Chapter IX: Outsider Art

"No... Not again..." David clutched his son's head against his chest, the bovine features feeling so alien in his paws. The horns jabbed at his chest, piercing his spandex uniform like an arrow aiming straight for his heart. "No! Caleb! No!" he roared. All around him, spires of sharp metal tore through the ground, springing from his rage, frustration and sorrow. His neighbours and friends backed away from the sight of the great Feral Steel weeping over the Hales' youngest pup.

He was sure they were already starting to piece things together.

"David... Honey..."

"Don't look at him!" David shouted, pulling Caleb's enormous body against himself almost selfishly. "Anyone who looks at his tattoos gets infected..." He couldn't turn and look at his wife. Caleb was barely breathing in his arms and he couldn't leave his baby boy like that. "Get the Alliance... I want a containment truck here."

"But what about Ashton...?"

"It is for Ashton!" he roared. "I'm going to take Caleb to the Tower myself." It didn't take much of his super strength to lift his enormous son off the ground. He felt the eyes of his neighbours on him but he didn't care. In fact...

"What are you all staring at!?" he bellowed at them. "My son is unconscious in my arms, transformed into a mutant freak and all you can do is stare! Call someone for fuck's sake!"

"David!"

The screeching of tires tore his attention to the edge of the crowd. A fleet of black vans came storming down the roar. The FBI agents that they housed didn't even wait for their vehicles to stop before leaping out and holding out cameras and flashing them right into people's eyes. The dazed look the civilians' faces told David that some sort of memory altering device was employed.

He made a note to demand that technology when he was done saving Caleb's life.

Turning to his wife, he said, "Lance will protect you and Abby. Keep away from the FBI goons no matter what, understand?"

She gave him a scared nod.

He leapt into the air, using his powers to propel him through the air. He made a beeline for the Elemental Tower, hot tears burning his cheeks. His heart felt heavier than Caleb did especially as he flew over the majority of West California Island. The devastation from the weekend assault was much more visible now than in had been a few nights ago. Entire buildings were crushed, streets were littered with debris and the city's citizens were living in the emergency bunkers while their homes were rebuilt. Admittedly, in the thirty-fist century, construction was much faster. Portal technology allowed for fast transport of materials and with factories and labourers on other planets, it was just a matter of putting the pieces together.

Still, it was absolutely chilling that so much devastation could be inflicted in such a short time no matter how fast the city recovered. Looking at his inked-up, bull-i-fied son in his arms, David felt that lesson all too well. He almost missed the Elemental Tower entirely but managed to fly back.

He landed at the very top landing pad. His presence alone alerted several security personnel and when they saw him, he barked at them to get him help. Tower doctors specialising in superhero injuries and ailments immediately rushed to Caleb's aide and placed the massive wolf-turned-bull onto a gurney. The gurney collapsed beneath his weight.

David had to use some of his abilities to ensure the gurney remained stable enough for the doctors to wheel his son into the Tower's depths and place him in an anti-super ward where they could start treating his injuries. David stood by the entire time, ignoring the pleas of the doctors to leave as they operated... or at least tried to hook Caleb up with monitoring equipment.

There was some degree of pride in him when the doctors couldn't pierce Caleb's thick, muscled flesh to get the IV line in. They had to resort to slicing the flesh slightly to get the needle in. The rate of healing was also incredible. Already, the severe head injuries Caleb had suffered were reduced to just caked splotches of blood.

David vaguely wondered if his son would finally get the baseline superpowers he so rightly deserved but then shook his head free of the thought. That was not appropriate, not at this moment.

The doctors were still taking vitals and obtaining blood samples. Before, it had been the Outsiders that had come up with the cure for the Gnoll Strain and Tower officials were eager to develop the cure for the Minos Strain themselves. While it was not public that it was the Outsiders that had first come up with the cure, it was implied and that injured the Alliance's standing.

David vaguely heard the words, 'never seen its like' before and 'incurable' thrown around. He barely kept his temper in check because he was sure that if he shattered those visors the doctors were wearing, he'd have an army of bulls rampaging across the Tower and that was not something he wanted. Caleb began to stir an hour in and the doctors rushed to sedate him. David was sure enough tranquilisers to knock out a herd of full grown elephants were pumped into Caleb's bloodstream.

When someone took his paw three hours in and pulled him away from the ward, he didn't protest though his eyes lingered at his tranquilised son. He only tore his gaze away from the scene when the doors shut in front of him.

"You have visitors," Nightingale said.

The shadowy, jet-black raven always spoke in a whisper but, somehow, he could always be heard. As one of the fellow founders of the Alliance, Nightingale was a trusted friend of David's but recently, they had come to odds when Nightingale made his opinions of the Outsiders clear: that they should be made allies not enemies.

At this time, David did not feel like opening that can of worms. "My family?"

"No."

David spun as the Outsiders came striding towards him, Weapons Master and Flare Blue suspiciously absent. It was just Blade Babe and the supposedly 'rehabilitated' hyena, Madman. David remembered that asshole and bore his fangs as the two approached with that undying tiger. There was also a fourth figure with them... a black wolf he had never seen before.

"What do you want!?" he growled.

"We heard about what happened," Blade Babe said. "We're here to help."

"How could you possibly know and why would you care?"

"Because Flare Blue knows your son," came the sharp response. "Cares about him like a brother. He convinced us to aid in the creation of a cure. We understand that he was transformed previously?"

David eyed the other wolf. There was just something... odd about him but he couldn't place his finger on it. "You already know the answer to that." His eyes darted back to Blade. "And I am _not_giving you access to him. Not in a million years."

"We just want to help -"

"Help!?" barked David. The metal walls of the Tower were starting to twist in odd ways, influenced by his power. "You want to help!? Help by getting the fuck out of my tower and -"

He was surprised when Nightingale pressed a feathered hand against his chest, pushing him back. He glared at the raven furiously, the very metal beneath the raven's feet starting to curl and twist into vicious spikes and blades.

"You will not speak to my lord that way," said the dark superhero.

David balked for a second. Nightingale was commonly known as the 'mage-assassin' of the founders. His powers were not entirely defined but they were generally 'dark' in nature. He could teleport form one location to another in a flurry of feral ravens, shoot spikes of solidified darkness and control the very shadows themselves. Where he got those powers were never defined though he constantly spoke of 'his lord'.

"Your..." His eyes went towards the wolf who smiled gently.

"Ah. I thought all the members of the Cult of the Balance had died out long ago."

Nightingale bowed respectfully towards the wolf. "We continue to serve you faithfully, my lord. The Hound of Death is welcome in the Elemental Tower."

"The what?"

"A god, David."

"Demigod," the Hound corrected. "I serve a higher entity and merely walk the mortal plane to both prevent and facilitate death." His eyes locked with David's. "Your concern over your son is admirable but it is not justified."

Huge metal spikes instantly lashed out from all around them, storming towards the so called 'Hound of Death'. They froze at around a metre from around the wolf. Blade Babe, Madman and the tiger, Bren, all looked like deer about to be run over.

"David!" snapped Nightingale. "What are you doing!?"

David grit his fangs. "Trying to kill that smarmy bastard...!"

The Hound of death snorted derisively and waved his paw. The blades of steel that David had hoped with skewer the Outsiders drooped and morphed, dropping to the ground in the shape of calm, silvery lilies. "You superheroes believe yourselves to be gods amongst men but forget that there are deities who preside over your fates. While your choices are your own, our power far surpasses yours."

David took one step in retreat as the wolf approached him. They were nose to nose. "If you dare to take my son's soul..."

"That would destroy my lord's design," answered the Hound. "And cause more death and destruction." The Hound offered him a smirk. "Believe what you will, I am much like you mortals and would prefer not to do more work than necessary. Caleb Hale will live. But thousands more will be saved if you give us a sample of his genetic data."

"I will not -!"

Nightingale seized his wrist. "David. My lord Arcturus favours no one. He only serves to preserve the balance of life and death. He does not favour the Outsiders or the Alliance."

David flashed his fangs at the raven. "That would easier to hear if it wasn't coming from an Outsider-lover like you..." He yanked his wrist from the super's grip and stared directly at Arcturus. "He is still being kept sedated. You can have your sample after we're done."

"Good enough," Arcturus said with a nod. Then the wolf smiled at Nightingale. "Let us talk, Vahn. Tell me of the Cult's activities."

With that, the Hound of Death moved like a ghost beside the equally quiet Nightingale. David growled at them both before turning his dagger-like stare at the remaining outsiders. Beneath that hood, he couldn't how Blade Babe was staring at him and Bren seemed as impassive as ever. Madman, though, wore a smug look on his face.

David wanted so much to wipe that smug expression off...

But Caleb was more important.

He turned back towards the ward just as one of the doctors emerged.

"Sir," said the short walrus. "He's stable and fully healed. Permission to move him to an anti-super containment chamber to nullify his baseline -"

"No!" David roared. "That's my son! You are not going to treat him like a criminal!"

"But sir -"

"He recognised me!" David said, pushing past the man. "When he saw me, he knocked himself unconscious to protect everyone. He is not like one of those lunatics."

"I dunno," grunted Madman. "I still remember the first time I transformed. Took me a while to get over the rush. It still makes me hard thinking about it."

"Shut up!" David pressed a paw against the small window peering into the ward. "Caleb is stronger than that. He's a fighter and he'll keep fighting with every last ounce of strength he's got. I know he will."

*****

How Lester had ever managed to sneak back into the Gene Stealer base without detection was beyond him. As always, he used the recall device that allowed him instant access to the base. There was a swirl of lights, a flash and then suddenly, he was standing in the midst of the transport room, alone. He feared he'd be detected. Surely the other Gene Stealers would be monitoring the device and the room?

But he wasn't attacked. He had a sketchpad filled with creatures he could instantly bring to life if he needed to defend himself and his tattoos but he found himself oddly alone... and with no cause to use them.

How he managed to get to Chimera's chamber without being stopped was a downright miracle.

He had never been inside the cavernous space before. Only Dragon Knight was allowed inside. He remembered rumours that Spider Queen constantly tried to trick and seduce her way in but Chimera was immune to her ploys and advances. Shark Tamer only cared about his research and Wendigo thought only about his stomach.

That he stood in the vast, black cavern filled him with a sense of awe... From the large, obsidian doors, a long, thin path made of some sort of odd, slick, white marble led him to a broad, circular platform big enough to fit a football stadium. The light only reached up to the end of the platform but he knew the leader of the Gene Stealers was here.

"Chimera!" he shouted. "I know you're here! Show yourself!"

Whoosh!

Lights suddenly exploded from the other end of the chamber. Lester grimaced as bright, blue light spilled out from a circular source only broken by odd, rotating panels that spun constantly around a central source of eerie, blue light. Chimera sat on a large throne just beneath the source, his features silhouetted save for his one, good, blue eye. As ever, though, it was impossible to make out his true species or race.

"My time is precious, Minos. What do you want?"

Lester growled and tossed the package under his arm at the floor. "What the hell is that!?" he demanded, pointing at the offending object.

"That is the package I had Shark Tamer send to Emerson Wills' apartment hours before your announcement to us of your betrayal. It was timed perfectly to the point that you would have just had breakfast and copulated with Emerson and the package will have arrived fifteen minutes just after you departed to execute your plan."

Lester snarled, his hands balling into fists. "How could you have possibly planned that all?"

"The same way I planned to have Shark Tamer tell the Outsiders about your plan. Same way I knew where you had posted your artworks even though you only gave us glimpses. Same way I knew to send another package containing the Original Minos Strain to the Outsiders to create a cure." Chimera stood, looking down at Lester from his raised dais. "Same way I know that both Stampede and Taurus have betrayed you after the madness you unleashed yesterday. They believed in your mission but you let your heart sway you to take another path. Your contingency plan. Neither of them want the death and destruction you caused. They wanted what you originally wanted: to stop me."

His jaw dropped and he retreated just a step. "How... What...?"

"Your message will be lost, Lester Blue," warned Chimera. "Unity. To win against the Gene Stealers, super, Outsider and whoever else must unite. But it will be lost. You can shout all you want. People will listen. But no one will take it to heart."

"They will! And they will stop you!"

"Not with what you have done. A message sullied by blood." Chimera shook his head, his eye never leaving Lester. "Is that what you had hoped? Transform the vast majority of the population to force the majority to your side? Supers and Outsiders will remain immune but with the vast majority of the population of West California Island suddenly transformed, governing bodies will be forced to rethink their strategies and their positions. They will be forced to consider the Gene Stealers the true threat and pool all their efforts to stopping me. All the while, your victims who have had their identities ripped from them will clamour at the chance for vengeance even if that means you will die in the process."

The Gene Stealer leader chuckled darkly. "But then you fell in love, didn't you? You fell in love with Emerson Wills and suddenly, you had your doubts. You didn't want to die." Chimera laughed, his voice echoing in the vast, dark cavern. "So predictable! Your lack of commitment has led to your undoing!"

Lester refused to believe that. He shook his head but retreated another step. "As long as one person, just one person hears my message..."

"One person will not make a difference. Not when the world is already mine." Chimera sat back down in his throne, chuckling softly. "You may go, Minos. You have served your purpose."

"Purpose!? What was I? Just your guineapig!? Just another one of your tests!?"

Again, Chimera laughed. "Idiot! I already know the test results! Where do you think Shark Tamer gets all his targets from? They're from me. I target them because I know how they will react to the transformations. Shark Tamer knows this but is all too eager, all too hungry to know what I know!" Chimera lifted a paw, clenching it into a fist slowly, his claws closing in around every last shred of hope Lester held. "You see, Lester Blue, you were damned from the start! I knew Stampede and Taurus would betray you! It's why I picked them. I knew Spit Roast and Bullhorn would fail in your feeble assassination attempt! Another reason why I sent them to you!

"This is all by my design, Minos. Your fate was sealed the moment you decided to betray me." Chimera chortled, shaking his head at the young artist. He leaned back, perhaps a shred of pity in his eyes. "It could have played out oh so differently. But you chose this path so live with the consequences."

Lester was shaking and he stamped his foot angrily. "So is that your power then... The ability to predict the future with frightening accuracy?"

"Oh no. I can see the future because of that." Chimera hiked his thumb over his shoulder at the spinning orb of light and the strange machinery that encompassed it. "My power, my true power is far more frightening. Something that you will never come close to comprehending." Chimera waved a paw at him dismissively. "Now why don't you go off and spend as much time as you can with that cute little leopard-bull of yours while you still can? Your time is nearing its end. I suggest your cherish every moment."

Lester growled and took a step forward. His hand had already gone to the sketchbook he held for such situations when he was in human form and didn't have the advantage of his tattoos that came from his transformation.

A clawed hand fell on his shoulder.

"I suggest you leave, Master Minos," Dragon Knight said softly. "You alone decided your fate and it would be truly a waste to see it end here and not in Emerson's arms."

Fuming but at the same time, disheartened, Lester pulled his shoulder away from the black-scaled reptile. "Why do you follow him? He wants to end the world and yet you still follow him! Why!?"

"You do not understand," answered the Gene Stealer with a shake of his head. "You could never understand. The world is more than just black and white. There is grey and the colours in between." Dragon Knight stepped away from Lester, positioning himself directly between Chimera and Minos. "You may be an artist but to you, the world is monochrome. There is only good and evil, life or death, hero or villain. You do not see the infinite possibilities in between. That is where we rest."

Lester shook his head and took a step back. "You take people's lives, take their identities and turn them into pawns for your own purposes! How is that not pure evil!?"

"You have to ask the question: why?"

"I don't need to hear your reasons!" he roared. "What you're doing is just wrong!"

Dragon Knight shook his head one more time. "You prove yourself unworthy of Chimera's presence with just short-sightedness. Be gone."

Lester never got to protest. A portal of shimmering blue energies appeared right beneath him. Gravity instantly seized his body with its cold, heartless grip and pulled him through, sweeping the vast expanse of the cavern and replacing it with the musky air of Emerson's apartment. He glanced around desperately and looked back up just as the portal closed above him.

"No!" he screamed. "Get back here! I'm not done!"

The portal winked out of existence... and Lester fell to his knees.

Lester Blue - Minos of the Gene Stealers - let out a pained sob.

It was all for nothing...

*****

Caleb Hale had never been so conflicted in his life. Even when he had transformed into a hyena bent on fucking, he had been hell-bent on sex and could barely contain himself. But now, he was constantly wrestling with himself. His body wanted nothing more than to charge straight through the nearby wall and break free. It was all his could do to turn his charges into lunges that must've looked like he was downright crazy from outside.

WHAM!

He sobbed softly, his shoulders aching from the impact against the wall.

He wanted to be out of this ward.

He wanted to fuck.

He wanted to be free...

It took all his will to just to keep himself within the room but as the minutes turned to hours, he found himself growing more and more restless. Somehow, he managed to keep himself from using his powers to turn the entire Tower into a weapon and make his escape. The confusing storm of emotions that clashed within his massive, muscular shell sent him staggering to the corner, hands clutching his horned head. He banged his forehead against the wall, trying to knock away some of the insanity that was swirling inside of him.

He had to find something to focus on.

When he was a hyena, it was fucking Lance even if it was born out of pure instinct.

But now... There was just too much going on. His cock was raging for release but he didn't want to embarrass himself by creaming all over the ward where other Tower staff and supers were no doubt watching him. He wanted to break free of the place but if he did, just the mere sight of him could transform some unprepared individual. Breaking out using his powers would just be as easy but his father was out there and if he displayed his abilities, he'd be outed as Weapons Master.

Focus... He needed to focus on something!

"Hello Caleb."

He immediately spun around.

Arcturus stood a few feet from him. The door hadn't even opened and somehow, the Hound of Death was there.

"Arcturus... I - Raaaaaaaaagh!" Caleb charged at the Hound, unable to control himself. The only thing in his mind was 'fuck and freedom'. His hands were _inches_from Arcturus' muzzle when he froze, completely unable to move. His cock still jerked, dripping long ropes of precum all over the floor.

"You need focus, don't you?" Arcturus asked, his blue eyes calm and serene. The Hound bent down and crossed his legs, sitting directly in front of Caleb calmly. "Come, sit with me."

"I... I can't..." he growled. "Let me go you motherfucker! I... I wanna... graaaaah!" He tried struggling but the invisible force that held him perfectly in place would not let go.

"Yes you can," answered the Hound. "Brute force will only tighten its grip but peace and serenity will set you free."

Caleb snarled at him, snorting loudly.

Calm... Calm... Calm... Calm...

He repeated the word over and over in his head, his heavy, ragged breathing slowing to long, heavy breaths... His enormous chest filled with air and it took twice as long just to let it out. Pulling all his resources to just maintaining that breathing, the urge for freedom began to ebb, that overwhelming, unjustified rage that made him want to punch something starting to fade away with each exhale. Breath by breath, he began to extend the lengths of his breathing.

Sensations began to return to most of his body and he found himself suddenly able to move again. He resisted the temptation to lunge at Arcturus. Slowly and though he was biting his lower lip, he eased himself to the ground, folding his oddly shaped feet and bulging legs. Embarrassment flooded through him as his massive sixteen inch dick remained perfectly erect against his ripped belly.

"So what is it that you feel the most?" Arcturus asked. "When emotion comes out the strongest?"

Caleb shook his head, grunting loudly. "I want to get out of this fucking place... I... I want to show people my fucking, ripped bod and all these amazing tats! I... I..." He grunted, gripping his head. "Fuck... That's not me..."

"On some level it is," Arcturus replied calmly. "It is you reacting perfectly to your changes, your subconscious reacting to your body but it is a body that is not your own. Is it?"

"Of course it! Look at me! I fucking love this!" Caleb cried, flexing his massive biceps. The instant he said those words, he instantly regretted it and ducked his head, clasping his hands against the back of his head. "Shit... This is hard... Harder than when I was a hyena..."

Arcturus only nodded sagely. "The burden of knowledge. The first time is the hard. Every time afterwards can only get harder. You may know what to expect but it is no longer your foe that you are opposed to. It is yourself, your confidence and hubris. In this case, you must fight the rush of feeling those baseline superpowers coursing through your veins, the sheer might of your transformed body and the memory of the transformation that leaves you with such ecstasy."

Caleb grimaced, his entire body shaking. Every inch of him wanted to throw himself at the Hound, tear his clothes off and spill his seed all over that black fur, turning it white. Somehow, he resisted. Somehow... "How do you know...?"

The Hound smiled gently. "Because temptation is something I fight with every day. A soul is... delectable, Caleb. It gives me strength, it increases my power and with every soul I devour, I feel that much closer to true godhood." The Hound lifted a paw. "However, I am sworn to a duty, one that I will consistently uphold. Every day I must remind myself of that duty, that purpose." He fixed Caleb with a benevolent stare. "What is your purpose, Caleb Hale? What keeps you on this earth and gives you the will to start your day?"

Arcturus leaned forward and in the softest whisper said, "And do not say it is to 'help' people because we both know that is a job, not a purpose. One obtained just recently."

Caleb frowned. He became fully aware that the Arcturus had just given him something to truly focus on and it was working. The tension in his shoulders eased and even his cock was slipping back into its sheath as more and more blood was transferred to his brain. He began to think of his purpose, his reason for existing.

"The Gene Stealers -"

"Think carefully of your answer," Arcturus warned, flicking an ear. "If you were placed on a stage with all your family and friends watching, with the entire world sitting on the edge for your answer, with the gods regarding you anxiously and with your life resting on the line... what would be your answer?"

Caleb regarded his alien hands and the thin, black fur that covered them. Without claws, his hands just did not seem like his own anymore. Dots began connecting in his head and memories of the past flooded his mind, memories of days which he just spent cruising along doing whatever people told him to do.

His father pushed him to football.

Mary pushed him to working out and eventually joining the Outsiders.

Lance insisted on their relationship together.

And most of all... the Gene Stealers constantly implanted their forms into his body.

Nothing he ever did was for himself. His mind, body and heart were at the whim of others.

"I don't know," he confessed sadly, his hands curling into fists. "What have I ever really done for myself that would lead me to my purpose... that one driving goal in my life that pushes me forward."

"Living is reason enough," Arcturus said. "But I doubt that is all you want out of your precious time on this world." The Hound of Death turned his head slightly, ears angled towards the door. "Everyone should have a purpose on this world. Though they may live day by day with different goals in mind, it is this resolution that drives every action." His eyes fixated on Caleb. "You have your purpose, Caleb. I can see it. You just do not because right now, it is covered in layers upon layers of other people's influence."

Arcturus shrugged as he rose. "Not necessarily a bad thing but you can see how hard it is to maintain your path in life, indeed your _identity_when you are under the influence of so many other people. Right?"

Caleb's jaw dropped as the lesson bomb was dropped on his unprotected head. The Hound of Death turned to leave, his long, billowing coat fluttering behind him despite the lack of wind. The door to Caleb's ward opened at that very same moment and a familiar scent wafted in.

David Hale stepped aside respectively for the Hound.

"Thank you," whispered Feral Steel.

"Just doing my duty," answered Arcturus, moving swiftly out of the room.

Caleb held his breath as his father moved into the room. David was holding a syringe in his paws filled with a strange, purplish liquid.

"Dad...?" he rumbled softly.

"Caleb..." David Hale began softly. There was no fear in his eyes, just regret and sadness. "I'm sorry this happened to you.. I just wish... I wish..."

"It's okay, dad. I -"

David held up a paw. "We can discuss that later. Right now... The Outsiders think they've got a cure." He held up the syringe. "This is equipped with a special needle that should pierce any super's extra-hard flesh." David offered him a lopsided smile. "After all, even supers need blood samples or needles every now and then."

"How'd you get it...?"

His father did not seem too pleased as he said, "Apparently the cure rests with Weapons Master. His powers extend to more than just anything he touches and when applied properly, it can create the cure. How, the Outsiders were not forthcoming. They would not even give the Alliance samples."

Caleb let out his held breath, grateful that none of the others had revealed to Dad that he was Weapons Master.

"Has it been tested?"

"Apparently." David shook his head grimly. "I wanted to test it on that Ashton kid first but he is far less cooperative than you and is currently contained. Anyone who tries to get near him almost gets transformed as he tears off their protective eyewear." He held out the syringe. "Arcturus is going to talk with Ashton now, hopefully to calm him down. I wanted to give you the cure first. I want you back to normal as soon as possible."

Caleb smiled gently and held out his arm. "Thanks Dad."

David moved beside him, gently asking his son to relax. Even with his arm slumped, his veins were very prominent making it easy for his dad to level the syringe.

"What you did back there," David said softly. "How you protected your sister and mother even as you lost your mind; how you knocked yourself unconscious to prevent people from getting hurt... it was very heroic, Caleb. I don't care what other people say... You're a true hero."

"Thanks Dad, I -"

He gasped as the syringe pierced his flesh and the cure entered his system. That moment of pain was replaced by an odd tingling sensation that spread from the source of the sensation. Just like when he had reverted the first time from the hyena strain, a bright blue glow began spreading out from the site just as if he had activated his powers to create a weapon. Blue-white feathers began emerging from the glow as it spread across his forearms, over his biceps and up his arms.

Caleb shut his eyes and let himself be swept up in the transformation. Unlike his change into the bull, it was a swift and painless. The pleasurable release of growing and bursting out of his clothes was absent. Even as he reverted back from his hyena form with Funny Bone there was a euphoric sensation of every muscle, every bone and every inch of skin being pushed out of him like his entire body was undergoing an orgasm and in the wake of release, he was left with his lupine form. Here, it was like breathing the excess out, pushing away the last strands of the bull out of his body save for that one last fragment that would let him change once he equipped Branding Iron.

He shook his head and the glow around his muzzle shattered like glass, fading into the air. He licked his lips lightly, running his tongue over the fangs that he sorely missed and the lupine muzzle that was his own again. Looking down, his body was still encased in the blue-white glow. He absently dusted himself off, brushing the glow away to reveal the black and white fur was his own again. His smile wavered, however, when he came to his right bicep. One tattoo remained; a single small sword sprouting angelic wings that curled around his bicep with the word 'Hale' across it.

Doing a quick check, he found no residual aspects of his bull form remained.

"Cale!" David exclaimed, throwing his arms around Caleb's neck and holding him tightly. Caleb gagged softly as his father's super strength crushed him against the iron-hard chest. David released him almost instantly and appraised him from head to toe, naked as he was. "You're back! Oh my boy... You're back!"

"I don't think I ever left..." Caleb murmured softly. "Not really..." He showed off his tattoo. "And look, I got a memento."

"We'll have to get that tested to make sure it isn't infectious."

Caleb shook his head, regarding the tattoo. He couldn't remember possessing it even as a bull. "I don't think it is but -"

The door suddenly burst open. A Tower guard came in, panting. "Sir! There are two individuals here requesting to meet you! They're beating up the guards!"

"What?" David moved in front of Caleb protectively. "Who are they?"

"They're saying that their names are Manny Goldman and Shawn McAllister."

Caleb's eyes widened. "Manny Goldman...?"

"You know him?" David asked.

Shrugging, Caleb said, "Ashton did some research and he found that Gnoll seemed to be targeting Ambience Logistics Incorporated and that recently, three employees were missing from the resident Ambience branch. Neil Rossman, Dylan White and Manny Goldman."

His father frowned deeply. "Neil and Dylan... they were Spit Roast and Bullhorn... That must mean..."

WHAM!

Suddenly, the wall right next to the officer exploded and the enormous form of a towering human, well past six feet in height stood in front of them. He shrugged off the debris and dust from his broad shoulders, the coat wrapped around him barely containing his form. Behind him was an equine equally heavily dressed despite the fading summer heat outside. Neither of them Caleb recognised but just sniffing the air and catching their scent confirmed his suspicions.

Stampede and Taurus.

"Feral Steel," the human, no doubt Stampede, said evenly.

"I'm not letting you take my son!" Feral Steel growled.

Stampede raised an eyebrow at Caleb. "Your son...? Did he already revert? That was fast."

Revert? Were the bulls surprised that a cure was developed so quickly? "I changed back because of a cure..." Caleb answered. "What do you mean by 'revert'?"

Taurus stepped past his mate and glowered. "A cure. I see. So you didn't live up to your full potential as a bull then."

Large, metal chains suddenly sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves around the two, pinning their arms together. Though they tried to wrap around the intruders' legs, both just shrugged them off with ease. It was clear they were allowing themselves to be restrained.

David clearly realised this as he took a step back, pressing a paw against Caleb's chest and pushing him back. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your son only developed as far as Generation 1," answered Stampede with a grunt. "Baseline superpowers and infection abilities but nothing more. Your son did not develop powers of his own. Then again, I doubt he would have had the emotional strength to."

Caleb's cheeks began to burn. "What? Are you saying I'm damaged!?"

"Possibly." Stampede shrugged. "The crux of the Gene Stealer's evolution from a Generation 1 to a Generation 2 is emotion. Apparently, supers use it all the time."

The sound of grinding metal echoed in the ward. Taurus broke free of his restraints and turned his back to the crowd. Several other Tower guards had appeared and alarms began blaring all throughout the Elemental Tower. "When a super experiences a burst of emotion, they tend to develop new powers or at least become inspired to use their powers differently. I'm sure you've felt it too, Feral Steel."

Caleb watched the fear cross his father's face. Even without looking into his mind, Caleb knew David Hale was thinking about Ryan. "What does this have to do with Caleb!?"

"Nothing," Stampede answered, stepping into the ward. "We're not here for him. We're here for you."

"For me...?"

The man nodded grimly. "We're here to tell you all about Minos' plan. About what he wants and what he plans."

Caleb's eyes widened. "You're turning traitor..."

"We're turning against Minos because he betrayed us first," Taurus said, lowering his fists. "He told us his plan was to unite the entire world against the Gene Stealers. He only took their offer because of the pain it caused people. He saw the division it caused and his plan was to convince the world through his art and his plans to bring everyone together, bring the Gene Stealers to light and crush them once and for all."

David Hale took a step forward, slamming his foot into the ground. A large, metal panel slipped between Stampede and Taurus, barring them from one another. "And he did that by destroying an entire city district!?"

Stampede shook his head. "No. That was not his intention. Not originally. All he had hoped to do was to expose one, enormous piece of art with an amplified signal at the Top Art exhibit. He hoped to worm his way through to the exhibit by convincing one of the backers, Emerson Wills, to let him. Then, when the exhibit was revealed, the hundreds of people that would've been exposed to the piece plus the hundreds more in the gallery would be transformed. This mass transformation will have brought the wrath of the Elemental Alliance, bring the attention of the government and the Outsiders and will even be considered an epidemic. So much so that -"

"The world will get involved..." David Hale whispered softly. "That's naïve and short-sighted! Cornering the Gene Stealers like that will only provide them with more people to convert! Think about it! None of the Gene Stealers have actually actively sought to kill, just convert. Every time a new strain has appeared, they have caught us off guard and left us guessing how they change their victims. If we send the whole world against them..."

David shook his head with a growl. "No! The best way to deal with them is to isolate_them to this island and pretend that nothing is wrong! If they start to panic or start broadening their search for victims then we will have to search the entire _world for them!"

"I'm not here to argue about that," Stampede grunted. "I came here to warn you. We abandoned Minos because of his attack on the city. We agreed to help him because we thought his goals would save other people from becoming like us." He smirked mildly to himself. "There are perks." That smirk faded. "But we were changed. Brutally. We were scared and confused. We don't want that happening to others. We were of the agreement that no one would get seriously hurt or killed. He changed that with the attack."

It did seem out of character for the Gene Stealers to go on a full attack. That the other Gene Stealers had opposed Minos and sent their own resources to stop him...

Caleb turned a frown to Stampede. "Why'd he change tactics?"

Stampede shook his head. "I do not know. He stopped contacting us right up before the attack where he requested we assist. We refused after seeing what he had done and we abandoned him shortly after." The human bowed his head slowly. "I only wish we had realised this sooner... We questioned why he was painting walls in the city with his art and now we know. I can only assume that it was his plan all along and that he just lied to us to get our allegiance." He made a slicing gesture through the air. "But no more."

The human stepped forward. "Arrest us if you will but let us help in bringing Minos down. His art masterpiece is being moved to the gallery as we speak. He needs to be stopped."

Feral Steel let out a distrusting growl but reluctantly lowered his paw away from Caleb. His eyes clearly showed conflict but above it all was rage. Caleb felt his tail tucking between his legs.

"I don't trust you," David mumbled, "but you risked a lot coming here just to deliver this information. If this means that will have the opportunity to avenge my son... then I'll take it. Meet me outside the Tower. We'll go to the gallery immediately. Afterwards..."

On some unspoken command, the sheet of metal barring Stampede from Taurus slipped back into the ground. Taurus, back in his bovine form, stood on a mound of unconscious Tower Guards. Several members of the Alliance stood around him ready for combat. All tension eased into confusion, however, as Feral Steel stepped out of the ward.

"They're allies for now," he proclaimed. He glanced over his shoulder. "Cale, stay here. We'll take care of this."

He wanted to protest but held himself back at the last moment. After all, what could Caleb Hale do against the looming attack and the might of Minos? Flanked by Stampede and Taurus, David Hale strode away, surrounded by other Tower Members. The alarms had stopped but the beating in Caleb's heart hadn't.

Caleb Hale couldn't do anything...

... but Weapons Master could.

*****

Lester finished adding the last touches to his masterpiece. It would take a while yet for the paint to dry but by the time they took it to the gallery, it would be ready. In a few short hours, the last piece of his plan would be in place and he hoped it would be enough. Taurus and Stampede had already betrayed him and he knew that the Alliance would try and stop him. But that wouldn't matter. As long as his piece made it to the gallery... that would be enough for him.

Just as long as someone saw it and took his message... then it would be enough.

Big, meaty arms wrapped around his waist and suddenly yanked him from the ground. His heart leapt and he let out a little squeal, kicking his legs wildly while laughing at the same time. Emerson smelled so amazing; a perfect blend of musk and sweetness from his cologne. Before he could turn to the leopard that had stolen his heart, Emerson lowered his muzzle and brushed it against the crook of his neck, purring softly.

"It looks amazing."

He smiled up at the painting. "I hope everyone will like it too."

The leopard continued to rub his cheek against Lester's neck, purring loudly. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For staying."

Emerson Wills had both stolen and broken his heart at the same time. Stolen it with his charm, his affection and ability to absorb every word that came from Lester's mouth. At the same time, he had broken it because he was now fully infected but only wanted to do good with his new form and his powers. Did he know that Lester was Minos? No. Chimera, in his cruelty, had left that out of his message and just informed Emerson to open the package in the study while looking at Lester's painting.

To the leopard, it was like some sick joke; the final push to change into a full-blown bull while looking at his lover's masterpiece. He thought that maybe the sender had hoped for him to destroy the piece and he was particularly proud when he did not. He thought he had it under control and he thought he was closer to cracking the case.

He wasn't.

Recently, he had been trying to use his connections to figure out where the package came from. But he would never find that out. Lester had been tempted over and over again to just give up, turn himself in and end the heartache of knowing he had led Emerson down this path. But then he was reminded that even with his dark, corruptive influence, Emerson remained pure and good.

It was why he had changed his masterpiece.

"After all you've done for me?" Lester replied, leaning in against the leopard. "How could I ever leave?"

When Emerson pulled away, Lester was left with the cold touch of absence. He wasn't sure where the next few hours would lead but he knew that chilling grasp would be all that he would know. He could already feel it start creeping throughout his entire body, leaving him numb and unfeeling. Emerson's paw around his own brought the warmth back and he turned to find the leopard smiling at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "The movers will be here soon."

"We've still got a few hours," answered Lester, regarding his painting one more time. "Let me just add some finishing touches..."

Emerson pulled him back. "There's time enough for that. Come on."

Lester rolled his eyes and snorted as he let himself get led by the leopard out of the study. He couldn't help but grin when the leopard placed his paws over his eyes. "What are you doing? Emmy, this is corny. I know what you're doing."

"Do you now?"

He felt the cold touch of fresh air against his skin and he knew he had just taken a step outside onto the pool area.

"Yeah," he snorted. "You're going to give me some sort of 'thanks for staying' present, aren't you?"

"Sort of."

Emerson pulled his paws away and Lester instantly felt his heart leapt to his throat. The young artist gulped loudly at the sight before him. The pool had been covered by a solid metal plate. Standing atop of it was a perfectly heart-shaped bed drizzled with rose petals. Candles stood on tall stands to illuminate the narrow path to the bed. His leopard moved in front of him and it was the first time he noticed Emerson was dressed in a neat, black, formal coat and formal clothing.

"What's going on...?" Lester asked.

Then Emerson fell down on one knee.

"What's going on?" Lester repeated with rising urgency.

"Lester Blue," Emerson Wills said, proudly. "I've only known you for a few weeks but if these few weeks have taught me anything, it's that life could take a bizarre twist at the most unlikely moment. Your life could end in a second by your own paws or another's. It made me realise that there is no better time to start to rest of my life than now."

Emerson reached into his pocket, plucking out a blue, velvet box. "We met in a jail cell, assaulted by mutants. I became infected and almost took my own life but then you came and convinced me otherwise, my guardian angel. Then, you stayed by my side, making me feel special and teaching me that no matter what I become, I am who I am and the time I have is precious. Even when I turned completely, it was you who taught me to remain true to myself.

"I thought my days on this world were numbered. But then you proved me wrong. You brought me back. You gave me a second chance. You gave me more time." Slowly, Emerson opened the case. "And I want to spend the rest of my time with you. So... Lester Blue... will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Yes! Yes! A million times yes!

Lester had the words stuck in his throat, ready to burst, hold out his hand and tie himself to Emerson for his entire life. But...

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking a step back away from Emerson. "I can't."

Emerson offered his heart... and Lester broke it. "What? Why not...?"

"I..."

"Is it because you can't see me naked because of my tattoos?" Emerson stood up, eyes filled with worry and on the verge of breaking into a waterfall of tears. "Is it because... you can't be married to a freak...?"

"You're not a freak!"

"Then what is it?" Emerson pointed at him accusingly. "And don't tell me it's for your art or it's you. You changed your painting just for me!"

"I know!" Lester cried. "But it is me..."

"What is it about you?"

"I... I can't say..."

"That's not good enough!" Emerson snapped. "Tell me, Les. You know you can."

Lester shook his head sadly. "No... I don't think I can..."

"Try."

"It's not that simple!"

"Well I need a reason!" Emerson stamped his foot, the sheer force of the blow breaking the tiles beneath his feet. "I love you, Lester! Tell me why you don't love me back!"

"I do but -"

"What? Are you an Outsider? Are you Weapons Master?"

"No -!" Lester took a step back.

"A super? A super_villain_?"

"No! It's -"

Emerson seized his shoulders, that velvet box pressing up against his skin as if he was trying to merge it with him. "Then what!? Tell me!"

"It's because I'm Minos!"

...

The leopard instantly let go of him. "Don't even joke about that..."

Lester pursed his lips. He knew what was going to happen next. It sucked that somewhere, Chimera was probably watching and laughing his insane head off. Still, this was the path he took and the consequences were his to deal with. Slowly, he peeled his shirt off and let the transformation take him. He was so used to it now that it was just like flexing a muscle. He remembered the first time he had changed... it had been so painful and all he wanted to do was to break free... Get out of the straps that Shark Tamer had used to pin him down and then, after he was contained, explode out of the room where he was kept. After days, he finally calmed down enough to remember who he was.

He thought he was Lester Blue... but now, the world only saw him as Minos. It had been his plan all along... but then doubts began to creep in. The tear that rolled down his changing cheeks quickly faded into his fur as he grew to his full height. It faded along with the last pieces of Lester Blue that remained tethered to this world.

When he finally stood eye to eye with Emerson... that look the leopard gave him shattered him. Heartbroken but at the same time, relieved, Lester said, "I -"

"Get out."

Lester's jaw hung open and then he nodded grimly. "I understand." He turned but paused at the doorway. "Just so you know... My plans changed because of you. You changed me too. Just want you to know that."

Lester Blue - no, Minos, stepped back into Emerson's apartment. His cheeks felt wet from all the tears. But it didn't matter now. He didn't care. His message would be heard no matter what. Every step he took strengthened his resolve and he slipped further and further away from Emerson Wills, the only man he ever loved.

He stepped into the study...

... and froze.

Two figures stood in front of his painting.

"You two!" he exclaimed.

Dragon Knight and Shark Tamer turned from where they stood regarding his painting, Shark Tamer grinning widely.

"Impressive work," said the geneticist. "I honestly doubted that you could switch off the transformative signal given by your art since it is ingrained into your very style. Your subconscious guided your hands and painted the signals. But somehow, your style changed and this piece does not contain it. Does it?"

Minos clenched his fists. "What do you two want?"

Shark Tamer turned towards the painting with a sigh. "I tailored the signal specifically to your art style. A fraction of my Spider Queen's abilities redesigned and reconfigured to be given off by your works as long as it was painted specifically by your hands. It doesn't matter if it was a tattoo or not." He sighed loudly and held up a strange canister. "Sadly, with the change of style, the signal has died. We can't have that, now can we?"

Shark Tamer pressed a button on the canister and something sprayed out of the end, lathering over the painting. It was a sickly green and the more Tamer applied, the further it spread across the enormous canvas.

"What are you doing!?" Minos shouted. He took five charging steps forward but the moment he made the sixth, a shimmering blue portal appeared in front of him and he slipped through. He appeared back at the entrance of the study, watching his painting become covered in the green fluids. Slowly, the substance became absorbed into the painting itself. Though it left the overall work untouched, Minos could sense the signal - his signal - emanating from it.

Shark Tamer's grin broadened. "There. All better."

"What have you done!?"

"The signal reconfigures itself depending on the inherent powers of its host," Shark Tamer replied lazily. "Gnoll obtained the power to turn others with his laughter because he is an Outsider born with the power to use his voice as a weapon. You obtained the power to change others with your art because you obtained the power to make art come to life. All I really did is apply a sample of your raw signal into this work. Now, it will change others as if you had always intended it."

"No!"

Shark Tamer turned to Dragon Knight with a grin. "Let's go, my friend. We have a masterpiece to showcase."

Knight bowed. "Of course."

Another blue portal appeared behind the painting and Dragon Knight hefted its large form with ease.

"Get back here!" Minos roared, charging forward. The instant he did, some powerful, invisible force swept him off his feet and slammed him straight against the wall with a loud bang!

Shark Tamer grinned broadly. "See you at the opening, Minos. It's to die for."

*****

Caleb was moved to a new ward where he was kept under observation. The doctors had deduced that his new tattoo was not infectious and gave him the bill of health but would not release him until his father said so. He was growing anxious, wondering what was happening at the art gallery.

Three doctors entered his ward, all of them wearing face masks and scrubs like he was still carrying some disease.

"Any news of my dad?" he demanded.

The lead doctor shook her head and reached for a syringe.

Her assistant spoke. "Sorry. From all appearances, they just left. They spent the past few hours gathering intelligence and making plans." He smiled softly. "Too many supers coming in all at once might scare the bastard off, right?"

"That's true..." Caleb perked his ears as the other handed the leading doctor a second syringe. The woman looked rather dangerous with two syringes, one in each hand. "What's going on?"

"Doctor Brightwood would like you to be put under sedation," answered the first assistant. "She mentioned that if you were kept here any longer, you might grow restless and the transformation might reactivate."

"What!?" he demanded, rising to his feet. The second assistant had already moved to him, pushing him back onto the bed. "I -" He stopped when the leading doctor winked at him. "Doctor Brightwood?"

"That's me!" Mary exclaimed. Lightning fast, she spun and stabbed the syringed in her right hand into the neck of the first assistant, pushing the plunger. The man couldn't gasp as the drugs took quick effect and he collapsed.

"Doctor -" began the second assistant but Mary quickly threw the syringe. The guy was fast and ducked the blow.

Caleb saw his opening and brought his free fist smashing into the man's nose.

WHAM!

The assistant fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Mary!" he exclaimed, grinning.

Mary pulled her surgical mask off and grinned back at him. They hugged quickly before Mary broke it off. "Quick. I've got your stuff here." She reached under the tray they were pushing and handed him his Outsider uniform. "Ben and Lars have already sabotaged the surveillance equipment and will be keeping everyone here busy. We've got to get to that gallery and stop Minos."

"How'd you know about that?"

She gave him a comforting smile. "I've been here the entire time, Caleb. I heard everything about what Stampede and Taurus said."

"But you barely know them."

Mary tilted her head slightly as she reached down and picked up her own uniform from the cart. "I didn't need to use my powers to learn what was going on, you know. Gossip is just as good as obtaining information. Now come on. We need to hurry."

Caleb smiled at her and said, "My dad is already there. Can't we just leave it to them?"

"You really want to leave the guy that did this to you to your dad?"

He yanked off his pants and slipped on his combat pants. "Point. But won't people come checking up on me?"

"Arcturus said he's got it covered. Now come on."

Once fully dressed, Caleb followed a likewise dressed Mary through the Tower. The entire Tower was oddly and absent of other people. There were no guards, no doctors and no supers roaming the hallways. He vaguely wondered what was going on until they came to a large, circular chamber that seemed to be the centre of the tower. The enormous, cylindrical chamber was like a hub where people could take lifts and escalators to various levels and sections. It was utterly crowded... and the reason for it was evident as the two Outsiders slipped past the crowd unnoticed.

"... You fuck like a pussy!" roared Lars.

"I fucked you enough to tear your ass wide open!" Ben shouted back.

The two stood at the first floor of the chamber, surrounded by other supers and the various staff members of the Tower. They squared off against one another, their powers in effect but after fighting with them for weeks, Caleb knew neither of them were really giving it their all.

"What? With that puny little toothpick you call a dick!?" Lars shouted back. "I barely felt a thing!"

"That's 'cuz your ass is so loose, someone could get lost in it!"

Mary led the way away from the central area, ushering Caleb to remain silent. Some other staff members were rushing towards the sight and a few tried to remain diligently at their posts. But in their modern world of action-packed epic battles and superhero-versus-supervillain moments, it was hard to resist watching what was effectively a superhero movie in person.

"Are you sure those two will be okay?" he asked as they left the Tower and emerged into the superhero only car park. Bren's van was waiting for them.

"Aura Paralysis Syndrome," Mary said simply.

"Ah, right."

APS was a side-effect of the polarising powers of a super's aura. While to most people, auras either intensified their hatred or adoration for a super, when supers fought, civilians never interfered and other supers never jumped in until it was absolutely necessary. That was because of APS, the effect of a super's aura that prevented others from acting and reducing them to just mere observers. It was why despite being in America where 90% of people had guns, 5% were thinking about it, 1% were against guns and the last 4% had bazookas, it was rare for anyone to join a fight between supers.

Caleb jumped into the van where Madman and Bren were already waiting.

Madman threw him Branding Iron.

"Really?" he asked, taking the weapon.

The hyena grunted and shrugged. "Thought you might want to give your now bull form a shot."

The gladius and shield positively radiated in his paws, giving him that tingling feeling like it was ready to engage in battle, ready to push his new bull form out. Tempting as it was, his father would be there and if Weapons Master suddenly came out with a bull form so soon after a cure was transmitted, he could grow suspicious. He shook his head.Then again, one could never be too careful.

"Did you bring Funny Bone?"

"Sorry. Only can carry so much, ya know. And we were in a rush."

Caleb nodded and massaged his knuckles, cracking them slightly. "Alright."

"And we'll be here to back you up," Mary echoed, slipping on her swords. "Bren, hit it!"

The tiger nodded and they were suddenly zooming through the streets, making straight for the West California National Art Gallery. Bren kept the TV on, listening for any news of Minos being cornered in the gallery. He kept it on 'drive' mode which meant it was basically acting as one of the long-abandoned radio technologies.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of the gallery just as evening was starting to dawn on them and the gallery was starting to close. Caleb pulled up his hood, the optic jammers instantly activating. He exchanged glances with the others. Bren retrieved his revolver. Madman rolled his shoulder ominously and Mary flexed her fingers.

He nodded.

Weapons Master burst from the van and bolted towards the gallery entrance. The civilians that were just leaving the gallery gawked, pointed and immediately gave way as the Outsiders charged past them. He heard one person scream his name, waving at him and demanding an autograph while pulling up her shirt. He ignored her and erupted into the gallery.

"Top Art is on the second floor," Mary announced.

CRASH!

Four figures crashed right through the ceiling. Two of them landed heavily in front of the Outsiders, devastating the floor beneath them. The other two remained hovering.

"Hold it!" Feral Steel cried.

"Did you guys ever consider using the door?" Caleb asked, pointing at the big hole in the ceiling the four supers had caused. As Lance stood up, he it took all his effort to keep his gaze fixed on his father. "I mean, seriously, keep making entrances like that and it's bound to cost you thousands."

"Millions, sometimes," grunted Feral Steel. "We get billed at the end of the month but it's good for publicity." The super shook his head. "What are you people doing here!? This is an Alliance operation."

"Oh," Bren responded dismissively. "We were just out to see the new Top Art exhibit before it opened. Special government perks, you know. But now that you've mentioned an operation..."

"Don't play coy with me!" The various metallic objects in the room began to quake and shake. Caleb eyed the metal sculpture not too far from the entrance a little warily. "How did you know about this!?"

Mary stepped forward, folding her arms lightly. "Have you ever wondered what _my_powers are?"

"Kick-assery?" offered Lance.

"That and I can read minds. I know what you're all thinking right now and it wasn't hard to learn what you had planned. You were practically screaming it and I was halfway across the city at the time."

Caleb wanted to correct her but Madman rested a paw on his shoulder. Another part of the publicity war. He hated this.

"I see," scowled Feral Steel. "Well get out! We have a carefully laid out plan that -"

"A plan that was just ruined because we jumped the gun," Stampede, in his bull form, grunted. "Minos must know we're here by now! We need to go."

Suddenly, the very same metal sculpture Caleb had been so worried about leapt straight at him. It was a tangled mess of rusted, metal pieces from ancient machines; cogs, gears, metal gratings and bars lunged at him all at once.

"Hey!" he cried, seizing one of the grates. It instantly erupted into a flurry of blue-white feathers. Its form wrapped around his forearm as he dodged past the slew of other metal pieces that tried to spear him. He swung his forearm and a fine cloud of rust sprang from his paws. The rust flew at the hostile sculpture. Where it touched, the metal began to disintegrate, falling to the ground in piles of brownish dust.

"We're on your side!" Caleb shouted at his father.

"I'm not doing that!" Feral Steel exclaimed in shock. A shadow sprang up behind him. The enormous skeleton of a blue whale that hung above the entrance came to life, letting out a deafening screech as it flew through the air and lunged straight at him.

A tremendous roar erupted from deeper into the gallery followed by a series of thunderous booms. The doors to the Prehistory Exhibit burst open. Entire models of dinosaurs came surging outwards, rushing towards the Outsiders and supers.

"He's here!" shouted Taurus, dodging the swinging arms of planetary diagram. He flew under Saturn's rings and just barely dodged Uranus as he said, "Someone needs to get to that exhibit! Now! Destroy the artwork by Lester Blue!"

"I've got it!" shouted Stampede and charged towards the stairs. He began his charge, making him unstoppable... until several small spiders from the rainforest exhibit latched onto his face, blocking his vision and sent him crashing into a nearby wall.

"Damnit!" Lance cried, seizing two raptors with his paws and sending them to the ground. "He's already beaten! No one will come to this exhibit if they know he's involved! We know his name! Why is he still defending it!?"

Caleb thought back to his first encounter with Minos.

"He's got a message," he murmured softly. The metal sculpture came lunging at him again, sending a wave of sharp poles straight at his face. He rolled away, swiping his gauntlet at the poles as it sprayed its metal-eating dust into the poles.

CLANG!

Stars flashed before his eyes and Branding Iron's shield was tossed aside. He felt the distinct shape of a shovel against his right cheek. With a growl, he seized the tool and channelled his power through it, wrenching it from Minos' control with his free paw. He gripped the long spear with a shovel's head and swung it at the assaulting sculpture. The earth right beneath his feet heaved and burst through the ground. A torrent of dirt and soil carried the sculpture right through the roof and out of view.

His father's cry made him turn. Feral Steel was weaving through a swarm of pterodactyls, swiping at them with his paws and summoning metal spears. But the creatures were far too fast. They swerved away from his attacks and jabbed at him with their long beaks and sliced at him with their claws. Not too far from him, Taurus was being assaulted by Mars and Venus, the big bull being crushed between their enormous masses.

"Fuck it all to hell!" Madman cried beside him.

BOOM!

An enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex loomed over them all, huge teeth primed to tear their heads off.

"I am so going to die..." muttered Bren.

Mary danced beside Madman, her blades combined into a spear as dozens of raptors began to surround them. The raptors were herding her and Lance together.

Caleb thought fast.

"Madman!" he shouted. "I'll need a boost!"

"Little busy here!"

Caleb spun his spear. "That's why I'm going to do this!" He jabbed the spear beside him into the ground. Again, the ground beneath him. It swept him up, throwing him straight at the circle of raptors. The ancient creatures turned, reptilian eyes wide before they were crushed beneath the wave of soil. Caleb seized one by its neck and it instantly succumbed to his power.

The creature's shape changed and collapsed to the ground, becoming squat and square but just as large. As the feathers took away the glow, a large, rectangular mortar with a menacing missile sitting inside stood in front of him. Its warhead was panted with a raptor's head.

The T-Rex balked.

"Eat this."

Shoom!

The rocket shot out of the cannon, slamming right into the dinosaur's chest. The explosion shook the entire atrium, causing Caleb's ears to ring. The shockwave that followed sent him hurling back, crashing right into Madman. The hyena gave him a glance and nodded.

Madman seized his arm and flung him around. The world became a blur of motion and he was grateful for not having eaten for a while. All the spinning stopped and the air began whipping his fur and ears back.

"Steel!" he cried.

David Hale turned, eyes wide. Caleb crashed into him, forcing the superhero to drop a few feet from the air. Wrapping his arm around his father's broad shoulders, Caleb swung his paw in a wide circle around them, leaving a trail of brown dust in its wake. The pterodactyls shot towards them, passing through the gas. The instant they did, their forms began to disintegrate, crumbling into a fine, brown powder.

"Go for it!" Caleb shouted. "And while you're at it, throw me at Taurus!"

Feral Steel nodded as the fine rust came back to life, sweeping around in a consuming storm. Even the enormous blue whale skeleton hesitated around the storm. A large section of the storm came together, tightly packed to the point where they became a solid platform.

"Get on!" David ordered and Caleb leapt into the platform, clinging on for dear life as he was carried straight towards Taurus and the spinning solar system model.

He leapt off the platform and clutched the model of Pluto. It collided with his chest and with it being about as big as his torso, he was carried away on its mad orbit around a burning sun. Caleb dug his claws into the surprisingly realistic, rocky terrain and channelled his power through. The entire planet stopped its orbit as it became consumed in blue light. The model shrank down and became a comically large pistol, silver in colour and with a barrel that looked like a megaphone.

Feral Steel's platform kept him from plunging to the ground and he aimed his gun at planet Venus.

He pulled the trigger.

SHOOM!

An enormous chunk of fiery rock erupted form the barrel of his weapon, slamming right into Venus. The model exploded instantly. The meteorite shot right through the crumbling model and crashed through Mars before settling in against the far wall.

"Meteor Gun," Caleb said with a grin. He levelled it straight at the model of the sun. "Time to go supernova."

He squeezed the trigger and didn't let go. A stream of fiery rocks peppered the flaming model, burying themselves deep into it before -

BOOM!

Caleb was thrown clear off the platform as the realistic model erupted in fierce conflagration. Strong arms caught him before he crashed into the ground and he caught Lance's familiar scent. The explosion tickled his flesh with its fire and he heard the giant, skeletal blue whale give a moan of agony before a crash heralded its descent to the ground.

Lance set him on the ground and he dusted himself off. His meteor gun began to disintegrate, its capacity utterly consumed.

"It's times like these that I'm reminded your powers may be random but they can be utterly devastating," Lance admitted.

"You should've seen the weapons that came out when I was at the cabin last weekend," he grunted softly.

Feral Steel and Taurus approached. Stampede stomped on the last spider and marched over to them.

"We need to be careful," David Hale muttered. "This is _his_playground." He glanced at the Outsiders. "I hate to say it... but we need to work together."

Bren rolled his eyes. "That's what we've been trying to -"

CRASH!

Everyone flinched as an enormous blue-green model of a planet _smashed_into Bren and began rolling away, leaving a rather bloody stain on its way.

Taurus screamed.

"Eh, he's fine," Mary said dismissively with a wave. "Semi-immortal super spy with infinite bodies."

Madman pointed at the slowly retreating planet. "Did he just get crushed by Uranus?"

"Yes. Yes he did. Go ahead. Laugh you know you want to."

The hyena broke into his trademark laugh and even Caleb had to join in a little. The mirth faded quickly when a cry erupted from the second floor.

"I thought we had everyone evacuate!" Lance exclaimed.

"There must still be someone here," Feral Steel growled. "Come on!" He glanced at Caleb. "Stay close."

Caleb followed his father as they charged up to the second floor on foot. It struck him as odd that no other exhibits were coming to life. When he reached the Top Art exhibit, he barely paid attention to the various, intricate pieces of art and designs that littered the exhibit. His eyes fell on where a large bull man dressed in an art smock that barely concealed his tattoos had an equally big leopard by the throat, lifting the leopard off the ground with ease.

"Minos!" Feral Steel shouted.

The Gene Stealer turned his gaze to them. In his free hand was a brush. "Don't interfere! You will not stop me!"

Emerson Wills gagged in the Bulls grip, his hand letting loose a can of black paint which fell to the ground and sent the black goo everywhere.

Behind the Gene Stealer was an enormous canvas, possibly as big as a truck. It looked like there had been some sort fantasy image on it but it was smeared with black paint, barely making any part of it visible.

"That's your masterpiece?" Lance scoffed. "Not much to look at now. Looks like Wills did a number on it!"

Minos' eyes flared and he suddenly moved, holding the leopard in front of him with the paintbrush on against the man's neck. "Don't anyone move!"

"You've got a paintbrush..."

"He can make any art come to life," Mary warned. "The paintbrush doesn't matter. We're surrounded."

Caleb's flesh prickled and his fur stood on end. All around them were the works of countless students all hoping to make a difference in the world with their art. If Minos merely thought it, they would be overwhelmed.

So... why wasn't he?

"No one follow me!" Minos shouted, backing away slowly. "If you do, he dies!" For emphasis, he clutched the leopard's neck tighter, making the man in his expensive suit gag.

David Hale stepped forward, lifting his paws. "Okay... Okay... No one needs to get hurt..."

"You're damn right!" Minos began to back away, hostage in tow. His eyes went to Taurus and Stampede. "My message_will_ be heard."

Then, Taurus suddenly spun around, swinging his big, meaty arms straight at Caleb.

WHAM!

Caleb crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from his muzzle.

"What the hell!?" Lance cried.

"It's not me!" Taurus shouted, positioning himself in front of the supers and Outsiders. Stampede joined them but their eyes were wide in horror.

"He can control any form of art!" Mary cried, drawing her blades. "He's controlling them through their tattoos!"

Caleb grimaced and wiped his muzzle with the back of his paw. He gingerly got to his feet. Minos had already disappeared with his hostage. Taurus and Stampede were in his way but they just wanted to do what was right. They had thought Minos would be that way but he had betrayed them. Using the power of his gauntlet would just turn them into piles of rust! He couldn't do that to them...

He looked around. All the pieces of art looked amazing but there was no telling what they would turn into.

His solution came when Feral Steel stepped in front of him. "Go," his father said. "Fang and I will take care of these two."

"What...?"

"It's two supers against two supers. It's even odds. I'm willing to wager at least three Outsiders can take down one Gene Stealer. Here's your chance to prove yourself."

Caleb blinked in surprise. For a second... he doubted his father's words. Was this another trick? Another ploy to damn the Outsiders? Wasn't there meant to be a plan?

"Alright," he grunted. "But you better make it out of this alive!"

"Same to you. I still want your answer."

It took him a moment to recall what that 'answer' was but when he did, he said, "You'll have it. After we save the city."

He bolted to where he last saw Minos. Stampede turned to intercept him but large, steel chains wrapped around him and pulled him to the ground, effectively mummifying him. Stampede burst from his bonds a moment later, roaring in fury while Taurus collided with Lance, carrying them both through the air back into the atrium. Caleb, Mary and Madman were already bolting to Minos' work.

There, Caleb flung his paw at the painting, letting the brown dust consume it and erasing it and its threat from the world. He didn't spend time watching his work as Madman spotted an emergency exit leading. The hyena burst right through the door being too big to fit through.

"They're going to the roof!" he announced.

The Outsiders gave chase. Madman swept both Caleb and Mary in his paws, resting them on his shoulders as he bounded effortlessly up the stairs. He erupted out of the stairwell straight onto the roof.

Minos turned to them, eyes flaring. His hostage stood at the edge of the roof, eyes wide and his paws restrained behind his back.

"I told you not to follow me!" shouted Minos. "Now Emerson Wills dies!" He gave the leopard one, hard shove. The star quarterback's eyes widened in horror as he flew out a good ten feet off the edge of the roof before abruptly dropping to the ground, his cry of horror reaching the Outsiders' ears.

"No!" Mary cried.

Madman suddenly surged forward, his superspeed carrying him well past the stunned Minos. The massive hyena dropped out of view, Emerson's cry abruptly stopping.

Caleb held his breath.

What stopped Emerson's cry? Was it his body becoming a soft mush on the street below, his spine and skull broken irreparably? Or was it because...?

A big, brown shape suddenly shot up from the edge of roof. The ground shook with Madman's arrival, the big hyena grinning broadly.

"Emerson?" Caleb asked.

"Safe. Shaken but safe."

Minos' eyes gleaned with fury as he slowly discarded his paint-covered art smock. "You have interfered with my plans for the last time! My message _will_be heard!" His tattoos sprang to life, inky black forms peeling away from his body. A massive, feral panther erupted from his back to flank him. The image of a big, brawny elephant armed with six arms with a scimitar each removed itself from his side. Big, black wings sprang from his back and his arm curled once more into the fierce image of a dragon.

"You want to warn us about the danger of the Gene Stealers?" Caleb demanded, readying Branding Iron. Beside him, the diamond minotaurs sprang into existence, positioning themselves defensively in front of him and Mary. "Did you turn into a Gene Stealer just to out them?"

Minos snorted as he reached towards his side. One of his tattoos was actually shaped like a paintbrush and dripped with dark ink. "My art was missing purpose, a message. It was lacking soul." His gaze dropped momentarily. "I think that is why I was never admitted it into any galleries..." Then he swept his paintbrush aside and knelt. "But now... I have purpose and a message. And all the world will see it!"

"Don't let him draw!" Mary shouted, bolting forward. The diamond minotaurs flanked her.

Madman slammed into the giant multi-armed elephant man, roaring in pain as the blades bit into his sides. He yanked one sword from the creature's grip and smashed the connecting arm with a fist. The stunned creature gave a cry that was cut abruptly short when Madman slammed his forehead into its own. It fell back but not before it wrapped its trunk around Madman's neck and the two went down in a tumble.

The feral panther crashed into the right most glass minotaur before immediately springing at Mary. She swiped at the creature with her swords but it was fast and grazed her shoulder before darting away.

Caleb darted straight towards Minos. The bull jumped to his feet, his work finished. An enormous serpent sprang from the ground, shooting straight towards Caleb with the might of a rocket. Caleb lifted his shield -

WHAM!

He veered to the right at the last time even as his shield was yanked off his arm. Minos snarled at him, lunging forward with the draconic arm. Caleb ducked the blow and drove his sword upwards. The bull's wings easily carried him back away from the potentially fatal blow.

Not to be outdone, Caleb spun and brought his blade in a wide, arching blow. The entire blade grew to twenty feet in the span of a second but remained light as a feather. Minos brought his wings up in defence but had no time to dodge the blade.

CRASH!

Minos was sent crashing onto the roof, rolling across the concrete and smashing against several pieces of ventilation. The bull got up, shaking his head. Then, around him, the shattered debris began to vibrate... and slam together.

"What the hell is that!?" Caleb shouted as the pieces formed some bizarre serpentine form.

"Modern art," Minos said with a grin.

"Bullshit!"

The metallic golem rose to a full twenty feet and rushed at Caleb. Desperate, Caleb quickly swung his blade only for the beast to catch it deftly. Caleb was forced to release his sword as the beast yanked it from his grip and easily smashed it on its knee. Shards of diamond fell to the ground, glistening off the sun.

The golem lifted its arms...

"Crap!"

WHAM!

A massive form suddenly carried Caleb to his left. He hit the ground hard, gasping in pain. The scent that struck him was different, alien. He followed it straight to the owner... Emerson Wills.

"What are you doing up here!?"

"I can't just leave that this," grunted the football player, leaping to his feet. "I'll run interference. Stop Minos!"

He had no time to argue as the incredibly fast quarterback ran for his life, waving his paws and shouting for the attention of the golem. The huge, metallic creature turned its attention away from Caleb. Mentally commending the leopard's bravery, Caleb spied where Branding Iron lay just beside the golem's right leg.

Taking a breath, he shot towards it and threw himself at the weapon. He seized it, coming up from a roll -

WHAM!

Only to be sent sailing by an incredible force. He felt and heard his jaw break, unbelievable pain shooting up from his muzzle and making his eyes water. He tasted blood. Instinct took over as he desperately scrambled for something to grip, dropping Branding Iron in the process.

THUD!

His paws found purchase... on the edge of the roof.

"Do you really think I'd just stand around and watch my creations get beating?" growled Minos. His hoofed foot pressed against Caleb's paw, crushing it. Minos twisted his foot, the bones in Caleb's fingers reaching breaking point. "The Gene Stealers will not be brushed under the rug like my art! They will not be ignored!"

He brought his foot up for one final blow.

"I will be heard!"

Shhck!

His eyes went wide.

Emerson Wills, the leopard, pulled Branding Iron back from where it had been embedded in Minos' chest. With another cry,, he plunged it back into Minos' back, piercing the super-enhanced flesh again... and again... and again! Minos staggered back, gagging softly. His eyes were locked with Emerson's. He tried to lash out with his draconic arm but Emerson drove the diamond blade back into Minos' side, causing the bull to fall.

Realising his defeat, Minos held out his free hand... almost begging for mercy.

Emerson shook his head. The leopard stepped over Minos, pulling his head back and pressing the ragged, bloody weapon against Minos' neck.

"No!" Caleb shouted.