Jon barely saw the fallen branch as he ran away through the forest from his determined pursuer. He tripped and fell to the ground skidding on his shoulder. The container he had been clutching so tightly rolled out of his grasp. Too exhausted to get up, Jon could only lie there, staring as the container came to rest a few feet away. Out of the shadows, Desmond emerged into the moonlight like a wolf closing in on its prey.
“For a little guy, you sure can run,” Desmond sneered. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. Every day I imagined crushing your skull in my hands. Alex had me babysitting you like I’m some low-level grunt. Me—the strongest Kogen!”
“Desmond, please... Don’t do this.” Jon entreated, crawling backward as Desmond loomed closer. “I’m trying to save lives...”
“We'll save all the lives we want... except yours!” Desmond bent down, grabbing Jon by the throat with a vice-like grip, his airways tightened as Desmond’s guffaw laugh echoed through the trees. Jon's vision blurred as he struggled to draw breath.
“Drop him and I won’t hurt you,” a voice said, calm yet commanding. Jon barely saw someone standing behind Desmond, but Desmond didn’t bother to look.
“Mind your business or you’ll be next,” he snarly replied, unshaken by the threat.
“I said drop him, now!” The stranger’s voice became hardened and assertive.
Irritated, Desmond loosened his grip slightly, and Jon’s vision cleared enough to make out a boy near Desmond’s height and age wearing an orange and blue jacket, with a traveling bag slung over his shoulder.
“And who are you?” Desmond growled. “Hmph, it doesn’t matter. Tonight’s a celebration so taking you out too wouldn’t ruin my mood.” He turned to face him. "I'll deal with you first, then..."
Without warning Desmond jabbed his fist at the stranger, but he sidestepped, delivering a sharp punch into Desmond’s ribs.
“Ahh!” Desmond wailed, clutching his side as Jon, now free, fell to the ground gasping for air.
Staggering in pain and anger, Desmond reaches for the stranger's jacket, his eyes beginning to shine a bright yellow but suddenly a blue light flashes across Desmond's face sending him spiraling through the air and crashing against a tree with a sickening thud. Small branches fall atop of him as he lay still against the tree, unconscious.
Jon coughed violently, his throat throbbing as he stared in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. He watched him uncurl his fist and stretch his fingers, then picked up his traveling bag and adjusted the straps, preparing to leave.
He looked at Jon with a dead-eyed gaze, freezing him in place.
“You should leave before he wakes up,” the stranger said calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Jon, still too shocked to speak, managed a slow nod.
John Oats, weak and feeble, laid in his bed with sadness and sorrow etched deeply into his features. His breathing was labored, each breath a struggle. Summoning the little strength he had, he turned to Vennis.
"Vennis," John whispered, his voice frail but charged with emotion. "You've not only destroyed life and framed me for this tragedy, but you also left my only son without a mother or father." His words pierced his heart, each syllable laden with the weight of his suffering.
Vennis’ eyes welled up with tears, his heart breaking under the burden of John's indictment. The enormity of his actions hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him in deep despair. He sobbed uncontrollably; the gravity of his deception consumed him.
Yet, in that moment, John’s demeanor shifted. He reached out, his frail hand covering the remorseful hands that grasped his bed sheet. The gesture was tender, filled with an almost divine compassion.
"I forgive you, Vennis," said John, with a caring voice.
Vennis felt a relief of pain that only forgiveness could lift. And the weight of John's benevolence was almost too much to bear.
Days later, John passed.
The morning sun stands over Morriah City, shining brightly. Julian and Kim are in Mr. Caldwell’s office with Kozomi who is kneeled down and tied up before them. Kim, a 9-year-old southern girl with blonde hair and pink ribbons tied around her ponytails, is another member of the Vipers.
She wields two short swords on her back and wears a pink combat suit that resembles Julian’s outfit, reflecting her admiration for him. Despite her sweet and innocent appearance, Kim is considered one of the most dangerous Vipers, second only to Julian, with her sadistic tendencies setting her apart.
Upset that Jon has escaped with the cure, Alex tries to remain calm. “What?!” shouts Alex. “You’re telling me he escaped? And he has the plant?!”
He is dressed sharply in a dark blue suit and tie, silver watch, blue dress shoes, and silver cufflinks. “There cannot be mistakes like this!” He flips over his hot breakfast tray, sending eggs, pancakes, and orange juice splattering all over his white marble floor.
He pauses for a moment and stares at the mess he’s made, then slightly grins and chuckles while straightening his tie. He exhales to relieve his frustration and looks at Kozomi who fiercely meets his gaze. "But that's okay because we have his lovely bodyguard here to tell me everything she knows.”
“You’re nothing but a cruel, narcissistic brat, Alex Caldwell! Caring for no one but yourself!” Kozomi retorts with angry, passionate words, a stark contrast to the encouraging words she gave Jon. “You can’t fool me. I know you want everyone to kiss the ground you walk on and serve you without question for food and water.”
Alex rolls his eyes. “Sorry, don’t know what you’re talking about. Its people like you I’m trying to save the world from… rebels.”
He positions himself in front of her, crossing his arms, speaking calmly. “Look, how about you tell me where Jonathan Oats is, and I promise to let you go, and if there’s anything you desire, if I have it, it’s yours. What do you say?” Alex offers a deal, trying to persuade Kozomi, but she spits on Alex’s polished shoes.
Annoyed he grabbed a napkin off his desk and wiped the spit off. “What do you want me to do? Huh? I can let you go and give you unlimited supply of food, water, transportation, whatever... You can live in any one of my cities, or live in the Abandoned Lands, I don’t care. But you have to tell me, because if you don’t, then it’s over for you. I hope you realize the amount of trouble you’re in. You tried to assassinate me.” Alex said, bluntly.
“Only to protect the professor!” she yelled. “You want to kill him and take the cure for yourself! Jon doesn’t deserve that, but you’ve been tricking him into thinking he was saving the world, but really, it’s all for your evil plans!” Alex hears Kozomi’s revealing words, wondering what she may know.
“Hmph, whatever... I don’t know who you are, or why you were here last night." He looked at Kim, who nodded. Kim grabbed Kozomi’s arms, tightly tied behind her back, and helped her to her feet. "But I'll know soon enough."
Kim whispered in Kozomi’s ear in her southern accent, “Hey, don’t worry about grouchy old Alex, he just hates when things don’t go his way. Come on child, let's take that rough charm of yours and leave Mr. Alex alone.” She leads her defiant prisoner out of the office as Alex paces back and forth, thinking about what he should do next.
He then looked at his guards. “Search the city and scan the lands. See if you can find him. Don’t let anyone in or out. He may still be inside.”
“The city has been locked down, and everyone’s been searching for the scientist since last night sir, per Julian’s orders.” said his guard.
“Good job. I can always depend on you, Julian. Now...” Alex walked over to his office windows. “Can anybody tell me where Desmond is?”
In the Abandoned Lands, deep within the forest, Jon was jolted awake by the tortured grunts of the stranger ensnared in a nightmare. He propped himself up, watching him thrash and grind his teeth. Jon crawled closer, extending a hesitant hand to gently tap him awake. But as his finger neared his shoulder, it was seized by a lightning-fast grip. “Hey, Ollie… You, okay?”
Ollie released his finger with a sigh. “Sorry…” He stretched, yawning loudly as he shook off the remnants of his restless sleep.
“Looked like you were having a nightmare,” Jon said, concerned. “I thought it best to wake you.” Ollie nodded, a silent thanks. “What were you dreaming about?” Jon asked, curious.
“Bad dreams are said to be the mind's way of dredging up our deepest fears and troubles. I believe that... though I hope none of mine come true.” Ollie’s mind clouded with memories of his haunting nightmare remained silent. “You don’t have to talk about it,” Jon said.
He shuffled back to the extra sleeping bag Ollie had given him and began to roll it up. “After everything that's happened, I barely slept myself. I kept fearing we’d be killed in our sleep... well, at least me anyway…” Jon glanced at Ollie, who was methodically packing his belongings, and decided to share his plan.
“Okay I’m thinking we head west.” Ollie paused when he heard Jon's words. “I know of a small town called Kora where a friend of mine is. If we go there we can resupply and maybe get some help. Unless you know of a better place? What do you think?”
“Sorry, I travel alone.” Ollie’s response was curt. He gurgled water from his water bottle, spat it out, and continued packing.
“But wait… I could really use your help.” Jon rushed over to him. “What about everything I told you last night? You know...” Jon lowered his voice to a whisper, looking around nervously. “The cure…”
A chilly breeze swept between them, giving Jon goosebumps amplifying the cold distant aura emanating from Ollie. Jon had expected a champion for his cause, someone with the heart to undertake a noble quest.
“You talked a lot last night, but I finally got some sleep,” Ollie replied, uninterested. “You go where you’re going, I go where I’m going.”
Feeling abandoned, anxiety inundated Jon. “Please... I don't know what to do. I'm stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with Desmond hunting me down.”
“Hide,” Ollie said flatly, strapping on his backpack. The lone wanderer stood firm, unmoved by Jon’s desperation. “I don’t know your story, and I don’t want to. Everybody has one. I can’t help them, and I can’t help you any more than I already have. It’s up to you now.”
“And what about the cure? ARP? I told you everything that happened to me in the last 24 hours. Alex Caldwell won’t stop until he gets what he wants.” Ollie’s face remained impassive.
“Didn't you listen to anything I said last night? The ARP is the Autumn Research Plant, a facility that catalogs and reproduces nearly every known plant on earth. I need to go there to understand what this plant is made of.”
Ollie glanced at the colorful plant Jon clutched. “You want to trek all the way to this ARP for that?” He shook his head, seeing Jon as a nuisance whose mouth likely caused his troubles. He started walking away. “You can keep the sleeping bag, okay.”
Jon blocked his path, his eyes blazing with determination. “This plant and I must reach that facility. The survival of the human race depends on it! Your life depends on it!” Ollie halted, startled by Jon's intensity.
“You’ve heard it, right? Or maybe you’ve seen it...People falling sick, not recovering, dying within days, even hours. The numbers are small, but the virus is finally taking its toll on us. It’s killing people in Morriah, Finnegan, and Iron City. It’s happening here too... right?”
Ollie’s hard demeanor began to change under Jon’s urgent words.
At Alex Caldwell's headquarters, there's a ragtag bunch of kids who call themselves The Resistance. The same crew Ava mentioned to Jon, the protectors of his existence. These kids had one job: help Kozomi sneak Jon Oats out of the city without Alex and his goons catching wind of it. But when Kozomi and the scientist went AWOL, they decided it was time for Plan B: a rescue mission.
First up is Tusa, a stocky 11-year-old and second-in-command. His mom was a loving housewife, and his dad was a small-town hero, a firefighter that saved six people from a burning building. Before the virus Tusa was always helping out around town, whether it's lugging groceries for the elderly or climbing trees to rescue cats. He greatly admired his father, so he became a firefighter just like him in Morriah City.
Then there's Alberto, a slim 8-year-old who speaks before he thinks. His parents had a unique job as secret agents. Yep, real-life spies. They blew each other’s cover on a mission, met up to sort out the mess, and fell head over heels in love. Thankfully they were on the same team. They had Alberto, and then came the virus. Before they kicked the bucket, they left Alberto a letter spilling all the spy beans, and now he knows how cool his parents were. In Morriah City, Alberto, like his parents, uncovered an evil plot, while working as a janitor.
Next, we have JC, a 6-year-old with many talents. His mom was a mechanical engineer who sadly died giving birth to him. No one knew who his father was and with no family to claim him he grew up in an orphanage. Now JC was unusually gifted, seemingly having a knack for everything. He could be a carpenter, electrician, mechanic, welder, software developer, pilot, you get the picture. He was a whiz at creating gadgets too, turning imagination into gizmos. JC ran his own repair shop in Morriah City, called “Did You Break It?”, fixing appliances, computers, vacuums, you name it.
And finally, there's Kozomi. Once a sweet, science-loving girl in Jon's eyes, she’s really the tough-as-nails leader of this merry band of do-gooders. Her parents? Who knows. She was abandoned as a baby at the same orphanage as JC where they grew up together. Kozomi didn’t shy away from getting dirty, she embraced it, from playing sports outside with boys at the orphanage to becoming a water pipe installer at construction sites in Morriah City. Now she’s leading the charge against Alex Caldwell with more grit than a dozen action heroes combined.
The Resistance stands in front of a sewer tunnel connected to Alex Caldwell’s headquarters, preparing to save Kozomi.
"You guys do realize we have a 1 percent chance of surviving this," says JC, acknowledging their daring task.
"Looks like we have a chance then, doesn’t it? What do you think, Alberto?" asked Tusa, grinning. Alberto just smiled while checking the magazines in his custom laser pistols, one gold and one silver.
JC, clearly uncomfortable, hesitates. "Hey, I’m just saying the possibility of us making it out alive is very small. And that’s not good."
Tusa, having little patience for complaints, retorts, "Thanks for the update captain obvious. Now, you first." He grabs JC and tosses him inside the sewage tunnel, making Alberto snicker.
“Hey! Careful!” shouts JC. “I’m carrying something very dangerous here.” he says regarding a bag of gadgets he normally keeps with him.
Tusa then looks at Alberto, "Your turn, giggles." Alberto’s smile vanishes, and he steps into the tunnel, followed by Tusa.
As the boys walked through the tunnel, they try not to breathe too deeply, given the foul smell. Alberto gets increasingly irritated by the rats running across their feet. "We have fewer animals in the Abandoned Lands, yet here we are, knee-deep in rats. For you to be so smart, JC, you sure picked a lovely way to sneak in," Alberto grumbles, tiptoeing like he’s navigating a minefield.
"Hey, this is the most unlikely place to find any Gressive patrolling the city. Besides, why don’t you know of a way? Didn’t you work here?" said JC.
"Exactly!" Tusa chimes in.
Alberto tries to defend himself. "So, what, Tusa? Just because I worked in this building doesn’t mean I know all the ins and outs. They wouldn’t let me wander around anyway. Alex runs this place like a prison."
"Never mind that. How close are we, JC?" asks Tusa. JC looks at the tracker they placed on Kozomi.
"We should be right under the building now," JC replies, as they all look up at the ladder extending to the top.
"Good thing you put a tracker on Kozomi. Too bad you couldn’t make one for the scientist." says Alberto, dripping with sarcasm.
"Yeah, well, I got zapped pretty bad putting that thing together. The hardest part was hiding it from her. She would never agree to it. She’d probably just give it to Jon anyway. Eventually I’ll make one for him too... That is, if he’s still, you know, breathing," JC explains.
"For our sake, I hope he is," says Tusa. "Okay, Alberto, let’s climb up this ladder and see where we’re at." Grabbing hold of the ladder, they climb out of the tunnel, open the manhole, and find themselves right in front of a garage. They see two guards; one is high-ranking, and a mechanic working under a patrol truck, talking amongst themselves.
"Perfect," Tusa whispers, "they're distracted. Let’s move."
“So, I woke up and next thing you know, it’s gone. And the thing is, I always sleep with it right next to me, so I know Ricky has my toy. He always wanted to play with my Melvin the Helmet,” the guard says to his superior as they're completely oblivious to their surroundings. The Resistance seizes the opportunity to sneak past them, hiding behind a stack of wheels.
“Hey, did you hear about the new playground they’re making at Caldwell Park? I heard they’re going to build a giant slide that’s three stories high.” said the mechanic as the boys quietly sneak up behind the guards. “A three-story slide is awesome! And they’re installing three-story swings with parachutes so you can jump off and float down. That’s going to be crazy! I can’t wait! When they finish building it, I’ll be the first in line.”
Tusa and Alberto covers the guard’s mouths and knocks them out. The mechanic keeps talking, not realizing his buddies are out cold. Just then, another guard emerges from the restroom behind them. “You know, for some reason, I can never go at work, but when I get home, everything just flows,” he says, noticing the Resistance and his unconscious comrades. He tries to quickly draw his weapon, but the boys jump on him before he has time to react. In the scuffle, he ends up using the restroom on himself.
Then the boys grab the mechanic’s feet and slide him out from under the truck. “Whoa!” he exclaims, surprised to see the three grinning at him. They quickly grab him and tape his mouth shut.
Quietly, they put on the guard’s uniforms with Alberto being the unlucky one. They tie everyone up and stuff them into a broom closet.
While the Resistance is sneaking around Alex’s headquarters, up on the roof, two members of the Vipers are engaged in some unconventional target practice with fruits and vegetables.
O’Connor, a 7-year-old marksmen, is aiming down his sights with his trusty rifle, Daisy. He takes aim and fires, splattering an apple into oblivion. “Caldwell is pretty upset with what happened. If I was Desmond, that little ant wouldn’t have gotten 100 yards,” he boasts, shotting a hole into a watermelon.
Flex, his flamboyant and competitive 7-year-old teammate, is busy tinkering with a toy racing car and explosives. Flex, always sporting dark sunglasses and an air of dramatic flair, isn’t impressed by O’Connor’s bravado. “Is that so, O’Connor?” he replies coolly, adjusting his shades.
“Yes, knucklehead!” O’Connor replied, firing lasers at three small fruits lined up in a row to show off his impeccable aim. “So, it is.” He smirks, clearly enjoying the show.
Flex steers his toy car into the carefully arranged pile of fruits and vegetables. With a triumphant grin, he drives the car right into the target, causing an explosion that sends bits of food everywhere. “Yeah, look at that!” he exclaims, pumping his fist as he watches the explosion with glee.
O’Connor ducks down to avoid the flying pieces of fruits and vegetables though Flex remained completely unfazed. “Hey! You could give me a little warning before you blow everything up!” O’Connor shouts, wiping fruit juice off his face.
Flex bursts into laughter. “If I had put a bigger bomb in there, this roof would’ve had a hole in it right now! Ha!”
O’Connor shakes his head annoyed of Flex's form of entertainment. “The only thing you could blow up is a path for him to escape.”
Flex just chuckles, admiring his handiwork. “Oh, please. We’re just warming up!"
Alex Caldwell is in his office sitting at his desk nervously tapping his fingers. “Just a minor setback, that’s all. No need for panic…” he says confidently, trying to downplay the situation. “But my plan must not fail!”
Teddy, perched in a small chair atop the desk speaks softly yet firmly. “That’s correct, Alex. It’s crucial to retrieve that plant and maintain control. We cannot let the news get out that there’s an answer to the World Virus.”
“Oh, Teddy...” Alex stands up and strides over to him. “I am the answer!” he declares, slamming his fist on the desk. Pens rattle and tumble off, clattering to the floor.
Teddy, unfazed, hops out his seat. He saunters in front of Alex, who is now breathing heavily. Teddy gently places his soft cotton paw on Alex’s nose, speaking calmly. “This is true, but to remain the answer you need to fix the problem. If people discover you have a cure and you’re withholding it, things will only get messier. You’ll need to keep the public in line.”
Alex watches as Teddy nonchalantly walks to the edge of the desk. He sits and then starts swinging his feet back and forth. Now relaxed, Alex takes a deep breath and looks out the window. “I’m sure I’ll think of something, Teddy.”
“I’m confident you will, Alex.” Teddy replied.
Meanwhile Kim is having her own kind of fun. She’s torturing Kozomi to reveal Jon’s whereabouts, unaware that Kozomi doesn’t know.
“You’re a tough one!” Kim exclaims, delivering a punch to Kozomi’s side. “But that’s alright, I’m really enjoying myself.”
Kim gleefully continues her assault throwing Kozomi onto the cold concrete floor. “So, darling, you feeling chatty yet? If you talk, we can have some sweet lemonade together, right outside on the patio,” Kim says with a fake smile.
Kozomi, with hands tied behind her, lies on the floor, still defiant. “If I wasn’t tied up, I’d cut those pretty little ponytails right off your pretty little face and keep them as an ugly souvenir!”
Kim’s smile fades and with frustration she kicks Kozomi in the shoulder. "Ahh!" Kozomi shouted, in pain.
Kim adjusts her ponytails with a practiced flick, kneels down and gently rubs Kozomi’s head. “I’m going to get something special for you, sweetheart. Just wait right here,” she says smirking, her tone lacking warmth. Kozomi yanks her head away from her. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m going to take good care of you,” Kim continues, “Now, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
Kim walks out of the room, giving the guards orders with a casual wave. “Make sure no one touches my friend, okay boys?” The guards nod in agreement, taking their positions.
Left alone tears begin to fall down Kozomi's face, her mind consumed with worry as she thinks about Jon hoping he was safe.
In the woods, Jon has just finished explaining everything about the plant and their dire situation to Ollie. But Ollie’s response is less than enthusiastic. “Oh,” he says flatly, with no facial expression.
“The survival of the entire human race depends on this plant and the only thing you have to say is, oh?!" said Jon, shocked. Ollie just looked at him with nothing to say. "I need your help, Ollie. Someone with your skills who can survive out here. Our lives are at stake and this plant will fix that... If it wasn’t for that lying Mr. Caldwell…”
As Jon’s words trail off, Ollie’s demeanor shifts. His keen instincts pick up on something. “Quiet,” Ollie said, sharply. Jon abruptly stops talking and silently watches Ollie as he observes their surroundings.
"What's wrong?" asked Jon, worried.
He then begins to move towards the direction Jon advised "Let's go." Ollie ordered without explanation.
Jon quickly picks up his sleeping bag and wraps it around his shoulder and walks beside him. “So, we’re going?” he asks, his tone brightening thinking Ollie has joined his quest.
"Yes." Ollie replied.
"Oh, great!" Jon said happy to hear Ollie's answer. "We're going to be heroes, Ollie!" Jon was filled with excitement as they departed the camp with the plant safely in his hands. "I remember my neighbors would go outside and put on capes and masks and play superheroes all day. They wouldn't let me play of course because..." Jon stopped himself from mentioning his father to his new companion hoping to prevent any awkwardness. "Um, well, I would just play by myself in the house, but it was still fun... But now... Wow! We get to really save the world, Ollie! I mean, I'm not looking for any praise or anything, no. I'm just doing it to save my fellow citizen..."
As they walked westward Jon elated kept talking but Ollie keeping his guard up remained focused sensing danger nearby.
The Resistance infiltrates the building following JC’s tracking device. They salute almost every guard they pass but they all react to the awful smell coming from Alberto’s stolen uniform. “Are we there yet? This is getting annoying,” Alberto grumbled, wishing he could take a shower.
“Okay, my tracker says she’s behind those two guys guarding that door,” said JC.
“Awesome, let’s huddle up here.” said Tusa, and they gather around the corner. "So, how we going to do this? Any suggestions?”
“How about we just…” JC begins to suggest an idea but is cut off by Alberto.
“Alright, Tusa, you and I will go up there and start breakdancing. While the guards are distracted by our incredible moves, the squirt here”—he gestures to JC— “opens the door, and once we confirm Kozomi is inside, we knock them out, break Kozomi free, take their uniforms... and make a swift exit. Simple, right?” Alberto says with a grin.
“Uh, okay…” Tusa looks at Alberto as if he just suggested they juggle flaming torches. He turns to JC. “JC, do you have any ideas?”
JC nods, “They think we're one of them so why don’t we just say Alex Caldwell wants to see her?”
“That could work too,” agreed Alberto and Tusa gives a relieved look.
“Alright guys follow my lead.” JC takes a deep breath and walks confidently down the hallway.
The guards notice Alberto and Tusa making an elaborate high-stepping entrance then recognized JC’s rank. Both guards stand at attention and salute. “At ease, men,” JC commands in a booming voice.
One of the guards crinkles his nose. “Sorry, sir, but something reeks. What is that?”
“You questioning me boy?!” JC bellows, adopting his best drill sergeant impression.
“No, sir,” the guard replies, desperately trying not to breathe through his nose.
JC continues, “What are your names, privates?”
“My name is Barny Mookie, sir,” says the guard who complained about the smell.
“And I’m Taffy Hookie, sir,” says the other guard.
JC raises an eyebrow. “Well, if you must know private dookies, that smell is my poor excuse of a soldier here.”
Alberto shoots JC a sideways glance. “Yes, I’m talking about you! What, you eyeballing me, boy?! Stand up straight!” Alberto straightens up immediately, fully committing to the role.
“He disgusts me. I say run! He walks. I say move that there, right there, over there! He doesn’t move a muscle.” Tusa starts to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “And what are you laughing about you big boulder!”
Tusa’s stops laughing and ducks his head. “I tell you every day soldier, get a bigger uniform. You look like an explosion. But every day, you disappoint me. You see I’d get rid of you two, but I don’t want to look like I can’t whip a couple slackers into shape. Now, back to you dookies… I’m here for the prisoner.”
“Sorry, sir, but we have orders from Kim not to let anyone in,” Barny says, nervously.
JC leans in closer, eyes blazing. “Boy, are you denying my authority?”
“No, sir! It’s just that the Vipers are... scary, and I don’t want to die, sir! Also, I don’t want to offend you, but you don’t exactly look like a Gressive 2nd Class... sir!” Barny says, doubting their guise.
Tusa and Alberto exchange worried glances as JC doubles down. “What did you say to me?”
The guards take a step back visibly intimidated. “I ought to kick your good-for-nothing behinds all the way to the milk bar, punch a hole in your guts, and use your intestines for a swirly straw. Yes! I know that was nasty but that’s why I’m a Gressive 2nd Class... Because I’m like that! Now Alex Caldwell has given me orders to retrieve this prisoner and bring her to his office for questioning. So, before you make me really upset… I suggest you unlock that door. Okay, dookies...”
“Yes, sir!” The guards scramble to unlock the door and open it. Tusa enters the room and sees his barely conscious friend and gently picks her up. She murmurs Tusa’s name and Tusa gives her a comforting wink.
“Alright dookies I won’t report your insubordination to the boss but next time I come around, you better show me some respect! Now we’re off to see Alex but you two keep your eyes open. You never know who might pull a fast one on you.” Said JC sarcastically and they hastily walk away.
“What was that?” ask Taffy, confused.
"I have no idea," replied Barny.
"Especially that Gressive 2nd Class. That was an odd one." Said Taffy.
"Yeah, you don't see too many like him walking around." Said Barny.
"And that smell... Ew!" Said Taffy, repulsed.
"You can say that again." Said Barny.
"And isn't Alex Caldwell's office the other way?” Asked Taffy.
“Um, yes... It is.” Replied Barny.
“They should be turning around anytime now, right?” Asked Taffy.
“Yeah. Those other two soldiers weren’t that bright, but their commanding officer should definitely know.” Answered Barny. After waiting a minute Barny realized his assumption was correct and smacked his forehead feeling humiliated. “Let's go report this.”
O’Connor and Flex are lounging on the roof and O'Connor, ever curious, questions Flex about his love for bombs. “What’s up with you and all these boom-boom toys, anyway? How come you don’t make something I can use? Like a heat seeking laser beam.”
“A heat seeking laser beam... Interesting...” Flex grinned with a gleam in his eye.
“Wow.” says O'Connor as he peers over the roof exhaling dramatically. “Man, I want to see some action. Ever since Alex hired us from the Lands, we’ve been as active as a couple of garden gnomes. It was fun just stealing from the guy, but now we’re like his silly little minions. Sometimes I miss the good old days.”
Just then, an alarm blares. Flex's eyes light up. “Hey, do you hear that?” They both listen closely to the intercom explaining a security breach. “Looks like it’s your lucky day.”
The Resistance is sprinting through the hallways, dodging lasers as guards give chase. “Are you sure this is the way, JC?! It’s taking forever to get out of here!” said Tusa as they dash past terrified workers who quickly run out of the way.
“Should we stop and ask for directions?!” Said Alberto jokingly while returning fire. His shots force them to take cover in the offices.
“Maybe, because you look lost, JC!” Tusa says, noticing JC glancing left and right appearing off-track.
“JC, please don’t tell me we’re lost!” pleads Alberto.
“We’re not lost, trust me! We just have to make this next turn and…” JC runs smack into the belly of Bobby 2 Ton the last member of the Vipers. Despite only being five years old, the virus has made him a towering, nearly five-foot-tall giant. Though not literally weighing 2 tons, his large mass and strength earned him the nickname. “Uh… guys!”
The guards grin as they realize Bobby 2 Ton has them trapped. “You woke me from my nap,” 2 Ton, sandwich in hand, grumbles in a deep, echoing voice, clearly cranky.
“More like a slumber,” mutters Alberto, making fun of 2 Ton’s massive belly. Bobby wears a purple and gray elastic suit designed to fit his large size.
“Do you want to play with me?!” ask Bobby taking a big bite out of his beefy sandwich. Greasy meat falls onto his stomach. “Oops!” He picks it up with his large chubby fingers dangling it above his mouth and drops it in.
“Ah, no thank you!” answered Tusa.
“Now what?!” ask Alberto.
“We improvise!” yells JC as he throws a grenade at 2 Ton’s feet. The grenade goes off quickly filling the hallway with thick black smoke, blinding everyone. They slip past 2 Ton in the smoke.
“Hurry before they catch up!” said JC, leading his friends to a fire escape. “I got something to slow them down.” He grabs a small bomb from his bag, presses a button and sits it on the stairway. “We better hurry.” They descend the fire escape and just as the guards finally catch up an explosion blows a hole in the side of the building. The guards are blown back a few feet by the blast.
After a few moments pass, the Gressive lie scattered about coughing and groaning as Alex and Julian walk through the smoke and debris. Alex stands at the edge of the hole surveying the damage.
“Find them, find the scientist, and bring me that plant,” he orders, brushing pebbles off his shoulder before walking away.
The rest of the Vipers arrive at the scene exchanging shocked expressions, not expecting this level of mayhem. “Nice hole,” says Flex. Nodding his head, impressed.
“And can anybody tell me where Desmond is?!” shouted Alex, his frustrated tone carrying through the hallways.
Ollie and Jon are heading west entering a town out of the dense forest and Jon has been talking nonstop. “Quite odd how we used to wear diapers, don’t you think? I mean, it’s really funny when you think about it. We actually went on ourselves, ha.” Suddenly, Ollie stops dead in his tracks. “What’s the matter my quiet friend? Sorry if I’ve been chatting your ear off. I’ve been known to do that. Funny, you actually resemble someone I know. Unfortunately, this person scares the life out of me, but—”
“We’re being followed,” Ollie interrupts, his eyes darting around the trees, searching for someone.
“What?” Jon said, confusion etched on his face.
Before Jon could process what Ollie said, Desmond bursts out of the trees like a missile, his shoulder slamming into Ollie's back with incredible force. Ollie is sent hurtling 50 yards through the air, his body slamming into a car, crumpling the door. Desmond’s eyes glow a fierce yellow, crackling with raw, malevolent energy. “Now… let’s finish what you started.”
It’s midafternoon and The Resistance is trying to escape the grounds of Alex Caldwell’s headquarters. Paramedics and firefighters rush into the compound, while the Gressive continue their hunt for the intruders.
Hidden beneath a walkway bridge the Resistance have discarded the uniforms. As JC and Tusa wait for Alberto’s signal to see if it’s safe to move Kozomi’s eyes flutter open. “Tusa...” she says with a weak voice.
“Don’t talk Kozomi. Save your energy,” Tusa advised.
“You came back for me,” she says trying to smile but wincing in pain.
“Hey, we came back for you,” adds JC not wanting to be left out.
Kozomi chuckled, “Thank you, JC.”
Using his recon abilities inherited from his parents Alberto signals them to move to his position after mapping their escape route. Remaining unseen Tusa carries Kozomi as he and JC rush to join him. He is relieved to see Kozomi awake. “How’s the warrior princess doing?” he asks maintaining his usual playful demeanor.
“Thank you, Alberto. Thanks for saving me.” She responded.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Alberto, his eyes searching the area for danger.
“Save your strength, Zomi,” Tusa says caring for Kozomi like a little sister.
Alberto positions himself between them outlining their escape route. “We have multiple guards scanning the area and three surveillance cameras to pass. The soldiers are patrolling heavily so we need to move quickly and stay hidden. This won’t be easy so stay on my heels.”
“Okay lead the way,” Tusa says.
Alberto pauses then takes a deep breath as if savoring a final moment. “I just want to let you guys know... I’ve really enjoyed my time with you all. We’ve had our ups and downs but...” He grabs JC's hand squeezing tightly as JC tries to pull it away. “We stayed together like a family. All those times I had to listen to Tusa acting a firefighter to nights I trimmed JC’s hair while he was asleep...”
“That was you? I thought I was going bald.” JC said, annoyed.
“And daydreaming while Kozomi went on and on about Dr. Jon...” Alberto’s eyes well with tears. “I love you guys...” he bawls. “Why why why...”
“Why what?” said Tusa, confused.
“Oh gosh,” said JC shaking his head.
“Hey, I’m opening up here. Show some respect!” Alberto says, upset.
“Respect? You’re so dramatic right now and crying." replied JC.
“Well, I’m sorry that I have feelings,” Alberto retorts proudly. “And I’m not crying. It’s just dust in my eyes.”
“Okay sure its dust,” JC mocks.
“Shut up, JC!” Alberto shouts, angry.
“Ok!” Tusa intervenes, realizing they’re getting too loud. “Thank you, Alberto, for caring about us and JC loves you too.” JC glared at Tusa. “But right now we need to get back to the shop and get Kozomi to safety. Alberto, can you do this without getting emotional?”
“Yes, I can.” said Alberto regaining his composure. “Alright Resistance let’s do this.”
“Where’s the professor? Is he with you? Is he safe?” Kozomi surprises everyone with her questions. The boys exchange uncertain glances unsure how they should respond.
“Let’s go,” said Alberto focusing on the mission. They sneak past a few patrolling soldiers around the docking area using a couple forklifts for cover. They look up to see the first rotating camera. “Okay here’s the first camera. It rotates so we need to wait until it looks one way then run past before it turns back. We have to be fast, or we’ll be seen.”
Nervously the group waited for the camera to turn away. As soon as it did, they dashed behind several patrol trucks. “This isn’t so bad.” said JC feeling a bit excited.
Just then a voice crackled over the outside intercom. “Attention all Gressive! Be on high alert. The suspects are likely on the compound. I repeat, be alert!”
JC sighed. “Never mind.”
Alberto readied them for the next move. “Alright we got two more cameras to past. Follow me.”
They carefully slipped past a group of guards by peeking at their legs beneath the patrol vehicles. Then after evading the second rotating camera, they stopped behind a curled fence where the final camera was in view. It had a mounted gun attached to it. “Okay this one is tricky,” said Alberto.
“Tricky? Is that what you call it?” Tusa said, worried.
“Yeah, you didn’t mention the gun.” JC complained. They were near a side gate where garbage was transported out of Alex’s headquarters. A location that intruders could easily access.
Alberto tried to reassure them. “All we need to do is throw a few rocks to distract it then we run past. It’ll be fine.”
“It’s a mounted gun.” JC argued. “And you said it was rotating.”
“Oh right. The first two were rotating,” Alberto admitted. “But this one I think has a motion sensor.”
“And how do you know that?” JC asked.
Alberto pointed to two lifeless squirrels on the ground. “Look you see that? They’re in two different spots.”
“Oh boy…” Tusa muttered.
“So, your plan is to throw rocks?” JC asked. Alberto pulled out some rocks he had picked up.
“Yep.” Replied Alberto his fingers gripping the rocks tightly. He threw a few at the camera but it remained motionless. He hurled more rocks in frustration, but the camera stayed still. Tusa’s eyes widened as he spotted soldiers approaching. “This isn’t working. We need a new plan, now.”
“This is it…” JC said staring blankly. “I had a feeling I might die today…”
“You’re not going to die,” Alberto said his voice firm. “Just give me a second.” He took a couple deep breaths his heart pounding in his chest. With a burst of determination, he leaped out and sprinted in zigzags to avoid being targeted. He dived behind a couple of empty dumpsters. Tusa and JC hearts racing, watched Alberto signal from across the way. Holding their breath, they mimicked his zigzagged pattern their footsteps quick and desperate.
When they reached the other side, they were surprised to be alive. They peeked out and saw that the mounted gun had a sign saying, “Repairs in progress. Keep area guarded until fixed.” The boys looked at each other shrugging and continued on their way.
Inside the city the atmosphere was charged with tension. Guards prowled the rooftops and streets their eyes sharp for any sign of the intruders. The city’s habitants were anxious their eyes focused on Alex Caldwell’s towering building from the abrupt explosion. “Now we just need to blend in with the crowd and we’re good.” Alberto said, confidently.
“Easy enough.” agreed Tusa.
Before they could take another step Alex’s voice boomed from the city’s loudspeakers sending a shiver through the crowd. “Attention citizens of Morriah City! We are under attack by armed and dangerous terrorists!”
“We need to stop calling things easy,” JC said shaking his head in disbelief.
Alex continued his voice echoing with dire warnings, “These bandits are here to steal from us! To take over our city!” The people murmured in shock and fear.
“I really can’t stand this guy,” Tusa grumbled.
Kozomi stirred hearing all the commotion, “What’s going on? Where’s the professor? Is he okay?”
“Here’s what the invaders look like.” Giant TVs are spread throughout Morriah City that Alex uses to inform citizens about current news and updates while keeping a steady reminder of rules and regulations. Alex uses them to expose their faces from the security cameras inside the building. The Resistance become worried seeing it will be difficult to mix in with the crowd.
Meanwhile Alex was in his office doing the job that Desmond would normally do taking full command. “I want all recorded video analyzed to track Jonathan Oats. The girl wouldn’t talk but we can still follow his trail.”
The Resistance took their time travelling through the city avoiding cameras, guards, and the watchful eyes of the people. From a distance they can see the alley and stack of boxes covering the hatch door leading to their hideout but an increased number of Gressive are patrolling the area. Suddenly someone nearby spots them and starts calling for the guards.
Jon watches the intense battle between Ollie and Desmond in a vacant town. The virus has transformed Desmond amplifying his physical strength, stamina, and power. His muscles swell to monstrous proportions making him a fearsome opponent.
Ollie stumbles under the barrage of Desmond's steel-like knuckles pounding against his body. He falls onto the sidewalk clutching his fractured rib cage as Desmond looms menacingly over him, grinning as he hoists Ollie up and flips him over his shoulders.
He sprints forward leaps high into the air and power slams Ollie through a dining table outside an old coffee shop. The horrific sound of ribs snapping fills the air and Ollie shouts in agony.
"Witness the power of the strongest Kogen!" Desmond roars, his eyes twitching uncontrollably. He lifts his foot ready to deliver the final blow. "Ahhhhh!" But before he can smash Ollie's brittle body, he rolls away and Desmond's foot shatters the sidewalk to pieces.
Ollie struggles to his feet with every movement a testament to his resilience but Desmond grabs him again locking his head under his arm. "I... Am... Desmond!" and twirls him around like a ragdoll hurling his body 80 feet into the air. Ollie crashes hard in the middle of the street as Desmond laughs with demented pleasure but again Ollie gradually pushes his body off the pavement.
Bothered by his opponent's vigorous spirit Desmond approaches him with curiosity. “Who would have known someone like you would be out here," he says in a deep voice. The virus has even changed his vocal cords as it increases his strength. "I'm surprised Alex didn’t find you when we were getting rid of all the competition. My guess he'll probably make you his pet like the other snake and his gang... It's funny... you look just like him…” Desmond stands in front of him as Ollie knelt over breathes heavily waiting for the fog to clear his mind.
Desmond rips the sleeves off his black uniform, his neck muscles twitching rapidly like his eyes. "You really think you can stand against me?! I am the strongest Kogen out here. I can’t be stopped!"
Ollie hears his boisterous words echoing in his mind. Summoning every ounce of strength, he unleashes a flurry of punches at Desmond’s abdomen pushing him back. But Desmond absorbs every hit, his body unyielding.
"I thought you had enough," Desmond sneered amused by Ollie’s feeble attempt to fight back. "Guess I was wrong!" He grabs Ollie’s face with both hands and headbutts him, causing him to stumble. But just as Ollie’s knee touches the ground, he pushes off swinging his fist and landing a punch on Desmond’s jaw.
Desmond shocked by his quick reflexes leans back and Ollie continues throwing a relentless flurry of punches ignoring the searing pain in his body. Blow after blow lands on Desmond’s face but Desmond begins to smile, chuckling at Ollie’s failing exertion. "Is that all you got? I'm surprised you bested me before, had you not caught me off guard!"
But Ollie gaining momentum increases his speed. His eyes glow blue as his willpower intensifies. His punches are so fast they become a blur, and Desmond begins to feel the sting of every punch. Ollie's transformation releases unrelenting aggression, each blow carrying more damage. Desmond, bewildered, struggles to comprehend what’s driving Ollie’s indomitable spirit.
He tries blocking Ollie’s fist raising his arms to cover his face until suddenly he catches a glimpse of a flashing light and feels a sharp pain coming from his chin. He finds himself soaring in the air, while almost blacking out.
"Ah!" shouts Ollie sweat leaping off his forehead as he lands a jumping uppercut. Desmond crashes onto the roof of a parked car leaving him dazed and disoriented.
"Argh!" Desmond grunts shaking his head aggressively to regain his senses. He cracks open his eyes and sees a blue light growing brighter in the sky. As his vision clears, he finds Ollie falling towards him, his right fist glowing bright blue with a surge of energy radiating from it. "Loaded Fist!" yells Ollie.
"Bring it!" shouts Desmond as Ollie smashes straight through the car's roof. The windows of the car shatter and parts scatter everywhere. "Oh my..." Jon said to himself awestruck by the flash of blue light and thunderous sound of the devastating impact. Jon hidden inside another vehicle watches in shock from across the street. "I can't believe it. Ollie's a Kogen? How did I not realize that.”
Jon in the driver's seat peeks out in fear of being spotted. "And Desmond, I always heard he's the strongest Kogen, but others say because he lost a fight he's not. Either way to think Alex would have an angry savage like that so close to him is terrifying. Alex, Desmond, and Julian, those three alone who can stop them?" Jon continues looking for any signs of movement trying to discern the winning party. "But I wonder if Ollie can really beat Desmond. If he can then there's no doubt in my mind we can save the people from the World Virus."
A loud shout breaks Jon’s thoughts, "Untamed!!!" followed by a powerful blast. A body ascends into the air trailing yellow emanation. Jon's eyes widen as he follows the trajectory until the figure crashes down right in front of the car.
Jon falls into the seat in a panic. Breathing fast his hands shaking he builds enough courage after a few seconds of silence and slowly raises his head peering through the window. He finds Ollie sprawled in the street his head against the rim of the car's front tire barely moving. "Oh no..." he says fearing the worst.
Suddenly the sound of grinding car parts alarms him. He turns to see a drastically changed Desmond stepping out of the totaled vehicle. His face appears aged, his body now twice its original size ripping apart his uniform.
Desmond sees Ollie leaning against the car trying to stand up and with ferocious rage charges at Ollie like a wild bull. "Ollie watch out!" Jon shouts but Ollie dazed, doesn't hear him.
He quickly sits back down and buckles the seatbelt holding tightly to the straps that are too big for his size. A few quiet seconds pass before his entire body violently shifts to the left as Desmond collides with the car whipping it off the ground. Ollie bounces off and crashes through the front window of a small building with a sign that says, "Car, Boat, and Home Insurance."
Ollie slams into the brick wall at the back of the building. His body falls to the floor as bricks break apart and pile on top of him.
Jon opens his eyes finding himself hanging from the seatbelt underneath the steering wheel. Feeling soreness everywhere he wiggles his body and exhales in relief that nothings broken. He unbuckles himself and looks down to find the glass container stuck underneath the brake pedal thankfully intact.
Jon tries to pull it free but as he struggles, he hears footsteps on broken glass. Quickly he climbs up from under the seat and sees Desmond walking into the building. “No, no. Ollie..." he whispers wishing there was something he could do.
“You truly are extraordinary," says Desmond his voice even deeper. He reaches into the pile of bricks and grabs Ollie by his face. Ollie dangles motionless as Desmond smiles with satisfaction. "One of these days I’ll remember this fight and I’ll admit it was fun," he says smirking happy with the outcome. But before he dropped him thinking it was over he felt heat coming from Ollie's breath on the palm of his hand.
Enraged Desmond tosses Ollie upward then snatches him midair by the neck and squeezes his throat. Struggling to breath the blue radiance fades away as Ollie opens his eyes.
"So, your name is Ollie, huh? I told you to mind your business, and now look at the trouble you're in with me. I am the strongest Kogen and cannot be beaten. No one can defeat me!" Desmond squeezes Ollie’s neck until it breaks. He opens his hand, and Ollie falls lifeless onto the pile of bricks.
"No..." Jon whimpers witnessing Ollie's life come to an end. "Ollie... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Overwhelmed with sorrow he regretted he ever asked Ollie for help thinking he would still be alive if it wasn't for him. But his mourning is short-lived when Desmond turns around.
Jon quickly ducks down unsure if Desmond seen him. Hoping to escape he thought to free the container from the brake pedal but in his haste his arm presses the center of the steering wheel honking the horn.
The Resistance is pinned down inside a small one-bedroom house. The Gressive have surrounded them, and a firefight has broken out.
In the surveillance room the guards monitor cameras watching the situation unfold. Alex stands at the center next to a 3rd Class Gressive anxiously awaiting updates.
“Found them, sir. We have them pinned down in the east quadrant inside a home. We don’t know if there’s any hostages,” informs one of the guards.
“A hostage situation is irrelevant. Just destroy them expeditiously. Do not give them any leeway. Suffocate them...” says Alex curling his fist. Despite the potential information Alex is convinced they won't reveal Jon's whereabouts.
"Yes sir, nothing will hinder our attack," answers the guard indifferent to the fate of any innocent bystanders.
The Resistance has survived by suppressing the Gressive while citizens of Morriah City frantically run away hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. The team feels increasingly helpless as their stolen weapons run low on ammunition.
“Okay, this is really not good,” says JC wielding a laser pistol assigned to every 2nd Class Gressive.
“We know that JC. Just keep firing… Alberto, we need a plan!” says Tusa, equipped with a small automatic laser gun.
Alberto fires at a couple of guards trying to climb in the bedroom window and they quickly fall back outside. He grabs his last two clips and loads his weapons then yells back at Tusa with an idea. “Okay! How about we pretend we are robots!"
Alberto quickly realizes how silly his idea may sound picturing the blank expressions on his friend's faces. "Now before you shut me up, just hear me out! We pretend we are robots disguised as humans from outer space! We tell them we were sent by our leader MoMo to spy on this planet to give away resources! Okay? Just stay with me on this..."
"Once we gain the people’s trust, we tell them we're going back to our homeland to get the supplies. After that we go into the spaceship, they build for us because we crash-landed, then fly out of here... and of course, we won’t forget Jon…”
Tusa and JC stare at Alberto with blank expressions.
"What are you talking about?!” JC shouted, infuriated.
“My ideas are awesome! Look what yours got us!” Alberto shouted back, upset.
“Come on guys, let's get serious. I need everybody focused!” says Tusa trying to get their cooperative attention.
“Well, I don’t see you with any big ideas, interim leader!” says Alberto feeling fragile.
Tusa begins to think of a way out. “Our hideout is right across the street...”
“You’re not thinking we just run across, are you?” says JC suggesting it’s a bad idea.
Tusa grabs JC’s gadget bag. “You don’t have anything we can use?”
“Not for this. I only brought the bomb for our escape. The only thing left are those...” JC pauses remembering the grenades Tusa had placed inside the bag. “What about those grenades you took from the guards, any left?”
Tusa finds four grenades inside the bag and shows them to JC and Alberto. “Maybe we can just run across.” They all smile and nod in agreement.
The gunfight stops as everyone watches from a safe distance. The fight has taken place in a highly populated neighborhood with houses and apartments nearby. The Resistance was careful shooting back at the Gressive ensuring no civilians were in their line of fire.
Many residents look out their windows to see what happens next. Fights like this are not uncommon in the Abandoned Lands so they were surprised to see it happening in Morriah City.
A 2nd Class Gressive commands a group of guards to investigate. Seven of them cautiously approach the front door and busted living room window. Suddenly four grenades are tossed directly in front of their faces. Shocked and panicked they all fall backward against each other and the grenades discharge filling the area with black smoke. While the guards become blinded and disoriented The Resistance rushes out the living room window with Kozomi on Tusa’s back vanishing into the dark cloud.
There's a stir in the mist of the people as the smoke billows their way. Kozomi's team expertly blends in stealthily maneuvering through the crowd with every step feeling perilous. They finally reach the hidden entrance to their hideout frantically removing the stack of boxes covering the hatch door. They detach the handle so no one can open it and slip inside sealing the door shut.
Alberto flips on the lights and collapses on the concrete floor trembling from the intense adrenaline surge.
“We have to hurry. It will only be a matter of time before they find our location,” says Tusa his voice laced with urgency. He gently lays Kozomi down on one of the beds thankful she's okay. "JC you have everything ready to go, right?!"
“Can a guy get a break? That was crazy!” says Alberto trying to catch his breath.
JC swiftly packs his personal items on his bed. “Wait. I’m not going to be able to carry everything...”
“Just carry what you can,” says Tusa his tone leaving no room for argument.
Their hideout is in the basement of JC’s small repair shop. There used to be steps behind the store that led to the basement, but they decided to cover it up by secretly building a small hatch door. They did this so Alberto had a place to stay once he became a wanted suspect. Using the back alley none of the cameras or patrolling guards could see them coming and going so they avoided suspicion as they took turns keeping Alberto company.
Jon is in the back of the car ducked down on the floor behind the driver’s seat. "Jonathan Oats, where oh where can he be?" Desmond taunts his voice dripping with amusement.
Jon remains perfectly still curled up on the floor hoping by some miracle he wouldn't be caught. Desmond opens the driver's side door. Jonathan can see his head peering inside from behind the seat.
"Come out come out wherever you are..." Desmond sings a tune to toy with him confident Jon is inside. A curious expression forms on Desmond’s face as he notices something from the corner of his eye. Looking down he finds the plant stuck underneath the brake. "Hmmmm... What do you know." He leans down and reaches for the container. Jon sits up slightly watching as Desmond jerks the container out.
Desmond grins examining the plant in his hand. "That's one..." he says turning his head to the passenger seat. "I wonder where the other could be." Desmond’s eyes, neck, and lips twitch repeatedly, and he shakes his head to stop it. He stands up walks to the back door and Jon sees his shadow emerging in the car. He hears a couple of light knocks then suddenly a loud thud on the door rocks the car and Jon frightened leaps over to the other side.
Desmond swings the door open with incredible force bending it all the way back. "You didn't think I was going to let you get away from me, did you?" Desmond licks the corners of his mouth as his eyes and jaws twitch. "I got you and your little plant. Now nothing will delay me from tearing you apar..."
Desmond’s attention diverts to his left and a fist approaches him landing squarely between his eyes. A bright blue flash erupts from the impact as Desmond is lifted off his feet the plant slipping from his hand. Jon surprised is shocked to see Ollie as he plucks the spinning container out of the air.
"Ollie!" Jon shouts overwhelmed with relief. "I...I thought you..." He crawls out of the backseat and Ollie hands him the container.
"You lose something?" Ollie says with a rejuvenated appearance. Rotating his neck and shoulders he eyes Desmond lying on the ground about 20 yards away.
"What happened, Ollie? I saw you... how are you..." Jon begins to question his return but before he can finish Ollie walks away to face Desmond who is now rising to his feet for another round.
"Surprised me again!" Said Desmond, chuckling. "I'm starting to think that's the only chance you got." He wipes the sweat and blood off his forehead. "It's all making sense now. I see what your power is." He exhales. “But that won’t be a problem," he says, grinning.
Hands shimmering bright blue Ollie starts sprinting toward Desmond swinging powerfully but Desmond standing his ground catches both of Ollie’s fists with his hands.
Jon hears a loud crackle of bones breaking. “Oh, my...” he said, aghast.
Desmond towering over Ollie showed a flustered expression. It angered him to see Ollie’s strength had increased as Ollie tried pulling his hands free from his clutches. Finally, he snatched his right hand from Desmond’s broken left but before he could swing again Desmond whips Ollie over his back slamming him onto the street. Pain shoots up Ollie's spine as he bounces off the pavement.
Desmond still holding Ollie’s left hand torques his body around preparing to throw him into another building, but Ollie uses the momentum to land on his feet and flip Desmond over his shoulder tossing him into the post office.
Desmond crashes into the building leaving a crater of broken bricks as his body falls to the ground. Jon hiding behind a bench on the sidewalk watches in amazement at Ollie's quick thinking and acrobatic ability.
As Desmond stands to his feet shaking off debris Ollie squeezes his fist and positions his body as if to pitch a baseball. Then with great force he swings his fist sending a pulsing blue wave of energy that slams into Desmond just as he turns to face him.
Desmond feels the energy strike against his chest knocking him back onto the building. Ollie mustering his strength continues swinging sending fast-moving waves of energy across the street repeatedly hitting Desmond’s body.
"Arrrrrgghhh!" Ollie shouts his eyes shining brighter his attacks growing faster with each pulsating wave cutting into the road.
The powerful waves blast Desmond in and out the building. He rolls into the street until he came to a complete stop his body gashed as he laid there static. The post office barely stayed standing having a giant X-shaped hole in the middle of it.
Alex is furious upon hearing the news about the intruders disappearing. “What! How did you let them get away, where did they go?!”
His guard hesitates to answer. “They... It's reported that they used our smoke grenades, sir.”
“The same smoke grenades you all play with on the training grounds?!” Said Alex. His high-ranking officer too embarrassed to speak shifts uncomfortably. “Oh, you didn’t think I knew? You buffoons... Search the area!”
“Sir, we found the scientist!" Another guard reported. "It was hard to make out, but we have a recording of him running into the woods and Desmond soon after.”
“Wonderful,” says Alex his mood swinging like a pendulum. He glances at Julian who is crossing his arms standing silently in the corner. “Assemble your team and track him down.” Julian nods and immediately departs. “Have you found where the intruders went!?” He asked his nervous guards.
“We're searching now, sir, but they're hard to find from all the smoke and commotion.” One bravely replied.
“Use the overhead cameras that cover the view of the city and zoom in. Keep looking for suspicious movement. They were in that district for a reason, probably had somewhere they wanted to be,” says Alex rolling his eyes as if this should be obvious.
He walks up to the many surveillance monitors and leans over the guard's shoulder who is now sweating bullets. Taking over the controls Alex rewinds multiple times after the smoke grenades go off, squinting at the screen. "Right there... I see them coming out but then... they disappear.” He handles the video like a detective zooming in and out, rewinding and fast-forwarding. “Over here... Hmmm.” He points to the screen and changes cameras watching the footage again.
"You have to find the people who are doing something different. You should know this...” he says looming over the guard in dissatisfaction. "Now I know why they got in here in the first place. Incompetence..."
"There! There they are! You see them? Do you see them?!" Alex yells into the guard's ear causing him to jump. "Over there going down that alley! Now tell them to search all around that location and when they find them, you know what to do. Nobody comes into my city disguised as my guards taking my prisoner and blowing a hole into my house and gets away with it!”
The Resistance move quickly packing their things to leave. Kozomi, regaining her strength, sits up on the bed wincing from the internal pain. She scans the room at her team. Alberto is packing, Tusa is gathering gear and supplies, and JC is working on their contingency plan. But one person is missing.
“Where’s the professor?” she asks causing everyone to stop and look at each other. The room falls silent as they avoid answering her. “Somebody please just tell me where the professor is.”
The room remains quiet as Kozomi looks around desperate for answers. Alberto feeling guilty finally speaks up. “He’s gone, princess. We heard one of the guards say he escaped last night.”
Kozomi leans forward her face filled with concern and frustration. “What do you mean he’s gone? Where did he go?”
“We don’t know,” JC says lowering his head unable to meet her gaze.
“You were supposed to get him when we came out!” Kozomi’s voice trembles with worry and anger. She clutches her sore waist and shakes her head in disappointment. “What happened? Why isn’t he with you? I saw him getting out!”
“But… you didn’t,” Alberto replied.
A heavy silence fills the room. Kozomi closes her eyes and exhales. “Alberto, we talked about this. We all agreed that if I didn’t make it out, you’d make sure the professor was safe. Why didn’t you stick to the plan? Why didn’t you just leave me?”
“Because we're not leaving you!” Tusa yells throwing his bag onto the bed.
Kozomi sees the strain on Tusa’s face and exhaustion in all of their eyes recognizing the sacrifice they made to save her. “I’m sorry you guys,” she says softly. “And thank you. Thanks for risking your lives for me. You all mean more to me than anything... But the whole world is depending on him, so he’s more important than me… than us.”
“I guess we don’t believe in him like you do Kozomi,” said Alberto.
The Gressive break down the door and enter the store. The Resistance can hear their footsteps above. “They found us. Look, we’re going to have to finish this later, right now we need to get out of here,” Tusa says. “JC, is everything ready to go?”
Guards kick empty boxes aside in the back of the store. One of them walks over the hatch and hears a hollow sound. He hunches over and knocks on the door. Understanding what it is, he signals his comrades to assist him.
“JC, is everything ready to go?” Tusa asks urgently, hearing them tussle with the door.
JC responds with uncertainty, “Uh…”
“Uh, what does that mean?” asked Alberto, anxious.
Frustrated, Tusa hefts two black duffle bags over his broad shoulders. “JC!”
“Give me a minute!” JC replied on edge.
“We don’t have a minute! Zomi, are you able to walk?” asked Tusa.
Kozomi nods and stands ignoring the sharp pains in her body.
The guards upstairs overturn everything in the store finding nothing but the guards outside bring explosives and attach them to the hatch. “Blow the door!” one of them commands.
The explosion erupts with a deafening roar sending debris flying. The Gressive storm into the basement their eyes scanning the room. The wooden chairs overturned, a round table upended, a flickering TV with a gaping hole in the wall on the opposite side of the room. “I think they went through there, sir,” a guard says to his commanding officer.
"Go check it out!" the officer orders. Several guards with weapons drawn advance towards the hole. They turn on their flashlights, the beams cutting through the darkness revealing the tunnel’s entrance.
"Looks like an escape tunnel..." The guard spots something on the ground inside. He reaches for it and a small click echoes ominously. A ticking sound follows.
“What the…” He picks up a red toy robot with a clock in its center. A timer begins counting down from 3 minutes. "Wait a second, I’ve seen this before… It’s from that toy store a few blocks from my house."
“What do you see?!” his commander demands as the other guards shine their lights on the toy.
“It’s one of those robots you can set your alarm clock to!” the guard replies.
“What!” The head officer is confused. “Tell me when you’ve got something!”
“Yes, sir!” Just as the guard enters the tunnel, he notices a sign sticking out the dirt. He shines his light on it and slowly reads it. “GET OUT... ITS ...GOING TO... BLOW...”
The guard then looks at the toy clock showing 2 minutes left. His eyes widen in terror. “Bomb! Bomb! Bomb!” he shouts tossing the toy into the tunnel. They all scramble up the stairs diving into the alley. The tunnel detonates and the explosion sends a tremor through the ground showering dirt and debris into the air.
In the Abandoned Lands Ollie breathing heavily falls to his knees. “Ollie!” Yelled Jonathan running to his side his heart pounding with fear.
Ollie leans over hands trembling in front of his face. “Arghhhh!” he screams.
“Ollie, what’s happening? Talk to me!” Jon frantic notices large pulsing veins around Ollie’s eyes. “Oh no...” He quickly understood the problem. “Ollie, listen to me. You must calm down. Take slow deep breaths,” Jon advised his voice steady despite his rising panic.
An unnatural urge to exert power flows through Ollie’s clenching fist. “The virus is trying to hijack your body right now Ollie. You have to decompress and breathe.” Ollie follows Jon’s instructions. His rapid heart rate gradually slows, and the throbbing veins begin to fade.
“That’s it my friend relax, calm down, and just breathe.” Jon’s voice is a lifeline guiding Ollie back to normalcy as his eyes revert from a burning bright blue to their original state.
As Jon helped Ollie regain composure Desmond was striding down the street. His muscles swelling grotesquely, his body growing over 5 feet tall, and his eyes illuminating with beams of yellow light.
“Oh my... Ollie!” Jon exclaims. “What’s happening to him?” Jon clutches the container frightened by Desmond’s monstrous transformation.
Foam drips from Desmond’s mouth as his body violently contorts. His size and strength increase alarmingly until he abruptly stops, letting out a blood-curdling scream.
“Ahhhhhhhh!" Jon and Ollie are paralyzed by the sight of him until Desmond’s large body begins to rapidly diminish.
“Desmond...” Jon murmurs as they witness his body shrink back to its normal size.
He sways back and forth until he collapses. Ollie unwavering approaches him cautiously and Jon followed. “Whoa... he just... passed out," said Jon in amazement.
“He couldn’t control it,” said Ollie.
“Imagine if he had fought you in that state. The virus boosted his strength to an unsustainable level,” Jon explained. He checked Desmond’s pulse. “It’s incredible he survived that.”
The distant chopping of helicopter blades captures their attention. “It’s them.” Jon says, his eyes scanning the sky. “They’re searching for me.”
“Let’s go.” said Ollie casting a final glance at his difficult opponent. Together they retreat into the forest seeking refuge under the cover of the dense trees... heading west.
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