It was evening in Neighpon. On this cold night, Onyx was at his desk in his office, reading through a report sent to his desk. The report entailed the development of Erika Shiragami, call sign 'Biollante'. So far, she has shown promise in her physical prowess. Not to mention that unlike previous experiments, she showed no highly aggressive behavior or a transmutation ailment. Aside from the fact that her limbs were capable of reforming into weapons for her use, Erika was an exceptional subject. As a bonus she seemed to be in a clear state of mind, despite being a corpse a while back.

Onyx smiled bitterly. If only the other ones turned out like her. But fortunately, the failures still served a purpose that has gone beyond the original plan.

"Director, I have an urgent report from the Equestrian branch of MONARCH," said a feminine voice, over an intercom. Onyx's brow raised. Things had been rather quiet in that country for a while now. He wondered what could have been the situation.

"Send it in," said Onxy.

From the door, his secretary, an elf woman entered. She had a stoic look about herself, her short silver hair bouncing with every step she took. The woman held out a sheet of paper to the older man, who took it. Onyx began to skim through the paper, his brows furrowing.

"What do you know," said Onyx. He began to rise from his seat and look to his secretary.

"Tell Dr. Shiragmi that I'm expediting Biollante's deployment onto the field. Have her booked for Outpost Helios in Equestria," said Onyx.

"Yes, Director," said the secretary, before turning to leave. A tired sigh filled the air. Onyx turned to find an elf adult male to be lunging on a sofa in the room. His hair was blonde, bearing long silky locks. His eyes were cold like a reptile's, but looked as though a fire burned within them. His features were sharp, from a defined, narrow chin down to his strong nose. He had a look of boredom on his face.

"It's your lucky day," said Onyx. The man ignored him as he remained lounged on the sofa, appearing aloof.

"If it's to perform some menial task, than I rather stay here," said the blonde elf.

"It's what you've been waiting for. There's been reports of Transmutants in Ponyville, Equestria. From the vague details given, it seems that they're subjects, Angel and Phoenix," said Onyx. The blonde turned over, his interest having been peaked. Onyx smiled.

"Perhaps you'd be interested on being assigned to Equestria for the hunt? I could also use someone to act as a failsafe against this lovely young lady," said Onyx as he showed the elf a photo of Erika. The blonde's expression soured.

"Disgusting," said the blonde, almost snobbishly. He got up from the sofa, standing to his full height. He had a lean but strong build, standing at the height of 8 feet. He looked down at the older man with a devious smile.

"But, I'm interested in the assignment."

It was a bright and sunny day. The summer breeze shot across the land of Neighpon. The birds chirped along the green grasslands. The sky was clear of clouds, revealing the beautiful blue sky. The city of Trotkyo was bustling as ever. But in the residential area, there lied a house among others.

In the yard of the house, two young children played tag. They laughed and giggled as they chased each other through the yard on this sunny day.

One of the children was a girl with short brunette hair, and big blue eyes. Her skirt flowed in the wind as she was chased by her older brother. The second child was a boy with raven hair. Looking at the two, one could make out the resemblance of the pair. However, the boy's red eyes and darker hair was a bigger contrast.

"Children! Come inside, it's time to eat!" A woman with long brown hair called from the house. The kids stopped their game and raced each other to the house. They entered, finding their mother to be setting the table. A man with raven hair was sitting at the table, reading through a newspaper. On the front page of the paper was the text, 'Man-made Monster destroyed. Lucky Dragon still at large'.

The children were familiar with the stories of some mad scientists that had created monsters in a lab. While the children were skeptical and thought it was just the adults' way of getting kids to behave, their doubts were put to rest whenever they saw articles like this on the daily newspaper that their father read.

"Honey, no reading at the dinner table!" scolded the mother. The father quickly put the newspaper down with a forced chuckle. The mother bore a satisfied smile before turning to her children.

"Battra, Mosura, did you remember to wash up?" asked the mother.

"No..." The children answered in unison.

"That won't do. Go wash up," said the woman, pointing out of the room. In dismay, the siblings left the kitchen and headed for the bathroom. After washing up, they returned, as their mother had begun setting up dinner. Soon, the family had given thanks for their meal, before feasting.

Later that evening, the children found themselves tucked into bed in their room. Being that it was a small house, the siblings had to share a room. But, it was no trouble, especially for little Mosura Yasu. Should she have a nightmare, her big brother was always there to keep her calm.

The father of the children stepped into the bedroom. He pulled up a chair and smiled at his children.

"So what story shall I tell?" asked the father.

"Oh! Can you tell us 'The Golden Demise' again?" asked Mosura.

"We've heard that one three times already," said Battra in dismay.

"It's my favorite," shrugged Mosura.

"Alright. But next time, I'll tell you kids a different one," said the father, before clearing his throat. Mosura snuggled herself into bed, attentive to her father. Battra however appeared disinterested, as he lied his head down on his pillow.

"Long ago, there was a great three headed dragon that soared through the heavens. He was called, Ghidorah. His scales were golden like the stars, with eyes like fire. Horns sat upon his three heads like crowns. But, the dragon was a wicked god. He was cast from the heavens, falling to the earth. In his rage, Ghidorah decided to lay siege to the earth," said the father.

Mosura listened, a smile on her face. She marveled at the tales her father told. These were old legends that hadn't been well preserved in this era. But, her father knew these stories like the back of his hand. He didn't need a scroll or a book to tell this tale.

"Ghidorah was the very embodiment of chaos. His great wings tore through the sky, bringing great storms everywhere he went. His voice was like a constant cackle, as he scorched the land with lightning. No animal, no man, and no god could stand up to Ghidorah's might," said the father, his tone growing dramatic. Mosura giggled in amusement, as she sat up in her bed.

"But, there was one on earth who had the courage and strength to. Up from the depths, Gojira, arose," said the father. Mosura grinned, having anticipated this part.

"Enraged at Ghidorah's destructive ways, Gojira declared war on him. The two's battle caused the earth to flatten and tremble, forests to burn. But, neither was able to fully overpower the other. Their war continued for many days and nights, and neither gave in to the other."

"Gojira realized that despite his strength, he could never conquer his foe alone. Swallowing his pride, he sought help from the other Kaiju. But, they refused to heed his call. To them, Ghidorah was their king. But, there was a few who decided to fight along his side," said the father as he began to hold up puppets, made up from cut out drawings tapped to popsicle sticks. Mosura grinned as her father narrated and illustrated the story with the use of these puppets. One puppet was a colorful moth, while the other was a red dragon-like creature with wings like a bat.

"Two Kaiju named Rodan and Mosura joined Gojira. Together, the three fought and managed to overwhelm Ghidorah, forcing him to flee whatever land he invaded. The three Kaiju of the earth continued to wage their war, forcing Ghidorah to hide, keeping the world safe for a time. Because of this, Gojira made himself a contender for the throne as the King of the Kaiju. The end," said the father.

"Can you tell us another, dad?" asked Mosura. Her father smiled.

"Sorry, Mosura. It's getting late. You should go to bed," said the father. Mosura frowned in disappointment.

"Oh, alright. But dad, why didn't the other kaiju help Gojira, but Mosura and Rodan did?" asked Mosura.

"Well, because the Kaiju follow a different code compared to the younger new gods. They value strength the most. They thought that Ghidorah was the strongest of them all and dared not to challenge him. But Mosura loved the Earth, and all of the living things that dwelled in it. She didn't want to see it all destroyed. Rodan, well, I'm not too sure about him. I guess he thought he'd fair better under Gojira's rule than Ghidorah's," chuckled the father.

"Why did you name me after a kaiju?" asked Mosura, curiously. Her father ran a hand over her head, tussling her hair.

"For luck. So that my little girl will grow up to be a kind hearted, protective woman," said the father, smiling warmly. He leaned in and planted a kiss on the girl's head.

"Goodnight, Mosura. I love you," said the father. Mosura snuggled herself into her bed.

"Love you too, papa," said Mosura. The father turned to Battra and tussled his hair.

"Goodnight, son. Love ya."

"Love you too..." said Battra, looking away. His father smiled in amusement. He knew his son wasn't being cold. He just felt a bit awkward expressing that kind of affection to his father. He doubt he'd have the same trouble with his mother. The father left the room, after turning out the light.

"Good night, Onii-chan," said Mosura, sweetly. Battra smiled at her.

"Good night, Mosu."

The two lied their heads into their pillows. They were tucked into bed and began to drift off to sleep.

Later that night, the children had awoken. The sound of screams and yelling came from outside of their bedroom. Battra immediately shot up out of bed, with Mosura stumbling after him.

"No! Stay here!" whispered Battra. Mosura reluctantly nodded, clutching her blanket. The boy exit their room, finding their father to have been attempting to fight off two mysterious men, dressed in dark clothing. Their faces were obscured by these strange suits. Their mother was beating a man with a bat.

The child was frozen in fright at the scene. He was unable to process what was going on. Suddenly, he found himself pulled out of the hall, towards a dark suit and masked man. His hand glowed with a magical aura.

"NO!" The mother shouted as she rushed towards the man with her bat raised. Before she could reach them, the man that she had beaten to the ground prior had drawn out a pistol. The magic bolt from the weapon shot through her back and out of her chest. The woman immediately dropped to the ground, falling flat on her face. Her eyes were wide, as though shocked. Tears welled up, as she saw the horrified look of her son. Her vision blurred, then darkened. The boy screamed for his mother as she perished before his eyes. The boy then noticed that one of the men had run into the bedroom of the siblings. Mosura let out a scream as he burst through.

"Mosura!" the father cried. He found himself overpowered by the two men. He was stabbed by one of them. He dropped as the knife was plunged deeper into his chest. He stared helplessly at his son, and his now deceased wife. How did things go so wrong?

As the boy continued to cry out to his parents, one of the men raised a glowing hand over his face. The boy suddenly went slack, having been rendered unconscious. The man held a COM on his chest.

"Candidates acquired. Returning now," said the masked figure, coldly.

Battra gasped as his red eyes shot wide open. He found himself staring at a metallic wall. The boy quickly rose himself up, finding himself confined in a metallic box. The boy panted as he rushed to the wall and began to beat his fists against it.

"Mosu! Mosura!" Battra cried. He suddenly felt a jolt against his palms, causing the boy to cry out. He fell back, as his hands bore burns. Something had shocked him. The boy winced as he felt some pain in his arms. He realized that he was dressed in a pair of dark sweatpants, and a short sleeved shirt. He noticed that his arms were covered in cotton bandages. These were the reason for why his arms felt soar. Or at least, they were hiding something.

Battra sat on the single mattress that lied in the middle of this cell. He buried his face into his knees, once his memories came flooding back. They were gone. His parents were dead. Mosura was nowhere in sight, so Battra could only assume the worse. He gritted his teeth as a few tears trailed down his cheek.

There was a sudden buzz. The wall suddenly slid to the side, revealing an older woman. She was Neighponese, with grey eyes, her skin slightly wrinkled, especially around her eyes, showing her age. Her dark hair was greying. She was dressed in a lab coat and skirt. A nametag with the name, 'Nakada' was pinned over her left breast.

"Ah. Good to see you finally awake," said Nakada.

"Wh-Who are you?" Battra suddenly stood, tensed up.

"Easy. You're still recovering from augmentation," said Nakada.

"Aug- What?" asked Battra. He stiffened as he saw a soldier to be standing outside of the cell, armed with a rifle. He immediately had memories of the men in black.

"Don't worry about him. He's security. Now, if you'll please come with me," said Nakada. Battra reluctantly looked to the woman, and then the soldier.

"Young sir, you have nothing to worry about. You're in a safe place. You and your sister were recovered from an unsavory group," said Nakada. Battra's eyes widened as he heard this. He shot up to his feet, prompting the guard to tense.

"Mosura? Where is she?! Is she-"

"Hold on. Your questions will be answered in due time. For now, I need you to come with me to answer some questions," said Nakada. Battra began to step off of his cot, his feet touching the cold floor. He was no longer hesitant. If there was a chance of him seeing his sister again, then he was going to take it.

Later, the boy found himself following Nakda through seemingly endless cold metallic halls. The soldier flanked him, keeping a firm grip on his rifle. Battra felt a head ache coming on. It seemed to have just suddenly come up. He was filled with a sense of anxiety. It was odd, considering that he swore that he was calm a few moments ago. This almost felt foreign to him. It was beginning to affect his balance, prompting him to stumble.

"Are you alright?" asked Nakada, noticing the boy's stumble.

"Just a little dizzy," said Battra with a wince. Nakada had an analytical look about herself. She continued on ahead, with Battra following in suite. Soon, the pair found themselves entering an office. Battra sat upon a small chair, in front of the desk of Nakada. The boy grimaced as he stared at his barefoot. It was awfully cold in this place. He'd kill for a pair of sandals or at least some socks.

"Now, I want you to answer these questions as honestly as you can, alright? First question. Have you been experiencing any issues with your head? Well, actually you already told me," said Nakada with a small laugh.

"Yeah. It uh... It's pretty bad actually," said Battra with a wince.

"Can you describe it?" asked Nakada.

"I don't know. Like someone's squeezing my head," said Battra. He then looked around, appearing confused.

"What's wrong?" asked Nakada.

"Did you hear that?" asked Battra.

"Hear what?" asked Nakada curiously.

"Is someone else here? I hear them," said Battra, looking around the office. But, it was rather small. No one else was here aside from the guard.

"It can't be him. It sounds like a woman," said Battra,

'How peculiar'. A voice spoke. Battra turned to Nakada in confusion.

"What's peculiar?" asked Battra. Nakada seemed to have stiffened at this. She cleared her throat, maintaining her composure.

"Nevermind. Next question. Are you experiencing any other pain on your person?" asked Nakada.

"Just sore on my arms. What did you do to me?" asked Battra, eyes narrowed.

"Do you feel irritable? Any anger problems?" asked Nakada. Battra's brows twitched in annoyance. He wondered why he was being pestered for such seemingly irrelevant questions. His patience was wearing thin.

"Look, I just want answers! Where am I? What did you do to me? And where is my sister?" demanded Battra.

"Hey! Get loud again and watch what happens!" barked the guard, drawing out a baton.

"Kenpachi Keno!" Nakada snapped. She glared at the man, who bore dark red hair. Battra looked over his shoulders, finding the man's dead fish eyes. Something about this man felt off. Just looking into his red eyes made the boy uncomfortable. Kenpachi put away his baton with a scoff.

"I'll be candid with you, young Yasu," said Nakada.

"How do you know my name?" asked Battra in shock.

"We managed to pull up your family records once our agents got you out of the custody of a group of criminals that were going to use you for nefarious purposes. You're currently in a MONARCH facility. Our country men saw it fit that you and a select number of others be integrated into MONARCH's military personnel," said Nakada.

"Why? I don't understand!" said Battra, incredulous.

"I know. But it was that or putting you in the system along with your sister. There's no guarantee that you two would be kept together," said Nakada. Battra grimaced.

"Why would you want to make a child a soldier?" asked Battra.

"Well, MONARCH is looking to create a new generation of super soldiers. You went under a procedure that will evolve modern warfare as we know it, in defense of Neighpon," said Nakada.

"But from what?" asked Battra.

"Lucky Dragon," said Nakada. Battra's eyes widened.

"The one called Alpha's been destroyed. But the other monster that was created might still be out there. They never found it after destroying the other. MONARCH needs its best. That includes our citizens. I hope that our country men can count on you to answer the call of duty," said Nakada. Battra's brows furrowed. It didn't seem right. He and his sister were just children. How could they expect him to take on this life? But, he didn't have a whole lot of options. His parents were dead. There was only he and his sister. He wasn't aware of any extended family. There was also the fear of those strange men coming back for him and his sister. For some reason, they came for them. This might have been their best shot of staying together.

Some days had passed. Battra found himself often confined to his cell. During these days, the boy had never had a chance to see his sister. He was only allowed out of this cold dark cell to meet with Nakada. It felt more like a daily checkup at the clinic. It had to do with the 'augmentations' that were done to him. Apparently he was given some kind of injections that were meant to make him stronger, so he could fair against the beast known as Lucky Dragon.

But, all Battra could feel was some soreness on his body, and the constant pounding of his head. The boy struggled to sleep one night, as he heard voices in the air, overlapping each other. Battra cried out as he covered his ears, gritting his teeth.

"Shut up! Shut up!" cried Battra.

The door to his cell suddenly opened. Kenpachi Keno entered the cell with an annoyed look.

"Hey! Shut it, you shit!" said Keno.

"My head!" cried Battra. Keno's expression only grew more annoyed. He sighed as he yanked the boy up and began to haul him out of the cell.

"Alright, just shut up! I'll take you to get looked at!" said Keno. He began to drag the boy through the hall, as he thrashed and squirmed in pain. Along the way, a guard came passing by.

"What the hell?" asked the guard.

"The lab rat's just being a pain. Tell me that bat's in her office," said Keno, impatient.

"She should be. She never leaves," said the guard.

"Good. I can dump this shit on her so I won't have to put up with his whining," said Keno as he dragged the boy along.

"Heh. I know that feeling. Damn kids," said the guard as he returned to his patrol.

Battra found himself lying inside of a metallic tube. The machine he lied within hummed loudly. The boy felt a sense of claustrophobia from being held inside this machine. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too much longer. He was allowed out.

Nakada had assured him that she would look over through the tests. Until she found the problem, she would provide medication to him to reduce the pain. But, that didn't last long.

It seemed that in no time, just a day later, Nakada had settled on a hypothesis that the boy had developed advanced cognitive functions, meaning that he was developing psychic abilities. In hindsight, this made sense to Battra. He was hearing voices from out of nowhere these days. He had thought that he may have been haunted by spirits.

The days went on with Nakada monitoring and testing the boy. The tests were often mundane and relative, but proved to provide valuable data for her. Soon, Battra was able to clearly read thoughts and broadcast his own to a subject. But now was the next test.

Battra stared at a mug, his expression hard. He looked to be straining as he stared at the mug. Nakada watched intently. The mug suddenly began to levitate into the air, prompting a wide grin on the woman's face. The mug suddenly dropped to the ground and shattered. Battra sighed in exhaustion, wincing.

"Spectacular! Telekinesis!" cried Nakada.

"Nakada-san, I've been doing these tests for you for days. You promised me that I'll be able to see my sister," said Battra, annoyed. Nakada cleared her throat, adjusting her glasses.

"I did. And you will tomorrow. I just needed to make sure that augmentation hasn't negatively affected you. But, you're showing promise," said Nakada. Battra ended up tuning out the woman. He wasn't interested in the woman's endeavors. He put up with her long enough. Soon, it was going to work out for him.

Before Battra knew It, the next day had come. He found himself in a new room. It was much like a classroom. Desks and chairs were in rows, facing a board and a large desk. Several children were present, dressed in similar clothes as he was. They all had anxious looks, as guards stood by the stone cold walls in the room.

"Battra-Nii!" A familiar voice called. Battra turned with a start. What he saw made his heart ache. His dear little sister was running to him, her arms outstretched. She looked to be well. The two siblings suddenly embraced each other. Mosura allowed her tears to fall, as she sobbed uncontrollably. The boy held her tightly, allowing his own tears to fall as well.

"Did they hurt you, sis?" asked Battra, sniffling.

"I'm OK. Or actually, no I'm not. They did something to me! I woke up with bandages when I first got here," cried Mosura.

"Yeah, we all did," said Battra, gesturing to the other kids. While he was waiting, he managed to prod some of the other children for information. It turned out that he wasn't the only one who underwent augmentation. Just as Nakada said.

"Battra, they said that mom and dad were murdered. By some kind of gang of elves," muttered Mosura.

"Yeah, that's what they told me to. I guess we really can't go home," said Battra. While he said this, he couldn't help but ponder the story he was told. Something about it seemed off. It didn't add up that an elf gang was kidnapping children. Their race was mainly prominent in the West. The more he thought of it, the more anxious he grew.

Another door suddenly opened. Everyone turned to find Nakada to be entering the classroom. She carried a briefcase, as she stepped to the front desk. She began to write her name down on the chalk board, while the children stood in silence and confusion.

"Good morning, class! You may call me Nakada Sensei! I will be one of your several teachers to provide your education," said Nakada.

"Education?" asked a girl, incredulous.

"Well, this is your home for now on. MONARCH is now your family. And a responsible family provides their children with knowledge. You'll need it if you're going to be warriors for Neighpon to defeat Lucky Dragon," said Nakada, drawing out items from her briefcase.

"But I'm not supposed to be here! Someone attacked my home and I woke up here!" said a boy. The others began to join in protest.

"I hate it here! I want my mom and dad!" cried a girl.

"Children, please! Settle down!" cried Nakada.

"We're sick of doing tests! Just let us go!" said Battra. As the kids grew more rowdy, the sound of a whistle blowing filled the air. The children cupped their ears in pain.

"Drill Sergeant, please!" said Nakada with a wince. The man in dark uniform ignored her. He stood at the front of the class, his hands behind his back as he stood tall.

"Listen up! You're here because all of you were victims of an attack by a ruthless criminal syndicate. Your parents, your homes, they're all gone now. These men wanted to use you for their own evil purpose. You must accept that," said the drill sergeant. The children were silent, and saddened as the story was once again hammered into them. They were always reminded that their families were gone and that there was no going back. This time, it seemed that they would have to accept that as reality. But, Battra was still skeptical. And this only made him more suspicious.

"If not for MONARCH, you'd all be dead or living on the streets. You be thankful that the GU has saw it fit to utilize you to serve your nation!" said the drill sergeant. Battra furrowed his brows.

"A warrior needs more than strength to win. He needs discipline and knowledge. Your teachers will give you that knowledge. I will be the one to help you hone your newfound strength," said the Drill Sergeant. The lights suddenly dimmed in the room. Mosura looked back and found a couple of soldiers to be in the back of the room, diming the lights. A projector suddenly came to life, projecting an image onto a sheet screen. It depicted a human subject getting a shot.

"You've all been injected by a substance whipped up by the Brainiacs that the Global Union has provided. This is what's given you all your newfound strengths and unique abilities," said the Drill Sergeant.

"Why you may ask? It's so that you'll be able to stand a chance when you go up against Neighpon's primary threat. We call it, Lucky Dragon," said the Drill Sergeant.

Images of a dragon-like creature were depicted. Each image displayed this horrible beast, snarling. Its claws and carnivorous teeth were all that the children could focus on, sending fear into their hearts.

"You all represent a new generation of warfare. Super soldiers. As of now, your existence is classified. Officially, you do not exist. As far as the world is concerned, you're dead. You will forget the names that your parents had given you. From this day forward, we will give you new names."

The children sat completely stunned. They were unable to protest. What could they say? It didn't seem like they'd be released. Even if they were, they'd have nowhere to go. A series of images appeared on screen.

"Your first assignment is to graduate through your classes. Gain as much knowledge as you can. You will learn the Equish language, the common tongue of the Global Union. You will learn the history of your country and the world. You will be taught math, and other general educational studies to allow you to function properly in the world. You will even be taught to obey and respect authority, especially the chain of command that you will be under. You are now one of us," said the Drill Sergeant. The MONARCH insignia was depicted behind a dark armored soldier, armed with a rifle. That was the last image to appear. Mosura gulped, as she stood with wide eyes. Battra hardened his expression. That was the last straw
Something was definitely fishy. What he knew for sure is that he and these children were only here to be used and exploited.

'Even liars hold grains of truth,' thought Battra.

A new week had begun. The children found themselves attending classes that would provide the education necessary to live and fit into their new lives. While school was mundane, Battra was thankful to be able to be out of the cell. Though after classes, he still had to be seen by Nakada to check up on his development. In the end, it was a better change of pace.

One day, Battra found himself passing through the hall with a guard escort. It was annoying to have these guys watch them 24/7, especially when a number of them were often annoyed with what they called 'babysitting'.

As Battra and his escort neared the restroom, they found a couple of guards, one of them being Keno Kenpachi, to be knelt on the ground. They appeared to be playing some card game. It looked like they had money on the line as well, with some yen bills that they had laid down. Battra found himself stopping when his escort did.

"You guys gambling? Let me get in on this," said the escort.

"Don't you have somewhere to be with the brat?" asked Keno.

"Nah he just went to the bathroom. You don't mind waiting, right Yasu-kun? No kid likes to sit in a boring classroom," said the escort. Battra sighed. He supposed that he didn't have any reason to object. If he had to, he could make up a story to justify the time of bring away. If they get in trouble, at least he could just blame the escort. Without saying anything, Battra took a seat against the wall.

The boy sat and watched in boredom. While he couldn't see the cards, he knew what they had. His telepathic abilities allowed him to bypass their poker faces. After some time, Keno was racking up the winnings. He chuckled smugly.

"Looks like it's my lucky day!" said Keno. Battra furrowed his brows, while the other guards groaned in dismay.

"He's cheating," said Battra. This drew the men's attention.

"What?" asked the escort.

"Kenpachi's cheating. He uses slight of hand to steal the best cards and switches them out," said Battra.

"Ha! Crazy kid. What do you know?" Kenpachi scoffed. The other guards looked to him in suspicion.

"I know that you're hiding an ace in your left gauntlet," said Battra. Kenpachi seemed to grow pale at this.

"Heh. What-"

"Take off the gauntlet," said the escort, glaring at Kenpachi.

"Hey, come on. You aren't actually taking what he says seriously." Kenpachi scoffed.

"Take it off." The escort growled. The red haired guard furrowed his brows as he began to undo his gauntlet. The armor unclipped from Kenpachi's forearm, dropping a card to the ground. As Battra had said, it was an ace. Kenpachi chuckled nervously.

"So I guess you won't mind atoning for this by giving up all of what you put down to us," said the escort with a smirk, as he began to scoop the money over to himself. Kenpachi narrowed his eyes in response. He glared at Battra.

"Ah don't be mad at the kid. It's not his fault that you're a dirty cheater," chuckled the escort, before splitting the money with the other guard.

Later, Battra found himself being escorted to class. The escort had a smirk on his face.

"Thanks for the heads up , kid. I just made some money off of that dumb bastard. I sure won't be playing cards with him ever again," said the escort.

"He was just getting on my nerves. I can't stand the smugness he had," said Battra. The guard chuckled.

Later that evening, Battra found himself lying asleep in his cell. However, he found himself roused from his slumber. The sound of buzzing filled his cell, along with the sliding of the metallic door.

Battra raised his head, as his eyes struggled to remain open from his drowsiness. He saw that a figure was standing in the doorway of his cell.

"Hey, brat," a masculine voice sang. It took a moment, but Battra's eyes adjusted, allowing him to recognize the one who had entered his cell. It was Keno Kenpachi. The guard approach, wielding his baton in his hand, just as the cell door closed behind him. Battra barely had a moment to react, as Kenpachi ignited the baton's electric function. He suddenly began to swing the baton at the boy, causing him to cry out in pain. Battra found himself beaten by the baton. The blunt force, and the combined electric charge sent him into a state of agony.

"I'll teach you for screwing me, little shit!" said Kenpachi, as he grabbed the child by the hair and forced him against the wall, where he beat his baton against his arms. After what felt like hours, Battra found himself lying in in his cot, whimpering in pain. His skin on his upper arms and beneath his clothes had began to bruise over. There were even burns that were seared in his skin from the baton. Kenpachi stood over him, panting. He had a satisfied smile on his face. The man let out a sigh as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He knelt next to Battra, holding the ignited end of the baton near the boy's face, who instinctively recoiled back.

"You breathe a word about this, I'll hurt ya worse," said Kenpachi with a whisper. Battra said nothing. All he did was tremble around the man's cold gaze. If he wasn't sure before, now he was certain. This man was not right in his mind.

It was the next day. The children attended class and were taught a number of subjects for 8 hours straight. It was tiring, but it was much preferable than being cooped up in those cold cells all day. Plus, it was nice to see other kids around rather than a bunch of scary soldiers with guns.

While education was important, whoever was running this operation was kind enough to allow some free time for the children. They were allowed one recess a day, which lasted almost an hour. This was after lunch. The children were allowed to play in a gymnasium-like room. It was large enough to allow plenty of space. There was an area where a basketball court lied. There were spots reserved for drawing with chalk on the concrete floor, and there was an area where tables lied. Here, board games lied. There was a number activities available for the children.

Battra often found himself close to his little sister. The pair didn't care too much to interact with the other children that they've been living with. This place didn't seem ideal for social interaction. The two siblings sat at the games area as they watched as some of the other kids play.

"How can they play knowing that the lives they knew are gone?" asked Mosura, incredulous.

"I guess it's their way of trying to cope," said Battra, propping his chin on the table. The girl sighed. She looked to her brother, noticing some bruises on his upper arm.

"When did you get that?" asked Mosura. Battra cleared his throat as he forced his sleeve down as much as he could. But that was difficult, considering that he was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt.

"It's nothing. Don't worry," said Battra. Mosura frowned. She was able to see through him with just a look.

"You should tell someone. I notice that some of the guards are pretty nasty people," said Mosura. She read quite a few minds during her time here. Nasty was putting it mildly. Battra scoffed. He'd be a fool to try and tell someone what had happened to him after his experience from the previous night. He was afraid if Kenpachi would hurt other kids if he heard one of them spreading the word about last night.

"You'd have to be nasty if you could stomach pointing a gun at kids forced to stay here like prisoners," said Battra. His eyes fell upon barred balconies, overlooking the 'playground'. He saw guards walking along, their eyes on the children. In their hands were of course their rifles. It didn't make sense for them to treat children this way. Mosura sighed.

"Why is this happening?" muttered Mosura. Battra brought an arm around his sister and pulled her close. The girl leaned on his shoulder, embracing the warmth that he gave. Battra knew that the two only had each other now. With that in mind, he swore on his own soul to protect her.

While lost in thought, he took notice of two particular boys. One of them had thick, spiky brown hair that gave his head a star-like appearance. The other had a bit of a tannish skin tone. His Neighponese traits weren't very strong, meaning that he may have been interracial. They sat on a bench, not necessarily together. They just watched as the other children played.

"Hey, do you ever see those kids hang out with anyone?" asked Battra, pointing ahead. Mosura looked and saw the pair of boys to be sitting at the bench.

"I don't think so," said Mosura. As she continued to look, she saw the sadness that was in their eyes.

"I'll be back," said Mosura, before standing up. She began to walk over to the bench.

Battra just sat in silence. He watched as Mosura conversed with the boy's, unable to hear their exchange of dialogue. Battra's eyes began to wander around this facility, finding the guards to be lounging about at their posts. They conversed, leaned against railings, or even played cards. They didn't seem interested in keeping an eye on the children.

Battra noticed that Kenpachi was looking his way. The two's eyes met. The boy felt a chill in his soul as he looked into the man's eyes. He felt like he was looking into a void rather than a man. Battra felt fear. But, it wasn't caused by the glare that Kenpachi was giving him. It was the emptiness within.

Battra was knocked out his petrified state once he realized that his sister had returned. Along with those two boys that sat alone. They all took a seat.

"I don't think I've gotten your names. I'm Yasu Mosura. This is my big brother, Battra," said Mosura, a friendly smile on her face.

"My name is Riku Angirasu," greeted the brown haired boy. His tone small and sad.

"Hey. I'm Shou Rodan," greeted the red haired boy, managing to crack a smile.

"So... Rough day, huh?" asked Battra, awkwardly. He needed something to get his mind off of Kenpachi.

"Awful," said Angirasu.

"Like every other day?" asked Mosura.

"Uh huh." Rodan nodded. There was an awkward silence. The kids suddenly began to break into chuckles and laughs. Battra felt relief from tension at the sound of their own laughter.

"I know that we shouldn't pretend everything's OK, but I'm pretty bored," said Mosura, sheepishly.

"I think there are some games here that we can all play," said Battra, standing up from his seat. He began to make his way to an area, where many board games were stored. He found games that he recognized. From Shogi, to Othello. But some of these games only allowed two players. But, then the boy came across a large box. He drew it out, finding a set of bold Neighponese characters.

"Hmm. 'The Hellish Game of Life'. Never played this before," said Battra.

"Me neither. Looks crazy," said Rodan, wide eyed.

"I've played it. More than 2 people can play at a time," interjected Angirasu.

"Really? Can you teach us how?" asked Mosura. Angirasu nodded. Battra smiled as he approached with the game.

"Then let's play."

Battra panted as he found himself drenched in sweat. He found himself along with the other children to be doing intense exercises. From pushups, jumping jacks, and running laps on a track, built inside of a large room. This particular room was built to be quite large, about twice the size of his old school's gymnasium. The facility was lit up by lamps high above. In the center of the ceiling, there were windows that allowed some natural sunlight in the gymnasium. It had been so long since the boy had seen the sun's light.

In the center of the room, there was an obstacle course that was set up, inside of the track that went around the gymnasium. After these intense warmups, the children were made to run the course. This time, there were stakes. The last team to reach the goal would not have dinner. This had boosted a lot of motivation in the children to give their all. As if being cooped up in their cells were bad enough. Going to bed hungry was just another torment to be added to their new lives.

Battra grunted as he hauled himself up over a platform. He found his sister, Angirasu and Rodan to be following a bit behind. They struggled to keep up and to climb the high leveled platforms. All the while, some of the other children breezed past them. Mosura grunted as she and Rodan strained to pull Angirasu up onto the platform.

"Battra!" Mosura called. Battra looked back to the end of the course, where the other children continued to run. At the end, he found a bell to be resting on a tall pole, which they are to climb and ring to finish the course. He cursed to himself as he rushed back and helped Angirasu up.

"I'm sorry, guys! We're gonna lose because of me!" cried Angirasu.

"Just keep moving!" said Battra.

The kids continued on the course. Battra led the pack, hoping onto small platforms that were suspended above ground on rope. He hoped and skipped above the ground, which bore mats down below, should the children fall. They climbed walls, moved through narrow tubes, and slipped through cramp spaces.

"Agh!" Rodan exclaimed as he felt himself shoved aside, falling to the ground. The kid who shoved him quickly rushed further down. Battra swooped over to Rodan and helped him up to his feet.

"Don't give up! We can still do this!" said Battra.

Battra and his team continued on until they reached the final obstacle. The children had all began to climb up the metallic pole, where they rang the bell on top and hopped onto the finishing platform.

Battra hung behind, as he waited for Angirasu, Mosura and Rodan to catch up. One by one, they all began to climb up the pole. Before Battra could follow, Mosura exclaimed. He raised his head and gasped as he found the girl having lost her grip. The sweat she was drenched in and the metallic surface of the pole had caused her to slip and fall. Before she could hit the ground, she found herself hovering just inches above floor. She gasped in shock, finding her brother to be holding his hands out, trembling and wincing. He struggled to maintain his telekinesis, so he lowered her to the ground.

"You OK?" asked Battra, rushing to the girl.

"Y-Yeah. I just... Did you actually just...?" Mosura stared, wide eyed. Battra began to look at his hands, wincing as his head began to throb. He began to recall his physicals with Nakada. She had come up with another hypothesis that his psychic abilities had the ability to act as a force that could interact with physical objects. It seemed that hypothesis was correct.

The two realized that they were being passed up by the rest of the remaining children.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Mosura.

"OK, hurry up there! I'll boost you!" said Battra. Mosura rushed up to the pole and began to climb. She panted a she struggled to climb up further, her tired body threatened to give. Suddenly, Battra raised his hands, his telekinesis pushing the girl up.

"AH!' Mosura yelped as she was pushed up to the top of the pole. She quickly rung the bell and hopped onto the last platform. Battra began to climb the pole himself. But before he could climb further, he felt his ankle grabbed. The boy cried out as he was pulled off and thrown to the ground. He groaned as he lied on his back. He found a boy to be climbing in his place. Battra wasn't going to let him get away with that.

Battra grunted as he grabbed the boy and pulled him down. The two began to throw punches at each other. Both growled and snarled as they rolled along the ground.

"Battra!" exclaimed Mosura in horror.

"Come on! Kick his ass so we can win!" shouted one of the other children, from the attacker's team. The children hooted and shouted as they watched the two boys below fight.

"Should we stop this?" asked one of the guards, overlooking the fight. The drill sergeant merely kept a stoic look.

"No, let 'em fight for it. It's what we're training them for," said the drill sergeant.

Battra found himself at a disadvantage. The boy he fought had some pounds over him, along with height. Being a larger kid allowed him to overpower Battra in terms of strength. The raven haired boy growled as he glared at his opponent, who came charging with a fist raised. His psychic powers began to work against him. The larger boy cried out as he clutched his head and dropped to his knees. His head felt like it was being squeezed and stretched. Battra kept up his psychic attack. However, the larger boy shouted as he pushed through his pain and shoved Battra off of the platform they stood on.

Mosura screamed in horror, as her brother plummeted down to the matts below. He slammed onto the ground on his back. Battra groaned weakly as he lied on the ground. It wasn't a very long drop, but it was high enough that could cause injury to a child. With the augmentations, Battra managed to fall without breaking any bones or having serious trauma. But, it certainly wasn't a soft landing either.

The boy that had knocked him down quickly climbed up the pole, before ringing the bell. The boy sighed in relief, while the rest of the children just stared wide eyed, as Battra lied on the ground below. A medical team rushed over to the boy. Mosura bit her lip, a whimper escaping her.

The day soon came to an end. The children found themselves back in their cells for the night. Meanwhile, Nakada found herself in a room, glaring at the drill Sergeant.

"What you did was irresponsible and appalling! You're lucky that neither were seriously injured!" said Nakada.

"Don't get emotional, doctor. This is what they're training for," said the Drill Sergeant. Nakada narrowed her eyes. She had to refrain from making an outburst at the man's words.

"Drill Sergeant, these are not machines! These are children! And I expect you to take care of them. Meaning to take precaution to avoid incidents such as this! Otherwise, Director Onyx will hear about this!" said Nakada. The Drill Sergeant furrowed his brows.

"Let's get one thing straight, doctor. I don't take orders from you. My job is to turn these children into lethal soldiers that can bring down Lucky Dragon and other threats as grand. Your job is to run checkups and keep track of development. Do not mistake these children for your own. Otherwise, it will be I who informs the Director of a concern," said the drill Sergeant. The two were deadlocked in a staring contest.

"Just make sure that they don't actually kill each other, lest you find yourself short on soldiers," Nakada spat.

"Get out of my office," growled the drill sergeant. Nakada merely turned and stepped out of the office. She slammed the door shut and stormed through the hall. She wondered how she found herself working with such an inhuman bastard.

Later, Nakada began to make her way to one of the cell blocks. On her journey, she recalled the new data that she was able to gain. After looking over the two boys involved in the scuffle, she found out Battra's psychic abilities could be used offensively. From the other boy's testimony, Battra may have used his mental abilities to inflict mental pain. Meaning that whatever pain the child felt was all in his head. That may prove troublesome as he continues to develop.

Nakada found herself making her way towards a cell. She took a breath as she peered through a narrow slot. She found Battra to be lying on his side in bed.

"Yasu-kun?" called Nakada, her voice gentle.

"Go away." Battra spoke, coldly.

"Are you still in pain? If you are, all you need to do is tell me," said Nakada. The boy said nothing.

"I... I thought I'd leave something for you. As an apology for what happened earlier." Nakada reached into her pocket and drew out a sealed chocolate bar. She slipped the candy through the slot and allowed it to drop. Battra raised his head, finding it by the sealed door.

"Don't tell anyone. It'll be our secret." Nakada whispered, offering a playful wink. The boy let out a small, gracious smile.

"Goodnight, dear," said Nakada, before sealing the slot closed. She sighed, a frown growing on her face. She was warned about forming attachments in this job. But, it was difficult when working with numerous children every day. These conditions would not be good for their overall mental health. So, she had to do what she could, so that these children would remain humane. Not cold hearted machines.

The weeks rolled by, turning into months. The children found themselves continuously educated by teachers in a single sealed classroom. Equish may have been the least tiring and more enjoyable of subjects for the children to learn. Considering this was one of the biggest requirements for them.

Just like the classes, physical education was also growing more intense. The children found themselves still running obstacle courses, enduring long runs, and other exercises. The Drill Sergeant was callous, driving the children to work harder. He gave no sympathy to any child who whined or complained. If there was any of that, or any back talk, the Drill Sergeant ordered the child to drop to the ground and give a number of pushups. The reps grew more every time the child complained.

During 'Physical Education', it wasn't uncommon for there to be incidents. Children often found themselves getting hurt, tiring out completely, some even getting into fights during a competitive exercise with their next meal on the line. Everything that Nakada had tried to warn against went ignored. It also didn't help that now the children were participating in combat training.

"AH!" Mosura cried out as she tripped and fell to the ground. She whimpered as she clutched her foot.

"Mosura!" Battra cried, as he, Rodan and Angirasu rushed over to the girl.

"Yasu-chan, what's wrong?!" asked Rodan.

"M-My ankle! It hurts!" cried Mosura, tearing up.

"Hey! What's all of this?!" the Drill Sergeant stormed over.

"She's hurt, Drill Sergeant!" cried Angirasu. The man looked at the whimpering girl, who held her foot, weeping. His expression was cold.

"Medic," the Drill Sergeant called, his tone cold. Battra furrowed his brows, as a man rushed over, carrying the girl away from the track. Battra began to follow.

"Cadet, where do you think you're going?" questioned the Drill Sergeant, his tone stern.

"To check on my sister. Sir." Battra responded. Though he had to force himself to address the man respectfully. Truth be told, he disliked him the most, second to Keno Kenpachi.

"The medic has her. Now unless you want to add more laps, I suggest you all get back to running!" barked the Drill Sergeant.

"Sir, yes sir!" The children cried, before returning to running. Battra merely furrowed his brows, eyes narrowed at the adult. He began to run back onto the track. The Drill Sergeant held a hard expression as he watched the boy. He began to make his way to the side, where he found Kenpachi to be standing.

"Kids. Always testing your patience," said Kenpachi.

"Insubordination is something that we can't tolerate. Especially with them," said the Drill Sergeant.

"Well, you make them do pushups and force them to clean the quarters and barracks. What more can you do to discipline a misbehaving brat?" asked Kenpachi.

"Perhaps a classic approach is needed. I hope that you're willing and able?"

Kenpachi merely smirked. He patted his baton that hung on his hip.

"No skin off my nose. Just make sure you keep the doc off my back."

Later that evening, Battra found himself lying in his bed, staring up at the metallic ceiling. Fortunately, they were allowing Mosura to sit out future exercises due to her injury for awhile. She would still have to attend class, however.

The boy looked over his side, where a small empty cup lied. It once contained a 'medication' that they've been giving to him and Mosura as of late. Twice a day, morning and evening, they took this drug. Nakada claimed it was to help with any pain they may experience with their advanced cognitive abilities. But, Battra knew better.

The truth was that it was meant to suppress their psychic abilities. While MONARCH was training them to be soldiers, they actually feared his potential. But he wondered what they'd have to fear if they were using him for the good of the world.

Nonetheless, Battra took the medication. There was no sense in getting in trouble over it, especially when he's being constantly monitored in his cell.

The boy sighed heavily. With the rate of injuries and incidents occurring, Battra wondered if any of them were going to make it. He was starting to think that a life of homelessness would be preferable to this.

The door to his cell suddenly opened. Battra raised his head, his eyes widening. Kenpachi stepped inside, meeting him with a smirk.

"Hey, brat. The Drill Sergeant hasn't been too happy with your attitude as of late. He's hoping that I can help fix that." Kenpachi chuckled as he raised his baton. Electricity sparked to life at the end of the baton, crackling in the air.

It was another day. Battra found himself sitting on a bench in silence. His expression was hard, as he stared across the training hall. He found Kenpachi to be conversing. The boy instinctively clenched his teeth. Memories from the previous night were still fresh in his mind. Even his burns and bruises beneath his shirt felt as though they were just inflicted on him.

"Cadet Yasu, you're up!" barked the Drill Sergeant. Battra let out a long exhale through his nostrils before rising to his feet. He made his way to the square may, where he found another child. It was the large boy who had knocked him off the obstacle course. Just what he needed. An excuse to hit someone.

The two boys suddenly rushed towards each other. They sent jabs and kicks at each other. They drew from muscle memory and the official training that they had been going through. Battra countered his opponent with a right hook, sending him staggering. He then grabbed his opponent by the arm and forced him to the ground. With his legs locked around his arm, Battra pinned the boy to the floor, as he pulled. His opponent shouted as he mustered up his strength and managed to raise the raven haired boy into the air, before slamming him back down.

Battra found himself rolling away from his opponent, who had size and strength over him. Not to mention pain tolerance. Battra winced as he felt his torso ache and burn terribly. The combat training did him no favors. But, the boy persevered.

The boy lunged for his foe, swinging his fist at him. However, the opponent merely caught him by the wrist. He forced Battra's arm to the side and sent a powerful kick to the boy's gut, sending him flying to the edge of the mat. Battra wheezed as he clutched his gut.

Meanwhile, the guards and Drill Sergeant watched from the sidelines. They observed as Battra forced himself up, still wheezing. The two boys returned to fighting, both attempting to overpower the other. But, the larger boy seemed to have had the advantage.

"Man, look at how those kids move. It's almost inhuman," said a guard, in awe.

Battra panted as he found himself staggering. He cried out as his foe knocked him off of his feet. The raven haired boy lied on his back, exhausted. He cried out as a boot stepped on his chest, sending more pain into his body, as the heel grinded on his burns and bruises hidden beneath. He glared at the Drill Sergeant, who looked down on him without a shred of sympathy. All he had was disappointment.

"Use your martial arts training, boy! You may be getting faster and stronger, but there will always be someone who better!" barked the Drill Sergeant. Battra growled as the man stepped off of him, leaving the mat. The boy staggered to his feet, clenching his fists as he glared at the Drill Sergeant, who had his back turned to him. How tempting it was to run at him and pounce, like a predator in the jungle. But, the boy restrained himself. He staggered off of the mat and sat himself down onto the bench, where he watched the other children participate in their hand to hand combat training.

The year seemed to have rolled by quickly. The children had moved up in their class, studying more advanced subjects that were suitable for their age and progress. Often times, Battra would occupy his down time in his cell by getting some studying done. With the knowledge he was gaining, he was starting to advance faster than the rest of his peers. Honestly, occupying his time studying felt more productive and much more stimulating.

Battra noticed Mosura to be groaning as she sat at the desk next him, holding her side. He leaned close.

"What's wrong?" whispered Battra.

"I've just been hurting today. I don't know why." Mosura whispered back.

"Maybe you need to use the bathroom," said Battra. The girl grimaced.

"Maybe." She raised her hand, catching her math teacher's attention.

"Excuse me, Sensei. I need to use the restroom," said Mosura.

"OK. Would one of you escort her?" asked the teacher. One of the guards stiffened. He groaned in annoyance.

"Ugh. Fine. Hurry up," said the soldier. Mosura winced as she stood up, holding her side. She followed the soldier out of the classroom. Battra sighed heavily. Things never seemed to change. The children were treated as mere nuisances by the guards. But, that wouldn't be so bad if not for what goes on when not many are looking. Battra himself had experienced abuse by a couple of the people who run this asylum. Mainly, Keno Kenpachi.

Kenpachi seemed to really have it out for him in particular. Battra couldn't fathom why though. He surely couldn't have been still sore about the card game incident. It didn't seem rational. But, rational may be lost on him. Battra always had sense a bad vibe from him. He couldn't explain it, but Battra suspected that he enjoyed inflicting pain. It seemed to be the only logical reason as to why he wouldn't hesitate to beat him. Even when the bastard Drill Sergeant arranged a 'special' type of disciplinary action for him, Kenpachi was always the one to administrate it himself. But what Battra couldn't figure out is why.

Soon, Mosura was brought back to the classroom. With her was not the guard that she left with. Instead, it was Kenpachi. Battra felt knots in his stomach. The teacher bore an odd look.

"Where's the Corporal?"

"Ah! The cap wanted to see him. He'll be back later. I just made sure this one got back," said Kenpachi with a chuckle. Battra looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. Mosura made her way back to her seat, her eyes downcast. Battra noticed that the girl was pale, trembling like a leaf. Her body language was that of defense, as she held her arms and sat low in her seat. The boy clenched his teeth, as his heart raced.

It was recess. By now, the children appeared to have been growing fast. While 10 and 11 years of age, they were showing early signs of puberty. An effect of the mutagenic process which seemed to have been accelerating hormone production for growth.

This has allowed for P.E. to become more intense. As the Drill Sergeant thought it necessary to take advantage of the children's early development.

The Mutant 4, comprised of Battra, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu, found themselves at the game area as usual. They were playing the Hellish Game of Life, which had become a favorite among the group. The kids were playing, but Mosura sat in silence as she held her arms.

"Mosura-chan, it's your turn," said Rodan. The girl flinched as her name was called. She began to spin the dial, which landed on a number. She then began to half heartedly move her piece.

"Um.... You have to pick a card," said Angirasu.

"Guys, I think I'll sit this one out today," said Mosura, her tone small. The boys looked at each other in confusion. Battra looked to his sister in concern.

"Mosura, are you OK?" asked Battra.

"Are you still in pain? Maybe you should ask for a nurse," said Angirasu.

"N-No, it's not that. I uh..." Mosura was about to speak but stopped. The girl whimpered as she lowered her head to the table.

"It's nothing..." muttered Mosura. Battra frowned. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew that something was bothering his sister. The more he thought of it, the more anxious he grew.

"Hey, did you guys hear what happened?" whispered Rodan.

"Hear what?" asked Angirasu.

"Do you know Takino-chan?" asked Rodan, motioning his head to a girl, who sat by a wall alone, her knees held close to herself.

"What about her?" asked Battra.

"Well, I heard that she was... Well..." Rodan appeared hesitant to speak.

"What?" asked Angirasu, confused. Mosura raised her head, her eyes full of dread. Her telepathy had registered what the boy was trying to say.

"Some creep touched her," said Mosura. Battra and Angirasu looked at the girl incredulously. Then they looked to Rodan for confirmation.

"Yeah... Thanks, Mosura-chan. I wasn't sure how to put it," said Rodan.

"Please don't thank me for that," said Mosura. Battra raised a brow at her.

"That's horrible. Who was it?" asked Angirasu.

"No clue. But I heard that it might have been one of the guards," said Rodan.

"You mean they haven't even found anyone to punish?" asked Angirasu in disbelief. Battra scoffed.

"Why would they? This place is crawling with scumbags. I wouldn't put it past them," said Battra. Mosura whimpered. Battra grimaced. He had a knot in his gut at his sister's behavior. She had been this way since she got back from the bathroom an hour ago.

"Mosu, if you ever need to talk-"

"I'm fine!" said Mosura, slamming her fists on the table. This startled the boys. Mosura looked away.

"Sorry. I guess I'm grouchy because of the pain. I'll see if I can be excused from class for the rest of the day," said Mosura.

"Yeah, good idea."

Battra clenched his teeth. Now, he was certain that something was wrong with the girl. He didn't have to peak into her head, nor did he have to press further with questions. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed on Kenpachi, who was conversing with one of the other guards. The Transmutant's hand clenched into a fist, trembling.

Later that evening, Battra found himself lying in his cell. His eyes were closed, as he slumbered. However, the waking world kept him tethered. He began to toss and turn. It was impossible to sleep. Not with the events of today burned into his mind. His sister was frightened. She tried her best not to show it but it was futile. She tried to keep it secretive, but Battra was able to put two and two together.

Battra gritted his teeth as he buried his face into his pillow, trying to sleep. But, his conscience nagged him. It warned him of the danger that lurked. His sister wasn't going to speak about whatever happened. The boy didn't care what Kenpachi did to him, but the thought of him hurting his dear little sister made his blood boil. This was a terrible place to be in. No longer was he accepting of the conditions. They were growing more unbearable by the day. Something had to be done. He had to protect his sister.

The sound of Mosura's screams suddenly filled the boy's mind. He shot up with a gasp, having registered the telepathy that was broadcasted through the air. He began to fear the worse, especially when the alarm began to blare. Battra began to beat his fists on the cell door, but was met with a static shock.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Battra cried. But, no answer came from the intercom. He continued to beat his fists against the door, pushing through the sparks that jolted against him. He could only think about his sister, who may very well have been in danger. He continued on but to no avail.

Suddenly, the door opened. Battra's expression hardened once he found Kenpachi to be standing outside, along with a couple of other guards. All had their batons drawn.

"Cut that shit out unless you want another beating!" shouted Kenpachi, igniting his baton.

Without thinking, Battra suddenly lunged for the man, tackling him to the ground. The boy gave blood curdling cries as he began to attack Kenpachi, not missing a beat with his quick and strong strikes. He was in a blind rage. All he could think of was the abuse he was put through by this man, and the sister that was in trouble. During this, he subconsciously began to peer into Kenpachi's mind.

Battra was able to see the memories of this man. Battra saw his life as a boy, who he himself was abused. Abused by his own family. He was beaten, screamed at, locked in a room, things that no parent should do to their child.

During his assault, Battra was able to see more visions. This man hated his mother the most. A pink haired woman, with eyes dead like a fish. She often belittled the father, who was older than the woman himself. His youth had been passing faster than the woman's, who maintained her looks. All of this was done in front of Kenpachi. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

To make up for her lack of satisfaction from her older husband, the mother often sought to satisfy herself on a young teenage Kenpachi. The images were quick, but Battra was able to understand what he saw. He saw a child's innocence being robbed by his own mother. Someone who was supposed to love and protect him.

The images continued, with the boy finding himself as an elder brother. He too had a sister. But, he was never close to her. In fact, he often kept to himself, away from the girl. But, the little sister always flocked to him, like a duckling. But, the brother would rarely reciprocate affection for her, who's hair and eyes reminded him much of his mother's.

It wasn't until Kenpachi grew older was he able to get away from that unloving house. But, he brought demons along with him. Battra was able to see the more recent events. He sensed the rush Kenpachi got whenever he beat him. In a flash, Battra was able to see the long, unnerving stares he had at the young girls in this facility. Among them being Mosura.

The visions were suddenly caught up. Battra found himself yanked off of Kenpachi by the other two guards, who held the boy back. Kenpachi wiped the blood from his nose, his face having grown swollen.

"YOU BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU-" Battra was suddenly struck in the face by the soldier's baton. Kenpachi began to beat him with his baton, while the other guards kept him in place.

"Not so tough are ya? HUH?!" Koizumi struck the boy again.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Kenpachi stopped and turned to find a horrified Nakada to be standing just down the hall. The guard merely pointed his baton at her with a harsh glare.

"GET YOU'RE ASS BACK TO YOUR OFFICE, YOU FUCKING EGGHEAD!" Kenpachi then turned and went back to beating Battra. Nakada rushed over, before latching onto the man's arm.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Nakada shouted. Kenpachi merely shoved her back and went back to beating Battra.

"I'm done! Toss him back in!" Kenpachi shouted, before holstering his baton. The two guards hurled the boy back in his cell, before sealing it shut. Nakada staggered to her feet, but was shoved out of the way by Kenpachi.

"Move! Stupid bitch!" Kenpachi barked as he stormed through the hall, followed by the other two guards.

"One of the subjects breached containment! Initiate lockdown!" a voice on Nakada's COM shouted, frantic. The woman gasped as she heard the sound of a loud inhuman shriek in the air.

---

Several days had passed after that night. Onyx found himself at his desk in his office, off site of the facility where these new 'super soldiers' were being held. He had a hard expression as he sat, staring at a radio. His hand gripped the small hand held microphone, a rather square-like object, connected to the radio.

"I thought that your team solved the problem with Lucky Dragon and Alpha. Why is it that I'm getting reports of transmutation from some of the subjects?!"

News of the incident of one of the subjects going on a rampage in the facility quickly reached him as soon it had happened. As if that wasn't bad enough, more reports of other subjects transforming into creatures were reaching his desk as well. If not for the staff being on guard after the incident with the one codenamed, 'Angel', Onyx feared that it would have led to another Alpha and Lucky Dragon incident. He was not pleased with the failure of the geneticists' attempt to rectify the problem with these new subjects.

"Director, we may just be at a dead-end. It seems that there's nothing that we can do about transmutation if we're enhancing them through foreign genetic templates as these. It's like this is the natural outcome of rewriting their genetic structure with the material," said Nakada, over the radio.

"As if we didn't have enough trouble with the adults. Have there been any behavioral changes in the subjects that showed signs of transmutation?" asked Onyx.

"There have been minor increases in aggression and aversions to bright lights. But, we're keeping them sedated. We've managed to get the subjects to change back and have confined them to their cells for now," said Nakada. Onyx sighed. It wasn't the best news, but at least it wasn't getting worse. Still, they couldn't be too careful.

"I want all of the children confined to their cells until further notice. No one is allowed out," said Onyx.

"B-But sir, I don't think that's the best course of action. We may have better results if we allow them to continue as normal. They've already been through-"

"This is not up for debate, Doctor! You are to follow my orders! I am not going to allow another one of these things to run loose out in the world and jeopardize this project! Do not let your personal feelings get in the way of this!" Onyx barked over the COM.

"Understood, sir," said Nakada.

"Over and out," growled Onyx, before placing the microphone onto the radio. He sighed heavily, rubbing his brows. He was beginning to have second thoughts about allowing this woman to remain at this facility. As of late, he's been getting reports of her hampering the progress for the project. But unfortunately, her bleeding heart may have been what is keeping at least a number of these children in line. Well, all save for one.

Onyx cleared his throat as he began to turn the dial on the radio. Once he found the channel that he desired, he picked up the microphone.

"Come in. Do you read?" asked Onyx. The radio crackled.

"I read you, Director." A voice responded.

"I've received a report from one of the guards at the facility. He claims that 'Night Angel' has demonstrated aggression and may prove to be hazardous. I want the subject removed from his usual routine and transferred with the adults," said Onyx.

"The failed subjects? Are you sure?" asked the voice, confused.

"Of course. He's a failure as well," said Onyx, his expression cold.

"Understood. We'll move him right away," said the voice.

In Onyx's eyes, any subject that shows anything similar to Lucky Dragon and proved to be too much of a danger to MONARCH was deemed a failed experiment. The adults were tested on first before they resorted to kidnapping children. They thought it'd be easier to indoctrinate and control them at such a younger age. They may even get better results in their development if they had yet to hit puberty. But, Onyx had to consider going after younger subjects. The children were still too old. Battra had proved to be a liability.

For now, the boy would be moved away from the other children. He'll have to see how the project develops for the others. But, the boy might still be able to serve a purpose after all, even if it's not as a soldier.

The sound of a loud buzzing filled the air. Then came the screech and grind of metal, along with the grinding of gears.

Battra winced as he emerged from a dark corridor, the bright lights putting a strain on his eyes. The boy found himself in another large room. It almost reminded him of the room that he and the other children were allowed in during recess. However, there were many adults that resided here instead of children.

There was a basketball court, and a separate area where gym equipment lied. From benches, weights, all for muscle building. Battra found himself walking close to the walls, growing anxious. A number of these adults were large and rather intimidating. Some bore tattoos that covered their arms or faces. Battra felt like he was shipped to a common prison for criminals.

The boy was eyed by the rather stern looking men. Battra gulped as he retreated to an area, where several tables lied. The boy took a seat, alone. This was his life now. He was a prisoner. Or maybe he always was, and it took today for him to realize it.

The boy spent the hour isolated from the adults. There was a loud buzz that alerted the prisoners that it was time to return to their cells. Battra made his way to his cell. He warily eyed the guards that stood above. They looked to be more focused compared to the other guards that watched the children. He doubt they'd go easy on him just because he was a kid.

Battra noticed a corridor that ran through this great room. At the end was a much larger and heavier metallic door. Curiosity had the child, as his stare lingered far too long.

"GET IN YOUR CELL!" A guard shouted. Battra was startled out of his wits. He rushed to the small corridor in the wall, leading to his cell. He entered, allowing the door to seal closed behind him.

Battra deeply frowned as he found himself in a much smaller cell. There was only a single bed and toilet inside. Before, he had access to some books to occupy his time. Not anymore. The boy lied himself down in his bed, sniffling as he began to tear up.

---

A couple of days had passed. This whole time, Battra kept to himself. He often watched as the adults squeezed in as much exercise as they could.

It didn't make sense, considering that they were all surely doomed to die here, never to see the light of day again. But, it may have been the best stimulation that they were going to get in the day.

As Battra sat, he noticed a man to be approaching. He had some scarring over his brow, with eyes close to a dead fish. His hair was unkempt, along with his beard and mustache. He almost looked like a bum from the streets of the city. The man had a strong build, much like the other men here. But, he barely compared to some, who had much larger, almost inhuman builds.

"Is this seat taken?" asked the man, his voice gravelly. Battra avoided looking the stranger in the eye. His anxiety threatened to overwhelm him and his fortitude.

"N-No." Battra answered. The man took a seat, saying nothing.

"Goro." The man spoke.

"Huh?" Battra looked over at the man in confusion.

"Call me, 'Goro'." The man repeated.

"Oh. Uh, Yasu Battra." The boy looked away. Goro nodded.

"What's a child doing in a place like this?" asked Goro.

"I... I don't know. I was orphaned when my parents were murdered. MONARCH saved me and others, but they were trying to make us soldiers. Next thing I knew, I was moved here."

The man met the boy with a mortified look. It was an expression that made the boy uneasy. It could only mean that he knew something that he didn't.

"So that's why they did this to us," said Goro, a grimace on his face.

"You mean they... They 'augmented' you people too?" asked Battra. He noticed a collar-like device on the man's neck. In fact, there was one on everybody. Battra himself had to start wearing one as of late.

"Ah, so you figured it out? Yes, it's why we have these collars. They're supposed to keep some of our more volatile traits suppressed, but I don't see why they'd use children. Your story doesn't add up," said Goro.

"What do you mean?" asked Battra.

"It's not like they asked us to participate in their experiments of our own free will. Most of us here were from prisons," said Goro. Battra had a look of discomfort. That explained why everyone here looked quite scary.

"Wh-What were you in prison for?" asked Battra, hesitant. Goro scratched at his head with a grumble.

"Well, it's... I was helping the Yakuza smuggle illicit items," said Goro. Battra's eyes widened.

"You're Yakuza?!"

"No, no. I was just a lowly thug with no future and a lack of self-respect. A real dirt bag. I got caught and was sent to prison. I didn't rat out a single person. This happened years ago. I was promised time off my sentence if I agreed to what was sold to me as 'medical research'. Little did I know they were turning me into a freak and planned to throw away the key." Goro sighed heavily. He looked to the boy with a light frown.

"If they were willing to lie about that, imagine what else they'd lie about," said Goro.

Battra was overcome with a sense of dread. Could MONARCH have been hiding more from him then he realized? The more he thought of it, the less sense the story sold to him began to make. Who would approve of such a thing as unethical experimentation on mere children, let alone inmates from a prison? Why is it that they've done all of their training in doors and never once step foot outside? More questions began to prod at the boy.

"All of this to fight only one monster?" asked Battra.

"Monster?" asked Goro.

"The whole reason why they did these things to us is because they wanted to destroy Lucky Dragon. You've heard of it right?" asked Battra. Goro hummed to himself. He was familiar of the rumors that had reached him in prison. It seemed too incredible for him to believe at the time. But with everything's that's happened, and the fact that this boy seemed way more familiar with these cryptids had sold him.

"If that's the case, then what'll become of you when it's gone?" asked Goro. Battra grimaced.

"I... I had never thought of that."

A couple of days passed. During this time, Battra had spent the time out of his cell with Goro. The man was a rather solitary individual. But, he seemed to be keen on keeping the boy company. All that they did to pass the time was play whatever board game they could get their hands on in this place. There were cards and mainly two player games such as Othello and others. But, no sign of The Hellish Game of Life, much to Battra's disappointment.

Today, the pair was playing a game of checkers. Goro had thought it would be a much more friendly game for someone of Battra's age. As the two took turns to move their pieces, Battra looked to the ominous dark corridor that lied far from the other much smaller corridors.

"Hey, there's a cell down that dark corridor, right? Is there someone living in there?" asked Battra, curious. Goro paused, a grimace on his face.

"Yes, but we don't exactly talk about that corridor here," said Goro.

"Why not?" asked Battra, eyebrow cocked.

"The prisoners kept there are... Well, let's just say that the rest of us lucked out compared to the ones locked up beyond that door," said Goro, appearing nervous. Battra couldn't help but feel discomfort. Goro's aura was just radiating with nervousness that it was beginning to affect the boy himself.

"Rumor among the guards is that they were trying to get rid of the unwanted traits that have appeared in us. It apparently backfired in the worst way possible," said Goro.

"Have you ever seen them?" asked Battra.

"None of us have. But, we've heard them with our sensitive hearing. And what we heard, certainly didn't sound human," said Goro, ominously. Battra gulped.

Time passed. The days went on, with Battra living among these prisoners. As always, Goro kept him company. He had a comforting presence. While he was someone with a bad past, he didn't seem like a malevolent man. In fact, he seemed like a rather stoic and calm individual. The boy had a hard time picturing him as a low life thug. Prison may have made him grow, he thought.

The two continued playing a board game as always. This time, it was Othello. During this, the sound of a commotion rung in the air.

The sound of shouting drew the attention of Battra and Goro. They found two of the prisoners to be slugging each other. The pair fought, drawing a crowd of the other prisoners.

"Oh boy. There they go again. This damned place is too small for enemies to live in," said Goro in dismay.

"I... I think I'll head back into my cell early today," said Battra as he stood up.

"Wait, kid. Steer clear of that crowd. Any moment, those guards will start doing crowd control," said Goro.

"Then I'll just have to be quick!" said Battra, before jogging passed the mob that formed. All the while, the guards were beginning to scramble to 'deescalate' the situation.

As the boy passed the crowd, his sights fell upon the entrance to his open cell. He was about to make his way towards it, but his curiosity began to act up. He looked to his cell briefly, before making his way to the dark corridor. The boy ventured into the dark place, as the guards began to make their way down to control the crowd.

The child approached the large metallic door, feeling his stomach in knots. He eventually made his way closer to the door, where he peered through a narrow slot. Inside, he saw only darkness. There didn't seem to be any living thing in sight. But, he heard the rattling of chains, which slithered through the shadows like metallic serpents. What little light managed to pass through reflected along the surface of the chains, as they pulled deeper into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

Battra kept his breathing shallow. He stared into the dark abyss, waiting for something to show its face.

"Who goes there?" A gravelly, masculine voice spoke from the darkness. The boy recoiled with a gasp, stepping away from the heavy door. The boy heard a muffled chuckle, coming from the door. Something truly was living in there.

"Let me get a good look at you. It's been so long since I've seen another face," said the voice. Battra gulped as he trembled. The boy felt himself compelled to humor the entity. His curiosity was much too great. He only hoped that it wouldn't get him killed.

Battra hesitantly opened the slot, peering through. He heard heavy footsteps, and the rattling and grazing of chains. The boy saw a figure to have emerged, but was unable to make it out. But, it was clearly a large figure.

"Hmm. A child? How wicked of MONARCH," said the figure.

"W-wait are-"

Battra was interrupted as the ringing of a bell filled the air. He winced at the sound. It looked like the guards were having the prisoners return to their cells early today.

"You better go, lest you find yourself in trouble," said the voice. Battra closed the slot and rushed out of the corridor. He slipped passed the large number of prisoners, as they began to flock to their cells. The boy joined them, reaching his cell.

Later that evening, Battra found himself reminiscing on earlier. While frightened, he couldn't help but feel drawn to the mysterious figure. He wondered just what was his story, and why was he contained in such a way.

The more the boy thought of it, the more unable he could sleep. The child doubted that he could get any rest for the night at this rate. So, he did the one thing that could occupy hm.

The boy closed his eyes and focused. His ears rung, as his brain emitted a pulse, seeking those who were near. He was able to detect multiple beings, but his telepathy was focusing on one single entity. It took a moment, but he managed to detect it.

'Can you hear me?' thought Battra. There was a moment of silence.

"Yes...." a familiar, gravelly voice filled the boy's mind. It was the entity from the cell. The boy gulped, feeling dread as he remained telepathically connected to him. Whatever this being had been through, it was must have been terrible if Battra was able to sense it.

"How are you speaking to me when I cannot see you?" asked the voice.

'I am a telepath. I'm broadcasting my thoughts to you,' said Battra.

"I see. A most impressive gift," said the voice.

'More like a curse. It's hard to shut the voices out. I know the thoughts of some of the people here, and it makes me sick,' thought Battra.

"What is your name, boy?" asked the voice.

'Yasu Battra,' the boy replied.

"Yasu-kun, I know exactly how you feel. They took away your entire world, they forced a change onto you that would make you an outcast to society. You had no say. But, they would sooner ostracize you because of something that was out of your control," said the voice.

It was as though the figure was reading Battra's own thoughts himself. Everything he described was true. He knew that deep inside, he wasn't right. Something in him was inhuman, and it felt like it was growing worse as the days go by. He was never allowed to consent to the life that had led him here. It was all done on a whim, for the interests of others. Battra wasn't even sure if his purpose was to truly destroy monsters.

'You've read me like a book,' thought Battra, solemn.

"Fret not, child. So long as we stand together, we shall overcome this lot," said the voice.

'Together? But how? How could we possibly escape this prison?' thought Battra, incredulous.

"Trust in me, Yasu-kun. For I shall liberate us all from this wretched place," said the voice. Battra grimaced. He wasn't sure if he could trust this mysterious person. But, what other choice did he have? For some reason though, he couldn't get a good peek into his mind. All he did was draw a blank when he tried. Never had Battra encountered this before. He must have had some kind of mental resistance of some sort that Battra didn't fully understand. But whatever the case, Battra only had one chance to protect his sister. He feared for her safety, knowing that Kenpachi was out there.

'What do I call you?' thought Battra.

"You may call me, Destoroyah," said the voice.

Much time had passed. During this, Battra had kept up his habit with hanging around Goro throughout the time period that the prisoners were allowed to roam. And during after hours, the boy often found himself telepathically communicating with the one called, Destoroyah.

Their conversations weren't anything special. Rather, it was the mysterious person prodding the boy for questions. Typical things such as the boy's upbringing or what his life was like before this imprisonment. Battra humored him and in return, learned a great deal of information that he had never been told himself.

'So you were there with the Alpha and Lucky Dragon?' asked Battra.

"Yes. They wouldn't tell you of course because I was created to destroy the two by MONARCH itself. I escaped, and found myself allying with them. But alas, they found us. Alpha fell in battle, and I was captured. I do not know what became of Lucky Dragon," said Destoroyah.

'So it was just one that they were looking for. But why would they need us to destroy just one person? If Alpha wasn't a match, then what's the point of having us here?' thought Battra.

"For power. It's the only thing that matters in this world. The weakest animal gets devoured by the largest and strongest one. We are the weak animals at the mercy of large predators," said Destoroyah. Battra deeply frowned. A rather nihilistic way at looking at the world. But, it was a look that Battra felt himself compelled to believe.

'Destoroyah, who were you in your old life?' thought Battra.

"Ah. I was a great warrior back when Neighpon still retained its ways. Before the filth of foreign influence came and tainted us. I led loyal men who were willing to die in battle at my command. But, I lost that when we went to war with a rival that our Lord saw as a threat. I was lost, left to live out as a ronin as many other samurai after the intrusion of the foreign powers," said Destoroyah, his tone full of bitterness.

'Looks like MONARCH sought out people that the nation wouldn't care or notice missing,' thought Battra.

"Of course. The fools are too busy with their precious progress to notice those of us who are being preyed upon by the malevolent forces," said Destoroyah.

Time continued on. The days became weeks. The weeks turned into months. During this time, Battra had pretty much settled into his prison. Disdain and bitterness being sowed by the new company that he had through Destoroyah. But he found some breaks from those feelings when he finally managed to focus his telepathy to Mosura.

After finishing his communication with Destoroyah, he ended his nights with a brief and short telepathic communication with his dear sister. He yearned to see her face again, not satisfied with the voice that traveled into his head.

'We're worse off here compared to you. The prisoners can't stand each other, and I have to take care to avoid them at all costs. They set their sights on anyone who looks at them the wrong way' thought Battra.

'It isn't right! They shouldn't have put you there with such people!' Mosura's thoughts came to Battra, along with feelings of despair.

'I know. But, these people don't care about us. They never have,' thought Battra.

'What about Nakada-san?' asked Mosura. Battra paused. Out of everyone in this cursed place, she seemed to have been the most kind and caring. Even going as far as to try and help get Kenpachi off of his back. But, she has yet to try and get his situation sorted out. Did she even care, or was it out of her control?

'I don't know. But, I'd be careful and not trust her either if I were you,' thought Battra. He then perked up as he heard the sound of his cell opening up. His eyes widened in shock as he found a familiar man to be standing, carrying a baton in hand, as it sparked with electricity.

"Miss me?" asked Kenpachi.

---

Battra found himself sitting against the wall to his cell. His eyes were cold and dead as he sat in silence. He had grown in his years. His body had developed faster than most teenagers. He kept himself in shape by performing push-ups in his cell, as suggested by Destoroyah, if using the work out equipment would prove to be too troublesome for him. After all, the other prisoners he was forced to remain with were the aggressive bunch.

The boy spent his years growing more disillusioned with the world he lived in. How could children be forgotten and left to be fed to such an insidious institution that saw them nothing more than assets rather than human beings? Even he and the prisoners had some rights.

The food was starting to become less filling as of late. Being confined to this place without being able to feel the sun on his face, or the wind in his hair was threatening to drive him mad. Humans were not meant to dwell in a place like this.

That was the problem. They weren't human. Not anymore. Destoroyah himself revealed that he was augmented to fight Alpha and Lucky Dragon, changing him. Goro explained that some were less human. If that was true, then what were they? What had they become? These thoughts plagued the boy's mind endlessly.

"It's time, Yasu-kun. It's time" said Destoroyah. Battra's telepathy was able to pick this up with ease. Not only had his strength and body grown, so did his mental powers. He could feel his potential grow as time went on. He could only imagine what he could do if he was serious.

"Remember the plan. We must be swift." Said Destoroyah.

'Right.' Thought Battra. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled. He sat in complete silence. He waited, as he was able to sense something living to be approaching. The cell door opened, revealing Kenpachi.

"Heh. I heard you wanted to see me. I didn't think you'd start getting attached to me," said Kenpachi, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. Battra kept a look of stoicism as this man taunted him. How he loathed this man. He was always there to make his life miserable. Even coming to this prison hasn't spared him of his abuse.

"So, what? You wanted to beg me to stop wailing on your miserable ass?" asked Kenpachi.

"You always made my life here a waking nightmare," said Battra. He stared blankly at the ground.

"All because of what? I called you out for cheating at a game of cards?" asked Battra coldly.

"You know what you did. You can't expect there to be no consequences for your actions. Even when you're trying to act like a little goody two shoes," mocked Kenpachi.

"Or maybe you just used that as an excuse. An excuse to inflict pain on another," said Battra. Kenpachi snorted.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"You do these things to me because you feel that it gives you control. For all of your life, you felt powerless, as people that you loved and trusted were actually cruel," said Battra. He heard an irregular heart beat. As though one was struck something startling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Kenpachi.

"It gives you a rush to make someone else suffer the way you did. To top it off, there's something else about you. You seem to be rather fond of younger girls, aren't you?" asked Battra. He met the man's eyes for the first time since this encounter. Kenpachi was pale like a ghost, his eyes pin pricks.

"Or rather, you're not fond of them. In fact, you hate them. You hate every woman, because the one you trusted robbed you of your innocence. So, you're compelled to rob the young girls of their innocence. To feel in control," said Battra. Kenpachi snarled as he ignited his baton. He grabbed the boy by his shirt and glared at him.

"You better shut your mouth before I-"

The guard suddenly shouted in pain. He stepped away from the boy, clutching his head. It felt like nails were being jammed into his head. The pain was excruciating.

"You made one mistake, Kenpachi. You dared to set your sights on my little sister. The only family that I have left," said Battra, standing to his feet. He approached with a menacing glare. Kenpachi wailed as he clutched his head, as his eyes bugged out of his head. Blood began to seep from his nostrils.

"You'll get no sympathy nor pity from me. You were going to pass on a pathology that was in you, rather than try to stop it." Battra spoke with disdain, looking upon this abominable man with contempt. Kenpachi gave a loud cry as he attempted to hit the boy with his baton. However, the boy had caught it. Not with his hands, but an invisible force. The baton was flung to the ground, a spark left behind.

"I'll just have to stop it myself," said Battra, as his eyes flashed violet.

Kenpachi felt a great pressure on his head. His ears rang, and his muscles began to spasm. He let out an agonized wail as he clutched his head. Tears ran from his eyes. One by one, he felt the capillaries on the surface of his brain ruptured. With that, Kenpachi began to see red. The pain he endured felt eternal, before he finally went numb.

The man went still as he stood on his knees before Battra. The last thing he saw was the boy's cold, unforgiving gaze, as the internal bleeding flooded his skull, seeping out from his sockets. With just a thought, Kenpachi's head began to slightly warp, as the crunching of bone could be heard. The guard suddenly dropped face down to the cold metallic ground, as his eyes hung out from their sockets, tethered by only the nerves.

"Rest in Hell, asshole," said Battra. He raised a hand and levitated a key card from the guard's belt, into his hand. He then stepped out of his cell.

Battra found himself in the 'courtyard', as it was called. Funny, as a court yard was meant to be outside, rather than indoors behind thick concrete and metal.

The area where prisoners were allowed to spend their time outside of their cells was cold and dark. Not a single soul but Battra remained here. The boy made his way over to a familiar dark corridor, seeming even worse at this hour. But, Battra pressed on. He was currently numb to fear. Instead, he was fueled by his rage and desire to free himself from bondage. To protect the one he loved. She was all that mattered now.

Battra found his way to the heavy metallic door, where Destoroyah's cell lied. Battra looked to the key card, finding that it was useless to unlock this door. Kenpachi didn't have the security clearance to access it. No matter. It still would have its use.

The boy closed his eyes as he raised his hands. The metal on the door creaked. Battra strained as a vein popped on his neck and the side of his head. He was sweating, as he poured all of his mental focus onto the obstacle before him.

The door began to warp and bend. The alarm suddenly blared, as the door suffered damage. This was almost enough to break his concentration, but Battra resolved. He spent years practicing on shutting out the world to focus on his mental capabilities. Now was the true test.

With a mighty cry, Battra's eyes flashed a bright violet. The metallic door was blown through by the telekinetic force of the boy. The metal had been torn through and remained inward, mangled and torn like mere paper. Battra panted as he staggered into the dark cold room, finding it larger than his own.

"D-Destoroyah Sensei?" called Battra. He heard a dark chuckle coming from inside.

"Well done, Yasu-kun. Our emancipation is at hand," said Destoroyah. The sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. Battra tensed as this faceless figure approached him. Soon, he will have a face to apply to the voice that he's heard for so long. He'll finally come face to face with the one who've inspired him to rise up against their oppressors.

Soon, Destoroyah stepped into the low light of the alarm from the halls. The teen stiffened as he found Destoroyah to be towering over him with an imposing figure. His body was covered in a thick carapace, similar to that of an arthropod's. The only human thing was the man's scarred face, which bore soulless yellow eyes.

Destoroyah smiled as he gazed upon the boy. He stood, his arms and a torso bounded in reinforced steel restraints. The chains that dangled from the restraints bore a faint glow, meaning that they were enhanced by magic.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Yasu-kun," said Destoroyah. Battra nodded, absent minded. While put off by his appearance, Battra was filled with righteous indignation. These experiments had truly gone too far. Destoroyah was the first one he's encountered that was robbed of humanity. There were others, most likely trapped and caged up like animals. This wasn't going to stand. He was going to make sure that they were all free.

Battra raised his hand as he closed his eyes. He began to focus his telekinetic powers on the restraints. He never had an opportunity to test his powers against the force of magic. His training with MONARCH hadn't gotten him that far. So, he was just going to have to take a gamble.

In moments, the chains began to glow brightly. One by one, each heavy link burst into sparks, with metallic debris scattering to the ground at their feet. Destoroyah took a breath, feeling his strength being rejuvenated in him. With a shout, he burst from the restraints, with the metallic parts scattering around the room. Destoroyah nodded to Battra in approval.

"Let us be off. We have much work to do," said Destoroyah, stomping passed Battra.

"Yes, Sensei."

The pair rushed out of the corridor. Battra took the key card and began to rush to every cell door on the block. He began to use Kenpachi's key card to open up every door. The prisoners, having been roused from their slumber with the blaring alarm, emerged in shock.

"Battra?!" exclaimed Goro, having emerged from his cell. The boy smiled to him with a nod. Everyone's eyes fell on Destoroyah, whose very presence commanded their attention. The Transmutant raised his hand, which began to disintegrate before their very eyes. Battra recoiled in shock, as Destoroyah's hand disappeared. But, a cloud of red dust flowed through the air, making its way towards the other prisoners. The clouds seemed to move with lives of their own, raining down on the inhibitor collars of everyone. In moments, the metal decayed, and the collars dropped to the ground. The clouds returned to Destoroyah, reforming into his hand.

"If you wish to be free, then follow me!" shouted Destoroyah. He rushed towards the heavy doors of this cell block. He burst through, tearing through steel with ease. Before him, a large gathering of guards had arrived.

"Tango is sighted! Oni has breached containment!" A soldier shouted. They began to fire off their weapons at the Transmutant, who charged through like a mad bull. Destoroyah swiped away at the soldiers, slamming them into walls.

The prisoners had all began to rush out, snatching up whatever weapon they could get their hands on. In moments, the entire MONARCH facility erupted into chaos. Destoroyah led the charge, crushing any foe that dared to challenge him. Battra followed him. They began to venture to another cell block, where more prisoners were kept.

In this area, there were women that were kept in containment. Like a normal prison, the men and women were segregated into separate facilities. Fortunately, these prisoners were just as capable as the men when it came to strength.

Again, Destoroyah led Battra to another area. This one way more fortified compared to the others. Destoroyah pushed through the heavy automated turrets that were set up. Having dispersed his body into a great red cloud of microscopic organisms, which ate away at every micro fiber of the interior of the turrets. With the defenses down, Destoroyah and Battra found themselves into a cell block, with heavy doors containing multiple prisoners.

Destoroyah released the prisoners from their cells. What was revealed made Battra's blood run cold. What emerged were mantis-like creatures. They bore a humanoid bipedal stature, with insectoid traits. These must have been the other experiments that Goro had mentioned.

"Freedom is at hand, brothers!" Destoroyah declared.

The chaos continued. The Transmutants rampaged about, as soldiers scrambled to contain them. They were even given the order to use lethal force. But, it was no use. Especially when the Transmutants began to demonstrate their true power.

One by one, Transmutants began to change into great horrific beasts. This allowed them to push through with ease, as soldiers were unable to deal enough damage to destroy them.

Soon, Battra and Destoroyah found themselves arriving at their final destination. Here, where the favored experiments were being contained. This cell block was quickly overwhelmed by the pair. After eliminating the guards that sought to stop them, the pair made their way to one particular cell. Destoroyah snarled as he began to beat the metal door. His raw strength caused the door to warp. He soon tore through, forcing the metal away. A high pitched feminine scream came from inside of the cell.

Battra rushed passed Destoroyah and into the cell. He found a form to be hiding beneath the covers of a bed, in a fetal position. The boy yanked the covers off, exposing a petrified Mosura Yasu.

"Sis! You OK?" asked Battra.

It had been so long since he had seen his younger sister. She had grown since they've last seen each other. Her hair had turned white, a side effect from her mutation in recent years. She looked much like their late mother. No longer was she a little girl. She was growing into a beautiful young woman.

The two siblings embraced each other tightly. The girl sobbed uncontrollably, while Battra did his best to fight his own tears, but to no avail. He caressed her hair, holding her tight.

"Battra, we still have the others to release!" Destoroyah shouted. The Yasu siblings released each other. Battra took his sister's hand and stood with her.

"Let's get out of here!" said Battra. Mosura shakily nodded her head. Destoroyah quickly began to tear open the other cell doors, allowing the other teens that had been kept locked up to escape.

By the end of the day, there was silence. From debris to the dead guards that suffered the wrath of the Transmutants.

A platoon of soldiers had been deployed to contain what had occurred here. The soldiers weren't filled in all of the details. They were just needed as bodies on the front lines to put a stop to the chaos. However, they were too late. What was here had long since fled. So now, the soldiers were tasked at securing what remained.

Among them, Kenra Kenpachi was present. She was no longer a private. Now, she had been promoted to the rank of sergeant thanks to her prowess and her survived encounters with Lucky Dragon and Alpha.

The soldier joined many others through the facility, searching every inch for survivors. Looking at this place, monsters must have been running around and made a real mess of things. Kenra found herself and a squad of soldiers to be in a prison cellblock. All of the doors were opened.

"Search the cells!" ordered Kenra. One by one, the soldiers began to disperse and scanned the open cells. They found nothing but simple beds and plumbing. But, one soldier came across a startling sight.

"Sergeant!" called a soldier. Kenra furrowed her brows, before marching to the subordinate who called her. She stepped to the cell and found a guard to be lying inside of the dark cell.

"Get a medic over here, now!" barked Kenra. The soldier nodded before taking off. The woman knelt down to the stranger, but gasped. Just by looking at him from the back of his head, she recognized him.

"Keno!" Kenra's usually cold and stern voice suddenly became high and panicked, like a child's. As she turned the man over, she was greeted with a sight that made her let out a scream. The man was indeed someone she recognized. It was none other than her older brother, Keno Kenpachi. She knew that he was currently acting as a guard, and had heard rumors that he was moved to a facility that was close to being a secret. But, she never imagined that she'd find him here.

His eyes hung from his sockets, and his head had deformed, as blood and brain matter stained the floor and his uniform. The woman rarely felt anything. Aside from the occasional fear or anger, she never felt anything such as love for another. Well, except for Keno. The man who was never cruel to her, unlike their parents. But, he rarely showed her any love. It was like he was afraid to get close to her. She never understood it. Now, she never will.

Kenra buried her face into her brother's chest, letting out a blood curdling scream.

It had been a few hours. The Transmutants found themselves just miles out of the reach of the facility that they had escaped. There was around 30 or more individuals present here. Battra found himself beside his little sister, Angirasu and Rodan.

The teenagers of the group were the most anxious out of all of the adults, who pondered their next move. By now, there was a split between two particular Transmutants, who had been the most vocal on what to do. A Transmutant, by the name of 'Red Moon', stood before Destoroyah, unflinching in his presence.

Red Moon was a man with a large stature, although he was no match for Destoroyah's size. The man's hair was a crimson color, shoulder length from the lack of cutting it.

"The best course of action is that we alert the public of what was done to us. MONARCH will surely be held accountable for their heinous crime," said Red Moon. Destoroyah scoffed.

"Alert the public? That would sooner damn you to MONARCH's grasp much sooner than them finding us eventually," said Destoroyah.

"It's a risk we have to take. People need to know what MONARCH's done to us," said Red Moon. Some idle conversation came from among the adults.

"We should tell journalists! They'll be able to publish our story. Word will spread through Neighpon quickly!" said a Transmutant.

"Who would listen to us? A number of us were in prison before MONARCH!" argued another Transmutant.

"Not all of us were. And some of our offenses aren't as bad as the others," Goro interjected. He then gestured to the teens.

"It may help our case if one or two of the kids came along and testified their experience," said Goro. Destoroyah shook his head.

"Fool. We are better off hiding out. No doubt they already have a story ready to spin against us. The people will put their trust in MONARCH over us. Just like they had for Lucky Dragon and Alpha!" said Destoroyah.

"If you want to hide, then so be it. But I want to take back my old life. Those who want to do the same can follow me," said Red Moon. One by one, a number of the Transmutants began to follow Red Moon off to the woods. Mosura was about to follow, but Battra had raised an arm in front of her.

"No. Let's wait for now," said Battra. Mosura bore a reluctant look, then nodded. But, a couple of teenagers joined Red Moon, as they split off from the group. Destoroyah merely stood with furrowed brows.

---

By the next day, Red Moon and his group found themselves arriving into Trotkyo. Surely this was the best place to alert the public to their story and MONARCH's atrocities.

Red Moon stood just outside of a tall building. It took some time to research a location for a news publication company. But, they managed to find one, thanks to Red Moon recalling an old friend having made a career in journalism. With some good fortune, they should be able to share their story across the nation.

"I won't be long. Wait here in the alley until I can return," said Red Moon. He left the other Transmutants in his group and entered.

People sent the man odd and wary glances. He didn't blame them. After all, he was a greasy haired man dressed in a large coat with torn pants and was walking barefoot into the building. But, the Transmutant pressed on. Their judging gazes were not able to deter him from his goal.

Red Moon soon emerged from an elevator, having been carried up a few stories above ground. He found himself making his way to a front desk, where an intern sat. The logo for the company was displayed at her desk. The woman met him with an odd and almost guarded look. But, Red Moon was not deterred.

"May I help you, sir?" asked the intern.

"I am here to speak with Kinjo Kazuho. My name Red Moon, and I am an old friend," said Red Moon. The woman had a suspicious look, but grabbed her phone.

"Um... Kinjo-san, someone named 'Red Moon' is here to see you. Oh? Understood," said the intern. After hanging up, she gestured to the door.

"He'll see you inside," said the intern.

Red Moon soon found himself at a desk set among others in a large room. Over a dozen or so individual were seated at their own personal workstations. With computers and telephones at their desks.

There was a man who sat at the desk before the Transmutant. He had baggy eyes and a jitter. His station was littered with sticky notes. Red Moon recalled his old friend being a hard worker. But, he often feared that he worked too hard. That flaw may very well be his salvation.

"It's been far too long, old friend. I hadn't heard from you in years," said Kinjo-san. Red Moon bowed, apologetically.

"I'm sorry. But, something happened. It's why I've come to you. I... I was thinking that the press could help me," said Red Moon. Kinjo grew concerned as he heard the shift in the Transmutant's voice. Not only that, he had registered the tattered clothes and unkempt look of his friend. He wondered if he had become homeless.

"what's wrong?"

"I... I can't say here. Too many people. I just need to hear your thoughts on it," said Red Moon, urgency in his voice. Kinjo sighed as he stood, motioning the Transmutant to follow. The pair eventually made their way to the men's restroom. After checking the stalls, they confirmed that they were alone.

"Now what is it that you need to tell me?" asked Kinjo.

"5 years ago, I was alone at home, cleaning up my workshop for the night. But suddenly, mysterious men in black had showed up out of nowhere and assaulted me," said Red Moon, recalling every detail of that fateful night. His friend was attentive, displaying mild shock once he heard the first part of the story.

"When I came to, I found myself locked in a MONARCH facility. Along with several others. Children were locked here as well. They were conducting some kind of experiments on us," said Red Moon, urgency in his voice. Kinjo was taken aback. Everything that he was hearing just sounded too wild of a story to believe.

"I..."

That was all that Kinjo could say out of his confusion. Red Moon sighed heavily, rubbing his brows.

"I know how it sounds, but this it's the truth!"

"Let's say that I believe you. How did you escape?" asked Kinjo.

"They did something to us. The experiments enhanced our physical abilities to superhuman levels. In fact, we believe that they were responsible for the creation of the monsters called Lucky Dragon and Alpha," said Redmoon. Kinjo's eyes slightly widened. While the story still seemed farfetched, he was now intrigued. This was also his oldest friend. He was either insane, lying, or possibly right. The journalist was leaning to the first thing, but he wasn't going to rule out the last.

"Do you have anything to offer other than your word?" asked Kinjo.

"Some of us came from actual prisons. They were promised a shorter sentence if they participated in what they called 'medical research'. You can look into some of them and the records of prisons to see if you find anything. Look into a man named 'Hiroshi Goro," said Redmoon.

"Alright. Anything else? Perhaps you can introduce me to these alleged prisoners?"

Later that afternoon, Kinjo found himself with Red Moon and his group of Transmutants. They were in the man's apartment, seated around to tell their story. The journalist made sure to document everything that was told. He made sure to remain objective and to ask questions, and then would jot down quick notes.

He didn't think that Red Moon would actually have others with him. He was shocked that they were actually outside of the office. What was even more shocking is that he saw a few of these alleged children to be with him. They weren't exactly small and young like how Red Moon described, as these were teenagers. But, the timeline seemed to match up. Not to mention that these children appeared abnormal. They all appeared almost older than they claimed that they were. Not to mention the muscle tone on their bodies. These weren't the muscles of average teenagers. These were forged from physical training.

"You claim that there are more out there?" asked Kinjo.

"Yes. Although, there's disagreements on what should be done. We thought it was best to alert the public of MONARCH's atrocity. Perhaps our country men can help set things right," said Red Moon.

"Well, I still need to confirm your story. That's starting with looking into the archives for records. Perhaps there's some inconsistencies that will help with this case," said Kinjo.

"Alright. We'll leave for now, but I'll come back to assist you tomorrow," said Red Moon.

---

Onyx found himself standing inside of a dark room. His expression was stoic, as he stood before a group of apparitions. The apparitions were that of disembodied heads. These apparitions were projected from the ground, where lights glowed. The holograms had their attention on the Director, appearing displeased.

"Your failure to keep the assets contained has cost us millions, Director!" said one of the heads.

"As if that wasn't bad enough, there's the potential of this getting out to the public! Do you know what kind of damage this will do to MONARCH? Or the Union?!" demanded one of the heads.

"I've already gone on ahead and taken care of that," said Onyx, calmly. This had caused the heads to cease their anger, as they were now focused on the man's bold claim.

"Explain," said one of the heads.

"We've been preparing for this scenario for years, starting after we lost control of Alpha and Lucky Dragon. We've made sure to snatch subjects that the majority of the country wouldn't miss. We staged crime scenes that resulted in the disappearance of the younger subjects. Most of them were from the rural and underdeveloped regions. A number of the subjects were also prisoners who might as well not be allowed to see the light of day. We've even taken the liberty to forge and erase prison records," said Onyx.

"Even still, there's still a loose end that could lead it back to MONARCH. The subjects themselves," said one of the apparitions.

"We're handling that as we speak. Right now, we're collaborating with the sitting Emperor of Neighpon about broadcasting propaganda that warns against the subjects. This will include the close monitoring of any publication company to prevent the publishing of unapproved articles. Meaning that if there's any sighting of writing that sheds light on our operations, it will be shot down before the public can get its eyes on it," said Onyx.

"How soon until we can get this underway?" asked one of the heads. Onyx smirked.

"We've already started."

---

There was the sound of drilling and the grinding of saws. The air was tainted with the stench of oil. The facility that housed these things was none other than a MONARCH vehicle depot. Here, MONARCH's ground vehicles, from tanks to Humvees, were manufactured in this facility. Heavy cranes moved through the facility, carrying what would be impossible for humans to carry themselves.

Crew members worked and bolted on armor panels onto the assets that were being constructed. The grinding of metal continued to fill the air, as sparks flew. The workers took pride in their job. Here, they were building the future of their world, by building technology that were centuries ahead of the rest of the world.

Any vehicle that was finished being constructed was moved out of the assembly line, driven off to lots where other newly constructed vehicles sat, waiting to be deployed onto the field for the fight for peace.

A worker sighed tiredly as he sat in the break room, indulging in his lunch. He munched away at the white rice balls that were packed. Some contained crab meat inside, cucumbers and some with egg. All stuffed inside of the center of the rice. As he ate, he noticed the flickering of the ceiling light above. In moments, the light suddenly flickered off, much to his surprise. He suddenly noticed something else. Everything had suddenly gone quiet.

From the breakroom, one could normally make up the loud sounds of the depot through the walls. But, it was quiet. The man set aside his lunch and left the break room. He made his way to the assembly line, finding that it had grown dark as well. Only the windows offering little sunlight lit their way.

"What happened?!" called a worker.

"The power's must've gone out!"

"Check the generator!"

As the men began to scramble for the solution of their problem, flash lights were being distributed. The sound of rumbling filled the air. The workers noticed that the sky was beginning to darken, as storm clouds moved to snuff out the sunlight.

"A thunderstorm?" asked a worker.

The thunder continued to roar, muffling through the walls of the now quiet facility. But, the thunder seemed to grow louder. Flashes of lighting could be seen from outside of the window.

"Generator's not working. The fuses are fried. How'd this happen?" asked a worker, as he found himself in a large room. Here, a large machine lied, with conduits running into them. But, the machine had some black markings, as though it had been burned.

There was the sudden sound of loud crashing in the air. A loud, horrible screech filled the air. The worker rushed out of the room, finding himself back at the assembly line. He found the other workers to be scrambling, screaming terror. Their lights flailing everywhere as they scattered.

From the middle of the assembly line, there stood a great creature, hidden in shadow. It was large, standing at around 50 feet in height. The creature's dark wings emitted sparks of electricity, which briefly illuminated the beast. It appeared draconic, with eyes that were like the very flames of the nether world. Its horns stood tall on its three heads. The beast wailed as it stomped on everything in its path. Its twin tails swiped what was behind. The creature's large, powerful body and long serpentine necks caused the collapse of metallic frames, and cranes.

The beast's rampage began to cause the collapse of the depot. As the ceiling collapsed, the rubble fell and crushed any worker that attempted to flee. Soon, there was only the dragon, as it stood among the mounds of rubble. It raised its heads and let out a long, haunting wail that could be heard for miles.

The beast's attack did not go unnoticed. In just less than a day, the creature's dark image was shown on every screen and every newspaper in Trotkyo. Immediately, the narrative for this mysterious creature was spun.

On every radio, and every large screen in the city, there was the sitting Emperor of Neighpon depicted. He stood in formal apparel comprised of a coat and pants, rather than the traditional robes that royalty had been known to wear in the past. The citizens that had the option had stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to wherever the broadcasts could be heard or seen.

"Just hours ago, reports of a creature attacking a military depot in the kanto region had come through. The facility was destroyed, and the lives of the men who worked there had been lost," said the emperor.

The broadcast did not go unnoticed by Kinjo, who was currently sitting at his table, with a bowl full of food. He stopped eating as he stared at a small television set that was resting in the corner of his apartment.

"We've connected this creature as being another genetic experiment in the same vein as Alpha and Lucky Dragon. In light of this attack, we've decided to reveal to the public that there was in fact more of these 'Transmutants' having been made by our domestic foes," said the Emperor, as footage of creatures rampaging through a facility appeared. The footage was incoherent and shaky, constantly cutting and jumping to different cuts that gave brief looks of these creatures.

"What in the..." Kinjo set his chopsticks down, his full attention on the television. He immediately recalled something that Red Moon had told him. Genetic experimentation, just like Alpha and Lucky Dragon. That meant that Red Moon was in fact telling him the truth. The government was pretty much confessing that they were out there. But, something wasn't right. The longer that he listened, the more he came to a horrible realization.

"Our nation is being threatened by domestic terrorists who seek to send us back to the dark ages. To undo the progress we've made. They created these abominations to use as weapons against us and the GU. And now, they've all been unleashed," said the emperor. Kinjo quickly got up and began to scramble through his apartment, as the broadcast continued to play.

"We will not kneel to our enemies. We will overcome them and their monsters! MONARCH's finest will fight to protect our faire nation. I ask that you the people, be vigilant and careful," said the emperor, cautiously.

---

A few days had gone by. By this time, Neighon had completely heard the news of the new menace that threatened to topple their progress and civilization. The propaganda had sprouted in what felt like an instant. There were warning posters pasted on the walls of buildings, offices, schools, public transportation. There were even Public Service Announcements done to bring awareness to these 'monsters'.

To make matters worse, the government was beginning to disclose more information on these creations of domestic terrorism. Even revealing the identities of some of the adults, who had heinous criminal records. The children and the rest were not revealed. Rather clever, Red Moon thought. They were already taking a risk by putting faces to the monsters. Showing children would in fact show their hand and may not allow a proper beating of the war drums.

By now, the Transmutants were all gathered. They were in the middle of arguing amongst themselves on what they should do now.

"No! We cannot afford to search for help! MONARCH has portrayed us as a threat to the public! It'd be suicide to go into a city! We have no place in the world" said a Transmutant. Arguments from the adults had escalated. Everyone was furious and in a panic. The lives they knew were stripped away from them. Now, they didn't know what to do to survive in a world that would seek their destruction. They had no place in this world. Battra suddenly stood up.

"Then we shall make a place for ourselves!" said Battra. Everyone stopped, turning to the boy in confusion and surprise. Battra bore a stern look as he stood among everyone.

"MONARCH did this to us. We've been made into outcasts in a world we once called our own. The people we once called our neighbors and friends, they'll never accept us. You see how they have portrayed us!" said Battra, holding up a poster. It was a Public notice that warned of 'Transmutants' being on the loose.

"Monsters we are called, then monsters we shall be!" said Battra. Mosura's eyes widened.

"Battra, what are you saying?!" exclaimed Mosura.

"I say we show the world that we are a greater force than they can possibly imagine! We'll make MONARCH pay for what they did and we will strike terror into the people who rejected us! And in the midst of it all, we'll claim a place in the world for ourselves, where we can thrive!" said Battra. A large man stood and raised a fist.

"Here here!" shouted the large man. One by one, other mutants began to join in, shouting. A few of the teens even began to join in, shouting. Mosura stood in shock and horror, as everyone began to shout and raise their fists. This was madness.

"Battra, you can't be serious!" said Mosura. Her brother met her with a glare.

"Of course I am! They've put us through Hell! Some of us more than others! If you knew what they had done, you'd agree!" said Battra.

"I know! I know that what they did was unforgivable. But we can't just hold that against the WHOLE world!" argued Mosura.

"Don't be naive, Mosura! The world is our enemy now! MONARCH is doing whatever it takes to make sure that we don't talk! We have to fight for our right to live! I'll make every human kneel to us before I let them hurt you or anyone else that I love!" said Battra. Mosura shook her head, backing away from the boy.

"You think mom and dad would approve?! They'd want us to survive! Not make war with our own!" said Mosura. Battra hardened his eyes. Why didn't his sister understand? He needed her to, lest they lose everything.

"Don't you dare bring our parents into this! It's because of the our enemies that they're dead! And I'm gonna make sure every last one of them pays!" said Battra. Mosura stood in shock. The look of pure hate burned in the boy's red eyes. In the midst of his anger, the boy felt a knot in his stomach at the look that Mosura was giving him. It was how a stranger would look at someone.

"I don't know who you are anymore. My brother would never say such things," said Mosura, backing away. Battra's expression softened.

"Mosura- I just-"

"I don't care! Whatever it is that you plan to do, I don't want any part of it!" cried Mosura, tearing up.

"Mosura, you can't stop me from doing what's best for us," said Battra. Mosura sniffled.

"No, but I don't have to be around to see it," said Mosura. Battra's eyes widened. His anxiety shot up.

"Wh-What are you saying?"

"I'm leaving. I rather take my chances out there on my own. It's better than becoming what they call us," said Mosura bitterly.

"Mosura, I won't be able to protect you! Please... don't leave," Battra pleaded. Mosura said nothing. She instead turned to walk away. She left the area, as everyone watched her. Battra could only stand and watch, as his sister disappeared from behind the vast amount of trees in these woods. He wanted to call out to her. He wanted to stop her. But, he didn't have the will.

If Battra called to her, what would he say? If he decided to stop her, what would he do? She wasn't willing to listen to him. He had become a stranger to her now. All of those years of being locked up, their outlooks shaping up differently had drifted them apart. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his eyes tearing up. Battra gasped as he noticed Angirasu and Rodan to be walking away.

"G-Guys!" called Battra. The two boys looked to Battra, but their eyes darted away. They couldn't maintain eye contact with him. Instead, they followed Mosura to the woods, leaving the rest of the Transmutants.

"We don't need to do this! We can still-" Red Moon was interrupted as Destoroyah interrupted with a scoff.

"We've tried to do it your way, Red Moon. But now, survival is our only choice!" said Destoroyah, glaring at the man. Red Moon furrowed his brows, as the large Transmutant turned to the others.

"If it is a war they want, then it is a war they'll get! Cast your fears and doubts, replace it with vengeance! Use it and together, we will conquer the humans who seek to demonize us! We will grind those who would submit themselves to foreign powers and forsake those who had been wronged by their wickedness!" said Destoroyah. This gained some cheers from a number of the Transmutants. A number of them were of course, the worse of the prisoners that were kept. That was all the more reason for Red Moon to not want to associate with them.

"We wouldn't be in this situation had one of you not gone out to destroy that facility," said Goro, pointing an accusing finger towards Destoroyah. The larger Transmutant was indignant.

"None of us had left when you all went to the city! How do we know that one of you hadn't done it?" demanded Megaguirus. Before the argument could escalate, Red Moon raised his hand. Everyone had gone silent. The Transmutant sighed heavily as he looked to Destoroyah.

"I'll agree with you on one thing, Destoroyah. MONARCH is a force that threatens us all. But, I won't use that to lash out on my countrymen. But I'll fight. Just not with you," said Redmoon, narrowing his eyes. Destoroyah huffed.

"Then you'll surely die," said Destoroyah. Red Moon said nothing. Instead, he began to walk off. One by one, a number of the Transmutants joined him. Goro was following them, but stopped as he noticed Battra to be standing on the side of Destoroyah's group. Goro held out a hand to the boy, but Battra merely met him with a cold look. He instead stood at Destoroyah's side, along with a small number of teenagers. Megaguirus being among them. Goro sighed solemnly as he walked off to join Red Moon's group.

This marked the day that the Revolutionaries were born.

---

Battra let loose a long exhale. He settled his nerves, as he found himself standing among a few other Transmutants, who were standing in thick jackets and hoods. They all stood in an alley in the middle of a city. Here, he looked to the others with a nod.

"OK, we do this fast. We hit them hard. The embassy needs to go down. Destoroyah-sama and the rest will bring down the nearest base to buy us time to hunt down everyone inside. No one gets out alive," said Battra sternly.

"Just let me at 'em. I'll turn those fat cat politicians into mincemeat," chuckled a Revolutionary. Battra didn't respond. Truthfully, he had much rather not have to be around some of these Transmutants. He had a peek in this guy's head. He was known serial killer. While Battra would have preferred not to work with the likes of him, he at least could use his body to contribute something of value.

"Hey, hot stuff," called a familiar voice. Battra turned to find Megaguirus to be sneaking her way over to him. She struck a pose with a sultry smile.

"How'd you like to take a peek under the garbs?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed heavily.

"Get serious, unless you want to tell Destoroyah-sama that we failed to eliminate sitting representatives of the GU," said Battra. Megaguirus's expression turned to annoyance.

"Ugh. You're no fun during these," said Megaguirus. Battra shook his head. If this girl was any less useful, he would've ordered her to stay behind. The girl's libido went hand in hand with her appetite, making her a dangerous one to get intimate with.

"Keep your stinger in your pants. We'll be through with this soon," said Battra. A few snorts and snickers came from the Revolutionaries. Megaguirus grew red, brows furrowed.

"Hey! Don't say it like that!" whined Megaguirus. Battra suppressed the need to smile. He had just realized how suggestive his comment was.

"Enough. Be ready," said Battra. He left the alley and made his way to the street. Cars screeched to a halt. Onlookers watched in shock and confusion, as the drivers honked their horns at him.

"Get out of the street!" shouted an angry driver. Battra closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The vehicles all began to suddenly levitate into the air. Citizens backed away in shock and awe, while drivers bailed from their vehicles. The Transmutant raised the vehicles high into the air, carrying over a dozen of them at once.

Battra opened his eyes. With a single thought, the vehicles all began to drop to the ground. Some he began to hurl towards the buildings, slamming them through. Citizens screamed as they fled, while Battra advanced along the street, levitating and throwing more vehicles.

From the alley, the group of Revolutionaries emerged, having changed form. They were comprised of strange beasts, mainly Mammalian and reptilian. The beasts rampages through the streets. Civilians in their path were crushed or swatted aside. Battra continued to move through the street, headed for a particular building. Police officers arrived onto the scene. They raised their hand guns and opened fire.

Battra quickly levitated a car door at his side as magic bolts shot towards him. As the officers continued to shoot, Megaguirus had suddenly dropped behind them. As swift as the wind, Megaguirus drew out a pair of knives from her jacket. She hurled a knife into the eye of the officer that turned to face her.

After he went down, the rest turned their attention onto the girl. She lunged for the next officer and jammed the knife into his jugular. With knife still lodged in, Megaguirus spun with the officer sent a powerful kick towards the last officer, sending him flying towards a car. She then yanked the knife from the second officer's neck, allowing him to drop to the ground to bleed out.

"Damn, I'm good." Megaguirus removed her jacket and tossed it aside. She revealed herself to be wearing a long tight shirt with fishnet sleeves. Fingerless gloves covered her hands. The girl wore a holster with several knives sheathed. She met Battra with a playful wink

MONARCH was training the younger Transmutants to be highly skilled killing machines. How ironic, that training was being used against them.

"Let's move! The rest of you, keep the police busy! No one gets in or out of the embassy!" said Battra, leading Megaguirus into the building.

Meanwhile, just miles from the embassy, a MONARCH base was dealing with its own problems. The base was under siege by the other Revolutionaries. Destoroyah led the attack.

Soldiers made futile attempts to drive back the Transmutants. But, they were swift. Vehicles that were to be deployed were quickly destroyed, as the beasts roamed the base. Any efforts to make a counter attack were thwarted, as the terrorists decimated the forces with their strength and primal rage.

At this rate, MONARCH will not be able to reach the embassy on time. All hope to turn the tide in this fight seemed lost.

Destoroyah stomped through the wreckage of armored vehicles. A dark smile crept on his face. This was his natural habitat. The battlefield. Soon, this will pass throughout Neighpon, so long as they keep up the intensity of their campaign.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came streaking across the air. Destoroyah grunted as he was nearly struck by the bolt. He noticed a man to be dressed in armor. It wasn't like anything he's seen out of MONARCH. It was clad over most of his body. It looked to be a mix of western and samurai armor. The armor was gold, easily reflecting the Sun's light off of its surface. No face was visible, as the knight-like helmet obscured any humanity.

Destoroyah snarled as he focused on the one soldier that dared to challenge him. He charged for the soldier, his heavy feet stomping into the asphalt. He raised his arms as he approached the armored figure, who matched his height. The Revolutionary brought his arms down for a swing, but the armored figure stepped to the side. He then reared his fist back and delivered a powerful punch into the side jaw of Destoroyah.

The Revolutionary staggered with a snarl before lunging for him again. But, the armored warrior had met him with another strike. While stunned, Destoroyah was grabbed and thrown over the figure's shoulder, slamming to the ground. The asphalt shattered beneath him.

The armored figure held the Transmutant's arm, stomping on his chest. With a twist and yank, the warrior dislocated Destoroyah's limb.

"Rargh!!" Destoroyah cried. He opened his jaws wide, causing it to unhinged and split. From the back of his throat, a violet ray shot forth. The warrior leapt away, his shoulder armor piece decayed into metallic ash.

Destoroyah snarled as he body began to break down into red particles, which swiftly swirled through the air, reforming into a new shape. He grew to be a twelve foot tall creature. It was crustacean-like, with multiple armored legs carrying a serpent-like upper body. Claws replaced his hands, and a pair long barbed limbs hung from his back. A pair of star-like crests gave off a mist, as the creatures insect-like mouth dripped with mucus.

The beast shrieked as his heavy armored legs carried him. The heavy steps of the mutant clattered along the asphalt. Destoroyah raised his longest appendages and brought them down on the warrior. But, he missed by a hair, as his opponent evaded via rolling. The figure raised his hands and cast a spell composed of lightning. The bolts courses through Destoroyah, sending him into writhing shock. He retaliated by swatting the figure away with one of the long limbs.

Armor screeched as it sparked along the asphalt. The figure chuckled, before drawing out a grenade. He rushed towards Destoroyah, who was already charging for him. With one swift motion, the warrior jammed his fist into the armored chest of the Transmutant. After yanking his hand out, a pin hung from his fingers.

"Why don't you chill out?" The warrior spoke.

An explosive burst erupted from Destoroyah's chest. Ice began to spread internally and externally. The Revolutionary's motion slowed, as ice spread to his legs, limiting his movement. He shrieked as the ice burned his insides.

"Bastard! Just who are you?!" demanded Destoroyah.

"I'm the king," said the warrior, as he sent his hands forward, sending an endless stream of lightning into the Transmutant.

As Destoroyah was engulfed in his agony, he began to see something that enraged him. His Revolutionaries were being driven back. Soldiers in heavy armor, none resembling that which MONARCH infantry typically wears, started appearing. They led the other common soldiers into battle. Their speed and possession of never encountered weapons pushed the Revolutionaries back. This allowed for some vehicles to be deployed, where they too directed their fire power onto the beasts.

The golden warrior ceased his attack. He drew out another grenade from one of the pouches that were attached to his armor. Destoroyah lied on the ground, panting. Sparks ran along his body, as his carapace decayed, giving off smoke.

"Open wide." The warrior spoke, sadism in his tone. He jammed the grenade into Destoroyah's mouth and pulled the pin. Destoroyah thrashed in a futile attempt at resistance, but was silenced as the grenade exploded. When the mist cleared, his head and neck was covered in ice, spreading to the rest of his body. The Transmutant had gone still, with his mouth and part of his face missing.

"Secure Oni while the rest of the slayers handle the others,." Onyx's voice spoke over the COM. The golden warrior sighed.

"How disappointing. And here I was hoping for a challenge."

It was the end of the day. The attack of embassy had been a success. The targets that were sought after had been killed. But, there was a heavy price for this victory.

Battra found himself standing with a hard expression. He stood among his fellow Revolutionaries, as a broadcast played.

"The Director has assured the public that the capture of Transmutant terrorists will be in favor of Neighpon. While the loss of representatives from the Global Union is terrible and may cause a shaking in the power structure, this victory may turn the tide on the war with the Transmutant menace."

The radio continued its broadcast. The Revolutionaries held a mix of outrage and fear. Their numbers had been radically reduced, and their leader was nowhere to be found. They wondered how long until they were next.

"What do we do now?" asked Megaguirus worried. Battra let out heavy breath through his nostrils. He turned to the other Transmutants.

"This changes nothing. We'll continue the fight," said Battra.

"But what about Destoroyah and the others?" asked another Revolutionary.

"Destoroyah-sama would want us to carry on. Besides, I don't plan on abandoning them. We just need time to figure this out. We need intel," said Battra. He turned to face the Revolutionaries with a firm look.

"Fact of the matter is that it's too risky to continue as we have. We should consider expanding our activity. Preferably where Monarchs presence isn't as great," said Battra.

"Where?" asked Megaguirus.

"I was thinking West."

Next Chapter: Anthology: Drafted Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 3 Minutes