DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains themes of child abuse that may be unsuitable for some readers. Read at your own risk.

It was a bright noon over Neighpon. On the southern island of the nation, lied a village. The village of Kitamatsu was but a humble mining town. It was small, but had a tight knit community. Most workers were, of course, miners. The coal mine was the town's valuable resource.

The structures that made up the town were mostly small. They were more traditional compared to the more modern concrete and steel framed buildings in the cities that were being constructed. Beyond the town were mountains and forests.

A child with red hair was running through town, followed by other boys his age. They ran passed adults, making their way near the edge of town. The boys began to hop over obstacles in their place, making their way towards a pond.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Rodan shouted, as he began to remove his shirt, socks and shoes. He only ran in his shorts, as he hopped into the pond. The cold water washed over his body, but it was a pleasure compared to the heat. The other boys joined in. The children laughed as they splashed, swam and wrestled.

"Hey!" Rodan called as he dove under water. He quickly shot up and held up a fish, which squirmed in his hand.

"Wow! You caught a fish!" said a boy in awe. Rodan gave a cheeky grin, as he held the fish.

"Hey, let's say we cook this guy up and eat him for lunch!" said Rodan.

"Yeah, that'd be good!" said another boy.

"Wait, do you even know how to cook?" asked a boy.

"It can't be that hard. We just need to make a fire and- WHOA!"

The fish had slipped out of the boy's hands. He attempted to catch it, but it would continue to slip out of his grasp. He managed to catch the fish, holding it by its sides, with its tail facing up. However, the fish began to slap its fin against him, causing the boy to drop it back into the pond. The other children began to laugh at his expense, much to his dismay.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny," said Rodan, rolling his eyes.

"Hey Rodan, we're going to have a test of courage later tonight. We're inviting some girls too. You wanna come?" asked one of the boys. The red haired boy grinned.

"Yeah! Sounds like fun!" said Rodan.

"Man, I hope I get paired up with Miku-chan!" said one of the boys.

"Miku-chan? Please! I rather pair up with Rei!" said another boy.

"Hey, Rodan. Who do you hope to pair up with?" asked another. Rodan bore an embarrassed look.

"I-I don't know," said Rodan, shrugging.

"Come on! Let's hear it!" said another boy, eagerly.

"I really don't know. I mean, they all seem nice. I guess I'm fine with any," said Rodan, shrugging.

"Ah that's no fun," said a boy in annoyance.

"How can you be sure that you'll be paired with a girl. For all we know, they might pair with each other and we pair up with each other," said Rodan, confused.

"Oh, don't worry! We have that covered," said the boy with a wink.

Time passed. It was the late afternoon. The light was fading, where the night would come and greet them until the next day, when the Goddess Amaterasu would rise again and bathe them in her light and warmth. Another day in this town, where everyone worked rather than play.

Rodan sighed as he watched the miners beginning to leave the mine shaft for the day. Their faces and clothes covered in soot. They had begun to put away their equipment and clocked out for the day.

"Mom, dad's coming home!" called Rodan, looking back. His mother, a woman with reddish brown hair, was slaving away at the stove. Her tannish skin covered in sweat. His mother wasn't Neighponese. She was from a land far from their own. A region that was in the South Western side of world. She was apparently a student from her land that had traveled abroad to study foreign cultures. Only for her to give that up and settle down when she met the man of this house.

"Alright. Set the table for me, dear! I don't want to keep your father waiting for his meal!" said the woman, as she increased her pace. She spoke with a thick accent. It wasn't easy for some people to understand what she was saying. But, Rodan did plenty.

The boy made his way to the cabinets, where dishes lied. He gathered them, while gathering the chopsticks. He brought everything to the small, wooden table, which barely stood above ground. Only soft cushions were placed around for seating. He began to set everything up.

The door suddenly opened. Rodan turned to find a Neighponese man, covered in soot, to be entering the house. He sighed tiredly, wiping his sweaty brow.

"Welcome home!" Rodan and his mother greeted in unison. The man smiled.

"Dear, I went ahead and got a bath ready. It should still be nice and hot for you!" said the woman.

"Ah. Thank you. I'll be out soon," said the father, making his way into the house, headed for the bathroom.

Soon, the family had gathered around the table. They sat down, with food resting on a large dish in the center. After their 'Grace', the family of three began to feast. Rodan savored every bite of his food. While a foreigner, his mother picked up quick on her new home's cuisine pallet. At least that's what his peers seemed to say. To him, good food was good. The family continued to eat. Rodan cleared his throat.

"Dad, I uh... I wanted to ask you something," said Rodan, a bit timid.

"Hm?" The father sipped his miso soup.

"My friends are going to do a uh... A test of courage tonight. I was wondering if-"

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed the mother. Rodan winced. He was afraid that his mother would be quicker than his old man to shoot him down. She had a fiery personality that sometimes made the boy wonder who wore the pants in this relationship.

"You heard your mother," said the father, shrugging. He then went back to sipping. Rodan groaned.

"Why not? We're not going too far! It's just going to be me and some friends!" said Rodan.

"Rodan, you know better than to be outside late in the night! What if you were to get lost or hurt?" questioned the mother.

"That's why we're going together!" shrugged Rodan. His mother sighed as she pinched her brow. The boy always had a response. It was like he was too hard headed to understand.

"Rodan, there's other ways to get a girl's attention," said the father, flatly. The boy blushed furiously as he stiffened.

"A-A girl?! Who said anything about a girl?! It's just gonna be me and the guys!" Rodan stuttered with an embarrassed look.

"Son, I know what you're doing. When I was your age, my friends and I used to go into the woods at night to get close to the girls," said the father, before picking shrimp tempura from the platter and placing it on his plate.

"And how'd that go?" asked Rodan, curiously. His mother rolled her eyes with an amused look.

"Oh, I embarrassed myself in front of the girl that I had a crush on. She said that 'cowards weren't attractive'. Kinda unfair when we're talking about nine year olds," said the father, shrugging.

"So can I go?" asked Rodan.

"NO!" said the mother in exasperation. Rodan groaned with a scowl, resting his elbows on the table.

"Young man, you better wipe that attitude off of your face! And take your elbows off the table!" said the mother. The boy sighed as he sat upright.

"I know you think we're being unfair to you, son. But it's for your own safety. You wouldn't want to run into that monster," said the father.

"Lucky Dragon? I thought that was just some weird myth that you and the adults made up," said Rodan, confused.

"Oh no, it's very real. There was a laboratory just outside of Trotkyo that made some kind of monster. It got loose a few weeks ago and is terrorizing small towns. MONARCH's been hunting it. You wouldn't want to run into it out there," said the father.

"Monsters. There were two of them. The other was called 'Alpha'. Some mad scientists. They couldn't even come up with more creative names," said the mother. Rodan snorted.

"Trotkyo? That's like a million miles from here! What are the chances of running into it out here?" asked Rodan.

"Rodan, you're not going out there and that's final. If you really want to impress girls, just go up to one and talk to one," deadpanned the mother. Rodan sighed in dismay.

Later that evening, Rodan found himself lying on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling with a look of boredom. He sighed heavily.

Living in this miner town was the least exciting thing for a kid. They weren't allowed to go off too far, and there wasn't anything fun to do. He heard that the cities and bigger towns had much more interesting and fun things to do. How he yearned to go out there and experience that someday. Maybe when he became an adult, he'd get that opportunity.

There was a sudden knock at the window. Rodan raised himself up and moved to the glass window. He saw a boy to be standing outside, his head barely peering over.

"Hey, Rodan! Where you been? Everyone's waiting!" whispered the boy.

"Sorry. My folks told me no," sighed Rodan.

"Ah come on! The girls are waiting! It could be a chance to get close to one of them!" said the boy. Rodan grimaced as he looked to his bedroom door.

"I guess it'd be fine if I'm out for a bit. They'll never know I'm gone," said Rodan. He smiled as he began to climb out of the window.

"Awesome! Let's go!" whispered the boy.

Soon, Rodan found himself in the woods with the other kids. As stated, there were several girls to be present. Each one was cute and pretty in their own way. Their hair was either long or short. They were tall or short. Rodan himself didn't have a preference. He was just too shy to even look any of them in the eye. It didn't help that they were going to pair up with one.

Rodan found himself paired up with one of the girls. He didn't know her very well. But, she was a timid and cute girl. Her hair was short, with a a cartoony cat shaped hair clip The boy found himself in complete silence, as they walked together in the dark woods, with flashlight in hand. The girl anxiously looked around, as the crickets chirped around them.

"It's uh... Pretty creepy, right?" asked the girl.

"Yep. I-I mean, it's nothing!" said Rodan, placing on a confident smile. Though in reality, he was trembling a bit. The woods were quite frightening at night. Not to mention he had that stupid myth about the monsters running around Neighpon stuck in his head. Only now, it wasn't a myth. There were legitimate monsters on the loose.

"If anything were to show up, I'd protect you! No problem!" said Rodan. The girl smiled brightly.

"Wow! So brave!" said the girl. Rodan gave a cheeky smile. There was the sudden sound of bushes rustling. The two kids froze in place. They turned to find a bush moving. They stood close, both trembling.

"H-Hey! What happened to all of that bravery?!" exclaimed the girl.

"Huh?!" Rodan looked at her incredulously. The girl suddenly pushed him.

"Go check it out!" said the girl.

"Alright! Alright! No need to be pushy!" said Rodan. He was beginning to regret leaving his room. The boy took a calming breath as he cautiously approached the bush. His heart was throbbing in his chest, as he inched closer and closer to the foliage. His palms grew sweaty, feeling cold as the night air chilled his drenched skin. He then peered over the bush.

A dark figure suddenly lunged at the boy with a shriek. Rodan and the girl cried out. The boy fell onto his rear as he dropped his light. The figure was illuminated by the light. It was a long haired primate. The monkey screeched as it trampled on the boy, scurrying away into the shadows. Rodan sighed in relief.

"Just a monkey," said Rodan with a chuckle. The girl gave a laugh of relief.

"You OK?" asked the girl.

"Y-Yeah, I think so." Rodan stood as he brushed off his clothes. The girl suddenly let out a scream of terror. Instinctively, Rodan turned. He found a large dark figure to have risen. Its eyes were red like blood, almost glowing. The creature had a human-like shape, and was imposing.

"MONSTER!" Rodan cried. It was the only thing his young mind could process at a glance. He turned to run, but found himself grabbed by the mysterious figure. He was about to scream, but his mouth was cupped by a leathery hand. The girl screamed as she fled. The boy thrashed and squirmed, attempting to free himself from the figure's grasp. He was unable to escape, as he was taken further into the dark woods, off of the path. With that, the boy was never seen again.

The air was cold. There was the shuddering of breath. A pair of blue eyes opened wide. These eyes beheld a metallic wall. They darted around, finding themselves in the confinement of a metallic box. These eyes belonged to a young Neighponese girl. She bore short brown hair. Strands hung over her forehead, between her eyes. The girl panted, her heart racing in her chest as she found herself in this steel box cell.

The girl began to look herself over, finding herself in a pair of dark sweats and a short sleeved shirt. She found a tag to be around her wrist, with a set of numbers. She whimpered once she noticed the cotton bandages on her arms. They were the same she would expect to have if she had a shot. But, the child had no recollection of visiting the clinic. But then, memories began to flood into her mind.

She remembered that it was late at night. Shadows came from outside and into her room and snatched her up. She managed to get out a few screams before everything went black.

The child shot up to her feet and rushed to the wall.

"Battra-Nii! Mother! Father! Please, somebody!" The girl screamed as she began to bang on the wall. A painful jolt was felt, coursing from her hands and through her arms. The girl cried out in pain as she fell back, burns having appeared on her palms. The girl whimpered, as tears began to fall.

"Why is this happening? I wanna go home." muttered the girl.

There was a sudden buzz. The wall suddenly slid to the side, revealing an older woman. She too was Neighponese. Her eyes were grey. Her skin slightly sagged from beneath her eyes, showing her age. Her dark hair was greying. She was dressed in a lab coat and skirt. A nametag was over her left breast. The name, 'Nakada' was printed in Neighponese, but in Equish beneath. Mosura whimpered, remaining on the ground a she sniffled.

"I'm glad to see that you've quickly recovered young miss," said the woman.

"R-Recovered? Where am I?! What's going on?!" demanded the girl.

Nakada glanced to the side. She saw a soldier to be standing out of the child's sight, his grip tight on the rifle that he wielded. The woman sent the soldier a look, prompting the soldier to take a step further from the cell.

"Calm down, young Miss. You're somewhere safe and sound. You and a selected number of others were chosen to become warriors. You will serve your country well at finding and destroying a beast. You may have heard of it. MONARCH calls it 'Lucky Dragon'," said Nakada. The girl's expression went slack jawed. Her dread only grew.

"Me? A Warrior? B-But I'm just a kid! I don't wanna fight Lucky Dragon! Please, I wanna go home!" cried the girl.

"Yasu Mosura, is it? I am afraid that there isn't a home for you to go back to," said Nakada, regret in her tone. Mosura's shoulders slumped.

"What do you mean?"

"I am afraid that your parents were killed by a criminal syndicate. They called themselves the Black Elf Gang. If not for MONARCH, you and your brother may have suffered the same fate," said Nakada.

"Mom and Dad are... dead?" muttered Mosura. She felt herself having gone numb. The shock of everything had rendered her unable to feel. Her parents were gone. Never again would she see them. She was alone now.

"Wait, my brother! Where's my brother?!" cried Mosura.

"He's being housed in the same facility. Don't worry, you'll be able to see him. But for now, I'll need you to come with me," said Nakada.

"Why?" asked Mosura.

"Because we need to give you an evaluation. I'll just ask you a few questions. After that, we'll get you fed and send you back here so that you can rest," said Nakada. Mosura grimaced. She began to rise to her feet. She began to leave the cell, but flinched once she found the soldier looking down at her from the side.

"Don't mind him. He's just here to make sure that we're safe," said Nakada, reassuringly. Mosura slightly nodded.

The child followed the woman through the cold halls of this strange place. Everything was metallic, with only the floor being made up of smooth concrete. Dim lights hung above, lighting up their path. Mosura's eyes scanned the halls, finding arrows pointing with Neighponese text to be accompanying them. Right now, they were leaving Cell Block B. The child's head was filled with many questions as she was dazed with confusion. She wondered why such a horrible fate would befall her and her brother. Why would a mere child such as herself be recruited to fight off a monster?

Soon, the girl found herself sitting on a small chair in an office. It was less cold in here than the cell block that she was originally in. The child's soles were darkened from having walked barefoot all of the way over. Her eyes were downcast, as she sat emotionless. All the while, Nakada sat across from her, with a clip board in hand. One leg crossed over the other, as she adjusted her glasses.

"Alright, dear. I'll ask you a series of questions. Just answer the best that you can and as honestly," said Nakada. She cleared her throat.

"Have you been experiencing any headaches since you've woken up?" asked Nakada.

"My head kinda hurts. But it comes and goes," said Mosura, rubbing her head.

"How would you describe the pain?"

"Um... Kinda like a brain freeze. Like when you eat ice cream too fast," said Mosura. Nakada bore a slight amused look, while jotting down some notes.

"OK. Do you feel any other pain anywhere? Like abdominal or chest pain?" asked Nakada.

"Abdominal?" asked Mosura. Nakada gestured to her gut region.

"No. But, I feel a little sore on my arms," said Mosura, looking at the bandages. She felt uneasy looking at those. She wondered what was done to her while she was out. These questions did little to alleviate her worries.

"OK. Do you feel irritable? Or perhaps any aggression? Do you feel angry for no reason?" asked Nakada. Mosura's lips quivered.

"I... I feel scared," muttered Mosura. Nakada grimaced.

"OK. Dear, I need to perform a few physical tests on you. It'll be just like a common visit to the doctor for a checkup. Then we'll get you something to eat. How does ice cream sound?" asked Nakada, a sweet smile on her face. The child forced a smile, but not even every kid's favorite treat could lift her spirits.

"I need you to come over here and squeeze this handle as hard as you can," said Nakada, gesturing to a device that rested on a desk. Mosura bore an odd look. This wasn't like any kind of checkup she's had. She shrugged as she stepped to the device. She grabbed the rubber handle and began to squeeze as tightly as she could. Nakada stared at a monitor attached to the handle and began to watch as a set of numbers went up.

'Hmm. Not much different than any average child. It's still early though.'

Nakada began to jot down notes. She then proceeded to perform a series of tests on the girl. She checked Mosura's height and weight, then her blood pressure. Next came the range of her motion, her reflexes, her ears, her mouth, and eyes. As her heart beats were listened to, Mosura began to realize how thorough of a checkup this was. She supposed that if they were serious about making her some kind of soldier, then they needed to make sure that she was in good health. Mosura still couldn't fathom her current lot.

A few days had passed. Mosura still found herself confined to the metallic box cell. During these days, she would continue to be evaluated by Nakada and would have to have a physical every time. She found her headaches seeming to grow worse as the days went by. It felt like something was squeezing Mosura's brain.

For now, she was given medication to help reduce the pain, while Nakada mentioned running tests. The girl hoped that it wasn't anything too serious. But the pain was becoming unbearable. Mosura was curled in a fetal position in her cell, whimpering as she clutched her head. It was throbbing now.

Mosura began to hear voices. The girl looked around, searching for the sources. It seemed that they were all around her. But, she couldn't see anyone. Her cell shouldn't have allowed her to be able to hear anyone. Yet she kept hearing them. The voices overlapped each other, making it impossible for her to sort out. The child thought perhaps she was being haunted, and that she was hearing the voices of restless spirits.

Mosura clenched her eyes shut and cupped her hands over her ears. She let out an ear piercing shriek, yet her own voice was unable to drown out the countless voices.

Later, Mosura found herself lying on a machine. She was sent inside of a tube, which hummed loudly. Very dim lights were inside of the tube. She lied still inside, while Nakada and a few other individuals who were dressed in similar lab coats were observing.

On a monitor, an image of the child's X-ray was depicted. Her head was the focus, exposing an image of the child's brain.

"Incredible. Just look at that activity for her brain," said one of the men.

"She's been complaining about headaches. But this is the first time that she's mentioned voices," said Nakada.

"We've been getting similar results with the brother," said another.

"What does it mean?"

"I'd say that we might have created honest to goodness telepaths," said a man.

"Any chance that this will be a problem with their development? This experience has caused her a lot of stress," said Nakada.

"We'll run more tests. But for now, let's see if some sedatives will calm her down. Perhaps it will inhibit the telepathy. Until we can figure out the range of this newfound ability," said another man.

A couple weeks had passed. Mosura Yasu found herself sitting on a chair. Her eyes closed. Upon her head was that of a crown-like device. Lights flickered on it, as wires hung from the sides, connected to a machine. The machine printed out a long sheet, as needles drew along it. Nakada sat silently, as she watched as the child's brain wave activity was recorded.

"OK, Yasu. What number am I thinking of?" asked Nakada.

"7. 25. 60. 1. 8." Mosura's brows slightly crinkled. Her tone began to border on annoyance.

"Correct. You're able to quickly process and relay a change of thoughts," said Nakada, writing down onto her note pad.

"Now, can you relay a message to me with a thought? I'd like to see your progress on that test," said Nakada. Mosura nodded. She began to focus. The monitor flickered quickly, as brain activity was starting to spike.

'Testing. Testing. Are you receiving this message?' thought Mosura.

'Loud and clear,' thought Nakada, a smile growing on her face. Mosura exhaled heavily.

"Are we done yet? We've been testing nonstop," said Mosura with a whine.

"Almost. Let's try something harder. I want you to lift this mug up," said Nakada, setting down a coffee mug onto the table. Mosura grimaced.

"Nakada-san, it's impossible. If I haven't been able to lift objects with my mind before, why would I do that now?" asked Mosura.

"If our hypothesis is correct, your abilities should be able to have a physical effect on the world around you. Your brain is emitting a strong force we've never seen. Something that goes beyond magic. Just try," said Nakada. Mosura sighed. She closed her eyes as she raised a hand forward. She began to focus her mind on the mug. Mosura pictured the mug in her head and thought of it lifting up. Her brows crinkled, as she felt a strain placed on her head. But, she kept at it. If only to prove that it wasn't possible.

Nakada watched attentively. Her eyes falling to the printed brain activity every now and then. This time, the activity was spiking dramatically. A completely different reading from before. She looked close to the mug, as it began to slightly tremble. It slightly slid across the table, causing Nakada's eyes to widen.

"Ugh!" Mosura grunted. She panted, as she opened her eyes.

"See? I told you that..." Mosura trailed off as she noticed Nakada staring intensely at the mug. The woman met her with a grin.

"You are truly incredible," said Nakada. The girl's eyes widened, having noticed that the mug was not in the same place that it once was.

"I'll have to document this! You've been making great progress! Not to mention your physical strength has doubled over the last couple of weeks!" said Nakada, scribbling away at the clip board.

"Nakada-san, when may I see my brother," said Mosura. The woman stopped, finding the distraught look that the girl had.

"Please. I just wanna know that he's OK," said Mosura. Nakada sent her a small smile.

"You'll see him tomorrow," said Nakada.

"Promise?"

"I promise. We're done for today. I'll have you escorted back. You'll need rest. Tomorrow will feel a lot more familiar to you," said Nakada. Mosura nodded before removing the device from her head.

Soon, the child found herself walking down the cold hall of this facility. A soldier led her on. This wasn't a familiar face. Every now and then, they'd rotate out with another one. As she walked on, her telepathy began to work. By now, she had a bit of control over it. She wasn't flooded with a million thoughts of others anymore. So that was a relief.

The two began to pass a soldier. Mosura noticed the soldier to be glancing at her. The two made eye contact.

'Gods, how did I get into this mess?' a voice entered Mosura's mind. It was the thought of the soldier that they had passed. While his expression was stoic, Mosura was able to sense a feeling of guilt from this man. The guilt was felt through the girl herself. She felt a sense of dread, as if her own soul was on the line. She wondered just what was it that this man had gotten into for him to feel this way.

"Hurry it up!" barked the escort. Mosura almost jumped out of her skin. She began to pick up her pace.

'Fuck. How'd I get stuck with babysitting little shits? I rather be out there looking to shoot me some monsters,' thought the escort. Mosura furrowed her brows. She already didn't like this soldier. When they were nearing the cell block, a soldier stood guard by a room. His hair was unkempt, and was a blood red in color. He was Neighponese. On his side was a baton that hung, set to the highest setting. His eyes fell on Mosura as she passed by.

'I wonder what her voice sounds like if she were to squeal,' thought the man.

Mosura felt a chill run up her spine. She stopped and looked to the man, who stared at her. It wasn't a normal look of someone finding a kid cute. This was something that felt very wrong. It made Mosura's knees feel weak, as the man sent her a creepy smile, as his eyes had the look of a predator.

Mosura quickly rushed after her escort. She instinctively latched onto his uniform, causing the man to stumble.

"Hey!" barked the man.

"I-I'm sorry!" whimpered Mosura.

"Just get in your cell!" said the soldier, before shoving the girl inside. Mosura stumbled and tripped. She winced, turning to find the cell door to be closing. The girl sighed as she lied herself down on her futon, staring up at the ceiling. A camera was looking down at her, its light being the only thing available. What Mosura would give to be able to go outside. She hadn't seen the sun in what felt like forever. She hoped that Nakada was being true to her word. This place was starting to grow unbearable.

It was the next day. Mosura found herself being escorted by the same soldier from the previous day. Again, he was displeased with having to make sure she got to where she needed to go. Neither enjoyed the other's company. Fortunately, it'd be a while before the two would have to look at each other again.

Mosura didn't recognize the area that she was in. It wasn't the same direction to Nakada's office. Soon, she was led to a door. A soldier stood aside, swiping a card over a panel. The panel beeped as a green light appeared. The door was opened, allowing Mosura to step inside. Her eyes widened.

Inside of the room was not what the girl was expecting. 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 she was. The door was suddenly closed behind Mosura, prompting her to flinch. The girl took a breath before making her way over to join the children. None of them were familiar to her, but most seemed to be of Neighponese descent. The girl gasped.

"Battra-Nii!" Mosura cried. She ran over to a boy, who had turned with a start. He bore red eyes rather than blue. His hair was black, but in a similar style to Mosura's, only more unkempt. 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," said Mosura.

"Yeah, we all did," said Battra, gesturing to the other kids. Mosura looked around, finding the different children around her. They all appeared to have been shaken up, but also relieved. It seemed that all of them had a similar experience as she did.

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

"Yeah, that's what they told me to. I guess we really can't go home," said Battra.

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.

"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.

"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. Mosura's eyes widened.

"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. She heard it time and time again. But now, she was certain that it was true. There was no chance of them leaving this place. This was their home now.

A few days had gone by. 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.

Mosura made it a habit to remain close to her older brother, Battra. She didn't have too much interest on interacting with the other kids. She just wasn't in the mood to make any effort to do so. 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.

"It's nothing. Don't worry," said Battra. Mosura frowned.

"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.

"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. She felt safe, so long as he was around.

"Hey, do you ever see those kids hang out with anyone?" asked Battra, pointing ahead. Mosura looked and saw a pair of boys to be sitting at a bench. They just sat and watched as the other children played.

"I don't think so," said Mosura. As she continued to look, she saw the sadness that was in their eyes. It seemed that they were unable to ignore their troubles like the others managed to do, much like herself and Battra.

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

"Hello," said Mosura. The red haired boy jumped in surprise, while the brown spiky haired boy lazily looked her way.

"H-Hi," greeted the red haired boy.

"Do you guys wanna come hang out with me and my brother?" asked Mosura.

"What are you doing?" asked the brown haired boy. Mosura shrugged.

"Just moping. We aren't really in the mood to play. But it'd be nice to be around kids who aren't pretending that things are OK," said Mosura. The two boys glanced at each other. They both stood up and began to follow Mosura back to the game area. 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.

"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.

"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.

"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."

The days seemed to go by much more easily. Having new friends through Rodan and Angirasu made Mosura's and Battra's lives more bearable. During recess, they always would get together and would play. Recess was the most looked forward to after long hours of studying.

Sometimes, the children would forget that they were locked up in a facility that they weren't allowed to leave during recess.

A soldier sighed in annoyance as he leaned against the wall, hearing the laughs of the children.

"What's the point of having us here? I didn't become a soldier to babysit. I joined to shoot this gun," said the soldier.

"Since you're obviously too dense to figure it out, I'll break it down. These aren't ordinary kids. The eggheads did something to them. We're here to make sure that what happened with their last experiments don't happen again. These freaks are not to be taken lightly," said the older soldier. The other scoffed.

"They're just little brats. What can they possibly do that warrants this much security?" asked the guard.

"I don't know. But I hope we won't find out," said the older soldier.

Time continued to pass. A couple of months had gone by. During this time, the children continued their education while regularly received physicals. So far, the children seemed to have their physical prowess increase over time. During Physical Education, the Drill Sergeant would have them perform physical activities to test their strength, stamina, speed, and reflexes. It was more intense compared to traditional P.E., but the children were at least able to burn off energy they kept stored up inside while staying in the classroom studying.

Nakada had kept notes that at this rate, the children would surpass the national average based on physical prowess. They were developing quite well.

"Have they shown any abnormal signs? You know that we can't repeat what happened with Lucky Dragon and Alpha," said Onyx, as he stood before the woman.

"Nothing that we weren't expecting. Although the Yasu siblings, who we've designated as Angel and Night Angel, have developed advanced cognitive functions. The genetic template has somehow granted them the ability of telepathy. It seems that their minds have evolved into handling telekinesis as well. I'm already training with Angel to assist her in controlling it," said Nakada. Onyx hummed.

"If it's evolving, then it may prove to be a hazard. At least tell me that you've developed contingencies against it," said Onyx. Nakada cleared her throat, feeling a bit of discomfort.

"W-We can inhibit it through sedatives. We've also learned that her abilities are unable to breach through lead surfaces," said Nakada.

"The telepaths are not allowed to use their abilities outside of controlled tests. I want you to make sure that they aren't able to perform," said Onyx, his eyes narrowed. Nakada nodded.

"U-Understood, Director. I'll be sure that we develop something," said Nakada.

"Good. Continue to monitor the children closely," said Onyx, turning to leave the office. Once he left, Nakada sighed heavily. She slouched forward in her seat, removing her glasses. She rubbed her brows tiredly. She began to look through the notes that she's taken over the months. The progress of the children has been impressive. It also seemed that their academics have been another thing entirely. She looked into the school records of some of these kids. Their performance was greater than it was from their old lives. It seemed that they've become quite focused… unless they've been extra motivated by fear to do well in school. That idea didn't sit well with Nakada. As time went on, it grew harder to continue her work.

A year had passed. By now, Mosura was 11 years old. The children had moved up their class and were studying more advanced subjects that was suitable for children their age.

Mosura winced as she felt her side. She groaned as she sat at her desk, feeling a sharp pain. Battra looked her way. 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 and was led down the hall.

"They really should have the women around to escort the girls," the soldier muttered to himself. He stopped and stood by, while Mosura entered one of the restrooms. The soldier sighed with a bored look. The kid looked to be in a lot of pain. He had a feeling that she'd be a while.

As the soldier waited, he noticed another to be walking by. A soldier with blood red unkempt hair.

"Hey, Kenpachi," greeted the guard.

"Hey. The captain wants to see you," said soldier.

"The captain? What for?" asked the guard in confusion.

"No clue. Might be important."

"Ugh. I can't go. I'm freakin' baby sitting one of the brats. I have to get her back to class after she's used the bathroom," said the guard.

"Well then why not wait?" asked Kenpachi.

"How patient is the captain? I have a feeling that this girl will be awhile," said the guard.

"You said she needs to get back to class right? I can take over for you while you go him," said Kenpachi, a smile on his face.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm not busy. Hurry unless you want an earful," chuckled Kenpachi.

"Alright, thanks!" said the guard, before running off. Kenpachi waved to him as he left. His expression turned to a smirk, as he looked around. The bathroom door suddenly opened, startling Kenpachi. He turned to find Mosura to be staggering out, holding her side. She stiffened once she noticed the man. She began to anxiously look around.

"W-Where's the other guard?" asked Mosura.

"Had to run to see the captain. You doin' OK? That seemed like a fast bathroom break," said Kenpachi. Mosura cleared her throat, her eyes looking away.

"I-I didn't have to go. I guess I'm hurting for a different reason," said Mosura. Kenpachi knelt down.

"Oh? Mind if I check?" asked Kenpachi.

"I-I uh..." Mosura felt discomfort grow. There was that same creepy look in his eyes. But before she could protest, Kenpachi had began to place his hands over her gut. The girl stiffened, which caused her pain to grow worse. Kenpachi hummed as his hands caressed every inch of the girl's torso. Mosura swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling the breath of the man.

Mosura wanted to tell this man to stop, but she was too petrified from shock and fear that she was unable to get the words out.

"Does it hurt when I do this?" asked Kenpachi. He pressed on Mosura's rib, causing a small whimper to escape. She began to tremble.

'That's the stuff,' Kenpachi thought. Mosura's lip quivered, as her heart raced. She let out a sharp gasp as the man's hand began to trail over her chest.

"Ah. I notice that you're starting to develop." Kenpachi chuckled. Mosura suddenly pulled away from the man. Her hand covering her chest. The girl trembled as the man locked his predatory eyes with her own. Her senses screamed at her to flee.

"I-I should get back to class," said Mosura.

"Oh, of course. Allow me to escort you," said Kenpachi, a smile on his face. Mosura forced a smile as well. She turned and began to walk back from whence she came. She noticed that Kenpachi was behind her.

'Just a few more years...' A voice filled Mosura's mind. The girl suppressed the need to gasp.

Soon, the child was brought back to the classroom. 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.

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 halfheartedly 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.

"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 the eyes of Kenpachi was seared into her mind. 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.

"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 passed it being a guard," 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.

Later that day, Mosura found herself lying in her cell. She was under the covers of her futon. She groaned as she tossed and turned. She had hoped that sleep would help her through the pain. But, it seemed that it had grown worse. Suddenly, a sharp pain began to strike every inch of the girl's body. Mosura cried out, as she tossed off the covers. She got into a fetal position, clutching herself. Her heart began to throb in her chest. The child whimpered.

"AH!!" Mosura cried. Her bones began to pop. Her sides began to bulge. Her shirt tore, as fleshy appendages began to grow from her sides. She screamed in agony as she lied on her back. Her body began to elongate, tearing through the clothes that she wore. Her hair began to fall from her head, as her skull started to reform. Her eyes began to bulge out of her skull, her pupils fading. Her screams became inhuman screeches.

An alarm began to blare. Guards were rushing down the halls, making their way to Cellblock B. They all stood at the cell, their weapons drawn. The cell rocked and sparked, as muffled screeches echoed out through the cellblock.

"Alright, stand fast! As soon as that thing comes out, we're gonna blast it to Hell!" said a guard. A crackle on the COM filled the air.

"Do not kill the subject, you fools! Contain her!" shouted a voice.

"Contain?! Sorry Doc, but I'm not here to catch your freaky experiments!" said the guard.

Suddenly, the metallic door flew open. The guards stumbled back, as a large worm-like creature forced its way out of the cell. It was a brown armored caterpillar, with a pair of tusks and bright blue eyes. The insect shrieked as it flailed its front limbs, which held sharp appendages. She opened her mouth and sprayed globs of silk at the soldiers, forcing them down to the ground. The insect began to scurry through the facility on her belly. Thick globs of silk fell freely from her mouth.

Mosura's mind was racing. Everything felt wrong. She had trouble controlling her movement. Her mind was overcome with fear and confusion. Her senses were overwhelmed. All she could do was vomit silk all around. The mutant crashed into a wall, causing debris to fall around her. In a daze, she continued to drop silk from her mouth. She leaned against a wall, while spraying her own body and surroundings in silk. Mosura's mind was stuck on a single drive, only for her to encase herself in silk. Whatever what was left of her humanity had no control over this primal drive.

Soon, the worm mutant was incased in a tomb of thick silk. With the task completed, Mosura's rational mind regained control. She attempted to squirm, but was barely able to move. The cocoon had rendered her incapable and stuck to the concrete surface. She was shrouded in complete darkness. Her body began to shed, changing her form once again. Mosura had transition from larva to pupa.

Now, she was completely motionless, with a vaguely shaped, soft form. Mosura had lost her ability to move. All she could do was lie motionless like a corpse. Yet, she was completely aware of her catatonic state. She had no mouth, and must scream.

Several days had passed after that night. A large cocoon took up much space in one of the halls of this facility. So far, it had been completely motionless, with no sign of being active. The cocoon was surrounded by scientists, who monitored it. There were sensors attached to the silky surface, monitoring the subject's heart and brain activity.

"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?!"

Nakada winced as she held a COM. It was Director Onyx's voice over the other line. As expected, he was not pleased with this new development in the subjects. It's one of the reasons why they had lost control of Alpha and Lucky Dragon in the first place.

"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.

"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.

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

"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. Nakada grimaced, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Understood, sir," said Nakada.

"Over and Out."

Nakada sighed heavily as she pocketed the COM. She turned to one of her colleagues.

"Cancel all classes until further notice. None of the subjects are to leave their cells," said Nakada.

"Understood," said the scientist, before walking to leave.

"One more thing. Maybe offer some books or something. They may be waiting a while," said Nakada, softly. The scientist nodded before leaving.

"What about Angel?" asked another scientist. Nakada turned back to the cocoon.

"Nothing we can do right now. We'll have to wait until her metamorphosis is complete. By then, we'll be ready to keep her contained should she go rampant," said Nakada.

"That uh... May be a bit sooner than you think, Doctor," said the scientist. Nakada turned to the cocoon, noticing it to be shaking in place. She then turned her attention to the monitors, finding the heart rate to have gone up, along with an increase of brain activity. Then she saw the monitor which depicted a thermal view of the cocoon's interior. An insectoid was beginning to stir and move. It began to reach the silk walls of its tomb.

The cocoon began to bulge, as a pair of mantis-like appendages tore through the silk. Insect chittering filled the air. Everyone backed away in fear, as the mutation began to emerge. A head covered in white and orange fluff emerged, as large blue insect eyes glowed.

"Everyone back!" shouted a guard, raising his weapon.

"For goodness sake, do not shoot her!" cried Nakada.

"H-Help...." A weak, feminine voice spoke. Everyone was startled by the voice. It was young, but it was unmistakable. It had in fact come from the moth-like creature's side way jaws.

Mosura felt unnatural. Her body was sensitive all over. Particularly on her head, as a pair of long orange haired antennae brushed through the air. Her vision was filled with countless hexagonal-like shapes, which painted a picture of the world around her. Among the humans around her, she was able to see strange lights that seemed to flow through air. Some lights were highly concentrated on the weapons of the soldiers.

As Mosura climbed out of the cocoon, her wings lied draped behind herself, completely wet. She sported four arms. Two arms were slim and armored by a carapace with some white fuzz. Three clawed appendages were attached to these arms. The second pair of arms were longer. They bore mantis-like appendages at the end. She stood on thin insectoid legs, as a bulbous abdomen hung from behind. She had a roughly humanoid form, mixed with insectoid traits. The moth dropped to her knees, as her longer forelimbs kept her from face planting onto the concrete.

Mosura dropped to the ground, groaning as her body began to morph and change again. Everyone watched as her extra limbs retracted, as her wings hardened and began to retract. The fuzz fell off, as her exoskeleton soften, and an interior skeleton began to reform and harden. Soon, the moth mutant had transformed back into a young girl. Mosura lied down, bare skinned. Nakada had rushed to the child, removing her coat. She pulled the girl up after wrapping her in the coat.

"Wha..." Mosura muttered, her eyes fluttering closed. She leaned her head against the woman's shoulder, who held her tightly. It was here that everyone noticed something off about the child. It was the most glaring thing after changing back to human form. Her once brown hair had become white like snow.

A couple of months had passed. By now, the scientists had gathered much data from the child test subjects. They were able to monitor them from their cells without risk of breaking containment, though the children were struck with terrible boredom and isolation.

Fortunately, they were able to keep themselves occupied through books and drawing paper to entertain themselves, though this did little to help. The little outside interaction would be through receiving homework assignments from their teachers to continue their education at minimum capacity even if it was tedious when confined to a cell. The lack of human interaction was unbearable.

Nakada sighed as she sat at a desk, waiting patiently. She tapped her finger, as she waited. She knew that they would've received word from the Director on what to do by now. The children didn't pose any threat, as they had developed ways to inhibit transformation. It was safe to allow the children to return to their old routine. Yet, she heard nothing.

"Whatever happened with Lucky Dragon must have him paranoid," said Nakada to herself. She wasn't a part of the experimentation on Alpha and Lucky Dragon. But, she did get a glimpse at the sensitive data. It seemed that Lucky Dragon had a situation where he displayed highly aggressive behavior. The subject was depraved of all rational thought and higher thinking. It was though he had devolved into a primal state. Though there were whispers of the child having turned into a demon.

'Superstitious nonsense,' thought Nakada. Regardless of her feelings, they needed to keep a close watch on the children as to make sure they do not have a repeat in Lucky Dragon's case.

"Doctor, a letter from the Director," said a scientist, making his way over to Nakada's desk. She took the letter and began to read through. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Excellent. Let's get set up for returning the children to class. Make sure they're wearing their inhibitors at all times," said Nakada. As she hoped, Onyx had approved of allowing the children to resume their education. So long as the staff was to make sure that the subjects are kept in check. However, everything that's happened may have costed the children's trust. This may be harder than MONARCH would've liked.

Another day had passed. By now, the children had returned to their old routine. However, they were all forced to wear an uncomfortable accessory at all times. Around their necks, they wore collar-like objects. The devices held needle protrusions that embedded into the back of the neck. While it was troublesome to get the children to put these devices on, they weren't in constant pain after the devices were attached.

Nakada's research had shown that a transmutation could be triggered through a neural stimulation caused by strong emotions as fear and rage. These inhibitor collars would prevent the signals from activating the cells that caused a transformation of the subject's biology.

While the issue of containment was taken care of, Nakada thought it best to ease the children back into the routine. There were fewer lessons and extended recess granted to the children for the day. While it was a vain attempt to gain the children's trust back, it was also Nakada's way of apologizing for the hardship caused. Though there was no forgiveness for what they were doing here.

During Recess, Mosura found herself surrounded by the other children. All bore looks of shock and awe. The girl grimaced as she was gawked at, while a girl felt her white locks.

"You mean you didn't bleach your hair, Yasu-chan?" asked the girl in awe. Mosura winced before pulling away.

"No. It just became like this," said Mosura. Though she only wished that was completely true. If not for that horrible experience from awhile back, she'd still have her hair normal looking, though as she took a moment to look around at herself, she noticed that the other kids had changed as well.

They were getting larger compared to how average children grew. By now, the girls were showing clear signs of development similar to early teenagers, despite being 11 and 10. The boys were no different. They were growing taller and stronger. Not to mention the kids were already starting to develop more oily skin, leading of course to some acne. Mosura lamented that, believing that she had a hundred years before she had to start worrying about teenager problems like that.

"Well, I think it's pretty!" said the girl.

"Oh stop! You're so funny!" giggled a feminine voice. Everyone turned to the source. They found Rodan to be beside a girl. An amused smile was on her face while Rodan had a suave look. It seemed that the two were on a topic of their own.

"How about this? Did you fall from Heaven? Because I've never seen an angel," said Rodan. The girl laughed.

"Shou-kun, you're so corny! But it's cute," said the girl.

"As cute as me in regards to looks?" asked Rodan. The girl chuckled, batting her eyes.

"Not even close," said the girl, flirtatiously.

"What uh... What's going on here?" asked Angirasu in confusion. The rest of the kids bore odd looks as well.

"I was just spouting some pickup lines to Tezuka-chan," said Rodan, nonchalant.

"Pickup lines? Since when did you start doing that?" asked Mosura.

"Just now," said Rodan.

"That's a lie. He's been doing that since this morning with her," said Battra in annoyance.

"Yeah I've heard him during class," said a boy with a roll of his eyes.

"Aw. Are you jealous, Yasu-kun?" asked the girl.

"No. But it's starting to get on my nerves," retorted Battra. The girl shrugged.

"What can I say? I like a man with confidence."

"He seems a little too confident," said Angirasu.

Out of all of the other girls, this one almost seemed like the most grown up. Appearance wise that is. She brushed a pale hand through her violet hair. Golden highlights made up portions of her locks. Her hips had widened, and her chest was more developed than the rest of the girls.

"Ah whatever. Come on, Tezuka-chan. Let's leave the sour puss crew to themselves," said Rodan, walking arm in arm with her. The other kids bore annoyed looks.

Angirasu sighed. It had been a while since he last saw Rodan. The last he remembered, he was always too shy to talk to girls. And now all on his mind was girls. He even had the confidence to talk to what may have been one of the most attractive ones around. Though it was a bit scary how she seemed to have matured physically faster than the rest of them. She almost looked like a teenager.

"I think this is a good time to make a mental note. Stay away from Tezuka Megaguirus," said Battra.

"Still, I'm surprised. I never thought either would be so forward," said Angirasu. Mosura nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I don't think they've ever interacted before," said Mosura.

"It has to be what they did to us. Their libido must be much higher than ours for some reason," said Battra. Angirasu looked at his friend in confusion.

"What's that?"

"Ah. Sorry, I've been studying most of the time during confinement. I already got to sexual education," said Battra. Angirasu and Mosura blushed.

"Hmm. I guess you both haven't matured enough to be able to handle that," said Battra with a teasing smile. Mosura pouted, while Angirasu looked away.

"Sh-Shut up," said Angirasu in annoyance. Battra chuckled.

"What I mean is that Rodan's just really starting to notice girls. It doesn't help that the one he gravitated towards was Tezuka," said Battra. He sighed as he scratched at his head with a grimace.

"This makes me worry about what else those sick bastards will do to us. They might end up castrating us," said Battra.

'His vocabulary has gotten colorful', thought Angirasu. Mosura groaned in annoyance as she watched Rodan and Megaguirus.

"Jeez. She gets herself a figure and now she's throwing herself on him," said Mosura, sourly. Battra raised a brow at her. He wasn't sure whether his sister was jealous of Megaguirus's quick physical growth or if she disapproved of her behavior. He dared not ask, lest he lose his head.

"Hey, Shou-kun. You mind doing me a favor?" asked Megaguirus.

"Sure. What's up?"

Megaguirus began to tug at the inhibitor collar around her neck.

"I need you to help me get this off. This thing is really uncomfortable," said Megaguirus in a whisper. She made sure that no guard was focused on them.

"I don't know. We could get in trouble," said Rodan in reluctance. Megaguirus pouted in response.

"Aw come on. Please? If you do, I'll give you a special surprise," said Megaguirus, flirtatiously . Rodan grimaced, his face flushing hot.

"L-Lemme see what I can do," said Rodan. The boy approached closer, his eyes analyzing the inhibitor. He made sure to keep an eye on the guards, as to not appear suspicious. Megaguirus suddenly pulled the boy close, causing him to grunt with a flushed look.

"Shh. Just try to look inconspicuous," whispered Megaguirus, a sly smile on her face. Rodan nodded, as began to wrap his arms around the girl, his heart pounding. A couple guards side eyed the pair in amusement, while returning their attention to each other. It seemed they were more interested in conversing amongst themselves than babysitting. At least this way, Rodan was able to get a longer and closer look at the inhibitor on Megaguirus.

The device had a key-like hole on it. An idea came to the boy's mind. He began to dig into his pocket and drew out two paper clips. He had thought that these would come in handy once he realized a key hole in his own. Just to remove it when he was in his cell for comfort. It paid that he was no stranger to picking locks. He and his friends would do it plenty of times back home to get into places to hang out.

Rodan began to take each clip and proceeded to bend and twist them into the necessary shapes. He then began to pick at the key hole, his tongue sticking out. He furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes, as he twisted and turned one of the clips. There was then the unmistakable sound of a click, followed by a beep. The device unlatched, allowing Rodan to remove it. The girl beamed as she felt her neck.

"Wow! You're awesome!" said Megaguirus. Rodan gave a confident chuckle as he twirled the device in his hand,

"I know, baby," said Rodan. Megaguirus suddenly pulled him into another tight embrace. She giggled, as a coy smile grew on her face.

"Now, let me give you that special surprise~."

Megaguirus began to plant warm kisses along the boy's shoulder. He flinched and chuckled with a goofy smile. His spine tingled with every kiss planted. Unbeknownst to him, the girl's eyes suddenly turned to red orbs. A carnivorous toothy smile appeared on her face. She suddenly pinned the boy to the ground, who appeared incredulous.

"H-Hey! You think you can go a bit easy with me?" asked Rodan with a nervous smile. But then, he noticed the girl's face. He noticed the abnormal traits that appeared, along with the change of her expression. She had a look of hunger on her face.

Megaguirus suddenly sprouted a bony tail-like protrusion, tearing through her sweat pants. It was flesh toned, and appeared to have solidified partially like bone. Red boil-like protrusions appeared along the bottom of the tail. Rodan exclaimed in horror as she kept his shoulders pinned, while raising her rear into the air. The tail curved down like an inverted scorpion's tail, with a boney stinger to boot. Megaguirus hissed like a reptilian beast.

From her point of view, Rodan was shrouded by a glowing bright light. Something that made him look precious in her eyes, though that was the case with the other children. She could see this strange aura over all of them, though some shine much brighter than others. As was the case with Rodan.

Megaguirus couldn't explain it, and she never brought it up during evaluation. But as time went by, the girl couldn't help but be drawn to those with this light. Like a moth to a flame. Or rather, like a dehydrated person to an oasis in the desert. A foreign instinct had taken over the moment this boy approached her. Her hormones mixed with this instinct, resulting in this trap. She craved that light. She needed it.

Elsewhere, everyone began to take notice of the change. Children screamed in fright. The guards shot up and found the girl having changed form.

"Shit! Get some men down there!" ordered one of the guards.

"Rodan!" cried Battra, as he rushed over to the scene.

Megaguirus impaled her stinger into Rodan's abdominal region. The boy wailed in agony, as the stinger dug into him. The children cried out in horror, while the soldiers had scrambled out of their amusement. An alarm began to blare. Battra rushed over to Megaguirus, who continued to hiss as she kept her tail impaled into the boy. One by one, the red boils began to light up from the stinger, up to the base of the mutant's spine. Rodan was groaning as he lied on the ground. The color was leaving his face, as he felt his energy being sapped.

Battra suddenly swooped by and forced Megaguirus off of Rodan. The girl rolled to the side, her stinger removing itself from Rodan's body. She panted as she remained on her hands and knees, her body trembling. Her eyes began to return to normal. Megaguirus gasped in alarm, as she noticed the tail attached to her body. She followed the trail of blood drops that led to Rodan, who was clutching his wound with a tearful whimper. Battra stood in front of him, a protective arm over him.

"I-I... I didn't mean to-" Megaguirus stuttered. Her expression was mixed with horror and regret. A great contrast to the look that she had moments ago. She suddenly felt a painful nip at her neck. She reached back and felt something embedded into her. She drew out the object, finding it to be a dart. Her vision began to blur, and her body grew heavy. The girl suddenly collapsed, as the contents from the dart flooded her system.

Suddenly, several guards came rushing from behind heavy doors. All were armed with a shield and baton. They began to rush in and surrounded the girl. A few other guards began to rush and surround Rodan, shoving Battra aside.

"Everyone on the ground!" shouted a guard. The children all quickly got on their bellies held their hands over their heads, fearful. Mosura shuddered as she watched as a guard held his COM, while Rodan bled with a sob.

"We need a medical team, ASAP!"

A week had passed. It seemed that despite the incident with Megaguirus, the classes were allowed to continue their classes. Although this time, they were kept a sharper eye on. Aside from the increase in security, the atmosphere had been strained. Mainly in regards to the one responsible.

Megaguirus sat at a desk in the far back of the class. A deep frown was on her face, as the other students were seated further up away from her. A few guards were posted closer to her in particular. Mosura glanced over at Rodan, who appeared to have been in pain. Fortunately for him, there was no permanent damage down to his body. But, he was still healing. Not to mention that he himself sat the furthest from Megaguirus, having not once looked at her since the incident. Mosura couldn't blame him. After all, she attacked him after he decided to help her out.

Mosura looked to an empty desk next to hers with a frown. She hadn't seen Battra at all today. It was still early, but class would be starting soon. The girl had assumed that he would be here by now.

Moments later, Nakada had entered the class room. She sighed as she brought her case to her desk and sat it down. She cleared her throat as she looked to the students with a stoic look.

"Good morning class. I have an announcement to make," said Nakada. The children all directed their attention to her.

"I've received word that your classmate, Yasu Battra, will no longer be attending class with us," said Nakada.

"What?!" exclaimed Mosura, shooting up from her seat. Students began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Why not?" asked Angirasu.

"Children, please settle down. The Director thought that he'd be better suited for private sessions. He's proven to be quite exceptional in his studies," said Nakada.

"We'll be able to see him again, right?" asked Mosura, hopeful. Nakada appeared hesitant to answer.

"Y-Yes. Eventually," said Nakada. Mosura wasn't satisfied with the answer. She could already tell that something was off about the whole thing. Mosura had never mentioned this, but her telepathy was able to bypass the inhibitor that she wore. They never bothered checking. Either because they weren't concerned or if they thought it would have worked on her to begin with. However, she couldn't get a read on Nakada's mind. In fact, she couldn't read anyone else but the other kids'. It was like they were blocking her reach somehow. However, she was able to detect something faint from her. It had to have been strong if it was able to get through whatever was blocking her telepathy. What Mosura could sense was guilt. Even sorrow. Something was definitely wrong.

Later, the students were once again allowed to go off for their free time. As usual, the kids continued to play. But only this time, Megaguirus was the only one who was isolated from the rest. She sat against a wall, her knees close to herself, as all of the children played.

Mosura found herself sitting with Rodan and Angirasu. Despite it being free time, Battra was nowhere in sight. They hadn't seen him during lunch time either. How Mosura worried for her older brother.

"I don't understand. Why would they suddenly move him from us? It doesn't make any sense," said Angirasu, scratching at his head. Mosura deeply frowned.

"Something must have happened. I can tell that Nakada-sensei is hiding something," said Mosura. Rodan patted her shoulder with a comforting smile.

"I'm sure he's OK. Until he comes back, we'll keep you company," said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in agreement. Mosura met the two boys with a warm smile. She felt some ease, knowing that she had two others looking out for her.

"Thanks guys," said Mosura.

A few years had gone by. Throughout these years, the children had not seen the outside world. They spent their days studying and going through physical training, including combat. Martial arts were the go to for these up-and-coming super soldiers. By this time, the military had also been working hard to break the civilian spirits of the children, only to be met with minimal results.

The children had grown up to be teenagers, and just as rebellious. Every so often, they were met with discipline from the drill sergeant and were confined to their cells, should they mouth off or not follow instructions. It seemed that the facility was too lenient with the children. The drill sergeant thought that they should have been harder on them from the beginning.

Throughout the years, the children were growing into young men and women. At age 15 and 16, they had gained basic most of the knowledge necessary to function within the chain of command properly. They've even become quite fluent in the Equish language.

It was often that the teens found themselves speaking in this tongue. It may have been the result of the programming instilled upon them here. But nonetheless, they spoke it anyway without thinking twice.

Mosura's hair had grown a bit long her time. It was hanging over her shoulders. Her body had been maturing from a small child to a full-fledged teenager. She was smirking as she moved her shogi piece on the board.

"I win again," said Mosura, cheekily. Rodan groaned in annoyance. He had grown a more prominent chin as he grew up.

"Agh. I was never good at Shogi," said Rodan sourly.

"My turn!" said Angirasu, as he switched places with Rodan. He too had grown, though he was much larger than Rodan. His body had grown tall, with a structure that gave his muscles and body roundness to it. He looked strong, but built like a sloped hill, rather than a rocky mountain.

"Hey, how's Battra been?" asked Rodan. Mosura lost her smile. A light frown was on her face as she began to reassemble the board of their game. Truthfully, neither she, nor the boys have been able to see her brother since they moved him out of the class, but she had managed to communicate with him through her telepathy. She's gotten quite better at it. While the doctors thought she was making quick progress during evaluations, she had in fact been practicing in between for years on her own, at least with telepathy. Telekinesis wouldn't be wise, since she'd be caught on camera in her cell.

"We've haven't been communicating too much as of late. But he hasn't been well. It's rough apparently being placed with adult Transmutants," said Mosura.

"I still can't believe that they decided to move him there when he was still just a kid," said Rodan, incredulous.

"We're still kids," said Angirasu, flatly.

"Yeah. But some people seem to forget that," said Mosura, glancing up at the higher level, where the guards stood. Among them, Kenpachi stood. His eyes met with hers. The man puckered his lips, before giving a devilish smile. Mosura shuddered, before quickly looking away.

"That creep. I heard he's the one that's been harassing a couple of the girls. I never told anyone this, but the guard Kenpachi made a pass at me when I was 11," said Mosura. Angirasu and Rodan bore bewildered looks. Their expressions hardened.

"Kenpachi? He always struck me as a lolicon," said Rodan, disdain in his tone.

"Why not just report him?" asked Angirasu.

"I've thought of it. But I was afraid what would happen if nothing was done about it. The fact that none of the other girls have said anything hasn't helped," said Mosura. She grimaced as she held her arms, appearing pale.

"You've no idea what it's been like. I've been afraid to be alone. The way he looks at me... I'm scared," said Mosura, shaking a bit. Angirasu placed a hand on her own. A comforting smile was on his face.

"Hey, we won't let that scum hurt you," said Angirasu.

"Yeah, we have your back," said Rodan, giving the girl a confident smile. Mosura smiled back at the boys. While things had been harder without Battra around, she's felt that she had gained much by being close with these two. In a place with no family or hope to escape, she's felt that she had gained a new family. These boys had become her brothers. They looked out for each other, and she hoped that they'd continue to do so for years to come.

Later that evening, Mosura found herself lying down in her cell. It had grown a bit cramp as she grew older. But nonetheless, she was at least able to sleep with her legs stretched out. She stared blankly at the metallic ceiling above. A heavy sigh escaped the girl, as she continued to lie down.

Mosura closed her eyes. Her mind began to focus. Her telepathic powers picked up an endless number of overlapping thoughts and feelings. She began to tune them out, one by one. It wasn't until she came across a high feeling of sorrow that she shut everything out. Soon, the only thing she could sense was the sorrow that she had felt. It was familiar, and overwhelming. She began to read through the thoughts of this subject.

'Nakada-sensei,' Mosura thought. The sorrow was suddenly replaced with fear.

'Nakada-sensei, why are you crying?' thought Mosura. Her telepathy had allowed her to get a read on the woman's current state, all registered from her own mind.

'Y-Yasu. How're you...' Nakada's voice began to trail into Mosura's mind. She was clearly in shock and fearful.

'My telepathy isn't affected by the inhibitor. Please, tell me what's wrong,' thought Mosura.

'I've contributed to a malevolent cause. I spent so many years facing you and the others for so long, preparing you for a life that you never chose. I can't handle the guilt anymore!'

Mosura felt a surge of despair from Nakada. The mutant was able to get a brief sense of what the doctor had known, mainly the fact that she had to fight so hard to keep the Director from 'terminating' the experiments. It seemed the kids had come so close to being put down like mere animals in a shelter, discarded like garbage and never to be seen again. That terrified Mosura.

'My brother. You were trying to keep him from being moved into the adults' facility,' thought Mosura.

'He was just a child. It was bad enough that you were all forced to live here, but he is showing more signs of aggression. They thought it would have been safer for everyone to isolate him further and move him with the adults, who held more aggression. I swear that I tried to keep him with the class!' thought Nakada. Mosura sighed heavily, her eyes welling up with tears. She never realized it before, but Nakada had always been looking out for them. Everyone just saw them as experiments or mere objects that were a means to an end. It was like everyone had dissociated the children from humanity.

Nakada was the exception. Whenever she interacted with them, she treated them like children. She had been a great teacher when it came to the Equish language. She was always kind and helpful. Nakada had made their lives at this prison bearable. If anyone in this prison deserved a second chance, it was her.

'Nakada, you should leave this place. Get out and start a better life,' thought Mosura.

'I can't do that! What about you and the rest?!'

'You've done more for us than we could ask for. We'll never be free. But that doesn't mean that you have to be imprisoned here with us. Please, forget about us and live,' thought Mosura, tears in her eyes. Before Nakada could issue a response, Mosura cut off her telepathy. She sniffled as she wiped her eyes. It was for the best. Nakada's soul could not be corrupted by this place. Mosura may have been helpless here, but she could at least do this to help someone else.

The girl focused her telepathy again. This time, she synchronized with two particular minds. It was none other than Rodan and Angirasu.

'Rodan, Angirasu, don't despair. I know things have been hard. But, we'll be OK. Don't ever give up hope,' thought Mosura. She then began to cease her communication. There was only one left to communicate with before she turned in for the night.

'How are you doing, Battra?' thought Mosura.

'I'm fine. I'm just tired. I haven't been doing well.' answered Battra, solemnly. Mosura deeply frowned. She could feel emptiness in the boy.

'I'm sorry to hear that.'

'At least I made some friends on this side.' said Battra. Mosura's expression slightly lit up.

'That's good to know. I miss you so much,' thought Mosura.

'Yeah, me too.' thought Battra. Mosura's eyes began to tear up.

'At least we can still hear each other's thoughts. It's like you're not even far,' thought Mosura, suppressing a sob.

'Yeah. Mosura, can you promise me something?'

'Yes! Anything!' thought Mosura.

'Promise that you will stand by me. Promise that we will stay together if we ever get out of here.' thought Battra. While Mosura had no confidence in them ever escaping this place, she didn't have to think twice about the request.

'I promise. We only have each other left. I'd be happy to stand by you,' thought Mosura.

'Thank you. I love you Mosura. Goodnight.' said Battra.

'Goodnight, Battra. I love you too.'

Later that evening, Mosura was in a blissful sleep. She rested her tired head on her pillow, facing the wall. There was suddenly the sound of an alarm blaring. Mosura gasped, as she shot up out of bed. The alarm was muffled from the walls of her cell.

There was the sound of frantic shouting. Gunfire was muffled by the cell, causing Mosura to flinch. Her heart was throbbing in her chest. She had an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong outside, and she feared to find out.

There was suddenly heavy banging. The door to her cell began to bulge, as incoherent shapes were made up from whatever was on the other side. Whatever it was, it was big. Mosura began to hold her blanket tightly, as her body trembled. The banging continued, and the girl whimpered. Suddenly, the door was torn through. Mosura screamed in fright, before tucking herself under her covers.

The teen was in a fetal position, as she heard loud grunts and the tear and scrape of metal. She hesitantly peered from under her covers, finding a large figure to be standing in front of the cell. It was roughly humanoid, but had a hard surface. She heard deep grunts, as the remaining pieces of the cell door were removed. Due to the low lighting, and the obstruction of the cover, Mosura was unable to get a good look at this individual. It didn't seem human.

Suddenly, Battra Yasu came rushing passed the figure. He removed the covers from the girl, who bore wide eyes.

"Sis! You OK?" asked Battra.

It had been awhile since Mosura had seen her brother. The boy had grown into a handsome young man. His black hair contrasted her white hair, along with his red eyes against her blue eyes. Mosura quickly wrapped the boy into a tight hug, sobbing. Battra caressed her head, tearing up a bit himself.

"Battra, we still have the others to release!" The large figure 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 felt herself pulled out of her cell, following her dear brother through the dark halls of this facility. Everything that was happening seemed unreal. Through the hall, she found the soldiers to be scrambling to contain the escaped subjects, only for them to be overwhelmed by them through their superior strength and speed. Some began to change form into horrible beasts that Mosura had never seen before. She averted her eyes, as the roars and screams filled her head.

By the end of the day, there was silence. The alarm had ceased. The test subjects had all disappeared from the now ruined facility. Soldiers were in the process of cleaning up what they could. From debris to the dead guards that suffered the wrath of the Transmutants.

Onyx stood in the hall of this ruined facility. To say that he was displeased would have been an understatement. History had repeated itself. Only this time, more monsters were running loose out there. They were a grave threat to everything that he was working toward. He may have to cut his losses and start again. But, maybe something could be salvaged out of this mess.

A few days had passed. In that time, the Transmutants had struggled to find a way to expose the atrocity committed by MONARCH. Unfortunately, they had just found out that a story was crafted and sold to the public that these unfortunate souls were in reality terrorists with the goal to bring down the Union. Now, the Transmutants were forced into hiding.

It was the twilight, and nightfall would soon fall over the land. In the woods, the Mutant 4 found themselves among their classmates, as well as the adults that resided in the facility as well. Mosura hadn't realized just how many people were locked up and experimented on. There must have been around 30 or more people in total here.

Mosura anxiously looked over to the side. There were several large anthropomorphic praying mantis-like creatures. Their exoskeletons were forest green, with some holding different patterns. While the youth kept their distance, a few of the adults seemed unphased by their presence. Could they have really been one of them?

But they weren't the most frightening of the bunch. She found that her brother made his way over to one large and imposing figure. He was unlike anyone she had ever seen. His body looked to have been covered in some kind of crustacean's carapace. Scars covered his pale face. They looked to have been old, as though caused by a katana's blade, rather than some medical scalpel.

"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 mutant. 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, growing in number. They were on the lines of the ones called Alpha and Lucky Dragon. Creatures made by mad men that sought to destroy. And MONARCH was now posing itself as a protector. How did things go so wrong, Mosura wondered.

"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 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.

"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. It was something that she had never seen in his eyes before. It was like she was looking at a different person.

"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.

"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," said Battra. 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 gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his eyes tearing up.

Mosura sniffled as she continued to walk. Her vision was blurred, from the tears that fell from her eyes. The girl desperately tried to wipe her tears, but they kept coming. She managed to suppress her sobs that threatened to come from her mouth. The girl stopped as she head footsteps approaching. She turned to find Angirasu and Rodan, standing some feet away.

"W-What are you two doing here?" asked Mosura with a sniffle.

"Well, we agree with you. We want nothing to do with them if they're set on fighting against MONARCH. Let alone people who had nothing to do with what happened to us," said Rodan, a soft smile on his face.

"Besides, you're the only other family that we have. And family stick together," said Angirasu. Mosura's lips quivered. She began to sob , dropping to knees. She tried to wipe her tears, but it was in vain. Angirasu and Rodan approached the crying girl and knelt beside her. They brought her into an embrace, as she continued to cry. She may have lost her brother, but she remembered that she at least had two others. And she vowed to keep these two safe.

A couple of weeks had gone by. The city of Trotkyo was bustling as ever. Sleek metallic trains moved through the city upon tracks that were built into the ground, leading up to ramps and elevated bridges. The complex system of tracks allowed fast travel throughout this metropolis.

On the train, Mosura stood. She was dressed in a thick jacket, with a cap over head to obscure her face. She found herself standing among many other passengers. People were mainly dressed in formal attire, attempting to get to their office jobs. Because of work being spread throughout the city in such a densely populated city, people had to crowd in these trains to reach their destination, which may have been miles from their residence.

Mosura held onto a railing as she watched the buildings pass by through the window. She suddenly stiffened, as she felt a hand caress her rear. Mosura's heart raced in her chest, as she bit her lip. She glanced behind herself, finding an older man to be behind her. He had a perverted smile on his face, as he felt the girl up. No one seemed to notice this man's action. He was using the crowd to his advantage. Mosura kept her eyes forward, as the man stood closer to her. He began to reach into her jacket, his hand cupping her breast. Mosura suddenly glanced at the man, her face flushed, an alluring smile on her face.

"10'000 Yen," whispered Mosura. The man stopped, a confused look on his face.

"10'000 Yen and I'll make it worth your while~," said Mosura, licking her lips. The man grinned. He reached into his wallet and drew out a 10'000 Yen bill. Mosura took it and looked it over.

The train came to a stop. People began to disembark from the train. Among them, Mosura and the man whom had paid her. She led him away from the crowd. She looked around, as she led him to a public restroom. No one was inside. She smiled as she waved the man over. He entered the bathroom.

"My, I never knew girls your age were so forward," chuckled the man. Mosura smirked.

"You like teenage girls, Mister?" asked Mosura.

"Oh yeah," said the man with a chuckle. Mosura giggled as she sauntered to the stall. The man followed her. He began to remove his jacket and reached for the belt on his pants.

"Aren't you gonna get undressed?" asked the man. Mosura scoffed as she met the man with a look of disdain.

"As if I'd have sex with an old creep like you!" said Mosura. The man bore a brief look of confusion. Then, he grew enraged.

"You fucking tease! Give me back my-" The man approached the girl, but was met with kick to the groin. He groaned as he dropped to his knees. Mosura then met him with a punch, knocking him out cold. The girl huffed as she brushed her hair out of her face. She knelt down to the man and fished for his wallet. She hummed as she took out a few bills.

"Thank you for your generosity, Lolicon-san," said Mosura, as she pocketed the money. She began to leave the restroom and stepped outside. She then stopped as she noticed a police officer to be standing nearby. The girl glanced behind herself and back to the officer. She bit her lip, as she pondered her next move.

'Ah screw it. It's worth the risk,' thought Mosura. She suddenly took a deep breath.

"HELP! THERE'S A MOLESTER IN THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM!" Mosura shrieked at the top of her lungs. The attention of every citizen was drawn, as was the officer's. He bolted towards the girl, who was pointing into the bathroom. Her knees caved into between themselves, and her posture and expression was that of a frightened girl who had been victimized. The officer burst into the restroom. Everyone began to crowd over, as the officer emerged with the pervert, who had regained consciousness.

"W-Wait! There's some mistake!" cried the man.

"Tell it to us at the station!" said the officer, hauling the man away. In the midst of the confusion and shock, Mosura slipped through the crowd and casually strolled away. She tipped her cap's visor down over her face with a smirk.

Later that evening, Mosura found herself making her way over towards an old large building. It was an abandoned factory that had been shut down due to violating several safety regulations. Now, it was a place where the girl was living.

The girl entered the old building, finding Angirasu to be sitting by a lantern, where three mattresses lied. He turned and greeted the girl with a smile.

"Glad to you see you, Mosu," said Angirasu. Mosura smiled back. She reached into her jacket pocket and tossed over rolled up bills to him. The boy's eyes widened.

"That's more than usual," said Angirasu.

"Yep. But man, this one was the worse," said Mosura with a shudder. Angirasu deeply frowned.

"I'm sorry. We're supposed to keep each other safe. But you're going out there fishing for perverts for money," said Angirasu, clenching his fists. Mosura sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"Hey, we gotta get money somehow. We can't exactly get real jobs out here or we'd risk getting exposed," said Mosura.

"But still. Stealing?" asked Angirasu.

"Well... I know it's wrong. But that's why I'm stealing from only gropers. It's kind of a grey area, right?" asked Mosura. While she said that, she had doubts that she was justified in stealing. Even if the people she was stealing from were perverts willing to pay to have sex with a teenage girl. But, she also wasn't going to lose sleep over it.

"I guess that makes me feel less bad," said Angirasu. Mosura smiled as she nudged the boy playfully. She then noticed a box to be resting beside his feet.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Mosura. Angirasu turned to the box.

"Oh. Just some stuff from home," said Angirasu, bringing the box over. Mosura's eyes widened.

"You went back to your house?" asked Mosura, incredulous.

"Don't worry. No one saw me. Besides, my home town is close to rural," said Angirasu. He looked to the items in the box with a sad smile.

"I just... wanted a few things from home. To remember what my life was like," said Angirasu. Mosura looked to the box with a frown. In the box were a couple of sculptures. They weren't incredibly well made, but they looked to have been better than what a young child could make. There were two photos of the boy and his parents. And there was another item in there. It looked to have been some kind of book. It looked more like a journal though, rather than any literature.

There was the sudden sound of metallic grinding. They turned to find Rodan to be raising a metallic door. Once he entered, he closed it behind himself. He sighed tiredly as he made his way over. He plopped himself down on the mattress, as he drew out an envelope.

"Payment from doing that job for the Yakuza," said Rodan as he handed it off to Mosura. The girl bore a worried look.

"Relax, they didn't ask me to kill anyone. But, they did want me to help smuggle some firearms from MONARCH," said Rodan. Angirasu's and Mosura's eyes widened in alarm.

"That might be even worse!" exclaimed Mosura.

"It was all that they were offering me. I couldn't come back empty handed," said Rodan with a shrug.

"Were there any issues?" asked Mosura.

"No, I just had to unload the stuff that was delivered at a warehouse that the Yakuza owned," said Rodan, scratching at his head. Mosura sighed heavily.

"Listen, Mosura. While I was out there, I started hearing some rumors. I heard that soon they're gonna start setting up checkpoints at the train stations and certain areas that are meant to detect mutants," said Rodan, worriedly. Mosura grimaced.

"That's going to make my end a lot more difficult," said Mosura.

"Well, at least you won't be getting groped anymore," said Angirasu.

"But that's not all. They're gonna start looking for I.D. from citizens in Trotkyo. It looks like the recent attacks in Oatsaka has MONARCH beefing up how they handle things. I even hear that they built robots!" said Rodan.

"Robots?" asked Angirasu, incredulous.

"Robots! Big machines with big guns and the ability to find us! Mosura, it's getting harder and harder out here for us. At this rate, we might end up getting caught!" cried Rodan. Mosura grimaced. She sat as she began to ponder. Rodan had a point. They couldn't go one living like this. They were getting involved with shady stuff just to have enough money to buy cheap food that was pre-made or instantly made. If they weren't killed by MONARCH, then poor nutrition would do them in.

Mosura began to take the money that she had stolen and drew out the money that Rodan had made from his job with the Yakuza. She then scooted over and picked up a metallic box, where more bills and yen coins lied inside. Mosura hummed as she began to count everything up.

"I've been thinking about this for a while. But I think we should leave Neighpon entirely and move to Equestria," said Mosura. Rodan and Angirasu bore shocked looks.

"All the way out there? Why?" asked Angirasu.

"Think about it. The GU has too much influence over Neighpon and other countries. And because of that, MONARCH is everywhere. But, Equestria is still relatively new to the GU. MONARCH has less of presence there than the other countries. Our lives might be a bit easier if we leave. But we have to do it soon, if what Rodan said is true," said Mosura. The two boys looked to each other for a moment.

"Alright, I'm in. It can't be worse than staying in this dystopian nightmare," said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, let's do it," said Angirasu.

"I doubt we'll have enough money to buy three tickets for us. Plus there's a chance that MONARCH's going to be checking who gets on or off the ship. We'll have to sneak on. Maybe we can convert our yen into Equestrian currency," said Mosura.

"Sneaking onboard. Nothing we can't handle," said Rodan with a forced smile. Angirasu sighed.

"Let's get some sleep boys. We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow. We'll need a few supplies for the trip," said Mosura.

Later that evening, the Mutant 3 were enveloped in darkness. They lied asleep on their mattresses. However, Mosura was wide awake. She stared up at the glass ceiling, where she could see the stars above. She hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. All she could think about the country that they'd soon be leaving. They would eventually be living in a foreign land. Fortunately, they had a full grasp on Equish, thanks to the education that was provided to them, along with the combat training. Guess some good came out of being stuck in that gods forsaken prison. But, they would still be in a place so alien to them. How would they even fit in?

That didn't matter. After all, they were freaks. Even if MONARCH had less of a presence in Equestria, It might have been best if they kept to themselves. But, Mosura felt that she couldn't leave. Not just yet.

The girl rose out of bed and removed her sheets. She began to place on her shoes. She slipped on her coat and began to make her way out of the factory.

Mosura found herself boarding the train station. It was late at night, but the trains were still running. At least one last time before turning in until 5 AM. There were still some citizens around, waiting to get on board at the last minute. Mosura sat on a bench in the train, as it rode through the city towards her destination. Eventually, she made her stop. Mosura got off the train and left the station, which began to shut down for the night. She wandered the cold lonely streets in silence.

Mosura eventually came across a small wooden house. The place was further off from the city, in a more suburban setting. The house itself was not inhabited. It looked like no one had lived in it for years. Mosura made her way to the door, finding it to be locked. She twisted the knob roughly, breaking it. The door opened, allowing the girl to enter. Her nose was assaulted by the smell of dust in the air. The girl began to wander the hall. There were once photographs that hung on the walls. But, they were nowhere to be seen. As she looked around, further inside, more things were missing. Furniture, picture frames, and other things that once filled this house. No doubt it was cleared out after her parents' deaths. But where did everything go?

Mosura began to imagine that those things were here. That on the walls, there were old pictures. In the living room, there was furniture. She smiled as she imagined these things, as if they were untouched. Soon, Mosura entered a bedroom, where two beds lied. She ran a hand over the beds and the sheets. The feeling the fabric brushed against her palms. More pictures were seen, mainly with that of herself and her older brother.

But then reality snapped back. The room she was in was empty. There were no beds, no furniture, and no pictures. There was nothing but dust in this room. Mosura sniffled as she as she sat against the wall, burying her face into her knees. Her tears fell to her lap. Everything that she knew and loved was but a distant memory now.

Several days had passed. A large ship sailed across the ocean. The ship made its way to a city. The city of Fillydelphia was where the passengers would get off. The ship stopped at the harbor, allowing the passengers to make their way out to the dock.

From below the ship, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu emerged. They sneaked their way passed any working hands on board, while blending into the crowd. They carried their back packs and things through the crowd, finding themselves out to the docks. Mosura took a deep breath and sighed.

"So nice to finally get some fresh air," said Mosura.

"That was the best I've eaten in weeks. I'm gonna miss the meals the ship had," lamented Rodan.

"But it wasn't fun trying to get said meals," deadpanned Angirasu.

"Aw don't be down, guys. This is Equestria! A new frontier for us! The possibilities are endless!" said Mosura, optimistically.

"Eh. Somewhat. We're still... You know," said Rodan.

"Right," said Mosura, losing her smile. She then took a breath and smiled.

"Well, no sense in despairing! Let's make the most out of our situation!" said Mosura.

"Alright. Let's find an abandoned building to call home," said Rodan as he walked on ahead. Angirasu sighed as he followed. Mosura frowned as she joined the two.

Hours passed. By now, the teens had settled into a small abandoned building. It wasn't easy to find, but they managed to locate it in the city. They had begun to make it their home by setting up their lantern for light, and sleeping bags. They all sat around in silence. Rodan was about to open up the cup of ramen noodles to pour in hot water but groaned.

"What are we doing?" asked Rodan.

"What do you mean?" asked Mosura.

"We're in a new country for crying out loud! We should be taking advantage of this, instead of just eating instant ramen!" said Rodan.

"Well, we did convert our currency. But what do you want to do? It's getting late," said Mosura. Rodan smirked.

"When the people are sleep, the mutants get to play! There's somewhere that I always wanted to go to," said Rodan. Mosura and Angirasu both looked at each other in reluctance.

Later, the trio found themselves moving through the shadows on this dark night. They passed the empty streets and made their way further through the city. They wore coats that and hats that obscured their faces. Soon, they came across a grand structure in the middle of the city.

"The mall?" asked Mosura.

"Cool, but it's closed," said Angirasu, flatly.

"Which makes it better," said Rodan as he made his way to a drain pipe and began to scale it. Mosura's eyes widened in alarm.

"Rodan, get down from there!" whispered Mosura.

"Ah come on. Let's live a little," said Rodan, as he continued to scale up the pipe. Angirasu shrugged as he followed after him. Mosura grunted as she reached out to the boys. She sighed in dismay.

"This is so stupid," said Mosura, as she followed.

The trio began to make their way up the building. They climbed until they reached a roof top. It wasn't the highest point of the building, but it was what the pipe led to. Rodan made his way to a ventilation shaft on the roof. He smiled as he pried open the shaft.

"Score!" Rodan began to climb inside. The sound of his weight shifting against the metal surface could be heard. Mosura cringed.

"We're so gonna get caught," whimpered Mosura.

The trio climbed through the ventilation shaft. They navigated through the narrow pathways for what seemed like an eternity. Mosura felt like she was going to go crazy from the tight spaces they found themselves in. But eventually, Rodan had found an exit. He forced the grate to drop down from the shaft, hitting the ground.

"Real inconspicuous!" hissed Mosura. Rodan ignored her and dropped down from the shaft. He sighed as he adjusted his clothes, while Angirasu dropped down next to him. He raised his arms up, catching Mosura as she dropped down as well.

"Bitchin," said Rodan with a grin. The three found themselves in a store, full of clothes. He chuckled as he looked at displayed jacket. Mosura gasped.

"Wait, you see that?" whispered Mosura. She pointed above, where a camera hung on the wall. Angirasu grunted with a pale look.

"Oh no..." said Angirasu.

"No biggie. We'll just find the security room and shut the system down," said Rodan.

"How do you propose we do that?" deadpanned Mosura. Rodan cleared his throat as he gestured to the mall map outside of the store.

"Oh." said Mosura.

Later, the trio found themselves making their way to their desired destination. The security center was further away from the other stores. They entered inside of the center, finding it to be empty. There were dim lights above. The trio quietly moved through the place, worried that someone else may still be inside. They searched every corner of this place, even a few rooms. Mosura soon came across a room, where computer screens lied. The girl saw that they were VHS tapes to be stacked on a shelf, marked with dates. The girl then saw the players. She hummed as she began to eject the tapes.

"But which one? Ah forget it," said Mosura, as she began to crush the tapes in her hands. She dumped the pieces and tape into a trash bin.

"And now to shut everything down," said Mosura as she sat at the console. He began to press a few keys, causing the images on screen to shut off, and disabled the alarm. Mosura stepped out of the room, carrying the trash bin with her.

"That should do it," said Mosura, as she dumped the discarded tapes into a dumpster outside of the security center.

"So, what do you guys wanna do first?" asked Mosura. Rodan and Angirasu looked to each other, grins on their faces.

The trio spent the night taking advantage of having the mall to themselves. First, they were in a store, trying on different clothes. They were happy to try on clothes that weren’t the same thing that they've been forced to wear for weeks on end. They were fortunate to be able to have been able to wash them, but they were gradually deteriorating. It was nice to have brand new clothes on.

Mosura stepped out of a dressing room, clad in a sweater with a synthetic furred hood. She wore a pair of shorts and thigh high stockings, with a red gradient from the foot, ending below the thigh. She struck a pose and batted her eyes.

"Cute right?" asked Mosura.

"You look great!" said Rodan.

"Yeah, it suits you," said Angirasu, nodding. Mosura smiled bashfully.

"I'm totally keeping this outfit then," said Mosura, tugging at her jacket.

"I'm digging the jacket, Aang!" said Rodan.

"Really? If it looks good, then I guess I'll keep it," said Angirasu, chuckling.

After trying on and 'borrowing' clothes, the trio moved on to the book store. They browsed through the many sections of books that were present. Angirasu smiled as he read through a book that caught his interest. Rodan wandered through the store until he came across the 'Adult' section. He looked over his shoulder and made his way over. He hummed as he picked up a book titled, 'Kamasutra'. He opened it and began to skim through it, his face turning red.

"Ahem."

Rodan closed the book, turning to find Mosura to be standing. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked at the boy in disapproval. Rodan sheepishly smiled, as Mosura snatched the book out of his hand. She pointed for him to move away from the area with a stern look. Rodan groaned in dismay as he walked off. Mosura began to look over her shoulder and to the book in her hand. She bit her lip as she hesitantly opened it. Her curiosity needed to be satisfied. As she opened the book, she gasped. Her face became beat red.

"Oh my gosh..." Mosura's eyes remained glued to the pages, as she flipped through them.

Soon, the trio moved on through the mall. They ventured towards the pet shop, where they began to play with some of the animals. Their laughter filled the air, along with the excited yips of puppies.

The Mutant 3 soon raided the food court. Here, they indulged in the snacks, drinks and food that were normally provided.

To top off their night, the trio ventured into a movie theater. They sat together, with drinks and popcorn in their grasp. They watched as an animated film about toys coming to life was playing.

"Haha! Ah, I love that space ranger toy," said Rodan.

"How long has it been since I've seen a movie?" asked Mosura, sipping her soda.

After the movie, the Mutant 3 entered a closed restaurant in the mall. Angirasu, Mosura and Rodan stepped out of the kitchen, carrying trays of hot food. They made their way to one of the tables and sat down. They clasped their hands together and bowed their heads.

"Thank you for the food," the kids uttered in unison. They began to dig in, savoring the taste of their delicious meals.

"Now this is how you end a day," said Rodan, stuffing his mouth with more food.

"I gotta say, this was worth the trouble," said Mosura. Before she could take another bite, she noticed Angirasu to be staring at his plate.

"Aren't you gonna-" Mosura trailed off as she noticed the boy to be in tears.

"Angirasu, what's wrong?" asked Mosura, her tone soft. The boy sniffled, wiping his face. But, his tears continued to fall.

"How did it all come to this? We used to be regular kids! We never broke the law! But now we're fugitives on the run! We've resorted to stealing just to survive! Oh Gods, what would our parents think?!" cried Angirasu. He broke down into a sob. Rodan was in mid bite as he watched the boy cry his eyes out. Rodan sighed as he set his fork down, pushing his plate away. He had suddenly lost his appetite. Mosura stood up from her seat and made her way to the distraught Angirasu.

"Hey, hey. We're doing just fine," said Mosura, in reassurance. Angirasu shook his head.

"We're doing rotten," muttered the boy. Mosura sighed.

"Look, I hate what we're doing. But what choice do we have? We can't work. We can't get close to anyone. We're in a desperate situation here. I think our parents would have wanted us to survive. In fact, they'd understand why we had to resort to these choices," said Mosura. Angirasu sniffled, as Mosura wiped a tear. She patted his back.

"Let's just finish dinner and call it a night.

The next morning had come. The mutant 3 had since everything in order with the exception of a few missing things. From the food and drinks they consumed, the books they took, the clothes that they now were wearing, and the travel bags that would prove useful to them. They had fled at dawn.

After leaving the mall, they returned to the factory and gathered the rest of their things. They proceeded to travel down the road, leaving the city of Fillydelphia behind. Mosura thought it was best that they left, should they risk getting caught if any evidence of their escapade that they had missed was discovered.

"Are we going to continue living this nomadic lifestyle forever, Mosura?" asked Rodan.

"We will. At least until we find a suitable place where we can easily hide and acquire our own resources to survive," said Mosura. Angirasu hummed as he read through an Equestrian map that he carried.

"How about a forest?" asked Angirasu.

"That could work. Is there one close by?" asked Mosura, curious.

"Not exactly, but it's huge. The Everfree Forest is close to a town called 'Ponyville'. But, it might be perfect for us, given its size," said Angirasu. Mosura took the map and looked it over.

"The Everfree it is," said Mosura.

A couple of days had passed. The Mutant 3 spent their time traveling to their destination. Ponyville. It was smaller compared to Fillydelphia, with more wooden buildings, rather concrete ones. Citizens from Earthbounds, Valkyries and Elves roamed the streets of this town. They got a few stares from the locals, but it was mainly out of curiosity for the newcomers. This must've been a tight-knit community.

The trio passed through Ponyville, mostly undetected. They soon entered the Everfree forest. It quickly became dark and eerie. Angirasu shuddered.

"It's uh... kinda creepy," said Angirasu.

"Perfect. Then no one will bother us," said Mosura.

"Keep an eye out. Never know what animals are living here," said Mosura. The three spent their time searching high and low for a suitable location to live in this vast forest. Along the way, they had the misfortune of coming across wild dangerous creatures. From Manticores, timber wolves, and other strange beasts. Together, they were able to survive such encounters.

Eventually, the trio came across a great cave. They stopped as they noticed what looked to be an old and abandoned house. The three entered, finding it mostly empty, aside from the stove and counters that were built into the structure.

"Wow. Wonder who could've lived here," said Rodan. Mosura opened up a door at the end of the hall. Her eyes widened as she found a dark cave, where a metallic walkway led further down into the cave. She looked over the side of the walkway, finding an aquifer to be below, running ahead into the direction of the walkway. She closed the door and looked around.

"This will do," said Mosura.

"You kidding? This place is a dump!" said Rodan.

"So it's a bit of fixer upper. It's better than living in an old factory or on the streets," said Mosura.

"Hmm, a sofa would be nice," said Angirasu, kicking up dust.

"Up for breaking the law again?" asked Mosura. Angirasu grimaced.

A couple of days had passed. By this time, the house was filled with a sofa, and chairs. The kitchen cabinets were filled with dishes. Small mattresses were set up in the living room, bearing pillows and blankets.

"It's a bit crowded, but it'll do. I'd like to check out what's at the end of that walkway soon. Could be interesting," said Mosura, pointing at the last door at the end of the hall.

"I'm just happy to have a bed again," said Rodan, as he plopped himself down on one of the mattresses. He looked to Mosura, curiously.

"What happens now?"

"Now, we should live our lives the best that we can. Without getting caught."