May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
Elves are solitary creatures, very rarely seen among their own kind. If they do spend long periods of time together, they are usually mates, or one is an assistant to the other.
Thus it would seem odd that Scott Lycanthrope and Earth Sven would be such great friends.
Not that one could tell from the surface, of course. Earth and Scott were as different as night and day. As soon as the Original Six had collapsed, they could have parted, never to see each other ever again. And yet they stay.
Scott had a bulky frame, standing a bit lower than the average height. He had unnaturally tan skin that was characteristic of his family, as was his dark black hair. He had a very violent persona, quick to anger and very rarely showed sympathy. In the past, he had suffered from amnesia, causing his personality to change drastically; before, he had been extremely serious, but now he laughed when someone held a gun to his head. Considered the most human-like elf in the universe, he was a womanizer, and had a terrible work ethic.
Almost a polar opposite, Earth was tall and lean, with pale skin, golden-brown hair and unnatural hazel eyes. He was much more empathetic, more understanding than Scott. He tried to avoid violence if it could be. Whereas Scott had amnesia, Earth knew more than he revealed, and how he knew some things was unknown, but nevertheless perplexing. Unlike Scott, Earth chose not to exploit human women for his own desires.
One might think that they stay friends because they have learned to accept the other’s views, but this is a false statement; they frequently argue over them, each giving valid (albeit sometimes nonsensical) defenses. Thus no one knows why they stay friends.
Earth and Scott had lived next to each other in separate houses for hundreds of years (more, if the nineteenth century doesn’t count) in a small town in Nebraska, the United States. They both went to work in St. Louis, Missouri, seeing each other almost every day. If anything, it was their job that kept them together.
Earth and Scott were two of three co-CEOs of an international, higher-than-top-secret company known as NSK. This company’s sole purpose was to keep the human race ignorant of the existence of elves. They did this mainly through the advanced technology they possessed, namely the mind wipe machine. Almost any human invention, NSK had made hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions of years before anyone else: automobiles, radio, universal translators, even spacecraft. Recently, however, NSK’s budget had been at an all-time low – for the last one thousand years. They could not just take resources straight from the environment anymore, and resorted to buying materials through legal means. In addition, many other stimuli influenced the company’s budget; information was passed on quickly among humans nowadays, several expensive projects had propped up, and the number of NSK bases were greatly outnumbered by the human population they had been instructed to watch over (although this was intentional; the bases were far from inconspicuous. The less there were, the better). There was also a brutal lack of employees. NSK was made up of humans that must be recruited and meet a certain set of circumstances. The human leaves behind its old life and thus must not have any relatives or friends that might notice their absence. On the job, employees are prohibited from using drugs, alcohol, and very rarely consume caffeine (thus humans without addictions to these items are the most useful). Shelter, food, water, and luxury are provided, but employees are not paid because they are required to work at NSK for the rest of their lives, and have no use for money. The typical employee works seventy-eight hours a week. Because of these (seemingly) harsh requirements, new employees are scarce.
Despite all this, NSK has little trouble with its top priority: keeping the human race ignorant. No other company in the world rivaled NSK in efficiency.
The cruel irony of it all was the two co-CEOs. NSK had been created with Earth and Scott’s help, obviously, but almost everything NSK did had something to do with them. It was understandable; they were two of the most hated elves in the universe, and spent more time on Earth than any other elf. However, they took more time off than any other NSK employee, every year pushing the amount of vacation days they received. But no one complained, because it was well-earned and they deserved it. Plus it wasn’t such a good idea to argue with an elf.
Today, on the ninth of May in the year 2027, they had taken a week off to go on vacation in Mexico. As Scott was a bit Hispanic, he had been ecstatic when Earth had accepted the destination.
And so, early in the day, under a large cloud cover, they rode a windowless jeep through the desert, Scott driving and Earth in the passenger’s seat. Earth wore simple clothing, long jeans and a red t-shirt partially covered by a black unzipped hooded sweatshirt. Scott wore khaki pants, a black t-shirt and arm braces, designed to give his punches more power by restricting blood flow to his fists. Earth stared straight ahead, cradling a bazooka he had somehow fit into the small seat, completely indifferent to everything Scott was saying at the moment.
Which, even for Scott, was pretty ridiculous.
Scott was gesturing all around like a tour guide, only one hand on the wheel, his speech completely redundant because there was nothing around: “...we are currently traveling south. As you can see, all around us is desert. To the southwest, you can see some storm clouds developing. Oh! If you look to the right, you will see one of the world’s oldest saguaro cact-”
Earth interrupted him by lifting up the bazooka and firing it at the cactus. An explosion resonated and Scott closed his mouth, turning forward towards the road. Earth sighed, “You know, Scott, the way you always go on and on about how great Mexico is, I would’ve thought we’d have seen something other than dirt by now.”
“Relax,” Scott said, “We’re almost in Mexico City. That’s when you’ll really be taken aback.”
Earth just grunted in reply. There was silence between them for a time, and then Scott broke it, saying, “How’s Elementres?”
Elementres Lycanthrope was Scott’s sister and Earth’s self-proclaimed girlfriend. She had been an assassin for Earth’s twin sister Venus, but they generally despised each other because of Elementres’ bloodlust and Venus’ pacifism. One day Venus had left her planet to visit Earth, and Elementres hadn’t been able to hold it any longer. She had slit several Venusians’ throats in a matter of minutes, eventually caught and sentenced to death. Ironically, Earth had decided to visit Venus on that same day, and also was sentenced to death for “being a menace to public safety.” In order to escape, Earth had blown up the entire planet, saving only Elementres. She had later informed him of her true identity and they had been living together ever since.
“Homicidal as ever,” Earth said impassively.
Scott chuckled darkly. He frowned, “What’s the matter?”
Earth sighed, “It’s nothing.”
“What is it?”
Earth looked off to the right, avoiding Scott’s inquisitive gaze, “Are you familiar with the definition of insanity?”
Scott beamed, “‘Doing something twice and expecting different results.’”
Earth nodded, “Exactly.”
Scott decided not to delve deeper. Earth often resorted to using metaphors when something was troubling him, and his meanings were abstract and hard to figure out. Instead, Scott changed the subject, “What’s with the bazooka?”
Earth instinctively clutched the weapon tighter, saying, “Well, I figured that since I don’t have a sword anymore...”
“Ah, yes, I remember,” Scott said quickly. This was also a tender subject for Earth. His previous blade, the Fli Sword, was a gift from his father, ShadowNc, the Ruler of Darkness. The sword was the only gift he had ever given him. In fact, it had been less than two years ago when they had met in person for the first time. Thus it was very sorrowful when a few months prior the Fli Sword had been destroyed in battle. Ever since, Earth hadn’t been himself.
There was another silence as Scott couldn’t think of anything else to say, and Earth simply didn’t want to talk to him. Scott opened his mouth to say something, but Earth cut him off, saying, “What is that?”
Scott turned forward to see a large black mass in their path. At the pace they were going, it soon became clear what the mass was; it was an army clad in red and black uniforms, some carrying war rifles, most carrying knives and swords of all sizes. There was even an entire row devoted to bows and arrows in the front.
Scott turned the jeep to the right with a lurch, driving alongside the army. They noticed that each of the soldiers wore a band around their right forearm, marked with a dark red flame.
“The Mexican Army?” Earth questioned, not at all confident that this was correct.
“Not one I’m familiar with,” Scott said, narrowing his eyes.
Suddenly one of the army officials cried out and pointed at the jeep. They watched in the rearview mirror as another official ran up to the first, carrying a grenade launcher.
Earth and Scott simultaneously unfastened their seat belts in a panic. Scott reached into the backseat to grab his pack just before the jeep exploded around them. They were thrown from the burning vehicle, both of them landing on their feet. Earth turned to look at the wreckage, “My bazooka...”
Scott grabbed his arm, “I’ll buy you a new one. Just come on!”
They ran past the still-marching army, which was now ignoring them. Oddly, this was more ominous than if they had continued to fire upon them.

***

December 31st, 2026.
Unknown Location.
A small group of humans toiled at the site of a demolished building. It had stood in a secluded area, far away from any civilization. Now the land had been sold by the government. The new owner had found the old building and had immediately called in this group of workers to remove the rubble.
The leader, Mr. Fargo, was a middle-aged man who gave absolutely zero care to anyone but himself. His job was purely to supervise and not to let anyone slack off. Even on New Year’s Eve, this group of workers toiled under Mr. Fargo’s vulture-like gaze, carrying iron bars and huge concrete blocks by hand.
“Pick up the pace!” he shrieked at a group of three moving a supporting beam to a truck. The truck was being loaded with all the rubble to be moved somewhere else. Mr. Fargo screamed louder, “What’s the matter, you have lead feet? I can replace you in an instant, move it!”
There was a sudden lurch in the rubble as it began to collapse, an avalanche of twisted metal. Some workers panicked, beginning to back away, but Mr. Fargo noticed this and cursed at them to stand their ground.
The pile stopped moving soon after that. Mr. Fargo turned to yell at the workers to continue, but an iron bar impaled him through the chest. As he collapsed, the terrified workers looked to the pile of rubble. Most – the lucky ones – passed out from there.
On top of the rubble was a young man – probably twenty-one or twenty-two years old – who had risen out of the demolished and now levitated above it. His hands were raised, and hovering around him were numerous objects of debris, defying the force of gravity.
The man barely moved his lips as he spoke, “Thank you for freeing me, you fools.” He thrust both hands forward and the objects around him flew through the air, bombarding and killing the workers that were still standing.
He jumped down from his perch, landing on level ground. He noticed a sleeping human by his feet and picked him up by the neck. He waved two fingers in front of his face and the human opened his wide eyes, instantly awake.
“How long has it been?” the young man asked, “What year is it?”
“T-two thousand twenty-six, sir,” the petrified human stuttered, “Twenty-seven tomorrow.”
“That’s impossible,” he muttered, “What is your name?”
“Jack Bowie.”
“Bowie...a name I do not recognize. Most unfortunate for you...You look a lot like the person who trapped me here. Do you know who that is?”
The worker stared at him, scared stiff. The young man answered his own question, “Earth Sven. Someone that far surpasses me in power, and yet I still try to kill him. Do you know why?” There was another silence, broken once again by the young man answering his own question, “Because I have nothing left. Everything I once cared for has been taken from me. And it’s all Sven’s fault.”
He threw the worker to the ground. He raised his foot and stomped down hard on his throat, killing him instantly.
“Excellent. You are simply exceptional.”
The young man froze, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, he found it; a reddish brown-haired boy standing on the top of a steep cliff. He leaped down from the cliff, only to land on one foot, a move that should have crippled him. The red-haired boy walked up to the young man, smiling eerily. He spoke again, “Yes, you would be excellent.”
The young man narrowed his eyes, “Excellent for what?”
The red-haired boy waved his hand, “Oh, I apologize. I was just thinking out loud. Might I learn your name properly?”
The young man frowned at the boy’s abstract nature, “Storm. My name is Rain Storm.”
The red-haired boy grinned and shook Rain’s hand, “Of course, this act was redundant; I already know your name. Now that the niceties are out of the way, to business. I represent a secret international company that I think you would be perfect for.”
Rain Storm narrowed his eyes, “I have heard those words before. I insist that you expound.”
The red-haired boy smiled creepily, “Of course. I understand you are familiar with Earth Sven.”
Rain took a step back cautiously, “Yes.”
“And you desire revenge.” It was not a question.
“Yes.”
The boy’s smile grew, “It has recently come to my attention that Earth Sven is a threat to my company. And I have handpicked you, Rain Storm, to be the one that eliminates him.”
Rain raised an eyebrow, “Might I ask of your company’s purpose?”
“I shall explain in time. But to sooth some of your curiosity, IDEA is in no way associated with the NSK you know all too well.” As he said this, the red-haired boy’s smile faltered a bit.
Rain relaxed slightly. “Alright. I accept. Where do I sign?”
The red-haired boy grinned, “I realize that you are merely using an expression, but I must inform you that initiation is a bit different than a simple contract.” He pulled a necklace out of his shirt and pulled off the pendant: a vial filled with a light blue liquid.
“I dabble in potions,” the boy said, as if this was an explanation to everything. He removed the top and handed the vial to Rain, saying, “In summary, all you need to do is say the oath and drink it all – drawing no breath in between. Failure on any part will result in a painful death. Success results in immortality.”
“Immortality?”
“In a way, yes. The only person that can break the potion is the leader and creator of IDEA. Oh, and fair warning: the potion tastes like urine.”
Rain frowned, “I hesitate, but do not waver. The oath?”
The red-haired boy smiled, a hint of malevolence twinkling in his eyes, “Repeat after me, ‘I, Rain Storm...’”
“I, Rain Storm...”
“‘On Tammuz of the year two thousand and twenty-six...’”
“On Tammuz of the year two thousand and twenty-six...”
“‘Is hereby in the IDEA until my death and departing day.’”
Rain Storm paused for a brief moment, “...is hereby in the IDEA until my death and departing day.”
The red-haired boy smiled, “Now drink.”
Rain hesitated – for less than a second – and downed the drink. He immediately had the urge to spit it back up; the boy’s description of the taste didn’t do it justice. His gag reflex activated and spat bile into his mouth, making the potion taste even worse. He frowned but swallowed the vile mixture.
The red-haired boy smiled, “Excellent. Welcome to IDEA.” He turned and started to walk away.
Rain furrowed his brow, “Wait, you haven’t told me your name.”
The boy spun around and cocked his head, a grim smile on his face, “That I will tell you in due time as well. But for now, you may address me as Mr. Lycanthrope.”

***

May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
Earth and Scott ran towards NSK Mexico Division, where several employees stood outside. Scott recognized one of them and smacked his forearm, shouting, “Lopez!”
The leader of NSK Mexico Division sighed and turned around, “Sir, could you please call me by my real name?”
“Of course, Lopez,” Scott said.
Earth groaned in annoyance, “Lopez, what’s going on? Who are all those people over east?”
Lopez frowned, “They’re a prejudice group that goes by the name of IDEA. They’re persistent little cockroaches that have been trying to undermine NSK for about a hundred years now.”
Earth and Scott frowned, looking at each other. Earth turned back to Lopez, “That’s not possible; there’s no way that many people could know about NSK.”
Lopez shrugged, “Remember how NSK associated with European governments until the early twentieth century?”
Earth grimaced, “Vaguely.”
“Well, NSK didn’t bother to wipe their memories...on your orders, Sven. Those humans could have told their children and those children-”
“I get it,” Earth said, waving a hand, “I’m well aware of how fast humans can reproduce.”
Scott chuckled. He then raised an eyebrow in thought, saying, “Wait a second, if IDEA’s been around all this time, how is it that we have not heard about them until today?”
Lopez considered this, and then nodded, “They have always been considered a minor threat. Nothing we needed your assistance with.”
“A minor threat?” Earth shouted incredulously, “Have you seen them out there? They’re prancing around with freaking anti-aircraft guns!”
Lopez nodded feverishly, “Yes, of course, I am aware. That is why I have rounded up all of the NSK employees in the area and armed them with the finest equipment we’ve got.”
Earth and Scott looked around at the makeshift regiment. Earth frowned, “This is it? There are less than five hundred people here.”
“These weapons are ridiculous,” Scott commented, “Rifles, knives, and sticks. Some don’t even have sticks. You’re making them fight with their hands?”
Lopez groaned, “I said the finest we’ve got. This is all we have.”
Scott raised an eyebrow, “Wow, you’re screwed.”
Earth hummed, “Scott...”
“Oh, come on!” Scott yelled desperately, “I don’t want to fight a war, not today! We’re on vacation!”
“It’s not like our vacations haven’t been interrupted before, Scott,” Earth said, rolling his eyes, “Besides, this might be fun. When was the last time you could charge into a group of humans, and just kill them? No consequences, no worries, no chains holding you back. You’d be able to just kill them all, any way you saw fit. No matter how revolting, you could do it.”
Scott’s eyes brightened, “A’ight, I’m in.”
Lopez raised an eyebrow, but didn’t pursue the subject. He sighed, and then shouted, “Ashama, ucenha!”
Suddenly every NSK employee stood up straight, holding their weapon in front of them, shouting, “Ha!” They stood as still as statues, staring straight ahead eerily.
Lopez shouted, “Ackana,” and they relaxed. “Now, line up in rows of five.”
They did this swiftly and within a few seconds. While they did, Lopez pulled a baton from his shirt pocket and extended it as far as it could go. He handed it to Earth.
“What?” he asked, staring at the object in his hand.
“I think the son of the Ruler of Violence should lead us,” Lopez said, raising an eyebrow. Earth frowned. His mother, Minerva, was indeed the Ruler of the element of Violence, but no one had ever associated him with a violent nature. Lopez saw this and explained, “Scott said it best; we’re off to war, and think I speak for all of NSK when I say that you are the greatest CEO we’ve ever had. It would be an honor to fight alongside you.”
Earth looked at the baton skeptically. Then he scoffed, “Well who else would you have picked?”
The three of them – Earth, Lopez and Scott – aligned themselves in front of their army; Earth in the center, Scott to his right, and Lopez to his left. Earth stiffened his back and raised his voice, “Ashama, ucenha!”
Everyone, including the three in the front row, stood up straight, staring ahead. The army of employees shouted simultaneously, “Ha!” There was a long pause, and then Earth broke it, “Ena, kanach!”
They began to march forward as one, valiantly confident. After all, what did an elf have to fear from ordinary humans?”

***

October 31st, 2026.
Saturn.
Earth guided a crude spacecraft into Saturn’s docking bay with ease. It locked in place and the door opened, allowing him and Scott to exit.
Earth’s sister, Saturn, walked up the dock to meet them, her hand lightly grazing the redundant railing. She grinned, “Earth, what a pleasure your visit is.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” he responded expressionlessly, “We were only passing by. We did not plan to stop and refuel.”
Saturn hummed thoughtfully, “What changed your mind?”
Earth crossed his arms, “One of my favorite activities during space travel is to count your moons as I pass by. Although it’s been maybe a billion years or so since last I did it, I’ve counted them at least seventy times, and I could have sworn I saw an extra today.” He raised an eyebrow expectantly.
Saturn took a step back, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them, “Maybe you miscounted?”
Earth stared at her, unwavering, “Maybe you are right. Maybe what I saw wasn’t a moon at all.”
Saturn’s eyes grew wide, but before she could speak, they heard a challenging voice behind her, “Give it up, Saturn.”
She turned to see her assassin, Sam Lycanthrope, standing calmly against the railing with his arms crossed. One of his legs hung off the edge of the walk. He brushed a dark strand of hair from his eyes and continued, “His deduction skills are too great to be fooled, unless he’s in denial.”
Earth nodded, “Knowledgeable as ever, Sam. I haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been?”
Sam walked towards them, ignoring Earth’s question. His black eyes were narrowed, “The real question is whether they can be trusted.”
Saturn sighed, “I trust them.”
Sam closed his eyes, meditating. He opened them, “No doubt you’ve guessed by now,” he wrapped an arm around Saturn subconsciously, “but Saturn and I are going to have a child.”
Scott was taken aback, but Earth just sighed, “When was it conceived?”
Saturn looked to the floor, “Some time ago...”
“It will be born today,” Sam said coolly.
Earth clutched his chest, “My god,” he breathed.
Saturn’s voice was small, “Don’t tell Nc.”
“Of course not,” Earth said, steadying himself. He took a deep breath, “Don’t be absurd. I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing. I’m just concerned in the fact that it was so long ago...” Saturn’s eyes began to water, and Earth quickly added to his statement, “But what’s done is done, and if you’re okay with it, I am too.”
Saturn sprung forth, embracing Earth, “Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how worried we’ve been, afraid of someone finding out...”
“Wait a second!” Scott shouted. Everyone turned to him, and he spoke again, “Does this mean I’m going to be an uncle?”
At this abrupt turn of the conversation, Saturn laughed, along with Earth. Even Sam smiled, “Yes, Scott.”
“Well then,” Earth said, clapping his hands together eagerly, “You said the child will be born today, correct?”
Sam nodded, “Indeed.”
Earth grinned, “Then let us go! An elf’s birth is a marvelous thing to witness, as far as I’ve heard!”

***

May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
“Ashama, ta!”
“Le-ta!”
The makeshift NSK army came to a halt about five hundred yards away from where IDEA stood, the soldiers looking as if they’d been there for a while and were getting tired of waiting. Earth shouted, “Ackana,” and the NSK soldiers mirrored IDEA’s relaxed style.
Lopez and Scott turned to Earth, who nodded, “Alright, let’s attempt diplomacy with these bastards.”
The three of them walked solitarily towards IDEA, stopping halfway. Earth raised his baton, calling out, “IDEA! Send forth your leader or leaders, so that we may not have to resort to violence!”
A fireball suddenly rained down, knocking the baton out of his hand. As he gasped in surprise, a voice resonated, “Earth Sven, requesting diplomacy? Ha, that is indeed unusual, but I will not decline...”
Earth’s eyes widened in fear, “No, that voice...it cannot be!”
The voice laughed, “But indeed it is, Sven! Behold!”
The air in front of them cackled and split open, spitting flames. A zephyr blew from it, brushing the hair from their eyes. The inferno swirled in place and then deposited among them an elf.
This elf was a Lycanthrope, but had neither brown nor black hair. He was the only Lycanthrope to have red hair, which now hung down over his forehead. His black eyes glinted ferociously as he gazed upon them. He was once described as having the body of a marine and the mind of a child, referring to his undeterred wit and creativity, unchanged by age. Among elves, he was considered unusually powerful, with almost deity-like supremacy. He was universally respected for everything about him; his calm demeanor, his timeless, almost childlike yet muscular body, and his vast, seemingly limitless wisdom.
“Sam.” Earth said, narrowing his eyes.
Sam smiled and dropped to the ground, “Surprised?”
“I never thought you-”
“Indeed,” he chuckled, cutting him off, “Anyone else would be a fool to request a fight with one of the former Original Six, let alone two. Or are you referring to my sudden...change of heart?” He laughed, “I have never been with you or against you. I simply side with the ones who can offer me more.”
“So why IDEA?” Scott asked, “They are the obvious weaklings.”
Sam released a single bark of laughter, “I say differently. After all, I don’t just side with them...” he held up his bangs, revealing a tattoo of a single red and black flame, “I am the one who created this IDEA, their leader. I recruit humans much like NSK; of their own free will. However, their loyalty is substantially better...because as long as they go under IDEA’s morals,” his eyes glowed intensely, “They stay alive for another day.” He gestured behind him, “What you see here is several hundred years’ worth of people that share my views.”
“And views on what, exactly?” Earth asked impatiently.
Sam laughed again, “My friend, it’s rather simple. What do you think IDEA even stands for?”
Earth shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“I’ll give you a hint,” Sam said, examining his fingernails lazily, “It’s the same in English as it is in Elvin, including the acronym. Meaning the English ‘idea’ is the same as the Elvin ‘Dokf’”
Earth closed his eyes and thought hard. The relation between the two languages was scarce, even acronyms were hard to create on the logic Sam had applied. There were very few things IDEA could stand for...
He suddenly opened his eyes, coming to a realization, “Invisible Dragon Enforcement Agency. Deorikn Okfhjmifj Kfdmn Fdljauie.”
Sam’s lips parted in a wicked smile, revealing fangs, “Very good, Sven. So now you probably know what we want with you.”
Earth took a step back, “Gwen and Leon aren’t with us.”
“Oh, come now!” Sam screamed, “I can see them, there’s no use denying their presence! Reveal them properly!”
“Very well,” Earth said reluctantly. He whispered a single word, and then two miniature dragons – one blazing red, the other a deep blue – appeared on Earth’s and Scott’s shoulders, respectively. Earth stroked the wing of the red dragon, Gwen, as he spoke, “You of course know how difficult it will be to separate us, correct?”
Sam nodded, “I am aware. No need to worry, IDEA will take care of them properly.”
Earth narrowed his eyes, “How stupid do you think we are?”
“Excuse me?”
Earth crossed his arms, “Dragons have been struggling to survive for millions of years, with less than twenty left. There have been less than twenty dragons in existence for far too long. You couldn’t possibly be helping them.” His lip quivered, “You’re killing them off!”
Sam’s eye twitched, but he smiled darkly, “Very good, Sven. Do you know why?”
Earth scowled, “Does it matter?”
Sam nodded, “It does. It means everything. I’m saving them. Liberating them. Better dead than enslaved.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scott asked.
Sam spread out his arms, “As you are aware, I am capable of many things. Like most Saturnians, I have the gift of prophecy.” He closed his eyes and sighed, “You have no doubt seen what these humans are capable of. I have seen a future in which dragons, such noble creatures, serve under human whip and chain. It’s incomparable to any slavery the world has ever seen.”
Earth crossed his arms, “And you intend to stop this tragedy by killing off the slaves.”
“It’s the only way left!” Sam screamed, “I tried to kill off the humans while there were still very few of them, and when that didn’t work, I influenced the humans to kill the dragons off themselves, but they left the job unfinished, they left fourteen, fourteen that learned to become invisible, and to avoid humans...”
“What?” Earth inquired breathlessly.
Sam grinned grimly, “You were not supposed to know that last part, but nevertheless, my goal today remains the same. If you give me the dragons, you save us all the trouble this petty fight will bring and no further tension shall come between us. Do you accept?”
“No,” Earth growled, “I will never accept your disgusting hypocrisy!”
For the first time that day, Sam frowned. He sighed, “Then you give me no choice...” He reached up and touched the tattoo on his forehead, whispering, “Fuego.”
As one, the soldiers of IDEA surged forward, charging towards where they stood. Sam sighed, “I honestly thought you would be able to be persuaded easier, Sven. After all, most people are like that on their birthday.”
Scott turned to Earth in shock, “It’s your birthday?”
Earth clenched his teeth, “Exactly one month and two days after your birthday, like every year, Scott. Eventually it gets tiresome to remind people, so I just don’t do it.”
Sam laughed, “Oh, and do you honestly think that I’m the only non-human in IDEA? Believe me, Sven, I don’t want to kill you, but some of my subordinates do...”
Earth scoffed and spoke a few words. The two dragons took off into the sky, turning invisible once more. As Sam frowned again, Earth raised an eyebrow, “Whom, exactly?”
“Oh, just some Jegarian,” Sam said, his black eyes glinting.
Earth’s face grew pale, “Impossible.”
Sam laughed, “You know me, Sven. I made all necessary precautions for today’s main event.” With that he turned on the ball of his foot and walked back towards IDEA, and they noticed for the first time that he was barefooted.
Earth turned to his companions, “Lopez, go order NSK forces to attack.”
Lopez began to run back to the NSK soldiers, shouting, “I’m on it!”
Earth sighed and put a hand on Scott’s shoulder, “You have to stall Sam for me.”
Scott crossed his arms, “No. I came here to kick some ass, and I damn well deserve that at the very least. You do it.”
Earth groaned, “Unless I’ve severely underestimated your ignorance, you know I’m going to have my hands full. We’ll handle this in the same way America handles war; just keep attacking and hope they eventually give up.”
Scott scoffed, “Yes, because that always works out so well.” Nevertheless, he turned and ran towards Sam’s rapidly retreating form.
Earth turned away from the advancing IDEA forces and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He spun around, and then exhaled, “Hello, Rain.” He opened his eyes and the half-human stood in front of him.
Rain grinned and gripped the hilt of his sword, which Earth knew had been named Thunderhead, “Surprised to see me alive?”
Earth frowned and stuffed his hands into his pockets, “I never meant to kill you. I meant for you to think about everything, and calm down a bit. Obviously it didn’t work.” In his peripherals, he saw NSK forces drawing nearer. Behind Rain, IDEA was doing likewise. Earth sighed, “So, in order to exact your revenge, I see you’ve joined a cult.”
“It’s not a cult,” Rain said, frowning, “I was promised to personally kill you if you proved to be difficult. And so here I am.”
“If you get to kill me yourself, then how different is it than just approaching me solitarily?” There was an awkward pause. Earth spoke again, “It’s a cult.”
“Shut up!” Rain screamed, “Without IDEA, I would have been lost and confused because the world has so drastically changed without me.”
Earth laughed, “And as you lay dormant, I have bettered myself. Tell me, how long ago was it that you awoke?”
“It’s been four months,” Rain said coolly, “And during that time I’ve been training under Sam.”
“Ah, yes,” Earth said with a frown, “Sam’s training. How is that working for you?”
“Very well,” Rain said, not catching the sarcasm, “I’m very impressed with the results. And I’m glad to hear that you no longer have a sword.” He drew Thunderhead, the blade rusted in some places but still looking extremely sharp.
Earth closed his eyes and chuckled, “Don’t I?” He pulled a sheathed sword from his pocket, which was infinitely deep. He attached the sheath to his belt as Rain watched with a mixture of amazement and shock.
Earth raised an eyebrow to make sure Rain was watching, and then with one fluid motion he unsheathed the sword and held it out to the right of himself. The blade of it was made entirely of a clear crystal, reflecting the sunlight that hit it at odd angles. Near the base of the blade its name was engraved.
Rain waved his sword absentmindedly, “Sure it looks pretty, but how useful is it in the field of battle?”
“Oh, I think it will prove to be very useful. Its name...” Earth took one last look over his shoulder. Both armies were little more than ten yards away. Earth grinned, tracing the name engraved on the sword and then he raised it up to the sky, shouting, “Light of Nc!”
The sword seemed to explode, a brilliant flash of white light bursting forth from the blade. Members of IDEA that had been looking directly at it now found themselves permanently blinded.
Rain shielded his eyes and laughed, “Is that it? A lights display?”
Earth clenched his teeth, “Arrogant as always, I see, Rain. If you’re so confident in your abilities, then prove your worth.”
Rain Storm growled, “Gladly.”
They jumped into the air, flying above while the two armies clashed for the first time below.

***

October 31st, 2026.
Space near Saturn.
Earth, Scott, Sam, and Saturn stood in front of a gigantesque orb of swirling energy known as an eggsack. Scott tapped his foot impatiently on nothingness. Earth stomped on his foot. As Scott yelped in alarm, Earth shoved a rag into his mouth, saying, “Now it begins.”
Scott spat out the rag and muttered something under his breath.
The orb suddenly stopped spinning, and its surface grew dark. It solidified into solid rock.
“Whoa!” Scott cried out, “How’s the kid going to be able to get out of that? Should we help it?”
“No,” Earth said coolly, “When an elf is born, it has to escape its eggsack by itself. I don’t think it’s even possible to help it without killing it.”
“Well, has anyone ever died trying to get out of their eggsack?”
Earth looked at Saturn and Sam. He turned back to Scott, “Everyone else was of age by the time they conceived their children.”
Saturn’s eyes began to water, and Sam held her close.
The ball stopped giving off light now, its energy completely drained. There was a slight pause as the four elves held their breath. Then, the new moon of Saturn groaned. A single point on it drew up, a mountain forming in a matter of seconds. It grew to a ridiculous height, and then burst, a volcano erupting. Something shot out of the volcano and flew into open space.
Sam released Saturn and she caught it, an infant that stared up at her with placid gray eyes, as if it had not just narrowly avoided death. Earth and Scott came closer while Sam seemed to shy away. Saturn smiled, and then kissed the infant on the forehead, saying, “Elementurn.”
“That’s its name?” Scott said, an eyebrow raised.
“That’s his name,” Saturn corrected.
Sam’s eyes widened, “A son?”
“Yes,” Saturn said somberly. She turned to him then, remorse clouding her face. She cocked her head a bit, “Come, and take a look upon him.”
Sam took a step back, “You know I cannot.”
Scott looked up at him, “Why not?”
Earth sighed at Scott’s ignorance, “Because an elf is only allowed to know one parent – the older one, in this case Saturn – for the first one billion and two million years of the child’s life.”
Saturn nodded warily, “But we’ve already gone through so much to get to this point, we can afford to break this rule as well.”
Earth looked at Sam and shrugged, “She has a point.”
There was a soft swish and then a quiet gurgling sound came from Saturn’s arms. They looked at the infant and gasped in alarm; an arrow had pierced the baby’s head, entering through one temple and exiting from the other. Blood flowed freely from both sides as the infant’s eyes stared upwards, cold, empty, and lifeless.
Sam looked to where the arrow had come from. He had felt a presence there – three, in fact – but he must have imagined it, because there was no one there, and no trace of anyone having been there recently. He narrowed his eyes, but shook his head. He became aware that Saturn was crying and he joined the others.
Earth felt along the baby’s chest, and then spoke softly, “Elementurn is dead, as he was less than a second after the arrow pierced him. There’s nothing we could have done to save him.”
Scott frowned, “Where did the arr-”
“There is no one here,” Sam said quickly, “I already checked. This death was an accident.”
Earth hugged Saturn, while looking to Sam for support, “Saturn, I realize this is very tragic, and awfully terrible, but-”
“They have to go,” Sam interrupted. Earth smiled behind his sister’s back, graciously relieved.
“Yes, we do,” Earth said, “But if you want us to stay...”
“No, that’s fine,” Saturn said, breaking their embrace, “We’ll be fine.”
Earth nodded to Sam, silently offering his thanks, “Come along, Scott.” He began to walk back towards the planet Saturn, followed closely behind by Scott.
Sam moved to wrap an arm around Saturn, but stopped short. Something had caught his eye. He turned to watch Earth and Scott, and he saw it again; a vague blurriness near their shoulders.
Frowning, Sam rubbed his temples, adjusting his vision to see in different planes of light. Then, under infrared, he saw them: two small dragons, one red, one blue, both appearing to belong to Earth and Scott.
Sam broke out in a cold sweat. “Not them,” he thought, “I always knew Earth was protective of the dragons...and when I created IDEA, I vowed to kill anyone that got in my way, even if it was my own brother...but why Earth? Why Scott? Why the Original Six?”
Sam held the weeping form of Saturn close, wishing desperately that he had not seen their dragons, and did not have to kill them because of it.

***

May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
Scott ran towards Sam, his fists clenched, his mind wanting to have a knife to stab his brother in the back with, ironically so...
Sam’s back was turned to him. He leaped, joining his fists, and brought them down upon him, a blow that had struck a man’s skull once and then broke his entire spine...
With surprising swiftness, Sam spun around, punching Scott in the stomach, hard, while he was still in the air. Scott fell to the ground and collapsed, all the energy he once had seemingly depleted in that instant. He grunted and made a move to stand up, but found himself trapped under Sam’s foot. He squirmed, but Sam did not falter his foot upon his chest in the slightest.
“You know,” Sam said in a bored tone, “In its early stages of life, if a dragon bonds with a partner and the partner dies, the dragon dies with him.” His black eyes grew darker, “If your goal was to prevent me from killing your dragon, then you are a fool, Scott.”
“Well,” Scott said, sighing, “You know what they say; sometimes fools’ actions are so foolish they end up being valiant.
Sam frowned, “What the hell is that supposed to-”
Scott drew a pistol and shot Sam twice – once in the head and then in the chest. Sam roared and stepped back off of Scott. As Scott bounded to his feet, Sam clutched his chest, “What the hell, man? Why’d you shoot me in the face and then again in the heart?”
“Because,” Scott replied calmly, “If you’re shot through the heart, and I’m to blame, then you give love a bad name.”
Sam frowned, utterly baffled by this latest riddle. Scott took advantage of this and shot Sam in the forehead again, and then ran forward, kneeing him in the stomach. As Sam instinctively fell forward, Scott stepped back, allowing him to fall, and then dropped on top of him, his elbow coming down hard on the back of Sam’s neck.
Scott stood up, and instantly Sam was there, furiously punching the wind out of Scott before he could even figure out what was going on. Sam moved so fast he was practically teleporting; in a fraction of a second he was behind Scott and had kneed him in the coccyx, breaking his tailbone.
Scott grunted as he fell to his hands and knees. He had just survived a fatal blow (for a human, anyway). He had faced many of these before, but never in his life had he ever been in as much pain as he was in right now.
Sam wasted no time, jumping up and kicking the center of Scott’s back with the heel of his foot. Scott crumpled, but that didn’t stop Sam from bringing a fist down upon the base of his skull. He effortlessly grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the air. Scott fell to the ground, and a few seconds later he was surprised that the barrage had stopped, no matter how momentarily.
He got to his feet, his entire body crying out in protest. Sam stood in front of him, his arms crossed emotionlessly. Scott gasped for breath, “Why did you stop?”
Sam shrugged, “It’s too easy. You’re too weak, and it’s not enjoyable for me.” He drew a sword, its blade as red as blood. The blade seemed to be made of a crystal substance, the coloring entirely natural.
“Ruby?” Scott pondered?
Sam nodded, “I call it the Demon’s Requiem. The best sword in the universe. Of course, this has yet to be proven...”
He lunged forward, but Scott had expected this. He dodged to the side and kicked the ruby sword out of Sam’s hands. He used the momentum from the kick to fall forward, punching Sam in the temple.
Sam fell to the ground, next to his sword. He rubbed his head slightly before springing to his feet, the sword flying into his hand. He charged forward, slashing horizontally. However, Scott dropped to the ground and again kicked the sword from his hand. The Demon’s Requiem sailed over Scott’s head and dropped behind him. He grabbed it and swung it around, slashing deep into Sam’s ribcage.
Sam held his bloodied side, gasping, “How...?”
Scott shrugged, “When one lives with cats, they learn how to purr. Thus I know a thing or two about dodging swords from Earth.”
Sam drew in a single, deep breath, “Impressive. However, it is not enough.”
Scott twirled the ruby sword around, “It’s not?”
Sam nodded, “I have spent countless eons perfecting every skill known to elf. I can shapeshift, perform telepathy...hell, I’m the only elf in the universe,” he disappeared, only to reappear in the exact same position a few seconds later, “that can travel through time at will.”
“Oh yeah?” Scott challenged, “If you’re so strong, then why was I chosen to be part of the Original Six and you weren’t?”
“Idiot!” Sam screamed, “The Original Six was formed from the first born children, and had nothing to do with power! In fact, half of them weren’t even qualified to be a part of it, and yet here we are!” He growled, “Do not think that I know not of your exploits, Scott. I know that you have faced death and survived far too many times. But in the end, the stronger man wins, and today that man is I!”
He raised a hand and a chain shot forth, penetrating Scott’s stomach and ripping right through. He pulled back, and the chain violently flowed back through his chest. At the end of the chain it broke and reformed into four sickle-like hooks, which pierced Scott’s body extremely painfully.
Sam smiled at the sight of Scott’s blood dripping from his five freshest wounds and onto the desert sand. Scott gasped and dropped the Demon’s Requiem. Sam’s eyes glinted and he pulled the chain back once more. Scott flew forward, and Sam kicked him in midair. The chain broke, and Scott sailed through the air.
He landed on his back, causing the hooks to dig in deeper. He grunted in pain and stood up. He ripped the remnants of the chain from his back, wincing as he did so. It was then that he noticed where he had landed.
He had flown farther than he had expected, and Sam was nowhere in sight. However, he was now in the midst of IDEA forces. Scott dropped the chain remnants, mirroring his jaw. As the soldiers turned to stare at him, he looked around at them and said, “Alright, nothing to see here-”
He stopped short as a knife stabbed through his shoulder. He turned around to see a solitary soldier holding the knife that was still stabbed through his flesh. He grabbed the soldier’s hand and pulled it out. He turned it around and stabbed it through the soldier’s heart. As he let go, the soldier collapsed, but only to his knees. He looked to his heart in astonishment and stood back up.
Something Sam had said came to Scott, “I recruit humans much like NSK; of their own free will. However, their loyalty is substantially better, because as long as they go under IDEA’s morals, they stay alive for another day.”
Apparently the sight of the brave soldier’s immortality renewed the others’ confidence in their own, because Scott soon found himself overwhelmed by the amount of humans that surged forth to try to take him down.
“Great,” Scott said to himself as he unhooked a grenade from his belt, “The only thing worse than a human is an immortal human.”
He looked to the sky, but he could not see the sun among the clouds. He growled, “It better not be the freaking break of dawn.”

***

July 14th, 2026.
Saturn.
Sam hurried through the elaborate Saturn hallways. These halls were utterly complex, yet every Saturnian knew them by heart. Sam knew the quickest and stealthiest ways through them, and today he demonstrated this in his swiftness to reach the docking bay...
Not watching where he was going in his haste, he rounded a corner and bumped into someone. He instinctively reached for his sword, but stopped himself when he saw that it was only Saturn.
“Sam,” she said breathlessly, “Where are you headed off to?”
“Earth,” he responded immediately, not at all lying.
“Again?” Saturn asked with a sigh, “My brother needs more help?”
Sam cringed inwardly. He didn’t like being deceitful to Saturn, but she had told him not to interfere with the natural flow of the universe, and he couldn’t just stand around and do nothing. He cleared his throat, “Yes, he requires my assistance once more.”
“I see,” Saturn said. Sam noticed she looked heartbroken, and he mentally hit himself over the head for it. Before he could say anything, Saturn had continued speaking, “Maybe I could come with, to see if I could help in any way?”
Sam grew pale, “No, that won’t be necessary, Saturn,” he said a bit too quickly. Once again, she looked dejected, and Sam felt absolutely horrible for it. He drew Saturn close, his arms wrapping around her protectively, “I’m sorry, Saturn, but I’m needed there...alone. I promise, soon enough, that I’ll be done there, and I can spend more time here, with you.”
He closed his eyes and pulled her closer, kissing her gently on the forehead. He moved down to her lips, brushing against them lightly with his own. Saturn’s eyes wavered to a close, being at a loss for words. Finally, she whispered, “Hurry back.”
For a fleeting moment, Sam didn’t want to hurry back. He wanted to stay here, with Saturn, forever. But then he remembered his duty, and slowly pulled away. He kissed his first two fingers and pressed them to Saturn’s lips.
Saturn’s eyes remained closed, and Sam knew it was because she did not want to watch him go. Sam walked back the way she had come from, only looking over his shoulder once. As soon as he rounded the corner, he broke out in a run.

***

May 9th, 2027.
Mexico.
When the sky grew dark, and it began to rain, Earth and Rain Storm were the first to notice, as they were levitating above the violent brawl going on below. The rain came all at once, a torrential that did not falter the fighter. A gale blew, felt only by Earth and Rain, a small wind that only rippled their clothes slightly. Lightning flashed in the distance, steadily growing closer.
Earth flew forward, smashing his sword into Rain’s. He had the advantage in pure strength, but not by much. Rain bounced back from the impact, surging forward while electricity coated his skin. He slashed downward, but Earth dodged to the side and stabbed Rain below the ribs.
Rain cringed and pulled away. Earth held up the Light of Nc, the tip of it coated in blood. Earth cocked his head as the blood seemed to be sucked inside of the sword, gone in a matter of seconds.
Rain raised an eyebrow, but flew forward, slashing diagonally. Earth blocked with his own sword, sparks flying as they clashed. Earth scraped away from Thunderhead, a sliver of metal flying off of it. Earth caught it in his teeth, and then slashed his sword downwards. Rain blocked over his head, and Earth, seeing the opening he was looking for, maneuvered the scrap of metal in his mouth so that the sharp point was aimed at Rain. He spat it out, and it sliced straight through Rain’s abdomen.
Rain’s concentration was broken, and he cringed, letting Thunderhead drop. Earth wasted no time, smashing the hilt of his own sword into Rain’s temple. As Rain fell to the ground, unconscious, Earth noticed a strange sight. All around the ensuing battle below, and despite the tremendous downpour, the ground was aflame, unnatural fire burning the sand, unwavering in the rain.
Earth lowered his sword in wonder as lightning flashed behind him. He looked around at the black sky, to the fighting humans below, and said quietly to himself, “All of the elements are present here. May this not turn into something much more heinous than it has to be.”
He stood there motionlessly for a few minutes, watching the flaming horizon. After a time, he heard a vicious scream, and then Thunderhead was stabbed right through his stomach. Rain Storm floated up in front of him, gasping heavily, blood oozing from where Earth had struck him.
Earth struggled, but found himself immobilized. Rain laughed, “I’ve done my research, Sven. Elves may seem invulnerable, but I know now that they have two weak points.”
Earth froze, figuratively, of course. It was true that every elf had two weak points, but there was more to it than that. He had to make sure he didn’t say something that Rain didn’t yet know.
Rain Storm continued, “One point stuns, the other kills. The problem is that they’re different for each elf, but I know that your stun weak point is obviously your stomach.”
“And my kill weak point?” Earth asked, attempting to *bleep* his head. When this failed, he settled for raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” Rain said reluctantly. Just as Earth was about to relax, Rain finished his statement, “But I do know that if the stun weak point is damaged enough, the elf can die through those means...”
Earth frowned, a tactical neutral expression, “And your point is?”
Rain Storm chuckled, “Goodbye, Earth.” He raised a hand, and in it formed a ball of energy, a mixture of wind, lightning and water. He grinded his teeth together, “Say hi to Xavier for me, you bastard.”
As sudden as a bolt of lightning, there was a brief flash and then a chunk of rock fell from the sky, smashing into Rain and sending him hurtling towards the ground. The rock, however, stayed in the air, hovering in one place. Earth raised an eyebrow at this sight.
As if in explanation, the boulder disintegrated in on itself, its molecules separating and rearranging themselves to a different form, that of a shapeshifter with a purplish tint to his skin. Earth grinned, “9volt! I’d hug you, but as you can see, I’ve kinda got a sword through my stomach, no pun intended.”
9volt chuckled slightly at this anti-joke and removed the sword, tossing it over his shoulder, “No problem. I got your back.”
9volt was obviously a shapeshifter and one of Earth’s closest friends. When they had first met, 9volt had been looking for his two adoptive brothers before being trapped and later freed with Earth’s help. Up until that point, 9volt’s life had been depressing to listen to, but he seemed fine with it. Now it was steadily getting better, in a way.
Earth hugged 9volt, “Thanks. You saved my life.”
9volt shrugged, “I owed you one. Now we’re even.”
Earth laughed, “If I paid back everyone I’ve ever owed, I’d be dead. But I appreciate the thought.”
9volt nodded, changing the subject, “Some weather this, huh?”
“Indeed,” Earth said with a frown, “By the way, why are you here? Seems awfully random that you would just happen to show up.”
“Are you kidding?” 9volt said, “Aside from you and Scott, I’m the only elf NSK’s got on speed dial. I literally got here five minutes ago.”
“Well, thanks for coming,” Earth said, surveying the scene below them, “I’ll fill you in with all the details later, but for now you should know that IDEA has some people on their side that you should watch out for, namely Rain Storm, Sam Lycanthrope-”
There was a terrifying screech and a giant bat tackled 9volt. They plummeted to the ground, and 9volt found his limbs pinned and his sight blackened. He struggled, but stopped short when the creature whispered in his ear, “Hello again, 9volt.”
9volt froze, breaking out in a cold sweat, his heart beating faster. He knew that voice anywhere, and he could hardly believe she was here. The voice belonged to the vampire that haunted his nightmares, Brianna. Almost a year and a half ago, 9volt had gone with Earth and Scott to see her, to sort out an event that had happened years earlier. The news was good, but they had made a new enemy that day, and 9volt had discovered his one true fear: vampires.
9volt realized that the wings he had seen were the same ones he saw in his nightmares, and the ones that now shrouded them in darkness. They were an extension of her shoulder blades; black as night, the skin stretched so far that one could see the talon-shaped bones, the veins completely devoid of blood...
Brianna grazed her fangs against his cheek seductively, “I was aiming for Earth, but you must have gotten in the way...” 9volt shivered, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Brianna’s breath was hot on his face, and it took all of his willpower not to whimper, let alone scream. Brianna scratched a deathly sharp fingernail along 9volt’s neck, whispering in his ear again, “I presume you are curious about what I’ve been up to since we parted, in Romania?”
9volt was curious, as he had been for the last sleepless year and a half; however, he was too terrified to speak. Brianna either didn’t notice or did not care, because she continued, “Well, I was free for a few days, until I needed to replenish,” she snarled slightly as she said that word, sending chills up 9volt’s spine, “lost blood. Soon after that, I felt like something was closing in on me. Do you know who?”
9volt was silent. He remembered Earth saying something about going after Brianna the last time they had seen each other, but he didn’t remember the details.
“Answer me!” Brianna screamed, shaking him violently. Her fangs were inches away from his face.
“Earth, NSK!” 9volt sputtered out after a moment of strength, practically weeping as he broke.
Brianna stopped and went very still, something that she surprisingly did quite often. It simply meant she was thinking intensely. “Correct. Earth, and Scott also. They were hunting me,” she spat, “I was surprised I didn’t see you among them...” She took a strand of 9volt’s hair in between her fingers and twirled it absentmindedly, “But I did see that overprotective assassin, Elementres. As you can see, I slipped through their fingers with ease. And again, and then again. I was finally able to lose them, and I headed east, into Alaska and headed southeast from there. You wouldn’t believe how cold it can get up there, and how hungry I was after going without food all that time...” Once again, her face was inches away from 9volt’s, and her fangs lightly brushed his nose. 9volt whimpered.
Brianna took a deep breath, “It was then that I met Sam.”
“Y-you’re a member of IDEA?” 9volt stammered.
Brianna shrugged in the dark, “It’s more of a hobby.”
She abruptly hissed furiously, diving to sink her fangs into 9volt’s neck. 9volt yelped, transforming into a wisp of smoke. Brianna bit the sand, immediately spitting out the foul taste of the dirt. She growled, flapping her wings to stand upright. She looked around wrathfully.
Meanwhile, 9volt was behind her, and he decided in that moment to lash out like the cornered animal he was. The wisp of smoke reformed into that of a giant black bear, and it roared, swiping its deadly claws at Brianna, prepared to rip her to shreds.
Brianna unexpected spun around, grabbing the bear’s paw and managed to hold it back, no matter how disadvantaged she appeared. Then she laughed, a bone-chilling screech unlike any other sound in the universe “Yes, Sam has told me all about you, 9volt. He’s a great spy. The only reason I bother fighting you at all is because I know you fear me.” She stared at him, her bloodless eyes probing deep into his, “But I also know your greatest secret.”
9volt suddenly remembered that bears have four limbs instead of three, which he had somehow forgotten. He slashed his limp paw at the vampire, and as expected, she grabbed it subconsciously. She grinned ominously, “9volt, do you know what can kill a vampire?”
9volt thought hard. Years before, he had been in a discussion that sorted through vampire mythology, but they hadn’t talked about what could kill a vampire. The bear shook its head.
“That’s exactly it,” Brianna said, her fangs exposed in an evil smile, “Nothing. There is nothing that can kill a vampire. Meanwhile shapeshifters have an extra Achilles’ heel...the Shapeshifters’ Weak Point.”
9volt cringed internally. Before he could even react to what Brianna had said, she had leaped over his head and had stabbed her first two fingers into the small of his back, the part of the spine directly below the ribcage. An unusual sensation came over 9volt; his body seemed to fall asleep all at once, becoming numb all over. Then, every molecule of his very being was ripped apart in an instant, reorganized without his consent. He was back in his original form, but unable to move and unable to shapeshift.
Brianna whispered in his ear, “Let death be merciful upon thee,” and then she hissed hungrily, biting into 9volt’s throat.

***

25 million years prior to 2025.
Unknown Location.
Earth Sven and Rain Storm fought inside a building made entirely of iron. The single, large room was bare, except for the supporting rods on the ceiling. They fought with swords, Earth using the Fli Sword, and Rain using a much newer Thunderhead.
Earth’s strikes were lazy, with very little effort behind them. His style was solely defensive, blocking all of Rain’s slashes without blinking. He sighed, “Reynard, can we talk about this?”
“No!” Rain shouted furiously. He lunged forward, but was swatted aside easily.
“Will you at least tell me why you’re angry with me?”
Rain paused, “Earth, what do you think I have to be angry about? My family is all dead. I’ve outlived them all by tens of millions of years.”
Earth shrugged, “It’s not my fault you...mutated. Your pseudo-immortality was an accident, which I wasn’t even present for.”
“It’s not that!” Rain yelled, “It was my brother.”
“Antonio?”
“No,” Rain whispered bitterly, “Xavier. I know who killed him.”
Earth cocked his head, “Xavier wasn’t killed. He disappeared, without a trace.”
Rain shook his head, “No. I believed you at first, but now I know that he was killed that day, and it was an obvious culprit.” He raised his free hand, a ball of electricity forming in it, “It was you!” He shot the orb at Earth, striking him in the dead center of his chest and knocking him off his feet. He flew across the room and slammed into the far wall, slumping down to the floor.
He lay there, motionless, for a time. Then, an iron bar dropped from the ceiling in front of Rain. Earth grunted, “Reynard Storm, you know not what you say. When you see the light, then come find me.”
The entire structure groaned. Rain looked around confusedly, “What’s going on? What are you doing?” Earth merely chuckled. The roof and walls seemed to cave in on themselves. The supporting metal rained down heavily now, the beams snapping apart like twigs. After a moment of stubbornness, the entire structure collapsed inwardly, burying Rain Storm alive.
Earth stood up outside of the wreckage, unscathed. He surveyed the destroyed building emotionlessly. Then, to himself, he said, “I didn’t kill your brother, Rain. I don’t know who did, but when I do,” he closed his eyes and frowned, “I swear I’ll make them regret it for the rest of their very short life.”

***

Continued in Part 1.2: <a href="https://blogs.neoseeker.com/ShadowNc/6224-cracker-chronicle-11-we-fight-war-part-one-2-war/" target="_blank"><