Chương 64: Episode 9: Dino Drama, Rack Attack

Dominator stood tall in the computer room, his massive frame dwarfing everyone around him. Looking down, he spotted Dironyx standing silently before a screen with his arms crossed behind his back.

"I'm here," Dominator announced, his voice heavy. Dironyx turned around slowly, a grin creeping onto his face as he took in Dominator's hulking form blocking the doorway.

"Dominator… nice to see you." Dominator side-eyed him, taking slow, deliberate steps into the room before turning back with a heavy sigh.

"You're here for the deal," Dironyx said.

"Please tell me you remember that."

"I came here to save my tribe," Dominator replied.

"Now, what is this deal you're bringing me into?" Dironyx's expression flattened as he looked up, coming face-to-face with the giant. Dominator stared down at him, a low growl escaping his throat as his mouth curved into a deep frown.

"WHAT IS IT?!" Dominator roared. The entire room shook from the vibration, but Dironyx did not flinch. Instead, he stood tall and leaned forward until they were at eye level.

"Calm down, brute," Dironyx ordered smoothly.

"Your Lunaranites will be fine, I assure you." Dominator glared back, gritting his teeth as Dironyx turned and walked toward the massive computer display on the wall.

"How am I supposed to trust you when I've never seen a figure like you walk the Earth?" Dominator asked. Dironyx did not reply, continuing toward the screen as its light dappled over his body. With a grim expression, he pressed a key, switching the display to a series of images showing a vibrant, magenta-colored planet rich with dense forests and alien life. Snapping his fingers, Dironyx looked back with a widening smile.

"Get over here. You need to see this." Dominator walked over and leaned down to scan the images, his eyes narrowing. Dironyx pointed at the screen.

"That will be your new home once you bring me a child's body." Dominator's eyes twitched in sudden hesitation. He drew himself up to his full height and shook his head.

"What kind of choice are you giving me?! Do I look like someone who wants to harm children?!"

"It's an Earthnite," Dironyx countered plainly.

"STILL!" Dominator bellowed. The room's tech workers shivered, casting terrified glances at the giant as he inhaled deeply to steady his rage. Dironyx simply stared back, arms crossed behind his back, before shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"What a shame. I guess your tribe won't get to live on a wonderful, pristine planet completely devoid of intelligent life." Dominator raised an eyebrow, pausing.

"No organisms of higher intelligence?" Dironyx opened a single eye, his grin widening.

"None. You and your Lunarnaites will be as free as you could ever dream." Dominator stroked his chin, weighing his options. He needed a sanctuary for his people, a place where they could thrive without waging relentless war against other factions. He had the strength to wipe out most of the Celestianites, but this offered a path to total peace for his tribe. Yet one doubt remained. Dominator fixed Dironyx with a sharp look.

"I could simply leave this planet and lead the Lunarnaites in search of a habitable world ourselves."

"There are no other habitable worlds," Dironyx said deadpan. He turned, crossing his arms as he looked up at the giant.

"In this entire galaxy, finding a suitable planet is nearly impossible. Lunarnaites cannot traverse the cosmos fast enough, and even if you could, any viable world is either already owned by an alien empire or extraordinarily rare. This planet is from another dimension, rich in Giornium and completely untouched."

"If it's in another dimension, wouldn't it take even longer to reach?" Dominator asked.

"Madman built a dimensional portal device," Dironyx replied.

"You could transport your entire population in an instant." Dironyx extended his hand, grinning up at the towering warrior.

"So, will you take the deal, or do you intend to walk away?" Dominator stood frozen, overwhelmed by the weight of the choice. He barely knew this Xenith or what his ultimate motives were, but for the survival of his tribe, he was willing to bear any burden. He clenched his fists and shut his eyes, gritting his teeth in silent anguish as his head lowered. He knew he would regret this, but he had no choice.

"…What is the boy's name?" Dironyx's grin stretched wide.

"Olsen the Earthnite, Your Majesty."

I planted my feet before the mountain's massive stone door, the morning sun slicing through clouds like molten knives. Eddy clung to my back, tiny horns catching light, gleaming like polished glass. Birds chirped nervously in the distant forest, the sky a crisp, endless blue, clouds huddled like conspirators whispering secrets just above our heads. Strength stood silently beside me, arms crossed, his face unreadable, eyes locked on the carved monolith before us. The door wasn't just a door. It was a challenge.

Arched like a cathedral ceiling, carved from solid stone, centuries of time etched into every groove. It dared me to touch it, dared me to prove I belonged beyond it. I adjusted the scabbard on my back, feeling the reassuring weight of my Earth Axe settle against my spine. Strength's brow rose, the motion slow, deliberate.

"Olsen, ready for your first challenge?"

"Always," I said, bouncing on my heels, my pulse thumping in anticipation. He scoffed, a low rumble.

"Hah. You think you're ready. You better prove it. This place doesn't play." I rolled my eyes, haunted by flashes of training—grueling hours of spires, boulders, endless drills.

"Can we just get this started?" Eddy, ever the drama king, threw his tiny paws into the air.

"We've got a tree to find!" Strength's laughter shook the morning air, deep and booming.

"Go on. Just don't say I didn't warn you… that dinosaur doesn't play." Eddy froze. Then, head whipping toward Strength like a snapped twig.

"DINOSAUR?! WHAT DINO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?! WHOA WHOA WHOA, WHAT DINO?!" He started spinning in place, claws flailing, curses ricocheting off the mountain. I could practically hear the cave laughing at him. I stepped forward, calm in contrast, pressing both hands to the stone. The surface was cold, ancient, rough beneath my fingers. I shoved. The ground shuddered. Dust erupted. The massive slab groaned, inching open, stone scraping on stone like the cave itself was moaning.

I grunted, taking a step back, eyes widening.

"… Wow. Dead." The cavern yawned before me. Dark, endless, jagged rocks jutted from every corner. Shadows hung thick, heavy, swallowing the floor ahead in inky folds. One cautious step in. Then another. The air smelled of damp stone, moss, and something older, deeper, almost alive. I moved fully inside. Spires jutted from the ceiling like giant stone teeth, sharp and dangerous. Cracked boulders lay slumped across the floor, as if giving up after centuries of standing. My boots clattered against uneven rock.

The sound echoed, bouncing endlessly. THUD. The door slammed shut behind me. Eddy launched off my back, panic incarnate.

"NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. I'M OUT!" He barreled to the door, ramming it with all four paws, tiny claws scraping stone.

"GET US OUTTA HERE, YOU DAMN ZENITH BASTARD!!" I smirked. Cartoonish fury, full-weight energy. Eddy tried shoulder-first, then jumped, scratching, ramming. Nothing. That door wasn't moving. I scooped him up like a backpack, one arm under his belly, and plunged deeper into the cavern. We stepped out of a gaping hole, entering an enormous cavern filled with craggy spires coming from the walls, awnings, and ground. On the side was a gushing river, rushing down toward a plunging fall.

I dropped from the hole and landed in a low crouch. My eyes drifted side to side. We're good. I got up and approached the river, gaping at it.

"You ever wonder how deep that river could go?"

"No," scoffed Eddy.

"I don't even wanna know."

"Of course you don't," I sighed, strolling past the river. Water dripped from above the spires. The sounds reverberated through the cave. I had the axe in my grasp, in case we ever met any trouble. We entered another one of the cave's mouths on the left side of the cavern. It was a massive corridor with large walls cramming the place. Thousands of holes nearly covered the walls, as if someone poked them with sharp claws. At the end of the corridor was pure darkness. Eddy glanced at me, then shivered.

"Kid, don't tell me you're thinking about going there!" I smirked without looking at him.

"Why wouldn't I? Everything seems so interesting over there.""' Interesting'," he mocked, "nothing's interesting about pure darkness! I know that there's some—' thing'—over there just waiting to take the both of our heads!" I rolled my eyes and spun my axe." Don't worry, I got a weapon right here, and it'll make sure that nothing hurts us." He let out a sigh of relief, banging my head.

"I don't get paid enough for this!" I started to stroll into the corridor anyway.

"Bro, you don't even get paid." The corridor grew darker the deeper we walked. I stayed calm, shifting my weapon from axe to hammer out of boredom. Eddy glanced at it.

"Why does that thing transform all the time? Does it have one form or something?"

"No," I said.

"The Earth Axe, or Hammer, switches between these two types. I think that's how forger intended it." Silence took over, filled only by the tiny echoes of dripping cave water. Eddy didn't seem to like Xeniths much, or Zeniths; I'd learned that much from him.

"Yo, Eddy," I called out.

"What… are you? Like, where do you come from?" He perked up and brushed his nose.

"Oh. Well, some dinosaurs can walk, talk, and have basic intelligence like me."

"Did something happen?"

"It was chaotic, alright," he sighed.

"In 1977, the Lost Gem generated a powerful burst out of nowhere. The shockwave reached all across Zeriath, including the Lost World's jungles."

"Where did that burst come from?" I asked, noticing the damp water on the walls and ground.

"I don't know," Eddy replied.

"Maybe Dironyx was trying to capture the Gem and it got angry. All I know is it might be sentient."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, tone locked. Eddy went silent. I stopped in my tracks as realization hit me, turning my head toward my shoulder.

"The detonation… did it give you some sort of knowledge? Like brain transport or memory exporting?" Eddy nodded, confident enough in that answer.

"Yeah, that must be why I know so much about the Xeniths and the Lost Gem. It gave me its own memories from a third-person perspective."

"So you know where it is then?" Eddy let out a disappointed sigh.

"Ehhh, no. The location was never revealed to me." He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to cheat your way into fulfilling that trial?" I stammered, stumbling for words as I resumed walking.

"I—I guess you could say that. The visions I've been getting from Dironyx are getting worse."

"What were they?"

"The destruction of the Lost World," I said.

"The Xenith Empire taking over, forests and jungles burning, creatures dying… everything gone." I stopped twirling my axe.

"I have to fulfil everything as quickly as I can so nobody suffers, but I gotta do it the way a warrior would."

"The warrior thing again," groaned Eddy.

"Why do you care? It's just a ranking! You already gained the spotlight in the Great War of Celestia. You don't have to do more for your tribe."

"I just think they don't appreciate me the way I am," I said.

"I want to impress them." Eddy rolled his eyes and smacked the back of my head.

"Keep walking, kid! I don't wanna hear any of that stuff anymore." I almost grabbed his head and choke-slammed him. But you know what? Maybe he was right. The darkness swallowed us as we entered. It was pitch-black—so complete it felt like my eyes were closed, even though they were wide open. The dripping water died down, replaced only by the howling cold air. Eddy panicked, frantically banging on my head.

"Are we sure we wanna stay here?! We should just leave!"

"No," I said.

"Strength specifically told us to walk through the cave and out the other side." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Then the entrance is the exit!" Eddy shouted.

"We're not going back. We're not starting over," I firmly stated, gripping my axe tighter as I took another step forward.

"We're still close, so we're safe." I grinned into the dark.

"Besides… I've got a trick." FWISH! Emerald light flooded from my axe, illuminating the cave. Eddy stopped shivering and slowly peeked around.

"Oh." He scratched the back of his head.

"I forgot you could do that. I guess we're safe after all." I gritted my teeth.

"Not quite…" Massive stone barriers locked us in, leaving barely any space. Tiny holes perforated the walls, whistling as the cold air rushed through them. I glanced around, twirling my axe before turning back toward the way we came.

"We can just walk out and find another path. No problem." GROWWWWLLLL… I froze. Eddy's teeth chittered the second the sound echoed through the chamber. My eyes narrowed as I raised the axe. SNARL… We both slowly looked up.

"Shit…" Eddy tapped my shoulder.

"Kid… we need to run." I tore through the wall in a spray of debris, flipping back and hitting the ground hard. I skidded, gripping my axe as tight as I could.

"OOF!" Eddy hit the dirt nearby, dusting himself off with stars swirling over his head.

"Damn, I took a hit." He collapsed. I gritted my teeth, shifting focus to the cave rubble in front of us. A singular claw slammed against the stone, pushing it aside to reveal a massive, muscular purple tyrannosaurus hybrid. Dust rained off his giant calves and tightening muscles as his violet tail thrashed behind him. Rows of jagged teeth lined his jaws, and pink eyes locked onto me. I didn't step back, but I wanted to. He looked like he could fold me in half like paper, but I clutched my weapon tight anyway.

"You don't seem like no monster to me…" He curled his talons into a fist, lowered his head, and snarled.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!" He thundered toward me, jaws snapping. I leapt into the air, flipped over him, and hurled my axe at his legs. BAM! The hit tripped him up. The axe flew back into my hand just as he scrambled up, spreading his claws. I launched forward, twirling the weapon as it shifted into a hammer, and slammed it straight into the side of his jaw. KRAKKKKK!!!! I hit the ground, ducked under his sweeping tail, and grabbed it, dropping the hammer.

I spun him around and around before hurling him across the desert. He hit the dirt with a thunderous thud, rolling through the dust. I snatched my weapon and looked up—he was already charging back at insane speeds. BAM! He slammed into me, dropping me to the ground, and unloaded a flurry of fists into my face. BAM! BAM! BAM! He reeled back for one more, but I caught his fist, unleashing a shockwave across the dirt.

He grabbed my neck, flung me across the battlefield, and closed the distance instantly—striking my gut, uppercutting me, and wrapping his tail around my waist. He spun me into the sky and slammed me down hard. Blood jolted from my nose. He thrashed me side to side, roaring as he launched me across the dirt. I rolled and skidded, but before I could recover, he was already airborne. BAM!!!!!!!! His talons slammed into my gut, fracturing the ground and sending a ripple outward.

I groaned weakly as his tail whipped around my neck again, lifting and smashing me back into the dirt. I tried to stand, but his tail cracked against my neck, flinging me skyward. He launched up, grabbed my head, and rocketed back down, driving me straight into his knee. The impact tore the land beneath us. He threw me aside and unleashed a brutal combination—left hook, right hook, tail smack, gut punch, backhand, and a double-fisted uppercut that launched me back into the air.

He caught my leg, spun us toward the ground, and slammed me down so hard my brain knocked against my skull in an explosion of dust. I was barely able to move, groaning as I tried to crawl away, but he snatched my ankle and hauled me back up to face his glare. SLASH! His claws ripped across my chest. I shrieked as he dropped me into the dirt. I clutched my bleeding chest, gripping the cracked earth as a pool of blood spread beneath me. My head rolled to the side, and I let out a heavy sigh. I couldn't move.

Every time I tried to move an inch, my body ached, but the pain was starting to wash away. The hybrid dinosaur stopped attacking and just stared. He snarled, then turned and began walking off into the blowing wind. My arm quivered as I reached out.

"WAIT!" He stopped, head turning back with a growl. I struggled up, bracing on one knee before forcing myself onto both feet. Earth energy swirled around my open palm, pulling my axe back to me. I caught it, then immediately set it on the ground. I slowly backed away, my ankylosaurus tail swaying side to side.

"What are you doing?" The dinosaur turned around completely, his tail lashing, but he didn't attack. His eyes narrowed, and then he winced in pain. I caught that—that one little detail. He whimpered as he took another sloppy step, limping heavily. I looked down at his ankle and saw why—something was jammed straight into it.

"WAIT A SECOND! I SEE THE PROBLEM!" I sprinted over and crouched by his leg. Dried blood splattered his purple scales around what looked like a sword buried in his hide. I grabbed the hilt, pulled it out with ease, and dropped it onto the dirt with a clang. He lowered his head to meet my eyes, and I gently wiped away his tears.

"There you go." I turned to leave, but a tiny roar stopped me. Looking back, I saw him drop into the posture of a normal T-Rex—leaning forward on two feet, watching me. I guess this was one of the dinosaurs Eddy was talking about back in the cave. I put my hands on my hips, a smile tugging at my lips.

"You're one of Eddy's friends… right?" The reptile nodded. He knew what I was talking about. But why attack Eddy if they knew each other?

"How did you get a sword stuck in your leg?" The dinosaur glanced at the blade, then stepped toward me—moving normally now, which was a good sign. He lowered his head, and I brushed a hand against his snout.

"What happened to you guys?" He understood me, but without words, how could I understand him? The sound of Eddy huffing and puffing broke the silence. He waddled over, groaning as dust stung his eyes.

"Ugh… you wouldn't believe how desperate I was trying to find you!" He threw his arms up, glaring at me.

"I can't fend for myself, you know!"

"We know you're scared of being alone," I teased.

"Now—do you know this guy?" Eddy looked up at the tyrannosaurus, his eyes widening as the massive shadow towered over him.

"I mean…" He squealed.

"I think I might know him. BUT HE THREW ME AROUND!"

"RARGH!" The dinosaur snapped his jaws, shutting Eddy up instantly before turning his attention back to me. Eddy scrambled backwards onto his butt, trembling in terror.

"So you do know him," I said firmly.

"Why is he like this?" Eddy scrambled up, catching his balance.

"He—he and I—remember when Ironz enslaved us?!" I gawked at Eddy, then looked up at the T-Rex as he growled softly above us. Eddy pointed a shaking finger.

"He was one of Ironz's dino slaves!"

"Why is Ironz capturing dinosaurs that can think and speak?!" I snapped, glaring down at Eddy. Eddy stumbled back from the pressure of my voice.

"I DON'T KNOW! He just hunts down dinosaurs like us and enslaves them for something bigger!"

"TO DO WHAT?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Eddy yelled back. The wind howled between us, louder than before, as if telling us to cut it out. I stopped, dropped my hands, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Sorry…" I whispered. I clutched my bleeding chest as the wind pulled at my hoodie.

"Eddy, I'm just worried…" Eddy's eyes softened. He clutched his horns and lowered his head.

"I understand… but we just met." I crouched in front of him, the orange twilight catching my soft smile as I patted his head.

"I know, but we're together now. As a Hero Trainee and a warrior… it's my job to protect you." T-Ex grumbled as he turned toward the setting sun, his scales shining against the brilliant evening light. The sky bled into a mix of purple, orange, and soft blue—the edge of night creeping in. I put a finger to my chin, considering a name.

"Let's call you… T-Ex."

"T-Ex?" Eddy asked, raising a brow as he stood up.

"Why take away the 'R'?" I looked down at him with a hand on my hip.

"Because it's way cooler." I opened my palm, and my Earth Axe instantly flung into my hand. Catching it with a grin, I turned back toward the horizon.

"Now that we're out of the cave, our next objective is finding the next trial." Earth energy swirled around my hand as I lifted it.

"So far, this adventure's been going pretty well… agh…" I clutched my chest. Blood slowly dripped from the massive claw scars tearing across my frame and hoodie, but at least the bleeding was slowing down.

"We should move." I pulled my torn hood over my head. Eddy vaulted up my leg and perched on top of my head, while T-Ex let out a low roar into the evening sky.

"Come on team."

The bus coughed like it was dragging itself back from the dead. Ryan hadn't slept. Not even a little. Around him, Class 101 was sprawled across the grass, completely knocked out after last night—bodies scattered everywhere like they actually trusted this jungle not to kill them. Some were half-buried in the dirt, others twisted in uncomfortable positions, dead asleep. Something screeched high above the trees. Ryan didn't even look up.

"This better work…" he muttered under his breath. He stepped forward and drove his foot into the wheel. The bus jolted. The engine roared to life. The headlights flickered, blinking open slowly, like the thing had just woken up from death itself. Ryan exhaled, tension slipping out of his shoulders as he grabbed his toolbox from the ground and snapped it open, sliding his wrench back into place. He shoved it into his backpack, tightening the straps over the mechanical box filled with spare parts on his back.

He looked up at the bus, a small grin pulling at his face. Even with moss clinging to the wheels and ferns tangled around the frame… it was working.

"I finally got you to work, didn't I?" His eyes shifted over to the group, still dead asleep across the grass.

"…Alright," he said.

"Time to wake up." BAM! He punched the rear of the bus, loud enough to jolt everybody upright from the grass, with William skyrocketing into the air as his scream trailed behind him. The rest of the class stayed tired and barely able to move—even after that—especially Kwa'asja, who was somehow still asleep despite the noise. Angel groaned as he rolled his body over on the grass, turning to the right as he noticed the bus lights flickering and working just fine. His eyes widened.

He dug his hands into the dirt and quickly pushed himself up, dusting off the dirt with his pants as he rushed toward the bus in excitement. Slamming his hands against the front frame, his eyes darted up at Ryan, who stood right beside the base of the bus.

"You…" He paused, unable to think of anything else to say other than—"YOU FIXED THE BUS!"

"What? You didn't think that I could fix it?" Ryan rolled his shoulders as he faced him with his arms crossed—his clothes stained and smeared with oil from the bus. He eyed Angel with a smug, satisfied smirk.

"We're not going anywhere without her." Sophia, who was laying on top of a rock with her arms lazily hanging over its sides, slowly turned her head to the left, noticing Angel, Ryan, and everyone else getting up from their long nap. Her mouth moved slowly, her eyes blinking steadily from exhaustion.

"Ryan… fixed the bus…?" Angel snapped his head toward Sophia, throwing out a confident thumbs-up.

"YUP! AND IT'S PERFECT TOO!"

"Nice…" Sophia mumbled before turning her head back around to go right back to sleep. BANG! The echo from Ryan's fist slamming against the bus rang out one more time, and Anhia exploded awake, jolting upright from the grass.

"OKAY! WE'RE AWAKE! STOP BANGING THE DAMN BUS!" She got up and stomped toward the entrance of the bus, marching inside—her footsteps still audibly slamming against the metal floor. Everybody else, all groggy and still desperate for sleep, followed her straight into the bus, while William dove downward and shot straight through the doors, swinging them back and forth as he blasted right through them.

His body slammed against the metallic side of the bus before he dropped onto the floor, while everybody else took their seats, finally gathering some sense of energy. Fedjina, on the other hand, slipped onto the side, flailing her arms and wings while shouting until she hit the ground near the bus—then instantly lifted herself back up and walked in to sit in her own seat like nothing happened. Emely threw an arm over a seat as she stood up while Angel and Ryan entered.

"Uhm, if it's necessary to ask, do any of you guys know how to steer a wheel and press a pedal?" Everyone exchanged glances with each other until Angel announced to everybody, "Today! I'll be driving for now! Because I'm big-brained!" Mason peeked over his seat, "We really don't even know if that's a true claim." Silence fell over Angel, knowing that even if he could drive, actually getting them where they needed to be was a completely different story.

"Okay smart guy, but in 1910 the first bus driver wasn't 12 years old," Jocabed sharpened both of her blades with quiet focus.

"We have no map, where are we heading?" Angel turned to face everybody with dead certainty, his glasses glimmering.

"Outta here."

The bus got to moving through the forest, driving in the middle of the thick vegetation where towering trees dominated the land, and massive ferns and plants loomed over them like giant figures blending in with the rest of the forest. It was a bumpy ride. The bus constantly bounced as it rolled across the dirt, its wheels carving trails through the soil as it pushed through thick leaves, tearing down plants and snapping twigs and sticks as it drove across the forest.

Angel made sure to keep a sharp eye out so he wouldn't crash into any trees, steering the bus as it twisted and turned around trunks to make its way through the forest. In slow blurs, green rushed past—nothing but endless green streaking by as the bus quickly moved across the surface of the forest. Birds flew over the bus, and pterodactyls screeched into the sky, crying out as the sunlight dawned over the rusted metal of the squeaking bus while it rumbled along the dirt in the middle of the forest.

Tiny dinosaurs sprinted past it, while massive triceratops and stegosaurs roared as it passed between trees and enormous bushes. Then the bus hit a log that acted as a bridge over a huge, raging river below them, water crashing violently against massive stone rocks. The crew inside the bus looked out through the windows, some controlling their elemental abilities, others deep in thought about the new threats they were about to face.

The bridge made the ride even rougher—the bus bounced harder, nearly launching William straight into the roof as Angel shouted over the chaos, "EVERYONE STAY STILL!" The bus continued moving along the log bridge, barely holding steady as it finally pushed through, water splashing up around them. It continued its journey through the jungle as the thick trees and dense vegetation slowly began to clear, revealing massive green mountains rising in the distance.

The terrain was vast and wild as they drove across the dirt, passing new life forms—huge swirling vines, grass taller than ever, stretching high enough to nearly reach the ceiling of the bus. Mountains in the distance grew wider and larger as the bus kept driving deeper into the Lost World of Zeriath. Ryan stood near Angel as the bus moved, opening his mouth as the ride carried on.

"Who are we meeting up with first? The Chosen Ones? Because I bet with them, we could help find Olsen and Don""Leave Olsen to fend for himself," Angel shot back, focused straight ahead.

"He has a trial to deal with, and we can't just mess it up."

"So then when we gather everyone else, what do we do next?" Ryan pressed. Angel tightened his grip against the steering wheel as he thought.

"What will we do…? Getting out of here and reaching Avangard."

"Why, though…?"

"There's nothing else better to do, besides, we're still young." The sounds of the bus slamming against bumps filled the air as Angel kept driving. Then Ryan broke the silence.

"They took Don. Should've made me happy—but for the sake of us being Pre-Heroes, we have to go get him. What do they even plan to do with him?"

"I don't know, but he's becoming King of the Celestianites in thirty years," Angel concluded.

"He'll be fie."

"Stop the bus," Mason spoke, staring through the window with low, narrowed eyes. The bus came to a halt in the middle of the Amazon. Towering trees surrounded them, with a mound of rocks nearby and a gushing waterfall crashing down into a small lake below, the water splashing and echoing as it pooled between massive stone boulders. His eyes, the color of pastry, glistened for a moment as the orange sky reflected across the surface.

"There's something glowing in the water… and it's—pink." Everyone turned toward their windows, peeking through the glass, only for Keyler to realize he wasn't playing around.

"When did the water switch genders?" The pink liquid began to spread across the small lake, mixing with the rushing water that continued to pour straight into it. Angel sighed and face-planted against the steering wheel. HOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

"You're the only one going out, Mason," he muffled.

"Don't expect us to come, but whatever that thing is, bring it here…" Mason stepped out of the bus, his feet touching the grass as he moved into the surface of the jungle. The loud roar of the river was something that at least gave him a bit of comfort—but the pink water? Absolutely not. Chirps from birds and screeches from pterodactyls echoed across the air, but Mason's mind stayed locked onto the strange liquid. Where did it come from? he questioned silently.

He walked toward the small lake, now swirling with pink, and crouched near the edge, slowly lowering his hand into the rippling surface. He pulled it back out—just wet. No trace of pink liquid dripping from his fingers. But as his eyes searched deeper into the water, he spotted something lying near a small rock. A tiny scientific tube—filled with pink liquid. He stared at it, confused, unsure what to make of it besides questions. Why the would there be a tube filled with pink chemicals out here?

Maybe some scientist left it there, or some—no. His eyes snapped wide open, realization hitting him all at once. This wasn't random. This wasn't an accident. From inside the bus, Angel's voice rang out as he leaned back against his seat, legs propped up against the steering wheel.

"HOW'S EVERYTHING GOING OVER THERE?!" Mason turned around, eyes blown wide as he shouted, "WE'RE NOT ALO—" WHAM! In an instant, his body went flying straight through the bus window, shattering it on impact before slamming hard against the floor as shards of glass rained down around him. Everyone gasped. Angel snapped up instantly, shifting his position as he gripped the steering wheel and looked down at Mason.

"WHAT WAS—" BAM! The bus rocked violently to one side. BAM! It slammed to the other, shaking entirely—nearly throwing everyone off their feet. They all grabbed onto the seats and windows, shouting and panicking as Javier yelled, "SOMEONE'S HERE!" CRASH! Glass exploded inward. A yellow blur tore across the floorboards, gouging deep trenches through the metal before skidding to a halt—a muscular, human-leopard beast with wild, scanning eyes. Mason moved. Dough exploded over his arm. BOOM!

His hook buried into the beast's ribs, blasting it through the windshield. He was already after it. He caught it mid-air. CRACK! The tree trunk shattered around its body. Gone. The leopard hybrid vanished. A yellow streak ripped around Mason. Left. Right. Above. Behind. BAM! BAM! BAM! Blows slammed into him from every direction before one final strike hurled him onto the roof of the bus. Mason planted his boots. Dough surged over both forearms. Too late. The beast blinked beneath his jaw. BOOM!

An uppercut rocketed him skyward. It was already waiting. It caught him. WHAM! Face-first into the dirt. Before he could move— BOOM! A foot crushed into his spine. The shockwave rattled the entire bus.

"We just met and you're already causing problems!" Angel shouted, warping from the bus. Blue portals burst open around the beast. Heavy chains exploded out, wrapping around its neck and limbs. The hybrid roared. Jocabed flipped in. CRACK! A spinning tornado kick blasted across its face, launching it straight into a portal Angel snapped open. The rift sealed shut.

"Thanks for the assist," Angel panted, turning to where Jocabed knelt beside Mason.

"Who was that?" Mason groaned, pushing himself up as the dough melted back into flesh and blood dripped onto the grass.

"That was Rack… an enemy of mine."

"You have enemies? Sounds fake," Jocabed muttered, standing up.

"He's been coming after me since I was nine…" Mason winced, grabbing his arm.

"Whatever, whatever!" Ryan clapped his hands from the bus door, pointing inside.

"Get back on—we still have an exit to find."

"Wait," Angel cut in, sprinting over to the pink water. He dropped to one knee, snagged a cybernetic tube filled with glowing pink liquid, then turned back to the group.

"Just needed this."