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My Life is Super: Side B part 1- Eiai Promise

The sun was lazily creeping over the horizon. It gently began touching the tops of the tallest buildings of West California Island. It caused the snow that still blanketed most of the island to shimmer in the morning light. The atmospheric controllers were happily working away, blanketing the island in shimmering white. Honestly, the city looked like a winter wonderland.

In a small cozy apartment not too far from West California High, nothing stirred.

Evidence showed that whoever lived there had been studying the night before. The couch set in front of a small coffee table had various items for studying and homework were strewn about. There were also signs that the person doing homework had been eating at the coffee table. The large flat screen TV mounted to the wall opposite sat quietly there. It had various gaming consoles connected to it. The living room was made to feel warm and inviting.

Further in, being a corner apartment, the morning sun began to fill the master bedroom. There were odd things here and there: A wrestling singlet tossed haphazardly on the floor. An assortment of video game figurines. A pull-up rig set up on the door leading to the bathroom, and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf stuffed with various things and books.

The large four poster bed set against the wall farthest from the bathroom started warming up as sunlight crept across it. The large mound on top began to stir.

“Babe...." Croaked a low voice.

A rough grunt answered.

“Time to get up..."

Another grunt.

“Babe...come on..."

Nothing.

“I'll make bacon."

More stirring. “And pancakes?"

A low chuckle. “And pancakes."

Soft giggling and laughing followed as the mound on top of the white duvet shifted. But slowly, those soft giggles shifted into something more sensual. Then soft moans. It wasn't long before there was a gasp and deep groan filled the small bedroom.

A Hispanic young man sat up on the bed, the blanket falling off of his sweaty body. His hazel eyes looked down with affection at his bed companion, a rather muscular white mouse. His pink eyes were closed as he panted, his thick chest rising and falling as he tried to regain his breath.

“Good work out?" The husky Hispanic grinned down at his boyfriend.

The mouse laughed, his rich sound sending a pleasant chill up the human's spine. “Best workout." Grinning, he pulled his boyfriend down and kissed his belly, causing another fit of giggles.

“N-N-No! Haha!! HAhahahHAha! St-Stop!" He struggled against the mouse, but he was just too strong and the giggles were too powerful.

“We-Ahahah! We're-Aahah stop!- We're gonna be-Damn it, Tony!" He slipped through his boyfriend's bulky arms and landed on the floor. He was still laughing, even as he glared up at the mouse's smug look.

“We're going to be late, and I want my pancakes!"

A few minutes later they were sitting in their little kitchenette talking about what classes they had and Tony's wrestling practice. They ate quickly, throwing the dirty dishes into the washing machine before heading out the door.

“Wallet?" Chimed Jericho.

Tony nodded. “Wallet, check."

“Tablet?"

“Tablet, check."

“Phone?"

“Phone, got that."

“Your gear?"

“My gear.." He turned over his shoulder and looked in the back seat of his car. “Fuck."

Jericho chuckled as he pulled Tony's duffel bag from behind him. “You always forget."

The mouse grinned and leaned over for a quick kiss. “You're the best, you know that?"

They pulled out of the underground garage of their apartment building and were off to school.

It had been a few months since Jericho had moved out of the Hale household. He was still getting used to living on his own, even if Tony lived with him. It was for the best, anyway. Things there were getting tense, what with Mr. Hale constantly arguing with the eldest of his twin sons, Leon. And with Mrs. Hale gearing up to run for mayor, there was just too much energy for him to handle, even with Caleb's room as a safe haven.

He missed living with them. They had been generous with taking him after his 'accident,' years ago.

His memory stopped 9 years ago. There was nothing there. It was a complete blank. The best medical doctors and mystics couldn't solve the mystery of the massive gap in his memory. He had no name, no Id. Nothing. He knew how to read and write, and he even spoke fluent Japanese and Spanish, cook, and did mid-level mathematics. Things that were taught in school, he knew. But who he was, or where he came from? That was a complete blank.

Plus it didn't help that he apparently fell from the sky one night

The super hero, Feral Steel, had been on patrol when he spotted a bright light in the sky. Next he knew, Jericho's body was plummeting from the sky. If it hadn't been for hid quick reaction times, the boy would have been a bloody smear on the road.

The hero took the boy to the hospital to get checked out. As a member of the Elemental Alliance, he made sure to have the best treatment offered to the boy. There had been a possible hit when an initial investigation had been launched- something about a murder-suicide not too far from Feral Steel's civilian home, but it was never proven.

With no memory, no money, literally nothing to his name, the super took pity on the frightened boy and took him home to his family. He slowly learned the Hales' secrets. They grew to trust him. He'd proven that he could keep their secrets safe.

And the rest, as they say, is history. He grew up with the Hale kids, but he never got very close to them. He knew he was an outsider as much as they wanted to make him feel part of their family. But he was human. He couldn't compete with them. It hurt his fragile ego when his nerdy friend turned into a hulking football player. Thanks, Mary. But, he was happy for what it did for his friend.

“Oh, I forgot to ask," Tony's question broke into his thoughts, making him blink. “Caleb called while you were in the shower. His mom asked him to ask you if you wanted to come over for dinner Friday."

Friday Night Dinner. He almost forgot.

Even after he moved out, Lilian Hale, the Hale matriarch, always invited him back to their home for dinner on Fridays, one of his two days off work from the coffee shop.

“I'll have to check my schedule. I think Miss. Gibson switched what days we get our shipment. She might need me to come in and do inventory."

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Caleb. He checked the time. He's probably already there for a football meeting. He'd get his message eventually.

“Wanna head off campus to grab lunch today?" The hunky mouse asked.

“Tino's?"

“Always."

As they pulled into the student parking lot, he spotted a familiar pink convertible.

His phone buzzed.

=From: Miss. Stabbypants

-Help! They're talking football jargon! It's killing my womanly mind!

He laughed at that and sent a reply.

=From: Mr. Sir-Sleeps-With-Cheese

-Not my problem ;) Ask Ben or Ashton for help lol

=From Miss Stabbypants

-He's HELPING THEM!

He started laughing, almost falling over. He grabbed Tony by his jacket to keep himself from falling over. The mouse just blinked at his boyfriend.

“Do I want to know?" He asked, laughing a bit nervously.

The Latino teen shook his head, giggling. “Mary's just having a bad morning."

As they entered the school building they got a few stares here and there. It was to be expected, what with Jericho dating the captain of the wrestling team. They also made for a rather odd couple- Tony, being a mouse and almost as wide as he was tall at 5'4" and weighing in at 235lbs of pure mousy muscle. His human boyfriend, on the other hand, was two inches taller and weighed around 200lbs, plus or minus, of what Tony called 'happy fat.' It made the boy self conscious at times. He tried working out to drop some weight and build up some muscle, even back when he lived with the Hales. He was always too ashamed of his body to go around shirtless even in the middle of summer. He always showered before anyone else, or waited until they had all gone to bed. Tony loved him regardless, something he was grateful for. 'More to love, and perfect for cuddles.' the mouse would often say.

Parting ways with a kiss, Jericho made his way for his first class of the day. He knew that Ben was going to be there. Maybe Mary and Caleb and Lars, too. He hadn't asked what their schedules were going to be like, though he should. He knew that David was driving Caleb up the wall with all his 'training,' both on and off the field, dealing with the Gene Stealers, and his mom running for mayor. Poor guy. Maybe he should offer his place for him to crash more often?

As he walked into class, he spotted Ben Conners, also known as the super villain immortal werewolf Blood Wolf, sitting behind Lars McLeod, known to the rest of the world Flare Blue, and Mary Brightwood, the Outsider known as Blade Babe. He scanned the room, not spotting Caleb anywhere.

“Hey, morning guys!" He greeted them brightly. He sat next to Mary. “How's everyone?"

Mary rolled her eyes at him. “Traitor." She muttered before smiling at him. “I'm good. You missed Cale, by the way."

“Yeah, Tony said he called while I was in the shower." He pulled out his phone to see if he'd missed any messages from the muscular wolf. “Mrs. Hale wants to know if I can make Friday Night Dinner this week."

Lars' ears perked up at that. “You're going over to Cale's place?"

Jericho shrugged. “I'll try, but things at work have kind of gotten turned upside down. Plus, I don't want to be around Leon and Mr. Hale arguing." He sighed. “Honestly, I don't know how he's handling it all."

“He's got Jacob." Ben added.

They nodded. Jacob Reaper, better known by his hero name Legion, had become Caleb's best friend lately. The inter-dimensional being known as a No One had been offering up pieces of advice to Caleb and his close group of friends. Jericho didn't count himself among them, though, so he rarely saw the black wolf with blonde hair.

He caught Mary giving him a look. Oh, right. He forgot she could read his mind. Oops.

Lars was also giving him a similar look. “Really?" Jericho didn't know, but somewhere the big doberman had picked up Caleb's 'confuzzled' expression. The jock reached over and 'lightly' smacked him upside the head.

“Dude, you may not think you're not part of this squad, but you are." He said with a big, toothy grin. “I mean, Cale's mom thinks of you as one of her pups, right Mary?"

She nodded in agreement. “You know Mrs. Hale misses you, right?"

He nodded. “She's not only your legal guardian, she's treated you like one of her own." She said.

He let his head slump against his desk. “I just don't want to add to the stress she's already under by making her worry about me, y'know?" He turned his head to look at her. “I mean, I've got a good job, I've got a nice place-"

“-That they're helping you pay for." She added

He just sighed and closed his eyes. “I'll see if I can get Friday off."

'-Does that mean I get to see my former neighbor Friday?-'

He blinked. Mary smirked. '-Caleb?-'

'-One and only!-' He could feel Caleb's humor coming through loud and clear through their shared link through Mary.

“You guys suck." He said aloud, grinning like a loon.

---

“You're gonna be fine babe! You've got this in the bag!"

“Easy for you to say!" He was pacing back and forth. Tony was with him, freshly showered from wrestling practice. They were in the school's main auditorium, waiting for the choir tryouts to start. After much encouragement, he allowed himself to get talked into trying out for a spot. He personally didn't think he had what it took to be part of it, but Lars assured him that he did.

The teenager nearly jumped out of his skin when they called his name. With another smile from his boy friend, he walked up to the stage and stood in front of the microphone.

“Your name?" Asked a portly hedgehog. He could see the music director sitting just behind the panel of three that would be deciding whether or not he would get in.

“Jericho Hale."

A lot of the students looked up at him when he said his name out-loud. He could already feel his face heating up. Since he had no name of his own, and since the Hales were technically his legal guardians, the gave him their last name, until they were able to find out who he really was.

“And what will you be performing?"

“A song called “Creep,'"

Up in the seats, the mouse blinked in confusion. That wasn't the original song he was going to sing. He was going to sing something. What could have made him change the song at the last minute, he wondered.

She gave him the cue to start.

'Here goes,'

Mary, Ben, Caleb, Lars, and Ashton quietly snuck into the room. They sat at the far back, not wanting to put any more pressure on their friend. Lars was the most excited, having another person to talk music about and with. He was already in love with the song that Jericho was singing, feeling the emotions behind his words wash over him.

When you were here before,

I couldn't look you in the eye

You're just like an angel;

Your skin makes me cry...

You float like a feather

In a beautiful world

I wish I were special

You're so very special....

He tried not to look at the audience's reaction. He tried to block everything else out. In the sea of faces, he spotted the one that mattered the most. The one he wrote this song for.

But I'm a creep....

I'm a weirdo...

What the hell am I doing here?

I don't belong here....

As he sang, he flashed back to the Gnoll attack. How scared he had been. He'd gone to the game, and had been horrified to see what had happened to Caleb. Tony had also gotten infected during that attacke. The handsome mouse still had nightmares every now and then. He was there every step of the way, helping him as much as he could. When he had been finally cured, he didn't want to touch Jericho for fear of infecting him. But none of that had mattered to him. All that mattered was that he still loved him. That was never going to change.

I don't care if it hurts

I wanna have control;

I want a perfect body,

I want a perfect, soul!

And I want you to notice

When I'm not around...

You're so very special

I wish I was special...

Tony felt his heart clench in his chest. 'I love you, all of your perfect imperfection.' He had said that to him after weeks of therapy after the Gnoll attack. He had said some terrible things to him. He had tried so hard to push him away, out of fear of hurting him, or infecting him. But he was mostly afraid that, if he changed again, he'd relish in corrupting his boyfriend.

But he kept coming back. Over and over, he kept coming back. No matter what he said, or what he did, Jericho would come back. Now, hearing his boyfriend singing to him, he felt his eyes prickle.

But I'm a creep...

I'm a weirdo!

Oh-! what the hell, am I doing here?

I don't belong here!

Oh, Oh...!

A small smile crept across Caleb's muzzle. Quietly, he reached out and took Lars' paw in his and held it tight. The doberman looked confused for a second until he realized what was happening. He smiled back at the wolf before turning his attention back to their friend.

He's running out, again...!

He's... Running out-!!

He's running, he's running, he's running-!

Running out again...!

It was Caleb's turn to feel his chest to clench. He thought back to when he thought he had lost Lars to the Ursa Strain. He had watched his boyfriend lose his mind. He had to watch him become a deranged, sex-crazed animal. He had thought he'd lost him in that instant. The big dog must have had the same feeling, because he felt Lars' grip tighten.

Whatever makes you happy...

Whatever you want...

You're so very special...

I wish I was special....

He and Tony locked eyes. The room fell away from them. He held out his hand to the mouse, and the mouse returned the gesture. Hearts pounding, the only people that mattered to them were right there.

But I'm a creep...

I'm a weirdo...

What the hell am I doing here...?

I don't belong- Oh oh! Oh oh-!

Jericho poured his heart into the song. He was struggling so hard to keep his voice from cracking, but it would crack just a tiny bit. It was such a struggle, because it brought back so many painful memories of the toughest time of his and Tony's relationship But he wanted his song to show that, regardless of what trials were thrown at them, they'd come out on the other side, better, stronger, and closer than ever.

'Cause I'm a creep...!

I'm a weirdo-!

What the hell am I doing, here...?!

I don't belong, oh oh-! ohoh-!

I'm a creep......!

---

Later that night, the mouse and human laid in each others' arms. Jericho wouldn't hear back from the panel until the tryouts had been completed, so it was a waiting game. His friends had congratulated him on his performance. He got hugs from both a blubbering Mary and an emotionally choked up Lars. But the only person's opinion that had mattered most was a certain mouse's.

“I love you."

The mouse smiled. “I love you, too."

They kissed passionately. Hands moved hungrily, like blurs across soft fur and tender flesh. They'd never been more in love with each other than in that singular moment. Time could have stopped. The would could have ended right there. None of that mattered to them. All that mattered was their shared little world.

Soft spoken promises were made. Pledges to be by each other's side sworn. Nothing, not even Death would keep them apart.

They made wild, passionate love for hours. They only stopped when their bodies demanded they stop. And even then, they continued in gentle motions and soft caresses. The song today cemented their love for each other. In the back of his mind, each boy hoped that those that had heard the song also found the love they craved that night.

The moon greeted them hours later. Its silver light washed over them, two souls intertwined.

---

“So how do you think you'll do this season?" Jericho asked. He went up and down periodically while reading a book.

“Should- grun_t- be a -_grun_t- good season _-grunt- this year!" Sweat was pouring down his brow as he did military push-ups, one arm behind his back.

Some of Tony's teammates could only stare at the pair; Jericho was sitting cross-legged on top of Tony's back. His form was near-perfect as he raised and lowered their bodies. For the first part of the year, Jericho had been granted a rare free period, so he decided to join his boyfriend during his training and workout sessions the same period. Lars and Caleb were off in the corner talking about something, but the pair didn't pay them much attention. If they wanted to share, they would.

Tony switched arms, using his long, rope-like tail to keep his boyfriend secured squarely on his back. “What_ -grunt_- set -grunt- am I -grunt- on?"

The chunky Latino paused his ready to flip back to Tony's workout routine. “You're on set 4 of 10. Twenty in each set, just to remind you." The mouse let out a grunt to confirm he had heard.

“Did -grunt- you -grunt- call Mrs. Hale?"

“Yeah; I'll be over at 6 o'clock." Another grunt from his rodent lover.

After completing his final set, Tony laid on the floor like a deboned fish. Jericho teased him a bit while getting him some water. Even though he hadn't worked out, he still went to shower and change out of his gym shirt and shorts before heading out to lunch. They spotted The Golden Trio -Mary, Lars, and Caleb- at their usual table with the others. They seemed to be teasing Caleb about something. He abruptly got up and started walking away while talking on his phone.

Concentrating on Mary, he poked her mentally, hoping she'd pick up on his curiosity.

'-What's the matter?-' He felt his mind connect with theirs. He couldn't quite get what had happened, but he could feel a faint trace of regret.

_'-We...kind' of...pushed Cale a bit too far.-' _Oh boy...For that to happen they must have _really _fucked up.

Tony was asking him about lunch plans, but he could still feel himself linked to the others. '-Should I be worried? Do you guys want me to go talk to him?-'

'-Don't worry. He just needs to cool off. I'll let you know if anything happens. Have fun with Tony!-'

---

“Wha'cha readin'?"

Jericho looked up from his tablet. “Looks like some D-Class villains got sprung over the weekend." He turned it around to show Tony.

The big mouse snorted at some of their names. “Seriously? 'Tibia?' As in, the fucking shinbone?" He started laughing hard, the sound coming from deep in his belly.

His laugh was infectious. The human started laughing quietly. “There's a pair of twins -'Pins and Needles- they've got the power to make you feel like something is falling asleep!" That just made his rodent lover laugh even harder.

The pair leaned in to sit closer as they ate lunch together, laughing the whole time. “Oh man! Get this! This guy, right, 'Migraine,' because he has a huge head or some shit!" The pair laughed even harder, leaning against each other. Jericho had to put the tablet down because they had to try and calm themselves.

“Okay, okay!" The teen panted, getting his giggles under control. “We should seriously plan on getting a new table; The one we have in the kitchen's got a loose leg."

“Can't we just fix it?" His mousy lover asked.

Jericho shook his head side to side, making a thoughtful noise. “I mean, we could, but i wanted to get new chairs, too, anyway. For when we have people over, y'know?"

Nodding, the mouse got to pay for their lunch before heading back to school.

Again, Jericho joined him in the gym. Mr. Hale didn't really like him being in there since he wasn't really working out, but let it slide for the time being.

Caleb walked up to him and ruffled his hair playfully. “Why do you get special treatment?"

The short human laughed and playfully punched the wolf in the stomach. Even though it had no real strength behind it, it still stung when it impacted Caleb's wall of muscle. “I dunno," He said with a grin. “Maybe it's because I'm not a magnet for bullshit on the daily!"

Lars and Tony stood next to each other and held a hand over their muzzles as they went “Ooooooohhhhh!"

“Hey!" He pulled his friend into a headlock. “I don't go looking for bullshit, IT finds ME!"

“What's going on in here?!" Barked Mr. Hale.

“Oh shit!" Caleb and Lars ran off to the treadmills while Tony, with Jericho clinging to his back like a baby bat, leapt up to the pull-up bars and started cranking some out.

“Nothing couch!" They all shouted.

David eyed each of the boys before turning and walking back into his office. With David out of earshot, all four boys started cracking up,

---

As quietly as he could, Jericho slowly got out of bed, praying he didn't wake his boyfriend. Good thing he tried him out with a few rounds of sex.

He slowly crept out of their room and headed out into the living room. It was well past midnight, but he figured that Lars or Caleb would still be up. He pulled out his phone and dialed their numbers, merging their calls together.

It rang for a bit before both canines answered.

“Hey guys, hope I'm not waking you?"

'Nah, I'm eating_ right now,'_ He could hear the sound of the doberman munching on something that sounded...gooey.

'I'm working on my art project for class,' replied the wolf.

Nodding, he sat on his couch and curled up with his knees to his chest. “Sorry, just nodded," He got chuckles from the other two. “I'm just checking in to see how you guys were doing after that attack at the mall by shinbone."

Lars laughed on the other end of the line. 'What a dumbass! Even with all those goons with him, he still manages to get his ass handed to him!'

'I honestly don't know what he was expecting to happen!" Caleb's voice came through loud and clear.

“Didn't he get away, though?" That kind of brought the other two guys' humor down a peg.

There was a brief pause. 'Yeah, but, we'll get him the next time he decides to show his ugly ass!'

He nodded again, forgetting that he wasn't on a video call with the guys.

“Hey Cale?"

'Yeah man?"

“Why didn't you tell me you'd fought this guy before?" He was scanning through the news articles regarding the wolf's previous encounter with the name of a bone.

'Didn't think it was important enough to tell you, I guess. Sorry man."

“Nah man, it's okay. I just worry about you guys, y'know?"

He heard Lars grunt on the other end. 'Don't worry man, we're good!'

He couldn't help but chuckle. “Easier said than done." He looked over at his little dining area and had an idea.

“Hey, why don't you guys come over this weekend! We can make a small party out of it!"

Both wolf and doberman agreed readily. They started making plans on who would bring what to their little get together. He was a little hesitant to invite the all-powerful Writer of Reality, but finally agreed when Caleb promised to make sure that Jacob wouldn't pull them into some Eldritch horror scenario while playing cards.

After hanging up, he sat cross-legged on his couch. He didn't really trust Reaper. There was just something about the guy that sent warning bells ringing whenever he was around.

He looked down at his hands. He focused, and materialized a small, rotating magic circle.

But did he really have the right to mistrust the guy, when he himself was keeping a secret from his friends?

He balled his hands up into fists, shattering the small circle. He wished he could tell them. He wanted to tell them. Had wanted to tell them for the longest time. But he was scared about getting drawn into the conflict. The Gene Stealers already knew who he was by association of being Caleb's friend. He didn't want to have an even bigger target on his back, and he especially didn't want them targeting his boyfriend. Though, that was a fool's hope, since they probably already knew who they were. He didn't want to risk losing Tony to some Gene Stealer virus again. The first time almost broke him. He didn't think he would survive if it happened a second time.

Jericho felt like such a terrible friend and like a coward. He drew up his knees to his chest as he sat alone in the dark. He didn't ask to have powers. They had just randomly manifested a couple of years ago while he still lived with the Hales. He kept it a secret, especially after he saw how Mr. Hale was treating Caleb. His existence was already pretty weird, he didn't want to add any more to it by having the Hale patriarch grilling him.

Even though he secretly practiced.

With a heavy sigh, he got up and walked back to the bedroom. Hopefully tomorrow would just be a regular day, free from supers and villains that weren't out to trying to kill him or his friends.

---

“Tell me again why we had to come here? To this mall? This mall that just had a villain attack happen to it?"

Jericho was not pleased. Not at all. Something didn't sit well with him as he and Tony walked into none other than Callista Heights Mall. He had begged and pleaded with his boyfriend to pick a different mall to do their shopping at. But, being a lover of all things action-y, the mouse wanted to check out the mall, and shop around for that table and chairs set they'd been talking about.

“Aww, come on babe!" The mouse leaned in and pulled his boyfriend close. “It's not that bad! You saw how Weapons Master and his team came in and saved the day! It's all good!"

He bit his tongue. You don't know the half of it. He hated keeping secrets from his love. His heart ached every time Tony talked about how cool Flare Blue or Blood Wolf were. Because he knew that Tony would flip, ask a million and one questions, and then go absolute BATSHIT with excitement at learning that he was friends with supers. But he'd seen first hand what kind of damage that type of knowledge could cause. When Caleb had started venturing out as Weapons Master, he had to keep his mouth shut around the rest of the Hale Clan, all while he felt like he was going to have a heart attack from worry.

As they walked into the mall proper, warning bells began ringing like crazy in his mind.

“We need to leave." He said, stopping dead in his tracks.

Tony turned to him in confusion. “Babe?"

“Now!" He turned and grabbed Tony's hand fully intending to run.

But it was too late.

---

Callista Heights Mall had turned into a war zone.

Ramping elephants -members of the mall's had all been turned into these sex-crazed beasts- ran down any one that hadn't been turned. The pair ran from store to store, trying to find cover. But it seemed that a group of highly trained people had also been turned into elephants. But these guys were in full control of their faculties. They aimed guns that shot out large bone spears, picking off anyone that made the unfortunate mistake of sticking their head out. And each person shot would immediately begin mutating, transforming into another of those elephant creatures.

ARSENAL had arrived. He saw Caleb and the rest begin fighting off the raging pachyderms. At first, the fight seemed to be going in their favor. But things quickly began to devolve into a one-sided battle- favoring the villainous, newly transformed Tibia and his horde of Boneheads.

He watched in horrified shock as Lars got shot in the leg. And then quickly mutate.

He gasped in abject horror. A Bonehead saw him and Tony. The guy started shooting.

His boyfriend tackled him to the ground, rolled, and then picked him up and ran. The mouse ran, cradling his boyfriend against his chest. He ran until they were deep inside the mall's largest section.

Without warning Tony threw Jericho away from him. The teen landed with a cry of pain.

“Tony,what's-" He gasped, horrified beyond comprehension.

“Jeri..JEricho..."

There was a large bone spur sticking out of his back.

“Tony!" The boy cried, clutching his hands to his mouth.

“I.. I'm sorr-"

Then Tony's back bulged, bursting out of his shirt and jacket. His back snapped and crunched as his spine elongated, adding whole feet to the rapidly changing mouse's height. Instead of bulging, grey-skinned muscle, his soft white fur grew shaggy and coarse. In seconds Tony was easily over nine feet tall, and that was just all in his back. His legs bulged, bursting out of his shorts, becoming hulking mass of muscled flesh and fur. The mouse let out an ear-splitting cry, throwing his head back as his cock burst from his shorts and his body erupted, Toby's mousy body quickly shedding away. His cries were momentarily silenced as his muzzle exploded outwards, consumed by a long, trunk and bright, white tusks. A second pair soon followed, just behind the first. Tony grabbed his head with his paws before they erupted from his shirt, his torose expanding violently, destroying the remains of his clothing. Two large bony growths erupted from his temples. They grew and grew, gaining inches in length and thickness until he had a pair of wicked bull horns. His rodent features twisted and contorted, scrunched up in agony as his muzzle burst outward, finishing its transition as his head grew bigger to fit his new titanic form. His cute, big, pink ears fanned out into huge masses, giving him an elephant's trade-marked ears.

Crazed, wild eyes locked right onto Jericho. They had turned into a ghostly white, but were still capable of tracking the human's movements.

Jericho wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. His world was shattering right before his eyes.

Please, God! No! Not again! __It's happening all over again!

Tears spilled down his cheeks as he watched his boyfriend, the love of his life, becoming a rampaging mammoth.

For a moment, he just stood there, paralyzed by fear.

For a moment, he wanted to die.

But only for a moment.

Eyes hardening, he squared off his shoulders. No, he wasn't going to run. He wasn't going to hide. He was going to stand his ground. He was going to get his boyfriend back.

“I'll save you, Tony." He declared. The maddened elephant trumpeted angrily and charged as music filled the air.

Jericho's eyes were shining a brilliant golden color as he started to sing.

(Morning)... I want to be your sunlight in the dark

(True love)... I want to wipe away all of your tears

Be a shoulder for, you to cry on, ease the suffering, of your future

(I believe you! I believe you!)

He jumped, narrowly missing Tony's horns. Calling a magical circle, he shot star-shaped bolts of energy at him. It blinded him temporarily, just long enough for Jericho to come sweeping in with a left hook. His fist flashed just before it connected with the elephant's cheek. With a loud 'SMACK,' the mutated mouse staggered a few paces before swinging with his powerful trunk. It caught the poor boy in the chest, sending him flying. He came crashing down hard on the floor. Coughing a few times he barely managed to dodge out of the way as the elephant came charging past.

It doesn't matter what world we're in, even if you are a different person there, I don't care!

I will still, be waiting here, for your return!

(I love you!)

He slammed his fist into the ground and drew up a long, golden spear. It looked like a mix of beautiful classical weaponry mixed with the most advanced technology. He leveled the golden tip at his lover and pulled a trigger at the place he gripped the weapon. The blade split in half and belched out a large orb of energy. It moved so fast it caught the elephant by surprise. The titan was pushed back by the first shot, and knocked clean off by the next. He closed the blade jumped, slicing at the air to create energy ribbons to try and bind the elephant.

“I swear I will never give up on you!"

This is a song for only you to hear!

Not for my own sake have I joined the fight-!

You are the one I want to protect!

(Believe in me!)

He'd never admit to it, but secretly watching all the training David put Caleb and Lance through was paying off. Behind their backs he would train in secret. He practiced as many forms of martial arts as he could. Enough that he could easily defend himself should the need called for it. And when he discovered he could perform magic, he incorporated his talents into his hand-to-hand combat training. He didn't want to solely rely on his magic. He wanted to be able to fight with his bare hands. Magic would just be there to bolster his physical attributes. He would also train his magic to be able to perform small or large scale feats.

He never would have guessed he'd have to use all he learned against someone he loved.

(Sacred)... Now you will never have to cry again

(Echo)... I am here to help carry your burdens!

Whichever version of 'you' I see, know that you are my best, my closest friend!

(I trust you! I trust you!)

He was still there, trapped inside of that titanic form. He could feel it. The mammoth wasn't trying to kill him. Hurt, yes. But not kill. Every punch he received, he could feel a split second of hesitation just before Tony landed his blows. His song was starting to form cracks in the haze that blinded him. He could see it. He would stop or slow down for a moment before resuming his assault.

It's working! Fight, Tony! Fight it so we can go home together!

Unfortunately, his own hesitation in hurting Tony left him open long enough for the pachyderm to land a clean blow to his stomach. He went flying, slamming hard into a wall. Blood spurted from his mouth as he cried out in agony. He dropped to the floor. Even with his magic protecting most of his vital organs, it still left him exposed to damage.

Gripping his spear, he hauled his battered and bruised body up. He wasn't going to give up!

Recalling his martial arts training, he started countering and using Tony's own wild momentum against the changed mouse. It gave his body enough time to refortify itself with magic, slowly repairing some of the internal damage. But fighting on two fronts was extremely taxing. This was the first time he had to put into practice everything he had learned. His body simply wasn't used to having to leaping and jumping and running, all while wielding a massive weapon.

Another swing from his lover brought a terrifying shock to him; His powers were evolving.

Right before his eyes in the midst of combat, the mammoth was creating bony plates out of his body, each becoming encased in ice. The rampaging pachyderm bellowed through his massive trunk, releasing a massive cloud of frozen air. Everything it touched was instantly frozen solid. Jericho had to quickly spin his weapon to blow some of the air back! Once or twice it almost caught him, but he was able to dodge or swipe with his lance to drive the frigid wind back.

I know that this isn't who you are, you have just forgotten the truth of yourself, in the dark!

Take my hand, I'll share with you, the strength to stand...!

(I love you!)

He was getting tired. His magical reserves were rapidly getting depleted from having to defend himself and his combat-song. But he could see more cracks forming in the haze- The elephant that was Tony now visibly struggled to hit him. He'd pull his arm back in a jerking motion before actually throwing the punch. He was getting slower, taking longer to actually attack him.

Come on, Tony! Fight this! I'm here for you! I'm singing for you!' He thought desperately. He was hoping against hope, praying that his song would break Tony out of the mad haze he was locked in.

No matter how far the darkness has spread,

Even if the sky has been blotted out!

I will create a new sunrise for you!-

Know the future isn't lost for good...!

(Believe in me!)

Both human and elephant were starting to run on fumes. Jericho in particular was becoming exhausted from both trying to keep himself safe and keeping up his attack on his boyfriend. Neither was willing to give up. Jericho knew that this, this moment, this was when he was going to have to pull out his finishing move. He needed to end this fight for both their sake!

Taking the spear, he spun it around through the air before slamming the tip of the blade into the ground. A magic circle quickly spawned from it. It washed across the floor with its golden light. When it reached Tony-phant, he was immediately seized by ribbons made of pure light. The mutated mouse trumpeted in anger, struggling against his bindings. He pulled the blade out of the ground and pulled the trigger again.

I've seen another flower stand tall, fighting for the sake of justice by themselves, so I know

That I can, rise up as well... to win the fight!

(I love you!)

This time, the blade made a quarter turn, split open, and made another, repeating over and over again until there were twelve blades, all arranged to form the barrel of a cannon. A golden scarf appeared, wrapping around his neck as the light in his eyes grew in intensity. Energy started getting drawn from the surrounding area towards the center of the now rotating blade barrel. It gathered all of the energy into a massive ball just at the open of the barrel. Some of the blades broke off, spinning in the opposite direction of the main formation. Jericho honestly didn't know what was happening, he was just following what his magic dictated.

'I'll save you, you and all of your perfect imperfections!"

I never want to see you cry again,

Unless they're tears of joy and happiness!

I have decided that I'll bring you home!

So don't give up on the love you lost...!

Pulling the trigger once more, his ears were instantly assaulted by a lion's roar! A stream of light shot out from the cannon's barrel, pushing him back. Two blades pulled away from the main formation and attached to his hips and sank into the concrete, holding him in place. But it was too much energy! He'd never pushed his skills this far before! But he'd never had something so important riding on his skills-! He would endure it all for Tony, to bring him back!

The stream of light struck the restrained elephant full in the chest. He loosened an earth-shattering bellow! He thrashed his head, trying to get free. The light! It burned! It was-!

It was warm... It was kind... He knew this light. He knew this voice. It was so full of heartache and hope. Love and despair.

The white vanished from his eyes.

“I swear I will never give up on you!"

This is a song for only you to hear!

Not for my own sake have I joined the fight-!

You are the one I want to protect!

(Believe in me!)

---

Agents from AEGIS had already removed the transformed members of Arsenal to the Cornucopia when a massive explosion rocked the mall's main structure. A stream of golden light shot towards the sky, parting the clouds. The light stream was accompanied by the thunderous roar of a lion. The stream lasted for a few seconds before petering out.

They reacted quickly, dashing into the building. They didn't know how much time they had. It was obvious that the building's structure was in danger of collapsing around them.

Upon entering, they spotted the massive furry elephant, lying unconscious and completely flaccid. At the other end, they spotted a young Hispanic male, also unconscious. He was gripping a spear that had arcing electricity.

“Tell Rage and Reaper that we've got two more." One of the agents said.