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Chapter Twelve: Shadows of the Flame, Part Two

Zander prepared as the sound of bullets appeared behind his head, his mind slowing down as his memories reacted. Everyone slowed down, nobody moved or if they were doing so if was very slowly. He turned, perhaps only mentally and saw a strange shark.

“Hello, as it seems you finally gotten in enough trouble to call me, at least the first time you will remember.” The shark said as he stood before Zander, the snow leopard walked forward and tried to see if the shark was real. “Turn around and meet Koji.”

Zander looked as behind him and another shark appeared. He was younger, his cheeks bright and golly. He had an energy to him, as if it was coming to him. Looking around nobody noticed them, they were still frozen in time it was like he had gotten his own time machine.

“Now then it seems that you need a bit of held and we doubt you getting your ass kicked while you’re here.” Koji said as he looked behind Zander and made a look at Twilight.

“Now then this is all happening in your beetle in a fraction of a second, so this might all hurt a bit when we go back to normal.” Twilight said as he looked around and made the same face again.

“With your memory rearranged you might get it back in pieces, but it may come back or it may never. Perhaps they have a backup of your mind, so I’ll refresh you. A story literally as old as time itself, a million, maybe a trillion or a billion years ago there were two races, The Energywalkers and the Kagens.” Twilight said walking around and making his story known.

“I was an Energywalker, he was a Kagen. We fought for the faith of the planet and the future of mankind. The war was horrible, the Earth was wasted and it barely survived. When all was settled, the final solution was put into place.” Koji said as he adjusted the hat of a person in the crowd, he was only a mental project and only simulated by the energy beetle.

“Now as for the final solution or sanction, no one remembers. A massive energy wave was released, interacting with the DNA of both races and making them compatible. When collapsed, Kagens and Energywalkers were paired and placed together. We collapsed into a common form, of the energy beetle. Kagens give you mental abilities and blocking, while Energywalkers give you the energy powers.”

“Now then this means you could be the best of both worlds. Or the worst, over the previous million or billon years we have grown close. Very close, make sure to knock.” Koji said as he placed his hand on Twilight’s shoulders. “You might find other Energybeetles, that want to tear apart but this is only way peace can be found without tearing each other a part.”

“Now then you haven’t said anything in a while so, I guess you understand this, so then we’ll give you back your powers.” Twilight said making air quotes in the air above him, as he searched the area around Zander and picked up the bullets flicking them away. “If they ask you tell them, we’ve come back, the long way round.”

Zander head buzzed for a second and then stopped, suddenly like a bubble bursting he shifted back to the original position he was in. Everyone’s hats and bullets returned to their original superposition. Zander looked at the director knowing that he was smiling.

Then a large bubble appeared before him, and an orange beetle on his back. He heard the sounds of the metal collapsing into a ball behind him and he turned around. People looked at him, they knew who he was, they saw what he was doing and they were afraid.

Zander tried hard to muster up words but couldn’t find any as people looked at him. He backed up afraid of what was happening, the shield around his body backed up and closed in like a tight fitting piece of fabric. His body glowed orange and people got an up close look at his energy beetle.

They whispered and spoke him as Zander tried to escape, the security pushing people out of the way and surrounded the snow leopard. Zander waited for a second and tried to view an opportunity for escape. Seeing people part like the red sea, he decided to dash. Security caught wind of this and quickly placed themselves in the way.

Zander found himself struggling as security placed their hands around the snow leopard, the shield deactivated. Zander realized himself he wasn’t in danger yet he still struggled trying to fulfill the basic human right to be free himself.

The security laughed at him and looked at the director who smiled a bit as Zander was forced to look at him. He was forcefully taken out the back of the room and towards the elevator.

“Now then folks sorry about that, this is why we need these defenders. Some outsiders and superheroes are out of control. We need a force to control them and keep them in check, and who better to do the job.” The director said, making sure he was loud enough that on his way out Zander could hear him.

The snow leopard realized that the director played him like a fiddle.

“Ok maybe this is going a bit bad, but if you keep the full range of your powers hidden we can get out of here.” Koji said as he appeared in his vision. “Based on multiple experiences in your past, you will most likely be placed in a cell with a forcefield.”

“We can possibly match anti-phase with the forcefield and then brake the metal bars, but even at max calculation values it would take three hours to do so.” Twilight said as he virtually walked along. “We should probably stop appearing as virtual fragments, I’ll start preparing the calculations now.”

Twilight and Koji disappeared from the world as Zander was led into the elevator, he restrained in handcuffs and placed on the floor in a particularly uncomfortable positon. His eyes were wide open as he felt his beetle, it was there he could feel it was real.

Was this something that happened every day for himself, he was confused. How often did he do this, this was horrible. What attached danger to him, why did he want to do this what kind of person would do this. What psychopath would be able to deal with this on a daily basis? What made him attractive strange and broken people to himself?

He knew he had to go to a cell it was perhaps his best idea today, he needed to get out of this building. He needed to find back up and get surrounding this place as soon as possible. This company, he laughed, he didn’t know the name of the company. He was losing it; he was so confused why couldn’t he have his memories.

The elevator reached its destination and the doors slid open. Zander walked out, being pushed forward as he entered the basement. Perhaps he had false memories in his mind but he didn’t remember this being this bad. The lights shook and blinked on an off as he was escorted through the hallway. He tried to remember which way he was taken.

And then it was when he arrived at the cell. Thrown into the cell, and the bars lowered around him. He could see the two security guards type into a side control bar, a forcefield was formed around him. It stretched around the cell and blocked him in, he knew there had to be a way for him to get oxygen they wouldn’t just asphyxiate him.

He thought about what he was doing, and the buzzing came back again he had an inspiration it was just being blocked. He just needed to push past it and he’d need to see what pushed him forward, what made him tick. The buzzing sound increased as Zander focused on that single event that pushed him forward into the future.

…

“Fly me to the moon, let me sing among the stars.” A singer sound in her sweet voice, swaying side to side as she held on to the microphone and gave out her sweet melody. The band behind her kept along to her slow tempo as the violins and piano were played.

“I love this song.” Zander said as he held on to Adriano’s hand, they were close together. Their bodies nearly touching, Zander moved a bit to the left and Adriano followed him slowly across the floor. Nearly everyone else but the couple doing the nasty behind the bleachers were slow dancing as well.

“I think I will too.” Adriano said whispering, making sure no one else would hear them. Zander smiled as he shifted back and forth, making sure that he was keeping the human the right distance from each other.

The glow in the dark stars shined brightly above them even as some flapped from the ceiling landing on an unfortunate few couples. Zander looked lovingly into his boyfriend’s eyes as he kept them in one place. Looking up and then into each other’s eyes they didn’t need to say anything to convene their feelings.

Zander placed his head on Adriano’s shoulder and enjoyed his presence as they danced back and forth. That night was perfect, the following nights not as much but they stuck with each other and through the good times and bad they worked it out. And it their own way that made it perfect.

…

“Ok I think; I nearly have the formula ready we just need to calculate with data given from the field. I think you know how to find that.” Koji said as he communicated with Zander. The snow leopard looked confused, he backed up against the wall and tried to touch the forcefield but he wasn’t applying enough to go against it.

“No not like that ram the forcefield, I want high energy collisions of this baby. I want to see every particle bounce off from here and there.” Twilight said encouragingly. Zander looked at both of them and they disappeared getting ready for their calculations.

Zander ran forward, keeping his right arm forward as he hoped that it wouldn’t hurt. Slamming himself into the wall, he bounced off of it like pudding and landed on the ground. Knowing that would almost surely that would hurt in the morning. He grabbed his arm and it was hurt, it would probably bruise and among other stuff be a general pain in his arm.

Standing up he waited for a few seconds wobbling around as he tried to figure out how long it might take to calculate the anti-phase wave or something. He tried to figure out what he was doing, then the wall behind him collapsed. Turning around a strange lizard and a dragon walked in.

“Now then kid time to meet your heroes.” Rolando said as he walked in, with a laser blaster he destroyed the forcefield and before the two guards could react they were quickly reduced to nothing but a pile of ash on the ground. Zander looked at them as they walked forwards him.

“Rolando don’t try to be a badass you can’t try to be on, you only get to be one.” Rocco said as he walked in stretching his wings out, with one flap. He released a gust of wind forward and sent the bars of metal off there pedestal and onto the ground.

“Who are you?” Zander said his fist shaking as he backed up against the wall, he didn’t like these people. They looked strange and confusing; he didn’t know what they wanted to do.

“Ok, I know your confused a bit but if you give us a second we can explain.” Rocco said as he tried to calm Zander down. He could see the snow leopard quivering in his corner, he tried to back up further but he only found wall. Zander was stuck in a corner and that was when his powers could be the worst.

“We don’t have time to deal with him, grab his arms.” Rolando commanded as Rocco groaned. The dragon walked forward, reaching forward trying to reach onto Zander. The snow leopard dodged out of the way and Rocco groaned knowing this was happening.

“Zander you appear to be having a severe energy overload, this kind of just became a bigger problem. So were going to have to release all at once, sorry.” Koji said as his interface appeared and warned Zander. Suddenly Zander started to glow and he pulled himself in.

With one large energy wave the building shook at its foundation and Zander was knocked to the floor as well as the other two.

“Now then Zander, the Kagen dimension was destroyed and Energybeetles rained down on Earth, perhaps a thousand or so survived. Others may be coming in the future, but for now as it seems we are safe and only threatened by one large dimension.” Twilight said as he contacted Zander and told him a story.

“The Kagen’s blocked the dark dimension, perhaps in some timelines we destroyed in others we used its own power. But now without unable to protect your world it seems that the danger we may have faced is now your now threat.” Koji said as he whispered in the ear of Zander telling him the story.

“But why here why now?” The snow leopard asked as he tried to comprehend the tale at hand, his limited memory not helping him out as much.

“Because that is how time flows, somethings happen randomly or on a schedule, but it is not up to us to control it, it is up to us to deal with it.” Twilight said as Zander woke up. He opened his eyes and he felt renewed, his body felt comfortable and he didn’t have a pressure pushing out body.

“Now then Zander, I think this game is over we’re going to have to turn your amnesia off. Watch out this might hurt a bit.” Rocco said as he pulled off the paper cover and slammed it on Zander’s head. The snow leopard’s eyes expanded as the block on his memory disappeared.

…

“You are not straight; you completely bow at my presence. You practically love me, it’s not a bromance. You are completely into me; I can’t believe you haven’t figured this out for yourself.” Zander said as he grabbed Adriano’s shoulders and decided to prove his point.

…

“Oh that’s disgusting!” Zander yelled as the door opened and the entire elevator was covered in a fancy layer of blood. Guns were dropped on the floor and their appeared to be a few pieces of bodies on the floor. Rocco made a disgusted sound and shivered a bit as he walked in.

“Oh god, I regret this almost instantly.” Zander said as he walked into the elevator, realizing that the investigation was his own idea and he might just regret what was happening. He pressed the elevator button and they closed; Zander saying nothing as he waited for the elevator to arrive at the top. No one said anything as they were disgusted with each the elevator and wondered what they could do.

…

“Ok, continue on everyone keep here. No one leave this room, if were alone we are vulnerable.” Zander said as he tried to set up conditions, so first someone see if we can communicate outside with the police, get them here and surround ding the building.

…

“Well, I do have to get back to the outsiders and my boyfriend. However, if you’re looking for someone else I do know another snow leopard, who is quite straight.” If Zander was right, and he hoped he was this was still the age of anti-multi species relationship, and hopefully his mother would go with that.

…

“I’ve see this, and I say no more. Good riddance to both of us, playing a dick war over the world and we started this, all because time told us it had to happen. Outsiders and RAF of Washington DC, I ask you to look at yourself and see yourselves as citizens of the world.” Zander said lamenting to himself practicing himself what a real superhero would have said, something he strived to be but he just seemed to run away from fights.

…

Zander held his hand as his memories came back, his basic human instinct able to work with so much more. He looked around him and everything made sense. He remembered what started him on his journey and what got his party started.

…

“Zander, something’s bad happened. I can’t remember anything and Adriano is missing.” Rolando said as he approached the outsider base, he was wet and dirty rain was falling outside. “I had my perception filter on they must have been able to scan my memory, we can’t go in with knowledge.”

“Adriano is missing how the hell did this happen, are you completely sure?” Zander asked as he became increasingly worried about what was happening.

“His house was the closest to Cortex’s base, they followed me there, they took him as I knocked, they stabbed me and left me to walk all the way over here. I don’t know how much time passed but we need to get Adriano back before something happens.” Rolando said as he breathed very fast and passed out. He was going to die.

“I have an idea, the chameleon arch!” Zander said as he ran over towards the center of warehouse and clicked a button on the supercomputer control panel. Above him a large head encapsulating device was lowered, Rolando knew what was happening as he finally gave out and died.

Rolando wouldn’t take long to spawn again, his body either going to the fountain in the square or into the pool nearby. He would only take a minute to get back. Using that time he placed the helmet on his head he knew what it would do to him.

It was a device that would allow him to take a different form, change his appearance but it always made the person forget their memories. They were a clean slate, they could be enhanced with memories of a previous person but it was always the memories you knew that left or more so blocked.

Of course a backup was stored in the form of a pocket watch, allowing the person to open it on accident and regain their memories. But at most a simple chemical was needed to release the memories back in the brain membrane.

“You know I don’t like this idea, even if you get in we’d still need a perception device to hide your form and make sure no one suspects you.” Rolando said as he hoped Zander would understand. Zander touched the clip of his jacket and the perception filter activated, only a simple modification would be needed in order to implant memories.

“This is for Adriano; we need to recuse him from this company before anyone does something to him. They know he’s important and they might or will torture him if they see reason to do so. I love him, I need to save him.” Zander said as he strapped in the head gear knowing what he had to do.

“I know, are you going to have any idea on what you’re doing anyway?” Rolando asked as he activated the monitoring panel and checked Zander’s vitals they looked good enough any way. The lizard wasn’t sure what they would do to him it they found him, but he knew they couldn’t do anything. The doomsday clock was ticking.

“No just place me with enough memories that I know to get inside the building and can work the system. If I can fight the right information my moral sense of justice should prevail, or hopefully the energybeetle can lead me in the right direction.” Zander said as he waited for the arch to activate, he knew it would hurt but this is what had to happen in order to save Adriano.

“Are you sure about this, this is your last chance to say no before I pull this.” Rolando asked as Zander simply nodded. Grabbing the leaver, he pulled it down looking away knowing the pain and torture he was about to cause a friend. The first few seconds were fine as it made a backup of his mind, but them the real process started.

Electric arcs jumped from the lever and into the control panel. They bounced up into the ceiling and into a wiring system. Zander waiting in anticipation, he accepted of what was going to happen he knew it had to be done. Then the shocks came down the wire.

Zander screamed out as lighting full power lighting was directed into his brain, re formatting it and sending memories into one tiny condensed section. His body burned and his fur, his skin burned as it blasted apart the connections between his brain and separated those memories, he was a new person.

Zander fell to the floor, while the lighting wasn’t used to change his DNA and force upon his body those chanced, he was still scared. Rolando walked over and flipped the snow leopard over. His skin and fur burnt, he knew that he could threat them and get Zander ready. He’d needed the team on back up ready to assist Zander.

…

“Adriano, we need to save him. He’s upstairs, I don’t care how many people I have to rip through to get to him, we are doing this!” Zander said kicking one of the molten bars and knocking it out of the way. Putting his hands forward he formed a ball of energy, he didn’t care who or what he had to use it on.

“Oh god what have I awakened?” Rocco said as he fainted again, his body not used to the large amount of energy in his body. He tried to stand up but even if he did so he knew this would be something Zander would have to do alone.

“Ah perhaps Mr. Matthews you would find it in your heart to maybe instead go in a little less subtlety, maybe instead we could sneak in.” Koji said as he walked along with Zander trying to convince the snow leopard not to use the massive resources of energy he had at his disposal.

Suddenly the building shook as something moved above them, Zander stood still shutting Koji and Twilight up as he tried to listen to it. Then suddenly he was pounded to the ground as loads of floor crumble landed on him and to add insult to injury so did Adriano.

“I suggest we move the blocks, which might be a good idea.” Zander said as Koji and Twilight stood their unmoved by the pile of ground blocks. They disappeared, Zander was on his own. But he wasn’t he had ever experience that he needed at his disposal, he had instinct and his morality chain.

Putting his hands forward he released the energy he had pre-charged. The pile of bricks and other building material flung away from him and his body was no longer trapped. With a trivial expression on his face Zander stood up, he wondered where Adriano had gone.

As he turned around, he saw the darkness engulfed human rushing at him. Zander started to walked back as he placed his hands forward hoping to get more time to charge up his attack. Zander fired his energy blast nearly as the moment that Adriano arrived, both stayed still as they pushed against each other.

Adriano was knocked away, some of his anti-matter flames disappeared and while they would reach charge this would be an opening. Zander tried to figure out why the flames only disappeared when he attacked. Adriano stood down for a second waiting for his energy reserves to refill.

“Come on now, say something. Give me a sarcastic statement or use some of your wit.” Zander said as he hoped that banter with the anti-matter beast would calm him down. He had no idea why Adriano was so feral, if he was being controlled by the Director wouldn’t he perhaps have a more controlled battle planner.

Zander put his hands out a formed two energy balls, launching them at Adriano he rolled out of the way slamming himself into the side wall with quite the impact. Zander ran forward and formed a barrier of energy on his hands.

Adriano noticed him and the two clashed. Zander grabbed onto the human’s arms, trying to ignore the pain he knew he was causing his boyfriend. Yet Adriano somehow managed to make a rebound, and pulling back with his other arm and grabbing Zander. Zander was taken back with fear as he was trapped.

Adriano started to spin, dragging Zander around like a top. Zander pulled his arms in knowing it would give him less surface mass and as he did he formed a shield of energy over his body. He kept pushing the energy out of his beetle, knowing that he was losing it as he produced it.

With one good slam, Adriano slammed Zander into a wall. The snow leopard braced for impact. He slammed through the wall, his energy field allowing him to make it clean through and onto the ground level. Standing up he looked through the hole, Adriano rushed through it sounding like a train coming through a tunnel.

Zander stood like a deer on the over side of that tunnel and was pushed along as Adriano grabbed him by his face. He was dragged with him up into the sky; he could apparently fly as well. Forming an energy field, he attempted to combat whatever stabilized the anti-matter on the human’s body. Spreading out the energy, his body glowed blue as he attempted to combat Adriano.

He heard the human screaming, unfortunately in pain the flames on his body were ripped away. He must have had some sort of layer of a shield, as to prevent the anti-matter from reacting with its normal reflection. Or perhaps he was burning the anti-matter, some sort of anti-flame that only reacted with energy.

Either way as the energy was blasted away, if only for a second Zander kept them up. He could see Adriano’s face, his face looked confused, as if he couldn’t convene the feeling he wanted to. Something was happening in his brain, perhaps the anti-matter canceling out signals and making new ones.

He needed a way to free Adriano from the curse of the anti-matter on his body. As Adriano’s body woke up, flames returned and he flew up Zander letting go as he waited for the human to return and beat him again. He needed to reach Adriano’s face and wipe out the anti-matter from his brain.

Adriano flew down and Zander formed a bubble on his hand. Filling it with energy he let it lose on Adriano and knocked off the fire from the human’s head. He looked at Adriano hoping to calm the human but it seemed to only enrage him. Yet Zander pushed on, he flew forward and seeing an opportunity grabbed his head.

He scanned Adriano’s mind knowing that he was perhaps making more danger than he was solving. He felt the flames against his body and how powerful they were. Adriano suddenly kicked him out of the way, and put his hands together. Slamming them down into Zander’s floating body he sent the snow leopard down into the ground.

Zander tried to stabilize himself as he fell to the ground. His body was knocked around by the air currents. He could see the low rise buildings of Washington below him and figures he only had seven seconds until he landed. His body was slammed into the ground by gravity.

He groaned, but as it seemed his beetle had taken most of the impact for him. He stood up and looked as Adriano was filling the sky with his energy. Zander started to float again and knew that this would end either with one of them dead or both of them saved.

Zander flew up into the sky, floating as he made himself a target. He rose above the buildings and looked around, a fire was coming out of the nearby building of The Cortex Company. Zander smiled a bit knowing that Adriano had done that and helped him out a bit.

With a glum look on his face he formed an energy ball in front of him, if Adriano made a move he knew he was on the edge of death or at least passing out. If he had to he would use everything he had.

“Are you sure you want this, if we knock out his anti-matter than we risk falling to the ground, we should get him closer first. Find a safe place to do so.” Koji said as he flew with Zander, still only a mental projection. Twilight was on the other side thinking as he did so.

“If you can fire at his arm, he will spin around and you can grab him by his back. Mentally scan him there and bring him down to the ground. Wipe the anti-mater from his brain and place him with in a class three containment field, which will block out the secondary dimension.” Twilight suggested as he disappeared letting Zander handle this on his own.

“Adriano, you are the one I love and I need you back, if you won’t let me save you I will have to take us both.” Zander said as he prepared a beam of energy. He fired it at Adriano who after having a portion of his arms blown out turned around as to avoid it.

Zander flew forward and grabbed Adriano on the back. He formed an energy field around his body and combated Adriano’s anti-energy. It only made sense that Adriano’s superpower would be his own antithesis, he laughed a bit as he pushed with gravity.

Adriano struggled his body trying to escape. With a blast of energy Adriano instead reversed the process and equilibrium. He destroyed Zander’s energy and pushed the snow leopard off his body. Zander nearly fell his energy coming back as he floated above the ground.

Adriano sped forward, powering his flight with a streak of darkness behind him. He plowed through a building, Zander looking as Adriano was forever ruining his reputation. Zander flew after him, forming an energy building and flying after him.

He saw the hole and he knew that people would soon be evacuating, he needed to keep the building stable or at least prevent more damage to it. He was dammed it he did or dammed it he didn’t, he flew to the building and it seemed that main structure support was good.

“Come on tell everyone to get out of here!” Zander said as he checked around the building at most people looked stunned that they just barely became a part of the building’s new skylight. They were most in shock but Zander knew human instinct would push them away.

Zander flew through the building chasing after Adriano at full speed. He saw the streak of darkness disappearing and knew Adriano was going wild. He couldn’t comprehend all the strangeness of the world with the anti-matter distorting his senses. He felt bad for him, he tried to stay positive but he didn’t know this would end up well.

Zander tried to make himself smaller as he chased Adriano through the labyrinth of high buildings that surrounded Washington DC. All he needed to do was push him into the center of the city where they would have all the space in the sky to battle.

He felt his power start to dip, he couldn’t keep generating power forever. Yet he needed to push himself further. He flew faster and faster, catching up to Adriano. He approached him and sped at him grabbing him and holding him still as they struggled in the air and fought for control.

Adriano fired back his energy, his reserves a massive amount times larger than his own. Zander took some deep breaths and Adriano grabbed onto him. Zander was helpless as he was raised into the sky. The air became thin and his perception of the world started to blur. He wobbled around in Adriano’s grip, they had to be a mile or so in the air.

“Adriano let me go, return to the ground. I can fend for myself.” Zander said begging for Adriano to help him. He grabbed his shoulder and tried to get him to notice. Clamming on his shoulder, he squeezed down and Adriano yelled out. His flames disappeared and his powers stopped.

Zander closed his eyes as his brain was deprived of oxygen. As his body readjusted to the lower air, he was awoken to the sound of air passing by his body. He shivered it had to colder than the Himalayas where he was. His body was being knocked around by the wind and he could Adriano below him.

Yet as they both fell it still seemed that he was blasting to the ground. Zander could see that they Adriano was being knocked around the by the air, he wasn’t able to control himself as well. Zander tried to get him back into control but he had no energy.

“Guys, I’m sorry I guess we’ll all be taken out at least we’ll all get smashed to pieces.” Zander said as he felt to the ground closing his eyes, closing in his arms and trying to be aerodynamic. He wanted it to be brief and painful, one large explosion to end it all.

Zander took a breath and pushed himself speeding towards the ground. As he sped up, his air resistance decreasing and his speed increasing. He took a final breath and decided to hold his breath.

As he shook and his body took in the friction, his body reacted. Thunder stuck around his body and arced around his beetle. Zander opened his eyes and he felt his energy reserves increased fully. As he did, he felt his energy increase further then he even knew so.

As he did he saw an orange glow around his body and he felt that he could go faster. He felt something behind his body attached his to his back He had a pair of wings on his back and he flicked his attachment. He saw Adriano below him and sped up towards his boyfriend he was going to save him.

The wing bothered his eyes and he pulled up his googles becoming the pilot as he blasted down. Making sure his scarf was adjusted he flew down, the wind speeding through his fur and hair. He saw Adriano and started to slow down matching their speeds.

He had to be a hundred or so meters above the ground, he wouldn’t have much time to pick himself up. Encircling himself around Adriano he twisted themselves around and started to slow himself down. Trying to change his vertical speed into horizontal speed, he started to twist his body towards the ground.

Aligning himself with a long stretch of street, he felt Adriano wake up and knew that he wouldn’t have much time until the beast woke up and he was out of control. Yet Zander kept on, forming a bubble around his body and preparing for impact.

He crashed into the ground and Adriano woke up. Zander wouldn’t have much time until Adriano could combat him. The human stood up his fires appearing again, Zander quickly ran over to Adriano and placed his hands on his boyfriend’s head.

“Adriano I am sorry, I love you and I need you back.” Zander said as he activated his powers and released his energy. Adriano fell to the ground and as Zander noticed they were on the road, as soon as he was sure he grabbed the human and pulled him away. As traffic continued on their way, Zander pulled them to the side of the street.

Looking at one of the showcases as reporters arrived, the set of events surely sending a message to nearly every person of press with in the area. Zander looked in the mirror, his body was orange and more polygonal. He had a beak and a set of wings behind him.

Reporters gathered around him and placed their microphones up to him as they tried to get the story. Zander’s primal armor disappeared and the perception filter took over for him.

“News I would like to tell you the story of the Outsiders, there is a threat to this world and they are the RAF and we need to take them down.” Zander said starting his statement.

…

“Are you sure of this, public reaction is a very dangerous bomb to manage.” The director said as he walked into his superior’s room, “Rickston, I’m not entirely sure that we will be able to defeat the Outsiders if they gain public support.”

“Ah always so negative, yet I can see what will happen. The future is still entirely is in our hand, other fractions will rise. As will tensions and perhaps some other things.” The man in the shadows said despite standing before a window. The director walked forward, making sure to avoid the shadow behind the Rickston.

“Are you coming on to me.”

“No please don’t come closer, I fear my powers may be active today. The full moon will rise as will other things.” Rickston said as he looked out his window.

“Seriously Mr. Frame, please do stop speaking like that people will assume things.” The director said as he communicated and stepped behind Rickston. He stood still and knew that their failure and loss of the prototype could be easily explained as a glitch but the Outsider wouldn’t allow that to happen.

“All in due time, everything will come into my hand.”

…

Zander and Adriano managed to escape from the press with a perception filter, and to celebrate their new found freedom from Cortex, they went to an alley with a noddle restaurant. A bit odd but the best they could manage with the press going all over.

“This is delicious and I haven’t felt the taste of such real food in three days.” Adriano said as he slurped the noodles. Zander wondered if it really had been that long, he couldn’t tell had much time had passed before he woke up at his computer desk but he knew it couldn’t have been from the night to the day.

If he thought about how long it would have taken to replace a worker and implant the memories and a basic program into his mind.

“Oh god.” Zander said as some noodles fell out of his month, and back into his cup.

“What, what’s wrong?” Adriano said as he realized that something could have been happening. “What is the world going to end, did we forget something.”

“No I forgot Rolando and Rocco.” Zander said as he laughed, realizing that the two were stuck in the basement in the building. Given the floor was destroyed and there was a hole out they’d be fine. Behind them a glow came off from the wall adjacent to them.

Hearing the sound of jumbled cooking equipment, Zander and Adriano turned their heads towards the glowing light. A blue glowing vortex on the alley wall, they stared into it and it was like it led into a different world.

Before they could react, two people, two sharks jumped out. One looked familiar to Koji in his dreams and the other was large and suddenly formed a baseball bat in his hand. The vortex disappeared.

“Now then Benji, the Kagens have returned and you did this; I have you alone again let’s dance!”