ã€ŠGreed horizonã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Loss

    It''s a bright sunny day in a large bustling urban landscape, and as midday ticks by, people sprawl the streets below, going about their day-to-day. All is normal except for one young man sitting atop a tall building. Resting on the ledge, one leg swaying in the breeze and the other tucked up under him. He looks at the sky, lost in thought. This man appears to be in his early 20s, he is of average height and is wearing a pair of dark jeans, a black hooded shirt, and a dark gray leather jacket. After a moment passes, he looks down at the street and lets out a calm, drawn-out sigh.

    The man thinks to himself. ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange, all of these people are just going about their day-to-day. Shopping, working, and socializing. They have no idea what could be lurking in the shadows. For every good samaritan, there could be a violent instigator waiting to strike. Although crime is at an all-time low around here, that doesn''t mean we should get lax. However, if I''m gonna look over the city, I might as well be comfortable while doing it, right?¡± He leans back and looks back at the sky as the sun laps over him.

    A few minutes pass, and the busy street¡¯s usual sound breaks into something odd.

    ¡°Hey! Give me that back!¡± A man in the street screams.

    The man on the rooftop leans forward and scans the area. He sees an older man in a bright orange shirt waving his hands and stumbling after somebody. Ten feet in front of him, another man is running, holding a large bag. The man on the rooftop shakes his head. ¡°Common thief.¡± He climbs to his feet and stretches. ¡°Don''t need much for that,¡± he says. ¡°Lightning magic. Spark Strider.¡±

    The man tightens up a bit, and energy channels from his body. All of a sudden, sparks begin to form under his feet, and he springs to life. He leaps from the building to the building next to it. As he runs he continues to speed up and leaps from roof to roof, checking the ground. below. He tracks the robber as he closes in. The man leaps across the street, catches himself on a building, and quickly moves. He locks onto the robber and jets himself off the roof, flying towards the pavement. Before he hits the ground, he grabs the robber by the back of his shirt and gyrates his body quickly, sending the robber sailing into the bushes. He catches the falling bag and secures it. The robber struggles to climb out of the bush, and the man walks forward. He yanks him out and puts his arm behind his back, pinning him to the ground.

    The robber struggles and yells, ¡°Let me go; I didn''t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Ok, tell that to the cops.¡± The man responded.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, please, it''s just a misunderstanding!¡± The robber pleads.

    The man looks to speak, but he hears police sirens and looks over his shoulder. As he does, the robber attempts to turn over, and quickly, the man swats the back of his head, knocking the robber into a daze. He stands up and grabs the bag again, and prepares to run. Before he can, a boy yells at him from the sidewalk.

    ¡°Hey! It''s Tozuki! Dad, look!¡± The boy jumps and points.

    ¡°Who?¡± The boy''s father asks.

    ¡°Tozuki. He''s a hero who''s been all over the internet. Hey, can I get an autograph?¡±  The man called Tozuki smiles and kneels down near the boy, leaning closer. "Hey, I would, but I have to get going, and I''m afraid I don''t have a pen.¡± Tozuki laughs and scratches his head awkwardly. ¡°Maybe next time?¡± He asks.

    The boy looks wide-eyed and speaks. ¡°I want to be a hero just like you, I''ve seen your videos online. You save people for free, and your powers are so awesome!¡±

    "Well, I''m glad you feel that way. Many people don¡¯t," says Tozuki as the sound of sirens grows loud. ¡°Hey, you wanna help me out? You could be a hero too right now if you want,¡± he says.

    The boy pounds his feet and smiles with joy. ¡°Yes! How? I wanna help!¡± He cheers.

    Tozuki hands him the bag and stands up. ¡°Please give that to a man back there with a bright orange shirt with black lettering. It was taken from him by this guy. Tell the police who the robber is in case they can''t figure it out.¡± Tozuki charges up and turns to run. ¡°Oh, and next time, I got you on that autograph,¡± he says. He leaps back to the roof and takes off running.

    The boy stares wide-eyed, and as he does, the cops show up. The boy''s father explains what happened, and the cops take the robber into custody. The man officer looks to the roof, scanning for somebody, but sees nothing. He speaks under his breath. ¡°Damn vigilantes.¡±

    Tozuki thinks to himself as he runs. ¡°Petty criminals still trying stuff like that in this day and age are laughable. It¡¯s when magic falls into the hands of criminals that we run into real issues. Luckily, that''s also on the decline. Pro-heroes exist. That¡¯s not my style. Public image and government codes of conduct. I prefer to do it my own way. It¡¯s a different world now. One where magic isn¡¯t just in the hands of lords and ladies. It¡¯s not uncommon for an office worker or even your mailman to know a little off hand. For better or worse, the once-well-kept secret is common knowledge. Some utilize it to help with your work, some to solve problems once thought solvable, or just to have some fun party tricks. On the other side, some use it to help elevate their ability to commit crimes or cause harm. And some think things should go back to the way they used to be, where magic wasn¡¯t in anyone¡¯s daily life. Then there''s me. Remember those evil doers I mentioned before? Well, people like me stop people like them.¡± Mike lands and looks around. ¡°I should head home, I promised Jerry I would be back earlier tonight.¡±

    Tozuki runs off a rooftop and lands. He slows down as he hits a large empty parking lot on a less populated side of town. He walks up to the storefront of a computer parts store, the sign reads ¡°Jerry¡¯s PC Hardware.¡± He proceeds forward, opening the door, and the bell rings as the door opens. A man behind the counter sits unbothered, reading a newspaper, grunting under his breath. Mike leans against the counter casually.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going, Jerry?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Any luck on business today?¡±

    The man behind the counter lowers his newspaper to reveal himself. His face was lined lightly with wrinkles from years of hard work. His light, faded gray mustache is the only hair to be seen on his head. He looks at Mike and raises an eyebrow.

    "Sorry, Mikey, nothing. Say, when are you gonna pay your share of the building fee? Being a vigilante ain¡¯t keeping the lights on, you know.¡±

    Mike''s face tenses as he waves his hands down. ¡°Come on Jerry, don''t say that out loud, I don''t want people to hear I''m broke. You know rent has been killing me.¡±

    ¡°Nobody is here Mikey, nobody has been here for days.¡±

    "Look, Jerry, I get it but I''m doing my best, alright? You know I¡¯d pay you if I could, but we are doing good for the public. Isn''t that enough?

    "Yeah, kid, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just been a tough time. I could use something to eat right about now. Could you keep an eye on the counter while I lock up?¡±

    Jerry pushes off his chair and walks towards the door.

    ¡°I''ll have a payment next Monday." Sorry, I''ll try to be better about getting it to you on time, and I''ll have Hina keep an eye on the cameras. Have a good night, Jerry.¡±

    ¡°Say one last thing, Mikey, have you asked Hinako about the proposal yet? Tell her the offer is on the table.¡±

    ¡°She seems weary, I''ll mention it again.¡±

    Mike walks toward the back room and enters. He eyes a mop and bucket and proceeds towards it. Moving it out of the way, he lifts up an old poster advertising a graphics card from 2005. Behind it is a hole in the wall with a small elevator seemingly hidden from the public. He enters the dimly lit elevator and presses the only button visible. As the elevator proceeds down, Mike paces back and forth impatiently. When the elevator arrives, it opens up to greet a small waiting area. Behind the counter is a large robot typing away at his computer. When he spots Mike, he looks up and chimes with excitement.

    "Hello, sir, may I get you something to drink, perhaps a coffee? Maybe some coffee? Or I also have coffee,¡± the robot says.

    "No, Deida, I¡¯m good on the coffee, could you update me on the Jason Gage case?¡±

    ¡°I have filed the report you requested with Officer Winter¡¯s but have yet to get a response. You see the computer beeps when I get a response. It¡¯s very cool.¡±

    "Well, let me know if she writes back, we need to get moving on this Gage case. Scum like him can''t be allowed to roam the streets free.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, we must apprehend this fuckface fast. It will be very cool.¡±

    Mike heads past the desk and into the back room. This room is bright and filled with computer monitors, vending machines, game tables, and PCs. The left wall has a sprawling map of the city with many markings on it. A few people are scattered about this room. In the break area sits a young man wearing a dark red and black jacket and baggy tactical pants, he is deep in thought, staring at a TV screen playing a loud superhero movie. To the right behind the mass of monitors is a young girl in casual clothing. Her skin is pale. Her eyes reflect many nights of lost sleep, yet her hair shines a silky purple as if it were well kept and tidy. Behind another PC is another boy, a man of average height. He has light-colored short hair and is dressed in dark pants and a button-up with a black vest. Mike walks further into the room and coughs to get their attention.

    ¡°Brody watching TV, Nathan sitting on his ass, Hinako half asleep, drenched and wreaking of coffee,¡± Mike laughs. ¡°I can tell I''m home, that''s for sure. Hinako, have you made any progress on finding Gage yet?¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    She spins around in her chair. "No, sir, I got nothing, he covers his tracks well, that¡¯s for sure. I, however, think we have to be close.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break? I¡¯ll take over for awhile,¡± says Mike.

    "No can do, won¡¯t go home until I¡¯ve finished my job, and no offense; you have me beat in combat, but this is my thing. I¡¯ll get it done, trust me,¡± she says firmly.

    ¡°I know I can count on you, but don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±

    ¡°Before I forget Sergeant Winters called, she said she had to speak with you. I also uploaded that new software I was telling you about to your watch. It''s a demo that can scan people to rate their power level in relation to yours. One being the base of the average human being. It¡¯s more of a gimmick and won''t work super well yet, but it is kinda fun.¡±

    Mike looks down at his watch and does some swiping. ¡°That could be useful, but I''ll be honest that sounds a bit too good to be true. Let me try it on Nathan.¡± Mike turns and aims the watch at Nathan, pressing it. After a moment, it beeps, and the screen lights up. Mike''s eyes widened. ¡°Eighty five thousand, no way!¡± Mike taps the watch harshly and says, ¡°This thing has to be broken.¡±

    Nathan retorts quickly. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean? It''s not all that shocking when you got moves like me; people are gonna notice what can i say.¡±

    "Well, sir, you may want to scan yours as well.¡± Says Hinako.

    Mike smirks and does it to himself. The device begins to beep the same as before. ¡°One shy of over one hundred thousand? Why so specific?¡±

    ¡°I think that may be the max. I can¡¯t seem to get it to go over that. It is still a prototype, you know. I am still working out the finer details.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, this is great. Hinako, thanks. I am gonna go put that call to Winters.¡± Mike walks into a small room, a sign on the door says ¡°Mike''s office." The ripped-up chair and weathered desk make it look more like an old storage room, though. He sits down at his desk. On it sits a picture of his old team. From left to right, there was a young girl with short brown hair and freckles and another young man who couldn''t look more disinterested. Mike grabs the framed photo and looks it over as he dials a number on his phone. After a moment, somebody answers.

    ¡°Hello, this is Chief Winters speaking,¡± says the woman.

    Mike shakes his head and laughs. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mike; you can cut the corporate talk.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, the suburban cowboy. I have something for you that may prove useful in our issue.¡±

    ¡°Go on, I''m all ears.¡±

    ¡°Let''s just say I would like to go on that date. How about we meet by the Ragazza apartments in the Chuo ward?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. Should I bring my friends? A party of three should be fine, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that sounds great, I think that will be just fine.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. I will be there to take care of him. Also, Jill, quick question: How about a real date sometime?¡±

    She sighs loudly into the phone. ¡°Sure thing, but one stipulation: get a haircut first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s backhanded, no, isn¡¯t it?¡± He Remarked. The phone hangs up without a response. Mike heads back out into the main area, where most of the group are already on their feet. ¡°Nathan, Brody, suit up. We have a job. Grab Deida on your way up. We have found Gage, and we are moving in now. It¡¯s now or never.¡±

    ¡°About time I got some action, I was starting to get bored all locked up down here,¡± says Nathan.

    Brody yawns and stretches slowly. ¡°Do we have to? I¡¯m tired. Not to mention hungry.¡±

    Mike looks at Brody seriously. ¡°We catch Gage today. He¡¯s too much of a hazard to leave out there running loose. This isn''t a run of the mill robber, he kills everyone he steals from, and that''s not even to mention the other acts he''s committed.¡± Mike clenches his fist and grits his teeth. ¡°Pack your gear and let¡¯s go.¡± The three head up the stairs after equipping their headsets and head for the van. The large robot gets up from his desk and scurries along after his friends up the stairs and into a large, run-down-looking commuter van. They take off quickly down the street in pursuit.

    ***

    1 hour later, they arrive outside of a run-down apartment building on the east side of the city, and they park. In the van, they lay low and waited in silence. Brody clicks open a large case and pulls out an advanced rifle, custom-made and designed by The Lab and Jerry. They slide out the side of the van and set up across the street, waiting for their target. Suddenly, a man walks out of the apartment wearing bright red clothing. The man is short but bulky, sporting a very muscular build. Clearly an athlete of some sort.

    "Alright, Brody, lock your visor onto his leg. If he cuts to run or tries to get violent, take him out. We want him alive, but this guy is known to be highly dangerous and isn''t afraid to kill, so be aware,¡± Mike whispers.

    ¡°Already on it, I got him locked,¡± said Brody.

    "Nathan, take point, Deida, just follow our lead on three. One, two, three!¡±

    They move up and stand at attention. Jason looks startled and begins to panic.

    ¡°Jason Gage Stand down and come with us. We have a specially trained rifleman aiming to take out your kneecap if you run. So don¡¯t. This does not need to go any further if you just turn yourself in.¡±

    Jason Gage smiles and looks down. ¡°Awfully aggressive for a kid. Haven¡¯t the cops told you? I¡¯m not the one to play with. Have you seen my slant route?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your football ability, it won¡¯t help you. Now come with us,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Nice try, pretty boy, but,¡± Gage breaks into a sprint. ¡°You¡¯ll have to make me!¡±

    ¡°Enough playing around; let¡¯s just grab him,¡± said Nathan. Nathan lunges for Gage with great speed, Gage reacts quickly and starts to run in a straight line, Nathan follows in stride, then, out of nowhere, Gage turns on a 90-degree angle, and a giant blazing burst of energy appears. Nathan ignores it and decides to push on but the ball of energy detonates violently and sends Nathan flying. He lands on his feet, but is visibly shaken.

    ¡°Lookout! It appears he has some powers of his own! That trail of energy he leaves behind is dangerous. Be aware of it,¡± Mike shouts.

    ¡°Time to die vagabond scum!¡± Deidabot screams as he readies his weapon. He opens fire on Gage, who sees this and takes off up the wall, running at a 90-degree angle. Mike looks back to Brody and gives the signal. Brody rears up and takes the shot. His visor activates and guides the bullet through the air. It hits, and Gage stumbles, screaming as he falls down the wall and hits the ground. Mike walks towards him and stands over him, giving him a look of disappointment. As Mike looks down, he channels for a second.

    ¡°Lightning Magic. Lightning Shiv.¡± A stream of lightning begins to emit from his hand. He rears his arm back as if ready to finish Gage off. Gage cries, pleading for his life.

    "Please, man, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone, I am just down on my luck, I swear,¡± Gage begs.

    ¡°You have taken innocent lives and caused millions in property damage, you have taken pride in harming dozens of men, women, and even children. Now I''m going to take you into the station, and you are going away for a long ti¨C.¡±

    ¡°I''m afraid I can¡¯t allow that; can''t have you taking all the glory.¡± A voice beckoned from the shadows. ¡±

    The group turns around to see who is speaking, and he walks out from the shadows. A middle-aged man with light blonde, well-kept hair, a sharp jawline, and well-dressed from head to toe steps out, bearing a pistol in one hand and a badge in the other. Mike thinks to himself.

    ¡°Leon Ashford. Ex-private bodyguard of the Prime Minister. Something tells me Jill must have called him, assuming we couldn¡¯t handle it.¡±

    ¡°I''ll take it from here,¡± Leon says as he approaches.

    ¡°Leon, not that I¡¯m not happy to see you and all, but what are you doing here?¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I¡¯m here because I got a tip that Jason Gage might be here. He¡¯s been promoted to the FBI''s table after that last bank robbery. We will take him from here. Thanks for all your help.¡±

    ¡°This guy deserves worse than prison, all things considered.¡± I hope you guys have a place for him,¡± Mike grunts.

    ¡°I know you and I both could come up with some great ideas for him, but we also  know that¡¯s not what¡¯s best, revenge isn¡¯t right, my friend. Rest assured, though, that he will be going away for life. I will see to it.¡±

    Jason swings his leg and lunges to get away, ¡°until I get out.¡±

    A crack is heard, and Nathan comes down and pins his leg.

    ¡°Get sauced, loser; you can¡¯t escape if you can¡¯t walk,¡± Nathan says impatiently.

    "Oh, fuck my other leg, it was just a prank,¡± Gage says.

    ¡°Get a handle on your men, this isn¡¯t proper crime scene protocol,¡± says Leon.

    ¡°Letting a hero that isn''t from your department help you apprehend a subject isn¡¯t proper protocol either, Leon, but here we are.¡± Mike¡¯s tone changes to sarcastic. ¡°What do you think Commissioner Smith would do if he heard you were working with us right now?¡± Mike mused.

    ¡°I doubt he¡¯d be thrilled, but I know you aren¡¯t a snitch, right?¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Well, I guess not. Not this ti¨C¡± Mike is cut off by a loud explosion. A massive cloud of dust erupts from the ground, as if something massive just landed in front of them. Mike slides and regains his balance. ¡°Brody! Report: What¡¯s going on? I need a scan now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on it, thermal visor activated." Brody shouts. Brody scans back and forth with his heat-seeking visor but sees nothing. ¡°I got nothing, sir, just the same as before!¡± All of a sudden, Brody sees a flash of red on his visor, and he is hit in the face. Smashing his visor. Brody goes flying into the wall behind him and falls unconscious. Footsteps are going off everywhere, but the dust cloud is making it near impossible to see. All of a sudden Nathan feels an impact against his face and goes flying. He lands on his feet but is bleeding badly from his nose and mouth.

    ¡°Show yourself, whoever is there! Leon, can you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Mike speaks frantically.

    ¡°No idea, compadre, I¡¯m on the wrong end of the food chain here too,¡± said Leon.

    The dust begins to settle, and Mike notices a shadow of a figure standing over Gage. The figure is a large man wearing a black leather jacket and a mask. The man looks Gage over and begins twitching. Gage looks on in horror.

    The man hovers over Gage and speaks over the groveling man. ¡°Jason Gage, petty thief, failed athlete, garbage. You are of no use to me anymore. I told you not to run.¡±

    "Please, man, I was gonna come back, I swear I wouldn''t slight you,¡± Gage cries.

    ¡°No second chances, Jason. I¡¯m not gonna beat around the bush; I¡¯m gonna get right into it.¡± The man snarled. The masked man picks up Gage like a rag doll and digs his nails into his flesh. Gage screams in pain.

    A light aura begins to radiate, and a horrid image begins. Jason begins to look shriveled, like the blood and life force are being sucked from his body. The masked man laughs and screams to the heavens. He¡¯s consuming Gage''s life force. As he is almost finished, Deidabot freaks out and screams.

    ¡°Engaging threat!¡± Deidabot screams and opens fire, but the bullets bounce right off the man. The man throws Gage aside and flies at the robot, and takes him by the neck, lifting the robot off the ground with one hand. Nathan spits blood from his mouth and reaches his hand outward.

    ¡°No, please leave him alone! He didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Nathan begs.

    ¡°Please assist friends, the enemy is strong, it is not a good time,¡± said the robot. The masked man looks at Nathan and looks back at the helpless bot.  He snaps his neck and slams him into the ground, leaving him in pieces. Nathan¡¯s jaw drops along with the others, and he becomes enraged.

    ¡°You bastard, who do you think you are dealing with?¡± Nathan yells

    He charges the man, but is slammed back into the wall with ease. The man laughs and brushes the dust off his gloves.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch. Thanks for helping me catch this traitor,¡± said the man as he flew away. Leaving the scene. Nathan rushes over to Deidabot. He is in very bad shape, and his light is beginning to flicker.

    ¡°You will always be my squad and my friends,¡± the bot says, his voice now glitching out.

    Deida¡¯s light flickers out, and he is gone. Nathan drops to one knee and punches the ground. Cursing.

    ¡°Damn it, who was that? He blocked my attack like it was nothing. I am going to make him pay for destroying Deida,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°It looks like we have a new target. We have work to do. We need to apprehend the masked man,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Count me in, if he was able to do that to Gage, he is a threat. Nobody will be safe until he''s off the streets,¡± Leon said.

    ¡°He said traitor. He must have worked with Gage at some point. All I know is that this isn''t optimal,¡± said Mizuki.

    The gang and Leon tend to their wounds in the alley. Brody has come to and is back on his feet. They decide to head back to the main base and recollect after the encounter with the strange masked man.

 Chapter 2 - No victory without conflict

    The group arrives at the storefront and exits the van one by one. Leon catches up to Mike and walks next to him as they proceed to the front door.

    ¡°I have to admit, I wouldn''t have expected this location. It¡¯s a good hiding spot. It has some of that shady drug house charm to it as well,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°It''s not by choice; it''s more of a budget constraint than anything. Funding isn''t exactly as good as you''d expect. Everything we make gets dumped into new equipment, and it''s not like we can maintain another job or anything,¡± said Mike.

    Leon opens the door for Mike, and they enter. ¡°I''m glad you helped with Gage, but that was not what I had in mind when trying to capture a bank robber. You guys sure do things differently. Guess I would too if I were like you, but I''m just a regular old guy with a gun.¡±

    ¡°Like me? What do you mean by that?¡± said Mike.

    ¡°The alien power you got¡ªI wasn''t born with anything special. Save the good looks,¡± Leon says while combing his hair.

    ¡°You aren''t born with these abilities, Leon, everyone has power and mana inside of them. It''s just a matter of manifesting it. While you may have different abilities than me, you may have some untapped potential inside of you.¡± Mike holds his hand up, and small sparks begin to fly off his fingers. ¡°I''ve learned some of the more advanced forms of my power, but it is different for everyone. Nathan can use his mana to enhance his speed, strength, and durability to inhuman levels, but he''s never been able to use any sort of elemental ability. Brody is the least proficient here. He really has only been able to enhance his durability, but with time, I''m hoping he gets a grip on the rest. The truth is that magic lies in all of us. Ever since people realized that we had to deal with more issues like this, Power corrupting people isn¡¯t just a movie trope, once the villains got a handle on it pretty much straight away, it was used to commit robberies, bank heists, and overall bad behavior. It was to blame for most of Japan¡¯s large crime boom in the past few years.¡±

    Brody yawns and looks over his shoulder. ¡°That training is tough, not to mention unfair. Some people are born with the ability to use specific magic that nobody else can. Some people have an affinity for different types like you with lighting. Meanwhile, I can''t seem to be good at anything.¡±

    ¡°Still time young one, it wasn¡¯t long ago that I thought I was a fire user. I nearly burned the whole parking lot down and burned myself pretty badly.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a drag to learn,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Right? See, I''m glad somebody gets it!¡± Brody says enthusiastically.

    ¡°Look, I just want to know who that guy was. Also,  Brody, is the visor totally busted? We may be able to get footage off of it if the drive isn''t smashed.¡±

    ¡°It''s pretty banged up.¡± Brody reaches into his bag and pulls out the smashed visor, tossing it to Mike. ¡°But Hinako and Jerry may be able to get it working again.¡±

    Leon''s phone begins to ring, and he answers it casually. ¡°Ashford speaking. Woah, calm down. Jill, slow down. Explain. Central station? Ok. Alright, we will head over, but we aren''t in the best shape.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Leon?" Asks Mike.

    ¡°You aren''t going to believe this. Somebody attacked the trade building at the central station. Not your everyday attack either, it''s bad,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Who in their right mind would do that? It''s the area of the city with the most police presence,¡± Mike exclaimed.

    "Somebody is trying to make a statement. We watched a guy in a mask absorb a criminal today. Would this be so surprising?¡± Nathan said calmly.

    ¡°I don''t know, but I need to go. I know it''s a risk for you, but would you be willing to tag along?¡± said Leon.

    Mike turns to Brody and asks, ¡°Are you gonna be okay?¡±

    ¡°I''m good to go if we need to, mission priority, I know the drill,¡± Brody said.

    ¡°Then yes, Leon, we are good. Let''s move out.¡± Mike walks behind the counter and presses a small button on the desk, speaking into a mic.  "Hinako, wake up, I need you to do this. Take Brody''s visor and try to get any footage off of it that you can. We need information on the guy who attacked us.¡± Mike turns to Brody. "Brody, grab your spare visor before we leave.¡±

    The intercom sparks to life, and she rings through, ¡°Attacked? What happened?¡±

    Mike slams the button. ¡°No time to explain; now we have to leave. The visor is on the desk.¡±

    ¡°We can take my car this time, let''s move!¡± Leon exclaimed.

    ***

    The team is inside Leon¡¯s car, driving to Central Station. Leon speeds up and is darting in and out of traffic.

    ¡°Leon, you are in the agency; what on earth is going on with all these random attacks all over the city?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°You are about as informed as I am on this. I¡¯m just trying to stop them, but as of right now, we have no idea why they are happening so frequently. Something tells me that the enraged Luchadore back there may know something about it,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°I have a feeling you are right, but who was he? Nothing in our data book matches his description,¡± asked Mike. Mike''s phone rings, and he answers. ¡°Hinako, what¡¯s up? Do you have something on this masked man?¡±

    "Yeah, not much, but maybe some info you¡¯d like to hear. I barely got anything, but Brody''s visor was recording until the moment it got smashed. Whoever this guy is, he¡¯s wicked fast, and according to the scan, his power is on another level, too high to even read. He¡¯s no slouch.¡±

    ¡°The highest you''ve seen? Of course, right when we deal with one criminal, we have another twice as difficult to deal with'''' Mike cursed under his breath, shaking his head.

    "Yes sir, it¡¯s hard to believe, but after hearing about what he did to you guys I think it¡¯s accurate,¡± said Hinako.

    ¡°Not to interrupt, but we are here, so you gotta hang up. We can do the math on this later. Right now, we need to get civilians out of here,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Agreed, I¡¯ll talk to you when we get back.¡±

    Mike hangs the phone up, and the crew exits the car at Central Station, a high-end train station on the upper-class side of the city. Restaurants line the streets leading up to a large community building leading to the indoor train station. The normally bustling social area lay in ruin, and the usually calm citizens were screaming to escape the danger. A police line setup where citizens would be lining up to buy ice cream.

    ¡°Leon, you work on getting the innocent people out, Brody. I want you to help with that. Nathan, come with me; let¡¯s see what we are up against. We have a duty to hold up here, so let''s get it done,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°Damn it, Leon, why did you bring those punks?¡± Asks an officer.

    ¡°Shut up, we need all the help we can get. We are spread thin, you know that. Suck it up and deal with it.¡±

    The team splits off as Leon and Brody begin rallying civilians to back up and move towards the police line. Mike and Nathan charge towards the scene of the crime to investigate. When they turn the corner, it¡¯s like night and day. The grand triad central station was completely leveled, and fire was spreading everywhere. It was clear that whoever did this was extremely powerful. All of a sudden, a tall, lean woman with white, ashy hair and a cowboy hat walks out of the building casually, holding a high-tech repeating rifle. She seems unaware of the two heroes until she gets closer. She looks them up and down and lets out a smirk.

    ¡°Tozuki, been awhile. You said you¡¯d write,¡± she said.

    Mike''s face tenses up, and he thinks to himself. ¡°When I heard the triad trade center was being robbed, I didn''t expect it to be somebody I knew. Ashlyn Gray, The psycho renegade criminal I happened to go on a date with before finding out that she was in fact a psycho renegade criminal. Emphasis on the psycho.¡±

    Mike calls out to her, ¡°I planned to, but you forgot to mention the fact that you were the leader of one of the largest gangs in North America. That¡¯s something you tend to tell somebody on a first date, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Excuse excuses, how¡¯s your wizard girl?¡± Ashlyn yelled.

    ¡°I didn''t take you as the jealous type, Ashlyn. What are you trying to do here?¡±

    ¡°I''m not jealous, just curious, what does she have that I don''t?¡± She says softly.

    "Well, for one, she didn''t kill innocent people, so that''s a start. Look,  enough with the small talk. Come with us before you get hurt. This isn¡¯t a small-time bank robbery, you have the entire city on your ass,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I didn''t kill anyone, I just blew up the building. I''m a robber, not a murderer, god, and why would I come with y¡¯all? I got this under control,¡± she said confidently.

    Ashe laughs, and her eyes shift upwards. A flash of light comes down in a large burst from the sky as a figure is flying in at Mach 1.

    ¡°Downburst!¡± A voice screams, ¡±

    Mike sees this and leaps backwards, stumbling. As the figure hits the ground, a large explosion goes off as the earth shatters beneath him, sending Mike flying back. The man stands up and stares at Mike. It is a tan-skinned man who towers at 6''7". He is extremely large, and on his right hand, he looks like some sort of large mechanical fist with all kinds of weapons and gadgets attached.

    ¡°I should have known you could never have caused this much destruction by yourself,¡± said Mike while catching his breath.

    ¡°What can I say? I could always use some help. This is Akande; he''s a new recruit,¡± she said.

    Nathan blazes past Mike and charges Akande, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat and clearly beating him out in speed. Nathan is lightning-fast. He pushes off the ground and sends a spinning kick at the large man, who dodges. Mike tenses his hand and charges, emitting a large blue lightning stream from his right hand as he charges to assist.

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    ¡°Lightning Magic, Lightning Shiv!" He yells.

    He aims to hit Akande straight in the chest, but before the impact, he dodges, and Mike misses flying straight past him, stumbling. Coming from the right, Brody and Leon run up and lay down cover fire on Ashe, who ducks behind a destroyed pillar. Nathan slides and gets under the brute. He kicks up, sending Akande into the air.

    ¡°Leon, backup I got this,¡± Brody shouts. Brody clicks a button on his weapon, and it expands into a larger rifle. He prepares to open fire on Akande. But before he can a man approaches him and Leon from behind. It is a short, stocky man in a wife beater and sweatpants. Leon noticed the man and approached him to help.

    ¡°Sir, we need to get you to safety. This isn¡¯t a good area to be in right now. Come with me,¡± Leon says. The man looks at Leon straight-faced and charges him. He grabs Leon and tosses him aside, now running towards Brody, who aims his rifle at the man.

    "Sir, backup or I will shoot!¡± Brody yells firmly.

    The man continues to run and grabs Brody, taking him to the ground. Nathan turns to look, and Akande sees this as a chance to attack.

    ¡°Do not turn your back on me, boy!¡± Akande grunts.

    Nathan turns back, but it¡¯s too late. He barely gets his guard up, and the large man slams his gauntlet into Nathan¡¯s arm, sending him sliding back. Akande charges up his gauntlet and aims towards Nathan, ready to charge. Mike takes off quickly, lightning emitting from both hands, to attack the charging monster from behind. Akande sees this and turns his aim towards Mike. Mike jumps as Akande charges, but his gauntlet edges Mike, sending him spinning. As Mike spins through the air, he manages to connect with one of his lightning attacks. Stabbing into his left shoulder. They both jump back and check on themselves.

    "Are you alright, nut?¡± Asks Mike

    "Yeah, my arm might be broken, but I¡¯m ok. At the very least, I''m alive,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°Brody, get that guy out of here; we need help!¡± Yelled Mike

    ¡°I''m trying, but he won¡¯t get off me,¡± Brody said while shoving the man who is holding him down. Nathan charges the civilian and knocks him off Brody. The man gets up and laughs.

    ¡°This city is about to become a war zone. You can¡¯t save it. Just give up,¡± says the man. The man runs off in the other direction, and Nathan goes to charge him. Leon puts his hand on Nathan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°We need you here, let him go.¡±

    All of a sudden, Ashlyn begins to open fire. Leon and Nathan take cover behind a parked car. Brody puts his visor down and starts to scan. Akande eyes Mike and is ready to go back on the attack. Brody is still scanning the area when he sees something. on the tall building next to the trade center. His eyes look alarmed, and he calls out to Mike, who is about to square off against Akande.

    "Sir, I hate to be the one to bring this up, but there is another target over on that building watching us; it would appear,¡± shouted Brody.

    ¡°The boss is of no concern to you.¡± The man cranks his large gauntlets and says, "II am your enemy right now.¡±

    ¡°The boss? Brody, can you make it to that building?¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I will need cover against her, but with my grapple, I can get there,¡± said Brody.

    Mike nods his head and motions. ¡°Go investigate; we will handle this.¡±

    ¡°You are going to fight me alone? You are a fool!¡± Screamed Akande as he began charging the group.

    ¡°Nathan and Leon cover me. Let me handle this guy. I have a plan. The truth is, this guy is pretty strong, so a fair fist fight isn''t gonna cut it. The best bet might actually be going at him as if I''m trying to kill him,¡± said Mike.

    Leon aims his gun at Ashlyn. ¡°As if I have a choice, I got you; don''t worry.¡±

    Mike begins to channel as a force builds around him. He charges up the energy around him, and sparks begin to fly. An aura of electricity forms around him, lighting the air with a dark blue hue. He charges Akande with great speed. He seems surprised and prepares to defend himself. Meanwhile, Brody takes off towards the building nearby to investigate the figure in the distance. Ashlyn sees this and focuses her fire on him.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡± She yells, opening fire on him.

    ¡°Tactical defense matrix activated!¡± Brody bellows, engaging a device on his vest that forms a field around him, deflecting the bullets. He runs and leaps, shooting a grapple into the air, sending him sailing onto the nearby building. Brody pulls out his radio and phones. ¡°Mike, I''m on the building. I''ll pursue the target now.¡±

    Mike and Akande exchange blows, but something has changed. Akande dodges left, and Mike lands a right hook. He tries to swing his gauntlet, but Mike leaps back, dodging it, and charges, landing another large hit on Akande. The large man stumbles backwards and puts his hands up to guard once again. This time, Mike begins to channel and points his hand towards Akande. Suddenly, a beam of lighting almost as if  forming a solid object, flies forward from Mike''s hand. The blade is short but solid.

    ¡°Lightning magic thunder stream!¡± He screams. The blade stabs Akande again in the left shoulder. Akande shrugs in pain. Mike swings his arm up and then down swiftly, tearing off Akande''s arm. Akande screams out in pain. Mike looks satisfied with his victory, but not for long. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Brody being held off the edge of the tall building. Mike looks close. The masked man has Brody by the neck and is taunting him, ready to throw him off the building. Nathan sees this too and goes to help Brody, but Ashlyn opens fire and stalls him in place. Meanwhile, Akande stumbles and pulls a large needle out of his pocket. He injects himself with some sort of serum and springs to life. He begins to convulse and yells in pain. His eyes widen, and he locks onto Mike, meeting his gaze. Within a second, he charges faster than ever. Almost double the speed he was before. He lunges, and Mike attempts to dodge, but it''s too late. He lifts him off the ground using his large gauntlet, lifting him up over his head. He slams Mike into the ground viciously, and blood goes flying from his mouth. Leon runs to assist Mike, and Ashlyn once again opens fire, holding him in place. Akande stands up and smiles, and prepares to kill Mike, who is unable to move. He leaps into the air.

    ¡°Downburst!¡± He screams. His words are now slurred and distorted. As Akande comes down, Mike braces for impact. All of a sudden, a flash of light appears, and just like that, Mike is teleported 10 feet away. Akande lands, smashing the earth beneath him. He jumps to his feet and  looks confused, as Mike has disappeared. Mike looks up to see a girl standing over him, her hand resting on his chest. As his vision steadies, he sees her. Lena Oxford, his old teammate, just in the nick of time.  Ashlyn sees this and intends to open fire on the two of them, but again, out of the corner of his eye, Mike notices another figure. This time, an older man in a red jacket was clearly well armed.

    ¡°Not on my watch; I hope you''re ready for a real fight,¡± he says. The man slams a button on the side of his helmet and shoots a fast-traveling rocket towards Ashlyn. It hits, and on impact, it blows up her cover and sends her flying.

    Mike looks up and smiles. ¡°You guys have the best timing, impressive as always.¡±

    Just in the nick of time, friend. Saving your ass as always,¡± Lena says, laughing.

    ¡°As always, I owe you one,¡± said Mike. He thinks to himself. ¡°Lena Oxford. City guardian. She took the opposite approach from me. Went straight to work for the government''s enlisted heroes after our team split. Loved by all and the youngest city guardian in Japan¡¯s history,

    ¡°You already owe me, so I¡¯ll add this to your tab,¡± said Lena.

    Nathan waves his hands, running over. ¡°Not to interrupt your reunion, but Brody needs our help, and we have a problem to deal with here.¡±

    ¡°Mike, she is making a run for it!¡± Leon screamed with authority.

    Ashlyn takes off in the other direction, trying to escape. Mike turns to Lena. ¡°You got it from here?¡±

    ¡°We got this. You go after Ashlyn, we will handle Akande and save your friend.¡±

    Mike takes off after Ashlyn, Akande sees this and goes after him, but the rifleman lays down supporting fire. Lena sprints forward rapidly and pulls out a small orb from her pocket. After a moment, it begins to glow and expand, and she whips it at Akande, sticking it to his chest. She flips backwards athletically, pushing off her hands and landing, throwing up a peace sign. Akande attempts to get the device off, but it¡¯s too late. It blows him up and drops him to the ground. He staggers, barely keeping himself upright, balancing on one knee. Meanwhile, Mike is catching up to Ashe, as she¡¯s injured and cannot run. He gets close and tackles her, and puts her in handcuffs.

    ¡°Get off of me, you jerk!¡± She grunts.

    ¡°I told you to turn yourself in. I didn''t wanna do this. Now I have no choice,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Come on, let me out of these cuffs. I¡¯ll make it worth your while!¡± She begged.

    ¡°Tempting, let me think. No chance.¡±

    ¡°At least let me explain myself, you owe me that.¡±

    ¡°I don''t see how I owe you, but fine, talk.¡±

    ¡°I was forced to do this. Do you really think I¡¯d pull off a job of this scale willingly? I never get caught because I know my limits, but it isn¡¯t me calling the shots at the moment. I was backed into a corner.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I take it, you know the-¡± She pauses, biting her lip.

    ¡°what? Spit it out. I don''t have time for this.¡±

    ¡°The dude in the mask,¡± she said, clearing her throat.  ¡°He came to me and asked me to join his crew. Of course I said no; I never much liked not being my own boss. So he. Well, he executed half my men and asked again. I basically had no choice. Then he told us to do this to lure the police out.¡±

    ¡°Why lure them? For what reason?¡± Mike said, his voice quivering.

    ¡°I reckon you will find out soon, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be here when it goes down. I know you''re strong, but he¡¯s no joke. You guys don¡¯t stand a chance. You know I ain¡¯t afraid of anything but that guy. He scares me. After what he said he was gonna do to Gage and what he did to the other deserters, I was afraid to run.¡±

    "Well, we won¡¯t let anything happen to you by his hand, once I take you in, you will be in high-security prison,¡± said Mike.

    "Well, can¡¯t you let me go? I told you some helpful information, and you know I ain¡¯t gonna come back. I¡¯ll owe you in the future. Hell, I¡¯ll even tell you more about this masked man if you can keep him away from me. I didn''t kill anybody; I just destroyed some public property. Not that bad, right?¡±

    ¡°No chance, you know I can''t do that, now come with me.¡± Mike yanks her up and walks her along. He heads back to the scene to see Akande on the ground and the masked man flying over the fighters. He hovers in the air, holding Brody.

    ¡°Here catch!¡± The man yells. He throws Brody like a football, and the soldier dives to break his fall. They both stumble and slide across the pavement. The masked man floats down, hovering above the spectacle. ¡°Now that I have your attention, so-called heroes of this pathetic city, Listen up, because I¡¯m not gonna beat around the bush. I¡¯m gonna get right into it.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that last time?¡± said Nathan.

    The masked man looks down on them and beckons, ¡°You all sit here consuming and living your greedy, disgusting lives. Stained by your consumerist habits. Buying thousand-dollar phones, expensive, overpriced cars, and luxury items. While the weak grovel and starve. Well, that¡¯s coming to an end. I¡¯m taking a stand against these prices. and these corporations. I will not stop until they are gone, and I will kill anyone that gets in my way. Feeding in to this system is just as bad as being the ones who created it.¡±

    Nathan growls with anger and yells at the man. ¡°What a great way to get your point across! You''re a psycho! Killing your own men when they differ from your cause. Killing innocent people!¡±

    ¡°Nobody who participated in the current system is innocent. Not you, not your friends, and not your little robot pal either. Now I have an offer for you. Join me, or be crushed. You and your group stand for justice and what''s right. If that is the case, help me. Use the power you have to help me dismantle the current system from the top down to create a new utopia. That works for the common man and the true inheritors.¡±

    Mike shakes his head and barks at the man. ¡°You know, the sad part is that I see the purpose of your idea, but we would never join the likes of you. Good thoughts don''t excuse awful execution. You''re a terrorist, not some savior!¡±

    The masked man looks down with disappointment. ¡°Suit yourself. I really hoped you wouldn''t be so stubborn, but what can be done?" The masked man looks at the police picket line and holds his hand out. He charges, and a clear, rippling force emits from his hands. The ground begins to rumble lightly with increasing ferocity. The magic channeling increases, and the man fires. He sends out a massive flashing shockwave, sending cars, people, barriers, and everything in that direction flying. As cars crash, they explode under the impact of the magic, and mass chaos ensues. Then the masked man looks to the left and lets out another blast, this time knocking over the remaining ruin left of the train station. The building crumbles, kicking up dust and debris as the man levels the earth.  ¡°Now you know what you''re up against. Good luck. Oh, before I forget Akande, the  failure." The masked man leaps down and once more digs his hands into the man''s flesh. Consuming him just as he did Gage. Akande doesn''t even fight back, as he is too strained. He slowly fades away, and the man laughs sickly. The man then flips the middle finger to the crowd and flies off quickly.

    ¡°Should we go after him?¡± Asks Lena

    ¡°I don''t think it would do us any good. We don¡¯t have the force to stop him even if we could catch him,¡± said Mike.

    "Well, then what do we do?¡± Leon Asks

    ¡°Leon, we are deep into this now, and I want to help. Please convince the FBI to allow us to help. I know we aren''t registered, but all things considered, I know we can be useful. Do me this one favor," said Mike.

    ¡°I think I can make that happen, all things considered,¡± Leon says.

    ¡°Good, thank you. I think I¡¯m gonna have to call some old friends. Team, let¡¯s roll out back to base. Lena, Junpei. Tomorrow morning, you should stop by our base and reconvene. Leon should report back to the FBI, and Jill will want to know about this. Call me when you have more information.  We have a job to do, and it''s gonna take all of us.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Old friends

    The next morning, the team sits back at base, and the downstairs area is cramped due to the unusually high number of people. Lena and Mike sit opposite Hinako at her computer station, talking over battle plans. The soldier and Brody are near the makeshift armory, comparing weapons. Leon and Nathan are drinking in the break room, talking over the situation. Last but not least, a janitor works casually, cleaning away a stain on the floor.

    ¡°I''m telling you, kid, you need to upgrade to one of these.¡± He taps his headpiece. ¡°Never broke on me once,¡± said the soldier.

    ¡°I would be willing to bet I''d have it destroyed in a week. I am kind of a master of breaking equipment,¡± says Brody, scratching his head.

    ¡°How about this? If the enemies are getting close enough to break your visor, you''re not shooting enough or you aren''t accurate enough. The equipment is only as good as the user. In a world of element magic and superhumans, us weapon master guys have to work twice as hard,¡± said the soldier.

    ¡°Well, what if I have to reload?¡± Brody questioned.

    ¡°Shoot rockets, beams, or something else. Whatever alternate fire that thing has,¡± the man said.

    Brody looks confused. ¡°My gun doesn''t shoot rockets.¡±

    "Well, that''s because you are an amateur, but we can fix that,¡± he said.

    Hinako is typing away viscously, only stopping to take a drink of coffee, half of which she spills on the floor.

    Mike walks up to Lena and leans on the table. ¡°I really hate to say this, but we need help, and we need it badly. Lena, do you have any members left in your organization? Literally, anyone that can help here would be appreciated.¡±

    ¡°I hate to say it but it''s just me and Junpei at this point in time. Nobody else remains on our end. Once we went official and got registered, many of our team members didn''t want to stick around. I''m sure you can understand how that works. Don''t think they would be keen on doing favors either,`` she said.

    ¡°That''s not good to hear, but I suppose it can''t be helped. While I''m sure Leon could supply us with some troops, I don''t see them being much help against an opponent with that kind of power. Not to mention, many of them likely won¡¯t work with us. The public''s view of magic is poor, vigilante¡¯s even worse,¡± Mike said.

    Hinako spins around in her chair. ¡°I could use the database to contact a few people we know, or at the very least know of. They may be willing to help if we sweeten the deal enough. I had in mind at least a few.¡±

    ¡°It''s important we take this man out before he kills any more innocent people. I''m open to anything. Leon, would it be alright if we called in some help?¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I will deal with my side, do what you need to do, they will have to deal with it. The only thing I will say is don¡¯t expect much help from my side. I will tell you that the government views this as a side quest. Not Tokyo, not a big enough event to send major reinforcements. To tell you the truth, the city guardian system is mostly to prevent them from having to step by my logic,¡± Leon said.

    ¡°Corruption at its finest. Ignorance at best,¡± said Mizuki.

    "Ok, boss, I''ll get on it. Let''s see what we got,¡± said Hinako. She begins to work vigorously, scanning his database for names and faces. A few appear on the screen, and she turns to Mike. "Ok, I have some surefires, some maybe, and some I would like your approval on.¡±

    ¡°Shoot, show me what we got,¡± said Mike.

    "Okay, starting up, I got Brian Dales, an old teammate of yours and Lena''s.¡±

    ¡°Not who I had in mind, but he will be on board. I guess I will have to pull out some old favors here. Add him,¡± he said.

    "Brian, huh, pure blood American. He''s not keen on teamwork, but he''s a good lad,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°Wait, is that Jerry Jeudy the wideout for the Denver Broncos? He''s on here?¡±

    "No, that''s my American fantasy football team on the other monitor, ignore that. What about Kazuke Homura? He may not be on board, but you may be able to convince him. He would be invaluable.¡±

    "Kazuke, huh? He''s a formidable fighter, and I guess he''s worth a try. I''ll go get him myself because he is going to take some swaying. It¡¯s been at least a year since I''ve seen Kazuke in the flesh.¡±

    "Ok, and you said anyone, correct? Like anyone I can find that will help.¡±

    ¡°Yes, anyone, we need to put a stop to the masked man.¡±

    ¡°What about Reyna?¡±

    Mike exhales sharply and pauses. ¡°That''s fine, get her if you can.¡±

    "Ok, I''ll make some calls, and I will let you know.¡±

    ¡°Good, keep me updated.¡±

    All of a sudden, the elevator opens, and Jerry trots out with rage in his eyes. Yelling, "Mikey, what on earth are all these people doing here? You are gonna cause a fire hazard or something!¡±

    Mike walks over, calming him. "Jerry, it''s alright. We are working on saving the city here.¡±

    ¡°You said only the usual guys down here, and who the hell is that? Is that a janitor?¡± said Jerry, motioning at the cleaning man.

    ¡°That''s Smitty, he''s the cleaning guy, he''s always down here,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Mikey, that is the first time I''ve seen that guy. You are barking up the wrong tree here,¡± said Jerry.

    "Jerry, come on, it''s not that big of a deal, he''s just a janitor, and these guys are all heroes, they are safe. Trust me,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°You guys are gonna put me in the grave, I''m going to have a cigar or two.¡±

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    "Yeah, Jerry, go take your medicine and go to bed. I''ll lock up, no worries! I promise it¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°Eat a fashion magazine, I''m going upstairs,¡± Jerry says, waving his arm.

    ¡°You sure that guy isn''t a spy?¡± Leon Says.

    ¡°Jerry is not a spy, he owns the store. I hate to be the generic team leader archetype, but we need to get on track here. Hinako, who is the closest to us currently?¡±

    ¡°They are all pretty split up. It may be best to go pick them up in groups. How about Leon and Junpei go grab Dales, you and Nathan go get Kazuke, Lena and I will stay here, and well, Reyna can fly, so she can just come on her own,¡± she said.

    "Well, then it''s time to roll. Kazuke¡¯s place is far, and we need to make pace,¡± Mike said.

    "Yeah, you are right, let''s get moving,¡± said Nathan.

    ***

    Around 3 hours pass, and the duo arrives at a large field with a small door on the side of a hill.

    ¡°So why is he hiding underground? I know he''s a bit of a lone wolf, but this seems overboard.¡± Asks Nathan.

    ¡°Kazuke is a pretty isolated human being. To me, that isn''t much of a concern, but be aware he is unpredictable, and taking him in a fight won''t be an easy task,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I hope he is willing to cooperate. I was never as close with Kazuke as you, but I remember you guys sparring. It was scary to watch. If it comes to it, I bet you can take him.¡±

    ¡°We will see, no promises.¡± The two proceed into the tunnel entrance of the underground base and walk down a large, dimly lit hall for what seems like forever. Until they walk into a large, open room that is lit by candles. The only sound is a water fountain in the corner of the room. It is gold and ornate, adorned with a large family crest and some foliage. The crest is an ornate, flaming bird with a withered tree behind it. Adorned with an orange gem in the middle. As they proceed into the room, they see a man sitting with his legs crossed. He appears to be meditating. The man is young, has black spiky hair, and is wearing a traditional clan training outfit adorned with red accents. He speaks but does not turn.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°I just want to talk, I need your help,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I am not in a talking mood, leave. You are lucky I didn''t kill you for walking in here uninvited,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Kill me? Kazuke, come on. Look, I am not looking for a fight, I need your help. Please.¡±

    ¡°Barging into my home and demanding my help?¡± The man slowly climbs to his feet. ¡°That''s awfully brash of you, don''t you think?¡±

    ¡°Mike, it says his power level is a lot lower than yours, you can take him if need be,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°He isn''t showing his full power, it will be obvious when he does,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Obvious?¡±

    Kazuke turns to look at them, and no more than a second later, he draws his sword and charges.

    ¡°Stand back, I have this,¡± said Mike.

    Mike charges, and the two clash. Kazuke lunges with his sword, but Mike dodges and continues forward. Grabbing Kazuke''s wrist and tossing him past, Kazuke spins through the air and lands against the wall on his feet. He springboards himself off the wall with great speed, preparing to go back after Mike. Kazuke throws three shuriken, and Mike leaps to the side to dodge them. As he does, Kazuke begins to charge, and flames begin to emit from his right hand, spreading to his sword, and he lunges at Mike. Mike barely dodges it and Kazuke ends up hitting the ground. The ability is so strong that it punches a hole in the concrete floor. Mike does a triple backflip and drops to one knee. He tightens the muscles in his left arm, and lightning begins to fly from it.

    ¡°Lightning magic. Twin lightning shiv.¡±

    ¡°You mastered that because of me. Do you really think it will work?¡± The man screams.

    Mike stays silent and begins to run with the ball of electricity in his hand. Kazuke looks angry and charges his blade, flaming even larger. They charge and clash in the middle. When the abilities collide, they are both sent flying back, clearly evenly matched. They both drop to their knees and breathe heavily.

    "Ok, I''ll admit I''m impressed, even with my hidden abilities, you managed to make your attacks pretty unpredictable,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°The blazing edge technique was passed down through your family''s generations. The Homura clan is something special.¡±

    ¡°You have done your homework, I see.¡±

    ¡°I just remember all the stuff you told me, you seem to have forgotten.¡±

    ¡°If I had forgotten about the past, I would have finished you off a moment ago. Our history is why I''m going to give you a chance to speak. I will hear you out. Talk, make it quick.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, somebody is going to destroy the city, or maybe worse. He is far too powerful for me to stop alone. I need you,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I see, simple enough, but what''s in it for me?

    ¡°You get to do the right thing? Help a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping for something better, but very well. Keep in mind that this is only because of our past that I''m in, but I play by my own rules, and I can leave whenever I choose,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Deal. Come with us, and we will show you the rest of the team.¡±

    "Yeah, whatever, let''s get this over with,¡± Kazuke said. He sheathed his sword and brushed off his robes, and began walking to the exit. The trio leaves and enters the car, heading back to base.

    ***

    Upon arrival, Nathan and Mike enter the room, they are the last ones to return clearly. New faces line the room. A young, clean-shaven man with undercut yellow hair, a jean jacket, and black jeans sits in the break area, looking like he''d much rather be doing something else. A middle-aged, military-looking man sits next to Leon and appears to be looking over battle strategies, as does the janitor.

    "Lena, it looks like the recruitment went well.¡± Mike said.

    ¡°Very, everyone was more than willing to come. Your friend Jill sent somebody else, and Leon brought in somebody of his own as well. I see you brought Kazuke. Easy enough?¡± She said.

    "Yeah, he didn''t even put up a fight; he went right along with it,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°I sense some sarcasm in your voice,¡± Lena said.

    ¡°A bit. Where is reyn-¡±

    ¡°Tozu. Been a while, hasn''t it?¡± The man with the undercut says as he punches Mike in the chest, ¡°Snuck in without saying hello. You haven''t changed.¡±

    ¡°Dales, how are you?" Mike Asked

    ¡°Been good, I''ve been enjoying retirement. You should try it sometime. There is much more freedom on the outside than working this same old job, you know. You should give it a shot on youtube, acting maybe you got the face of my man seriously. Your powers make you a shoe in for an easy ride,¡± Dales said.

    ¡°I don''t do this for the money, Brian. Just for the good of the people.¡± Mike spoke sternly.

    ¡°Ah, funny moral high ground. I did it for the money and still did about as much good as you. You might as well have both, right?¡± Dales said, chuckling. A hint of smugness brims from his somewhat fake laugh.

    "Look, Brian, if you want me to mop you in front of this entire room, I will.¡±

    ¡°As much as I''d love to see you try to lay a scratch on me, Let''s save the sparring for a better time. I''d rather you explain what''s going on here.¡±

    ¡°We will explain in due time,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°I wasn''t asking you to pop star,¡± Dales said.

    ¡°You are awfully cocky for a guy wearing slippers,¡± Kazuke interjected.

    ¡°These are designer shoes, get over it, and what are you, a ninja?¡± said Dales.

    Kazuke is gone in a blink, and he grabs Dales, pinning him to the ground. He twists his arm as Brian wails loudly. The group stops and looks at the two fighting.

    "God, what are you doing? Please stop. No. Please. What the hell? Stop!¡± Dales Begged.

    "Enough, Kazuke, you''ve made your point,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°Whatever, somebody needed to get a reign on Gi Joe over here,¡± said Kazuke. He lets go of the man''s arm as he stands, brushing his clothes off, looking mad.

    All of a sudden, a large sound goes off in the waiting room outside the main lounge, and everyone turns to attention. The door swings open, and two women and a large goose walk in. The silver-haired woman looks around the room and spots Mike. ¡°It really is you, it has been a while, hasn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 4 - Acceptance

    The silver-haired woman had all eyes on her¡ªa beautiful young woman with bright and shining silver hair put up neatly in a braided bun, shining blue eyes, and glistening lips. Her face reads bitter, but confident. Behind her is another fair-skinned young woman who is wearing gold and silver chain armor embezzled with a crest on her chest that looks straight out of the dark ages. As for the giant goose, he was a giant goose.

    ¡°No hello? No introduction? Ouch.¡± The white-haired woman spoke.

    "Hello, Reyna,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Aren''t you going to introduce me to all your friends here?¡± She Asked.

    Mike glares with impatience and turns to announce himself to the room. ¡°Everybody, this is Reyna. She is the granddaughter of one of the ex-Hikari, one of the legendary six.¡±

    ¡°I''m pleased to meet you all, I¡¯m Mike''s old friend; he forgot to mention that. As for my companions, this is Karina, and this is 86H.¡± She spoke, motioning to the two behind her.

    ¡°You brought a goose?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°That goose is a mythical being. He''s very important," she said.

    "Ok, I''m not even gonna question it. As long as he''s bathroom trained.¡±

    "Alright, now for the real questions!¡± Karina shouted brashly. ¡°So why did you dump her? I will say I cannot blame you, I''m sure she deserved it. I think about getting rid of her daily.¡±

    "Karina, don''t be weird,¡± said Reyna.

    ¡°Is it high maintenance? The overarching family heritage complex?¡± She Asked.

    ¡°Karina! Enough!¡± Reyna yelled.

    ¡°Alright, alright. You can tell me later, sir, no worries.¡± Karina chuckled.

    ¡°Karina, if you wanted to know, she ghosted me. There isn¡¯t anything more to it,¡± Mike said.

    Darn, not what I was hoping to hear.¡± Karina sadly mumbled.

    ¡°He just couldn''t handle me being stronger than him, from what I remember,¡± Reyna whispered. Kazuke laughs, letting out a light smile.

    ¡°Oh, it''s funny, Kazuke?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°Weaker than your partner, it''s amusing to me,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Homura I''m guessing? I can tell by your crest and eyes.¡± Reyna said, looking the man over.

    ¡°You are a Hallowswift, I can tell without looking at you. What is it to you?¡± Asked Kazuke.

    ¡°It''s just that I''m stronger than you too. Thought you would find it amusing,¡± she said.

    Hinako jumped out of her chair, interjecting, ¡°I got this! My software can scan power levels, and this is the perfect time to test it.¡±

    ¡°Hinako, no need to do that,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Why not Mike? It''s all in good fun,¡± Reyna said.

    ¡°Do it, I want to know,¡± Kazuke said.

    ¡°Ok, I''m on it!¡± She Shouted. She pointed her device at Kazuke. "Ok, Kazuke is logged.¡± She aims the device at Reyna, and the device beeps aggressively. Her eyes widen, and she looks up at her. ¡°Something is off, I think it might be broken. Let me try another one.¡± The device does the same thing, and Hinako looks shocked again. ¡°Well, it''s too high to read. You broke my system, so I guess that''s a win for you. Damn, this device really stinks.¡±

    ¡°Your hand, Mike,¡± said Reyna, shrugging.

    ¡°It''s not exactly fair that you''re related to a legend. That isn''t the point right now. We need to stop this man. We need to do it fast,¡± said Mike.

    The military-looking man next to Leon stands up and calls out to the room, ¡°Hey everybody, I have something to say. My name is Piers Evans. Me and Leon have been looking over battle strategies, and in order to get this in line, I need you all to come and give me a rundown of your abilities and what you can handle. So if we could all form a line and come talk to me before we all go home to start preparing for this operation,¡±

    ¡°Piers, I''m glad you could come,¡± said Mizuki. "However, I need to ask based on what Leon said: we won''t be getting any help from Hikari or the upper levels of the government.¡±

    ¡°No, stuff like this the Prime Minister wouldn''t even be aware of, let alone to the level to send Hikari. Sadly, unless a government official is attacked, I doubt we are getting help. That''s just how it is.¡±

    ¡°I had a feeling; I just wanted to confirm. Continue.¡±

    Mike goes to sit down in his office while everyone else goes to Piers to fall in line. Mike sits in his office, hands on his head, clearly stressed and mulling over the last 48 hours in his head. All of a sudden, a voice pops through, breaking the silence.

    "Hey, sorry to bother you.¡± Mike looks up and into the doorway to his office, and Hianko stands leaning against the door. A look of concern stays hidden underneath a fake smile.

    ¡°Don''t worry about it; it has just been a long time without sleeping here,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°I understand that. I''m sure it''s hard on you trying to gather all these people. Not to mention working with the FBI, all things considered. I just want to make sure you are taking care of yourself,¡± she said.

    ¡°I appreciate the concern, I will be alright. You don''t need to worry about me too much,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Ok, if you say so,¡± she said. The girl is visibly nervous. As she speaks, her voice is trembling, and she is moving her hands around a lot.

    ¡°Are you okay?" You are shaking,¡± he said.

    ¡°I''m sorry, I''m just a bit nervous. I just don''t know what I would do if something happened to you, Nathan, or Jerry. Anyone here. I have nowhere to go,¡± she said.

    Mike stands up and puts his hand on her shoulder. He looks firmly at her and speaks to her. ¡°That isn''t going to happen. You will always be welcome here, and you will always have a place to fall back on. I know home isn''t great, and I don''t want you to be stuck there. So rest assured, none of us will be going anywhere. Nathan is strong and smart. Jerry is never in danger. I wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to them either. We all have each other''s backs.¡±

    Hinako brightens up. ¡°Thank you, Mike, you guys are the only real family I have. If I didn''t have this job, I would be in ruin. I''ll get back to work and try to calm down.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, I''ll see you around,¡± she said as she turned to leave. Mike sits back down at his desk, and another person walks in. Its Piers.

    ¡°Hello sir, I would like to go over an idea I had for you that I think might work. While it isn''t customary, I would allow you to have any power here; these people know you and trust you. Your judgment will be appreciated.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. Don''t get me wrong, I''m not thrilled about working with you either. There is a reason we don''t apply to work for you. That said, I can see you don¡¯t exactly agree with how your side is handling this either.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, this guy is a threat that needs to be taken care of, I can see that. Anyway, we have a lot of people here with very similar skill sets. I think it could be to our benefit to have them train each other. Some of the more experienced train the less experienced. This could help strengthen our weak and keep our strong busy.¡±

    ¡°That''s a good idea. I''ll run it by everyone. Most should be fine with it, I imagine,¡± said Mike, turning to leave. Mike goes out into the main room and speaks to the group.

    ¡°I have an idea I got from Piers that I believe may be of benefit. If we are gonna beat this force together, we need everyone. I would like everyone to work together to train and get to know each other better. Everyone would be on call until we were able to locate the man. Junpei, I would like you to train Brody, Karina, and Reyna. I would also like you to train Brody and attempt to teach him some magic abilities. Anything could help. Kazuke, if you would be willing, I would like you to train Nathan the way you did me years ago. Lena, I suppose you could work with Hinako on intel.¡±

    ¡°I''m not training anyone,¡± said Kazuke. ¡°But I will do you one better. I know a guy you can train with the kid. You mentioned he can only use physical attacks, well, I happen to know somebody who even surpasses me in that department,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Who do you know? Does he live in that underground tunnel with you?¡± Nathan Asked.

    "No, the opposite of me; actually, he''s quite flashy. I will tell you where to find him. He won''t be opposed if I call in some favors. Now, with that being said, I''m out. Contact me when you know our next move,¡± Kazuke said. He turns to leave the room casually.

    ¡°I should head out as well,¡± said Leon. ¡°Piers, we should get back and keep working on our plan. I will be back tomorrow.¡±

    Everyone but the main group and Lena head out. Nathan sleeps in the corner on a pile of blankets, and Brody lays in the corner up against the wall. Lena and Mike talk over food at a table in the break room.

    ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± She asks, ¡°You seem on edge.¡±

    ¡°Its just weird to think all these people are counting on us to lead them, and if we screw up, they could die, and it would be all on us. I can''t believe they trust me to be a big part of this operation.

    ¡°That is a lot of pressure, but I know you can handle it. You have always handled it and this is no different than before. Just a larger scale.¡±

    ¡°That''s an understatement. It seems this masked man could wipe the floor with any of us with ease. It''s going to require perfect teamwork to even have a chance.¡±

    "Well, good thing we are a great team!¡±

    "Yeah, that''s true, as long as we all cover each other, things will work out. They just have to. It feels nostalgic to have Oxford back together.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too sentimental now, unless when this is all over, I can convince you to rejoin.¡±

    ¡°Crazier things have happened.¡±

    ***

    Brian Dales walks to his luxury apartment on the north side of the city. He walks up the stairs and goes to the door, where he begins to put the key in but realizes the door has already been unlocked. He looks around confusedly and proceeds in. Everything looks normal, but as he walks into the living room, he sees somebody sitting in the rocking chair near the fireplace. The man turns to reveal himself slowly. It''s the masked man. Brian balls his fist, ready to charge, but the man holds his hand up.

    ¡°Have a seat, Brian. Get you something to drink.¡± He says.

    ¡°What are you doing in my apartment? Leave!¡± Dales shouts.

    ¡°Portal magic. Stored armory.¡± He holds his hand up, and a small, clear disc forms.

    ¡°Don''t worry, I will, but not just yet, I have an offer to make. Now, have a seat, or I will have to kill you right here and now.¡±

    Brian holds in place for a second and considers running. He thinks to himself. ¡°If I run, he could destroy this whole building. Not to mention he knows where I live.¡± After a minute, Brian reluctantly powers down his spell, takes a seat across from the man, and cups his hands. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asks, his voice trembling.

    "Look, I''m not one to beat around the bush, so I''m gonna get right into it. You have a history that interests me. You used to work with Michael Tozuki. So I want you to tell me where he is and how to get to him. If you know, tell me, and you''ll be paid handsomely.¡±

    ¡°The answer is no. I don''t take orders from street scum. Not to mention me and him, don''t talk anymore. I have no clue where he is now.¡±

    "Ouch, Mr. Dales, that''s a bit harsh, don''t you think? It''s not me that''s the scum here. Now I''ll ask again. This time with the stakes raised. Help, or I will do something. Drastic.¡±

    ¡°You don''t scare me. Do as you wish. I will not be intimidated by a terrorist.¡±

    "Ok, Brian, suit yourself. We are on the cusp of a revolution. While I don''t think you or him are a threat to me, I''d like to be rid of him sooner rather than later. Now that I know the government isn¡¯t looking to step in, even after my large-scale incident, I know I can move freely. Anyway, I will see you around. How does that sound? Oh, and your taste in bourbon is great, I must say.¡± Dales looks on in shock as the man leaps out the window and takes off into the night.

    ¡°Well that was weird. What a coincidence that guy comes after me the second I get involved in this conflict! Does he know about that? I doubt it. Why would he dance around the subject then? Either way, I handled that shit great. Roll dales. No, that sounds terrible. Dales engage! No, I''ll just stop.¡±

    ***

    The next morning, Kazuke and Nathan go to make way for Kazuke¡¯s friend''s home. They don''t speak much on the way there, as Kazuke is stone-faced and doesn''t seem keen on having any social dialect. When they arrive at a decent-sized square building, Nathan proceeds inside. Kazuke waves one hand and turns to leave without saying anything. Nathan proceeds forward, and out of nowhere, a man in a tracksuit comes flying down from the ceiling and spin kicks Nathan, sending him sailing back. Nathan catches himself to see the man. A silly-looking man with a strange haircut and a blue tracksuit, orange trainers, and one single white belt around his waist. He smirks.

    ¡°It appears I am to train you in hand-to-hand combat. First, let''s see what you have!¡± The man yells. He flies towards Nathan with great speed, and Nathan throws his guard up. The two exchanges blows and Nathan gets the upper hand. When the man goes to throw a punch, Nathan catches it and sends him flying back. The man lands harshly and slides across the floor. Nathan leaps into the air and goes to land a dropkick on the idle fellow. The man rolls, but Nathan hits the floor with one leg., bounces up, and slams back down landing a large kick on his stomach. The man lets out a gasp and clutches his stomach.

    ¡°You''re pretty fast, but you lack power. Easy game,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°That is what you think sir. That was just round one,¡± said the man. His face begins to turn red, and he squats down as if to jump. But when he does, a large burst of wind appears from around him. ¡°Limit release technique, second stage!¡± He yells. A flash, and he is gone. Nathan looks around but cannot seem to find him. Nathan looks down, and suddenly he appears and boots Nathan in the jaw sending him upwards. Nathan recovers and flies down screaming like a monkey. The man dodges spinning backwards and goes in for a kick. Nathan blocks it and counterattacks, slamming him in the chest. Sending him stumbling. He squats again, as if to charge up once more. ¡°Limit release stage 3!¡± He yells. He charges Nathan now moving so fast Nathan can''t react. He tries to block but misses, and the man goes straight through his defense, stopping one inch from his face. Nathan breathes heavily and looks at him. He powers down and backs up, slowly smiling.

    ¡°You are fast, I''m not going to lie, I''ve never seen anyone move like that, not even Mike,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°There is a reason for this, I have been briefed on what you are capable of. Do not fret just yet. You are faster than I was before I could unlock my true potential. My young one, you can even surpass me if you can learn these techniques,¡± said the man.

    ¡°How? It''s almost like you''ve become a different person. I can''t do that.¡± Asked Nathan.

    ¡°You are able to enhance your strength and speed with mana control, which is great. You are very good at it, but you must learn to push past that. Enhance it further beyond your limits. I can help you do this with my special technique that only I know, but I warn you that this will not be easy,¡± said the man.

    ¡°Count me in, whatever it takes, I want to know how. If I can move like you, I can be a true hero, and Mike will accept my choice.¡±

    ¡°You have good motivation, if that''s the case, then let''s start! My name is Youta Li. Now for your uniform!¡±

    ¡°I''ll pass on the uniform.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself!¡±

    ***

    Later that night, Mike sits in his apartment watching television and he receives a call from Leon.

    "Mike, we need you to come to Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0001, there was a building fire.¡±

    "Leon, I''m not trying to be insensitive, but what need am I at a random building fire?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it''s not random, this is Junpei Matsui¡¯s apartment building. Somebody lit it on fire. It looks like arson.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? Is he okay?"  ¡°Not really, he''s out of the building and he''s alive, but he''s heavily injured. Get here now, and I''ll explain it. I''ll call your brother.¡±

    ¡°Got it, I''m on my way now.¡±

    He makes his way across town to Junpei¡¯s apartment, and when he arrives, a site of horror is unveiled. Lena, Leon, Piers, Hinako, Youta ,Nathan and Brody stand in front of the building. Smoke bellows from above as the base burns to the ground. Then Mike notices the ambulance soldier leaning up on a stretcher in bad shape. Mike runs up to Nathan.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mike Asked.

    ¡°We are waiting to hear from Junpei. They found him beat down and unconscious out on the front steps, and the building leveled and on fire,¡± said Nathan.

    ¡°I think we know who did this,¡± Mike said angrily.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Nathan responded.

    Leon walks up and talks to Mike calmly. ¡°The other building residents say somebody knocked on their door wearing a fireman''s outfit, telling them they needed to leave the building due to a gas leak. Junpei didn''t seem to get the memo. Then the building was apparently lit up and left to burn. He only lived because he leaped onto a pile of trash in the alleyway.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, that fireman wasn''t really a fireman.¡± Mike said.

    ¡°No, he wasn''t,¡± said Leon.

    The gang sits in various states of disarray in front of the now-destroyed building. I''m unsure of what to do now. Mike stands away from the others, close to the flames, fuming with anger. He turns and begins to walk away.

    ¡°Where are you going? Hey! Where are you going?¡± Leon yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to put an end to this. Now,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Mike, you and I both know it¡¯s not that easy. Calm down. We will figure this out,¡± said Leon.

    Mike turns and walks quickly towards Leon. Grabbing him harshly by the straps of his holsters. ¡°And how many more people are going to get hurt before we figure it out, Leon? How many more buildings leveled? How many of our friends and allies will be killed or beaten to near death? You tell me how many more you are okay with. Then we can talk about waiting.¡±

    Nathan runs up and interjects. ¡°I know you are upset, but Leon is right. This situation isn¡¯t easy, but we really need to take it slow here. If we let him pick us off, we''ll lose this battle before it¡¯s even begun. You said it yourself, we need all of us.¡±

    ¡°Well then let¡¯s fucking get to it. I¡¯m done waiting around. Nathan, get back to your training. Lena and Junpei can stay at our base, and the rest of you get back to work!¡± Mike yelled, straining. He breathes heavily, clenching his fist. Everyone looks on in shock as the usually level-headed captain looks like he¡¯s about to blow a gasket. The moment is then interrupted by coughing and moaning heard from the stretcher. Junpei has awoken. Mike runs over to him. ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°I was asleep; I didn''t hear a fire alarm or anything. The door was blocked off. I had to jump,¡± said Junpei. The soldier can barely muster another breath before grabbing his right arm in pain. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will be out for a while, but as for your marksman friend, I will still train him. Just give me a rest, and I¡¯ll be good for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Take as much time as you need, this isn¡¯t your job; you need to think of yourself,¡± Mike said.

    ¡°I understand, but I need to do something. I can''t just sit around being dead weight,¡± he groaned.

    Lena looks at Mike and talks in an oddly cheery voice. ¡°Mike, why don¡¯t you go back to your apartment tonight instead of the base? You need to clear your head and rest. You''ve been working nonstop. I¡¯ll go back to your base and run things today. Take a night to calm down.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take breaks at a time like this I -¡±

    "No, she¡¯s right Mike.¡± Nathan Interjects. ¡°We will take over today, and you take a night off. Tomorrow morning, we can regroup at base and go over our plan. We need you 100% anyway. You are no good to us like this.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but call me if anything goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°You have my word. Let''s just hope it doesn''t come to that,¡± said Nathan.

    Leon speaks. ¡°Not to interrupt, but Junpei. If you want to use our training facility for whatever you need, you guys can head there. I¡¯ll send my authorization. Since he is under contract with us, they shouldn''t cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°That would be great. Thank you. I''ll take you up on that, '''' said Junpei.

    A medic looks up from paperwork and yells at the man, "Sir, no way you are in no shape to do any sort of training let alone walking.¡±

    He rips off the sling and he snaps his wrist back into place and shrugs. ¡°Trust me, I''m good kid. I¡¯ve had worse happen. I survived a war. I can handle this.¡±

    Junpei and Brody head off to the JDG, with Piers and Leon not far behind. Lena and Nathan all head back to home base while Mike makes way for his apartment. Once Mike arrives, he unlocks his door and heads inside to a small but well-furnished apartment. He has a seat on a black leather chair. He pours himself a drink and leans back, soaking in all that has happened. Mike falls asleep, and a few hours pass. It is now 10:18 p.m. the same day and he slowly and groggily stands up and walks towards the kitchen, but is interrupted by a knock at the door. Mike goes into full alert. He whispers under his breath. ¡°The masked man?¡± He slowly walks towards the door and leans up against the wall. Ready to open it. He swings the door open fast and rears his arm back as if to lunge. The person outside the door looks confused and stares wide. It is not the masked man, but Hinako. Mike drops his fist and slumps, letting out the tension in his face and body. ¡°My apologies, I thought you were somebody else.¡±

    ¡°Are you expecting somebody to come soon that you are planning on decking when they open the door?¡±

    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t know what to expect anymore. Is everything alright? It''s awfully late for you to be stopping by.¡±

    ¡°I know, but my parents are fighting, and I was a bit worried about you. Nathan said you were all stressed out.¡±

    ¡°In that case, come on in, and I''m sorry to hear that.¡± He motions her in, and they sit on two chairs in the kitchen. She places a bag on the table. ¡°As for me being stressed, a bit, yeah, but I¡¯m ok. Nathan was right. I just needed to sleep and clear my head. He¡¯s actually the calm one most of the time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you need to sleep some more so you don''t assault the pizza guy or the mailman. Oh well, anyway, Nathan told me you''d be going home to rest, so I figured I¡¯d drop you off some food. So you wouldn¡¯t have to go out. Take some weight off your shoulders. I know it¡¯s not much, but it''s the least I can do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Also, I know this is cliche but if you need somebody to talk to, I may not know a lot about what¡¯s going on with all this, but I can listen. Just because I''m young doesn''t mean I can''t help.¡±

    ¡°Well, I appreciate that. I¡¯m not much of a talker when it comes to my issues though. I¡¯ll keep it in mind though. Anyway, what about your parents? What is it now?¡±

    ¡°Just more arguing. Started off like normal, but when I heard things start to fly I left. It seems like this is every night now.¡±

    ¡°You know, it pains me to hear that. I know you don¡¯t wanna hear it but we can help you. Jerry said staying with him is an option, worst case you can crash here too.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I would like that, but they are my parents. It still feels wrong to do that.¡±

    "Hinako, they are evil people, they put you through so much that you shouldn''t feel bad for caring for yourself. It could be dangerous to stay there.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know if I''d go that far.¡±

    ¡°Well what about when your mom gets drunk? I''m just looking out for you; I don''t want to see you end up hurt.¡±

    ¡°Let''s just drop it, I don''t want you to stress out about me. You have enough to worry about.¡±

    "Alright, if that''s what you want but we aren''t done discussing this.¡±

    "Fine, alright, we will talk more about this once you crush that masked freak. God, I wish I was as strong as you and Nathan, or even Mr. Tozuki.¡±

    ¡°Who says you aren''t?¡±

    ¡°I can''t fight, I''m just a glorified tech support agent.¡±

    Mike stands from his chair and walks over to lean on the wall. ¡°You know, strength is relative, you look at me, and you think I''m strong because I can fight. Where I look at you and how you have all these things going wrong, the weight of the world coming down on you and you are still level-headed and cheery. You keep pressing forward, you help others even when you are down. To me, that''s real strength. We all play our parts, and don''t think that just because you''re not a fighter, you can''t be useful. You are strong in your own way.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you are right, I sure hope so. Well, I should be going before my parents call the cops. Plus, I need to finish another application for school, then I gotta be at the base first thing in the morning!¡±

    ¡°Keep your head up kid, soon all that work is gonna pay off. Just don''t forget us when you''re the next big scientist.¡±

    ¡°I won''t, have a good night Mike,¡± she says, turning to leave and walking down the hall to the stairs and exits. Mike closes his door and walks to the bed after placing the food in the fridge, and lies down. Within minutes, he¡¯s asleep, and before he knows it his alarm is blaring. 6 AM.

    ***

    ¡°Time to go to work.¡± Mike Yawns. He gets up and gets dressed quickly, grabbing the food he placed in the fridge last night. ¡°He runs out of the house and heads for Jerry¡¯s. When he arrives, he walks into the storefront, and Jerry isn¡¯t in yet. Down to the base area, and a few people are sparingly around the room. Kazuke is sitting and drinking tea, Lena is there on the computer, Hinako knocked out at his desk, and Leon and Piers are once again talking over contingency, or so it seems.¡±

    ¡°Leon, I think you need to let that woman go,¡± Piers says.

    ¡°I wish it was that simple, but she just gets me Piers,.¡± said Leon.

    "Leon, you see her once every few years, and the last time she tried to rob you of classified info,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it Piers; just stop.¡±

    ¡°Girl trouble Leon?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°Yeah, the story of my life. I swear it''s impossible out here,¡± said Leon. "Anyway, I want you to take a look at this idea me and Piers have. Also, your pal over there has come up with a lot of new tech ideas to make a lot of our non-super gifted fighters stronger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to hear it but where is everyone?¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I told everyone to be on call. Nathan is training with Youta and Brody with Junpei,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Fair enough, that''s good. As for you Kazuke, why come?¡± Asked Mike.

    Kazuke tilts his head, glancing subtly in Mike''s direction. ¡°To be near you of course. You know how I adore social interactions.¡±

    ¡°Spill it. Everyone knows that''s not the reason, Kazuke.¡±

    ¡°My home is a bit far, so if I were to be called it would be hard to travel here in time. So I¡¯m staying here in case. Shows commitment, right?¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Glad to see you care. Finally coming around to me again.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, the second I have something better to do, I¡¯m out.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope that doesn''t happen then,¡± said Leon.

    The video call system on the computer rings and Hinako slowly wakes up.

    ¡°I got it.¡± She groans out over a yawn. She answers the call, and Jill Winters the police chief appears on the screen. Before anyone can speak, she speaks ferociously over the speaker.

    ¡°I hate to bother you again but I need help. Half our force is down and recovering from the last attack, and we are spread thin all over town with how much crime has been happening. Somebody attacked the Centurion Mall and is reeking havoc, and we can¡¯t stop them. My men on the ground claim some sort of dog is in there attacking people!¡±

    Kazuke raises an eyebrow and speaks to the angry woman, ¡°You guys can¡¯t handle a dog? We are a bit spread out here too, only a few of us are at the base.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take any help I can get, please.¡± She begs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, Jill; we¡¯ll be over there soon,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Thank you, bring everyone; we will need it,¡± she said.

    ¡°Will do,¡± Mike says, nodding. The screen turns off, and Mike turns to his team. ¡°Are you guys good?¡±

    They all stand up as if to acknowledge that they are good to roll. Except Kazuke, he looks at Mike with a dead gaze. ¡°I''ll stay here, you shouldn''t need me for this kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself, I don''t think this is the masked man, so we will handle it like a normal mission,¡± Mike responded.

    The crew heads upstairs, and make their way to the van and drives over to the north side of town to the Centurion Mall. The biggest mall in the city.

    ¡°More attacks, it never ends,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°It feels like they are trying to wear us down and spread us out. The train station makes sense, but why a mall? What is there to steal there? A few pretzels?¡± said Leon.

    ¡°I could use a small pretzel right now. Maybe a steak actually? "said Piers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but this feels off. As for that dog, I wonder what she meant,¡± said Mike.

    "Yeah, it was awfully vague, but the mall is up ahead. Let¡¯s proceed on foot,¡± said Lena.

    The four of them run up to the police line and see Winters. She turns and smiles when she sees them. ¡°There you guys are. We need your help now; they are in there killing my men in a hurry!¡± She yelled.

    ¡°They? You said a dog, what else is there?¡± Mike Asked.

    ¡°Just go, you can handle it. It''s nothing you haven''t faced before,'''' she said, motioning him towards the door. Her face was frantic and nervous.

    The four run up the steps into the mall and move tactically through the mall.  Police bodies lay scattered everywhere. It has been a brutal scene here no doubt. As they move up towards the food court, they spot them. One large creature standing on all fours, he is a white color and has drools pouring from his large jaws. The other is a large male creature that appears to have eight arms. The team moves up, and as they do Leon steps on a cup that was left on the ground, and as he does the dog creature spins its head and looks in that direction. It runs on all fours at Leon and leaps through the air snarling. Leon takes off and into another section of the mall, the dog not far behind. Leon calls his teammates.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle Baxter over here. You guys take out the big guy.¡±

    The three remaining move up and surround the large creature. It turns to them and shows its grotesque face. The man creature has no teeth, a scared-up face and a jumbled mess of flesh are sewn together on him. He lifts all eight of his arms up and shows a sick, disgusting smile. He lets out a gurgling yell that is barely coherent. ¡°more playthings!¡± The creature laughs, spitting up blood and phlegm. The creature screams to the sky and leaps through the air going straight for Piers. Piers rolls back and opens fire on the creature. The creature shuffles towards him and grabs Piers by the arm, and tosses him harshly, sending him flying into the glass of a nearby storefront. Piers groans and hits the ground, holding his arm. Lena springs forward and tries to kick the creature, but it does nothing. The creature tries to grab her, but she flips back to avoid it. Mike begins to charge a lightning attack and aims to attack from behind while Lena is distracting it. Mike runs full speed at the creatures back, and without even turning three of the creatures arms reach backwards and catch Mike by the neck and begin to strangle him. He tries to pry its hands off but its grip firms. Lena rushes forward to attempt to free Mike and violently, the creature fires another arm grabbing her by the throat as well. The creature grips too harshly to break free. They both struggle kicking and pushing as Piers stumbles to his feet aiming his rifle.

    ¡°Suck my fucking balls you monster doucebag,¡± he says. Piers fires a smoke shell right into the monster''s face which explodes. Causing the monster to drop Lena and Mike. Lena grabs Mike and yanks him away. They both get to their feet and prepare to go back in.

    ¡°Lena, a straight-on attack isn''t gonna work, this thing has no blind spots; speed isn''t gonna cut it either; he''s fast and too strong to fight hand to hand. I''m thinking of springboard formation.¡± He says.

    ¡°That might allow us to stay out of his range while landing a counterattack; good call. I''m on it!¡± She yells.

    Mike charges forward, with Lena not far behind. Mike charges up and channels two lightning-based attacks. 2 large balls of electricity chain from his hands.

    ¡°Lightning magic.¡± This time he does something different, he charges the monster, and 3 feet before he gets there he rears his arms back and slams the ground falling to both knees and touching his head to the floor. The lightning from his hands travels in a shockwave across the ground and up the beast''s body. ¡°Conduction ripple.¡± Mike yells.

    The beast shrieks and appears to be stunned. A moment after Lena runs, she uses Mike to jump off and get air. She sails over the monster and just as she is directly above him she reaches into her chest pulling out a large blue ball of energy. As she passes by she whips it, sticking it to the top of his head. The monster scrambles to remove it but he¡¯s stuck in place from Mike''s previous attack. The orb makes a whistling sound then  detonates and the monster''s head is blown to pieces. He stumbles around for a few seconds before falling to the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Nice move, still got it! Now Leon,¡± Mike says.

    Meanwhile, Leon is running from the dog. Leon moves quick and agile dodging kiosks and maneuvering. While the monster follows on his heels knocking over everything in sight. Leon noticed a sign on a large department store saying ¡°Grill Sale¡± and turned hard right into the store. The monster turns too but slides on the shiny polished floor, losing grip. Leon sprints towards the section that reads home and garden. He sees the dead end is a section filled with grills and cookware. Leon continues full throttle towards a wall, and the beast is right in his tail. As Leon gets towards the wall he presses one foot off and pushes off, leaping backwards over the beast. The beast, failing to slow down, slams into the wall and knocks over a grill and a bunch of propane tanks. Leon draws his weapon. ¡°Down boy.¡± Leon fires, hitting a propane tank. The tank explodes, setting off every other tank in succession. Leon is sent backwards by a shockwave of heat and a rain of blood. He climbs to his feet and wipes off his face. ¡°That was not an animatronic. That¡¯s for sure. Damn bioweapons.¡± Leon struggles to his feet and heads back to the main part of the mall to see Mike helping Piers to his feet and Lena running in his direction.

    ¡°Where is that creature?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I took care of it, he won''t be coming back. What happened to Piers?¡± Leon asked.

    ¡°He took a bad hit, if that thing is down we should get him out of here. Did you see any survivors?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No, anyone I found didn''t look human. I''m sorry, but I think we were too late.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, if only we knew sooner. This is horrible,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don''t be too hard on yourself, we did what we could. Now let''s get Evans out of here and relay the news to Jill,¡± said Leon.

    They exit the building and Mike hands Piers off to Leon. Mike walks toward Jill and confronts her. ¡°A dog? That¡¯s a dog to you? Did you forget to mention the walking skin graft?¡±

    ¡°Looks like you all made it out,¡± she said.

    ¡°Barely! Piers was almost killed. We are not your suicide squad, and neither were those officers. We are willing to help but next time be more clear,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°Ok, noted. I¡¯m sorry, I just needed your help. What about my five officers?¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry, but I think they have all passed on, we found no survivors.¡±

    ¡°Damn, not what I was hoping to hear.¡±

    ¡°I know, I''m sorry we couldn''t save them. Not to cut you off but can you get a medic to look at Piers? He''s in bad shape.¡±

    "Yes, of course right over there. But you need to stay here for a while. I need a full report on everything that happened. Her and Leon too.¡±

    ¡°very well. I''ll tell you everything we saw.¡±

    XXXX

    Back at base Kazuke sits alone in the basement, Hinako has gone to lunch. He looks to see Jerry exiting from the elevator. Jerry walks in and leans up against the wall slightly, not directly meeting Kazuke''s gaze.

    ¡°Hey kid, I knew you were here and I got a question if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Asked Jerry.

    ¡°Yes sir?¡± Kazuke responded. More respectfully than usual.

    ¡°You know, I have met most of Mike¡¯s friends before. You however, I don¡¯t know much about. If you are gonna be hanging around here I¡¯d like to know what you are about,¡± Jerry said with an even tone.

    ¡°It''s a bit of a long story. Not really a cheery one either,¡± said Kazuke deflecting.

    ¡°Well I got time and you look bored. Come on, entertain an old man, will you?¡± Jerry pleaded jokingly.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll give you the short version, but be aware this isn¡¯t something I enjoy talking about, so I will keep it brief. I am part of the Homura family. We go back many decades, and throughout our lineage the entire purpose of one¡¯s existence is defined by how powerful they are. It¡¯s funny actually. If you decipher the ancient text passed down from our predecessors it tells of honor, nobility, and sacrifice, but the reality of the recent Homura clan activities couldn¡¯t be further from that. Our clan has gone to great lengths to attain the abilities they have. One of my most powerful things in my arsenal is a direct result of some dark meddling one of our former members did years ago.¡°

    ¡°A power passed down from your ancestors? A parting gift of sorts?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. You aren¡¯t born able to use it. It¡¯s activated. When somebody in our family has performed the ritual rites, they begin to experience something. Something that grants them the gateway to use it. Although I''m unsure if this is true to the tee, Truth be told I don''t believe anyone knows how the pact truly works.¡±

    ¡°Ritual? ¡°

    ¡°Generally speaking, seeing somebody you love die. Or the shortcut many members of my family took. Killing somebody you love with your own hands. They view it as a blood ritual. A pact with the demon.¡±

    ¡°This sounds like a blood-soaked history. If I can ask, how did you progress this? You don¡¯t seem keen on following your family''s values.¡±

    Kazuke pauses before speaking bluntly. ¡°I killed my father because he killed my younger brother in order to gain power. Funny thing, actually. After he killed my brother it didn¡¯t even work. He was still unable to summon the creature.¡± Jerry sat with a blank face of regret. ¡°It''s not a big deal. I¡¯m cold to it now. Thank you for caring to ask and not just assuming I¡¯m an emotionless shell like most do.¡±

    ¡°You never judge a book by its cover. I¡¯ll tell you what I gotta get back to the shop, but I¡¯d like to hear more about this later. I¡¯ll even tell you about my old days as a hero. Not as exciting as the story you got, but it seems only fair.¡±

    Kazuke lets out a soft smile. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    Jerry waves his hand and heads upstairs. He sits behind the counter, smoking a cigar, and reading the paper. All of a sudden, the bell on the door rings. A man walks in and Jerry doesn''t look up. The man approaches the counter and leans up against it. Jerry speaks. ¡°Sorry about that, big headlines today. What can I do for you sir, looking for anything specific?¡°

    The man puts his hand firmly down. "Yes, actually I''m looking for a group of vagabonds that live here.¡±

    Jerry lowers his paper and sees him. the masked man. Before Jerry can speak, the man grabs Jerry and yanks him over the counter throwing him onto the floor. The man aims his arms at Jerry as if threatening to blow him away if he doesn''t comply.

    ¡°Where is their base? When will Michael Tozuki come here?¡± He says demandingly.

    Jerry speaks, his voice quivering. ¡°I don¡¯t know a Tozuki, you could just be at the wrong place.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, Jerry Tozuki?¡±

    ¡°Mikey is here and he¡¯s gonna kick your ass if you don¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°lies. Multiple lies. I know he¡¯s at the mall stopping the little diversion I set up. I know this is his base of operations, and I plan to finish him when he comes back. Now I¡¯m gonna ask again. Where is the base?¡±

    ¡°Awfully tough picking on elderly shopkeepers aren''t we?¡± The masked man looks up, and standing in the doorway to the back room is Kazuke.

    "Ah, and where did you come from? This doesn''t concern you. Leave.¡±

    ¡°You are gonna find I¡¯m not like the others. I am not going to sit here and take your bullshit,¡± Kazuke said now gritting his voice.

    ¡°And why is that? What makes you different?¡± The man asked.

    ¡°I see through your facade. You aren¡¯t all you pretend to be. You act like you are a force but the truth is you''re a coward. Not to mention I don¡¯t like your style. The way you go sneaking around in the night going from target to target. The way you prance around like you''re some sort of god, it¡¯s disgusting. You disgust me. The truth is you are nothing more than another run-of-the mill villain with a god complex, and you lack in the mental department. Now back away from the man before I kill you and this game is over.¡±

    ¡°You are bold, you don¡¯t beat around the bush, I like that. Interesting proposal. I will be back for you later. For right now, I¡¯m taking the man.¡±

    Kazuke cracks his sword from the sheath and slides it upwards. ¡°Try it, move, and I will end you.¡±

    The masked man picks up Jerry and slings him over his shoulder. He turns and kicks the front door off the hinges, and takes a step outside. Before he can take one more he turns his head to see Kazuke flying at him flames billowing off his hand. The masked man throws up his guard and the fire hits. The man slides back into the outside parking lot with Kazuke. He drops Jerry, and Jerry crawls away to get out of the way. Kazuke and the man jump back and prepare to fight. Kazuke draws his sword and the man readies his stance. The two charge and clash. Punches and strikes clash quickly as both fighters try to get a strike in. Both fighters try to land hits but it seems evenly matched. All of sudden every few swings the masked man manages to land a hit. Kazuke begins struggling to keep up. The masked man rears back, ready to land a large hit. Kazuke sees this and charges his sword with fire holding it up to dodge. The man sees this and holds back his punch. He attempts to sweep Kazuke¡¯s legs but he jumps and dodges it. He flips backwards and plants his feet ready to go back in again but before he can the man is on him and hits an uppercut right on his jaw sending Kazuke into the air. While falling Kazuke sticks his sword into the ground and lands on its handle using it to jump behind the man. Kazuke kicks and the man grabs his foot, flipping him away. The man gets under him before he hits the ground and slams his fist upwards into Kazuke¡¯s stomach. Blood flies from his mouth, and he gasps for breath. Kazuke lands and readies his sword again, imbuing it with a large roaring fire. The men continue in close combat but Kazuke is losing ground quickly. He tires while the man continues at full power. Kazuke disengages and holds his arms back. He charges up and as he does a large ball of fire begins to form.

    ¡°Fire magic, inferno projection!¡± He lets out a loud yell as he sends it hurtling towards the man with great speed. The man doesn''t even move; he just holds his hands up and dispels it like nothing. ¡°Fuck,¡± he curses, clearly frustrated.

    The masked man laughs, ¡°Is that all? Big talk for a guy who hasn¡¯t even been able to hit me once.¡±

    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to use this here, but I guess you¡¯ll be the first one to see this in a long while.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t live to see it yourself!¡± The man retorts.

    The masked man charges, and as he does a wall appears in front of him, sending him bouncing back. In front of Kazuke is a large flaming, semi-transparent humanoid creature. The ethereal shroud has two large hands with two large daggers made of pure inferno. Kazuke looks on his calm expression, not wavering.

    ¡°What is that?¡± The masked man asks. ¡±

    ¡°a destructive ethereal being that follows my every command. For lack of better words, it''s a demon.¡± The being¡¯s daggers fade back into large holes and a bow appears in its hands. It charges the bow back and prepares to fire an arrow scorching red. The masked man runs. ¡°Not so fast! Flame conjuring. Scatter!¡± Kazuke yells. The massive arrow flies and splits into five smaller arrows. Hitting the areas around the masked man displaying great destructive power. Kazuke now has him on the run. He dodges the arrow blast, but Kazuke just charges up another. ¡°Dodge this with your witless eye sore!¡± The massive arrow hits the ground near the man and sends him flying. He stumbles across the ground and gets up slowly. The man''s mask has been torn. Revealing one of his eyes and a quarter of his face. The man looks at Kazuke as he stumbles to his feet and brushes off his jacket. He begins laughing. ¡°What is so funny you fool? Are you thinking over your life choices? Taking inventory before I crush you into dust?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m truly impressed. No sarcasm intended, you really are different from the others. Truly on another level. But let¡¯s see how well you do when the odds are stacked against you.¡±

    ¡°Warzone magic! Hot drop kick!¡± A voice screams from the air. All of a sudden, from behind a man in a wife beater flies in and slams Kazuke¡¯s summoning in the back. He turns and repels it, sending the man flying. Then another man appears from the right. ¡°Ashe Magic! Smoldering smoke!¡± He yells as he fires a cloud of burning dust from his hands. The man then leaps and tries to kick Kazuke¡¯s demon in the face but it grabs him and slams him into the ground. Kazuke looks around for the masked man and he is nowhere to be found. Kazuke braces and turns rapidly but it''s too late. All of a sudden, the man appears behind the demon. The man comes flying in at Mach 1 and kicks a hole through the back of it. Kazuke guards, but it¡¯s too late. He is hit and he goes flying. He hits the ground hard and is unable to move. He raises his arm to control his summon, but then he grabs his head. As he does the summon begins to fade and then disappear. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s my limit right now. Out of mana.¡±

    ¡°The masked man walks over, his two goons in stride. He walks up and kicks Kazuke over and over. As he does this, Jerry struggles to his feet and runs toward the masked man. The man is so caught up in finishing Kazuke he had no clue. Jerry grabs Kazukes sword off the ground and jumps, coming down onto the masked man''s shoulder and yelling. ¡°Leave the kid alone you thug!¡±

    The masked man groans and grabs his shoulder. The blade now lodged in it. ¡°You fucking bitch." The man picks Jerry up off the ground and holds his hand back.

    ¡°No, let him go!¡± Kazuke shouts. He tries to move but falls back down.

    The masked man lunges and pierces his hand directly through Jerry¡¯s chest. He throws Jerry aside as he hits the ground violently and bleeds out on the concrete. He gurgles and the masked man looks down. The eye peering out of his cracked mask widens. ¡°Damn it, you snuck up on me, why would you do that you fool? I didn''t want to kill you, why couldn''t you just tell me where the boy was? Now look where you are.¡± The man drops to one knee putting his hand on his head and he begins shaking. He punches the concrete hard sending rubble flying in every direction as Jerry lay bleeding now silent. ¡°If people would just listen to me nothing would have to happen like this. God damn it, you humans are so opposed to being saved; it''s unreal.¡± All of sudden he calms and stops shaking. ¡°Oh well, nothing can be done now. A mistake in my plans.¡± He stands to his feet.

    "Boss, I hate to say it but that guy knicked you badly with that sword, you''re bleeding heavily.¡±

    ¡°Damn shopkeeper, you knew where to get me, I fear you are right. This could be bad if I don''t get medical attention. Fine, Snodderly, OJ, let''s get out of here. The police are on their way from the explosions, and more attention is the last thing we need. We will be back for Tozuki now that we know he hangs around here.¡± The goons nod their heads and take off with the man rapidly. Kazuke looks at Jerry. Jerry is dead.

 Chapter 5 - Fate

    Mike, Lena, and Leon stand around near a cop car handling questions from Jill. They continue to explain what happened inside the mall and what they saw. Jill sends her men into the mall to take inventory of the damage. Her phone rings and she walks away to take the call.

    ¡°Ok, yes I¡¯m at the mall. That sounds good. I''ll do that now.¡± She mumbled. Jill walks back over to the trio and tells them they are free to go. The three say their goodbyes and go to check in on Piers.

    ¡°What¡¯s the damage doctor?¡± Asks Mike.

    ¡°Minor sprain. If he ices and rests he will be just fine. The cuts and scrapes are more of a concern than the leg itself,¡± said the medical worker.

    ¡°Good to hear. Jill said we are good on the paperwork side. We should head back,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Does your base have a shower? I¡¯m covered in blood.¡± Asked Leon.

    "No, but my apartment does, and it¡¯s not far from the base. Here, take the key. Just take your shoes off at the door and meet us at the base when you''re done.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, better not be anything weird at that apartment of yours,¡± said Leon.

    Leon gets in a cop car with an officer and heads to Mike''s apartment while the other three head back to base. They talk on the way.

    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted, it seems like we can¡¯t catch a break anymore,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°I know, these all feel a bit too well timed to be a coincidence,¡± said Mike.

    Piers interjects. ¡°Makes sense to me, the criminals know we can¡¯t keep up so they feel it¡¯s the best time to attack. You have to give them some credit for knowing what they are doing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but these guys weren¡¯t doing anything for their own benefit. They were just killing for no reason. It''s not like they wanted to rob the place.¡± Mike said.

    ¡°Terrorists don¡¯t need a reason Mike,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Fair enough but can¡¯t you slow down? You are gonna flip us over. It¡¯s a Ford Focus, not a Ferrari,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Relax, I''m the best driver the agency has.¡±

    The three pull closer to the parking lot of Jerry¡¯s and as they get closer they notice massive holes in the ground. They begin to look around as police and fire line the area.

    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°Oh my god, look,¡± said Lena.

    She points and they all see it. Kazuke lies on the ground face down. Two medics attend to him. Piers speeds up  and as he gets close he slams the brakes coming to a stop. They all jump out of the car and run over to the injured man. He is breathing but clearly hurt badly. No more than a moment later, Youta and Nathan pull up from training.

    ¡°Kazuke! What happened! Are you okay?" Mike Yelled.

    ¡°Can¡¯t move. I tried to stop him. They came in a group. Overtook me.¡±

    Mike wants to speak again but he looks up and sees Hinako hunched over in the distance.

    ¡°Mike, I¡¯m sorry. I tried, but I failed.¡± Says Kazuke.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, you''re alright, we have you,¡± said Mike, now standing up to walk towards Hinako.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Kazuke groans.

    Nathan runs over quickly. ¡°Mike, what happened? I saw the report about the mall.¡±

    ¡°We took care of it, everyone is fine.¡±

    Mike walks over. As he gets closer he sees it. He puts his hand over his mouth in denial. He closes in and wants to pretend it isn¡¯t what it is. But he knows. He walks closer and he sees it. Hinako sits there crying, a foot or so in front of her, Jerry¡¯s body lying cold and lifeless on the parking lot ground. Blood pooled underneath him. Mike''s expression remains blank as he processes what he sees. Nathan a step behind walks forward and locks eyes with the body. He stops, his body tensing but no expression befalls him.

    ¡°No,¡± Nathan says.

    Mike stares at Hinako and Nathan and thinks to himself, remembering what Jerry said to him so many years ago. ¡°When the world bears its teeth and puts the weight of itself on you, when you feel backed into a corner like you can''t push on anymore, when you just want to give up from the pain and you still choose to move forward and help others, that''s when you know you are a real hero.¡±

    Mike walks forward and puts his hand on her shoulder. She turns around, her face red and swollen. She had been crying clearly for a long time. She tries to speak. ¡°Mike, it''s Jerry, he isn''t getting up and I don''t know what happened. I just came back from lunch, and the parking lot was destroyed.¡± Her words trail off into blubbering. Mike leans down and raises her to her feet. He hugs her as she cries into his chest. Mike stands straight-faced, holding back emotions. On the surface a calm cooling expression diffuses the situation. Underneath, a storm surge of pain. Nathan walks over. Mike turns his head to his usual calm-faced brother. His face welling with a sea of blushing ferocity. Anger, sadness, and confusion. Mike pulls him with the other arm as the three sit looking at the now-perished father figure.

    Lena walks over, helping Kazuke limp and her mouth widens. Tears roll down Kazuke''s face as he loses control. Lena looks up at him. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You tried.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent my entire life trying. For once, I just like to succeed.¡± He says.

    Kazuke looks at Mike staring on, and imagines his little brother. He gives off an angry expression biting his lip.

    They all sit in dead silence only the breeze and the whimpering of the young girl cutting through the tension. The ambulance along with cops move. They load Jerry into the ambulance and go through the motions, and the cops take notes. After what seemed like hours the parking lot cleared out. The only people remaining were the six that were originally there. Mike heads back into the store toward the base. Lena follows him as they all head inside. Mike heads directly down into his office and closes the doors. He pulls out his phone. Mike looks down, clenching his face. Tears roll down his face as the sea of searing pain rolls through him. The damn breaks as the feelings he held back boil to the surface. ¡°Jerry,¡± he says.

    Nathan enters the office and sits down across from him. He gently places his hands on the desk. ¡°How could this happen?¡± Nathan is now panicking.

    Mike stays silent and collects himself. ¡°The masked man¡± he says. Nathan goes silent on the other end. After a moment, the two break out into an argument until it boils over.

    ¡°I''m sorry I just don''t know what to say, I can''t believe it¡± says Nathan.

    ¡°I know, we will talk tomorrow. We will need to discuss burials and such and this is a conversation better saved once we have had a moment to collect. Take care of yourself and rest. I will see you in the morning.¡±

    "Yeah, fair point. I''ll be there tomorrow and we can talk this over. Have a good night.¡± Says Nathan as he hangs Turns to walk out of the office.

    The other four sit down at a table in the break room. An awkward silence lingers for what seems like hours. Mike walks out of his office and takes a seat at the table with them.

    ¡°Kazuke, you said they. Who are they?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°The masked man came in here looking for us. When he attacked Jerry stepped in. I actually had him on the run until I was attacked by two more men. one of which was almost as powerful as the masked man himself. After that I was outmatched and they dispatched me. They were going to kill me until he stepped in. He managed to gash the man''s neck. Then the masked man finished him off and left,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Ok. Well here is my plan. There are more than just one enemy out there clearly. Until this man is defeated we all need to stay together. Call everyone and tell them to come here and stay. Nobody goes in or out without being checked in. We all have a target on our back so this is critical.¡±

    ¡°No objections there, I think that makes sense,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Hinako, I want you to stay here. I''ll deal with us here for now. I''ll speak to your parents. I know this is hard. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I''m fine, I want to help. I want to help get back at the man who hurt Mr. Jerry,¡± she said.

    ¡°We should call everyone on the team and tell them we must meet up. Explain to them what has happened and tell them they must come to us as quickly as possible,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your judgment, but I would like to make one small recommendation,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°This place has been found. It¡¯s no longer a secret. He will be back and I don¡¯t think it''s an optimal strategy to hide in plain sight against an opponent of this skill. I can get the agency to allow us to use a rental house to work from. Maybe a large villa considering the size of our team. We should pick up all your gear here and head to my headquarters. Then find a place to build up a shop.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. Let¡¯s get this place packed now then. Hinako tell the others to meet us at the JDG headquarters the next morning. We will all group there,¡± said Mike.

    The team packs vigorously as she sends messages to all the existing members of the team. One after the other they agreed to meet at the JDG. After a while the van is filled with equipment and the room is bare. The team heads upstairs and prepares to make way for headquarters. The group watches as Jerry¡¯s fades on the horizon. As they pull up to the JDG¡¯s front steps, the entire team save Nathan, Youta, Brody, and Junpei, wait at the entrance. Karina is arguing with a guard.

    ¡°We are supposed to be here under the command of your superior. Let us in!¡±

    "Ma''am, I cannot do that because I don''t have the clearance,¡± said the guard.

    Karina¡¯s face wells with rage. ¡°Well get the clearance you clown or I will clear the way myself!¡±

    Mike walks up the steps and addresses the group. Piers walks in stead and speaks to the group out front. ¡°Let them through Ryou. They have clearance.¡±

    Karina pushes the guard and taunts him ¡°Aha! You small-brain worm, let us in. I told you!¡± The guard moves out of the way and salutes Piers as he guides the team in.

    "So, Mike, why have you gathered us here?¡± Asked Reyna.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain soon.¡± Mike responds, ¡°Let Piers do his thing first. Where are the four we are missing?¡±

    Piers turns to Mike and explains, ¡°Junpei and Brody have been here the whole time, and when your brother and Youta came, I gave them a chamber as well. They arrived at 6 a.m. today. They will meet us in the briefing room, however I''d like to make a quick detour before we go there.¡±

    Piers motions down the hallway and walks into a lab area. A clean white room with many people working on all sorts of machinery. He motions to a woman working on what looks like a high-tech rifle. ¡°This is Lobra, she is our head researcher and developer and she is gonna be helping us from now on. I¡¯ve already informed her of everything you guys can do. So she is gonna work with you guys to help enhance your tech and abilities.¡±

    The woman sits up, her figure strong and sturdy. Under her white lab coat she is dressed to the nine clearly putting a lot of effort into her appearance. Long braided hair lays down the side of her caramel skin. She speaks with a dense accent that appears to pertain from some region of Spain. ¡°Hello and welcome. I¡¯m pleased to be working with all of you.¡±

    As she speaks the group shudders in a jolt. A giant bear creature walks out from around the corner holding a tray.

    ¡°Where I want.¡± It says.

    ¡°You may set it anywhere Polar, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Is that a bear?¡± Asks Reyna.

    Lobra looks at them at first confused. ¡°Ah yes I forgot, this looks odd to many. He is a man, but also a bear? He has magic that allows him to transform. Sadly he has been stuck in this form since he was 6 years old. Don¡¯t worry he''s actually a kind gentleman.¡±

    The bear waves, and the group waves back. He trots back behind the wall to a room to work.

    Piers speaks as the group speaks formalities to the woman. "Lobra, if you would follow me we are gonna head to my office to go over plans.¡±

    The group heads over down the hall and a door reads ¡°CPT Piers Evans." they all enter the large office and lean in various places. Polar gets stuck in the doorway and decides to wait outside. He will not understand the plan anyway. Mike walks to the front of the room with Piers and faces the group.

    ¡°Alright guys, so I¡¯m gonna get right into it,¡± said Piers.

    As he speaks Nathan and Youta walk in sweaty and stinky, a few moments later, Junpei and Brody shimmy in through the door.

    ¡°We need a place to operate from. Nowhere any of us currently stay is safe and we can¡¯t do it here; that will be too predictable. So I got us this.¡± Piers hits a button and on the screen flashes a picture of a massive lakeside house.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it. It¡¯s even got a pool,¡± said Reyna. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Karina shudders. ¡°Nobody wants to see you in a swimsuit. Leon however.¡± She says galavanting.

    ¡°Karina. Don''t be weird,¡± Reyna says firmly rolling her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lake house that has a built-in lab for Lobra and others to work in and an underground training chamber so you guys can continue training in safety,¡± Piers said.

    Mike moves from his spot leaning against the wall and puts one hand on the desk. He speaks harshly and with no nuance. ¡°I¡¯m sure many of you are wondering why this is happening all of a sudden so I will be blunt. The masked man and his crew attacked our base while we were away. Then, they killed Jerry.¡± The room goes silent like a bomb has just been dropped. ¡°I would also like everyone to thank Kazuke for laying his life on the line to try to save him. Kazuke was outpowered and outnumbered, and he stayed and fought. He is a great example of courage and leadership. The room''s eyes look to Kazuke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this but until further notice we need to all stay together. If I¡¯m correct, he knows about all of us, and nobody is safe unless they are grouped up. I hope you guys understand. The guilt I have for bringing everyone into this isn''t something I take lightly, but it''s impossible to go back.¡±

    Brian Dales speaks up reluctantly. ¡°I have something to say.¡± The room looks to Brian. ¡°I can confirm he knows about us because he came to my apartment. He threatened me and demanded I give him info. He said something bad would happen if I didn¡¯t. That night was when he attacked Junpei.

    Junpei punches the wall, his calm face wrinkling to anger. ¡°Are you kidding me? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s info you would give to us? He almost killed me!¡±

    ¡°It''s not his fault. I would be afraid as well,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°Scary man, not good,¡± said Polar from the hall.

    ¡°Not now bear man¡± said Lena.

    ¡°Look, it''s nobody''s fault. This guy is extremely unpredictable and very dangerous. Mark my words. On my watch I will not let anyone else die,¡± said Mike.

    Piers begins to exit the room. ¡°I think it would be best for us to travel together as well. I''m gonna haul up an NT5 juggernaut military vehicle to get us to the house. It''s not very far from here so it shouldn¡¯t take long. Everyone, meet me out front when you are ready.¡±

    Everyone begins to move towards the exit to go out front, Polar starts to go the wrong way and Lena grabs his hand to guide him. As Mike is walking towards the door a tap stops him as he turns around.

    "Hey, I just wanted to ask how you are doing,¡± she said. Hinako looked up at Mike sad.

    ¡°Don''t worry about me, I will be okay. I''m more worried about you. I''m sorry we haven''t had a chance to talk due to the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Of course you will, I''m silly for worrying. You are a superhero after all.¡±

    ¡°Trust me being ¡°super¡± isn¡¯t all it¡¯s cracked up to be. Plus, I¡¯m sure you are great at something. Everyone has a role to play.¡±

    ¡°I have been working on that healing magic, but I don''t see how useful that will be,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°There you go. You help people in other ways. Hell, you have helped me a lot. Don''t undersell those abilities. You are also still young, the more you progress the more powerful you''ll become.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad I can help you, super powers or not your human. Everyone could use a shoulder to lean on once in a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree. I''ll keep that in mind. Also-¡±

    ¡°Hey Mike, let¡¯s go. We gotta get moving.¡± Yelled Piers.

    Mike turns around and waves. "Yeah Piers ok we are coming.¡±

    ¡°Mike, what were you going to say?¡± Asked Hinako.

    Mike turns back and looks at the young girl. ¡°I''m not going to pressure you, but even though Jerry is gone the offer still stands.¡±

    ¡°The offer?¡± She says.

    ¡°If you want to get away from that life you have at home, We will take you in. Just say the word.¡± He turns to leave. After taking a few steps, he turns his head back. ¡°Like I said, don''t worry about me. I''m going to defeat this masked clown and then we will all be riding easy.¡± He smiles and gives the thumbs up as he turns to walk away.

    Hinako smiles and thinks to herself. ¡°He has a look of determination, but under the surface I can tell this is a facade. Inside he is dying. Just putting on a face to make me feel better. Typical, but what else would I expect? He and Nathan never put themselves first.¡±

    Everyone meets outside and boards the military bus one by one. Piers does a headcount and gets ready to roll.

    ¡°This feels like a school field trip. Camp counselor Evans over here.¡± Says Leon.

    Piers responds unamused ¡°Shut up Leon; it''s protocol. This isn''t a time for your pranks.¡±

    ¡°The bureau doesn''t have lame protocol like this,¡± said Leon.

    Karina walks up and sits down next to Leon. ¡°Then what is the protocol big man?¡±

    ¡°Karina. Don¡¯t be weird,¡± said Reyna.

    "Oh, shut up you wretched floosie; just because you are all heartbroken doesn''t mean I can¡¯t find a man.¡±

    Leon looks confused. ¡°You know at first I thought you were kinda mean.¡±

    ¡°And what do you think now?¡± Karina asks.

    ¡°Well you''re starting to grow on me a little bit,¡± said Leon.

    Karina pumps her fist in excitement while Reyna stares at her with anger. They drive down a back forest road for a while and pull up on a lake house. Out front a large circular driveway, gold and brown leaves line the ground as the building is surrounded by thick forest. In the distance the sound of a lapping lake can be heard. Everyone gets off the bus and walks to the large oak front door. As Piers opens it up it¡¯s like the gates of heaven. Polished floors, plated wood walls, a full kitchen and a large dining table. Upstairs area with 10 bedrooms, and a large balcony looking out at the lakeside.

    ¡°Get comfortable, we will be here for a while. Lobra down that hall is your lab space, training rooms are down that elevator. Rooms are upstairs. Leon I need you over here though,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Come on Piers it¡¯s early. Can¡¯t we rest? Eat?¡± Asked Leon.

    ¡°Crime doesn''t rest Leon,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Crime sucks, sure, but I can''t fight crime if I''m hungry,¡± said Leon.

    Polar enters the house and sees the pool in the backyard. He runs and Lena realizes he¡¯s going to run into the glass balcony door. She blinks past him and slides the door open and he goes sailing into the pool. ¡°Swim!¡± He screams.

    Mike heads out to the back porch and leans up against the railing, looking out into the lake deep in thought while everyone else stays inside, the only noise being the waves lightly lapping the shore and Polar blowing bubbles in the pool down the stairs. He hears the screen door open but doesn''t look to see who opened it. Steps creak across the steps until the person steps up next to him and also leans on the railing. It¡¯s Reyna. She looks over at Mike but he doesn''t react.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asks.

    ¡°You care what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Of course I care.¡±.

    ¡°I didn''t get that vibe, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Look. I¡¯m just checking in. You don''t need to be short and passive aggressive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little late for that isn¡¯t it? You disappeared on a whim, and now you want to pretend nothing happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, you don¡¯t even understand half of it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Mike raises his voice. ¡°Tell me how I don¡¯t get it. If you are just here to stress me out, leave. I don¡¯t need your help and you checked in. You can feel like you put in the effort now.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I explained.¡±

    ¡°You keep saying that as if you have even tried explaining yourself!¡±

    ¡°What good would it do? I left because I had to, not because I wanted to.¡±

    Mike''s face calms as he lets out a single breath. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. My father wouldn''t allow anything resembling a relationship.¡±

    ¡°You still made that choice. Your father can''t tell you what to do.¡±

    ¡°My family is holding up the highest hopes that I will become a Hikari due to my mother''s legacy and the fact that she has stored power that is to be passed on to me. It is expected of me that I utilize it to follow in her footsteps. If it were up to me I¡¯d drop this trash right now and I wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. So you can stop looking at me like I¡¯m some evil bitch who ruined everything. I never asked to be who or what I am and it¡¯s not my fault. The only thing I can be blamed for is not telling you this from the start.¡±

    A silence hangs on the balcony as they both look at the lake. The tension eases as Mike speaks in a light voice. ¡°I didn''t know any of that. I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s be fair here, you never explained that.¡±

    ¡°Would you have been any less upset knowing that? Or would it have made no difference?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I would have been angry regardless. Maybe I have been unfair to you. I wish I could take it back but I can''t help how I feel.``

    ¡°I''m not innocent here either, you are going through a lot, and I could have laid off the jeering. We need to work together, so for now please, we need to be civil. When this is all over, maybe we can talk about this further.¡±

    ¡° Yeah this is bigger than both of us. I never got to thank you for your help. So thank you. I accept your apology too for the time being. Let¡¯s go inside. No need to sit here screaming and ruining Polar''s swim.¡±

    "Yeah, you are right, and one last thing. About Jerry.¡±

    ¡°No, it''s fine. I don¡¯t really want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±

    The two head back inside, and Mike sits down in a comfortable-looking chair near the unlit fireplace. He thinks to himself, ¡°Finally some real rest.¡± All of a sudden, as he lays back on the back of his neck he feels a freezing cold and shrieks.

    Lena and Karina sit nearby watching. She leans to Lena. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡±

    Lena responds casually. ¡°Lena, Lena Oxford. First name only is fine by me.¡±

    ¡°Ah ok. So who you got your eye on the leader guy.?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Gross, no shot.¡± Lena replies.

    ¡°You guys were so close I assumed you were a thing.¡±

    Lena laughs and punches Karina. ¡°No chance. He¡¯s like my brother. Not to mention I don¡¯t swing that way.¡±

    Reyna sits down with them.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asks Karina.

    ¡°I''m not into men love.¡±

    ¡°Then what? Animals? Demons?¡±

    ¡°Karina. Don¡¯t be weird.¡± Says Reyna.

    ¡°No animals, demons maybe, girls preferably.¡±

    ¡°Why girls? They suck. Look at Reyna.¡±

    ¡°You sure are a confidence booster,¡± said Reyna.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m a blast,¡± Karina said laughing.

    ¡°Well plenty of choices here, why don¡¯t you go for him yourself?¡± Lena asked.

    ¡°Too stoic for me. I need a man with some edge. Now Leon over there I¡¯d let him fart in my lunch,¡± said Karina sipping her wine.

    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± said Reyna.

    ¡°Why that of all things?¡± Asked Lena.

    ****

    Downstairs Nathan and Youta are training. Both look exhausted as if they had been going at it nonstop.

    ¡°I am going to go at you full power!¡± says Youta.

    ¡°If you go full power I will be dead!¡± says Nathan.

    ¡°That¡¯s the point. In order to unlock your body¡¯s full strength you must learn to release the limiters. There are five in total based on my metrics. Most people can only do this when they are in fight or flight mode. You however will learn how to do it at will which will require the opposite. You must calm your mind and focus. This will allow you to activate it without doing as much damage to your muscles! Now, full power!¡±

    ¡°Oh god, oh fuck,¡± said Nathan.

    Youta runs and slides under Nathan and kicks him up into the air. He jumps upwards and keeps kicking Nathan sending him flying farther into the air. He then moves through the air again getting above Nathan and boots him down, sending him flying toward the ground. Nathan crashes and barely has a chance to look before Youta comes back down. Nathan rolls and leaps back. Dodging him barely. Nathan runs but Youta is in front of him again this time sending a straight punch right into Nathan¡¯s face. Nathan goes sailing back into the wall and hits it so hard that he leaves a mark. He gets up bloody and bruised.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep up. Stop it!¡±

    Youta wiggles his finger then proceeds to fly in and continue to beat Nathan¡¯s ass. After a minute more of Nathan being beaten down something changes. Nathan begins to build an aura around him, and suddenly he¡¯s faster. He mutters to himself. ¡°That feels good. Maybe this is it.¡±

    Nathan flies back in and this time it¡¯s better. He can¡¯t land a hit but he¡¯s keeping up more. Dodging more. Youta lands one solid punch to the skull and Nathan is slammed into the ground. Nathan leaps back and tenses up his body. The air around him begins to swirl, and his muscles flex at an almost painful level. He flies in and this time and lands a hit. Youta goes on the defensive and leaps back. Putting his hands up calmly to stop Nathan.

    ¡°You did it. Right there. You unlocked a limiter. I could sense it, unreal. You were able to calm your mind during that beating.¡±

    ¡°It wasn''t that difficult. I couldn''t fight back so what else did I have to focus on? But that felt good. The pain went away and I felt faster. If only for a moment, I felt like I was on another level of strong¡±

    ¡°That was just the first barrier, but it took me 3 years to get there. It only took you a week. You are truly gifted. Your mind should be a jumble right now, but you are able to calm it in the heat of battle and make truly smart choices.¡±

    ¡°You gave me a gift alright, I think my jaw is broken.¡±

    "Ooooh, you are a funny guy. Let''s head upstairs and get you one gummy bear. You have earned it!¡±

    ¡°Why one?¡± Asked Nathan.

    ¡°Because despite you learning a new skill, you still got your ass kicked. Now let''s go.¡±

    ******

    Brody and Junpei are training in the next chamber.

    Junpei speaks loudly and sternly. ¡°If you don''t hit 100 targets in a minute, you are not eating tonight.¡±

    ¡°There is zero chance I hit one hundred, my best is fifty-five,¡± Brody said, groaning.

    ¡°Well then you won''t eat.¡±

    ¡°This is insane! There isn''t a way to make this happen.¡±

    "Here, I have a deal for you. Try it with my rifle.¡±

    Brody takes the soldier''s rifle and runs the drill again. This time firing rockets at the large clusters of enemies. He ramps up and hits targets over and over. Hitting 55 quicker than before. Before he knows it he''s almost at 100. Before that time is up.

    ¡°How did I do?¡± Brody Asked.

    ¡°99 kid. 99. Good enough. Let''s head up.¡±

    ¡°Thank the Lord, that was hard.¡±

    ¡°If it hurts, it works. Never quit until it''s right.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    The two head upstairs to join the party. Nathan and Junpei join as well, sweaty and stinky. As they walk in. Polar walks in from the outside pool and screams. ¡°Hungry!¡±

    ¡°Not now, bear man.¡± Lena says.

    Mike lets out a light smile and leans forward.

    ¡°Actually Lena, maybe now is the time. We have all been working hard. How does pizza sound?¡±

    The room cheers in excitement until Piers shouts out loud.

    ¡°Woah woah woah not so fast. I am the commanding officer here. I have to object. I''m not approving any pizzas.¡± He pauses. ¡°Unless there are also gonna be breadsticks involved.¡±

    The room cheers again, and Polar jumps for joy. For once the team seems to feel at ease. Even Kazuke is smiling. Perhaps it''s the calm before the storm or perhaps they are actually growing to like one another. Leon stands up and walks to the center of the room.

    ¡°You know, you guys are starting to grow on me a little bit! Now! Watch it grow a little bit!¡±

    The room cheers again as everyone waits for the fun night ahead. For now, all is well. Mike feels a force against the back of his arm. He turns to see Nathan who motions him to the front door. Mike and Nathan exit the building and walk onto the sprawling front porch.

    Nathan leans up against the wall casually and talks in a light voice. Even calmer than usual. ¡°You know it''s weird we haven''t talked about Jerry yet. I feel like before the burial we should.¡±

    ¡°Ok, what is there to talk about exactly?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, it doesn''t feel wrong to you to brush it under the rug and pretend that nothing happened?¡±

    ¡°It does, but I guess I''m just not sure how to process it. I can''t believe it even happened. I''m just thinking that this is some strange week where I''m just imagining things you know? Like i¡¯ll just wake up and it will all be some stupid dream. I know that''s not the case, but my brain won''t let me believe it.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way, but at the same time there is this deep dread inside me. Knowing Mr. Jerry is gone, it''s like I''ve been punched in the stomach and the air just won''t return to my lungs.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fortune doesn''t favor us that''s for sure. First mom and dad, now Jerry.¡±

    ¡°You speak about these things too harshly. It''s almost like you are used to it now. Thats fucked up isnt it?¡±

    Mike remains silent.

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± says Nathan, now leaning on the railing next to Mike. ¡°This is just the hand we''ve been dealt and our experiences have hardened us to loss and grief. No choice but to choke it and push forward.¡±

    Mike stays silent but his breath picks up. ¡°You were always the level-headed one.¡± He speaks his voice building pressure. Words breaking under every syllable.

    ¡°Maybe so, but you are a better leader. I''ll just say what it is. You know how to put on an act. Make people feel better. Even when your heart is about to explode you put others first. Jerry would say, That makes you a true hero.¡±

    ¡°But what would you say about that?¡±

    ¡°It''s noble, but stupid.¡±

    ¡°Harsh much?¡±

    ¡°You need to take care of yourself too sometimes. I don''t question your motive, but I do question the effect of those convictions on your mental state. It¡¯s normal to be upset about this. I cried the second I left the building.¡±

    Mike stays silent looking down. As a few tears fall lightly on the railing.

    ¡°Let yourself feel today, tomorrow isn''t promised.¡± Nathan punches his arm and turns to go inside. ¡°I''m glad we talked about this. Keeps some normalcy in the air. I''ll save you some pizza. Until then take the time you need out here. Night¡± Nathan walks in and closes the door. Mike sits against the railing and wipes his eyes. He turns and leans against the wooden rail, and looks up at the sky. The stars light up the treeline as all lies quiet in the woods. Peaceful.

 Chapter 6 - Betrayal

    The morning after the party the house is virtually silent. Most everyone is asleep recovering from the night prior. The only one awake is Youta who is running laps around the facility. After a while he heads back inside and heads up to Nathan¡¯s room and boots the door, almost taking it off the hinges.

    "Aha, you are asleep,!¡± He shouts, ¡°Now it is time to wake up and train!¡± Youta belts out a large high-pitched screech that is almost inhuman. Nathan leaps to his feet startled by the man''s screeching.

    "Youta, it¡¯s 5 a.m.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! It is the best time to train as everyone else is asleep. While they sleep you get a head start! Let us go!¡±

    ¡°Ok fine, but if you spend the entire morning beating me down I¡¯m not training anymore.¡±

    He gasps. ¡°You threaten to quit training? That is almost the worst thing you could say! Let us go young, we must train now to work off that mistake.¡±

    ¡°Joy.¡±

    Downstairs the door to the lab opens and Hinako and Lobra walk out. It appears they did not go to sleep the night before. Hinako walks into the kitchen and takes a cold slice of pizza. ¡°I guess we missed all the fun.¡± She says somberly.

    ¡°Ah yes, but they will be glad we missed it when they wake. This tech is marvelous.¡± Lobra says patting the young girls shoulders.

    ¡°Yes it is. I cannot believe you had the last piece of research I needed to make that combat stim work. Thank you for allowing me the honor of working next to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t flatter me; if not for your abstract usage of biometric material we would have never got that done. You really are smart for your age.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but I am truly curious how this will influence them. If the jump in power is as exponential as my hypothesis this could really give us the edge over the masked man. It isn¡¯t done but still we can likely have it done within the week.¡± As she is saying that Mike walks down the stairs. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be up soon. Always early huh?¡±

    ¡°Too much work to do to sleep in. You look tired? Did you stay up late?¡± He Asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m still staying up right now. Me and Lobra have made a massive breakthrough on my project.¡± She says excitedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Did you guys get any food last night?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°No, I didn''t leave the lab. But it¡¯s okay. Don''t worry about me.¡±

    Mike pulls out his phone and types for a minute. ¡°Well happy birthday I got some on the way for you. You guys relax for a while, you¡¯ve earned a rest. When everyone wakes up, come get me and we can showcase your new tech.¡± Just as he says, King Polar and Lena walk in from the back porch. ¡°I guess we aren¡¯t the only ones awake here. Rare for you to be up this early Lena. What gives?¡±

    ¡°Well Bear Man was telling me a story last night and I just had to hear the rest,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tell a story.¡± The bear man says proudly:.

    ¡°Oh a story? And what happens in this story?¡± Mike humors the man.

    ¡°I win a surfing contest,¡± the bear says waving his arms.

    ¡°Believable¡±

    Lena Laughs. ¡°He reminds me of an old friend I used to have who was a talking monkey.¡±

    Junpei walks down the stairs holding a cup of coffee. ¡°I used to have a friend who was a talking monkey.¡±

    ¡°Same monkey Junpei. Always has been.¡±

    The few members of the team that are awake sit at the dinner table and converse while waiting for the others to wake up. A few hours pass, and as they do various people wake up and arrive in the main room. As the last person trickles in, Mike and Piers stand up.

    ¡°Hey guys I hope everyone got a good night''s sleep. I also hope you guys had fun last night. I know it wasn¡¯t much but it¡¯s the best break some of us have had in awhile. Now, Piers has a plan.¡±

    ¡°Before that can I say something? I have something I¡¯d like you guys to hear.¡± Says Lobra. ¡°After working all night I have been able to confirm something and complete a project I have had going for a while. Piers sent me the report on many of your abilities, and I have been working on ways to enhance them. With some help from Hinako I have been able to verify if these work or not. So. As I call your name, step forward! Junpei.¡±

    ¡°Present and ready.¡± The man says proudly.

    ¡°You are a legend, one of the greatest warriors of our lifetime.¡± Lobra says clearly stroking the man''s pride.

    ¡°I was, but I¡¯m no young man anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well this project is for you. Should be the first one ready.¡±

    Lobra opens a case with a large power cell in it. ¡°For you I have this one.¡± She pulls out the battery. She motions the soldier to walk forward and hands him the device. ¡°We created a new cell to replace your old one. The connections should work right off the bat. It will amplify your augments in your legs and arms. Allowing you to utilize them better. This should make you feel a lot more like your old self than you feel right now.¡±

    Junpei lifts his shirt and rips a large old-looking pack out of a bracket in his chest. He slams the new one in and it jumps to life. ¡°It kind of hurts,¡± Junpei says.

    ¡°Side effects happen. Sorry. It will be worth it.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Now for the rest of you, we have a lot of further work to do, but we can show you the roadmap one on one.¡± Says Lobra.

    Piers smacks the table harshly. ¡°Well, with that over with, let¡¯s talk about my plan.¡±

    "Hey wait I wanna see my power booster?¡± Yells Brian Dales looking at Piers with malice.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t able to create anything for you since you responded to all my questions with answers like ¡°My powers are too cool for you to understand,¡± not to mention you''re not a registered hero nor are you somebody I trust so you don''t get priority. Now team listen  up." The room stands at attention and listens closely to Piers.

    ¡°Here is the thing. We have a group full of strong individuals here, but a lot of us have no teamwork. We need to work on that and we will begin with that today. With the help of Hinako and Lobra to get you guys as strong as possible, and a lot of training we will be ready to attack. So that goes into my plan. We beat him at his own game.¡±

    ¡°Which Is?¡± Asks Kazuke.

    ¡°Kazuke. You yourself said it. You had the man on the run before his goons showed up. While we may be able to defeat the man we do not truly know how many of them there are. Or how powerful they may be.¡±

    ¡°Yeah and?¡±

    ¡°So we hunt them. We ambush his men. One by one. Until only he remains. Then we go after him. With all of us combined we should be strong enough, especially if Hinako¡¯s power scale figures are as good as she assumes them to be. After this serum is given to some of our members, we should have well over enough combined power to beat the man if we play it smart.¡±

    ¡°So, how do you presume we find his men? That¡¯s a bit of an issue. Considering we didn¡¯t even know he had followers until recently, Asked Kazuke.

    ¡°We will have to recon him and gather info.¡±

    Reyna chimes in firmly. ¡°That won¡¯t be easy. He isn¡¯t predictable and as far as I know none of us are keen on tracking. Even if we were, he isn''t leaving a trail.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to be. We just need to trick him. He attacked Jerry¡¯s when nobody was there. He knew nobody was going to be there. But I¡¯m guessing Kazuke being there on standby was not what he expected. We need that to happen again but this time on purpose. The next time he slips and he has an oversite. It won¡¯t be just Kazuke there, it will be all of us.¡±

    Hinako inquires, ¡°Are you saying use one of us as bait? Pretend they''re alone and when he attacks we catch him?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. It would be easier to take his men out than him, but as we know they don¡¯t seem to show up without him. With that being said we need a plan A, B, C, and D. We need to be flexible, but most of all we need to be a team.¡±

    ¡°When my old team was together, we learned to do joint abilities, and this group is far stronger and more capable than my old team. If we work on a large combo, I bet we can come up with something strong enough to take him down with or without his team,¡± said Junpei.

    ¡°Exactly if we work together we can beat this masked clown easily. As for right now everyone and I mean everyone goes to the training room. We need to get working on our synergies. If all goes well I¡¯ll buy dinner for everyone again tonight.¡±

    Most of the group save Piers, Leon, and Hinako head down to the training room. The three sit around the table talking and Piers phone rings. He looks at the caller ID which reads "Jill.¡±.

    ¡°Hello captain Piers Evans speaking.¡±

    ¡°Hello Captain Evans, I got word that your little operation moved base?¡±

    ¡°Yes, our old base was compromised so we moved.¡±

    "Yeah, that makes sense. Where is this current base located?¡±

    Piers'' eyes perk up and he thinks for a second. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s classified. I wouldn¡¯t be able to share any info like that over the phone.¡±

    ¡°Come on, it''s just me. You know I understand these things well enough but I need to know so we can assist.¡±

    ¡°The police are in over their heads with this anyway. You don¡¯t need to worry; we will handle it.¡±

    ¡°I understand that and I trust you but I need to be informed. This is my town after all. I took the oath to protect it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, but this is a case-sensitive mission. I cannot share information about it over the phone, even with somebody like you. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well then why don¡¯t you meet me? You can brief me there. At least give me the rundown on what we can do to help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I am not supposed to leave here. I''m on duty.¡±

    ¡°Have Leon hold down the order over there. It will be fine. I¡¯ll meet you somewhere close to you to make it quicker.¡±

    ¡°Alright fine, but it has to be fast and you are only getting the basics. I will fill you in on what we need you to do on your end. Meet me at the Tenjin parking garage in 2 Chome-1-1 Tenjin, Fukuoka, 810-0021 tonight at let¡¯s say Seven?¡± Piers hangs up the phone and Leon looks to him.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Asks Leon.

    ¡°It was the police chief, she wanted me to brief her on what they can do to help. I¡¯m going to meet her not far from here later today.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to go with you? We did say to only travel in groups.¡±

    ¡°I will be okay. Just make sure people stay on track while I¡¯m gone. I won¡¯t be long.¡±

    It is now five p.m., and downstairs the entire team is training. In the center of the room a training dummy. Mike lectures the room, leading them through an exercise. Everyone is tired and beat down. ¡°Run it one more time. I think we are starting to get the hang of it.¡±

    ¡°Guess we aren¡¯t a bad team after all. Most of you guys are stronger than I thought,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Well done guys. Very well done,¡± said Mike.

    The group heads back upstairs to rejoin the others. As they do,they notice Piers is missing. Mike motions to Leon and inquires what happened.

    ¡°Where did he run off to?¡±

    ¡°Went to meet Jill, gotta brief her on something,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°God damn it didn''t we agree to not leave alone?¡±

    ¡°I told him, but he wasn''t having it. You know how he gets with that condescending voice.¡± Leon puts his finger up and makes a snobby face. ¡°I''m Piers; I''m the best driver in my organization, I''m the best shot in the west, I have the biggest brain and the largest ball sack.¡±

    ¡°I get it, but even so, I don''t like this.¡±

    ****

    Piers pulls into a large parking garage. It is virtually empty due to it being on a less populated side of the city. He arrives on the 4th level and parks. Jill is nowhere to be found. He leaves his car and heads up the stairs, and there are nothing but a few parked cars. As he heads to the top he sees one single cop car and he walks towards it. As he gets there the driver door is open but nobody is inside. The loud click of a firearm rings and  Piers turns his head. It''s Jill with a gun to his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She says.

    ¡°Jill, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and don¡¯t move.¡± She says.

    ¡°Jesus Jill explains what¡¯s going on. What are you hoping to get here?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know what¡¯s going on.¡± A voice rings from the dark.

    Piers turns to see who it is, and his face turns from confusion to anger. ¡°I get it now. My gut told me something was off. But I never would have guessed you would stoop this low. What happened to that oath Jill?¡±

    The figure walks closer to Piers all while Jill still holds him at gunpoint. ¡°Now I¡¯m not gonna beat around the bush, gonna get right into it.¡±

    Piers is hit and knocked unconscious. They put him in the back of the police car and begin to drive away.

 Chapter 7 - Resolve

    The crew are in the main house fully gathered around the table in the living room.

    ¡°Leon, just how long ago did Piers leave?¡± Asks Mike.

    I would say less than an hour ago. He said he would be back soon.

    ¡°I still can''t believe you let him go alone.¡±

    ¡°Look Mike he insisted, nothing could have been done.¡±

    Karina sits down next to Leon. ¡°So if I insist you go swimming with me right now would you do it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, as long as you aren¡¯t one of those animatronics or lizard people I read about on Zeddit.¡± He says.

    The two get up and head out to the pool. Polar sees this and goes to join in but Lena stops him and says ¡°Maybe now isn¡¯t swim time.¡±

    Polar looks disappointed and sits down on a chair that is way too small for him.

    ¡°Piers said there would be food if we completed our training,¡± said Reyna.

    ¡°He also left the org credit card on the table. Order whatever you guys want. I''ll take the heat for it later.¡±

    ¡°And where are you going?¡± Reyna asked.

    ¡°I am going to sit outside and relax until Piers gets back, then I¡¯m going to go to bed.¡±

    ¡°Boring as ever.¡± Reyna says in a friendly but sarcastic voice.

    Mike heads out to the front porch and sits on a chair. Trying to keep his eyes open. He is exhausted but determined to wait for Piers to return. He hears the front door open and Nathan walks outside.

    ¡°Piers is still gone?¡±

    "Yeah, I¡¯m starting to worry. But I also want to go to bed.¡±

    ¡°If you want I can stay up and wait for him. You can go to bed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I''m fine. Just beat down. I might go for a run in the morning. See if that helps. How is your training with Youta going?

    ¡°According to him, great. He¡¯s a harsh mentor but he means well. He says at the rate I''m going, I could even surpass him some day.¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear; we are gonna need that.¡± Mike''s phone beeps and a text message appears. It¡¯s from Piers. ¡°I won¡¯t be back tonight, I¡¯m stuck working on some paperwork. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Piers. He says he won¡¯t be back today. So with that I¡¯m gonna go to bed.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good I should too. Youta will be having me up at 5 a.m. again I bet. ¡°

    The two head upstairs as the downstairs bustles with noise. Mike lays his head down and within minutes, is asleep. Before he knows it it¡¯s six a.m., and his alarm is blaring. He jumps up, throws on his clothes and heads downstairs. He grabs one water bottle from the fridge and heads out towards the back but doesn''t go to the lake. Instead, he heads to a forest trail and begins to walk. Before he can get moving he here¡¯s a voice call.

    ¡°Mind if I join?¡±

    Mike turns to see Lena. Standing at the foot of the deck stairs. ¡°Sure why not? What are you doing up so early though?¡±

    ¡°Well I was asleep and heard a loud screeching noise from the room next to me.¡±

    ¡°Youta.¡±

    ¡°Youta.¡±

    ¡°That guy is on full throttle 24/7.¡±

    ¡°I wish I had that kind of energy.¡±

    The two begin to walk the trail around the lake.

    "So, how are you holding up?¡± Asked Lena.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you grieving? You lost somebody close to you, it''s normal.¡±

    ¡°The time to grieve is later. Right now I have to protect the rest of our group.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s admirable you feel that way but it¡¯s human to be upset right now. I¡¯ve known you for years and you have never been this stern and stone-faced.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m acting differently. If I''m being honest I¡¯m just scared. Kazuke is someone I¡¯ve always admired. This man made him look like he was a civilian. The last thing I want is to lead you guys into a battle we can¡¯t win.¡±

    ¡°We will win. We always win. How many missions did we fail with our old team?¡±

    ¡°None, but this isn''t the same as stopping random burglars and carjackers. You can¡¯t pretend we aren''t bound to fail sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°I can. Because I believe in you, I believe in my own ability and I believe in the people back at the house. Let me ask you this. How many times have I saved your ass? You should let me bear the worry about getting everyone out alive!¡±

    ¡°I trust you, I believe in you and everyone in that room too. But this enemy is like nothing we have ever faced.¡±

    The two see a creek leading into a small waterfall that runs off the lake and sit down on a large rock next to it.

    ¡°You worry too much. I promise I¡¯ll help you get everyone out of here alive.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°You know what I think?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I think you are so caught up in the planning and worrying you forget to notice what¡¯s right in front of you. Look at this lake, the breeze, the weather. There is so much good out there; sometimes you just need to soak it all in.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you''re right. I guess I have been tunnel-visioned on the plan.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Now cheer up and don''t be a saucehead.¡±

    "Weeeeeeeeeee, what are you guys doing?¡± A voice screams from the distance.

    The two turn and see Youta standing there on the trail.

    ¡°If you stay still he won¡¯t see you,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°If you guys are training without inviting me, I must say. I am extremely offended. Six a.m. training is something I don¡¯t take lightly.¡±

    ¡°Never, we would never invite you to train. We were just gonna go fishing,¡±  said Lena.

    ¡°Gross, that¡¯s stupid. I have to finish my run.¡± Youta says letting out a bloodcurdling howl.

    The strange man takes off down the trail at a speed greater than that of the masked man.

    ¡°That guy is weird,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t most of our group weird?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°We should head back. People might be waking up soon.¡±

    The two head back to the house. Back at the house Nathan is downstairs eating waffles alone. All of a sudden, Youta comes flying into the living room and performs a flying roundhouse kick on Nathan sending him out of his chair. Nathan stumbles to his feet and wipes his mouth. ¡°What the fuck man.¡±

    ¡°Downstairs now. Or I open my final limiter and kick your nuts.¡±

    ¡°Ok fine man let¡¯s go.¡±

    Youta once again lets out a horrifying screech as everyone covers their ears.

    Upstairs Reyna wakes up to hear the screeching. She walks down the stairs wiping her eyes. ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    Youta continues to howl violently as the house begins to shake.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Youta grabs Nathan and drags him to the elevator. Nathan sobs for the loss of his waffles and rides the elevator down. Once they enter the training room Youta says something loudly.

    ¡°Today is the day we unlock your next limiter. Get ready to push past your limits.¡±

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Youta charges and removes his 4th limiter, and flies towards Nathan. The same as before pummeling him for minutes at a time. Nathan releases the third and is still getting destroyed. After 20 minutes of getting his ass beat Youta goes in for a new attack. This time he flies under Nathan and boots him close to his nuggets. Nathan screams out in pain and falls over. Youta jumps back ready to attack and as he does Nathan staggers to both feet. He looks at Youta and all of a sudden his body starts to contort and a large powerful wind forms around him. He turns red and all of a sudden he disappears. He is now behind Youta and goes to kick him. He guards but it isn¡¯t enough. He is sent flying and his headband flies off. He charges Nathan but is blown up. He slides across the floor, and Nathan is giving off an insane aura. He gets ready to charge and Youta wiggles his finger. ¡°You have done it, my student. There it is.¡±

    ¡°This is. Amazing,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you managed to unlock four out of the five limiters in less than a week. You truly had this in you already, you just needed a nudge to control it.¡±

    ¡°When do I learn the final stage?¡±

    ¡°Never, the final stage isn''t something you can just turn on. It will activate only under certain parameters. In a life-or-death scenario most likely, I''ve never felt it myself. Now let¡¯s take a break. You have earned it.¡±

    ¡°And one gummy bear, right?¡±

    ¡°No. You get two!¡±

    ¡°How generous.¡±

    The two head upstairs and everyone is there but Piers, Leon, and Karina. As everyone is waking up Leon and Karina walk out of the same room upstairs.

    ¡°Did you guys sleep in the same room?¡± Asked Reyna.

    ¡°No I actually just phased through the wall of my room into his. Yes you clown of course I did.¡±

    ¡°And you called me the easy one.¡±

    ¡°Well it isn¡¯t that hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°Spare me the details.¡±

    Polar slams the table hard and yells. ¡°Guy, outside.¡±

    ¡°what¡¯s outside?¡± Everyone asks.

    ¡°Trees,¡± Polar says.

    ¡°Thanks for pointing that out.¡± Mike responded.

    Polar nods his head and leans back in his tiny chair.

    ¡°Where is piers?¡± Asked Leon.

    ¡°He texted me last night saying he wouldn¡¯t be back until later today,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°weird. He doesn''t seem like the type to text. But I¡¯ve seen stranger things this week so maybe I¡¯m wrong,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°You mean like that animatronic shark over there?¡± Asked Nathan.

    ¡°Polar isn¡¯t a robot Nathan, he''s a real being with feelings. Not very respectful to say that to him.¡±

    ¡°Leon, you have got to be kidding.¡±

    *****

    Piers wakes up and looks around. He is in a room with metal walls and the only thing he can see is a small table and a man sitting at a desk nearby. The man stands up and looks at Piers. He is an older man with small spectacles, thinning hair, and cold blue eyes. The man saunters over and lowers himself to Piers'' gaze.

    ¡°Ah, you''re awake. Good.¡± He says.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Asked Piers.

    ¡°My name is Dr. Dubernassi.¡±

    ¡°Stupid name. Where the fuck am I?¡±

    ¡°I would not worry about that. Worry about getting out of here alive. This is very very simple. Tell me where your team is located, and you can go free.¡±

    ¡°Over my grave would I ever tell a scumbag like you anything!. You can kill me if you want. I won¡¯t say a damn thing.¡±

    "Good, I was hoping it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡± The man rears and punches Piers across the face multiple times. Piers looks up blood dripping from his nose and smiles. ¡°I can make this worse. Tell me where your team is.¡±

    ¡°Suck my fucking balls you shitface.¡±

    The doctor goes to the drawer on his desk and this time pulls out a small nightstick. He hits piers across the head with it twice. Piers'' head lashes back violently as blood splatters the wall behind him. The doctor turns his head taunting. ¡°How about now?¡±

    Piers spits on the floor and breathes heavily. ¡°Hasn¡¯t changed. Suck my balls. I will die with my honor intact before I give you anything.¡±

    ¡°What good is honor when you are dead?¡±

    ¡°Beat me all you want. I won¡¯t tell you where my friends are. But be warned: When they find out where you are you will be finished.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I have an insurance policy for that so I¡¯m not too worried.¡±

    Into the room walks the masked man, he walks in casually dragging another chair away from the desk. He sits down next to Piers and laps his legs one over the other leaning back. ¡°Oh good you''re awake. Now, Are you gonna spill the beans or what?¡±

    ¡°He said no. He has honor,¡± the doctor said mockingly.

    The man''s temper flares as he places his hand on the chair and his head lashes to the doctor. ¡°Shut up, I didn¡¯t ask you anything.¡±

    ¡°Good somebody with some sense. I''ll tell you what I told him: You can kill me now. I won¡¯t say anything,¡± Piers said.

    ¡°A lot of people say that Mr. Evans. Even though I do think you are a piece of trash that holds up a broken system, I still hate doing something as vile as torture. Unfortunately, we are gonna need that info one way or another. Doctor. Get the info by any means needed. Just don¡¯t mess with his dong.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The doctor says confused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch his cock. You don¡¯t mess with a man''s dick; we are criminals, not savages here.¡±

    The masked man leaves the room.

    The doctor turns to Piers and smiles. ¡°We are going to be friends for a long time.¡± He pulls out a large drill. ¡°Do you enjoy being able to see Mr. Evans?¡±

    ¡°Do as you will. I''m done talking.¡±

    The man holds the drill towards Pier''s eye and threatens to use it. As he does Piers notices a change in the air behind the man. The light darkens as if a dark mist is creeping in from thin air. A figure materializes. A middle-aged man. Late 20s most likely. With long black hair and all black clothing. As Alex turns to see the man. He makes eye contact with him. The second he does almost as if he¡¯s been shot Alex falls to the ground with his mouth and eyes wide open. The mysterious figure kicks the body out of the way and turns his eyes to Piers. He speaks in a dark smoky voice.

    ¡°Hello Piers. You should be happy to see me.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah and why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because I am going to be the reason you get out of here.¡±

    ¡°And how¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I am willing to make a deal with you. You tell me where your team is located, and I¡¯ll tell them where you are in return.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance, that¡¯s classified info. Not to mention how can I trust you? You could be one of them trying to get info. This could be some sort of trick.¡±

    ¡°While I can see how you would feel that way, I can promise you I am the opposite of one of them. You see the way I see it. We have common goals here.¡± ¡°What common goals?¡±

    ¡°Simple enough, to kill the masked man.¡±

    ¡°And why do you want to do that?¡±

    ¡°Let''s just say I was wronged by this man as well. He wants me dead so it is a great service to have him gone.¡±

    ¡°If he wanted you dead you¡¯d be dead already.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that would be advantageous to him, but the reality is I can kill the masked man myself if I had the chance.¡±

    ¡°If you can then why haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The same reason I can¡¯t get you out of here without the help of your team. The man is never alone. He is confident, but not dumb. I could take any single member of his team alone. But in a group I would be outmatched due to the sheer volume of them. So my deal is you help me and I help you. We both get what we want.¡±

    ¡°And why should I trust you?¡±

    The man leans in and whispers something. Piers'' face stiffens.

    ¡°Fine deal. But if you try anything,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, if I betray you the result is the same for you right? You aren¡¯t in a position to negotiate.¡±

    ¡°Fine here is where they are.¡± Piers tells the man the address.

    ¡°I will be back soon. You can thank me then. Until then I¡¯m afraid I cannot help you any longer.¡±

    ¡°Just be quick about it. I¡¯m not sure how long I can last here." The man fades back into a black mist and is gone. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not dead in the water after all.¡±

    ******

    Back at the house the group sits around and discusses. Leon let¡¯s out an out-of-character sigh. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and nothing from Piers. I¡¯ve called the agency, and they said he hasn¡¯t been there.¡±

    ¡°I agree it¡¯s unlike him to do this,¡± said Mike.

    Polar staring out the window presses his face against the glass lost in a daze. ¡°Man outside.¡±

    ¡°Not now, bear man,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°No. See man in the forest.¡± Yelled Polar.

    ¡°There is nobody there, my friend. Relax." She replied.

    ¡°Anyway, what do we -¡° Mike tries to speak but is interrupted by the yelling of the bear.

    ¡°Man outside. Coming to us.¡±

    "Sir, please calm down there is nobody outside.¡± Lena pleaded, her cheer cut short by a voice on the stairs.

    ¡°You should listen to him.¡±

    The entire room looks up and a mysterious figure sits in the shadow on the upstairs railing.

    ¡°Animals do tend to have better senses than we do after all.¡±

    Mike charges up a crackling lightning shiver. Ready to attack. ¡°Who the fuck are you? And how did you get in here?¡±

    ¡°Relax, I am here to help.¡±

    ¡°Help by sneaking around in the shadows?¡± Asked Nathan.

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to know about what happened to your friend Piers.¡±

    ¡°What happened to piers? Tell us now!¡± Leon yells drawing his gun.

    ¡°I just spoke with him. He¡¯s been captured by the masked man. I made a deal with him. He tells me your location and I tell you his. So calm down and I will. But first allow me to introduce myself.¡±

    The man steps forward into the light as Mike tenses and Leon moves his hand to the trigger.

    ¡°I am Itami Homura.¡±

    Kazuke jumps to his feet grabbing his sheathed sword off the counter. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Sit down little brother before I make you. Now listen. Friends or not, we have a common goal here. I want the masked man dead, you want the masked man dead. I know where he is and I¡¯m afraid time is ticking on your friend Piers. So make a choice. Simple. Help me kill the masked man, or your friend dies.¡±

    The room argues shouting over each other. Mike steps up diffusing his attack.

    ¡°And how do you propose we defeat him?¡±

    ¡°I have been following him for a while now. I know that this group is strong enough to beat them with my help. If we strike while he isn¡¯t expecting we will be victorious. The reality is, it is unlikely the government will send a Hikari. They don¡¯t view the man as the real threat that he is and this town''s low crime rate will keep them looking the other way. So it¡¯s up to us.¡±

    The room roars and everyone is yelling. Unsure of what¡¯s going on. Mike reflects, thinking back to what Lena told him.

    He slams his fist on the table shouting. ¡°Hey! Wait. Everyone listen here. I know we are all worried. This is faster than we expected and we don¡¯t get to plan as much as we may have liked, but I believe in the people in this room. Together, we can kill this masked freak. We can save Piers. With all of us.¡±

    ¡°How do we know we can trust Itami? I wouldn¡¯t!¡± Yelled Kazuke.

    ¡°He knows we can kill him. He can¡¯t beat us all at once. If things go waist up i''ll deal with him myself.¡±

    ¡°Well said.¡± Itami nodded.

    Leon walks forward. ¡°I stand with you. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Reyna walks forward. ¡°I trust your judgment. If you say we are ready, we are.¡±

    Everyone begins to walk forward declaring they are ready to go.

    Mike puts his hand up in solidarity. ¡°Alright guys. Let¡¯s go kill this fucking freak.¡±

 Chapter 8 -synergize

    The team loads up and gets ready to roll. Most of the team suits up and loads their weaponry. Youta sits in the corner giving Nathan a motivational speech as they use no weapons or gear. So there is no need to pack.

    ¡°Remember this opponent is very strong. So we shall go very very fast.¡± Says Youta far louder than needed.

    ¡°Right Youta I know.¡± Says Nathan.

    ¡°Your training has been harsh, now it is time to enjoy the sweet frosting of victory!¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Nathan asks.

    Wahoo! Get hyped, it''s time for the cake.¡±

    Nathan laughs nervously. ¡°Yes it''s uh, time for the cake.¡±

    The group looks at Nathan and Youta confused.

    ¡°Now! Put this on!¡± Yells Youta.

    ¡°Is this a headband?¡± Asks Nathan.

    ¡°Yes, matching headbands!¡±

    ¡°Oh lovely.¡± Nathan says applying the headband. He stands up and heads for the door.

    ¡°It''s time to go. This is it guys. This is what we have been training for.¡± Says Mike.

    The group save Hinako, and Lobra heads outside into the military vehicle and Itami mans the driver''s seat.

    ¡°I will take us near the location but we need to proceed on foot when we are close,¡± said Itami.

    ¡°How far is this base?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°Forty minutes tops.¡±          ¡°He has been operating right under our nose? Hard to believe. So be honest. What do you get out of this?¡±

    ¡°As I told your accomplice, this man has wronged me as well. As he walks the earth we are all in danger. His plans are far greater than he leads on. Leave him untouched, and all of us will suffer.¡± Itami replied.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? How much larger could he be thinking?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°From what I''ve been able to gather, he has all intentions of taking over the entire country. With the small amount of force and support he seems to have. It may seem implausible. However if he manages to complete his goal it won''t be so hard to imagine.  Consider this city and us the test dummies.¡±

    ¡°I don''t mean to question the intel you have, but this man isn''t powerful enough to take over the country. If it even got to that level the Hikari would step in and he''d be finished,¡± said Lena.

    ¡°I won''t pretend I know everything but from what I know about the thing he plans on using, I wouldn''t dare test it by chance. Maybe it wouldn''t be as dangerous as I assume, but there isn''t a need to let it get to that point,¡± said Itami.

    ¡°Fair enough. If it''s as bad as you say then we stop him before it even has a chance to get to that point,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°Don''t be afraid Leon, if he destroys the planet we can live in some sort of underground bunker together. We can leave Reyna up here,¡± said Karina.

    ¡°No hair gel underground. Not a life I wanna live,¡± Leon said in a serious tone.

    ¡°We are about one mile from the location so I will stop here and we will proceed on foot,¡± said Itami.

    The crew steps out of the vehicle and enters a nearby forest and Mike kneels down ready to give the plan.

    "Alright, so what it looks like here is this building has walls surrounding it. two large towers, and possibly armed guards. So it may be best if we split into teams to get in. Once we get closer to the wall. We will split into the groups I announce, and regroup at the main entrance.¡±

    The team moves up to a large concrete wall. The base is flanked by a large creek on one side, and is surrounded by a bustling forest. Mike starts to rattle off the plan but is interrupted by Brody.

    ¡°Captain. Something is headed this way. Fast! It''s coming from inside the forest. Moving in on us. Now!¡±

    All of a sudden a large hairy creature leaps from the forest snarling. It barrels into Mike and sends him crashing through the concrete. Mike stumbles to his feet and wipes off some rubble.

    ¡°So much for the plan.¡± He says backing up.

    Another hole is blown in the wall as Junpei shoots a large hole through it. The rest of the team pours in to see this large creature. It stands on its hind legs towering 9 feet tall. This hulking rat-like creature looks at them and snarls screaming.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Shouted Leon now drawing his weapon.

    ¡°The masked man has a habit of coming up with his little experiments. His lead scientist Doobernasi is a master of splicing human genetics with animals. This must be one of them. I forgot what he calls them but it¡¯s not relevant.¡± Itami shouted to the group.

    ¡°This may be part of how he plans on taking over. This also makes more sense considering what we came in contact with at the mall. I can¡¯t imagine how many of these he has. Damn it.¡± Mike yelled.

    ¡°I will go get your friend. You need to fight your way to the top floor. I will meet you there and we can leave. Don¡¯t fail.¡± Itami says this and fades into a dark mist quickly.

    The large rat beast goes to charge but is hit with fire. Brody opens fire and blasts the creature without remorse. ¡°You guys go inside. I''ll stall this thing!¡± He shouts.

    ¡°You sure kid? All alone?¡± Asked Junpei.

    ¡°I am no match for the masked man or his henchmen. I''ll handle the beast. Now go!¡±

    ¡°Trust him Junpei I know what he¡¯s capable of. We will be back for you don¡¯t get yourself killed,¡± said Mike.

    The team runs towards the front door, and Brody steps in between them and the beast. It screams and locks eyes with the young man.

    ¡°You are one ugly son of a bitch. On the bright side, if I die here I don¡¯t have to worry about exam prep.¡±

    It charges and Brody takes off sending his grapple over the base. He flies up and the monster climbs the wall to chase him. ¡°That¡¯s right. Come this way. Chase the food!¡±

    The monster leaps towards him with a snarling growl.

    ¡°Time to try out this new technique.¡¯ Brody smacks the side of his weapon, and it clicks, loading a shell into the bottom barrel and the usual blue glow from the barrel charges to a red. He fires off a large beam-like round that hits the creature and crackles like fire and ash. ¡°Spiral heat ray!¡± He screams. The creature stumbles to get its bearings then runs back up the wall quickly.

    ¡°Oh boy, that attack turned out to be a nothingburger. Better run.¡±

    Downstairs the team boots the door down and enters the warehouse. The guards in the front room turn and charge. Junpei slides his mask down and takes four of them out with quick succession. They get ready to move forward and in come more guards from the room directly across from the front door. As they do, Reyna begins to channel

    ¡°Air magic. Shockwave!¡± She casts a large shockwave across the ground, sending them flying into a wall crumbling the structure. They proceed to the door and they prepare to enter the main hall.

    Mike deliberates with the group. ¡°Junpei, Leon, lock down our escape route. The rest of us will go on ahead.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Viva las vegas bitch,¡± yelled Leon as he kneeled down at the door entrance.

    The rest of the team press forward into the main room spreading out. ¡°Alright, stick together until we find the masked asshole. When we do, You guys know what to do.¡± Yelled Mike.

    ¡°That won''t be needed, Mr. Tozuki,¡± a voice boomed from the back. ¡±

    The group turns to see the man sitting there on a crate. He slowly claps his hands and nods. ¡°I gotta be honest. Angry as I am, you found me, I''m impressed. So now that you''re here, should I extend my offer again?¡±

    ¡°Screw your offer. Games over, we are here to finish this here and now.¡±

    ¡°Well wouldn''t that be convenient for your little cause? I¡¯m afraid that I really can¡¯t allow that now. I still have more to get done before I allow my capture.¡±

    ¡°Enough with the games! You''re done for you scumfuck idiot shitbag piece of garbage.¡± Yelled Lena.

    ¡°You are right. It is time to stop the games. You are all playing damn games. You run around spitting out your moral bullshit. Claiming you are the ones saving people. As far as I¡¯ve seen, you are all failures! You failed to stop every attack I¡¯ve thrown out truly bravo heroes bravo! The reality is you make me sick. Running around calling yourselves justice when you couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡±

    Mike responds. ¡°Then what is justice? We want to save people! You kill heroes who just want to help!¡±

    ¡°Justice is putting an end to the greed and exploitation of the system we abide by. Corporations are running everyday people into the ground. You act like you are the victims when the real victims are everyday human beings.¡±

    ¡°You kill those people! They are the victims of you!¡±

    ¡°False, I don¡¯t kill civilians. I only kill greedy assholes and people like you guys who uphold this system. You are just as guilty as the men who created it because you are the ones who allow it to remain!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Heroes help people.¡±

    ¡°Some maybe, but most of you are in it for money and glory. Prancing around like you are your own brand makes me so damn angry. Heroes are a farce and the main pillar holding up the hellscape we call home.¡±

    ¡°If you would just open your damn eyes you would see that you are going about this the wrong way. Your ideas are noble and not too far from my own, you execute without remorse; it¡¯s unhinged. If somebody of your power was a hero maybe we could¡¯ve changed things. Rebuild the system from the inside. What I¡¯ve wanted to do for years!¡±

    ¡°Just as the companies execute their actions against morality? What a joke. Don¡¯t pretend you get it. It¡¯s time to end this. You can¡¯t be saved! You are one of them!¡±

    The masked man hovers to the middle of the room and with the swing of his arm, The entire squad is picked up off the ground and sent flying back, the concrete on the building begins to shake and the wall to the right of the front entrance. The wall is torn off the building and goes flying outside with the group. They all hit the ground hard. They all stagger to their feet as the masked man hovers out. Junpei and Leon run out of the front door and survey what happened.

    ¡°It''s time for me to wipe you clowns out. You have been a crab in my salad for too long.¡± The masked man lands.

    ¡°Youta now!¡± Mike yells.

    Youta charges up releasing the fourth limiter on his body. He moves so quickly that it''s almost as if he vanishes. He reappears underneath the masked man and attempts to kick upwards directly into his jaw. Before he can kick him into the air the man looks down and puts his hands together. He slams Youta down like a ragdoll and the concrete underneath shatters from the force. His eyes roll back into his head as he falls unconscious. The group looks at Mike as if wondering what to do now. Kazuke summons his conjuring and appears to attack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there you fools!¡± Kazuke yells.

    Kazuke¡¯s beast charges its blade and slams down. The masked man dodges it and flies towards the group. He goes for Mike and tries to land a punch. Mike guards and as he is hit he slides. Nathan opens the 4th limiter and goes in to assist. Mike and Nathan exchange blows with the masked man but even with both of them he has the edge. Lena flashes forward shooting and the masked man sees this and goes in for an attack. He goes forward and teleports himself. He catches her by the neck and picks her up off the ground. He slams her down with extreme force. Mike sees this and goes back on the attack. Kazuke is aiming his conjured blade but doesn''t want to attack out of fear of hitting his teammates.

    ¡°Enough of this!¡± Yells Reyna.

    Reyna channels, and her eyes begin to glow white. All of a sudden a storm begins to stir in the sky. The masked man sees this and flies into the sky charging up. He holds both hands up and two large energy discs begin spinning in his hands. Before Reyna can cast her spell the man throws the discs at her and they approach at Mach 1. Reyna stops her spellcast and tries to run but she isn¡¯t fast enough as the discs close in fast. She stumbles and right before the discs hit, a large red arm slams the disc sending it off course. It hits the ground in the distance and explodes viciously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about defending yourself. I got your back. Cast whatever you can!¡± Kazuke said to Reyna.

    ¡°I got it. Thanks.¡±

    Reyna''s eyes glow back up and she holds her hands to the sky. The masked man lands and sees her.

    ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± The man yells.

    The moment he lets his guard down and runs towards Reyna it happens. Nathan flashes under the man and hits him. Square in the jaw. Sending him up into the air if only for a second. The masked man grabs at his face in pain. Kazuke¡¯s conjuring sword slams the man downward crashing into the Ground creating a massive explosion. Reyna lets out some sort of ancient chant and as she does a large twisting wind current forms. She waves her arms channeling the energy into a point and slamming it down onto the man. Mike looks up and sees Reyna thunderstorm and he has an idea. The veins in his neck begin to bulge as he tries to take control of the thundercloud. All of sudden the sky opens up and a large barrage of thunder is unleashed on the man who lays lifeless in a large crater. The entire battlefield is filled with smoke and nobody can see anything. Polar walks out of the main entrance of the building carrying one of the guards he knocked out. Brody runs back towards the team still being chased by the rat monster.

    Kazuke notices and draws his sword. ¡°Enough of this shit.¡± He flies at it the blade blasting with flames. He connects with the now caught off guard rat creature severing its head. It hits the ground with a thud as the creature''s body slides across the rubble.

    ¡°Thanks man. I was just about to do that,¡± said Brody.

    Polar notices Lena injured on the ground and runs over. ¡°Not now, friend, not time to sleep.¡±

    Mike falls to the ground and grabs his chest. He is out of energy from that last attack. He looks to his teammates. Lena and Youta are out cold. Reyna and Kazuke are panting and out of energy. He looks to the crater now and he sees it. The masked man stumbles to his feet.

    ¡°He survived that? No way,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Yes way, he¡¯s still standing,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°You guys -¡± The man groans before he is cut off.

    Before he can speak, Nathan flashes behind him. ¡°No more fucking games!¡±

    Nathan tears off the masked man''s mask and reveals his face. A middle-aged man with a mustache and beard. Black oily hair, and brown eyes. Nathan leaps back and as he does Piers and Itami exit together through the front of the base.

    ¡°You guys beat him?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure, he¡¯s still standing,¡± said Itami.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I know that guy,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°The masked man looks around dazed and injured. No longer masked.¡±

    ¡°Jose Vargas, also known now as just Vargas, an escaped criminal wanted internationally for participation in a terrorist group.¡±

    ¡°You know this guy?¡± Mike says, gasping for breath.

    ¡°Don''t let this chance slip away! We need to finish him off now.¡± Yells Kazuke.

    ¡°You think you can finish me?¡± Asked Joe.

    The man looks up and smiles. He laughs. All of a sudden he floats into the air. Nathan moves to go after him but he falls to one knee and loses his limiter power. The man floats up and aims two hands at the ground and charges up a large laser. He fires at the ground stirring up soil and concrete. Dust flies as everyone is blinded. Itami flies through the air drawing a tanto blade. He slashes through the cloud but by the time it settles the man is gone.

    ¡°Damn he¡¯s gone. Should we go after him?¡± Asked Kazuke.

    ¡°We can¡¯t. We have to help our injured and I don''t know about you but I¡¯m in no shape to keep moving. Piers is safe, let''s get out of here,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Mike is right. Half our team is down. We need to get moving. Before he returns with help,¡± said Leon.

    ¡°He''s gone. I cannot sense him anymore. Even if we went looking for him we¡¯d only be shooting ourselves in the foot. We should regroup and replan,¡± said Itami.

    ¡°You guys blew it, he got away,¡± said Dales.

    ¡°Excuse me? What did you do exactly?¡± said Karina.

    Dales throws his hands up. ¡°I blinded the guy. What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I supplied Reyna with my lifeforce to cast that large spectacle you enjoyed so much. Which was much cooler than anything I have seen you do. Other than your stupid slippers, you are nothing.¡±

    Karina swings and slams Dales in the face knocking him out cold.

    ¡°I don''t mean to interrupt but we need to get out of here before he comes back or his team shows up. It''s not the time for quarrels and fallacies,¡± said Itami.

    The team stumbles towards the forest and runs for the van. The downed members have to be carried. As they make it to the bus they scatter in and head home.

    ¡°Piers, it''s good to have you back. What happened?¡± Asked Mike.

    ¡°Well, I hate to break this news but... We cannot trust the police. Jill was the one who got me into this mess,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°What?¡± Asked Leon.

    ¡°I went to meet her and when I did, she took me hostage and gave me over to the man.¡±

    Mike bows his head and waves. ¡°Jesus Christ, can this get any worse?¡±

    ¡°Yeah it can;  turns out the man has a lot of people working for him. A Lot more than we thought,¡± said Piers.

    ¡°Yeah Itami said as much,¡± said Mike.

    ¡°Let''s look at the bright side here. We won that fight,¡± said Reyna.

    ¡°That is true. We have now shown him we are capable of beating him. Maybe that will be enough,¡± said Kazuke.

    ¡°Not likely. The man isn''t showing his full strength. I wouldn''t put it past him to regroup, power up and come after us now,¡± said Itami.

    ¡°How could he get any more powerful than this?¡± Asked Mike.

    Brody groans and shakes his head. ¡°I hate to say it but looking at my visor footage now, he can, and he did. The speed and force he reached in that battle was far greater than last time. It¡¯s not even close.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, he does seem stronger,¡± Kazuke said.

    ¡°I believe he absorbs his failed allies.¡±

    ¡°We did see him drain the life of somebody before. You''re telling me he gains power from that?¡±

    ¡°It would appear so,¡± said Itami.