Heroes and Demons (Superhero Collab)

For the past twenty or so minutes, Sam had been out and about exploring the mobile base. It was the strangest mix of metals and wood that he had ever seen, yet it was strangely pleasing aesthetically. He had wandered through the long, narrow halls, looking at pictures and passing a technician here or there. He even saw three other meta-humans dressed in red, blue, and green.

They were obviously metas. Who else would dress that stupid?

Eventually he found his way to the cafeteria and grabbed himself a meal. He had been slurping down some of his cereal when there was a commotion at the door. Turning, he saw all burst through, knocking three techys back in the process. Running towards Sam, he began to stumble over his words.

"... Jordan... Bryce... gone... Attack... Crisis city," he managed to wheeze out.

Sam shook his head. "Take it easy, breathe," he said. Al took a couple of uneven, deep breaths. "Now, what's going on? There's been an attack?"

Al nodded, his face contorting for a moment as he decided how to go on. He quickly recapped the situation.

"And Bryce and Jordan are out there, on their own? Facing six other meta-humans?"

Again, a nod. "Well... yeah, but Mason just left," Al muttered.

Sam grimaced, sighed. Without thinking about it, he cracked his knuckles and ate a spoonful of cereal. "I'm going."

Mason... what the heck is he thinking? He's going to get himself killed. No foresight.

Quickly, he dumped his dish off at the counter and started towards his room. Al walked quietly beside him, his mouth shaped in a hard, resigned line. His eyelids were red-rimmed, and his eyes were bloodshot. Every once in a while he would huff quietly.

"You want to be out there," Sam conjectured.

Al exhaled quickly, waited for a moment. Then: "I just want to help..."

A few turns and they would be back at Sam's room; there were a few things he needed to grab.

"The Demon, Al."

"You don't have to remind me," he stated. His jaw clenched. "I need to do something."

Whirling around, Sam stopped and said: "I understand. I do. But you cannot go out there. Do you understand?"

Al pursed his lips, opened them, then closed them. He muttered.

"Yeah. I understand just fine."

Sam narrowed his eyes, then softened his expression. He patted Al on the shoulder.

"Look, between you and me," Sam glanced down the hall, "I understand. But it's best you stay here until we can train you to control the demon."

He almost used the word if instead of until. Not appropriate right now.

Al sighed. "Okay, I'll stay." He bit his cheek.

Sam nodded; he'd talk with the kid later. Something just wasn't right with him. That much was obvious.

Presently, he made his way to his room, and retrieved his armor. He flexed his hand as he made his way to the exit.

Hope they're holding up without me.

********

A few short minutes later, Sam was within a click of the battle. Citizens streamed passed him, not taking the time to give the armored soldier a second glance. And with them came a terrified roar of noise.

Shutting out the blaring noise, Sam approached the battle quickly and cautiously. As he neared the scene of the battle, an intersection littered with crushed cars and--to Sam's horror--mutilated, crushed, and dying citizens. He spotted Mason, Jordan, and Bryce. Beside Jordan stood a skinny kid with brown skin; he was wearing one of the masks they wore in the military, but it was colored various shades of grey.

Who's he? From the stance he took, Jordan seemed to at least acknowledge him as an ally.

Bryce shifted, bringing Sam's attention to him; he was struggling with a behemoth of a man, who looked to be a meta-human from the way he was being surrounded by the team.

Jordan's lips formed a hard line, his eyes were dark. Mason stood in a 'ready' stance for an engagement. He swiped his hair back. Bryce's face was scrunched up as sweat pooled on his eyelids as if he were under immense stress. Why weren't they attacking?

Sam sprinted towards them and opened his mouth to yell to Jordan. Jordan turned before he could, said something to the guy next to him, and spoke. But before Sam could comprehend the words, all hell broke loose. Sam flew back into a car, banging his head. Shaking his head, he looked up.

Bryce had crumpled to the ground. Mason was surrounded by a whirlwind of air, protecting him from the blast. Jordan was on his back, gritting his teeth all the while. His mate had smacked into the pavement, but had been, by the looks of it, protected by a fleshy growth emerging from his shoulder.

What they hell?

The sight of the hulking meta-human rising and giving Sam a malicious grin woke him right up. He shook his head, taking note of the diagnostics check his suit had just run: sound dampeners were disabled. Whatever that was, it came from that big guy, Sam conjectured. He stood smashed his fist into his other hand.

"You the only one I gotta face now?" The hulking man laughed, his bass voice rippling with glee. "One army-man? This'll be some easy shit. A cake walk."

Sam bit his lip to keep quiet; all too often, meta-humans made the mistake of revealing too much about themselves to their enemies. Jordan let loose a hacking cough.

"Sam, damn, it's about time you got here. Watch out for Bass here, he's got a MEAN clap," Jordan wheezed. He struggled to his feet and let his auto-repair do its work.

Sam turned back to this "Bass." The behemoth gave him a slimy, toothy grin, and motioned him forward. He was all too happy to oblige.

Sprinting forward, Sam tensed his enhanced muscles and prepared for his enemy's inevitable attack. Bass's fingers twitched and as Sam closed within twenty feet, he slapped them together. Another blast came hurtling towards him. At the last second, Sam dove to the side, being aided by his enhanced reflexes. The blast dissipated behind him.

He pulled back his fist and launched towards Bass. A rush of air sent Bass crashing into him. Mason. They tumbled into the ground, fists flying. Bass threw a punch, Sam absorbed the impact with his uplifted arm. His arm felt like it had been dashed by a boulder.

Pulling his knees into his chest, Sam aimed for Bass' chest and shot his legs out, sending the hulk tumbling to the ground. Jordan, now reoriented, dove into Bass, his hand in the form of a hammer, which crushed Bass' cheek. The man roared and swiped at Jordan, which he dodged quickly.

"Crush him!" Jordan yelled, dodging another viciously aimed blow. It was closer this time.

Sam understood exactly what Jordan meant. Glancing at the unconcsious Bryce, he regained his focus; he breathed and felt the earth. He couldn't use up too much energy with this attack, but he needed to absolutely knock Bass out.

Mason swooped in and knocked Bass off balance. Jordan bashed him in the stomach, doubling him over. Sam tensed then release, picking up a car sized chunk of earth and launching it at Bass. The behemoth shook his head, spotted it, and prepared to clap his hands--but was decked hard by the slab of compacted dirt, cement, and rock. He fell back dazed, upon which Jordan fell and let loose a torrent of blows on the behemoth's face; he couldn't defend himself in the slightest.

Sam sighed and knelt as he felt the the aftermath of using his powers. Every time he manipulated the earth, he expunged energy, the amount being decided by the size of earth. He took a deep breath, then a thought crossed his mind.

"I was told there were six of these guys... Where are the rest?"

Sam poured his senses into the Earth itself, his eyes shutting as he searched.

A heavy creature was retreating, on its hands and feet. He could feel the beast's breath, the hot carbon dioxide touching the ground. Probably the gorilla man.

He could feel the scraping of sneakers, moving alarmingly fast away from the battle. Burnout, trying to live to fight another day by fleeing.

Glockjaw and Bass were still unmoving on the ground. He could feel Bass's chest rise and fall, but NOTHING was coming from Glockjaw that the ground could pick up. He was DEAD.

He couldn't feel anything heavier than usual. Nothing odd, or strange was approaching.

Just the tiniest of ripples, coming from far away, like a paper bag on the wind, touching the ground. It was clearly nothing.

"You guys did well without me." Sam smiled. "Now's our change to split up. If we break into small groups, we can overwhelm and arrest the other two."

Jordan nodded. Sam could see no fatigue on his face, but it was much different for Bryce.

The Ice-Meta had given everything he had today. He deserved to be commended. Before Sam could open his mouth, Mason stepped forward.

"Bryce, man, I'm not normally the guy to thank people for a job well done," Mason placed a hand on his shoulder, "but you strained yourself BAD back there. I appreciate the effort you put in."

Bryce grinned, and gave a thumbs up. "Nothin' to sweat over. Just doing my job."

Jordan scanned the area, his sunglasses lighting up with LED sensors. "The civilians are long gone. They evacuated. Now's the time to catch our breath, guys." He turned, looking to Voltaire. The new hero had his hands stuffed in his pockets, observing the spectacle.

"You took out Glockjaw? Good stuff." Jordan offered his hand. "Got a name?"

"...Secret identity." Voltaire leaned back, shrugging his shoulders.

Jordan looked back to Sam. Sam was sizing the new guy up as well. He would make a good addition.

"Hold on, he's joining us too?" Mason snorted. "The KMC got enough people to hold all of us? This ain't summer camp."

Voltaire shrugged his shoulders. "I don't even know what you people are doing. All I know is that yesterday, all of you were there when that creature thing attacked." Voltaire sat on the hood of a car. "Look, I'd be thrilled to join, but you need to be more careful about this. If Big Brother sees Meta-Humans grouping together, it'll attract attention."

"Who's Big Brother?" Jordan whispered to Bryce.

"Seriously? The Government," Bryce whispered back. He was beginning to wonder about Jordan's life-experience.

Voltaire straightened and crossed his legs. "For instance, I know who YOU are. You're Beta." He pointed to Jordan. "But the REST of you? You're under the public radar. You could get picked off by Agents, and nobody would know, or care."

"How do you know so much about this?" Bryce's voice changed when he heard the word "Agent." Something rubbed him the wrong way, like nails on a chalkboard. Even the two syllables put him on edge.

"I watch the news." Voltaire stood up. "Look, I'll join, I just want to know that joining you guys won't put anyone in jeopardy. That means making a public statement. I'm not sure Sunshine over there is alright with it, but it's what we gotta do." The ending comment was directed at Mason, who wasn't paying attention, kicking a can across the street.

Sam felt a tiny ripple from the ground. Strangely heavy. Akin to a street light falling onto the cement. The ripple ended abruptly.

Jordan offered his hand. "Well, you're a smart guy, and you're tough, to boot. We'd be glad to have you onboard."

"You smacked the shit outta Kong. I gotta say, you're pretty tough yourself."

Another ripple. Closer. Sam felt FEET, bending at the knee and ankle, leaning forward, and leaping, the ripple left behind.

"Bryce, do you sense anything?" Sam turned in the direction of the ripple. It was a mile from them, but the way it was clearing ground, picking up and jumping off, it was FAST.

Bryce shook his head. "No. Nothin' but you guts, and Bass DREAMING." Bryce chuckled as he combed through Bass's petty thoughts like the pages of a grim children's book. "Idiot."

Jordan stepped in front of Sam, adjusting his shades. "Lemme see if I can-"

In an instant, it was upon them.

Landing on the pavement on bent knees, the creature's feet were silent.

Its skin was an off-white sheen. Its mouth was agape, drool pooling on the pavement below it.

The most alarming feature were its eyes. Wide, and unblinking, they were set vertically on the monster's head, opening and closing like grim doors. There were four eyes facing them, two on the front of its face, and two set sideways, like a grim rabbits.

It had what RESEMBLED arms, stretched and bound across its chest, elbows bowed down like a straight jacket. Tendrils, like the straps of a binding garment, waved slowly and noiselessly from the creature's back.

Energetic, seemingly living skin. A growl that chilled the bone.

"...It's one of THEM." Sam heard genuine fear in Jordan's voice.

"No, it's different." Bryce focused on its mind, and felt a painful, mental barb. "It's not thinking. There's NOBODY IN THERE. I'd have sensed it otherwise! I know I could!"

Voltaire stepped forward. "Wazzat? That thing bad?"

Mason nodded. "Yeah, probably."

The creature uttered a strange, alien cry, akin to the bark of a frightened deer. It's eyes, originally scanning back and forth, moving in smooth circles, fixated on the small team.

A louder bark followed, and it bent its knees, and like a rabbit, lurched itself forward in a zig-zagging pattern. As it drew nearer, it was easier to see the blood on its feet. In its flat, wide teeth. It was DRIPPING from the creature's tentacles.

"DEFEND YOURSELVES!" Jordan barked as the beast approached. It did not fall on deaf ears. Bryce teleported himself away immediately. Samson raised the ground between them and the creature, creating a barrier.

Sharp, white, pencil thin piercings littered the wall of earth. Sam's reflexes protected him as one pierced through. He sidestepped the first, but he couldn't see the second coming. It sliced a thin line into his uniform, leaving a narrow scratch. "CAREFUL!" Sam bellowed, backing away.

Voltaire, noting Mason's lack of defense, moved in front of him. His growth formed a shield. He winced in pain, as the shield was chipped away. Fortunately, harder than iron, it held, though he was forced backwards by the assault.

Jordan wasn't so lucky. One of the tentacles pierced his shoulder. He seized it with his metal arm, and tugged. The Angel was yanked against the wall, pinned there. "BRYCE! I have him! LET HIM HAVE IT!"

Bryce, who had moved into position mere seconds after the wall was formed, had pooled all the energy he had into his hands, a thick flurry of freezing balls of sharp, painful ice.

"TAKE IT ALL!!!" Bryce, beyond the point of joking, hurled it into the creature's back.

The slash of bitter cold, and the concussive shocks of the ice bombs, smashed against the creature's tendrils, as the monster protected itself.

Another eye sprouted. It noted his fatigue, and turned to face Bryce, still drooling.

"I'm not done yet!" Bryce tossed a ball of ice into its mouth. It burst, freezing its mouth shut. The creature grunted, and leaped towards him.

With no energy to defend himself, Bryce grimly noted that he was, in fact, done for.

"ENOUGH." Mason, rising above the creature, hurled a small, dusty, spinning mass of air towards it. The slicing wind pushed the Angel away, but it found purchase in the ground, two of its tentacles anchoring it there.

Voltaire charged, his growth sprouting claws.

"NO! DON'T! CLOSE RANGE IS SUICIDE!!!" Jordan warned Voltaire at the top of his lungs, but it wasn't enough. Voltaire plowed into the creature, his claws meeting the tendrils.

"I'll cut you to fucking PIECES." Voltaire growled. "You think you're bad?! BRING IT ON!" The Angel took the slashes, jarred, but uncut. Its skin was simply too tough to slice through.

The tendrils pooled into one blade. Voltaire wasn't new to combat. He'd taken bigger opponents TODAY. He waited for his chance, holding his ground, his right arm forming into a hardened, wide fist.

The Angel swung its blade. Voltaire ducked it, and moved towards the creature. He seized the tendril, and stomped on the Angel's shoulder. He jumped, and brought his fist down, smashing the Angel with all his might in the back of its smooth, eyeball covered head.

"GOT HIM!" Voltaire stood, triumphant.

"Voltaire, pay attention!" Sam shouted.

The Angel stood, barked, and swung its foot.

Its abnormal leg strength was suffice. Like a bullet, Voltaire was hurled across the street, smashing against the side of a building, covered in rubble. He was face down on the sidewalk, unmoving.

Jordan turned to Bryce. "See to him. Sam, you're with me. Mason, back us up!"

Saffore watched the fight with horror through the camera in Jordan's sunglasses. The entire room was silent, security personnel gathered around the wide screen. Marie had her hand to her mouth. It was all she could do not to scream.

Bryce is too exhausted to fight. The new guy did his best, but he's UNCONCIOUS. What are these things?! Saffore gave Alejandro, who was clearly twice as tense as the rest of the room combined, a thoughtful glance.

"...I need to go out there." Al turned to Saffore. "I can help, I know I can."

Saffore looked at him. "You think you can control it?"

"Your men can't fight that one for much longer. It'll KILL them." Al looked at the screen. Uncertainty was on his face. "...I can't let them get hurt."

"You're a rogue element." Saffore dismissed the idea. "You could be killed, or you could kill someone else."

"I HAVE TO TRY. Your men could be injured! Jordan could get his head taken off out there!"

"NO." Saffore watched the screen.

Jordan had engaged in close quarters. He landed a beauty of a blow to the creature's temple. He aimed and fired his cannon, point blank. Smoke covered the screen.

She could see tendrils come through the smoke. Jordan ducked, but one of them lashed dangerously close to the camera.

Sam stepped in, more adept at dodging up close. Jordan, with room to breathe, touched his face.

There was blood on his fingers. His left arm healed slowly. He'd protected himself with it, and it had nearly been flayed to the bone.

"...NO." Al grimaced, as if the attack had stricken him. "Saffore, PLEASE. He's one of the only people to have taken pity on me! He doesn't need to die out there! NONE OF THEM DO!"

Saffore turned away from the screen, unable to watch anymore.

"He gets to fight every day for something he believes in. Now, he's willing to DIE just to protect a city that didn't even ask him for help! LET ME FIGHT TOO." Al slammed his fist on the table. The security personnel watched the discussion, some murmuring amongst themselves.

"He some kinda Meta?"

"He must be a hero to! A new guy!"

"Send him in!"

"He's gotta do SOMETHING. Jordan's hurt out there!"

Their whispers and shouts egged Al on. "I'll control it. I'll WIN."

Saffore stood. She saw something in him that she trusted. Something that Jordan, Sam, Bryce, and Mason had. Courage.

He wanted to use his power for good, even if it meant fighting himself.

"Let's go." Saffore took his hand. "Just promise you won't die."

"It's not about me."

Sam felt a tendril lash just over his head. Mason stayed out of arms reach, but his gusts of wind did nothing to the creature, as it anchored itself to the ground.

Jordan's cannon was spent. "I'm going to try to pierce its skin!" Jordan barked. He charged in close, and tackled it.

He felt the stinging lashes of his skin being lacerated by those tendrils. His arm became his unfocused approximation of a jackhammer, and he stood, pushing it against the monster's chest. It activated, the flat blade pounding down on the creature's gut with blinding speed and force.

The Angel lifted its foot, the sole of its cloven feet slamming into Jordan's nose. He was hurled off.

Sam was up. He lifted his hands, beads of sweat dripping from his jaw as the concrete wrapped Angel, pinning it down.

Its tendrils sliced through, and turned on Sam. He dove away, seizing a discarded car door. The thin metal defended him for a split second, allowing him to retreat.

Mason swung his hands, and a slash of hard, tsunami force wind slammed the Angel. It held its ground, and its tendril slashed Mason's chest. He fell backwards, clutching the stinging wound.

Bryce watched in horror. "Vince, wake up! We need you up NOW!"

Voltaire groaned. He had a bad concussion. His courage had cost him his health, as he attempted to stand, clutching the side of his head.

Alejandro stumbled onto the pavement as his surroundings abruptly changed. He wasn't used to teleportation quite yet.

He could see the battle. Bryce was closest to him, tending to Voltaire.

Bryce suddenly felt calm thoughts. Attempts to keep it together, despite the stress.

Al. The young man walked towards the fight with his fists clenched.

"...OH GOD. Al, NO! What're you doing here?!"

Al looked at Bryce, then looked back to Angel.

Bryce reached out with his mind, but the Demon wouldn't let him in. Bryce felt himself forced from his teammates thoughts with a painful mental shove.

Bryce stood, and put a hand on Al's shoulder. "This isn't your fight, kid. If you run now, I won't stop you. You need to THINK about what you're doing."

Al shrugged him off, and continued down the street.

Al knew it wasn't the time for talk. He had to act. To get to the battle, he had two city blocks to cover.

There are windows I haven't looked through. Doors I haven't opened. I know that much. Al felt the Demon in the back of his mind. Waiting. Hating. The purest warrior. If it could be tamed, he didn't know how, but he resolved to find a way.

...Going forward might not be the answer, but I'm NOT letting them die for ME.

Sam seized the Angel's whips, but they combined into one, slashing down on his thigh. At this close range, they were able to damage his armor, slicing his leg muscle. He fell, clutching the wound.

The Angel's tendril whipped free, and the Angel turned to focus on Jordan, who was on his knees, preparing his cannon.

The Angel's tentacle swung with all the force it had.

Jordan's cannon was plugged by the tendril, causing immense damage. The barrel sparked, but Jordan aimed it regardless, his face lined with pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" The shot blasted Angel in the chest. A charged shot, it sent the Angel hurtling away.

He held his cannon, his teeth gritted. He could feel every inch of healing, broken metal. It couldn't even shapeshift in this condition. It was little more than a painful, expensive club now.

Jordan looked to Sam, who was still recovering from a heavy wound to the leg. Mason was in similar shape. Without their powers, even Sam was vulnerable to harm, despite his hardiness.

The Angel stood, watching Jordan, who readied his remaining arm. "If I gotta die, you're coming WITH ME." Jordan growled, his left fist clenched. "We'll do this old school!"

Jordan readied himself. His cannon, despite his auto-repair, would take minutes that he didn't have to repair.

Al was between the creature and Jordan, as it slowly approached, sniffing the air around Al.

It seemed to "know" something. The Angel backed away.

...Alright, Demon. Sic 'em.

Nothing happened. Jordan simply stared at Al with incredulous fury. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Al turned to Jordan. "...I can-"

"Withdraw! Get out of here!" Jordan barked. "You could get KILLED!"

"Why does it matter?! This is one of the only things I've ever done what was worth doing! You dying is a lot worse than ME dying, no matter what you tell yourself!"

Alright, Demon, TURN ON.

Still nothing. Al hadn't considered that the Demon might refuse to help him. DO NOT DO THIS. Come on! NOW! I need you NOW!

Al looked up, and the Angel was approaching, its tendrils sharpened into one.

"Oh fuck." Al murmured. It was in killing range, its tendril ready.

With a single, hard stab, it swung down towards Al, intent on killing him before he could make any trouble. Al stumbled backwards. "WOAH." He shielded his face, expecting an instant, killing blow.

Al felt no pain. He felt a shadow over him.

Blood dripped on his cheek.

Jordan had taken the blow for him, the tendril, thick as a telephone wire, jutted through his stomach, stopping inches from Al's face.

Jordan coughed blood as the tendril was pulled back through. He fell to the ground, with no signs of getting up.

Al simply stared.

...No. Al stumbled to his feet. "NO NO NONONONONO."

He pulled Jordan's sunglasses off. His eyes were shut.

"NO NO NO NO NO NO. GODDAMMIT NO. GET UP! GET UP!"

I let him die. I fucked it up.

Al looked up at the Angel.

HE KILLED HIM. He gave me another victim.

"...I'll eat you. I'll FUCKING EAT YOU."

His voice changed, the pitch dropping, as black and purple energy began to surround him.

"I'll EAT YOU UP. YOU ARE MINE."

The Demon's voice melded with his. Their purpose, Alejandro's rage at the loss of his friend, and the Demon's primal, instinctive hate, fused into a single objective.

"YOU ARE MY ENEMY." This voice was more Alejandro's than the Demons, but as the shroud hardened, covering his face, the Demon spoke, coming further to the surface. "You are my PREY."

The Angel turned and fled. Its powerful leg muscles sprang it off of the pavement.

Demon, completely transformed, leapt with twice the force, the pavement folding as he sprang after the Angel.

A black hellhound chasing a white rabbit.

As they bound down the road, Demon issued a single bark, the sheer sound shattering windows that it passed.

It was back in full force, its simple, oval eyes glaring at its target.

Jordan, left alone, breathed shallow, painful breaths, as his cannon repaired, along with the hole in his stomach.

"Crazy kid." Bryce shook his head, using his ice to help numb the pain in Voltaire's skull region.

Next on his things to do was to reassemble the team, check on everyone's health. Then, they'd have to arrest the two remaining baddies.

Voltaire was still out cold, as Bryce sighed. Gingerly lifting Volt's right arm, Bryce slung him over his shoulder, walking cautiously to the other's positions. Sam and Mason had come together, crouching low over a figure on the pavement.

Laying Vince carefully on the pavement, Bryce ran over to the others, kneeling down, Jordan sputtered blood out of his mouth, a single, lonely drop dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. A gaping hole slowly mended itself at his stomach region.

Bryce's mind flashed with painful memories of his past, as he slammed the pavement beside him in frustration.

"No... no no no NOOO!" Bryce said. "This won't happen to me, NOT AGAIN! I won't let you die!"

With new found energy, Bryce stood, a turned over ambulance lay there, not even two blocks away. Gazing at it, Bryce teleported over. Ripping the doors open with his mind, he grasped the first aid kit on the wall, before teleporting back to the others.

Pulling out some emergency gauze, Bryce wrapped his colleague's wound, while Jordan's automatic repair did it's thing. Easing a cool hand onto the dress, Bryce applied pressure, instructing the other conscious members of the team on how to fully keep him conscious so that his repair protocol could take effect.

CHASE

Demon raced after the "Angel", or so the Humans called it. Angel was tricky prey because it leapt over tall objects in single leaps, weaved between objects, and ran around anything else. It took sharp corners to try and throw off the Demon. The Demon was no average predator however. Whatever the Angel leapt over or ran around, the Demon raced right through. There had even been a battalion of soldiers that Demon had ripped apart in its chase. The Demon would chase the Angel until the ends of the Earth.

The blue, four eyed creature had other plans however. It was leading the Demon away from the city, out towards the surrounding countryside. It felt more at home in nature, far away from the concrete jungles the Humans inhabited. Demon noticed this, and decided to corral Angel back into the humans' habitat. It leapt onto the nearest building and began to run along its side, tearing out bricks with its claws as it ran. The Demon was never good at following plans.

KILL!

The Demon let out an ear splitting screech, causing Angel to flinch for a few seconds...and a few seconds was all the Demon needed to land in front of it and roar. The Angel recoiled from the Demon’s roar, slashing it across the face with its tendrils. The Demon staggered back, feeling true pain for the first time. Not the stinging sensation felt by missiles, nor the pinpricks of bullets. This was real genuine pain. Something about the Angel’s energized body managed to bypass the Demon’s skin and administer unhindered pain. Demon roared again, eager to devour its enemy, worthy prey.

Angel had other plans however. It began to run the other way, jumping over crowds of bystanders and battalions of soldiers. Like any true predator, the Demon gave chase, running on all fours this time. Bystanders and soldiers that were unfortunate enough to cross its path were flattened by the Demon, their bodies becoming little more than bloody pancakes of meat and bone. Under normal circumstances, the Demon would have stayed and toyed around with the humans, but today there was one thing it wanted to kill more than anything in the world: the Angel. Not only had the Angel attempted to assert itself in Demon’s territory, but the human that was inside the Demon also wanted Angel dead. The Demon could care less about the Human’s fate, but there was one thing that annoyed it; it hadn’t been the one to fatally wound ITS enemy. That was supposed to be ITS kill, and the Angel had robbed it of that. So now, Angel had to pay with its life.

Leaping off the pavement, Demon launched itself into the air as the Angel reached the apex of its jump. The Demon screeched in high fury, prompting the Angel to turn around. By the time it did, Demon had sunk its claw into its shoulder, dragging it down towards Earth. Demon swung its arm and Angel was sent flying into a skyscraper, ripping through the structural support beams. Demon landed onto the side of the building, using its claws to grip onto the metal. Its swung itself into the area where the Angel was. The Angel hissed, its ten tendrils weaving left and right. Emitting another sonic roar, the sound waves threw Angel onto its feet as the Demon leapt onto it and began to claw away. The Angel screamed with each blow, before wrapping three tendrils on each of the Demon’s wrist, and three tendrils around the Demon’s neck. The one lone tendril hung in front of Demon’s forehead and speed forward, attempting to drive it through the Demon’s head, right in between its two large yellow eyes. While unsuccessful in its penetration, it did caused the Demon immense pain. It recoiled backwards so strongly that it ripped through the Angel grip and clutched its forehead. The Angel got up and ran through the now collapsing building.

The Demon shook its head before giving chase again, leaping through a window. As it descended, it saw its blue energized prey a block away, fighting through a military blockade. The predator landed, the pavement cracking beneath it and then folding as it rebounded. The Demon landed right beside the Angel, before being met by a hail of gunfire.

KILL

It couldn't help it, it was a natural born predator and here was easy prey confronting him. Demon tore through three squads of soldiers, the end result being human Swiss cheese. The purple monster walked through a hail of bullets.

“SHIT MAN! I thought this one was dead! Now there are TWO?!” one soldier yelled, loading his grenade launcher.

“Hold your ground men! We've got orders to-” one soldier began before being ripped in two by a purple claw, and a blue tendril.

“Fuck orders man, I’m outta here!” one soldier yelled, running away.

The other soldiers stood there indecisively as the two energized being eyed each other. They found themselves in strange situation here, only realizing it in the momentary break in battle. They hadn't expected to be allies, even for a split second. Both were determined to prove it was pure chance. Demon roared but was cut short by multiple jabs to its throat. The Demon did was akin to a cough, which came out much more gruesome than any human could manage. Angel didn't stop to check the damage, it merely fled. The soldiers decided to take advantage of the situation and opened fire on what they thought was a weak Demon. Although the jab had hurt, it wasn't a major wound. The Demon regained its composure, determining how best to hinder its prey. It looked around at the soldiers around it, firing and slowly backing away. One of them wasn't looking, speaking into a small black box on its shoulder. The Demon had no idea what the human had said, but it didn't care. It grabbed the man around the torso and threw him towards Angel. Other soldiers began to meet a similar fate, forcing their comrades to finally scatter to save their own lives.

One of the thrown soldiers had actually managed to hit the Angel as it was landing, causing the two to crash into the road. The Angel came out fairly unscathed, but the same could not be said for the soldier. His neck had snapped in the fall, quite evident by the angle it was bent at. Needless to say, the soldier was dead, but that didn't matter to either the Angel or the Demon. They only cared about the other energized being in the city.

Angel turned around to see where Demon was, only to be met by a mass of purple energy. It was staring into the Demon’s body. It looked up, only to be met by the dripping, gaping maw of the predator. Demon roared before attempting to bite the Angel’s head off, but the tendrils got in the way. Five of them held the Demon’s jaw open, while the other five went down the Demon’s throat and jabbed at its inside. The Demon screeched in pain and frustration as the Angel fled, giving chase. The Demon was catching up, but the Angel turned around, swiping with its tendrils to keep the Demon at bay. It had learned to be wary of the tendrils, the only thing to cause it to feel real pain, the kind that made the nerves in the body scream.

The two eventually wound up near a subway station, the Demon forcing the Angel underground. The Angel attempted to leap away, but the Demon grabbed its tendrils and flung its prey down the flight of stairs, the sheer force of its body tearing out concrete. Demon gave chase, kicking the Angel further underground. Its prey hissed and screeched, its frontal eyes staring at the Demon with a mix of fear and hate. Demon’s eyes stared back with sadistic glee, eager to finish the chase. The Angel turned and fled down the tracks, and the Demon followed. In the darkness, Demon could see fairly well, but so could the Angel. It began its attack, striking with tendrils and retreating before the Demon could mount a proper defence. This continued on, weakening the Demon, until a train shone its lights on both of them prompting the Angel to dart to the sides of the track. The Demon mistook the train’s whistle as a challenge, roaring in defiance and staying on the track. The trained ploughed onwards, unable to stop running into the Demon.

Metal and the Demon could both be heard screeching, people screaming, and the Angel sat there just watching. Finally when the carnage was over, the Angel hopped over to get a better look. From the crash site, there was melted metal and bloody bodies everywhere. There was one body that stood out from the rest. A purple energized body, that was just lying on the ground. The Angel stepped closing, sniffing the air around the Demon. It wasn’t dead, and the Angel turned to flee but it was too late.

KILL

The Demon grabbed the blue creature and hurled it through the rest of the tunnel, all the way to the next station. Demon bounded through, grabbing the Angel by the tendrils and hurling it up through the ceiling of the tunnel, through dirt, and through the concrete. The Demon leapt through the hole, finding itself back on a road beside some torn off tendrils and the Angel hissing and snarling. Clearly the only way one of them was going to leave the city was if the other was dead. Demon growled, as it circled the Angel. Its prey responded with a hiss and a flurry of tendrils, of which there were only eight now. The Demon managed to block one, taking a barrage of jabs to the torso and stomach. The Demon replied with a swipe, clawing the Angel’s face and sending it flying to the ground.

The Demon took another step forward and gripped the Angel’s legs, before sending it hurtling through the ground floor of a skyscraper. The Demon roared, and was met by a challenge by the Angel. It had crawled through the rubble, and had returned. Demon beat its chest before approaching, slowly and menacingly.

This time the Angel leapt at the Demon, wrapping its tendrils around its neck and closing the gap to administer a bite to the Demon neck. Out of all its weapons, this was by far the most lethal the Angel had. The Demon screeched in pain as it grasped all of the Angel’s tendrils and tore them out, causing the Angel to let go and fall onto the ground, squirming in pain. It’s eyes were wide with pain, the right side one being the only one the Demon could see.

The Demon however couldn't pay too much attention because it was still shocked by the sheer pain the bite had given it, but it focused and paid attention to the situation at hand. The Angel was getting up, limping its way to freedom. The Demon approached it, and kicked it back down. The Angel looked up, its two frontal eyes wide with fear and reflecting the image of the Demon. The Demon bent down to inspect the image, never having actually seen itself. Its wide gaping maw was perhaps its most fearsome feature, its eyes being the most prominent however. It didn't matter in the end, the Demon had its prey, ready to claim its life. The Angel screeched as it got up, running as fast as it could. The Demon swatted it back down, grabbing a leg and tearing it off. The Angel screamed in pain, as the energy around the leg dissipated and returned into a normal human leg. The Demon threw it away, and looked back down at the Angel. It was helpless now, and nature would run its course.

The Demon bit down into the Angel’s neck and began to shake its head back and forth. The Angel’s body just flopped around like a rag doll until finally, it died. The being of energy dissipated, like its leg before it, and left behind was a human in the Demon’s jaws. The Demon roared as blood poured from the Angel’s host body, the blood cascading over the purple maw of the monster.

Like any other alpha male, rarely was there only one challenge to its reign. The sounds of helicopters signed the arrival of a new challenger; the ever present military.The flock of helicopters appeared, armed to the teeth with machine guns and missiles. They opened fire without a word, the barrage of missiles impacting both the Demon and the building behind it. The Demon roared, deflecting some of the missiles away from it with its sonic roar. Its arms and tail did the best they could to deflect more missiles but alas, it was still hit by multiple. Then, as quickly as the helicopters had appeared, they left. The Demon roared in victory, pleased to have shown them that their missiles could not bring it down.

But they didn't have to. They only had to bring down the skyscraper behind the Demon. As it fell, the Demon turned around to meet the rainfall of debris head on; unwilling to run and unwilling to back down. After surviving a crash with a subway train head on, a barrage of missiles, and a battle with an opponent that made it feel real pain for the first time, and having just recovered from the battle yesterday... the debris finally proved too much. They knocked out the Demon and buried it in a tomb of debris, hiding all evidence of the battle between the demonic Angel and the even more hellish Demon.

Jordan coughed, painfully sitting up on the concrete. The wound wasn't healing.

It was interference. His floating ribs, bars of hardy, potent metal, were sparking and broken against his own flesh. The wound needed attention from someone who knew how to FIX him.

But Jordan wasn't concerned about his damage.

"We need to patch the Jordan up and teleport him outta here." Bryce looked around, confused. "Where are the other Metahumans we downed?!"

Sam knelt beside Jordan, keeping pressure on his stomach. Jordan was still dazed from blood loss, and was currently working up the stamina to speak.

"We need to find Al."

"We'll contain the demon in due time."

"Could someone catch me up on what the hell's happening? What was that thing that gave me a concussion?" Vince rubbed his head. He was in good health, for a man who'd just been knocked down a city block.

"I've been tracking Al. He was at the center of a pretty big ground disturbance." Sam looked Jordan in the eye. "I don't think he survived."

"...Go get him." Jordan absentmindedly looked Sam in the eye. "Forget the villains. They've scattered. We need to gather our people."

Mason snorted. "Yeah. OUR people. We're all here. If you want to pull out, let's do it now."

"GO GET HIM." Jordan looked at Sam more intently.

Sam put his hands on Jordan's shoulders. "If he's alive, this should be PROOF POSITIVE that he's dangerous. He ignored our orders to stay behind, and cost LIVES." Sam gave Jordan a stern, honest look. "Whatever happens to him now is a lot safer than us carrying him around like some sort of pet-"

Jordan's hands latched onto the collar of Sam's armor. He jerked Sam forward, until they were nose to nose.

"...HE NEEDS OUR HELP. We would have been picked apart by that thing. He SAVED US, and we both know how much he risked doing so. Go. Get. Him."

Jordan hacked up blood, as he released Sam and stumbled to his feet. "He wanted to help us, so if we don't want to help him, we've got no business calling ourselves heroes."

Voltaire, checking his mask, stepped towards Jordan.

"Look, I missed a lot of what happened, but I'll go pick up your guy. Ice Guy, you can teleport. Get me there, and I'll pick up your boy."

"I can help find him if he's alive. You'll need to do the heavy lifting." Bryce put a hand on Vince's shoulder, and the two were gone in an instant, off to locate Alejandro.

Sam looked down at Jordan, who sat back down, panting and clenching his stomach.

"...I GET IT, Jordan. He's nice kid deep down, but he needs to be held accountable for the things he does." Sam paced around Jordan.

"...He can do better. We both know he can. It was too early, but he was our only chance. If I could have chosen, I would have NEVER sent him here to fight." Jordan seemed to be losing his grip, slipping into unconsciousness. "But he made his choice. Nobody will hold him more accountable than...him..."

Jordan fell backwards, bracing himself on his good arm.

"Jordan, I like you, and I'll respect your judgement, but if he messes up again, I'll stop him. I'm starting to think you don't have the heart to do it."

Jordan smiled.

"I don't. Sorry, Sam."

In a flash of blue, Jordan was gone, recalled to the KMC for "repairs."

...It's dead.

Al felt the pressure of a ton of rubble pressing down on him. He could smell his own blood. He didn't feel anything broken, and his body was holding, but he would simply suffocate soon.

Jordan...sorry...it...we...I killed a lot of people to catch the creature. But I'm really, REALLY hoping you're ok.

Al frowned.

I fucked up. I wanted to help out. Give you second chance. Do right by you. Be a hero.

Al felt a tear roll down the bridge of his nose.

You're probably dead. I'll be dead soon too.

He wheezed, a broken sob. His fight or flight instinct was spent. The Demon, its energy depleted, waited to die, restless and angry.

What's worse, his hand was clutching the severed hand of his enemy. The Angel. He could feel the fabric of the straight jacket that its "person" wore.

"...I'm sorry. Thanks for giving me a chance..."

Tony Abdul stood on top of a Cathedral, watching the pile of debris intently. His tail swished back and forth, lifting up the dust on the roof. It was the only sign that something was even there. The rays of light that hit Tony were bent and distorted, providing him with invisibility. The only area where it did not excel was around his edges, creating a faint silhouette that appeared whenever he moved. Up here on the Cathedral however, it was of little concern.

“Damn, guy’s tough!” shouted Alfred Williams. Tony turned to look at his ally, who was sitting next to him. He swung his legs over the edge of the Cathedral quite happily, as if he was a child watching their favourite TV show. A newscast helicopter flew overhead, but before it could turn around and potentially spot Alfred, he fell back into the roof. Tony waited as the helicopter hovered above the scene and then flew away as emergency services arrived, police helicopters forcing them away. The police themselves eventually flew away, and when they did Alfred popped back out of the roof.

“BOO!” Alfred shouted as he reappeared. Tony paid no attention to it, keeping his eyes on the debris. If it was still alive under there, the emergency crews were making a terrible mistake. There MAY be other people trapped inside, but was it really worth saving strangers if your own life was at risk? Tony didn’t think so.

“Come on Tony, lighten up! That thing is probably dead anyways!” Alfred exclaimed, shaking Tony’s shoulder.

“Shut up. This is some serious shit. Pay attention.” Tony scolded.

“So what if it’s alive? It’s not like it’s going to come after us. I’ll just phase into YOU and then we’ll BOTH be invisible!” Alfred laughed.

“You so much as put one FINGER into me, and I’ll snap your neck when you least expect it,” Tony replied, shoving Alfred away.

“Why are we even here again?” Alfred asked.

“We’re here to report to our respective bosses what went down today. We’ve done a pretty good job of going unnoticed, let’s not fuck it up now,” Tony replied. Alfred sighed in boredom, watching the emergency teams get to work.

“How much you wanna bet it’s still alive?” Alfred asked. Tony pondered how much he would hypothetically bet if he had money to spare.

“If I had the money, I’d bet 1000 dollars,” Tony finally answered.

“Man, I’d go up to like a million! It’s one tough son of a bitch. Or daughter. Who’s underneath the thing?” Alfred asked.

“Don’t know.” Tony replied. Alfred scratched his head.

“I thought you said you could sense other Demons?” Tony shook his head in response.

“No, I said that my BOSS can sense other Demons,” Tony corrected him.

“...Lucifer was it? Man, and I thought Alpha was a stupid name,” Alfred asked.

“What’s wrong with Lucifer? It’s a legitimate name,” Tony asked.

“PLEASE. When’s the last time ANYONE named their kid Lucifer? I’d bet any amount of money that he chose that name because he believes in that evil deity. He might as well have called himself ‘the Boogeyman’! At least Alpha was something based off the fact that he was the first and best of the KMC’s edited metahumans,” Alfred replied.

“Alpha isn’t even a name, and besides... there’s no evidence to disprove his existence, or his counterpart’s,” Tony replied. He wasn’t much of a religious man, but he respected and was open to the possibility that deities could very well exist. He found it hard to believe the universe was created from a random explosion, unlike Alfred.

“Whatever,” Alfred said, watching the emergency crews and their work. There was nothing said between the two until a flurry of ice and snow caught their attention.

“...The hell?” Tony asked out loud. Alfred was now on his feet, crouching on the edge as he observed the situation. When the snow and ice had cleared, there were two figures. One was dressed in blue, the other in a mix of ordinary attire and military equipment. The blue dressed figure was a blonde haired, blue eyed man. The other was dark skinned, but not quite as dark skinned as Tony was outside his Demon form. He assumed he was some kind of black mix, mostly likely black and white. There some kind of fleshy growth on his arm as well, suggesting he was a metahuman.

“WELL, time to go. Metahumans are showing up, and I bet you a hundred dollars that they’re the ones who beat Alpha’s assault team!” Alfred said walking away from the edge of the Cathedral. Tony got up slowly, to avoid making his outline noticeable. He backed away slowly from the edge, and when he was out of eyesight, he returned to his usual black demonic shroud state.

“Quit acting like money’s expendable. It’s not,” Tony scolded.

“Whatever. Anyways, I gotta go see Alpha. Have a safe trip down south Tony,” Alfred held out his hand. Tony took it warily, and shook it. Alfred smiled before stepping back.

“See ya later alligator!” he said before phasing through the Cathedral and disappearing. Tony merely grunted with disdain for the childish jokes and activated his invisibility again, crawling down the opposite side of the Cathedral to go report to Lucifer.

"The Beta Unit has been recovered!" A robotic voice, one of Beta's peripheral droids, immediately activated as the teleporter room received a new occupant.

Jordan's boots thudded against the floor, then he began to walk. Nobody had been prepared for his arrival, so medical staff trickled in, and were stunned by the sight. Blood dripped from an open wound on his stomach. Sparks flew.

He managed to take two steps before collapsing against the floor.

"OH GOD NO." A nurse whimpered, and rushed beside him. Several people surrounded him. "Get heavy lifting gear and a gurney!"

"He's too heavy! I can't turn him over!" A male staff member shoved Jordan, who had lost consciousness again after the teleport. "I can put pressure on it!"

"Check his pupils!"

"Hang in there, Jordan!!"

"His cannon is beat to shit!! What the hell happened to him?!"

The room filled with another wave of blue light, as Sam entered. His heavy armor was damaged, but still functional. He rushed beside Jordan. "Damn teleporter took a while for me." He rushed to Jordan, and with a grunt of effort, lifted the heavy Android on his shoulder. "There might not be time to wait. Where's an operating room that can handle him?!"

The staff, dumstruck by his appearance and arrival, simply gawked at the newcomer. Sam's brows furrowed, and he gruffly looked upon them, one by one.

"Did I stutter?! Let's get him to an operating room! NOW!"

The nurses and technicians led Sam to a large medical theater, with a single bed. It had "Beta" on the side in bold, italicized letters. It was a very sterile, warm environment, built to heal Beta in the case of life threatening injury.

Sam could feel the sting of his own wounds, but refused to focus on himself. He laid Jordan down.a

"Alright. Alright." Sam turned his head, hoping that the repairs would begin immediately. He was ushered out of the way by technical staff as they arrived, pushing carts of tools and parts and medical kits.

Saffore entered the room with Marie, the pair already in hospital scrubs.

The group surrounded Jordan. Sam couldn't see, but he could hear Saffore's voice, quiet and loud at the same time. She demanded specific tools, and each order was carried out by her staff with mechanical efficiency. Marie hooked an EKG machine to Jordan through a slot on his body.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to come with us." A smaller woman took Sam's arm. "We don't know much about your...body type," she clearly referred to his Meta-human status, "but you'll need a physical, and to have your wounds disinfected before we can allow you to be in here."

Sam nodded, and was led to the door.

"...No...goddammit don't...no more..."

The voice forced Sam to stay for an instant in the doorway. Before the door shut, he could hear Jordan groggily refusing morphine.

"Let's be clear. I have a name, by the way." Bryce frowned. "It's not 'Ice Guy'. It's Glacycle. Or for my fellow Metahumans, it's Bryce."

Focusing his mind-reading abilities on Al's brain-waves, the glaciokinetic psychic brought Vince along to Al's location. Bryce would've preferred to check up on Jordan, who was his first friend within the whole team.

Thinking back to Marissa, back to that German Terra Co. facility. He wouldn't let that happen to Jordan, he wouldn't let another friend fade away when he could've prevented it.

Reappearing, Bryce glanced around at the carnage that lied in the Demon and Angel's wake. Skyscrapers fallen, shattered glass layered the ground, and Bryce could have sworn that he saw the remnants of a Helicopter roasting in the four way intersection.

"Hey Glass bicycle or whatever your mother decided to name you, I found him!"

"For your safety, don't bring up my parents, or I won't hesitate to freeze any and all bodily fluids in your body and make them shatter." Bryce growled. "You're a strong man, pick him up and I'll get us back to base."

Bryce admired the way Voltaire had gingerly removed the debris off of Al, who was slowly fading. He'd need medical attention, and fast.

Do right by you. Be a hero. Was the phrase Bryce had homed in on, and the thought of the young man's attempted sacrifice filled him with hope for him.

You did a brave thing today Alejandro. We'll get you patched up. Bryce replied mentally, focusing on the KMC facility. Let's go home. You did good today.

Jordan awoke to terrifying, familiar feelings. The feeling of trying to maneuver an absent arm. Opening your eyes, and trying to clear your senses, but feeling and seeing only a muddy fugue where once was color, sound, and smell.

He groaned in terror, pawing at his right arm. He couldn't interpret what he was feeling right away, his left hand stroking a metallic stump.

"Shhh shhh..." Saffore's voice soothed his panicm a warm hand sliding over his head. "Sleep. Just sleep."

Jordan couldn't. His eyes darted to and fro. He was in a medical bay.

Marie patted his shoulder, and he jerked at first, then relaxed again. He hated being sedated, but at least he was among friends.

Saffore deeply regretted inflicting the misfortune on him.

Sam folded his arms, dressed in soft, civilian clothing. Mason stood beside him, leaned against the wall. "So, Doc. How's our fearless leader doing?" Mason's question was met with bitter hostility by Sam, who shot him a glare.

"Give them as long as they need," Sam husked. Mason looked back at him with a burned expression. "Look, I know you're concerned, but they need a moment."

Jordan leaned his head to the side, and his eyes shut. The hole in his stomach had finally repaired itself. One of his ribs had been pierced, and was wholly replaced. His right arm was removed for repairs.

Saffore turned to the pair. "Jordan's never been damaged that badly. If he fights one of those demons again, he might be destroyed entirely." She narrowed her focus, adopting a strategic, warlike persona that Sam hadn't seen. "We need more information on these creatures. You boys are the only ones with the power to stop them, besides the Rockettes." Saffore put her hand to her jaw, rubbing her chin softly.

Mason chortled. "That thing put a foot-and-a-half gash in my chest that I JUST had stitched shut. I'm not sure we actually HAVE the power to stop those freaks."

"Your powers have room to grow," Saffore noted. "I've seen a lot of Meta-humans, but you boys have raw power on your side. If you just give it a chance to grow-"

"I'd expect you to want nothing to do with us." Sam stepped forward. His wounded, bandaged leg did next to nothing to limit his mobility. "We almost got your boy killed trying to stop that thing, and we LOST. I want to help you, I really do," Sam stuffed his hands in his pockets, "But if I'm honest with you, you're better off kicking us out."

"Jordan believes in you." Marie's tiny, accented voice carried. "He thinks you all, as a team, can do great things. He risked his life to save Al because he thinks you can all be a part of that."

Sam wiped his nose with his forearm. "...Then we'll try. That's all I can guarantee."

"Y'know, I'm not a damn five year old. It's not like you can make choices for me." Mason growled. "...But, I've got nothing else in my life, so I'll help."

Nothing but nightmares. Mason shuddered. Nightmares and killers and absent folks.

Maybe trying to make the world a better place, training, and being with these people would make all of that go away. Mason was willing to try.

"So, it's official. Bryce was open to it, and so was I." Sam counted the members. "Voltaire was open to a partnership, and Mason's in."

"And Al." Saffore noted. "When he learns to control his power in any way, he'll clearly the strongest of you boys."

Sam looked out of the room, as Bryce and Voltaire passed. A gurney with Alejandro strapped to it rolled by. Another gurney contained what was left of the Angel.

The sight was haunting. A mutilated corpse, some body parts entirely separated and arranged nearby their stumps. The man under the Angel's skin was wearing a straight-jacket, that was now torn and matted with blood and concrete dust.

"Perhaps. But whether or not a Demon can be a Hero," Sam watched as the bloody gurney passed out of sight, "remains to be seen."

Alejandro awoke to find himself in a lot of pain. To even flex and relax his muscles was painful, and he was pretty sure he was covered in cuts and bruises at the very least. He could feel something piercing his skin, most likely glass from the debris. However, he didn’t feel quite as cramped as he was some time ago.

He forced his eyes to open up just enough to see that he was no longer in the city.  He was in a small solitary medical room, complete with everything that would be found in the medical theatre but only for one person. He tried to get up and get a better view but found that he couldn’t. He forced his neck to move and saw that he was bound in place by thick belts, and there were thick wrist cuffs built into the bed he was on.


He also discovered the object piercing his skin were needles, which caused Alejandro’s eyes to widen. He had a well earned phobia of needles… anyone that had gone what he had would have it as well. Memories were starting to leak back into his mind, and he felt himself beginning to panic a little bit.

“Stay CALM. This is a HOSPITAL, not a LABORATORY. They FIXED Jordan, they’re NOT going to do anything BAD. They are here to HELP. Focus on something else!” Alejandro’s eyes scanned the room, looking for anything. Then he found them. In the corners of the room he could see security cameras and through the glass window on the door he could see the silhouette of two men.

“Guards no doubt” Alejandro felt like he was being studied, like some kind of animal. He understood their reasons for it, and he even agreed with them… but he couldn’t shake the feeling off. This situation was too similar to one he had been in before where he had been forcibly given an inner demon, literally.

Alejandro suddenly winced in pain as he heard the mental screech of the Demon in his mind. It didn’t like the situation anymore than Alejandro did. Unlike Alejandro it wasn’t willing to sit around.. it was ready to go if Alejandro was...

“STOP, think about something else!” Alejandro thought, trying his hardest to ignore the Demon’s presence in his mind. So, he began to reflect on his choice to go. All the security staff and cheered him on when he wanted to go...and now they had him locked up.  He told Saffore he’d WIN, and CONTROL it… and he failed. He probably killed more people than he saved while fighting the Angel… and no doubt the media was going to portray him as little more than a killer.

At the end of that thought he could “feel” the Demon grinning in sadistic pride. The Demon and Alejandro had an odd way of communicating. They communicated via brain waves, as opposed to language leading to perfect communication between the two even being able to share ideas and emotions. Of course the sharp contrast in personalities didn’t allow for much back and forth conversations, since whenever one of them was physically manifested it was trying to suppress the thoughts of the other.

“Maybe it’s best that way, considering that  I can barely keep this thing in control when I’m normal and whenever I DO turn I pretty much AM an animal…” Alejandro thought. Tears began to cloud his already narrow, foggy vision. He could feel the Demon mocking him in the back of his mind.

“Can’t keep thinking that way...” Alejandro suddenly thought. If he REALLY wanted to bring this thing under control, and be a hero, he had to think it was possible. If he went in with the mentality that he couldn’t, the battle was already lost.

“RAH” came the Demon’s guttural scoff, a rare “vocal” manifestation of its thoughts. It was clearly aware of Alejandro’s intentions. Alejandro thought back to people he had seen talk about the “voices in their head”, now quite aware what that meant, but at least those people were able to hold somewhat coherent conversations.

Alejandro allowed his barely opened eyes to close once again, deciding to get some rest. He was incredibly tired, and if there was one blessing he had it was that the Demon couldn’t disturb him in his sleep.

In a separate room across the hall sat Saffore and the medical staff that had placed Alejandro in solitary confinement.

“I don’t particularly approve of binding him to his bed,” Saffore said, crossing her arms in disagreement.

“Look, I know it doesn’t look good… but did you SEE what he did to downtown in the past TWO DAYS?” one of the medical staff said.

“As far as I know, you were all cheering him on when he wanted to go,”

“Yeah but we didn’t know!” a female staff member said.

“He was walking around here yesterday without incident and as far as I’m aware nobody raised any complaints. Are going to allow your opinion of him be shaped by the actions of...whatever that thing is?” Saffore asked. A lot of the staff looked away.

“Look Saffore, he seems like a decent kid but he could go into shock when he wakes up. The other metas here are all worn out from today’s battle, so we figured that any precautions were better than none… even if they only give us a little extra time to evacuate. It’s just until he regains proper consciousness so we can talk him down if we see him starting to get too anxious,” the man who spoke first said.

“Oh he’ll probably be waking up in shock when he sees himself bound to a bed and needles sticking out of his arms,” Saffore said, still not quite happy with what had been done but agreeing with the reasoning behind it.

“...Actually I think he woke up already. The brains scans show lots of activity going, similar to when two people have a conversation…” the women who spoke up earlier said, turning to face the group.

“When?” Saffore asked.

“Just recently. The whole thing probably lasted for a minute at most. It was like a high speed conversation, as if the messages were being transmitted almost instantly,” the women replied. The medical staff crowded around the screen again to observe if anything else happened. They waited for one minute, then five, then ten, and finally twenty. Nothing happened.

“I think he’s sleeping,” said a very young nurse, fresh out of college. She pointed at the screen, which showed that Alejandro was indeed sleeping.

“Should we wake him up?” she asked.

“No, we should let him rest. He’ll need his energy in the upcoming days,” Saffore said, before exiting the room.

Elsewhere, south of the UPNE border...

"Hey mang, when the hell is this guy supposed to show?" A slightly distorted voice asked.

Lucifer turned head and his large yellow eyes looked at his right hand man, Enrique. The pair were engaged in a game of pool and Enrique had interrupted his conversation.

"Patience friend, patience," Lucifer replied in a ghastly voice. It came out distorted and warped, a demonic imitation of his regular voice. The were both used to the effects of their energy cloaks, but the man they were waiting for may not be.

They were waiting for Alpha, who was actually more robot than man. Although he was a inferior meta-human, he was a meta-human nonetheless and would have a place in the new world order Lucifer sought to establish.

Enrique, and Lucifer by extension, controlled most of Enrique's country. Their next target was the UPNE, but it wasn't going to be an easy task. Lucifer needed allies, a larger network of criminals and meta-humans. That's where Alpha came in.

It's also when Alpha appeared outside Enrique's mansion. One of the guards yelled in surprise and Lucifer could hear the sounds of guns being raised. Lucifer and Enrique stepped out into the balcony of the mansion.

"Bullets? HAH. I'm a robot, for Christ's sake. Do they want to try POISON next? Tell them to put down the guns before they hurt themselves."

Alpha was dressed for the weather, or at it seemed like that to Lucifer. He was wearing shorts, a fedora, and a shirt with rolled up sleeves. The sun glinted off his various metallic limbs, confirming that he was indeed a robot. The two Demons leapt off the balcony, Lucifer approaching Alpha while Enrique looked over at his men. They were closing in on Alpha.

"Put your guns down chicos! No hay problema!" Enrique shouted, gesturing with his arms. One member kept his pistol raised.

"Yeah, no problemo!" Alpha shouted, his hands up, revealing no weapons... At least none that were held. He had nothing to fear because he could not be hurt by bullets. He fucking TOLD them as soon as he appeared. Despite this, the teenager kept his pistol trained on Alpha,

"I said DOWN mang!" Enrique shouted, the distortion in his voice increasing. The boy nodded in fear and holstered his gun.

Enrique nodded at Lucifer who turned to Alpha.

"I apologize for my... Associates. They are quite nervous, and with good reason. You've made quite a name for yourself. Even down here, stories circulate about how you've rounded up a group of meta-humans!" Lucifer started, somewhat impressed by Alpha's organizational skills. It wasn't anywhere near what Enrique had established, but it was a start.

"Flattery isn't getting you anywhere," Alpha replied. He wasn't an idiot.

"...Right. We're here to talk business Alpha. Come on in," Lucifer said leading the way into the mansion.

"So, you want to do business?" Alpha relaxed in the large greeting room. It was well air conditioned. He shrugged his shoulders, relaxing. "MAN. This place sure is..." He searched for a non-offensive word. Here, HE was the foreigner. "Exotic?"

"I'm sure. You're not used to life outside of the UPNE, are you?" Enrique circled him in a way the Alpha was supposed to believe was innocuous.

He was establishing dominance. Alpha ground his teeth, and tilted his head towards Enrique, still smiling.

Enrique didn't make him nervous. The OTHER one, Lucifer, did. If need be, he could handle Enrique. It'd take a bit of doing, but it was possible.

Lucifer's mere breath made Alpha want to step aside. He wasn't an idiot. He could tell who the boss here was.

"Well, you guys sure aren't short on central cooling. I'm sure it's quite necessary down south."

Even with a distorted voice, Alpha knew Enrique was from here. Lucifer, however, was nebulous. The voice changer accomplished a lot more when you didn't constantly say "mang."

"We meta-humans NEED to stick together." Lucifer calmly placed his hand on Enrique's shoulder. The motion said a thousand words.

Calm down. This isn't a fight yet. He'll give us what we're looking for.

"The weaklings. They want to stamp us out for being exceptional. For being born better than their best. We're born killers. Born rulers. We have the capacity to make this world great."

Alpha nodded. "And all they want from us is to use us like weapons and tools. I know the feel, bro." Alpha lifted his arm, and it transformed into a wicked, sharpened cannon. Ammunition spun to life, pointed, spear-like missiles loading into his forearm from a hooked feeding mechanism in his bicep.

Enrique jumped, his feet spaced apart and his knuckles cracking. He growled, ready to fight.

"EASY!" Alpha grinned. "You showed me YOURS. I just wanted to show you mine! Just so everything's on the table." Alpha's arm returned to its slim, humanoid form.

Lucifer watched the transformation with patient interest. "Posturer. I know that's not all that's under your "hood."

Alpha smiled at Lucifer, flexing his arm. "Your partner's running scared. You're probably impressed too, big dude."

"Let's talk business, shall we?" Alpha threw his hands out. "And I could use a drink, if you don't mind. With all the dudes holding guns, I'm sure you got a guy for that."

"He ain't here. Only the most loyal members are outside. It's just you, me, and Lucifer here" Enrique said, walking towards the bar. There was beer bottle placed on the counter, and Enrique grabbed it. Absorbing the heat from the bottle, the Demon chilled it until it was sweating water.

The Demon threw the bottle to Alpha, not giving his throw a second glance. Fortunately it was a good toss and Alpha caught it with no problems. Anything else and something so trivial may have caused an issue. Lucifer eyed Enrique.

"Enrique is far too agressive for these things, but I am using his resources. We'll have to chat later." Lucifer thought before turning back to Alpha.

"You guys aren't thirsty? It's pretty damn hot here," Alpha said, opening up the beer bottle.

"We don't need to eat, drink, or even sleep in these bodies. If we do so, it's because we want to. We are above the basic necessities of the human body," Lucifer replied.

"Hm..." Alpha replied. "The source of their energy must be near limitless if they can preform the feats that other one did in downtown yesterday. Mental note to self, study their source of energy."

"Now, about why we asked you to come you here," Lucifer started.

"We need someone to cause chaos up north, a meta-human to be exact. We're willing to give you the money and manpower you need," Lucifer elaborated.

"What's in it for me? What does ALPHA get if he helps you?" He replied.

"Recognition in our new world order, and a chance to properly carry out whatever vendetta you have against the KMC," Lucifer replied. Enrique stood by the entrance, listening in. He didn't have much to say, Lucifer was the one making the deal. He just wanted to expand his criminal empire.

Alpha rubbed his chin, considering the offer.

"And how would you go about giving me the money and men I require?" Alpha asked.

"I run this country with a criminal empire mang. You don't get that far without a lot of money," Enrique replied, rubbing his fingers together.

"So can I assume you sell drugs, have prostitution rings, and mercenaries?" Alpha asked.

"Yep," Enrique replied, crossing his arms over his chest while puffing it out. He was fairly proud of what he had built.

"Should be enough money to go around then. And manpower, you mentioned it?" Alpha asked.

"Yes," Lucifer began.

"The Cartel here have been pushing up North into territory that belongs to rival criminal organizations. Whatever casualties that occur there will be given to you for edits," Lucifer explained.

"Smart, since they can't go to a hospital anyways," Alpha said getting up and finishing the rest of his drink.

"Have we reached an agreement?" Lucifer asked. Enrique nodded behind him. Alpha merely smiled.

"Put her there...partner" Alpha said holding his right arm out. Lucifer and Enrique looked at each other before Lucifer reached out to shake Alpha's hand.

"It's quite the prosthetic, he should serve my needs" Lucifer thought.

"Warm and tingly. This guy's got some skin condition. Hopefully I'll get to know what it is that makes them so powerful," Alpha thought, before breaking off the handshake.

"May this be a long and prosperous partnership," Lucifer said, Enrique merely nodding behind him.

"Yep. You do your part and I'll do mine. Say, what's in this for YOU?" Alpha asked. He was curious, but not knowing wouldn't drive him crazy either. He had his own plans to attend to.

"You will see in due time Damain," Lucifer replied. Alpha raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You certainly do your research don't you?" He asked.

"Yes, and I only picked whom I thought would be able to complete this mission" Lucifer answered.

"Well you picked the right fucking guy. Adios," Alpha said with a casual salute before teleporting back to his apartment in the UPNE.

"You sure about this guy?" Enrique asked.

"Yes,"

"Why?"

"Because he has a reason to do this besides money," Lucifer replied.

"His hatred of the KMC?"

"Indeed. I'm counting on it to take him far," Lucifer replied before leaving the mansion.

"Where are you going?" Enrique asked.

"We're going to provide Alpha with some humans to edit and hopefully find trigger the release of another of our own,"

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"By planning the Cartel's next adventure into UPNE territory," Lucifer replied with a hellish grin.[/i]

Big thanks to John for this part, since he wrote it

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Though Jordan would never admit it, he snored quite often in his sleep. His left arm clenched his pillow as he pressed it against his cheek. His jaw stilled for a moment, and then worked up and down, the corner of his mouth dripping saliva. He rolled over onto his right side, his snoring resuming as he took long, even breaths.

His breathing stilled, as the dripping sound coming from the corner of his sleeping quarters intensified. Troubled wrinkles formed over his brow and the bridge of his nose.

He took sharper breaths as his dreams altered, then his lungs and heart evened and slowed yet again. He fell back into deep sleep.

The dripping sound quieted, but did not stop. It began to make the soft pattering noise of pouring water onto carpet.

Ahhhhhh... A cool, quiet voice filled the room, but failed to wake Jordan. He'd never been crept upon in his sleep, so his mind didn't know to wake him. He remained asleep, rolling over and snoring.

A figure cast a shadow over him. It leaned down, and a nearly impossibly soft sensation brushed over him. Jordan awoke to lips on his cheek.

"...huh?" Jordan turned over, and the figure had disappeared. He looked down at his bed.

It was soaked.

Jordan's eyes widened in terror, at the mere possibility of wetting the bed. He'd never been normal, but he hadn't wet the bed since he was a child living with his parents. He wheezed erratically, on the verge of an anxiety attack.

NOBODY CAN EVER KNOW THIS HAPPENED.

"What's wrong, Jo Jo?"

A soft voice came from behind him, breathing pleasantly into his ear. Jordan knew the person, and finally clued into her presence. He turned, and Sylvia gently bit his lower lip. He didn't pull away, and she lightly sucked on it before backing off. "Sorry I soaked your sheets. I guess I didn't fully solidify."

Jordan couldn't think of anything to say, and thus remained silent. He decided to let the intruder lead the situation, as she stood and stalked across the room quietly.

"Your team has been practicing for months. Three, I think. And worst of all, you haven't been returning our calls." Sylvia's tone grew slightly less pleasant with the last word. "I've been watching you boys. You've gotten tougher in a pretty short time. So have we."

"How ARE you Rockettes doing, Sylph?" Jordan asked, trying to sound smooth. Behind his eyes, he was floundering for words. This wasn't just another random anonymous Meta-Human.

This was Sylphide. The Blue Typhoon. One of the most powerful, influential "super heroes" that he knew.

And she was gorgeous. And they had a history.

"We wanted you to join us. The offer still stands." She sat beside him on the bed, the wetness of the sheets re-absorbed into her body, drying his bed.

She reached out, and her arm gently lengthened. The sight was far from grotesque; it was hypnotizing. It shaped itself from flesh into translucent limb of clear, blue water. It snaked around Jordan's neck, and then firmly drew him closer with a gentle tug. The limb flowed from a liquid state into a solid, and her clean, slender hand cupped Jordan's chin for a moment, keeping his deep, brown eyes level with her soft, cobalt ones. "You, me, my sisters, your friends...we'd make a good team."

Before Jordan could respond, her other arm seized his right hand and lifted it. She was in her uniform: tight, blue material, built to accommodate her powers. There was an intricate motif of a ballet dancer, with one graceful leg morphing into a hard torrent of water. Jordan only seemed to notice how it stretched across her chest. "You've been modified quite a bit."

It was quite true. Jordan's body had been upgraded, his right arm especially. He almost didn't notice the comment.

"Sorry, Sylph, but we work for the KMC. You can ask the others, but...well, I'd prefer if you didn't try to 'split up the band,' but that's between them and you."

"We're not asking you to split loyalties, or go your separate ways. We just think it'd be good for business." Sylvia leaned forward, cradling his arm. "You're powerful. Almost as powerful as Rockette herself. And that Sam boy could even teach Tara a thing or two."

Tara. That name gave Jordan a cold chill, but until now, he'd never considered how similar Sam and Tara were, in terms of powers and temperament.

"We'll put a pin in the whole partnership thing for now. Both our teams are in this to do good, not for business." Jordan put a hand on Sylvia's shoulder. "Chances are we'll be working together, whether or not we make it official."

Sylvia pouted, then leaned forward, moving across the bed with nearly imperceptible motions of her hips and feet. She was nearly on Jordan's lap in moments. Her long, dark brown hair brushed his bare knee. Her lips pursed alluringly, as her arms rested on either side of Jordan's lap, cornering him against the headboard.

If you're going to do something, DO IT. Jordan looked her in the eye, somewhere between anticipation and excitement.

"That's fine." She breathed against his neck. Jordan hadn't expected such compliance, and he'd known that the Rockettes would ask for a partnership. He hadn't, however, expected it to be in the dead of night, in his bedroom, while he was in boxers and tee-shirt from his favourite indie rock-band. "We're still friends, right Jo Jo?"

Jordan nodded.

"Good. Tara and Maryl say 'hi,' by the way. Maryl thinks that Al kid is cute."

In an instant, Sylvia's body translucent and vaguely blue. She hurtled up and into the air vent from whence she came.

"Oh, and Jordan? I left a gift in your closet." In her liquid form, her voice had a strange, lilting wobble to it. Jordan heard the rush of water travelling through the vent, and Sylvia was gone.

Jordan sat up, shaking off the stiffness in his body, and moved to the closet.

He opened it, and smirked at the thing hanging in front of him.

A costume. He'd never worn one in combat, or public until now. It had always been jeans, a hat, a muscle shirt to show off his modifications, and his shades.

The costume wasn't far off from what he'd find comfortable, however. The chest was a dark grey, with simple letter B on the front. The headwear was a jeep cap with a gear pattern stitched into the bill. The short sleeves were black, and the pants were the same, featuring a grey belt.

"Blech." Jordan picked it up. The design of the suit was a lot like the Rockette's uniforms. Color on the chest, with black for the arms and legs. It was too much of a change from his normal battle attire.

But it felt comfortable, and the material felt strangely durable and thick, despite clearly being quite thin.

He and his comrades had been training for months. Bryce had literally frozen over hell. Sam had moved the equivalent of a mountain, and done it again and again.

Mason had calmed a typhoon. Vincent's mutation could propel him as fast as a cheetah, and defend him from a hail of bullets.

Al had made leaps and bounds in controlling his Demon. He was trying his best, and Bryce had been a huge help in the process.

Jordan had mastered his edits, and learned how to fight harder, better, faster, and stronger than he ever had.

Maybe it was time for a change. Jordan glanced around, and in the privacy of his room, began putting on the suit.

Just to try it.

Alright, so everything from this point was written by me with some input from John

In the morning, Jordan stepped out of his room wearing his new costume. Despite not liking it at first, it had grown on him and now he was willing to take out for a “trial run”.

He entered the common area of the KMC closest to where the Meta-humans slept, hoping to find some of the others there. At the very least Al would be there, seeing as how whenever he wasn't the Demon, he was simply a regular teenager.

Walking in Jordan surveyed the room. At the far right Al was playing Halo on the big screen TV and was seated quite comfortably in between two pillows on the couch. On the small round table in front of him was a bowl of untouched Doritos and an almost empty two litre bottle of Mountain Dew. He noticed Al repeatedly crouching over the corpse of a dead opponent, smiling at the scene. Al had loosened up quite a bit during his time with the KMC, starting to resemble a regular teenage boy with regular teenage interests. The only thing he lacked was a social life with people his age, but given the circumstances it was understandable why he didn't have one.

To the far left of the room Sam was playing cards with the hospital staff at a large metal circular table, all of them laughing the misfortunes of their opponents and gloating about their victories. Jordan hadn't seen Sam breakdown in quite a while, as he had the first day he arrived at the complex, but it was possible Sam simply kept that out of public view. For now though, Sam was just a man enjoying his game of cards.

Jordan decided to announce his presence and ask for opinions on his costume when Mason, Bryce, and Vincent walked through the door directly across from Jordan. They were both wearing white male tank tops and were sweating quite a bit. Jordan assumed that they had probably just come from Marie’s workshop, where they used their powers to help her with cooling down hot metal.

Vincent on the other hand looked like he had come out of Saffore’s office, who had been looking for the source of his powers for weeks now. Vincent had a slightly annoyed look on his face, as he usually did whenever he “wasted” his time at Saffore’s office.

The three of them stopped in their tracks, Bryce being the first one to laugh before Vincent and Mason howled in laughter. Sam and Al both looked away from their activities to see what the others were laughing about. Sam chuckled a bit, and Al smiled, finding the costume to be somewhat tacky. Its splash of color on the torso, with black arms and legs, was clearly reminiscent of the Rockette's costumes.

Jordan was quickly and cruelly reminded that wearing the uniform of an all female team, in a room full of pent up men, was a very bad idea.

“We've got a Rockette on our team! We should feel honored!” Vincent exclaimed, his hands gesturing towards Jordan.

“Are you wearing silk panties under that thing too?!” Mason added, the two of them continuing to laugh.

Jordan hadn't even said a word, and people were already making fun of him. Sure, he hadn't been the biggest fan of the costume either, but at least he had given it a CHANCE. Jordan frowned, not pleased with the reactions he was getting.

“Well, I don’t think it’s THAT bad. It look's kinda cool,” Al added in.

“Hear that guys? Al thinks it's cool. I rest my case,” Vince barbed, shooting Al a mocking glance.

“Well fuck you,” Alejandro replied before returning to his game, cursing under his breath as his avatar died due to the distraction.

Bryce walked over to Jordan and patted him on the back, his laughter more in control than that of Vincent or Mason.

“Seriously, I know I have a tacky costume… but at least it’s original. I think that it could use some work here and there but it’s not terrible,” Bryce said, trying to make Jordan feel better without straight up lying.

“Yeah, whatever…” Jordan muttered, just about ready to leave. That’s when Sam spoke up.

“Where did you get that costume?”

Jordan smiled, knowing just what to say to fuck with everyone that just laughed at him.

“Oh it was gift,” Jordan replied, a smile on his face.

“From?” Sam replied, motioning with his hand for Jordan to continue.

“From Sylphide.”

Jordan’s response shut up Vincent and Mason. Everyone else’s attention was on Jordan now, even the announcer of Al’s game saying “game over” as if on cue.

“When… and how?” Sam asked. Al exited the pre-game lobby just to turn around and find out how Jordan got the costume.

“Oh, well… she crept into my room last night and after some," Jordan gave a saucy smirk as he continued, "‘chit chat’ she left it for me." At first there was silence.

“Shit. Nobody believes me,” Jordan thought, a bit in disbelief. Should have known this would happen. They think I'm bullshitting. His confidence wavered for a moment.

“Guys, I’m serious!” Jordan burst.

Nobody said anything. Even Al lifted an eyebrow, despite having only a vague idea of who Sylphide was.

“I think he’s telling the truth. I mean, lipstick marks don’t appear by themselves…” Bryce said pointing out a lipstick stain on Jordan’s neck and cheek, and a bite mark.

“A bite mark? Wow…. that’s some next level stuff huh?” Al asked. As far as he knew, sexual interaction between people, even metas, usually didn't involve biting. Al could feel the Demon’s curiosity spike as it processed Al’s thoughts.

“That would be up it’s alley,” Al thought, bringing his attention back to Jordan.

“She was really here, wasn't she?” Bryce asked.

“Yeah. How else would I get this thing? I can't sew,” Jordan replied.

“Hold on. PROVE IT!” Mason said, doubtful of Jordan’s claim. Vincent nodded in agreement. Even Sam had seemed doubtful.

“Yo, Bryce, read his mind,” Vincent said, nodding towards Jordan. Bryce obliged, and spoke after a minute or so.

“Holy shit, he's serious,” the telepath replied, still concentrating. Jordan’s claim that Sylphide had visited him was true… but he wanted to know what Jordan had meant by “chit chat”. Bryce was no pervert, but something about the way Jordan had said it had sparked Bryce’s curiosity.

There was long silence before anybody spoke.

“DAMMIT get outta my head! I can feel you in there!” Jordan said, swatting at Bryce to break his concentration. Bryce retreated with a smile on his face.

“The King of KYOVA HIT THE JACKPOT!!!” Sam said, getting up a walking over to pat Jordan on the back. Bryce threw an arm around Jordan's neck and rubbed his head. Vincent and Mason stepped forwards to crowd around Jordan.

“Atta boy! How was it?” Vincent asked.

“Did she pull any of that water stuff on you?” Mason asked, bringing up the fact that Metas could do many things normal humans couldn't, both in and out of combat.

Al stayed on the couch, feeling a little out of place. He was only 17, and while many people his age had already had experience with such things he was not one of them. He’d never been in a relationship to begin with… but that didn't stop him from understanding and making sexual jokes.

“So, uh Jordan…” Al started, grabbing the attention of all the metas.

“Was SHE wearing silk panties?” Al finished, smiling. The rest of the group laughed, even the hospital staff on break in the room got a good laugh out of it. He could see a few people, meta and non-meta alike, holding their lower abdomen in an attempt to control their bladders.

Al smiled, quite enjoying the atmosphere. In a sense, he had found a new family. While they couldn't replace his old family, which Alejandro would probably have to go find at some point, they gave him new things.

For starters, the older metas were like the older brothers Al never had. The feeling of togetherness wasn't exclusive to Alejandro however.

Mason hadn't laughed quite so hard in a long time, which he was enjoying. It seemed that trying to help the world had many other benefits than simply helping anonymous strangers.

Sam had found new people to work with, new comrades to call ‘comrades’ after the loss of many of his old friends.

Vincent was also a military man, and after so many years of being a “dead man” it was nice to be in contact with people that didn't require them to die.

Bryce was genuinely glad to have a place to stay and people he could trust, not having to look over his back constantly or toy with people’s mind for his own benefit.

And Jordan? Despite the other metas giving him a hard time, Jordan was just glad to have people he could consider friends after all those long lonely years in a hospital.

It was very “feel good” moment for everyone, but it wasn't meant to last.

Alright, everything past here is all me

In the southeastern provinces of the UPNE, the sun shone brightly all year long, the call of the ocean was constant, the palm trees swayed in the wind, and people were always in summer clothing. Life was good in the southeast of the UPNE, or at least it was. In recent months the Yakuza and Mafia had been eliminating some the “native” gangs, a large majority of which were Hispanic. Not surprising given the demographics of the province, which housed a large number of Hispanic immigrants; both legal and illegal. However this “racial gang genocide” was not taken lightly by the Cartel south of the border, which had moved up north to aid their “brothers” and take some territory for themselves.

The largest push for territory was in the specific province of Lapunta, and to be even more specific the largest amount of bloodshed was in the capital city of Aguande. Firefights were intense, with even SWAT teams being caught in the crossfire. Despite having three factions that wanted them dead, the Cartel was proving to be immensely difficult to bring down. Which led to the reason Enrique was here.

According to Tony, the stealth operative of Lucifer's crew, the Yakuza and Mafia were organizing an alliance in the capital city of Lapunta; Aguande... And quite honestly the Cartel were offended they weren't invited to the party. So that was two things they had to get across today. Don’t fuck with Hispanics, and if you’re going to form alliances, at least team up against the cops first.

“Oh well, when they come crawling to the Cartel for help we’ll just blow a hole in their brains” Enrique thought as he gazed over the men he had assembled. All of them were grizzled veterans, having fought to expand the nationwide grip the Cartel had on Enrique’s home country. Now they were here to establish a permanent foothold in the UPNE, kick the Mafia and the Yakuza out, and leave the police scared shitless to the point where they wouldn't even raise a finger in objection to the Cartel’s actions. Hell, maybe they’d buy off the mayor while they were at it.

Usually Enrique would never go with a frontal assault tactic against another gang, or the police, preferring to plan ahead and find the best tactics possible. Despite his crude behaviour, Enrique was actually fairly smart when it came to gang warfare. Today however he was perfectly calm because he knew that the Cartel would win today. Normally this was only the case if he was fighting along with his boys, but he couldn't be doing that anymore. Not until Lucifer gave him the green light to go ahead and reveal the Demons. No, today the Cartel would win because of Alpha's edited humans.

"Yo! We ready to fuck shit up?!" A voice shouted. Enrique turned around to look at the source.

"Speak of the devil," Enrique muttered. It was none other than Alpha. He was wearing similar attire to what he had been wearing 3 months ago when he met with Lucifer and Enrique. Behind him was a crew of ten edited humans.

“That’s all you brought? I brought like thirty of my best, mang,” Enrique asked, a little disappointed.

“Hey, you gave me like FIFTEEN guys to work with! The first five didn’t take their edits so well, so I only have these ten,” Alpha noticed Enrique’s eyes narrowing.

“Hey you gotta break some eggs to make an omelette,” Alpha replied.

“What?”

“Oh right, you ain’t from around these parts. Basically it means that sometimes you have to sacrifice some things to get what you want,” Alpha explained.

“Whatever, your boys ready to roll mang?” Enrique asked.

“Oh yeah, where to?” Alpha asked.

“Near city hall. They have a lot of really fancy hotels with lots of dark alleys. Tony said they’d be gathering in there most likely. I’ll just have my boys drive up and shoot the fuckers as they step out of their cars. Then your guys can come in and clean up from the sides,”

“Clean up?! HA! That’s a laugh!” Alpha exclaimed, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Let’s hope your robots don’t glitch out then…” Enrique said, the tone in his voice suggesting that an “or else” was supposed to be at the end of his spoken sentence. Alpha picked up on it right away, also aware of Enrique’s deviation from the original plan where his metas were supposed to lead the charge.

“Don’t worry about a single fucking thing ‘mang’. They’ll lead your guys straight to victory” Alpha replied, poking fun at Enrique’s slang.

“Just make sure your guys do their job,” Enrique said,

“Like I said, don’t worry about a thing" Alpha said, before the edited humans got into their own vehicles and speed ahead, leading the pack.

30 Minutes Later

“Everything set to go Zhou?” The leader of the Yakuza asked, stepping out of his car.

“Those Italians should be here pretty so-” Zhou never finished his sentence as a gunshot rang out and the bullet tore through his head, spraying the Yakuza leader with blood.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” He shouted, looking around. Almost immediately the cars of his convoy began exploding as he heard almost maniacal laughter and orders being given out in Spanish in the distance.

“THOSE FUCKING SPICS! SHOW EM WHO'S BOSS BOYS!” the Yakuza leader shouted, his minions scrambling to find some cover and firing back. Another convoy of cars appeared, only to be stopped when the first one exploded. The Mafia had terrible timing today.

Yakuza members began to aid the Mafia members out of their cars, taking them to cover. However, Alpha’s metas ran forward shooting at cars with their blasters, causing more explosions. The Yakuza and Mafia, while intimated by the metas, held their ground.

“ANDELE MUCHACHOS!” One Cartel member exclaimed, charging forward with his rifle before being mowed down the by Yakuza/Mafia alliance. The screech of car tires could be heard, and more conveys appeared to provide support. Sniper rounds could be heard going off, the gangs having finally set up around the area. These bullets were directed at the Metas, who were causing havoc. However, they were a little unfocused even going so far as to terrorize innocent humans before killing them. Put quite simply, they were homicidal and the sniper bullets were having minimal effects on them… but it was better than nothing.

“Hey, get yo head in the game and kill these fucking guys!” one Cartel member shouted before being shot in the shoulder by a sniper round. The Metas broke out of the homicidal rampage, before getting to action.

Today, there would be blood in the city in the Aguande.

Meanwhile, at the KMC...

In his laughter, Alejandro’s knee had pressed a button on the remote causing it to switch back to regular TV channels.

From the TV reporters could be heard discussing events in the far away city of Aguande. Al stopped laughing for a second to view the screen before becoming deathly silent.

“Um.. .guys?” Alejandro said, pointing at the TV. Footage was being shown from helicopters where gunfire could be seen being exchanged across the plaza in front of Aguande’s city hall. Tiny explosions could be seen from above, the source being the cars that were blowing up. What disturbed Al the most was the dull din of people screaming in fear and pain, and the fact the Demon relished such sounds.

“It seems that the gang wars in the south of the UPNE have escalated to a whole new level, with edited metas being sent in as combatants. Law enforcement of all levels have been mobilized as quickly as possible and are en route to the scene,” the reporter announced.

“Time to suit up,” a voice called from the very same door Jordan had entered the room. The metas turned around to see Saffore standing there, her face full of determination.

The metas looked at each before nodding heading towards their quarters to suit up, with the exception of Jordan who was ready to go.

“It’s show time,” Jordan said before heading to the teleporter with Saffore in tow.

Edited meta-humans pushed forward. Some blocked bullets with their augmented limbs. Some fought more traditionally, taking cover and firing. They were all totally confident in their abilities, and with good reason, as they charged forth with total impunity. Their now seemingly invincible bodies, mixtures of flesh and cold steel, shined in the sun.

The Mafia and Yakuza reeled, unable to respond with their usual lethal force. Their opponents were terrifyingly strong. It was a battle of attrition for their men.

Their Lieutenant, grafted with a bayonette to his right arm, was having the time of his life. He leaped in-between cars, slashing down Yakuza with his blade, laughing maniacally.

"PULL BACK! The fuckin' wetback is tearing us to pieces!" A mafia lieutenant desperately ordered the retreat, firing his rifle. His heart stopped as the meta-human landed in front of him, blood dripping from his modified arm weapon.

He smiled, his teeth shining, his eyes beady and full of pure malicious glee.

The Mafioso fell backwards, dropping his gun. "No, NO! NO NOT LIKE THIS!!!" He covered his face in desperation, as the meta leaped above him, coming down bayonette first.

Even through his eyelids, squeezed shut, he could faintly see the spinning blue flash in front of him. There was a clash of metal, and a great weight came down in front of him, shaking the soft tissue of his body.

When he opened his eyes, he was staring up at Jordan's back. With one arm, he held his newfound opponent back, clutching the blade in his fist. "Go home."

Wasting no time, the Mafioso stumbled backwards without picking up his rifle. He'd had a decent brush with death, and wanted nothing more than to go home and clean his pants.

The enemy meta-human grunted, his teeth showing as he attempted to force Jordan back. The hero simply smiled, eyeing up the man's artificial limb.

"Pretty advanced arm you got there," Jordan husked through gritted teeth. "Unfortunately, it's a copyright issue. Lemme resolve that."

Jordan twisted his hand and snapped the bayonette off, to his opponent's horror. Doubling back, the man fired his blaster, and Jordan sidestepped the shot, letting it whiz past his cheek. Jordan charged with inhuman speed, and drove his elbow into the man's chest. He felt a rib break. It was a non-lethal blow, but it took the wind out of him, giving Jordan time to disarm him.

Jordan barred the artificial arm with a takedown Sam had taught him, and with a single, cruel stomp, separated the arm from the man, rendering the edit useless.

Howling in pain, the man reeled backwards, his comrades arriving, surrounding Jordan, who lifted his fists, ready to fight.

"HOSE THE NIGGER DOWN!!!" One of the bigger metas aimed his cannon, and Jordan prepared to fight.

"One down, nine to go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saffore watched the fight in progress on the television nearby. Jordan had downed one of the enemies, and was leading the other nine into a building project in construction.

Marie patted Saff on the shoulder. "They're no match for him. I bet he can handle this ALONE."

The good doctor watched the screen with narrowed eyes. "...It's not them I'm worried about."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jordan leaped onto an I-beam, planting his feet. Another blaster-shot screamed towards him, and he avoided it by leaning back.

One of his meta-human attackers landed next to him. With a hard right hook, the man swung at Jordan, missing. Jordan avoided another punch, and seized the man by the shirt, teeth gritted.

Jordan pulled the man to the side, dangling him over the narrow walkway and cocking his fist.

"HUH!" Jordan swung his fist down, smashing the man straight downwards like a volleyball. The attacker landed on a stack of boxes, smashing them into splinters.

That's TWO down.

Jordan aimed his cannon and fired, blasting the arm off of one of his attackers. They were attempting to surround him, and their numbers had thinned in a matter of seconds.

They're stalling. Jordan turned, as another meta engaged him up close. Jordan ducked a punch and swept the man's legs. He failed to disable him, but he'd knocked him off of the walkway. Another meta charged Jordan, who blocked another right punch. These guys fight like thugs. Alpha's just editing regular gangsters?

Jordan's right arm became a blade, and he swung it back-handed, slicing the attacker's hand off. He followed up with a left punch, smashing teeth out of the attacker's mouth.

"You think you can take ME?! I'm the BETA. The homo superior!" Jordan grinned, his fists clenched. "Your edits ain't shit without the skill to USE 'em."

"Yeah, Beta. You're the homo something alright."

Jordan didn't turn in time, as a foot connected with the side of his head, throwing him off of the platform and straight downwards. Jordan landed face down, a bit dazed.

The Alpha. "Heh. One liners aren't your strong suit, Jordan." Damien still chortled at his own joke, aiming his cannon.

Jordan leaped to his feet, aiming his own blaster.

BLAM. Damien fired first, nearly striking Jordan with his first shot. Jordan returned fire, but Alpha avoided the attack with laser like precision. "You're pretty good there, Number Two." Damien's cannon morphed into a long barreled rifle, and he fired. SPANG. Jordan slid on his side, avoiding a shot to the head.

Damien's arm morphed into a missile launcher. "Quit runnin'. I'll make it painless!"

Jordan seized a jackhammer from the ground, and hurled it, forcing Damien to reconsider his target. He blasted the power tool out of the air, as Jordan got in close, his eyes blazing with angry purpose.

CLANG! The two of them met in close quarters like a pair of wrecking balls colliding. Their fists echoed off of each-other. Jordan chased Damien, who backed up, blocking each of Jordan's blows carefully. "Shit, you know how to box, huh?!"

Jordan grinned at Damien's discomfort. Their hands met, clasping each-other in a power struggle.

"Dude, you're actually giving me a workout!" Damien beamed at his opponent, and shifted his weight. With a sudden burst of strength, he hurled Jordan up and over his shoulder, slamming him face first into a metal beam. Jordan felt his nose shatter against it, and gritted his teeth in pain as he fell to the ground. His sunglasses fell off of his face, snapped in half. Jordan wiped his nose, which rapidly autorepaired itself.

Damien studied Jordan's body carefully. Autorepair? And it's fast, too. What's fixing his body so quickly, and how is he just as physically strong as I am?

"Been a long time, huh Alpha?" Jordan tilted his neck to the side, stretching his shoulder muscles.

Damien paced slowly around Jordan, still grinning. "Yeah. I believe last time we met, I had torn off your arm, and kicked you into a garbage pile. I don't remember why I didn't just kill you then, before you could go all 'super hero'." Damien gave Jordan a spiteful look. "Pet project."

"Loser."

"Beta-Male." Damien grinned broadly, his red, piercing eyes locked onto Jordan.

"Bitch." Jordan gave Damien an easy, relaxed gaze, but there was a clear storm behind his calm eyes.

The enemy meta-humans surrounded Jordan, as the two androids stared each-other down.

Jordan looked around, as Damien's grin widened. "Looks like you could use some BACKUP, Beta."

"Yeah. He could." Sam's cool, baritone voice broke the silence, startling even Jordan, who wasn't expecting reinforcements so soon.

A boulder flew over Jordan's shoulder, nearly striking Damien in the jaw. Damien flipped backwards, avoiding the hit. Sam stamped the ground, throwing up another powerful, thick block of concrete. He slammed it forward, the rock nearly striking the Alpha, who ducked under the blow.

A powerful gust of wind threw a pair of the Alpha's henchmen away, as Mason arrived, at the center of a man-sized tornado.

"Voltaire, Glace, and Demon are on their way. They needed to get their damn pants on." Sam growled to Jordan. "Next time, WAIT for BACKUP."

Mason pointed to Damien. "SO, this is the first Beta. What's his name again? Alfred?"

Damien grimaced. "Fuck's sake. I hate superheroes. ALL OF YOU!" Damien barked to not only his meta-human flunkies, but to Enrique's men, who had the building project surrounded. "ATTACK NOW!"

Enrique, standing several floors up, watched with interest, seeing no reason to intervene. This would be a fun throwdown to watch.

"You can DO this. Just keep it together, let it have SOME 'fun' before it goes to far, reign it in, rinse and repeat. That's all. Easy as one, two, three. Yeah," Alejandro thought.

"That's it, keep it simple" Al could hear Bryce's voice in his head, coaching him on. Throughout the past weeks Bryce had been a HUGE help in taming the Demon, helping Al to mentally beat it down whenever he started to lose control while transformed. Today would be his second time turning without Bryce's help. The first time had come close to failure after about a few minutes until Bryce stepped in, mentally.

"You guys ready?" Voltaire asked. Bryce nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Alejandro replied before looking at Saffore. She smiled at him, giving Al some more encouragement. Soon afterwards she sent them to the city of Aguande to restore law and order.
-------------------------------

The Cartel members smiled as they hefted their grenade launchers, ready to blow the metas to kingdom come. If their grenade launchers didn't kill the metas, then their edited allies would. If THEY couldn't finish them off, then Alpha and Enrique would be able to for sure.

The Cartel opened fire but before the projectiles could hit their target a bright flash of blue appeared, and the sound of ice cracking and earth shifting could be heard.

When the smoke and dirt cleared, the Cartel members found themselves staring in awe. In front of them was a dome of thick ice surrounding a dome of earth. A two layered defense had been put up by the metas at the last minute.

"WHAT?!" Alpha shouted.

"Hey, I thought those three couldn't control ice?" One gangster asked.

"You're right. THEY can't, but I CAN." Bryce exclaimed as the two domes fell apart revealing not three but six metas.

"You picked a wonderful time to show up," Sam commented dryly.

"Better late than never," Bryce replied coolly, gathering water vapour in his hands. Voltaire's growth shifted around his chest, forming a protective vest of sorts until needed as something else.

At the back of the group stood an eight foot tall purple being. The cartel members eyed it warily, noticing the similarities it had to the beast that had destroyed sections of downtown It had those large yellow eyes, the same shifting of purple energy, a tail, claws on both hands and feet, and it was producing a low growl, analogous to the snarls of the beast in Crisis city.

Enrique dropped to a lower level of the building to get a better look. It looked fairly close to what Lucifer and Enrique's Demons were like, but something was off. It's claws were longer, and it's teeth far sharper. It's tail wagged about, almost itching for a fight. The eyes were narrowed, as if in concentration. All in all, it didn't seem quite at ease as Lucifer or Enrique did when in their Demon cloaks. Something was off about it... Something unnatural, in the context of Demon behaviour. It seemed restrained, which could very well be the case if this Demon's similarities to the beast in Crisis City were more than coincidence.

"Ah fucking hell!" Alpha exclaimed, breaking everyone out of their train of thought. Alpha fired his missile launcher first, prompting the Demon inside Alejandro to accept the challenge.

Bryce turned, however, at the sound of the missile launcher's discharge. With a wave of his hand, he batted the ballistic away from Alejandro and into a nearby building. Concrete showered down upon them, as Al charged for his attack.

Al jumped swung down with his clawed fingers, aiming to maim Alpha. Although Al would have preferred a punch, the Demon wanted an outright kill. So maiming was the best comprise the two could agree upon, even if it was slightly in favour the Demon.

Alpha sidestepped the swipe, planted his feet onto the ground and swung a fist into purple creature's head.

"DOWN BOY!" Alpha shouted as Al spun in mid air before falling onto the floor. Al slowly got up, much to Alpha's annoyance.

"C'mon, most people would have died from that," Alpha complained, readying his blaster for a missile barrage. Al meanwhile was busy taking note of the tingling sensation in his cheek. It seemed that he wasn't quite as powerful as he was with Demon in full control. He'd have to be a little more careful.

A barrage of grenades exploded into Al's back, causing Al to bark in pain. He turned around, eyes narrowed and fingers flexing. The Demon was just about to leap towards the group of gangsters that had opened fire on him, when Al gathered his thoughts.

"I KNOW you want to go after them, but we got someone more dangerous to worry about," Al thought, turning around to face Alpha. The Demon let out a low growl, wanting to deal with Alpha as soon as possible so it could get to killing the gangsters. Al on the other hand wanted the fight with Alpha to last as long as possible,  so that his team mates could handle the gangsters with less lethal methods.
Alpha fired his missiles, as Al leapt over them. They went past him, but looped back around and came for Al from behind. He turned around and swept them away, but a few had managed to explode. Al barrelled back into Alpha, the two ending up in a pile of debris. Al was the first to emerge, followed swiftly by Alpha who wasted to time in putting his blaster underneath Al’s chin and letting loose a red energy blast.

Al howled in pain, grabbing his jaw with one hand. The sensation of the energy blast was one akin to a burn, rather than the mere sting felt when Demon was in full control. Al looked back up at Alpha, growling. Alpha merely grinned in response.

Al leapt forward, arms extended and claws lengthening slightly. Alpha ducked the attack, and returned fire with his blaster. Al protected himself with his arm, allowing it to take the majority of the damage. He proceeded to advance and caught Alpha’s swing. Pulling the meta towards him, Al’s sharpened fingers clawed through Alpha’s chest, leaving a deep gash. Al kicked the android away, sending him hurtling into a tub of concrete. Alpha struggled to get out, as the liquid hardened around him. Al leapt forward once again, taking advantage of Alpha’s movement impairment.

The energized being plowed into Alpha, the two rolling on the floor. Al traded blows with Alpha, with more than enough sheer force to daze the Android. The only issue was the Alpha was trained in hand to hand combat, able to attack more efficiently and dodging when possible. Al screeched in frustration, a manifestation of his own feelings and that of his Demon. Alpha kicked the Demon off, causing Al to stumble backwards and trip over the corpse of a gangster. Alpha wasted no time in grasping the Demon’s leg and hurling him away, into a  group of his edited meta henchmen.

“Take care of that one, I got the these guys,” Alpha said, turning back around to face the remainder of the Metas.

"GAMMA FORMATION. CROWD CONTROL." Sam's voice echoes louder than the bullets, as his teammates moved in harsh, swift formation. The enemy soldiers sprayed their weapons, disorganized and terrified.

"HOLY SHIT WATCH OUT!!!" As a group of soldiers screamed in terror, Voltaire descended between them. His stance was low, avoiding a volley of bullets and swinging his free hand. His muscle mass proved enough, as he bashed a man away with one swing of his arm. He turned on the rest, seizing one and cracking his head against another's. The blow was an instant knockout, as Voltaire moved behind cover. A hail of gunfire peppered the van that the young hero used to shield himself.

"Bryce! Move up!" Voltaire stayed low, as Bryce summoned a small wall of ice to protect the two of them. Bryce took in a breath of air, reassuring himself that his costume would protect him if he took a bullet. He vaulted over the wall of frost and snapped his fingers. In an instant, jets of cold air froze their guns. Mason swung his arms wildly, and the disarmed soldiers were swiped away by a sudden, powerful gust of wind.

"My turn." Sam's brow furrowed, and a bead of sweat ran down his brow. He lifted both arms, grunting with effort. His arms flexed with effort, as though he was pushing up a great, heavy weight. "Hmmmmmmnnnngh..." His teeth grit, and his eyes shut. The fruits of his labor sprang forth. The earth rumbled, as powerful columns of rock and concrete emerged from the surface. The powerful stone overturned cars, and knocked over armed men.

Voltaire grinned, satisfied. "THAT'S RIGHT!!! RUN!!!"

Far from that particular fray, Alpha watched, exasperated. "...Those pussies LOST?! Are you joking me?"

You're about to lose too!!! Al, seizing the moment, attacked Alpha from behind. His sharp, energetic claws swung down at the cyborg's head. I don't want to decapitate him, but this should knock him ou-


Damien turned, and blocked the blow. "Do you MIND?!" The Alpha brought up his knee, slamming Al's jaw. "I'm trying to talk to myself here!!!" He threw a punch into the demon's stomach. The blow was enough to wind Al, who fell backwards, clutching his chest.

"God. You're such a douche. Who the fuck ARE you anyway?" Alpha rubbed his forehead. "...Waaaaaait. You're that weird dog who ate all those people in Beta's city!!!" Alpha threw back his head, and laughed hard. Alejandro simply watched. Despite the energy around him, Alpha could tell the words had unnerved him. "Aw. Trying to play the hero? That's adorable. You might as well join ME. Your bodycount is pretty impressive.

...Bodycount...? Al couldn't pretend not to know what he was talking about. Fuck you! I'm doing the right thing now! I don't need a lecture from YOU.


"You're not REALLY playing a hero, are you?"

Al fought to keep control. Alpha's smug grin was genuinely getting to him. The demon inside him ached to sink his teeth into the Alpha's throat.

"You've chewed up humans, and you've leveled buildings! How can you call yourself a "good guy," let alone a "hero?" Quit ignoring the shit you've done in the past. You're not like Beta, faggot." Alpha snorted with mocking laughter, as Al's teeth ground together.

His anger was tinged by shame. Like all humor, even the Alpha's black comedy had some truth to it. "You're a MONSTER, kiddo. Just like me."

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!!" Jordan swung down, and his boot slammed Alpha in the jaw. He landed on both feet, and aimed his cannon. "Sorry I kept you waiting, Al. Let's wipe the smile off of this dickhead's face."

Al looked at Jordan, and nodded, stepping forward. The demon's outer coating swelled powerfully. Alpha's superior grin faltered for a moment, then resumed. "You little fucker. Of course you need to cheap shot and gang up to win, Beta-Male."

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking." Jordan put away his cannon, looking Alpha in the eye. "Surrender, Damien."

"Surrender?! To YOU?!" Alpha rolled his eyes, and shifted his weight, putting a hand on his hips. "Surrender is for people who are outgunned. You've got a dog, and an INFERIOR android. I alone have more weapons than a third world country."

Mason flew down, landing beside Jordan. Sam stepped coolly behind Alpha with Bryce. Voltaire stood on one of the railings, hands in pockets. Alpha looked around. "...Aw, that's BULLSHIT."

Bryce folded his arms, calm and ready. "What's the matter? Where'd all your friends go, Alpha? You're all alone."

"I don't think your flunkies are getting up, Alpha." Voltaire mockingly spat down at the surrounded villain. "The ones who aren't knocked out are NOT coming back."

"They're all OUT COLD." Bryce's pun got no laughs. Even Sam, ever terse, groaned and put his face in his palm.

"...Bryce, knock it off. You're embarrassing us," Voltaire sighed.

"I thought that one was pretty good," Bryce whined.

Sam intervened, having little stomach for games. "Surrender, and we'll make this easier."

"Make it easier?" Jordan barked at Sam, staring angrily at Damien. "Like hell we will! I'm breaking his arms off whether he surrenders or not!!"

Alpha looked at his watch casually. "Say that to my face, dicksucker." He looked up, his weapons systems whirring.

Jordan glared, cracking his knuckles. "You know DAMN WELL you can't take all of us, Damien. You're fucking TOAST, dude."

Alejandro growled in agreement. He tilted his head to the side, wondering which body-part was most mechanical. If he tore off a robotic limb, his friends might not chide him for cruelty.

Mason cleared his throat, demanding attention. "I'd like to say that I support any plan that involves hurting this guy." He pointed at Damien, and gave him a thumbs down. "We have him outnumbered, and I get a bad feeling he has something up his sleeve."

"...Actually, yes I do."

In an instant, Alpha completely disappeared. The group, watching, was totally incredulous.

"...He just...vanished?" Voltaire jumped down from his perch, walking to where Alpha was. "DAMMIT! He teleported!!!"

Sam released a heavy, disappointed sigh. "...Well, we'll catch him next time. Let's get out of here, gentlemen."

Jordan nodded. "Right, boss." He paused, noticing what he had said, and raised an angry eyebrow at Sam. "Wait, when did you become the boss? Who made you boss?!"

Sam shrugged, grinning, as the group departed. For the first time, the full team was victorious.

Even without capturing the Alpha, it was pretty damn sweet.

Seeings how the battle is currently over, and this thing needs some love and attention. What better way to reinvigorate our creative sides, then with a terribly timed musical number?! Disclaimer: What you are about to see is rated R, for violence, sexual acts, and complete stupidity :PMoreso the stupidity than anything else.

After their astounding victory over Alpha, the heroes returned to KMC Headquarters to relax and unwind from the day's work. They remained vigilant, for Alpha and his cronies would easily want revenge for their crushing defeat earlier day.

Mason sighed as he sat at the lounge table, a newspaper in his hands. Sam and Voltaire played a riveting game of Chess, while Jordan cleaned his arm cannon. Al, curious as ever with commodities previously unavailable to him, searched upon the computer. One of the few suggestions he had been given was the MeCylinder video hosting site.

Glancing at the top of the web page, Al found a video that seemed relatively relaxing and calm. Clicking on it, a gentle ambiance greeted him. A snowy mountaintop was clearly seen, a woman approaching it, as the music picked up.

Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk

As the piano started to play, all of the other Metas in the room perked their ears up, staring at Al. The all too familiar song pierced them, as Jordan glanced up in genuine fear.

"Guys... where's Bryce?" Jordan asked, glancing around the room.

"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight... not a footprint, to be seeen." Bryce's voice echoed from the hallway.

"Al, turn that shit off!" Mason growled.

"A Kingdom of isolation, and it looks like; I'm the King!" Bryce continued, his voice getting closer.

"Seriously dog, turn it off!" Volt glanced cautiously at the hallway. "Do NOT let Bryce hear this song, EVER!"

"The wind is howling like the swirling storm insiiiiiiiide. I couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I trieeeeed."

Al just continued to watch the video, Bryce's mind manipulation preventing him from turning off the song.

"N'oh my god." Sam stared at the youngster. "Bryce is manipulating him. It's too late."

"Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good boy you're always meant to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them knooooow. Well know they KNOOOOOOOOOOOOW.

Mason, without speaking, lifted three fingers, pulling them down, as if to count Bryce's arrival.

"LET IT GOOOOOOOOOO!" Bryce sang, snowflakes forming in his hands. "LET IT GOOOOOOOOOOO! Can't hold it back anymooooooore!"

Freezing their chess board, Bryce continued to walk about the room.

"LET IT GOOOOOOOO! LET IT GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bryce continued, more snow spewing from his hands. "Turn away and slam the doooor!"

As if on cue, Bryce slammed all the doors closed with his mind, locking them for good measure.

"I don't careeeeeee, what they're going to saaaaaaaaay! Let the storm rage oooooooon!" Bryce stopped, grinning at Al knowingly. "The cold never bothered me anyway."

Jordan began to stand, as Bryce mentally manipulated him to remain seated. Continuing about the room, the piles of snow slowly began to increase.

"It's funny how some distaaaaance, makes everything seem small!" Bryce continued, trying his hardest to retain a straight face. "-And the fears that once controlled me, can't handle me at alllllllllllllll!"

"Shut up, just, just shut up." Jordan stifled a laugh.

"It's time to see what I can do! To test the limit, and break through!" Bryce spouted, as more snow cascaded from his hands, coming up to their knees. "No right no wrong, no rules for meeeeeeeeeeee! I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Waving his hands aside, the snow beneath his feet separated, flying straight over the furniture and the table.

"Let it gooooooooo! Let it goooooooooooooooo! I am one with the wind and skyyyyyyyy!" Bryce continued, as Mason began to stand, the snow beneath him forming a giant snowman around Mason. "You'll never see me cryyyyyyyyy!"

"Try me." Mason muffled from beneath his snowy prison.

"HERE I STAND!" Bryce sang, smashing his snow boot onto the floor beneath him, as the wash of snow solidified, becoming a giant mass of glossy ice. "AND HERE I'LL STAAAAAAAY! Let the storm rage on!"

"Okay Bryce, that's enough." Jordan growled, as the music crescendo'd. "It ain't funny anymore."

"My power flurries through the air right to the ground! My soul is spiraling like frozen fractals all arounnnnnd!" Bryce continued, working his way back to the hallway. "And one thought crystallizes like an Icy Blast! I'm NEVER going back, the past is in the passssssssssssst!"

"Good for you." Volt sighed, staring at his now glassy chess board.

"Let it goooo! Let it goooooooooo! I'll rise like the break of dawwwwwwwnnnn!" Bryce continued, unfazed. "Let it goooo! Let it goooo! That perfect guy is gooooooone! HERE I STAND, IN THE LIGHT OF DAY!"

"Let the storm rage on!!!!!!!" Al sung suddenly, due to Bryce's manipulation.

"The cold never bothered me anyways." Bryce grinned, staring at his teammates, before walking back down the hallway.

There was a sudden silence momentarily, as Mason attempted to bust free of his now icy, snowman shaped prison. Free now from the mind manipulation, the Metas freed Mason from the iceman. Shivering, Mason glared back down the hallway.

"I'm gonna kill that man." Mason growled.

"No you aren't!" Bryce spoke mentally to the group.

"Then read this; WE AIN'T CLEANING UP THIS MESS!" Voltaire growled.

"Wassat? Oh, looks like my friends over at H.O.P.E need something. I'll see you guys later today. Contact me if something bad happens, and don't try to deceive me, I can read you minds!"

With that, Jordan broke out into dead on laughter. The event had been so completely random and spontaneous, not to mention silly and stupid. He just couldn't contain himself.

The others groaned, they knew that leaving the mess for Bryce to clean would just end up damaging the stuff further. Thankfully for them, the snow had yet to reach the television, his laptop, or any of the other appliances in the room.

"Am I the only one here that found that funny?" Al piped up, as the others, except Jordan, glared at him.

"Yo, Brycicle."

Bryce, standing in the small kitchen, turned his head as Jordan walked into the room. He seemed to have a relaxed spring in his step, as he slid a glass cup underneath the coffee-maker. Jordan tapped a few buttons, poured some milk and sugar into the bottom of the glass, and waited for it to slowly fill.

Bryce turned to him, and sat in the metal chair behind him. "You drink coffee out of a glass?" Bryce smirked slightly, more confused than condescending.

Jordan shrugged. "Yup."

"Don't you worry about burning your hands...?" Bryce asked. As soon as Bryce had posed the question, Jordan lifted his adaptable right arm. It morphed into a small ring with a little square platform on the bottom. A cupholder.

"I don't exactly melt." Jordan grabbed his glass of coffee and started stirring, as Sam entered. The earthbending Meta gave Jordan a slight look.

"Coffee in a glass?"

Jordan sipped it. "It's not that weird. What's up, Sam?"

"Kong's been spotted in Downtown Chicago. He's your...nemesis of sorts. I was wondering if you'd go with me to see if he's actually in the area."

Jordan rolled his eyes, and openly groaned. "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH. HE'S NOOOOOOOOOOT MY NEMESIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS," Jordan intoned as loudly as possible, hoping to drive the point home. Sam gave him a flat, unimpressed stare, then smiled.

"Be that as it may, someone needs to go check it out. Are you in or not?"

"Whenever someone SAYS they've seen Kong, they probably have. I'll deal with it myself." Jordan poured the hot coffee into his mouth. Bryce winced as he watched the android chug the scalding hot coffee.

"Are you sure you don't want backup?" Bryce stood, cracking his knuckles.

"Nah. He's already out of jail, so whatever he's doing is probably just his retarded antics." Jordan put the cup in the sink, licking a bit of coffee from the corner of his mouth, then wiping his face. "I'll go straighten him out. Maybe I'll bring back sandwiches or somethin'."

Sam folded his arms and nodded. "If you insist, there's a lobster-hotdog place in the area he's been sighted. It's like a hotdog, but with lobster meat in the bun instead of a frank. Get enough for the team, would ya?"

The android nodded, and stepped out of the room, as Bryce watched. "Maybe we should tag along to be sure?"

"Nah. Those lobster hot-dogs cost twenty bucks each. If we go with him, he'll ask us to help him pay." Sam smirked. "...Drinking coffee out of a glass is one of the most out of place things I've ever seen someone do."

Bryce nodded emphatically, pointing to the sink. "I KNOW, RIGHT? Al told me about Jo doing it once, but I didn't believe him. We live with a bunch of weirdos."

Part 2 Coming Soon!!

Jordan, in his uniform, casually walked down the streets of downtown Chicago as he searched for his target. He was easy to track.

The smell of smoke and gasoline from a crumpled car lingered in the air. The scent of urine from people who had been terrified and intimidated. The sheer, utter quiet of locked doors and cowering citizens.

And most of all, the pair of hand or footprints, dug into the concrete every two blocks.

Why is everyone so scared of the big doofus? In truth, Beta was steeling himself for a fight, but he certainly wasn't AFRAID. If he was dealing with Glockjaw, or one of Alejandro's brethren (if you could call them that), Jordan would be nervous. Kong was no real threat. At worst, Jordan would go home with a few dings and bruises.

The dark skinned android paused, and turned his head, noticing a bike shop with an open garage. The sound of crackling torches and wrenches turning made him feel...somewhat at home. Someone was building something.

"WORK FASTER, MAGGOTS!!!" A deep, powerful voice bellowed. "Tap into your inner MAN. Your inner BEAST. Build with all your hearts!!!"

"Huh." Jordan sauntered over to the garage, and spotted Kong, who was shouting at nine mechanics, who seemed to be putting together a large, two wheeled vehicle. "Alright, Kong. Hands in the air."

The massive strong-man turned as Jordan lifted his cannon. "BETA-MALE. You've come to fight me! Now is not a good time."

Jordan's jaw torqued. "Don't call me that." He looked at the massive chopper. It was built large enough for Kong. "...So you're forcing these guys to build you a bike?"

"I PAID THEM IN FULL." Kong bellowed, looking down at Jordan, grinning. "When I can BUY, I don't STEAL. I'm guilty of NOTHING."

"You did at least a few hundred thousand dollars of damage just walking around." The android lowered his cannon. "Plus, you're SUPPOSED to be in jail."

The strongman growled, and inhaled, puffing up his chest and crunching his knuckles, giving Jordan an angry, wild stare. A look Jordan easily recognized.

"Kong, I'm staring right at you. You can't possibly be thinking of suckerp-" Before the android could finish, the massive, bearded beastman lurched forward, throwing a powerful right cross. Jordan caught his arm, and turned, throwing Kong over his shoulder, and sending him flying down the street.

As the android prepared to pursue Kong, one of the Mechanics tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, he kinda DID pay for the cycle, so we're gonna finish it up while you two...you know, the fighting or whatever." The mechanic scratched his stubbled chin. "...My son's a big fan."

Jordan shrugged. "Thanks. Do whatever. Just don't give it to him while we're fighting, or he'll probably just hit me with it."

Leaving the garage, Beta walked into the street, his fists clenched. "Look, Kong, I'm totally fine with just letting you go if you're not committing a crime CURRENTLY." He looked around. Kong had hit and bent a telephone pole, but he was gone now, and Jordan's motion tracker did nothing to follow the strongman's movements. "...You're gonna blindside me aren't you?"

Jordan folded his arms. Kong was great at hiding and striking unexpected blows, so he'd probably just have to TAKE a hit.

A shadow appeared over Jordan's shoulder, and before he could avoid it, the strongman slammed his forearm against the small of Jordan's back, sending him hurtling down the road. BAMMMMMMMMMMN. The hit echoed hard enough to shake a nearby window.

Jordan rolled, then hopped to his feet, fists raised, as Kong charged towards him, his bare feet slapping the ground. The two opponents stopped mere feet from each-other, and Kong swung a flurry of powerful blows.

Beta dodged each one, smiling and on the defensive, happy to let Kong punch himself out. He stepped, slid, and blocked each hit. Kong HATED that smile. It was the half grin of someone incredibly confident.

Unexpectedly, Kong seized Beta's hands, locking the two in a power struggle.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!!! Nothing of the PASSION that rages in my MUSCULAR, POWERFUL, TESTOSTERONE PUMPING HEART."

"..." Jordan said nothing, focusing on keeping his feet anchored to the ground.

"I woke up yesterday with the NEED to RIDE OUT. The urge to THUNDER ACROSS THE OPEN ROAD!!! Do you know what it means to DESPERATELY WANT SOMETHING?! To feel that black and red desire?! To act on instinct alone?! Love! HATE! ALL SIDES OF THE SAME MANLY COIN!"

Jordan was slowly forced back. "You know NOTHING OF a MAN'S GRIT. You believe yourself a mystery! Is he who he appears to be?! Is he not? No, he's a robot. I'VE SOLVED YOUR MYSTERY, AND TODAY, I'LL SOLVE YOUR FACE."

"...I think you're trying to say that you're smarter than me. I'm sorry to say this, but that has not been my observation, man."

Jordan dug the balls of his feet in, but Kong was stronger than him, plain and simple. He rolled his eyes, as Kong pushed him back, advancing forward. "TODAY, I'll BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE! YOU'LL BATHE IN THE SUN, BLEEDING FROM HEAD TO TOE, AND THEN THEY'LL ALL KNOW THAT I'M THE STRONGEST META-"

Suddenly, a look flashed across Jordan's face. A look of cold, brewing anger.

"Do you know where he is?" The android coolly asked. "Kong, tell me where Alpha is hiding."

Kong met Jordan's eyes, confused at first. Then, his face twisted up in glee.

"So you DO know the heat of passion, robot."

"Tell me where he is, Kong."

Before the strongman could reply, a cold rush hit them both. A splash of water enveloped them, coiling and sloshing hard enough to knock both of them off of their feet.

Jordan splashed onto the sidewalk, sprawling onto his feet.

"Sorry we're late." The cool, feminine voice washed into Jordan's ear. When he turned, he was looking at Sylphide. "I see you're breaking in your new uniform."

Jordan rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I had it covered and now I'm soaking wet. How will I ever repay you."

"Can it, shithead." Jordan's blood ran cold when another woman's voice hit his ears. He turned, and was eye to eye with the LEADER of the Rockettes. A woman so frightening that she could even reign in Sylphide.

Tara Bills. The original Rockette.

The first time the Rockettes have shown up.

And they're here to beat up that Vince McMahon ripoff KONG.

Part 3 coming soon!

Tara's shadow was long and dark against the pavement. She cracked her knuckles and ran a hand through her short red hair. "Beat it. This is our beat."

Jordan, sufficiently convinced stood and backed off, as yet another visitor whizzed over his shoulder. Maryl Martin, the fastest of their team. "Hey, Jordan! Nice outfit. It's like you're one of us!"

"Except I have a penis." Jordan gave Maryl a flat, rakish expression as the little brunette pixie darted around his head.

"You DO? I thought you were a robot."

"I'm a cyborg."

"What's the difference?"

"SHUT UP." Jordan waved his arm, shooing Maryl away as Tara charged into battle.

Kong, having never faced Tara before, proudly put his fists on his hips. "A woman? HAH! You want to fight the KING?"

"No. I want to fuck up a long armed baboon." Before Kong could respond, Tara swung her boot forward, kicking Kong square and hard in the stomach. He was sent reeling backwards, rolling as his head struck the pavement.

Sylphide immediately followed up Tara's attack. She held up her hand, and a fire hydrant burst, spraying Kong in the face. She rotated her hands gracefully, the water swirling and pooling around Kong's torso, trapping his arms and legs in a circular, floating pool of water and lifting him up. "Maryl, Jordan, burst Kong's bubble."

Jordan drew his retractable cannon, and Maryl floated over his shoulder, pooling a large, yellow burst of energy. They both fired their powerful weapons, and in a burst of kinetic force and steam, Kong was hurled backwards towards the garage, landing on his chin. Seething and covered in evaporating water, Kong stood, and turned towards his enemies.

Tara cracked her knuckles, then stepped forward. With an athletic, harsh flip, she brought her arms down, slamming the pavement with enough force to shake the block. The cement underneath her arms peeled up, and wrapped around her fists, forming a pair of stone boxing gloves. "That kick was just a sample, Magilla. YOUR MOVE."

Kong stared at her, a bit perturbed. He frantically searched for an excuse NOT to fight her. "...I don't hit women, so I'll let Beta off easy!" In a sudden maneuver, he leaped onto his newly built, massive motorcycle, and peeled out, speeding away.

Maryl watched. "Should I fly after him and pop his tires?"

Tara shook her head. "Nah. He isn't worth it." Tara smiled, shrugging off the pavement on her fists. She turned to Jordan, who immediately looked away.

"I don't want any trouble. I was just in the area!"

"What's with the costume." She huffed, raising an eyebrow at Jordan's suit. It looked like a dead ringer for a rockette costume, edited for his gender and build. "You finally wise up and join the team?"

"You haven't heard?" Jordan smiled, coming up with a topic that may actually impress the meta. "I've got my own team."

"Whatever." She huffed. In truth, she was a bit stung that he'd denied her initial offer, but the gears were turning in her head. She looked him in the eye, and popped a question. "How about we merge our teams, then?"

Jordan nodded. It seemed like a good idea. His newfound gang and the Rockettes would be quite a force to reckon with. "I'll ask the guys, but it seems li-"

"You'll ASK THE GUYS. Really? That sounds like a brush-off to me." Tara's teeth bore. "We could do decent work together, putting away metahumans who give our species a bad name, but you're brushing me off because you're afraid to answer to a chick."

Silvia smirked, watching the altercation. She'd jump in when things got out of hand, but for now, it seemed like a harmless session of Tara shouting at someone about femininity.

"Look, Tara, it isn't like that. I'm actually trying to say that I-"

"That you WHAT? I bet you were sooooo emasculated when I showed up and scared your nemesis off. Can't have a lady handle your business, is that it?"

"...Kong isn't my nemesis. He's just the guy who I fight with most often and is the hugest asshole. And to be perfectly honest, I'd rather be dealing with HIM than YOU, really."

Tara cracked her knuckles, and took one step forward.

Maryl drew a camera, and focused the lens as Tara stomped towards Jordan. "Woah woah woah, I didn't mean it like that. You're just kinda being a little bit of a-"



Sitting around a laptop, Mason and Al were watching a video on TMZ. Alejandro chuckled as he replayed the video. In large, bold letters, the title was simple.

Rockette trounces Beta.

Jordan, in the corner of the room, had his arms folded with a sour look on his face. Samson patted him on the shoulder. "It's only been a week, Jordan. People will forget about it in a little more time."

"It has a million views, Sam." The cyborg was having NONE of it.

Al leaned over to talk to Samson. "Hey. It's the part where she shoves his sunglasses in his mouth. Check it out."

Sam struggled not to laugh, as Saffore entered the room. She peeked at the video, and winced. "Jordan, I know we're considering her partnership offer, but hun, you can press criminal charges if you want."

"Nah. I want to be the bigger man and start our team off on the right foot."

"She's very clearly the bigger man in the video," Mason quipped. "You should have just run, dude."

"AL, TURN THE VIDEO OFF OR I'LL BREAK THE FUCKING LAPTOP."

Will the partnership between our heroes and the rockettes work out? Will Kong ride out like a pimp on his new motorcycle? Will Jordan ever live down his colossal, famous ass-kicking?

Find out on the next exciting story arc of Heroes and Demons!!!

Alejandro yawned as he was awakened by the sound of his alarm. He hated the sound of it SO much, but he had purposely set it to be annoying and at max volume. Otherwise, he'd probably sleep in.

Alejandro had never been great at getting up early. Usually it was a combination of his alarm clock and his mother that had gotten him up for school. Despite four years of high school, and ten years of elementary school, he had never gotten used to waking up early. He assumed he was just a night owl, and getting up early wasn't really his thing.

Except now he had a job, and one that he couldn't afford to not be around for. As part of a new crime fighting team, Al had to take shifts keeping watch over Crisis city and protecting its citizens from harm. Today he had gotten the worst one of them all: the morning shift.

Al finally swung his legs over the side of his bed and got up, heading towards the door to turn on the light. He switched on the light, wincing as his eyes adjusted. Then he groggily made his way to the bathroom and washed up.

After showering and getting changed, Alejandro walked out of his room and into the hallway. He made his way to the cafeteria to have some breakfast, grabbing some eggs, bacon, and a cup of coffee with milk. He finished his breakfast fairly quickly, and then headed back to his room to brush his teeth. Once his morning routine was taken care of, he decided to get down to business.

Al made his way to "the war room", as he liked to call it, and opened the door. Inside there were various screens playing different news station, waiting for something to happen. There was also a radar screen of some kind, superimposed onto a grid map of Crisis city. It was meant to detect metas and show where they were. How it did it was a mystery to Al, but he didn't care.

He was just eager to test out his new "form". One that he hadn't shown anybody, not even Bryce. With Bryce's help, Alejandro had managed to FINALLY get a handle on the demon, seeing it as more of a disobedient pet now rather than the terrifying monster it truly was.

Besides, he pretty much had full control over it, but he hadn't thought to actually DO anything with the energy cloak itself. Then one night, out of the KMC base by himself, he decided to try and alter it, and alter it he did. Alejandro smiled at his victory, before frowning. One of the news stations was showing people running in fear.

Although all the screens were muted Alejandro could see three edited metas robbing various banks and performing acts of vandalism and property damage. All three of them had different firearms built into their arms, using them to blow up cars and cause general mayhem.

However, they hadn't gone out of their way to directly kill anyone, but their destructive nature was going to get somebody killed eventually. Al took note of the radar map and made his way to the teleportation room.

In Downtown Crisis City

"Watch this," a buzz cut Meta said to his two friends, launching a grenade at a police car. The police obviously ran away from the exploding car, the three metas just laughing as if they had pranked someone.

"That all you got?!" The dark skinned man of the trio replied, opening fire on a van leaking gasoline. Eventually he hit the engine and it exploded, causing the two cars next to it to explode as well. His two white friends simply laughed uncontrollably.

"How about you Peter?" The buzz cut Meta replied, turning the dirty blond haired one. Despite being friends, the question was also posed as a challenge.

"Lemme think," Peter replied, aiming the chain gun arm at various things.

"You're dumb as shit Peter. Don't even pretend to think,"

"Shut the hell up Patrick. I'm smarter than YOU," Peter replied.

Patrick merely scoffed before Tony intervened.

"Y'all bitches need to quit fighting and get this shit done,"

"Stay the fuck out of this Tony," Patrick replied. Peter just laughed.

"Excuse me?" Tony said before continuing to argue with Patrick, and then Peter. The argument would fluctuate from a free for all to two against one, the alliances constantly shifting and the topic of the argument as well. None of them noticed the flash of blue appear on the roof of the bus stop a few metres away from them.

Alejandro looked at the three, determining who was the greatest threat. The dark one had what resembled a Barrett .50cal for an arm, the bulky blond one had a machine gun for his arm, and the skinny brown haired one had a grenade launcher.

"I'll take out the machine gun one first, since his bulk probably makes him the hardest to take on up close. The other two are fairly skinny," Alejandro thought, before speaking out loud.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but your game is actually pretty dangerous," the three thugs turned around fairly startled. Alejandro couldn't blame them, since his voice was pretty weird in this form. It seemed to have a slight echo to it, and some sort of electronic "synthesizer" with wobble effects. It was also deeper and "harsher" then his usual voice, creating a fairly disturbing effect.

The thugs finally looked up to see Alejandro perched on top of the bus stop. They backed away in fear before stopping and taking a second look at Alejandro.

"Wait, IS that the crazy one?" Peter asked, confused. The other metas shrugged, looking at the purple meta in front of them. Alejandro leaped down from his spot, walking towards the metas. Indeed, his appearance had changed radically.

For starters, he actually looked like a person; no tail, no weird head, no claws, and no razor sharp teeth. Instead, he stood at about six feet, his yellow eyes were placed horizontally on his face, and he had a very well defined muscular figure. His energy cloak still shimmered, the darker spots shifting around but other than that and his eyes there weren't a lot of physically similarities between Al's new form and his older ones.

"I wouldn't call myself crazy, at least not anymore" Alejandro grinned, a thin line forming across his face to replicate a mouth. He saw the thugs visibly relax.

"But that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you," Alejandro said, cracking his knuckles.

"What do you want?" One of the edited men asked.

"Drop the bags of money, and turn yourselves in," Alejandro replied. The metas looked at each other before smiling.

"No can do. Besides now that you've lost your crazy animal powers, you can't do SHIT" the tall skinny one said.

"Is that so?" Alejandro replied before closing the gap between the two men and driving his elbow into the man's jaw. The move had been incredibly fast, none of the metas having time to react to it.

"Patrick!" The dark coloured man shouted. He dropped his bag of money and turned his right arm into a giant blade. Before he could do anything Alejandro swung a fist right into the man's nose.

"Tony!" The blonde man yelled, turning his right arm into a chainsaw.

"Yeah, the blond dude is definitely going to be the hardest to take up close" Alejandro thought. He approached the bulky man slowly, who held his chainsaw in front of him.

"Your parents should probably buy you safer toys," Alejandro commented, before faking a step forward. The man swung his chainsaw down into the ground, providing Alejandro the split second needed to elbow the man in the face. The man fell down, but before Alejandro could make sure he stayed down he was blasted from behind.

The meta known as Patrick had fired a barrage of grenades, both of his arms now grenade launchers. The blast had left a bad burning sensation on Alejandro's back, a sign that he was weaker in this new form.

"Get up Peter!" Patrick barked angrily, as Tony moved in to engage Alejandro. Tony swung his blade down, which was easily side stepped by Alejandro and countered with a kick to the chest. Tony flew back, but managed to fire a bullet straight into Alejandro's chest. The hero took a step back, not expecting the bullet to have hurt as much as it did. It felt like blunt force trauma, leaving a dull aching pain in his chest.

"Oh well" Alejandro thought, shrugging it off. Over the past few weeks, he had noticed something. He had an immense amount of pain tolerance, and a fairly fast regenerative rate so he wasn't in danger of dying. He probably wasn't in danger of being seriously hurt either.

As if to prove his point, the Meta named Peter opened fire with his machine gun attempting to rip Alejandro to shreds. It didn't work, as he simply turned around to face Peter.  The bullets rammed against his chest, but he didn't budge.

"That all you got?" He asked.

"Hell nah!" Tony replied, bringing down his bladed arm behind Alejandro, who turned and caught the blade with his arm. Narrowing his eyes, he squeezed and shattered the blade arm. Tony's eyes merely widened in shock before being kicked away.

Alejandro grinned before being sawed in the neck by Peter, who had been expected the chainsaw to kill the purple meta. Instead, the teeth of the saw merely crumpled up against the energy cloak before Alejandro turned around and punched his opponent in the face, causing Peter to stumble back and fall.

"And then there was one," Alejandro said as he turned around to face the final meta. He had no close quarters weapon, so closing the gap was the logical thing to do.

Patrick panicked, firing a barrage of grenades straight at Alejandro. He dodged the majority of them in an impressive display of agility and speed; swatting away the ones he couldn't dodge into the air. Eventually Patrick found himself face to face with Alejandro, receiving a head butt to the face. Recoiling back with a bloodied nose firing his weapons wildly. Alejandro approached him cautiously, stepping out of the way of any grenades. Once he was close enough he grabbed the meta by the arms and tore off his edits, causing the man to howl in pain before passing out from the shock.

Alejandro merely chuckled before being reminded that he wasn't done with the other two.

"HEY" he heard two voices say, turning around before being assaulted by a hail of gunfire. Alejandro brought his arm to cover his face, and was then thrown to the ground by the combined might of the two metas' melee weapons.

“We got him!” one of them shouted.

“Nope!” replied Alejandro before flipping back up, knocking both out with his feet. He smiled and put his hands on his hips, fairly pleased with himself. However, after a few brief moments, Alejandro bent down to see if his enemies were pretending to be knocked out.

“That’s it?” Alejandro asked, somewhat disappointed. The battle had ending in a very anticlimactic way, but at least it was over. Alejandro turned around to the sound of distant sirens, seeing a crowd of people approaching cautiously and whispering among themselves.

“Hey, isn’t that…?”

“But he…”

“No way…”

“Look what he did!”

“They still don’t like me?!” Alejandro thought, heartbroken. In his despair, he turned away from the crowd and vanished, before getting a chance to hear them cheer.

Back at the KMC...

Alejandro appeared in the teleportation room, upset that nobody had appreciated what he’d done. He was still in his new form, so that his facial expressions would be hidden. He strolled down the halls, heading towards the common room to go play some video games. When he got there, he saw Mason, Saffore, and Vincent watching the news.

“God damn it, this is the TV with the Xbox!” Alejandro thought, more annoyed than he’d usually be.

“There he is!” Vincent shouted, turning around to face Al. Mason and Saffore lookhed behind the sofa as well, grinning. Al looked back, the confusion in his face hidden by his cloak.

“You know, you’re going to need to name for that form,” Saffore replied, getting up.

“Why?” Alejandro asked, his new voice causing a look of surprise to appear on all their faces.

“Do you have a cold?” Mason asked, somewhat skeptical.

“No, this is just how I talk like this,” Alejandro explained.

“Well, let’s hope the media likes it because you’re all over the news dawg!” Vincent replied, pointing to the TV. Indeed, there were video clips of Al’s new form fighting off the three thugs and then disappearing. However, there was something he hadn’t seen; people cheering as he left. In big bold letters he read “NEW HEROIC PURPLE META SAVES THE DAY,”.

“...Heroic eh?” Al asked, speaking more so to himself but loud enough for Saffore to hear him. Saffore put an arm on his shoulder before speaking.

“You did it,” she said smiling. A faint smile spread across Alejandro’s face, just barely visible through his cloak.

“...I did it”.

Al had finally become a hero.

"Psycicle!" Chloe yelled from the other room, as Angus tensed.

Turning on the balls of his feet, Angus glanced around the H.O.P.E Headquarter's main threat assessment room for the Ice Meta.

"Oye! Where ya at boyo?! My sister needs ya!" Angus 'yelled' mentally.

"I was with my co-workers at the KMC, what's the matter?" Bryce asked, appearing behind Angus.

"BRYCE!" Chloe roared, as she scrambled into the room, charging over towards him.

Wrapping her arms around him, he returned the favor, gently stroking her hair as she lightly sobbed.

"I just saw that video of you and your new friends fighting that weird white creature. It had done a real number on you, and especially that Cyborg fella."

"Yeah, Jordan's alright though." Bryce smiled. "-And I am too. I can assure you of that. That happened months ago anyway."

"Well, I'm not quite caught up with the news. Our threat monitor has been on the fritz for that same span of time." Chloe shook her head, detaching from him. "But the TV is still good, and they're talking about your group of friends."

Turning towards the flatscreen monitor on the wall, Bryce turned it on by manipulating the remote with his mind.

"Crisis strikes Crisis City again, as yet another abnormal human being assaults civilians and City staff alike. Not much is known about this character, but they have been described as a young teenage woman, long black hair. We advise everyone to stay indoors, lock your doors and windows. We can only hope the members of the unnamed vilgilante group of Meta humans can step in and end this torment. Stay safe out there folks."

Glancing at the Helicopter video of the girl that appeared on the screen, he now had a visual location of where she was. Without further hesitation, he allowed the cool grasp of his miniature ice layer overtake his skin, and he was away once more.

---------------------------------------

"Freeze!" the police officer growled, sweat pouring off of his brow, his standard issue pistol shaking in his hands. "We've got you surrounded. You're terrorism ends now!"

"Is that so?" the teenager replied quietly, before turning around.

Four cops stood there, pistols at the ready. She quietly chuckled to herself as she took a step forward. The cops tensed further, pistols thrust out forward.

"FREEZE!" the same cop barked. "We WILL shoot you!"

Continuing her pace forwards, she spread her arms, a dark red aura enveloping her. Peering at him with her inquisitive brown eyes, she smirked.

"What's your name?" she asked, continuing her pace without hesitation.

"None of your business." he growled, finger on the trigger. "Please, you have so much to live for, just give up and let us help you!"

"Help me?!" she scoffed. "I know what you Government types would do to me! You'd dissect me, see what makes me tick! But I'm not gonna allow that. I'm gonna life my life normally, without fear of being attacked for being different."

"If I tell you my name- will you surrender?" the cop sighed. "I'm Corporal Derrick Smith."

Beside him, one of the newer members to the Force fired his gun prematurely at the girl, as the other two joined in. Derrick, however, held his fire, as the girl's head snapped backwards.

Frowning, he sighed as he approached, holstering his pistol. However, her head whipped forward once more, as she laughed uncontrollably, her once kempt hair was now a frenzy, as she glared at the three cops that had shot at her.

"Was that really the best you could do?!" she hissed, the red aura around her getting stronger.

Derrick's eyes widened as he saw the shiny brass sticking head first out of her teeth. Three bullets, all head first, pointed in the direction of the three cops. The girl sucked in a deep breath, the bullets not moving, as she exhaled deeply, almost as if she were blowing out the candles of a birthday cake.

The three cops howled in fear, as they all reached for their faces, before falling to the ground, dead, the bullets having passed through their skulls.

"Ain't I a bitch?" she taunted the dead bodies.

Turning back to the girl, she turned to Derrick and smiled, as the red aura became a light shade of blue. Behind her, the aura formed into what appeared to be wings of some sort, transparent wings of blue that slightly resembled angel wings.

"I can't tell you my real name." she said. "But they call me Karma."

"As in: Karma's a bitch?" Derrick asked, immediately regretting his choice of words.

What were once wings of blue and angelic, were now red again and shredded, as if demonic. Backing away, she stomped after him, as he nearly stumbled over one of the corpses.

"I'm sorry, that isn't what I meant!" Derrick spouted. "I was just curious is all!"

"That's what they all say." reaching down, she grabbed one of the fallen cop's pistol.

Pointing it at the man, the Cop instinctively raised his gun.

"I genuinely think you could be a good person." Derrick frowned. "You already have three cops' deaths on your record, please don't make the mistake of having four."

"Then run." she said, pointing the pistol at him. "Run, and don't turn back. Because if you do, I will have no choice but to kill you too."

Standing slowly, Derrick holstered his pistol, running as far away from her as possible, not even bothering to glance back.

"He listens well to instruction." a male voice called behind her, causing her to turn on her heels.

The steel in her hands suddenly became way too cold, and she was forced to drop it.

"Question is; why can't you?" the man in the blue winter suit asked, his icy blue eyes peering at her.

"This is none of your concern." the teen replied with a growl.

"Oh but it does." the teenage male replied, as the two circled each other. "I, along with other Metas, make it our job to keep this city, this whole COUNTRY, safe. From Metas or otherwise. Hell, just this morning I took out some petty thug attempting to rob a bank, Karma just wasn't on his side."

"If that was supposed to be a joke, I didn't find it funny." she growled.

"-And why's that, hotshot?" the Ice-Meta grinned.

"Because people call me Karma, that's why." she grit her teeth. "I swear, I am allied to no-one, I am the perfect example of Neutrality. You leave me be, I leave you be. If you fuck with me, I'm gonna fuck with you."

"That a promise?" Bryce chuckled.

"Cute." Karma clenched her fist. "So, you gonna take me in for killing these Cops, or how's this gonna go down?"

"Depends, I'll ask again; the cop was good at following directions, are you?" Bryce replied, serious. "Will you surrender, and allow me to take you to a safer place, wipe your slate clean? -Or am I going to have to defeat you? I'll tell you now, I take no pleasure in hitting women."

Smacking the side of her cheek, Bryce sighed. Rocketing himself towards her, he smashed her in said cheek with his hand, launching them both down the road. Before he could escape, however, he was halted by a strange red aura. Just as suddenly as he had been stopped in mid-air, he was slammed into the ground.

"Was that really the best you could do?" she growled.

Standing, Bryce sputtered as he turned. The teenager took a bounding sprint towards him, bouncing off of one foot, onto the next, as she swung her fist into his cheek, the same one she had been punched on.

Launching him farther back, he grunted as he skidded across the concrete. That punch was really powerful, for someone her size, she really could pack a wallop.

Struggling to stand, she casually walked over towards him, as any civilians in the area scattered. Two blood red 'wings' of aura jutted out of her shoulder blades.

"Ain't I a Bitch?" she grinned.

"I'd be inclined to say yes." Bryce spat blood onto the concrete beneath him. "But there is something you're hiding from me, from the world."

Expecting her to make the first move, Bryce was surprised as she just bounced from foot to foot. Attempting to infiltrate her mind proved useless, as his own mind filled with that same strange red aura.

"Sorry Psycicle, no dice on my mind." she giggled.

"How'd you?" Bryce asked, standing. "Wait, did you REALLY just throw a pun back at me? That's just cold."

Frost over took his hand, as an icicle formed in his hand. Using his mind to lift it, he launched the projectile at her, as she caught it with her teeth.

Pulling in a deep breath, Karma's confiscated projectile turned around, sharp side out. Exhaling deeply, the projectile flew from her mouth, right back at him, as he used his mind to create a barrier.

Grunting in pain, he felt himself pushed by the projectile. Glancing down, he saw the icicle jutting into his shield, having pierced his mental barrier.

"Was that really the best you could do?" she taunted. "Ain't I a bitch?"

"No, but you are starting to get a bit annoying." Bryce said, as he paused for a second, she had said that, like four times now.

Watching her, she bounced from foot to foot again, as if she was having fun beating the ever loving crap out of him. Where his fist had met her cheek, blood poured out of the scratch he had left, and on her lip, where his icicle had sliced her upon catching it, it too showed signs of damage.

"Right then." Bryce smiled knowingly, approaching her.

Lightly slapping her on the other cheek, she whipped her right hand up and into his left cheek, causing him to smash his head off of the wall. The force with which she had slapped him was that of a typical slap, easily twice as strong as how he had slapped her.

"Is that really the best you can do?" she taunted again. "Ain't I a Bitch?"

"So that's how you work." Bryce chuckled, before roaring with laughter. " You'd think someone with my level of IQ would have figured this out by now!"

"Figured out what?" she asked, as her red 'wings' dissipated, replaced by a pair of blue, angelic 'wings'.

"You are the epitome of Karma!" Bryce chuckled. "Someone hits you, you return it with double the kinetic energy! When you aren't in conflict, or don't feel threatened, you revert to a more quiet, peaceful state. But the moment someone so much as says a threat to you, and you automatically shift into a more violent state, and aren't sated until the threat goes away, or they die."

"Damn." she shrugged. "So what's this mean."

"It means I'm sick of getting tossed down the goddamn street!" Bryce shook his head. "So now, out of complete peace, I say; Get out of Dodge, or come with me. This is only for your safety. Join H.O.P.E, or get out of Crisis City. If you choose H.O.P.E, you have a chance to redeem what you've done today, if you don't, you need to get out, or else people will hunt you down."

"Like you?!" She growled, the blue slowly turning red.

"Woah, woah woah!" Bryce stated, holding his hands out. "Only if necessary, but I don't want to have to. You're a good kid, and I know this, because I quickly scanned your brain. Don't feel threatened, I swear I didn't look at anything you kept locked away. But you do need to make a choice. You told that cop you wanted a normal life, without constant strife. Either you join others like you, or you go elsewhere to get what you want. But I need a decision, 'cause I'm keeping the Cops in the area at bay."

Smirking, Karma sauntered over towards Bryce, before quickly pecking him on the cheek. Quietly, she whispered in his ear.

"I guess I'll take my chances elsewhere. But thank you, Psycicle, it sure was fun today. Maybe I'll be back around, have some more fun."

With that, she glanced around quickly, before Bryce gingerly touched her on the shoulder. Frost enveloped her, as he teleported her to another City, for her to try again.

Staring up at the blue sky, birds chirping as he smiled. Even though she had given him a real ass kicking, he felt as though Karma was on his side. Perhaps Karma wasn't as much of a bitch as everyone thought she was.

--------------------------------

H.O.P.E Headquarters remained mostly silent, until a muffled yelling came from the Director's room. One of the natural metas began to stand, as Angus approached, placing a hand on the young man's chest, shaking his head.

The entire stronghold waited with bated breath, hoping to hear the cause of the shouting match.

---------------------------

"What the fuck is this then?" Chloe growled, as Bryce sat in the chair, clutching his forehead.

His girlfriend's mind was swimming with thoughts, many scandalous and mischievous, others were self loathing and self harming, as tears filled her eyes.

"My other group of Metas is merging with the Rockettes." Bryce shrugged, wincing as her head exploded with more transmitted thoughts, she knew just how to get him. "Beta trusts them, even if he does have some.... issues with them. With him and me technically being co-founders of the group, it'd be foolish for us to deny this opportunity to be a force for good."

Placing a hand on her hip, Bryce read the woman's mind, she had one though; kill. Sighing, he stood, pacing around the room.

"Look, H.O.P.E is a great faction, and I am still it's leader, for my father's memory. But it's still growing, now that the world knows we exist, we must be careful when we go out and save the day. As it stands, our crew still have no full control of their powers, and they tend to cause more damage than protection." Bryce stopped, poking his head out the door to the others, before closing it and turning back to her. "If we can increase the power of this crew, and start doing more good in the world, I can discuss a merger with the other group. But for right now, H.O.P.E's main focus needs to be recruiting metas, saving metas, and training metas for all sorts of scenarios."

"So what does that mean for us?" she replied with a frown, turning away from him, wrapping her right arm around her torso, and gingerly grasping her left arm.

"There will be times of separation, but I think of you every second I'm gone." Bryce said coolly, approaching her. "But there's this kid in the other group's ranks. He has a special... I still don't even fully know what to call it, but I do know he's made significant progress through my abilities, and he still needs my help. They all do. The Rockettes are nothing but business partners, nothing more!"

"Look at the water one, her body can become water at any second!" Chloe frowned. "One wrong transformation and her top-"

"That doesn't matter to me." Bryce assured her mentally. "I promise you, I will help H.O.P.E, I will visit, and I will be here. I just have joint responsibilities now."

"Then you're going to love me." a familiar voice called from the door. "I'd knock, but frankly I knew you needed a break, after all, I created the both of you."

"Author." Bryce said, sitting down. "I haven't seen you since... Maine."

"Yes, well, I've been busy doing my own thing. That other character? Well now there's another section to his- you know what, nevermind that." The 'Author' shook his head. "There's a problem, and you're my only hope."

"Can't you just write the issue to be over?"

"'Writing' is an art. One cannot destroy their own art, without destroying ALL of their art. In other words, I destroy this problem, YOU get destroyed, capisce?"

Bryce took a hearty gulp of air, as he nodded. Cupping his hands together, he cracked his neck.

"So, what exactly is the problem?" Bryce said. "If you can't quelch it with YOUR powers, why can I with MINE?"

"Because you are immune now to my writing prowess. You are not under the 'spell' of my writings. Technically, your story has ended, but it hasn't. While completely unfortunate for me, and the other members of Crisis City, this freak accident is actually meant to help YOU grow as a person."

"How did this all happen, then?" Chloe asked with a shrug.

"I attended a family get together the other day, Memorial Day, y'know?" the 'Author' said, as the two metas gave him blank stares. "Never fucking mind. Anyways, instead of bringing a normal book to write down the names of the guests, I brought my idea book. Y'know, the one with my power entwined and my three commandments that isn't my laptop?"

"Yeah?" Bryce said, shaking his head.

"Well, my family all brought their little kids, who thought my book was a place to write about their own little 'Fan' superheroes. Needless to say, they've come to life, but they are incomplete and unstable. More importantly though, they are POWERFUL."

"How?" Bryce asked. "With me, you were restricted. With Morpheus and my father, you were restricted. With Chloe and Angus, you were restricted. Why now has your commandments failed?"

"One of the little shits ripped out the page holding my commandments, which allowed their creations to be made with no holds barred."

"But... how does that work? Shouldn't the book still be entwined with the commandments?"

"It may have the power to bring things to life from words, but it's not a fuckin' magic book with some kind of fairy powered barrier around the first page." 'Author' grunted. "It's a god damn college ruled Composite Notebook with the power to create life from fiction."

"Do you hear yourself right now man?" Bryce chuckled. "You're like a little kid telling me Santa is real!"

"Watch your tongue, boy." 'Author' growled. "I created you, and I can take you out. I DO have the book on me, one eraser mark, and it's curtains for you."

Chloe placed a hand on Bryce's shoulder, shaking her head, as Bryce nodded.

"I'm sorry. So what you mean to tell me is that the apparitions of your nieces, nephews, or various cousins are running amok in the City limits."

"Yes. I'm still reading through the book now. My sweet niece Violet has anger issues, but is otherwise completely relaxed and care free. She wrote about her character, Violet, meeting up with 'Ice-Man', as she put it."

Bryce snickered as Chloe smashed him in the back of the head, causing him to smash his nose into the desk.

"Wait. I never met a Violet though." Bryce said, leaning back in his chair, as he sickeningly fixed his nose.

"Apparently she is the epitome of Karma. Every action, positive or negative, grants her the ability to retaliate in doubles."

"Karma..." Bryce said. "Yeah, I dealt with her earlier today, I sent her to Terminus Town."

"Well, she's back in town. I'd like you to..."

"No, that girl threw me halfway across Crisis City. I can't double die, it's bad for my health. "

"I was gonna say recruit her, you fucking nut." 'Author' sighed. "Do not kill 'them' if you can prevent it. If my relatives ever heard that their creations existed, they'd be devastated that MINE killed THEIRS."

"Fine, any others I should know of?" Bryce asked. "Just to be sure?"

"Not at this moment. I will keep in contact with you somehow to warn you when one is in town. Let me remind you of this Bryce, this won't be a cake walk for you. These will most certainly be trials, it's deep for childish imagination, but then again, that is limitless. This will test your mettle, your valor, and most importantly, YOU. These kids read my character, and based some aspect of the characters off of you, in some way or another. Good bye Bryce, I will let you know when I have located another of the I.F's."

"What the fuck are I.Fs?" Bryce asked.

"I call them the Imaginary Friends, because of their conception. But they are your foes, call 'em whatever you'd like." Morgan said, walking away, waving behind him. "Go an' get them tiger."