stars. But this was his son! Sure, he never knew him nor was around for him given of his ignorance of his existence but this was his own flesh and blood. He had already done him wrong before, was he really willing to do it again? Senior pushed aside these hesitant thoughts. He knew that despite Xenjira being his son, he still was a threat to everyone else's safety. His actions condemned him to the Vault. And whatever MONARCH was to do, either capture him alive and quarantine him or immediately kill him to keep the infection from spreading, it would be an act of mercy than to let him go on as he is, even in his state. The group began to find themselves near fallen trees, and trees that were scorched on their sides.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Looks like a mess around here," said the C.O. the group kept finding damaged trees in the area. And along with that, they found splotches of blood to be staining the snow. Senior looked down and found multiple paw prints to have pattered the snow in the area, along with human foot prints. Senior silently moved on, leading the rest of the group through the woods. As they continued on, a soldier felt something crunch the sole of his boot, like glass. He raised his foot and found what looked to be shattered glass on the ground. He merely shrugged it off and continued walking. But as the soldiers continued to walk, they noticed small crystals to be sticking out of the snow. They bore a slight yellow tinge in them as they were spread over the frosted ground like grass.

"The hell is all this? Is this natural?" asked a soldier.

"Well, that for sure isn't natural," said another soldier as he pointed near a tree. Everyone stopped as they found a tree to be lying on the ground, as large crystalline structures that stuck out of the trunk. It softly gave a humming sound, and a soft glow.

"The fuck?" asked a soldier as he lowered his rifle, as the rest turned their gaze upon the large structure that was the size of a boulder.

"Doc, we came across something pretty interesting. You getting the footage?" asked the C.O. on the COM.

"I am. My God, I've never seen anything like it," said a man over the COM.

"Why's it glowing like that?" asked a soldier in confusion.

"I'm getting a reading on it. Looks like that crystal is carrying radiation," said Doc.

"Radiation?!" exclaimed a soldier as he backed away from the crystal.

"Stow it, private!" hissed the C.O.

"The readings show that the radiation is contained inside of the crystal. You all should be fine," said Doc in reassurance.

"But why is something like this, here?" asked Senior incredulously.

"It may be linked to the infection. The deceased were found to have small crystalline structures sticking out of their insides. They bled internally. I believe that these crystals could be linked to the virus. But we need to confirm this. It's imperative you find the target," said Doc.

"Alright men, fan out," said the C.O. The men began to spread out into the area with their weapons raised. As they prowled about in the woods, the sound of howling filled the air. Some of the soldiers reacted with a start, while the rest kept their composure. Senior took in the scent around them, finding the scent to have grown stronger. A solider was passing by a large bush as he kept his finger near the trigger of his rifle. His eyes darted around the snow white area. He suddenly felt himself yanked into the bush, dropping his weapon on the ground.

Senior stopped where he currently was and looked around. He noticed that the group had seemingly gotten smaller in the last minute. He began to tense as he looked around, finding the rest of the soldiers to be growing a bit more distant from the area. Senior briskly made his way over to the C.O.

"I think we should stick together," said Senior. The C.O. looked at him in annoyance.

"This is my squad. We do as I say. We can cover more ground this way," said the C.O.

"I would advise against that, from one soldier to another," said Senior in urgency.

"Hey, you just stay on the trail!" said C.O.

"You're going to get all of your men killed!" said Senior.

"Incoming!" shouted a soldier. Senior and the C.O. quickly turned and found half a tree to be heading their way. The two dropped to the ground as the tree crashed into the ground. The two shot up and found the remaining soldiers to be shooting short bursts of rounds. However, one of the soldiers dropped to the ground as several bullets struck him. Senior turned to where the men were shooting and found Xenjira to be firing a rifle. The crystals stuck out of his arms, shoulders, and the wounds surrounding them looked to be partially healed over the base of the crystals, with a fleshy pink tinge at the very edge of the skin. He took cover behind another tree as the soldiers returned fire. The C.O. shot up and joined the fight as he opened fire. Xenjira snarled as he jumped from cover and peppered the furthest soldier with bullets, taking him down instantly. He then lunged for the closest soldier and butted the back of his rifle at the man. Senior was about to intervene but his joints locked as he watched Xenjira. His breathing quickened as Xenjira grabbed the soldier that he struck and brought him in front, using him as a meat shield as the soldiers shot at him. Senior's mind vision flashed between the fight in the snow, and to a ravaged village. In Xenjira's place, Senior saw himself using the man as a meat shield for protection against bullets.

Xenjira yelled as he shot back at the soldiers as he kept his meat shield in place. He then ditched the corpse and lunged for the C.O., who dropped his gun. He jammed his knife into Xenjira's chest as he pinned him to the ground, who groaned in agony. The C.O. looked back at Senior, who remained still as he trembled and breathed heavily.

"Shoot him!" shouted the C.O. Senior didn't respond and merely watched. He saw himself in Xenjira's place beating a man to death in the ruined village.

"Shoot him, you son of a bitch!" the C.O. shouted. Xenjira shrieked like a beast as he opened his jaws wide and sunk his sharp and small teeth into his neck. The C.O. gurgled as his artery was mauled by the Transmutant. Senior did nothing but watch. Soon, the C.O. stopped struggling and went limp as his wound bled profusely. Xenjira slowly stood up to his feet. His red eyes glared at Senior as he spat blood onto the ground. He suddenly lunged for the Transmutant and drove his hand against his throat. Senior was knocked back into reality and gripped Xenjira's wrist as he was choked.

"X-Xenjira!" Senior managed to say. His son's eyes widened.

"Xenjira, it's me," said Senior. Xenjira released Senior's throat and backed away. His breathing was heavy. Senior stood up to his feet as he rubbed his neck. Xenjira scoffed.

"So, you decided to join the ones who hold Transmutants down," said Xenjira with his eyes narrowed.

"They asked me to help find you. I didn't join their ranks," said Senior. Xenjira bore a look of disgust.

"That doesn't make it any better," said Xenjira in a low tone. Senior took the opportunity to look at Xenjira's appearance. His wounds were healed and the crystals were sticking out like bony structures out of his body. He was pale, the white of his eyes were yellow, he wore torn pants, and his overall appearance was like a feral man.

"Oh, my son. What's happened to you?" asked Senior solemnly.

"Suddenly you care?" demanded Xenjira as he paced about.

"Twice. That's twice that you've abandoned me," said Xenjira.

"Xenjira, I won't defend my actions from after you were conceived. However, I had no choice but to leave you behind," said Senior. Xenjira looked at him with a glare.

"No choice?! We all have a choice! You were free and I was in prison!" yelled Xenjira.

"They allowed me to go free due to certain circumstances. They wanted to keep an eye on me and use me as an asset to keep the Ark hidden. It's hardly freedom when they are now watching our every move!" said Senior.

"But you were able to remain with your family!" shouted Xenjira with a hateful glare. Senior went silent.

"I have no one! Not my mother, and certainly not you! But you could have negotiated with them! You could have at least thought of me for once in your damn life!" yelled Xenjira.

"I wanted to, Xenjira. But I couldn't," said Senior in a low tone.

"Not after what you've done. You were killing indiscriminately. You would have kept going down the same path if they were to have let you go. And that would have been on me," said Senior as he looked away. Xenjira clenched his fists.

"How dare you. You think you're more righteous than me?!" demanded Xenjira angrily. He then pointed an accusative finger at his father.

"You! You who served in Imperial Neighon's army!" said Xenjira.

"Don't," said Senior as he shook his head.

"I've done my history homework, old man. I know who you were. Who you are. 'Akuma Squad'," said Xenjira. Senior lowered his head.

"You've done far worse things than me, father. Even the government you served tried to keep it hidden among other atrocities," said Xenjira.

"I never thought myself to be of righteousness," said Senior in a solemn tone.

"Every day, I live with the memory, the guilt, and the shame of what I've done. From the war, to the Revolution, and to me never being present in your life," said Senior as he looked to Xenjira, who still bore a hard expression, but slightly softened.

"Truthfully speaking, I don't deserve freedom. I don't deserve my family. I don't even deserve positive acknowledgement," said Senior. "I destroy everything I touch. Lives, relationships, futures, and ideals."

"Now look at you. I've came into contact with you. I tried to keep you under my watch, only to get you locked away. Now..." Senior looked at the crystals, his eyes watering.

"Son, come back with me," said Senior.

"Why? So I can be put back in a cage and made into a lab rat?" demanded Xenjira.

"You're infected, Xenjira. I can't help you any other way. If you remain out here, you're only going to spread it," said Senior.

"Funny. I feel better than ever," said Xenjira with a scoff. He clenched his hand and flexed his fingers.

"I was in agony. But now, I feel stronger. These crystals... They're like batteries. They store what little radiation from the sun passes through the atmosphere and onto the surface, and they transfer it to me," said Xenjira as the crystals on his body softly glowed. The large crystal in the area hummed as it glowed brighter. Xenjira inhaled deeply as the crystals on his body absorbed the stored radiation, transferring it to his body.

"Unlike humans, some Transmutants can survive with full health when exposed to radioactive properties, even gaining energy from it themselves. Like nourishment to the body," said Xenjira.

"Xenjira, millions can die from this infection if it spreads," said Senior.

"I've been exposed to several different animals in the woods. I've yet to see them die like the others in the Vault. I doubt they're even carrying it," said Xenjira.

"You don't know that for sure," said Senior.

"We're done here, old man. Tell your precious MONARCH that their efforts are pointless," said Xenjira as he walked off. Senior picked up his rifle and fired several shots at the ground where Xenjira was walking. Xenjira slowly turned with his eyes narrowed. Senior met his hard expression.

"You want me to take responsibility for what I've done? This is it," said Senior. Xenjira sighed heavily as he rolled his neck, causing some pops in his stiff neck.

"Good thing I have no emotional attachment to you," said Xenjira as the back of his throat began to glow. He turned as the crystals on his body sparked and glowed, as an orange beam flew out of his mouth and towards Senior.

"Grah!" Senior was struck by the beam against his shoulder. The tendril-like beam scrapped his helmet and caused the armor shoulder padding to combust. He dropped his rifle to the ground as Xenjira rushed towards him. The bastard son slugged Senior in the side of the head. His helmet flew off, as he dropped to one knee. Xenjira then grabbed Senior by the shoulder and forced him to face him before punching Senior's face multiple times. Before he could land another punch, Senior grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. Senior then head-butted his forehead against Xenjira's. The Transmutant stumbled in pain and was grabbed by the arm and thrown over Senior's shoulder and onto the hard ground. Senior stomped on Xenjira's chest as he twisted his arm. Xenjira cried out in agony.

"I didn't want it to come down to this!" said Senior. Xenjira yelled as the crystal on his chest sparked and flashed. Waves of energy pulsed out from his chest and pushed Senior away towards the ground, as his body crackled from the energy. Xenjira groaned as he stood up while popping his arm. He then gave a shout as a beam shot out of his chest, striking Senior and sending him towards a tree. He groaned in agony as the beam sparked and shocked his entire body. Senior's own body began to give off blue sparks and body gave off a soft neon blue glow that grew intense each second. He yelled in agony as his body gave a blast of scorching energy that melted the snow around him while shredding and burning the tree behind him. The blast sent Xenjira flying as he suffered burns. Senior dropped to his knees panting as his body gave off smoke. His clothes were damaged and his helmet fell apart. He clutched his burning chest as Xenjira sluggishly stood up with an enraged look. Senior then slowly stood back up as he bore a hard expression. Suddenly, the sound of helicopter blades filled the air. The two turned and found a chopper to be hovering above, where a gunner aimed his mini gun at Xenjira. Senior quickly dove for cover as the mini gun fired many bullets. Xenjira braced himself for the bullets, but a large wall of crystals suddenly sprang from the earth to shield him. Xenjira bore a shocked look.

"Where the hell did that come from?!" exclaimed the gunner. Xenjira suddenly shot up from cover and fired his beam from his mouth. The tendril-like beam swirled through the air and struck the tail of the chopper, causing it to crash land into the snow. The chopper burned at its tail end as it was partially crushed by the impact. The pilot was slumped in his seat unconscious while the gunner crawled out of the wreckage with a pistol. He began to fire at Xenjira, who caught a couple of bullets in his body before pressing on towards him. Before the pilot could shoot again, Xenjira kicked the gun out of his hand and grabbed him by the neck. He raised the soldier into the air as he drew out dark claws from his fingers. Before Xenjira could slash him, Senior suddenly appeared behind him and locked him into a headlock. Xenjira roared angrily as he slashed at his father's arms that locked around his neck, but Senior kept a firm hold. The released soldier reached back in the wreckage of the chopper and found a bag, where a pair of cuffs were sticking out. He quickly grabbed the bag and found a pair of cuffs and an inhibitor collar.

While Senior kept his hold on Xenjira, he began to slam him into the nose of the downed chopper. Xenjira groaned in pain but snapped his jaws at Senior's arm, attempting to sink his teeth into the muscle. Suddenly, the soldier emerged from the chopper with a metal rod that gave off sparks. He lunged for the two Transmutants and jabbed the rod against Xenjira's chest, sending high volts of electricity into his body. Xenjira cried out in agony as Senior held him in place. Xenjira then kicked the human in the chest, sending him flying to the ground. He then thrashed himself and forced Senior to stumble, with his hold loosening. Xenjira then took the opportunity to bend his neck and bit down on Senior's arm, who cried out in agony as his arm bled from the sharp teeth that tore through flesh and muscle. He then reached for the rod on the ground, grabbing it and pressing the button to release a spark and hum. He then swung the rod against his head. Xenjira released him and was in a dazed state. Senior then forced him away and gave a swift swing of the rod across Xenjira's face. He then met Xenjira with one harder swing, knocking him to the ground. Senior panted as he dropped the rod and leaned against the downed chopper. The Transmutant gritted his teeth as he banged his fist on the chopper. His wound bled through his sleeve as his bruises swelled. Dead soldiers and two unconscious ones lied in this frozen forest. He was the last man standing. He heard crackling over the com in his ear and pressed a hand against his ear.

"This is Takeshi. Xenjira... has been neutralized. Requesting immediate evac and a medical team," said Senior as he felt his arm sting.

"And a quarantine," said Senior.

---

Meanwhile...

Discord was muttering to himself as he wrote down equations and formulas down on a chalk board. His eyes darted all around the board and to his copy of Genshiro's notes. He had a white board covered in drawings of a human figure and quick drawings of different animals, with sequences of DNA bubbles beneath them. And notes marked that described the marked genetic traits.

"The formula is stable and is capable of being applied to any genetic trait. Yes. Yes. A formula with multiple traits infused into a human. Enhanced hearing, strength, sight, longevity, and healing. The ultimate human," said Discord with a laugh as he looked at his chalk board and stared the work he did.

“All of it with Takeshi's DNA is the base work,” said Discord. He then heard his phone ringing, prompting him to turn and find it lying on a desk. With a sigh, he answered.

"Yes? What?" Discord bore a shocked expression as he listened to the caller.

"What the hell do you mean that they're missing?" demanded Discord.

"I didn't authorize any of the vials to be taken from the lab! I'll be there right now!" said Discord as he hung up. With a curse, he left his office and grabbed a coat, where he then walked out of his home.

---

"Uggggh!!" Adagio lied on the sofa of her home. An annoyed look was on her face as she stared at the television screen. Sonata was standing in front of her with a pout.

"Why not?" asked Sonata.

"Because I don't want to talk to him!" said Adagio.

"But I thought you liked Gojira? Right?" asked Sonata. Adagio huffed as she looked away.

"You must be mistaken. I don't like that jerk!" said Adagio. Sonata bore a deadpanned look. She then turned to Aria, who was sitting on a chair while looking at the screen of her phone.

"Arie, back me up here!" said Sonata.

"Nooo way. I'm not getting roped into that drama between them," said Aria with a scoff. Adagio sighed in annoyance as she got up from the couch and grabbed her sweater. She stormed out of the house, leaving Sonata and Aria behind.

"But what about true love?" whined Sonata.

"Sonata, what makes you think there's 'true love' between them? She just hits on him and he awkwardly backs away," said Aria as she grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"Let them work it out on their own. We just might make it worse," said Aria. Sonata sighed in disappointment.

Meanwhile outside, Adagio was walking through her neighborhood in silence. A scowl was on her face as she walked through the cold. She wished Sonata would get off her case about her and Junior. She wanted nothing to do with him. It hurt too much. She needed to get her mind off of him. She was fine earlier from watching TV but Sonata just had to butt into her business and ruin it.

"Maybe some playful flirting will help. That always cheers me up. And I have been meaning to flirt with a certain someone properly," said Adagio to herself.

---

Aiko was walking down the hospital hall in silence. She made her way towards a door that was guarded by two MONARCH soldiers. After showing her I.D., they allowed her to pass through. The woman entered the room and found a couple of other men dressed in casual clothing.

"Glad you could make it, Lieutenant," said one of the men with a nod. Aiko stepped inside.

"Are they awake?" asked Aiko.

"Yes, ma'am. We were just getting started," said the man as Aiko stood by his side. She found two teens that were lying in separate beds, with I.V.s connected to their wrists and looking a bit haggard.

"I'm gonna ask you again. Who removed your inhibitor chips?" questioned the second man in the room with them.

"We already told you that we don't know! We don't even remember ever having it removed!" said one of the boys.

"Eye witnesses claimed that you two were having an argument before you started throwing fists. You're telling us that neither of you remember that?" deadpanned the man. Aiko shook her head as she looked at the boys with a hard expression.

"You two ought to come clean now. The more you play dumb, the worse it looks," said Aiko.

"Lady, I don't even know this guy that well! Let alone to get into an argument that I don't even remember having!" said the second boy.

"I don't think you understand just how bad this looks. You two are in violation of federal law by walking around without an inhibitor chip. The reason why you are leads to several possibilities. A few of them can land you both into the Vault," said Aiko coldly. The boys began to sweat. They looked to be panicking.

"C-Come on! We're telling you that we didn't know!" exclaimed one of the boys.

"That's not a convincing answer. You're testing my patience," said Aiko as her eyes narrowed.

"Easy, Riku," said one of the men.

"Give us answers," said Aiko with a growl.

"What do you want us to say, lady?!" cried one of the boys. The sound of the intercom being turned on filled the air. Everyone drew their attention to the speaker on the wall as the sound of muffling came out. Suddenly, the sound of pop music playing came over the intercom.

"The hell?" asked one of the soldiers in the room.

"Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh~. You didn't know that you fell~. Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh~. Now that you're under our spell~. Blindsided by the beat-" A song played over the intercom. The soldiers bore confused looks. While Aiko's brows raised as she recognized the voices of the singers. It was the Dazzlings. She then heard the sound of gurgles and small grunts. Aiko turned and found the boys to be sitting upright in their beds. Their eyes were glazed over as patches of their skin looked different. The two other soldiers inside turned.

"Whoa. You two need us to leave so you can take care of that?" asked one of the soldiers as he noticed the laps of the teens, beneath their blankets.

"Yeesh. Show some respect. There's a lady here," said the second soldier. Meanwhile, Aiko was staring at the boys with wide eyes as she saw their aroused states, as their skin slightly changed. All of this while the song from the Intercom continued to play.

"What are- I told you not to play with the intercom!" a voice shouted over the intercom. Suddenly, the audio was cut off abruptly. After there was silence, the boys stopped, and their skin on their arms returned to normal.

"What happened?" asked one of the boys. Aiko's eyes widened.

"What happened? You sprung a fucking chubby, that's what," said a soldier with a snort. Aiko cleared her throat.

"You two. With me," said Aiko as she looked to the soldiers. She walked out of the room, while the two other soldiers shrugged in response and followed after her. The three found themselves standing in the hall. Aiko held a hand under her chin as she bore a pondering look on her face.

"Ah don't let it get to you, Riku," said one of the soldiers. Aiko looked at him with a raised brow.

"Huh?" asked Aiko.

"They're just teenagers. Its raging hormones, ya know." said the man. Aiko turned to face him fully with a deadpanned look.

"I mean, you put a beautiful woman before them, they'll-"

"I didn't call you two out here to whine about being offended by a couple of teenagers having an erection, Private," deadpanned Aiko.

"Oh. Of course not," said the man sheepishly. Aiko shook her head.

"I buy their story about not having any recollection of the incident," said Aiko.

"Really? What lead you to that conclusion?" asked the other soldier.

"Sargeant Major, you noticed their skin when the intercom played that song?" asked Aiko.

"No, they were distracting me with their breathing and- Yeah," said the soldier with a shudder.

"Their skin was changing. They were reverting into animalistic mindsets. Because of that song. Or rather, because of the singers," said Aiko.

"What?" questioned Sargeant Major with a deadpanned look.

"I know how it sounds. But what if they had something to do with their behavior? You do know that those singers are currently attending the same high school as the boys," said Aiko.

"And why would they do that?" questioned the soldier. Aiko was about to answer but she couldn't give one.

"Lieutenant, we should avoid coming up with accusations without evidence to back it up. What happened in there is a complete coincidence with two Transmutants unable to control their baser instincts without their inhibitor chips. They probably just thought of the singers and just sprung a boner because… sex. It's normal for teens to think about that. It's just a bit more extreme in their case," said the Sargeant Major.

"But-" Aiko paused. If she kept pressing this, it would look bad. While she had a strong hunch, she couldn't let what she knew about the bizarre things happening around her to destroy her credibility. Not everyone in MONARCH knew about the ARK. It was only her through her brief meeting with Alpha, Koizumi and Yoshi. It was kept secret from the rest as well as the public.

"You're right. Excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be," said Aiko as she turned and walked off.

"Wait, what about the kids!" said the Private.

"Add them to the monitor list like the others. As far we know, they aren't terrorists," answered Aiko.

---

Guardians' Lair...

Zip bore a scowl on her face as she sat on chair. Her arms were crossed as Adagio talked her ear off. All while the pop star caressed her arm.

"So, yeah. I think that it would actually look good on you," said Adagio. Zip inhaled through her nose calmly and pried Adagio's hand off of her arm.

"Listen, I don't mind you coming over here to visit our secret lair," said Zip.

"Hrgh! I do!" shouted Baragon with his face flushed as he held up a bottle.

"OK, Baragon does. Anyway, I also don't mind you wanting to have a conversation with me," said Zip.

"Yeah?" nodded Adagio. Then Zip looked at her with a sour look.

"But what I don't like is that you're violating my personal space," said Zip.

"What's the trouble? We're all relaxed here," said Adagio with a shrug. She then began to lightly massage Zip's shoulder.

"And if you really wanna relax..." Adagio spoke in a seductive tone. Zip groaned in annoyance as she slapped her hand away.

"Adagio, I'm straight! I'm attracted to guys! Not girls! And you constantly flirting with me when we meet makes me uncomfortable!" said Zip in annoyance. Adagio chuckled.

"Aw sweetie. There's no harm in experimenting, know what I mean?" asked Adagio as she leaned closer to the Transmutant. Zip leaned back with her brows furrowed.

"I'm good," said Zip.

"Oh~. Baby I can make ya feel good~," Adagio softly sang, while looking to the corners of her sight, finding the rest of the Guardians to be away from their area, sorting supplies. Zip began to lose tension as her eyes briefly flashed with a glow and became unfocused. Adagio held her by her chin as she pulled her close.

"So stop fightin'~. No need to be frightened~." sang Adagio as she pulled Zip closer, who put up no resistance.

"Just let go and-" Adagio was interrupted as she was yanked by the shoulder and pulled back. She bore a startled look as she was pulled to face Thorn, who bore a furious look.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Thorn.

"Just... Singing," said Adagio sheepishly. Zip began to shake her head furiously.

"Ah. What happened?" asked Zip as she rubbed her disoriented head. Thorn glared at Adagio, who gulped nervously.

"Yeah, I think it's time for you to leave," said Thorn.

"But I- Mmph!" Adagio was silent as Thorn slapped a large strip of web against her lips.

"Now!" said Thorn as she picked Adagio over her shoulder and marched out of the lair with the girl. Everyone else watched in confusion. Soon, Adagio found herself dropped off into the middle of the forest, away from the lair. She gave muffled cries as she pointed to her mouth. Thorn sighed in annoyance as she tore the web off of her lips.

"Ah!" yelped Adagio as she cupped a hand over lips.

"Alright listen up, super star!" yelled Thorn, causing Adagio to stiffen.

"When someone tells you no, it means no! You don't keep hitting on them. It just escalates into sexual harassment at that point! A freaking brat from Applewood, Los Pegasus like you would know since they virtue signal that shit!" said Thorn.

"I-It was all in good fun," said Adagio.

"Well my sister wasn't having fun!" said Thorn with a glare. "I suggest you never come back here again unless you've learned to behave yourself."

With that, Thorn leaped out of sight and into the trees. Adagio looked up and found her shadowy figure to be leaping through the tree tops, knocking down snow to the ground along the way. The pop star sighed in annoyance.

"Hmph. Even kids your age don't approve of your antics," said a familiar voice. Adagio turned and found Aiko to be standing by with her arms crossed. Adagio slightly narrowed her eyes.

"Hmph. They're just sensitive. What are you doing here? I don't think Mr. Takeshi would like MONARCH snooping around here," said Adagio.

"First of all, that's not your concern. Second, Takeshi knows that we monitor him and his Transmutants these days. Whether he likes it or not is irrelevant," said Aiko as she walked passed Adagio.

"Hey, what's your deal with my sister?" questioned Adagio. Aiko stopped in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" asked Aiko. Adagio looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Sonata feels like that you don't like her very much. Plus you're keen on keeping her and Angirasu from hanging out. What's your deal?" questioned Adagio. Aiko scoffed.

"She's wrong. I don't dislike her. I dislike all three of you," said Aiko indifferently. Adagio bore a surprised look at how blunt Aiko was with her. Then she smirked in amusement.

"Really?" questioned Adagio.

"Really. You're hardly a good influence on him. And I don't trust any of you. I know what happened during that little performance you three put on," said Aiko as she looked at Adagio with a cold expression. Adagio merely hardened her expression.

"I'm only going to say this once, little girl. Stay away from my son," said Aiko. With that, she walked away, leaving Adagio to watch with a hard expression. She scoffed as she turned and began to walk off.

"Bitch. ‘Little girl'. Least my tits are bigger," muttered Adagio as she walked off. The nerve of that woman to say those things to her aggravated her. Adagio thought that her and her sisters were hardly the reason why Angirasu was the way he was lately. The blame must lie with the mother.

Meanwhile, Aiko made her way into the lair. She caught the attention of the Transmutants inside. The woman raised an I.D. as Kumonga approached.

"Lieutenant Aiko Riku. I'm with MONARCH," said Aiko.

"Yeah, I remember you from the Christmas party," deadpanned Kumonga. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on personal business. I wanna speak to that talking bug," said Aiko. Kumonga bore a confused look.

"Amber? What do you want with her?" asked Aiko.

"Spiritual advice," Aiko said sarcastically. Kumonga rolled her eyes.

"Wait here. I'll go get her," said Kumonga as she walked to the back of the cave. Aiko crossed her arms as she stood waiting, while a couple of Transmutants looked her way. She sent them a death glare, prompting them to quickly return to their business. Aiko shook her head. Nothing annoyed her more than people staring at her. She then noticed Thorn to be walking into the lair grumbling to herself as she made her way to Zip.

"Hey, don't worry about that trick. She won't be coming back anytime soon after that talk," said Thorn as she nudged Zip's shoulder.

"Thanks. God, I almost feel bad for flirting with Goji now," said Zip. Aiko bore a look of interest. She began to make her way over to the two. The girls slightly tensed as they noticed her approach.

"Be cool," whispered Thorn.

"Afternoon, girls. I couldn't help but notice that someone's caused you trouble," said Aiko with a smile, unusual to see on this woman.

"Uh..." Zip looked to Thorn, who merely shrugged.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with that Adagio girl, does it?" questioned Aiko.

"Yeah..." answered Zip.

"If you want some advice, you need to retaliate with more force," said Aiko as she drew out a small dark object.

"How much force are you talking?" asked Zip in reluctance.

"Just enough," said Aiko as Baragon walked by as he took a swig from his drink. Aiko suddenly pressed a button on the object in her hand. With a click, it suddenly extended into a long stick, causing the girls to flinch with a start. Aiko then briefly swung the stick at Baragon's hand, causing him to yelp in pain as he dropped his bottle to the ground. He looked down at the shattered bottle in shock and then slowly looked to Aiko with a glare.

"What. The Fuck?!" demanded Baragon. Aiko ignored him and pressed on the end of the stick, causing it to press back into its previous state.

"Actions speak louder than words," said Aiko.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! Fuckin' bitch!" said Baragon in annoyance with a slur.

"Nah... I don't think that's necessary. I'm sure what I did was enough," said Thorn as she cleared her throat.

"Girls like her don't let up easily, trust me," said Aiko. Baragon then grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey, you're gonna pay for my beer!" said Baragon. Aiko suddenly grabbed him by the wrist and yanked his arm. She threw Baragon over her shoulder and onto the ground. She then stomped on his chest as she twisted his arm.

"Ow!!" shouted Baragon as he attempted to scurry away, but Aiko had him pinned. The Transmutant teens watched with wide eyes as Aiko calmly focused on them while keeping Baragon down. The scene drew the attention of other Transmutants. Kumonga came rushing towards the four.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" demanded Kumonga.

"I'm teaching," answered Aiko.

"Girls like Adagio know what they want and they do whatever to get it. They'll keep pressing and cannot be deterred by simply saying, 'no'. So you have to get it through their thick head with force!" said Aiko as she twisted Baragon's arm, who cried out in pain.

"Let go, dammit! I'm sorry!" cried Baragon as he beat his fist on the ground in pain. The Transmutant cried out again as Aiko twisted his arm a bit more.

"You gonna behave yourself while I'm here?" asked Aiko.

"Yes! Just stop twisting my arm!" shouted Baragon. Aiko then released Baragon and released his arm. The man scurried up to his feet as he held his aching arm with a glare. He began to walk off while muttering to himself.

"Crazy bitch," whispered Baragon under his breath. Kumonga looked to Aiko with a glare.

"See what I mean?" asked Aiko.

"Yeah..." answered Zip and Thorn in unison as they looked watched Baragon leave, worriedly.

"Good. Now you know what to do with Adagio should she bug either of you again," said Aiko. Kumonga scoffed as she stood in between Aiko and the teens.

"You're teaching them to beat up another girl?" asked Kumonga incredulously.

"No, I'm teaching them how to get a harlot to back off," said Aiko as she crossed her arms.

"You make it seem like she's planning on raping them," said Kumonga with a deadpanned look.

"I wouldn't put it passed someone like her," said Aiko. Kumonga rolled her eyes in response.

"Ma'am, I'm not really looking to hurt her. I just want her to stop hitting on me," said Zip timidly. She was almost afraid to back talk to this woman, considering what she did to Baragon. She could feel a strict aura just by being in this woman's presence.

"I don't think you heard me. I'm giving you tips on how to get that girl out of your hair," said Aiko with an annoyed look.

"Listen, strong-arming someone isn't necessary. If they resort to that immediately, it's just going to cause problems. A civil discussion should be the first choice," said Kumonga.

"Except she doesn't listen," deadpanned Thorn as she crossed her arms. Kumonga looked at her and made a zipping motion over her lips with a glare. Thorn huffed as she looked away.

"And that happens. Hence the tips. You can take them and use them to get Adagio to back off, or just allow her to be a bother. You're choice, girls," said Aiko.

"Sorry, Kumonga. But I'm sick of Adagio's shit," shrugged Thorn as she nudged Zip.

"I'll... I'll give her a chance with talking again. But if she keeps it up, I'll go with your way," said Zip as she looked to Aiko. The woman nodded with a smile.

"Hm. Smart kids. I think we'll get along," said Aiko. Kumonga glared at Aiko.

"Ahem. Amber is waiting for you in the back," said Kumonga.

"Right. Lead the way," said Aiko. Kumonga fumed as she began to walk Aiko to the back, but not before the soldier handed Thorn her night stick.

"Here, a little something to help," said Aiko with a wink. Thorn took the object and looked it over. Aiko then joined up with Kumonga, who bore furrowed brows.

"You have a lot of nerve, you know that?" Kumonga said in a low tone. Aiko scoffed.

"Just take me to the bug," said Aiko. Kumonga scowled as she began to lead Aiko all the way to the back of the cave. She passed a mobile curtain that hid the Ark. Aiko stopped as she found Amber to be perched on a bird stand. The moth ruffled her fuzz.

"Ah. Good afternoon. Please, have a seat," said Amber as she pointed a leg at the chair in front of her.

"I'm good. I just want to ask a couple of questions, so I won't be long," said Aiko. Kumonga sighed in annoyance as she walked away, leaving the two alone.

"Very well. Proceed with your questions," said Amber.

"You guys mentioned that the Ark did something to the girls from town. Saying that it 'gave' them abilities," said Aiko. Amber nodded.

"Correct," said Amber.

"So, just curious, is there any chance that someone can defeat them despite of that?" asked Aiko.

"Not possible," said Amber. Aiko furrowed her brows in annoyance.

"Actually, it's not necessarily impossible but someone would be hard pressed to. Whoever is chosen by the Ark will find themselves anointed with protection and strength. They would be nigh invincible to any foe," said Amber. Aiko shook her head.

"Doubtful. If you bleed, you aren't invincible. I was hoping you'd give me a straight answer, rather than that mystical mumbo jumbo," said Aiko. She began to walk off.

"Even if that nonsense was true, then the Ark chose wrong," said Aiko. With that, she left. Amber remained silent.

"Hmm. She's what I believe humans say, 'needs to get laid'," said Amber. She was then silent for several seconds.

"I've been watching too much television at Gojira's," said Amber.

---

The hour was early evening. Sonata was sitting before the fireplace in her aunt's home. She wore a blanket over herself like a cloak as she stared at the flames. The sound of bells rang in the living room.

"-You know I'm so much purer then, the common, ugly, witches in school~!" sang Sonata as she stared at the fire that raged in its place.

"So tell me, Angirasu~. Why do I see you standing there?~ Why do your smoldering eyes scorch my soul~?" sang Sonata as she clutched her shoulders.

"I feel you, I hear you~! The sun caught in your spiky hair, it makes me want to lose all control~!" sang Sonata as the fire seemed to have grown brighter.

"Like fire~! He-" Sonata was interrupted as the fire suddenly died down. She turned and found a greatly annoyed Aria to be standing by the wall with her hand on a switch.

"Go to bed!" said Aria as she stomped out of the living room. Sonata's blanket dropped off of her and to the ground. She sighed heavily as she made her way to a bedroom, where Aria was climbing in bed with a scowl. Adagio was snoring as she lied sprawled on a mattress on the ground. Sonata bore a pout as she sat on another mattress as Aria pulled on a light switch to a lamp, looking at Sonata in annoyance.

"Goodnight," said Aria in annoyance. She then turned on her side as she lied in her bed, with sass. Sonata lied down on her own mattress as she stared up at the ceiling. She couldn't take this anymore. She wanted Angirasu to herself. But Aiko would just get in the way. She needed a way to make sure Angirasu would stay at her side, no matter what his mother says. An idea formed in her mind.

The next Morning...

Angirasu sighed heavily as he walked out of his bedroom. He was dressed and carried his backpack over his shoulders. He passed his aunt through the hall.

"Later, auntie," said Angirasu in a mellow tone.

"Later," said the aunt. Albeit a bit worriedly. The teen Transmutant made his way out to the living room and towards the door, where his mother sat on a sofa with her eyes focused on a newspaper.

"You take your medication?" asked Aiko. Angirasu's expression soured.

"Yes," lied Angirasu.

"Alright, have a good day," said Aiko as she flipped through the paper. Angirasu didn't answer. Instead, he walked out of the house. Aiko was about to flip the page again but was hit in the head by her sister with a rolled up magazine.

"Agh! What?" asked Aiko in annoyance. Her sister merely sighed heavily.

Meanwhile, Angirasu was making his way to school. His expression was sour as he walked, but noticed Rodan to be coming around the street corner. Angirasu tensed as he saw him coming by. The two briefly made eye contact, though Angirasu kept looking away.

"Hey," greeted Angirasu.

"Sup," greeted Rodan nonchalantly. Angirasu sighed heavily.

"Um... Listen. Rodan, I..." Angirasu rubbed the back of his head with a look of shame on his face.

"Hey, don't worry about it. No hard feelings," said Rodan with a smile.

"Don't do that. What I did was inexcusable," said Angirasu.

"But to be fair, I did kept bugging you," said Rodan with a shrug.

"Listen bro, I don't know the whole story about what your problem is, but you got friends. Bug us about your problems once in a while. Maybe venting will help," said Rodan. Angirasu sighed.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," said Angirasu with a smile. Rodan nudged him with a nod. The two soon ended up on school grounds. After they entered the school building, they split off from each other walk through the hall to their respective lockers. But during this, Angirasu began to notice that people were avoiding him as he approached. He could feel their skittish mood just by being among them. Students were whispering to each other as they warily looked at the Transmutant. Angirasu sighed solemnly.

'This must be how Gojira feels,' thought Angirasu.

Later, the Transmutant found himself making his way into his homeroom class. The Transmutant noticed students to be skittishly moving from his path and grew tense as he made his way to his desk. As he took his seat, he noticed that students would nervously look his way and look away as he met their gaze. Sure, Angirasu was aware of some anti-mutants in his class let alone the school, but most students in his first class tended to be quite civil with him. Now, all of them seemed to be scared of him. How could he blame them? After all, he did go berserk on Rodan. The memory of that still depressed him. He then noticed Sonata to be taking a seat at to the desk right next to him. She greeted him with a bright smile.

"Morning, Angirasu~!" greeted Sonata cheerfully. Angirasu looked at her in surprise.

"Sonata? Wha... You don't have homeroom with me," said Angirasu.

"Oh, they recently transferred me to different classes! But what a coincidence! I wasn't expecting to end up in the same class as you!" said Sonata. Angirasu slightly nodded.

"Huh," said Angirasu. As strange as it seemed, Angirasu didn't mind. After all, he really felt the need to be around a friendly face right now. Thankfully, Sonata was going to fill that void. The teacher arrived at the front desk.

"Alright, students take your seats. Sonata Dusk, nice of you to join our class. Your previous math class is a lesson behind ours, so hopefully it won't be too much trouble to walk you through to catch up," said the teacher. Her eyes briefly flashed green. Sonata smiled innocently.

"Not a problem," said Sonata, glancing at Angirasu with a blush.

Comments

[Julian the Dreamer]

*facepalm* Sure, give great power to immature teenagers, it's not like they'll abuse them.

Good chapter, John.

[Louka the great]

Really? A hunchback of notre dame reference, also, poor Baragon, excellent chapter as usual,

[Johng117]

9408646
I regret nothing

[Louka the great]

9408836
I never said it was a bad thing (in fact I was listening to the song before I read this) just meant it felt a bit out of place

[Johng117]

9410260
No i know. I was just being tongue in cheek about it lol. I shouldve put an emoji or something

[Vendetta5756]

Amazing chapter John keep them coming.

[talontitanbane]

9403655
Well if it works for the power rangers why shouldn't it work for the mane 7 and the sirens?