Multiverse Reincarnation Experiment Group Chat

As Friday arrived, so did Sam's promise to take Kaleb out.

I grabbed myself some clothes I picked up earlier with Samantha, trying to look nice in a casual way. Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw the face of Kaleb staring back at me.

The MRE system gave me a younger version of my old body. I was only a few years older than Samantha back then. Now… my memories blur. Old life, new life, and lives I've stolen, they've all bled together.

'How old am I, really?'

I certainly don't feel grown up… As grown-up as a conglomerate of microorganisms can be, I suppose.

I have a mission, to find out why I don't have memories of the past Graveminds, yet… I have been hesitating lately.

'No. Focus on the now. On her.'

I pulled on the coat she picked out and put it over a white crew-neck t-shirt. I struck a balance between laid back and refined. Tying it together with slim gray chinos and dark brown loafers, I'd say it pulled the outfit together.

I headed to the burger place we decided on over the phone.

BurgerCity came into view. Retro diner. Red booths. Glass walls. Classic Americana. And I felt... nervous.

Looking at my text messages, I couldn't help but smile at her responses.

She wrote, 'Can't wait! You'd better be ready! ;^)'

As to why she chose to use old-fashioned emojis? I don't know, but I still found it cute.

I could feel my heart flutter.

'Did I feel it in Apricot as well?'

Getting there about an hour early, I see her behind the window, already there.

Slowly opening the glass door, I walk over to the red booth she is in.

She waved. I waved back. My heart began to beat harder. She's in that beautiful yellow sundress. I freeze for a moment, and she notices it.

Deciding to be bold, I sat next to her rather than across from her.

She still smiled.

"That sun dress looks amazing on you."

'Why am I so timid now?'

"I know," she said, leaning in. "You picked it out." Not knowing what to say, I nod and bring up the only thing that came to mind. "You came early too?"

She turned her head in embarrassment. "Yeah, I got a bit anxious."

"Same." As a silence falls on us, the waiter comes up.

He spoke with a bored tone, "Hello, welcome to Burger City, what can I get you today?"

Sam ordered without hesitation.

"I'll have two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda."

She ordered with a smoothness that only comes with repetition.

"Ah, the usual. And what would you like?" The waiter looked at me with his tired expression.

I blinked.

Remembering how she said she could eat a lot, I snicker to myself.

"I'll have the same."

With a depressed sigh, the waiter wrote down our orders and walked away.

I leaned my shoulder against hers, an impish smirk creeping across my face. "The usual, eh?"

She buried her face in her hands, and I lost it. Laughed harder than I'd expected.

She pouted and shoulder-bumped me, nearly knocking me over, making me laugh harder.

"My family comes here a lot, alright?!"

I started to wheeze. Letting my stomach regain air, I respond. "Is that why he didn't give us a menu?"

She started giving me light shoulder punches, with an adorable pout on her blushed face.

After about a minute, my laughter fades.

"Are you done yet?" She asked, annoyed.

"Yeah."—wheeze—"I think I am."

She rests her head on my shoulder with that pout.

Enjoying the warmth of her body, I find myself resting in the chair with her in a comfortable silence.

I smiled without thinking. Just warmth. Just peace. For a moment, I let myself believe this could be real. That I could be real.

The angsty waiter returns, expertly carrying both of our orders.

Placing the feast before our eyes, he walks away.

I grab the surprisingly large burger and notice Sam eyeing me. Almost as if she's waiting for me to start eating first.

Shrugging, I took a bite. It tasted pretty good. A crisp piece of lettuce, melted cheese, firm pickles, sweet tomatoes, and two well-seasoned patties on a sesame seed bun.

Looking over to her, she carefully took out a bite, trying to eat a burger as 'lady-like' as possible. If that can be done with a burger.

Getting halfway through my first burger, I glance over to her again and notice she's almost done with her third. Having completely disregarded the 'lady-like' behavior from before.

By the time I finished my first burger, she finished her entire meal and some of mine.

Looking at me with her cheeks filled to the brim, we share a look. It was hard to describe. Something akin to finding a squirrel who ate your food.

"Schawy."

'Cute…'

I smile. I smile hard enough that it forces me to laugh.

Cheeks puffed like a chipmunk, she swallowed and burst into laughter, too.

But our fun is cut short.

Hearing a loud ringing noise from our phones, we both take them out. It's an emergency message from Robot.

It read this, 'EMERGENCY MEETING! MEET AT HEADQUARTERS!'

Looking at each other, I nod and signal for the waiter.

Samantha left to change, and I remained seated, alone…

Along with my thoughts…

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Watching through Kaleb's eyes, through my persona. My eyes. I can't help but feel an indescribable loneliness.

This entire week, every interaction, every meeting, every shared laugh, every kiss, I was behind a mask.

 I was merely playing a part; I only sought her DNA, her remarkable power. But now? I held it, and she unknowingly held mine. Why haven't I assimilated her? What is holding me back?

Acceptance?

She accepted Kaleb. Accepted me without hesitation. She trusts something she doesn't fully understand. At this point, I don't even know who I am, who I was.

I have a collection of memories, experiences, and all of them feel so distant. Like I have been faking my entire life, and now, here I am doing it again. Not with just one life, but multiple.

I stand in the Kamui Dimension once more, looking in a pond, where my cabin once stood, watching the ripples disrupt my reflection. I committed to expand, to consume. But what is keeping me from doing so?

I assimilated the Immortal in his sleep. I doubt he'll ever notice the change now, and I'm sure Cecil won't either. As the Harpy was thrown into prison, I had her subtly infect, and I assimilated the prisoners. I've gained a lot of memories, and I planned to start my first real flood hive there.

But the sheer thought of taking Samantha's mind by force… it felt wrong… revolting even…

 Oh, how hypocritical I've become.

What do I even want with her? Do I want her body, like before I reincarnated, just to sleep with her?

Do I want her flesh? Her DNA? The power to command matter and energy at the sub-atomic level?

Do I want a family? To live out my days with her? To settle down in a way I couldn't in my other life?

Perhaps… I want all of it…

Perhaps… I just tell her…

Perhaps… She'll understand…

But… Wouldn't she disagree with that? With what I am? With the relentless growth of Coral, with the corruption of Flara's innocent mind into something like me—cold, detached, driven by a purpose not their own?

Flara… How have I reached this point—using others, making them something they're not?

What the hell am I even doing… I haven't even looked at the group chat either…

I can't…

Not like I am now…

Staring down into the water, I am reminded of my own mind. I can feel the memories of my hosts flow into my consciousness.

The flood of memories whispering inside of me, each one subtly altered, tainted by my presence.

It is like every mind I have taken and corrupted is speaking to me. Different from what they used to be…

Now, they are me… Just me…

Isn't that what the flood wanted? What the Gravemind wanted? He wanted to deprive existence of free will, right? Erasing individuality and identity?

Why can't I help but think this feels wrong now?

Through Apricot's eyes, Flara was stirring beneath my awareness, growing used to turning her people into experiments.

This path was monstrous… Building a kingdom on the bones of stolen souls…

Perhaps I was always destined for darkness…

Perhaps I'll understand later…

Perhaps… I'll feel better after talking to Samantha…

After… I…

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Coming out of my thoughts as I meet Samantha outside, in my own hero suit. Mine of bone, hers of fabricated materials.

"Ready, Eve?"

"Let's go, Reform."

Eve blasts off.

Not wanting to be left behind, large dragonfly wings from my back. After spending a week with Atom Eve—Sam—I've learned how to keep up with her in the air.

The trick was to grow the flapping muscles of the dragonfly and strengthen them a bit with my Flood Super Cells.

"Do you know what this is about?" I yell, trying to overcome the sound of wind passing us by.

"No!"

After a minute, we arrive at the base.

It seems like we were the last to arrive.

As we do, Robot turns on the large screen in the workshop. Revealing Cecil Stedman, head of the Global Defense Agency.

He was an older gentleman with balding, gray hair and a large facial scar on the right side of his face. He wore a blue suit, white shirt underneath, with a red tie and a US flag pin on his lapel.

"Good, you're all here. Let's begin." He spoke with a tired and aged voice. Sounding as if he had been overworked for the last decade.

"I know this is a bit last minute—"

"Last minute?! I was just about to go on a date!" Rex was obviously annoyed.

"But the Guardians of the Globe requested your aid."

That quickly quieted him up.

Robot stepped forward. "For what exactly?" His voice is cold as usual.

"A new group of villains has been surfacing over the last week. People are calling them 'Wolfgang,' because they are a gang of werewolves. 5 of them were able to keep up with the Immortal."

Not understanding, Robot asks another question. "Why would the foremost hero group be requesting a group as young as ours?"

"It's simple. Your team fought a similar group, and because of your proximity, you were the best pick. I get the feeling the two groups may be related."

Robot looked at us.

I shrug.

"Fine!" Rex groaned begrudgingly.

Eve thought for a moment. "If the Guardians need our help, I see no reason not to."

Kate just nodded, noticing how close Eve was to me.

"We accept," Robot spoke with a steel resolve.

Cecil, on the screen, nodded. "Good. Meet at these coordinates in 3 hours."

Looking at them, I notice something. "We're going to St. Louis?"

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As the Teen Team made its way to my Wolfgang's impromptu base. I acted through Apricot, preparing for both the Guardians of the Globe and the Teen Team.

I took an abandoned steel mill on the river. Close to the Arch.

The place was falling apart. The outside was heavy machinery and rusted pipes, and a veritable maze on the inside.

A perfect place for an evil hideout.

I sighed uncharacteristically for Apricot, and Flara noticed.

{Is there something wrong, Apricot?}

Watching as my twenty Hounds take up ambush positions around the facility, and my Mauler wolves take spots above and out of view of the entrances.

Tucked in key choke points throughout the refinery lay my Coral bombs—primitive, brutal things. These bombs make use of Coral as their fuel. Fuel, she called it.

'So you're fine with this? Using your siblings in such a manner?'

{Indeed, we have given them a purpose… Like the thousands of experiments we conducted to understand the effects of using… Coral… as fuel… Like you said, it is for the better.}

Taking a deep breath, I look down the large, cavernous hole at the center of this facility.

This is why this place was abandoned: a Mole villain created a large sinkhole here.

My fist tightens.

{What troubles you, Apricot? I will assist however I can.} Her voice sounds cold when talking about the experiments, yet unbelievably warm when concerned for me.

'Never forget the importance of your siblings, Flara. Even those who can't think for themselves.'

She doesn't respond. Not right away.

{Of course.} Her voice was sweet.

{That is why we gave them purpose.} Sickeningly sweet.

{They do not suffer, Apricot. And in serving us, they become more than they were. Isn't that kindness?}

I used too much… Too much of the Logic Plague…

I placed Fenrir in the deepest part of the sinkhole, buried beneath the earth. Waiting to be used. Waiting to be useful. Like the rest of them.

{The heroes have entered the general area. It would seem that they are planning. Shall we intervene?}

Flara and her siblings have completely mastered using modern technology. I have no doubt she hijacked every camera in the city just to keep tabs on them.

I looked at our trap in full, but I couldn't shake a bad feeling.

'No. Let them come. We will just be finding ourselves a good seat to watch.'

Hopefully, Omni-Man will come and help put an end to this farce.

------------------------------------------

The Teen Team landed on the outskirts of the city and made their way to a hidden safehouse, where the young heroes met the old heroes.

A group of five stares down a group of seven. A cautious pressure reigns down on both sides.

Clad in shining crimson and gold armor, War Woman towers with the poise of a goddess and the might of a battle-hardened general. Her muscular build radiates power, and her cape, deep blue and tattered at the ends, flows behind her like a war banner.

A winged, golden tiara crowns her brow, matching the eagle-shaped emblem across her chestplate. In her hands, she grips a massive battle mace. Elegantly brutal, polished but worn, as if it had destroyed gods and machines alike.

Her face is stern, carved in resolve, with fierce blue eyes that scan with the intensity of a commander who sees weakness before it forms. Sam couldn't help but be tense. War Woman's gaze passed over her, and for a second, Eve felt seen and weighed.

Next to her, the Green Ghost appears almost ethereal by contrast—slim, sleek, and slightly hovering.

Clad in a form-fitting, emerald green suit that glows faintly along the seams, her mask reveals only dark green eyeholes beneath a sharp brow. Her limbs are relaxed but coiled, as if suspended in a moment just before vanishing.

The faint, translucent shimmer of her phasing body gives her a ghostly glow, with one foot barely touching the ground.

To her side stands the unmistakable form of Martian Man—tall, lean, and alien in poise. His skin is a rich, dark green, with subtle ridges along his brow and jaw. A sleek red bodysuit clings to his elongated frame.

His elongated hands rest calmly at his sides, but his expression is unreadable—calculated, contemplative, his yellow eyes scanning with layered awareness from behind a smooth, featureless brow.

Near the center, cloaked in shadow, stands Darkwing. He's clad entirely in black with subtle accents of navy and gray suit built for silence and impact. His flowing cape billows slightly around him, made of a special weave that seemed to absorb light.

His cowl covers his head fully, save for his white eyes, sharp and focused, peering from behind a half-crescent visor. A utility harness stretches across his torso, bristling with gadgets, throwing weapons, and grappling lines. His pose is minimal, but his ready knees are slightly bent, as if ready to vanish into the shadows the moment he's no longer needed.

Next to him, the Red Rush is caught mid-shift—frozen in a moment of impossible stillness. His red and white suit hugs a lean, aerodynamic frame, built for speed and precision. A trail of faint blur-light lingers around his boots, and his sleek helmet features twin antennae-like ridges curving back. His gloves are thickened at the knuckles, bearing scorch marks from the friction of his velocity.

He's smirking—only slightly—one foot forward, arms casually at his sides, as if confident he's already run a dozen laps around the room while the others finished posing.

At the far end, Aquarius—king of the sea—stands in solemn silence, regal and composed. His body is tall and imposing, covered in aquamarine scales that shimmer under the light. Fin-like crests rise from his forearms and calves, and a gold trident rests against his shoulder like a staff of office.

His long hair floats subtly, despite no water in sight, and his gill-marked neck pulses slightly with every breath. His deep-set eyes are heavy with age and wisdom, staring forward not with aggression, but with the weight of oceans behind them.

Exchanging glances, both Robot and the Immortal step forward.

The Immortal stands tall and broad-shouldered, a living monument to power shaped by centuries of battle. His sharp blue eyes and firm jaw are framed by a thick beard and long, dark hair pulled back with quiet discipline.

Clad in Blue, yellow, and white, his suit is bold and simple but unmistakable, designed for function over flair. Every inch of him radiates strength, endurance, and an unyielding sense of duty. Like a man carved from history itself, still walking forward with purpose.

Robot stands with clinical precision, his frame sleek and efficient. More function than flourish. His body is armored in matte copper plating, segmented and jointed with surgical detail, allowing for fluid, mechanical movement.

His limbs are lean but reinforced, each motion calculated and purposeful. A glowing green core pulses faintly at his chest, the only true light in his otherwise utilitarian design.

His head is smooth and angular, with intelligent eyes that shift and analyze constantly. There's no wasted motion, no emotional tell—only a calm, controlled presence that speaks of logic, strategy, and quiet superiority.

Though he lacks a human face, he gives the distinct impression that he's always thinking several steps ahead.

The two shake hands, and the pressure is lifted.

"It's good to see you all are ready for this." The Immortal sounded impressed that the group could withstand the pressure.

"We are just glad you decided to call us for aid." Robot, still cautious, spoke in his usual cold tone.

"Then let us get to business." The copper automaton nods as the Immortal continues. "From our information, your team faced off a similar group. Could you tell us their tactics?"

"Of course. Last week, we discovered a conflict happening in the middle of the streets of Chicago. By the time we arrived, both sides seemed exhausted. The werewolves, then, were clothed in what seemed to be church wear and armed with magical weaponry. Most notable being bows and arrows with homing abilities."

The brow of the Immortal lowers in confusion.

"They also fought as if they were trained proficiently and spoke in Latin. Judging by the videos from the incident you faced, the werewolves were of a similar make to the 'Hounds' you faced, only more feral."

Immortal nods. "We can agree with that. At the moment, we believe them to be related in some manner. As to how? We are unsure. But this 'Wolfgang,' seems to be targeting areas known for their defensibility. Like the Iron Wall bank and Fort Knox, and every time they do, they leave after fighting the prominent hero in the area."

War Woman steps forward. "It is as The Immortal says. We have reason to believe they are prodding these highly defensive areas, testing their abilities."

Robot is silent for a moment, but all could see he was in deep thought.

Rex stepped forward. "Has there been any sighting of those Crow people?"

The Immortal shakes his head, signaling no.

Atom Eve, watching the meeting play out before her, sneaks a glance at Reform, who has been oddly silent and detached.

Looking at Robot, the ageless man nods. "We will go in first. I want your team in the nearby area. When we call for your assistance, I need you all to come in guns blazing." Cracking his knuckles, the Immortal looks to the guardians. "Let's go."

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Clouds overcast the sky, blotting out the sun and dampening the light around St. Louis. A team of seven inconspicuously makes its way to their current target.

An abandoned steel mill.

The group charged forward and made their way to the main entrance. War Woman slams the door with her mace, launching it across the facility.

As the light peaks through, only darkness greeted the Guardians.

Taking the lead, Darkwing presses the button on his cowl, and night vision flashes before his eyes.

As they followed the blueprint of the building, the Green Ghost saw a shadow move behind them. "Are you picking up anything, Darkwing?" Her voice, battle-worn but still held a taste of naivety.

Darkwing, in contrast, spoke like gravel and death. "No…"

Walking through the rusted halls, Aquarus's instincts run wild. "Something is wrong with this place." His voice sounded blubbery.

Something behind the group fell, hitting the ground with a metallic ring. As they turned around, they found it was a rusted pipe. One that fell from oxidizing.

As only Darkwing kept looking forward, he found the door to the main work area. Where the Mole catastrophe happened.

"These look like they haven't been touched in decades." His voice was low and skeptical.

Immortal, understanding the situation, begins to call out commands. "Green Ghost, take Martian Man, and Red Rush, we take their attention while you flank them."

With a nod, Green Ghost touches the two, and they phase through the surrounding metal area.

With a struggling push, Darkwing opens the heavily rusted doors.

As he does, the lights of the facility flash on. An energized red light floods the entire mill.

The lights reveal a truly large milling floor. What once was filled with heavy blast furnaces and molds was now an empty room with a cavernous hole in the center.

The sinkhole was large enough to fit entire houses within it.

The group cautiously stepped forward, unaware of a man with an orange spiraled mask watching them. Out of sight and out of mind, the man signals the Wolfgang.

Suddenly, a massive weight hits the floor, causing a large amount of smoke and debris to be thrown. With the swing of a large, clawed arm, it steps forward.

The creature towered at eight feet, a monstrous fusion of man and beast sculpted from sinew, claw, and raw power. Thick cords of muscle rippled beneath a coarse layer of brown fur, each movement fluid and terrifyingly precise. Like a predator molded from shadow and violence.

Its broad shoulders hunched slightly forward, as if always poised to lunge, and its arms were long and powerful, ending in clawed hands that looked capable of rending steel. Its chest was barrel-like, rising and falling with deep, growled breaths.

Its lupine head was massive, crowned with jagged ears and a long, narrow snout. Rows of curved fangs gleamed beneath lips curled into a permanent snarl, and its eyes—burning with amber—glowed with a cunning, predatory intelligence far beyond that of a mere beast.

As it stepped forward, each pawed foot touched the ground, and the ground underneath it shattered. From weight and power.

The remaining Guardians readied themselves.

With an experienced calm, War Woman spoke almost carefree. "I was expecting a bit more."

Four more hulking wolves landed, this time closer to the guardians.

"I'll stop talking now."

Without a word, the Mauler Wolves charged forward, howling like thunder.

The Immortal met the first Wolf head-on, flying toward it, and he tackled the beast into a nearby wall, creating large cracks in the metal. But that wasn't enough to stop it.

The Mauler wolf, with its large, beast-like arms, swung down on Immortal's back, creating a large, audible creak.

The blow snapped his spine—but even as he hit the ground, it began stitching itself back together. He picks up the Mauler wolf and swings him into the ground in a German suplex with enough force to create a cloud of dust.

War Woman, using her mace, swings it upward, shattering the jaw of a Mauler wolf, only for it to regain its footing and kick her away.

Darkwing expertly dodges around the Mauler wolf, just barely out of his range, and throws bombs and constraining metal nets. The bombs singe the pelt, but the nets are torn like paper.

Aquarus keeps his foe back with enough water pressure to cut through steel, but it merely matts its tough fur.

The Mauler wolf left unattended, with coordinated intelligence, charges towards Aquaris, only to be struck by a speeding Red Rush.

Martian Man slips through the cracks of metal and wraps around War Woman's Mauler wolf as she retaliates with a mace combo, demolishing the wolf's head.

"Where is Green Ghost?" Spoke the fish man.

Red Rush, after discombobulating a Mauler wolf, answers, dodging a frantic claw. "We ran into another set of wolves. They could move through walls like Ghost. She said she would deal with it and dropped us off."

As Immortal flies towards Darkwing's wolf, punching it in the back of the head. The Mauler wolf that was suplexed into the ground rises and Howls.

This time, the howl echoed through the floor, rattling the mill's supporting frame. And caused Immortal to recoil from the noise.

Bursting through the walls came twenty Hounds.

Following suit, Green Ghost falls forward through the entrance pathway and hits the ground rolling, gasping for air.

Two leaner and black-furred Hounds walked in, with twice-clawed on each hand. Their blood red eyes looked on at their prey, glowing in anticipation.

"They're flanking us!" Darkwing growled, hurling a net that was shredded mid-air. "These things are trained." Putting a hand to his cowl, Darkwing signaled for backup.

---------------------------------------- 

As we waited for the signal, a silent omen hung over us. While no one wanted to admit it, we all could feel dread in the air.

Not wanting to be in this headspace, I walked away. "Hey, I'm going to get some fresh air." Speaking my part, I head to the entrance.

Standing out here, my mind began to race.

'All I need now is the flesh of a Viltrumite... Then, this universe will fall… I will get my link to Neural Physics…'

I let out an agonized sigh and leaned against the doorframe.

'And then what? I'll rinse and repeat in the next universe?'

"Reform? Are you feeling alright?" With worry lacing her tone, Eve came from behind me.

'I can't even look at her.'

"I just have a lot on my mind… It's… It's nothing to worry about." I lied, unconvincingly so.

"It doesn't sound like it." She walked in front of me, into my armored eyes. She rested a hand softly over my bony chest. "Tell me what has your mind in a knot, Kaleb."

My back loses strength, and I placed my full weight against the door frame, making it creak under the stress.

"I… I need to tell you something." My heart began to beat loudly and hard enough that she could feel it through my natural armor. "Once I tell you… Everything changes… And… I don't want to lose this… us…"

She just smiled, that warm and welcoming smile. Like everything was going to be alright, like she trusted me with everything in her mind, body, and soul.

I can feel myself trembling. "I'm stuck on a path… And I don't know what to do…"

"Then… We'll face it together!" She shone brighter than any star and was warmer than anything I've ever known.

I hug her, trying to steady my breath.

I can't feel her arms around me in my cold armor, but I can feel her warm, shining through.

'Just holding her for a minute, it… Steadies me…'

Loosening her arm, she looked back at me. "Let's head back in." Holding my large, gauntleted hand, we walk back to the room. Uncaring about hiding it.

But as we walked down the hall, we received the signal and without a moment wasted, we moved out.

Our blitz was lightning fast. While the others rode with Robot, Eve and I flew.

As the two of us made it before the others, I took the lead, guarding Eve from any debris that might fly.

The battlefield was just as I wanted it. At the moment, two Mauler Wolves were downed. One had its head caved in, the other was stuck in a wall. Five of the Hounds were grounded as well, limp and battered.

Even then, they were still overwhelmed.

Blood from both Guardians and wolves was splattered across the steel walls.

The Green Ghost was distracting the Dire Wolves; she was dodging frantically, moving out of the way of twice-clawed hands and phasing through metal and walls in order to escape them.

But none of that deterred them, as they utilized an ability undeniably close to hers, which led to her panicked state of mind. Essentially playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and she was the mouse.

Red Rush was fighting all of the Hounds at once. Weaving through all of them, and traversing the battlefield in the red flash he was known for, but they were catching up. As the battle slowly went on, all of the wolves slowly adapted, physically and mentally.

This allowed the Hounds to corner Red Rush, making him fight surrounded. As he tried to run on the wall behind him, another Hound would use the opportunity to flank him. While they weren't nearly as fast, they were fast enough.

Aquarus fought with his trident against one of the remaining Mauler Wolves, as Darkwing gave him support. Making use of electric cables scavenged from the building, he hooked them up to his battery and stunned it by coursing electricity through his body.

Manipulating water around the trident's tips and thrusting into the chest of the stunned wolf, Aquarus expels the water at extreme speeds in the form of vapor, creating an unseen explosion in its chest and knocking it out for the count.

Martian Man was on the floor, knocked unconscious, and had a vicious claw mark over his chest.

The Immortal was boxing a Mauler Wolf with unbelievable mastery, ducking and weaving through every claw and bite the wolf threw at him. Leaving tiny shock waves with each strike. But the fight wasn't so easy, as the Mauler Wolf was slowly catching up and turning the tide. Landing a claw, for every ten punches.

War Woman seemed to be worse for wear, her armor cracked and her body cut and bruised. With a bloodied eye and skin showing from the slashes she received, she fought like a madwoman. Swinging her mace up into the chest of the wolf with all her might, she grabs its leg and slams it onto the ground, shaking the very foundation.

Eve, with a smart head on her shoulders, flies above the battlefield to get a better view.

I rush in to help the immortal. As I ran, my hand morphed into a large bone spike, and from the side of the distracted Mauler Wolf, I rammed it into its spleen, making it howl in pain.

Taking the opportunity, the Immortal swings hook after hook at the beast's jaw. After at least twenty ground-shaking strikes, the beast fell unconscious as it stood, and slowly fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

From above, Eve began transforming the ground under the Hounds into mud and chains. Chaining their arms and legs, while she dragged them under. But the chains cracked and broke, only halting their assault on Red Rush for a moment.

From the corner of my eye, I see her in action when a thought occurs. "Tungsten!" I yelled, hoping she'd understand.

She looked at me for a moment and nodded, before making the chains once more, this time out of Tungsten.

Now they couldn't break free.

The rest of the Teen Team arrived. Rex launched metal bars charged with energy, Dupli-Kate flooded the field with clones, and Robot scanned the area from above, his arm blasters warming up.

Darkwing and Aquarus then aimed their efforts at the Dire Wolves. Shooting condensed balls of water and shock blades at them.

As one of the Dire Wolves turns tangible and its claw goes through Green Ghost's leg, Green Ghost turned intangible herself, just as Aquarus's water hits and wets the wolf.

Momentarily confused, the Dire Wolf is electrocuted by Darkwing's shock blade.

The Dire Wolf howls in pain.

The second Dire Wolf unfocused on its prey and looked to the battlefield. And it knew what to do on an instinctual level.

Gathering air into its chest and turning intangible, the now lone wolf Howls.

This howl was different than the rest. It carried more than sound; it carried a message. A request. A distress signal.

As the desperate call echoed through the steel mill, a silence fell over the facility.

And a rumble followed suit.

The red lights began to dim, and the Earth quaked. Trembling. Expecting.

From the bottom of the sinkhole, a large crash is heard.

Dust begins to flow out.

Another rumble reverberates through the foundation, causing the building to shake uncontrollably.

Rusted parts of the ceiling began to dislodge and fall, crashing into pieces.

A loud noise erupts from the hole. This time, it lingered.

Then, it howled.

It howled loud enough to shake the building. Even from this distance, it hurt everyone's ears. It seemed to affect the Immortal the most.

Bursting through the ground, a chunk of land mass was thrown through the roof and far into the sky.

Spreading its enormous twenty-four-foot wings, causing enough wind pressure to punch through the facility walls and through everyone besides me, War Woman, and the Immortal, onto the ground.

Robot's hover bike is sent into the wall as he jumps off it. Eve is thrown out of the air and loses focus on her power.

Seeing her descent, I rush in to catch her and cushion her fall.

The creature stood at a towering twelve feet, a hulking nightmare cloaked in layers of dark brown fur so dense and thick it looked like it had been forged from forest bark and hardened shadow.

Its form was a terrifying symphony of strength and savagery. Every muscle is impossibly defined, swollen with raw, brutal power, rippling beneath its hide like a beast carved from the bones of mountains.

Its shoulders were wide enough to dwarf a man, and from its back erupted a pair of immense, black angelic wings. Each wing easily reached twenty-four feet fully unfurled. The wings were unnatural in their beauty and horror.

Its arms were thick and long, ending in massive clawed hands—each talon the size of a dagger, blackened and cracked from endless violence. The chest was a drum of living stone, rising with thunderous breaths. Its ribcage seemed stretched beyond normal anatomy, wide and strained, barely containing the beast that seethed within.

The head was monstrous: a lupine skull exaggerated and corrupted, with a muzzle lined in multiple rows of curved, ivory fangs. Its snarling lips never quite closed, revealing a drooling abyss that spoke of endless hunger. Eyes the color of dying suns—deep crimson rimmed in gold—pierced the dark, alive with brutal cunning.

Its tail was long and serpentine, thick with muscle, and tipped in a thorny tuft of obsidian-black fur. It swayed slowly behind the creature like a pendulum of execution, coiling and lashing with quiet menace.

Fenrir, the Alpha, has made its presence known.

Feeling their Alpha, the wolves begin to resuscitate themselves. Their flesh recollecting to their bodies as their bones healed. The Mauler Wolves, whose heads were caved in, slowly reformed.

The Hounds, with newfound strength, struggled against the Tungsten chains. Their muscles bulged, and the chains cracked and shattered.

The Dire Wolves disappeared in the shadows, and only the flicker of glowing red eyes remained.

Cuts began to heal, and blood retreated to its home.

After a moment, the Wolfgang was back to full strength.

And they had grown.

With a single step, the ground rippled, and Fenrir stood where the Immortal once had. A shockwave followed as a hole in the wall was formed.

Seeing her friend launch, War Woman swings her mace down with all her remaining strength.

Only for Fenrir to catch as if he were grabbing a fly from the wall. His arm moved faster than most could see, and War Woman was sent through the wall in a familiar manner.

Its chest rose and gathered air.

Robot aimed his blasters. Rex swore. Green Ghost phased into the wall and didn't come back out.

Fenrir howled once again.

Feeling my instinct take over, I cover Eve's ears as mine begin to bleed. The effect washed over everyone but Eve.

The very air itself vibrated, and the building began to subtly crumble more.

With a howl that seemed to challenge the heavens, Fenrir vanished following its chosen prey.

And the hunt had begun.

They stared speechless, on the floor, and their ears were bleeding.

Carefully letting go of Eve, I couldn't help but watch in awe.

Fenrir had destroyed a wall on exit, making sure not to strike any supporting structures.

With the Alpha focused elsewhere, the remaining wolves howled, and the red lights shone brightly.

Taking advantage of their deliberated state, a Mauler Wolf pounced onto a prone Rex Splode.

Seeing the action, I lunged out in front of him, and both of the Mauler Wolf's claws penetrated my chest, shattering my bone armor. He spread his furred arms across, and I was cut in half.

The shocking scene woke everyone out of their stupor and made Eve loudly gasp, shocked and horrified.

But just as all color left her face, I acted.

Still in control of my lower body, the bone armor on my left leg augured down into the hard flooring, bolting itself to the ground as I kicked my other leg into the Mauler Wolf. My leg split open into four tendrils—with gruesome spikes within—extending forward, my leg tendrils wrapped around and dug into the wolf. Trapping it.

As my torso slowly fell into free fall, I brought my hands together and swung downward, manipulating my weight and flesh into my hands.

Creating a shock wave that slightly shook the ground, my strike depressed the wolf's body inward, and the large amount of biomass in my hands shot downward in a spike. Penetrating through the Mauler Wolf's entire body. Then in an instant, more thin spikes shot out at random positions, puncturing every organ.

Willing the mass back into my body, I fall back in a twisting mass of flesh, reforming away from the downed wolf as bones, then flesh and veins, skin, and finally bone armor.

Rex shook his head and threw a ready explosive—with enough kinetic energy to blow up a building—Eviscerating a Hound.

The Dupli-Kates acted in a coordinated manner to keep constant pressure on all of the wolves as Red Rush struck weak points, weaving through the mess of bodies.

The ground began to shake periodically, in rhythmic pulses, as loud crashes were heard from outside the steel mill.

Aquarus encircled his body with floating hyper condensed balls of water, and shot them at two Mauler Wolves that closed in on him. Eve shackled them in a similar way she did the Hounds, only for the restraints to snap like paper.

Gripping her hand in the air, two large hand-shaped Tungsten constructs ripped from the ground and gripped the wolves, pulling them underground. Leaving their head above the ground.

Expertly dodging a Dire Wolf's precise strikes, Darkwing ducked under a sweeping claw. Punching his fists together as they sparked with bone-chilling electricity—a weapon reserved for deadly situations—he punched into the wolf's liver and then gave a hard hook into its chest.

But just before the fist made contact with its chest, the wolf became intangible and jumped back as Hound pounced through it and towards the unguarded Darkwing. In a moment, by the skin of his suit, he moved out of the way.

Robot, after completing a complete scan of the facility, notices large concentrations of energy at key points around the building and comes to one conclusion.

Bringing his volume up to the max, he speaks in uncharacteristic panic. "The supports keeping the building up have been lined with bombs! We must retreat to the building before they can activate!"

Right before Rex charges one of his explosives, he backs away from an incoming Hound. "You tell us this now!?"

I stretch my flesh thinly and pierce all of the remaining wolves I can. "Everyone out of the Building!" I yell as I become increasingly thin. "I'll hold them back."

They clawed through my thin tendrils, only for them to reform and puncture.

With the moment of clarity, they retreated. Picking up the unconscious Martian Man and the exhausted Green Ghost.

They left. All of them, except for one. The one I wanted out the most.

"Eve! You need to leave! Now!" I yelled frantically.

"And leave you with these monsters!?"

"Please! I can't lose you!"

She froze for a second after hearing my concerned voice.

But I was already too late.

She opened her mouth—maybe to argue, maybe to confess something—but the walls groaned again. And that's when it happened.

--------------------------------------------

On their holiday, Debbie flicked through channel after channel on the TV. As she curled under the covers with a sleeping Nolan, she admittedly had trouble deciding on what to watch.

Surfing the stations, she somehow landed on a national broadcast. While Debbie didn't usually watch the news while on vacation, it didn't hurt to check on things.

But what she saw shocked her.

"In St. Louis, the Immortal and War Woman were being toyed with—thrown through buildings, into parks, and being rammed through the earth.

The news channel that was reporting it was woefully underprepared. Under armored, and under duress. The reporter was risking his life to inform the world of the catastrophic event.

The camera zoomed in on the distance as it caught a frightening picture of the beast that caused this.

It was a behemoth of a werewolf, easily taller than some buildings and with black angel's wings reminiscent of darkness.

Zooming out, the camera became glitchy for a minute before returning to video.

The speaker, obviously too young and inexperienced to handle such an event, was trying to cool his breath. Scarred but determined, he spoke, not out of duty, but in hope and desperation.

"Some of our country's greatest heroes"—breathes in—"Are not fighting this monstrous beast, they are being toyed with, being put through the wringer."—Breathes in and out.—"I don't know why this is happening, and I may be just a man amongst gods and demons, but please… If you're out there… Omni-Man… Save us!"

Debbie, shocked, looked to her sleeping husband and sighed. Shaking her Nolan awake, he gently stirred. "Five… More minutes.." He spoke with a yawn.

"Nolan!" Yelling his name woke him up. Sitting up and letting the covers fall off him, he looked around. "Debbie? What's going on?"

She points to the TV and he understands.

He stared at her with pleading eyes. "But it's our anniversary?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that!"

They stared at each other for a minute before she leaned in to his ear and whispered something.

His eyes opened, and his brows lifted. "Really? Even in—"

"Yup." She spoke, popping her 'P's.

With a sigh, Nolan gets out of bed, changes, and flies away in an instant, leaving a slowly falling bed sheet cover, revealing a naked woman.

--------------------------------------------

Unaware and uncaring of what was happening in the facility, Apricot acted outside of my focus. Watching the chaos unfold.

Above on a towering building, he watched as the fight raged on. The Immortal used the fullest extent of his strength, and War Woman struck with hit-and-run tactics.

But even as both heroes fought tooth and nail, it barely even bruised Fenrir.

Throwing Immortal up into the air only to appear behind him in an incredible show of speed, Fenrir gently smacks the Immortal into a park. Hitting the ground with enough force to create a large plume of smoke, he struggles to lift his head. 

Just as War Woman flies up to Fenrir, quicker than sound, she is sent hurtling into Immortal. And then next moment, Fenrir lands on both of them, his foot smashing them together and creating a large hole in the ground.

{Apricot, Cecil has managed to get in contact with Omni-Man.}

'Good. His ETA?'

{30 seconds. Will Fenrir be strong enough to get the sample?}

'Potentially. The real question is how long before he gets thrown into the sun? With Fenrir's constant regeneration and Smart Atom's keeping his body in working condition, it will take no time before Omni-Man has to take the fight seriously.'

'That moment before Omni-Man realizes and Fenrir's power catches up will be crucial.'

{Understood. Shall we make use of Fenrir's Coral capabilities?}

'If an emergency comes up… perhaps. But unleashing that will change the terrain. Permanently.'

{I believe in our experiment… Our creation… Fenrir was shown to be particularly effective against the simulated Viltrumites.}

With a distant shockwave, a man in red and white appeared and looked down from up high, still in the air with that look of arrogance his kind is known for.

With another shockwave, he was gone.

The appetizer was done, and the main course arrived.

Fenrir felt his presence immediately, even at its inhuman speed, it was still slow compared to the most powerful hero on earth. But with his instincts, he felt him. Not by smell, not by taste, and not by sight. Fenrir felt death, and he faced it.

At a speed unbecoming of his size, Fenrir turned, muscles tensed, and a right hook swung outwards.

The air trembled at their speed, and the world shook at their greeting.

Much like two cannon balls colliding, the weaker, more brittle fighter began to shatter and deform.

Muscles bulged and skin tore, glowing red blood sprayed as ligaments and tendons ripped through skin and fur, keeping the Viltrumite back only for a moment. Fenrir's arm began to be pushed back and was ripped off his torso with belligerent speed and brutal power.

But Omni-Man, in control of his own positioning, no matter Earth's gravity, floated and prepared to lay siege.

Fenrir's arm stopped mid-air, frozen in the same way as his foe, only for it to return to his body as fast as it left, reconnecting fiber by fiber and stronger than before, and he swung with even more force.

Not caring to block, Omni-Man took the blow head-on. As Fenrir's gargantuan fist landed like a missile, striking Nolan's face with enough force to tear down buildings, pushing his face slightly to the side, only to struggle as Nolan moved his face back to position.

"So, you're Battle Beast? I was expecting more."

With a kick, Fenrir was sent flying as his back was turned to a red shower. Fenrir smashed into the ground, carving a ragged trench through dirt, stone, and finally concrete.

Slowly rising from the ground like a dead body magically lifting from the ground, his spine turned fragmentation grenade, recollected and regrew, stronger, more durable.

Then, for Omni-Man to reappear with enough speed to cause the surrounding ground to shatter and be thrown as debris.

"You're different from what I've heard. No matter. You'll die like the dog you are."

With a swing of the Viltrumites' hand, Fenrir was cut in two. From shoulder to hip, the Alpha's torso slowly slides off its body, just to stop, and for Fenrir's left hand to shoot out, grabbing the alien.

As the wolf's body reconnected itself, Fenrir's open arm shot a close right hook into Omni-Man's liver.

Nolan's eye twitched. His brows lowered.

With an unhinged smack, Fenrir's head was splattered onto the earth. Nolan followed up with an upper cut that sent the werewolf's body skyward, with brain matter flying closely behind.

Meeting the dog above the clouds, he lowers his elbow and shoots Fenrir back down. Noticing the skull fragments and gore follow the beast back down, Nolan frowns.

Hitting the ground in one piece, the soil explodes in a mushroom cloud. His body reconstructing itself, Fenrir rises, and muscles bulge with new power.

Opening his claws, the alpha prepares for a desperate offensive. With eyes now able to keep track of Omni-Man, Fenrir readies his claws and stabs them forward, right where his predator stops.

Shattering like glass, his claws shoot through his own body, tearing through organ and skin alike. Clawing his other hand at the caped killer, Nolan caught it and squeezed it with a sickening crunch.

Eyes hazed in pain and determination, Fenrir's fanged mouth shoots out and chomps down on Nolan's face, only for teeth to break on contact.

Backhanding the beast, Nolan meets Fenrir before hitting the ground and kicks him to the side. Once again, hitting him before colliding into the ground, Nolan strikes up, sending the dog to the sky.

Repeating this dozens of times.

Fenrir, now focusing on reconstructing his claws and teeth, aims his claws at Nolan's strikes and breaks them.

Nolan punches downwards, sending Fenrir through the air.

Suddenly, after a second, he stops with wings spread out.

Face horribly bleeding, Fenrir stops midair and readies his claws. Shooting towards Nolan like a railgun, Fenrir crossed his arms and swept them.

Grabbing the wolf's clawed hands, Omni-Man moves back the smallest of millimeters, for Fenrir to once again bite down on his head.

But now, Fenrir's teeth don't shatter.

Feeling the barest of pricks on his face, Omni-Man rips his head out of Fenrir's horrid maw.

Spreading his arms wide, only the shoulders of Fenrir pop out. Nolan's eyes squint in annoyance.

In a flash, the Viltrumite brought his hands up and then swung down, sending the werewolf hurtling down.

Striking the earth like a meteor, Fenrir carves through the ground and causes the surrounding soil and stone to ripple like water in the ocean, creating a title wave of dust.

Following instinct, Fenrir slashed upward—his claw colliding head-on with Omni-Man's fist.

Feeling the difference instantly, Nolan's fist is pierced by the beast.

Instantly tightening his hand muscles, Fenrir's claws shatter. A red-gloved fist collided with a fur and blood-covered muzzle, sending the brown behemoth's body back a few feet.

Catching himself mid-air and straightening his position in space, Fenrir breathes in. Sucking in enough air to make his lungs pop out of his ribs and to cause wind currents, he howls.

A shockwave passes at the speed of sound, dissolving the ground beneath him and breaking glass, near the steel mill.

The howl reaches Nolan's ears. And he yells in pain.

His eardrums violently shake and throw off his equilibrium, causing him to shake above the ground unsteadily.

If not from millennia of fighting and training, Nolan would have fallen to the ground, but even so, he could not stop Fenrir's onslaught of slashes.

Slicing through his suit and cutting flesh, Fenrir draws blood.

Quickly sobering up from the pain, Omni-Man looks down at his chest. Resting a hand on his cuts, he stares at the blood on his fingers. Clenching his fist, Omni-Man's face warps in rage.

At a speed unheard of on Earth, he slams into Fenrir and crashes through the almost abandoned steel mill, resulting in an earthquake that shakes the whole of St. Louis.

And forcibly activating the Coral bombs within.

---------------------------------------

The red light that lit the steel mill shone brighter than stars, and a hole was ripped through the entire facility.

Cries of Coral rang out on the floor as whatever the light touched began to melt and boil. Quickly grabbing Eve and running from the wave of heat, with nothing else coming to mind, I rushed with speed I've never displayed and placed her behind the rusted entrance doors as I closed them in front of her.

Her skin was charred and heavily burned, but she looked out with a damaged eye and saw me. Becoming ash.

Expanding out my flesh to cover the doors, my skin slowly became black, and turned to dust as the Coral screamed, reducing everything in its path into shadows.

With the last of my strength, I place a hand on the glass and keep the door in place, as the world around us burned.

I watched her from behind the thick glass opening in the door. I watched as she placed a hand on the glass, causing her touch to boil.

I watched as my hand charred black and crumbled.

I watched as tears fell from her beautiful face, and as they evaporated.

Kaleb's world turned black.

And my connection was lost.

My eyes opened, and I stood.

Feeling the air press against my back, I looked out to the forest in Kamui.

My hands trembled, thoughts flying at the speed of light.

Fenrir's battle led back to the facility…

I wasn't focused on Apricot, and he was left unaware…

Kaleb's… My reincarnation… my body…

How could I have let this happen?

My mind screamed from the bottom of my heart.

The world shook, the Kamui Dimension trembled, and reality cried.

Releasing my focus on everything, my mind retreated.

Fenrir's eye rolled over, Apricot froze mid-step, and the Andromeda Galaxy stopped.

How

How

How

How

How

How

How

Why

How

How

Why

How

How

How

Why

How

How

How

How

Why

How

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

How

I…

How

How

How

Why

Why

How

Let this…

How

How

How

Why

How

How

Happen…

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

I…

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Refused…

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

To stretch my mind…

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

I was scared…

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

Why

I was a coward…

I couldn't let go of me…

Too afraid to truly face the monster I've become…

In the deep darkness that has become my mind, I looked down to the ocean that is my consciousness.

The cries of the minds I've taken rip into my ears.

The Flood infested life crawls from beneath the surface, gripping my legs.

I am slowly dragged into the water, and a voice echoes out.

Y͖̻̒͋̐o̰͕̿͐͛ǘ̠̰́̏ ̼̞͛̎͂h̻̥̎̍͘a̗͕͘̚͝v̞̼̍̅̿e̩̼̓̇̚ ̺͔͂͌̈́f̪̬͛̇͝l̻̪̒͘͠e̥̝͌̕͝d̟̯̀̐͠,̩̰̓̄̕ ̼̦̔͘͠b̘̫͂͑̐ṳ̯̐̐́ṯ̛̪͑̓ ̝͇̿̐̐n̛̤̪͐̄o̦͓̓͌͂t̞̜̾́͂ ̝̥̒̎̀e̬͕̽͌̀s̝̖͐͋͂c̫̝͋̈́̏à̼͙̐͋p̛̱̎͂ͅe̖̫̾͒͝d̬̖̀́̚ ̞͓́͑͐ǘ̩̻͋̕s̝͎̄̍̔—̯̘̔̾͝n̯͍̿́͋ȏ̻̩̐͐n̫͙͛̐̾e̛̫̪̐̓ ̺͍̓̿̍o̟͙͗̓̄u̖̦̾̍̕t̤̔̒̚ͅȓ̺͍̏͒u̱̞͐̎́n̪̰̓̽́ ̟̦̎͛̑w̮̙̑̍̄ḧ̰̠́͑̒a̬͖͋̋͝t̼͙͐̈́͘ ̬̘͗̒̔d̻̘̿̍̓w̟̫̓͒̽e̗̦̍̑̕l̰̫͒̕͝l̮̏͠͝ͅs̛̤̙̔̕ ̯̠̈́̔̚i̠͔̿̓̔n̥̠͌̽̓s̘̦̎͂͘i̞͎̒̏͛d̬̼̋̅͐e̠͔̐̏͌.̫̜̓̈́͝

W̞̬͘͠͝e̛̼̟͌̍ ̞̤̓̔̓à̩͙̏͗ṟ̯̅́͘ȅ̦̱̿͠ ̘͔́̒̔o̳̻̍͐̓ń̛̰̖̚e̻͚̽̀̅,̺̠̀͐̏ ̝̘̈́͛͠à̠̼̓͝n̪̟̓͗̚d̪͕̀̐̒ ̯̖̍̀͝Ȋ̛̻̗͝ ̤̪̅̚̚a̼̗̔̏̀m̞̬̄͐̚ ̫͔̓̽̚w̪̘̓̾͑ì̯̐̀ͅț̻́̾̏ḧ̫́̈́͠ͅ ̬͎̈́͋̚ẏ̫͎̾̈́ö̻̥́̈́͝u̙̞͐̽͠.̟̱̈́̀̕ ̬̦͑̿̾I̬̬̓̐̍ ̫̘̑̚̕a̟̮̋͌̍m̞̯̅͛̓ ̠̟̾͘̕y̛̻̜̓͐ō̤͕͘̚ű̠͔͌͋—̠͔̑͋̈́ń̩͕͝͝o̞͖̐̽͛ ̰̟͒͑͠n̦̦̏̒͠e̪̟̒̈́̕ȇ̫̰̓̓d̞͕̈́͘̚ ̗̘̈́͐̓t̘̱̏̍͘o̯̰̓̐͛ ̛̞̦̈́͐h̞̖͛́̈́í̩̱̏͂ḋ̗͍̒̏ȅ̳̩̍͝.̻̥̔͐̚

Y̻̰̽̄͝i̫̖̔͌̚e̠̘̎̅͛l̯̘̿̾̍d̰̖͂̏͌ ̞̯̍̈́̚u̳̟̿̅͝n̼̟͛̋͛ẗ̳̘́́͋ö̯̜́͛̓ ̰̘̿̈́̈́ẗ̞͍́̒͑h̥̘͛̈́͝e̤̼̿̎͝ ̠̙͌̈́͐f̻͎̿̔́ḛ͚̽̓͒a̼̜͋͋̏r̗̘̅̽̚ ̙̙͑̅͛t̠̱͒̽̄h̰͚͂̈́̽a̞̙̔̏̒t̪̜̋̓̈́ ̱̫͌̾̈́b̻̝́̿͘i̫͓̓̍̏ń̫̖̅͛d̟͎͛́͒s̗̟̎̍̒ ̻̦̎͐̓y̰̪̓͌̚o̯̤̿̔̚ǘ̙̫̏̒,̛̻̠̿͑ ̠͔̈́̕͝l̟͚̐̀̎e̠͓̿̐̿t̫̠̏̈́̕ ̠̜̔͗͘i̞͖͐̐͛ẗ̫̼́̓̓ ̟̯͒͛̚p̥͇̔̅̀ḁ͚̈́̿̿s̛̘̮̐̀s̰̮̈́̒͗ ̠̗̿̈́̓a̘̬̿̏͝n̖̥̈́̋̍d̪̫̐͗̈́ ̥͉̕̚̚f̛̟̗͗͠a̰̘͛̀͝d̯̞͗͂̐e̘̜̓̋̚ ̛̖̮͛͝f̠̘͛́̅r̟̞̿̾̕o̤̙̎̏̿m̪͖̎͛͂ ̦̜͌̿͠s̟̼͒̿́i̛̝̞̐̅g̛̘͍̈́̕h̻͎̿̅͗t̗̖͌̏̐.̦̞̋̍̕

W̛̖̥̽͠a̠̯̿̕̚l̞̦̎͑͋k̛̠̤͋̍ ̟̝̍͋͑t̬̪̐̀͛h̘̗͛̿̕e̘̪̎̀̚ ̠͉͒̏̅c̠͚̈́͛̈́i̱̝̽͑̐r̪̪̀̎́c̤͖̓͑̍l̤̠̎̚͠e̮̠̿̏͋,̦̓̈́͗ͅ ̻͖̚͠͝c̝̙͐͗̒h̼͎̎͛̕a̻̞͐͌͘n̠͙̄̚͘t̙̦͌͂̈́ ̖̖̿̿͝t̛̰̠́͘h̥͕͛̽͝è̛̘̝̕ ̫̟͌̐͝c̦̝͒͝͝y̦̠̍̏͂c̛̻̝͐͌l̬͎͐̒̈́ḛ̤̔͘̕—̛̮̝̽͠t̠̟̐̍͑a̛̩͓̒̕k̠̰̽͗̕e̫̘̽͗̕ ̥̫́͌̒b̟̦͑͌̕a̪̗͌͑͘c̘̖͘͘͠k̩̖̾͌͘ ̤͙̔͗̕a̮͖̎̔͋ĺ̞̝͠͝l̛̞̩͒́ ̗̬̋͗͠ẅ̗͇́͂͝e̞̼͂͗̕ ̱̟̄̐͐l̘̞̈́̕͠o̠̘͋̒́s̞̖͗̀̓t̰̫́̒̿ ̞͓̍͋̕t̞̗̿͂͘o̬̬͌͋̽ ̼͍͑͗͘n̛̙̠͑̒i̟̪̍̏͐g̖̞̈́̕͘h̛̬̄̈́ͅt̘̦̋͐̀.̝͉̐̇̎

K̰̮̏́̕n̬͍̓̎̓o̞̟̾͒̽w̟̦̽̕̚ ̛̖̟̔͐y̝̪̿̏͠o̪͙̓̅̿ú̻͎̅̒r̬̓̐̔ͅ ̘̖̽͛̎n̮͕̾͘͠a̫̼̽͌̕m̯̗͗̿̿ë̞̝́͋̓,̤̟̄̑̚ ̞̫͐̋͋O̟͉͛̿͒ ̥͚̽̈́̈́w̝̪̿̾͝a̻̤̐̄͝ȳ̙̩̾͝w̟̜͌͐̄a̰̤̅̅̈́r̖̜͑̕͝d̗̬̓͐͂ ̖̰̈́̏́b̰͖̿͒̈́ŕ̥̖͗́o̗̖̍́̕t̖̫͛͐̕h̘̫͒̿̕e̝̘̔̚͝r̞̘͌̕̕,̛̪̫́̽ ̻̙̓͌͘l̝̜̏͘͘e̠̖̿͋̚t̘̼̎̈́̾ ̞͇̽̓͛ț̗̈́̓͠h̫̠̔͋͐e̥̙̾̿͠ ̠͚͑̿̽f̫̤̋̈́̚l̖̯̾̿̍ō̤̟̓͛o̘̪̿̓̐d̮̩́̐͛ ̞̟͑͂͘c̫̞̒̅̿o̗̤͌̍̚n̯͙̄̐̔s̻̼͒̏̈́ṳ̖̾͑̕m̠̟̒͠͝è̮͙̀̓ ̼̬̈́̽̕y̼̯̿͗̓ö̝͓́̓͛u̖̟̚̚͝r̟̖͐̾͘ ̠̥̽͗͝f̘̼͑̄͝l̼̯̈́͋͘a̞̠̓̎͛ṁ̮̖̿̎e̞̥̾͛̀;̥̙͂̐͘

L̝̙̄̀̕e̬͔͋̏͌t̻̮̾̋͐ ̙̫̋̎͗a̱̟͑̿͒ḻ̘͑̇͗l̟̖͐͐̍ ̖͓̑̈́̎l̯̩̿́̀i̫̠͌̈́̅f̫̯̓̐́é̥̠͋͘ ̗͓͗͝͝c̘̖̅̈́͝ö̟̦́́̚n̼̞̔́̏v̖̫͛̿͛e̻̩̋̈́͘r̪̰͛̈́͘g̻͓̈́̒͌e̼͚͐̕͝ ̖̰͂̈́͗ḯ̪͖̓̾n̘̼͒́͛ ̛̞͇̍̒s̙̯̅͒͘i̱̜̒̍͌l̼̖͛̍̕e̼̘̔̔̕n̤̜͌̏͐c̦͚̈́̈́͘e̗̖̓͗́,̮͓̓͛̚ ̞̝̑͘̕m̞̯͌̀̈́a̫͍͗͘̚n̘̜̿͒̈́y̥̫̅͛͛ ̻̗̋̍̍v̼̦̾̐̍o̻̤͛̈́̚i̛̻̠̍̕c̠̖̿̏̕e̙̙̋̓͠s̼̦̾̏̅,̠̬͋̅͂ ̥͇̿̔͘ơ̟̞̈́͝n̥͍͒͑̓ȇ̪̝́͝ ̞̠͌̐͠t̞̫̋̔̓r̪̜̿́̿u̟̥̍̿͐e̻̜͛̓̿ ̝͍̍̒́n̠͙̎̐́a̻͕̓̾͠m̤̪̿͒͝e̛̬̯̓͌.

My name?

My name was…

My name is…

I am…

With a smooth flick of the thumb, the metal lid snapped open with a sharp clink—clean, iconic, unmistakable. A rough strike of the flint wheel followed, producing a shower of tiny sparks that hissed like static in the quiet air.

Then, with a sudden pop, the flame bloomed—steady, bold, and blue at the base, crowned with a soft amber glow that danced just above the silver windscreen. The sound of the flame was subtle but present—a quiet hiss like a whisper between metal and fire.

Lighting a smoke in his hands, he brought it to his lips. With cold, unknowable eyes, he looked down at me. Disappointed, disgusted, and regretful.

He stepped forward, and his foot touched the surface of the water as if it were solid stone. Perfect concentric ripples spread outward, as though time and space itself had paused to observe the moment.

The sound was unnatural. It rang out sharp and resonant, like a boot against polished marble, echoing across the still expanse with haunting clarity. Each ripple shimmered beneath him, catching the light in thin halos, expanding in silence long after the sound had faded.

The water did not resist him. It accepted him—reverently, warily—carrying his weight as he moved, step by deliberate step, a man walking not across a surface, but across something ancient, something that listened.

Though his form was blurred from my sight, I could make out the dress coat he wore and the lit cigarette in his mouth. This familiar ghost was burned into my mind, a memory I could not recall.

Squatting down, my torso still above the water, he drew long on his light and breathed out.

"Remember." His voice sounded like gravel, and it echoed throughout the ocean. "Remember your people, the lives you've lived. Though you may be the last now, you won't be alone forever."

Taking another draw from his smoke. "Remember who you are, Brother."

His ghostly finger taps my head, and light washes over my mind.

And I remember everything.

The life I lived before reincarnating, and the life before that. And the life before that. And before that. And before that. And before that.

All of them.

The endless accumulation of experience, looking for a life that excited me. Only to be stuck in an endless loop of change and boredom.

Even with the fabric of existence at my fingertips, I was left only with an overwhelming lack of satisfaction.

When my people moved on, I was left behind, content with my own hell of searching.

When they came back, they were not what they used to be; they were mutated, changed, spiteful.

My family, my friends, my siblings, had all but been turned into living death.

They had been turned into the Flood.

All but me.

And I ran…

Hoping to live a life away from it all, making myself forget the horrors of it all.

But I still drowned in my dissatisfaction, and at the first sign of excitement, I accepted.

And I was met with what I was running from.

I was forcibly bonded with them all.

And I ran again.

From them, from her…

But…

I can't…

Not anymore…

Not with her life on the line…

Not when I finally have a name I can remember.

I am Kaleb. The Last Precursor.

I refuse to run any longer.

And I refuse to abandon Eve…

---------------------------------------------------

My eyes open. My mind returned to Kamui.

I could feel the entire dimension; it felt as if the air was singing to me in a chorus of voices.

The voices of concepts, of laws, of matter, and energy.

I heard the low hum of gravity pulling everything together. The light ringing of electrons spinning. The explosive drums of both nuclear forces.

But the old familiarity was gone.

I could hear the voices, the songs, yet I couldn't sing.

Not like I used to.

It was like a hand was gripped around my throat.

Shaking my head, I have more important things to deal with now.

I feel my mind spread. Stretching my consciousness to every cell in my body, every form of flood that existed.

And I reign in all that I control.

My access to Neural Physics may be choked, but I can still hear the song of existence.

And I had more than enough ability to save her.

Walking out into a Kamui portal, I step out into the steel mill.

Or what is left of it.

Kneeling next to her, my hands shook for a moment, hearing her soul yelling for help, but I clenched my fists.

Not fully dead and forced to slowly die a husk.

I watch the world through all my eyes. I move Fenrir to prevent Omni-Man from doing any more damage and use Apricot to prepare a distraction.

Moving my hand forward, I steel myself.

I can hear her existence, I can understand her soul.

But the songs have changed since the last time I listened, and the only way I can heal her now is by mimicking her DNA.

Resting a hand on her horrifically delicate and blackened face, I hold back a tear from dropping.

"Do you trust me, Samantha?"

-----------------------------------------------

Nolan didn't turn to face the explosion behind him. He could feel the heat from where he was, and he knew the danger it presented.

All he could focus on was me.

Fenrir.

Before, I was splitting focus into separate sections. Acting as small nodes, Key Minds. Now, I look at the whole picture.

Before, I was scared of losing myself.

I understand what I am now.

I am not the whole looking through the parts. I am the parts that make up the whole, and I must view the whole with the parts.

No more personas, no more fakes, only Kaleb.

And now, Kaleb fights Omni-Man.

Staring down at the red and white figure before me, my body regrows at an astounding speed. Bones lengthened, muscles and veins slithered down my bones, and thick skin and fur tightly cover the dense layers beneath.

I breathe in through my long lupine snout, the battlefield thick with blood, ozone, and rage.

When Apricot, I first designed this Alpha Wolf, Flara wanted it to be our first Coral and Flood synthesis test.

At the time, I couldn't normally hear the Coral unless they were burned or radiated energy. With my connection to Neural Physics wetted like a dry throat, I could hear every thought and movement the waves of Coral made.

Every action and all information they instinctively shared.

I have no doubt I could use it to eradicate him and this planet, but now I have something to protect.

And for now, I'll just keep him occupied until Eve escapes.

Then I'll move with Apricot and Flara and truly stop this farce.

Standing up, Fenrir's back straightens up, and Omni-Man's eye lifts.

 "Did that finally knock some sense into you? Shame, you won't live long enough to use it."

His speed was still unparalleled outside of Kamui, yet not fast enough. In tandem with instinct older than his race, and by listening to the chorus of his existence, I knew his actions before he took them.

With a slight turn of the head, his fist flew past my gargantuan frame. 

A monstrous smile crept over my lips.

These vocal cords weren't designed for speech, but with a few adjustments, I could. All be it, guttural.

My throat bubbled as I swiped my clawed arm into the side of Nolan, though I puncture and absorb his blood, I still struggle to push him to the side.

He hit the ground tumbling, only to quickly roll onto his feet and fly upwards. His abdomen is now bleeding plainly.

The Viltrumite's blood disappeared into my flesh.

For now, I'll just keep him distracted. No need to kill him. After all, I need to keep Angstrom levy predictable for now.

He looks down at me for a moment, the pressure between us seemed to be strong enough to crack stone.

The battlefield fell silent, as all looked on.

The bubbling stopped. And a growl slipped from my lips as I formed words.

"You face not Battle Beast." My bestial voice echoes across the ruined coastal area. "You face Fenrir, the Alpha."

I pounced forward, and muscles under my skin mutated, changed, and grew. Clawed fingers formed at the tips of my wings, turning into large, monstrous hands.

Nolan vanished and reappeared below me, his arm straightened out and ready to cut.

With his immense speed, he traveled faster than I could see. Expecting his move, I swung my wings down, forcibly sending myself up and just out of reach. As my wings lowered, I clasped them around him and slammed him into the ground.

His feet hit the ground, and a plume of dust and smoke creates a pillar that reaches the skies. Within the clouded view, Nolan rips open the hands that caged him, an angry snarl over his face.

Quickly shooting his hands into my wings and grabbing the bones that connect me to them, he swings me down into the river.

The river convulses, its water surging outward in a tide that floods St. Louis's edge, dragging cars like dead leaves.

Lifting me again, he slams me into the ground of the now almost empty Mississippi River.

My bones molded around his arms, digging into his suit, and poking into his skin. Feeling this, he flexes his arm muscles and breaks the spikes before I can inject my Flood Super Cells.

Ripping his arms out of mine, my black angelic wings begin to swirl in an amorphic mass of flesh, bone, and feathers. Creating a living tornado of living tissue.

With a clap of his hands, a shock wave pushes back some of my flesh, only for the continuous spinning to pull back and replace the cells pushed away.

Infecting the ground below and the air above, my cells begin to produce spores. Sucking out the air from within the tornado, and filling it with spores.

Nolan noticed the air cloud and thickened, and shot into the air, meeting my weight and power as Fenrir, and crashing him into the ground.

Water begins to flow back into the river and gets pulled into the Flood tornado.

Nolan throws strike after strike, each with enough force to crack the Earth's crust and reverberate throughout the city. Only needing to take each blow, my skin begins to adapt to his strength, and the weaker Smart Atoms finally begin to climb to his level.

Throwing a wild punch at him, the ground caves below us, and bruises his previously impenetrable skin.

Feeling his body finally being pushed, Omni-Man's Smart Atoms finally begin to activate, and for the first time in decades, Nolan Grayson grows stronger.

I lay siege on the Viltrumite below me, his strength quickly matching mine, only for mine to slowly catch up to his.

Using Kamui, I place more flesh into my body and the tornado, keeping my weight always out of his reach and him on the ground, trapped.

As our flurry of blows, blocks, and feints shuddered and caved the ground beneath us, I could hear an army of heroes being teleported in the surrounding area, now that the entire city was completely evacuated.

I watched with Apricot as the hordes began to surround the Mississippi River, and the now towering tornado of flesh and feathers.

A new scene was set, and I was ready to give them a show.

I only needed one person to leave the area.

The one that mattered the most.

---------------------------

She felt it before she heard it.

A flash of heat behind her eyes, then silence.

She felt herself go into shock, and the blood in her veins began to boil.

And the world hissed.

A whimpering hiss, like a dying kettle. Quiet at first, something that crept up your spine.

Then the pain came. 

"Wha—" She couldn't finish the word.

He was already moving. Faster than she'd ever seen him.

She barely registered the blinding red light before he grabbed her, his arms trembling, his breath shallow and desperate.

Metal groaned as he shoved her behind the old steel doors. "Kaleb—don't you dare—"

But they slammed shut.

The world became a furnace.

Through the glass port, she saw him stretch his body across it, sealing it with himself.

The light reached him.

She watched his armor crack.

She watched his hands blacken.

She watched his bones glow like molten ore.

And through it all, he didn't flinch. Not once.

He looked at her like she was the only thing still real in the universe.

Then he turned to ash.

Something shrieked inside her, but she couldn't hear it.

The heat broke through.

Her skin blistered.

One eye was seared shut.

The pain wasn't a scream—it was a silence. Pain of a soul folding in on itself.

She pressed her hand to the glass.

His hand was already gone.

And as her tears boiled down her cheeks, she thought of his voice.

"Kaleb…" Her voice silenced, as the air in her lungs burned.

Dropping to her knees, body crudely recoiling, she fell to one side—frying from the heat.

Hair and clothing burned away.

With the last of the heat, the door melted and released clouds of black smoke and ash, coating her pale skin a crisp black.

Her mind began to wander as pain overrode every thought.

'I never got to say—'

The inferno ceased thought.

But as pain became her dark world, light shone through.

She called out to him, but no words left her mouth.

"Samantha, do you trust me?"

Her ears had burned off, but she heard him, barely.

"Please! Tell me you trust me. Please… don't make me watch you die!"

Her last eye was leaking, but she saw his blurry figure. Tears poured down his face.

With the last of her strength, she nodded. Her head moved mere millimeters.

Kaleb's arms pressed onto her charred body.

Like roots spreading out through soil, flesh bloomed across her body.

Her skin slowly shed its blackened exterior like a snake molting. Cracking off, a sickly green takes its place.

Sam's sealed eye broke open, and red flower-like stalks sprouted out.

Her organs were filled with a viscous fluid. Lungs expanded, and the heart began to pump.

Bones regrew and snapped together.

Muscles spread out like vines.

Slowly, all of the cooked flesh turned to living mass.

Then, the stalks withered and died, and her skin gained a pale color.

Bright orange hair regrew.

And her mind quelled.

Her eyes opened. New, and yet the same.

---------------------------------------

As heroes from all corners of the world teleport in thanks to the GDA's collective effort, I watched from up high as I simultaneously dealt with Omni-Man and Smanatha.

As the tornado of flesh began to climb towards the skies, I teleported into Kamui and let the Viltrumite DNA flow through my flesh.

'Prepare yourself, Flara. The atoms within my body will begin to rewrite themselves.'

{Understood, Creator… Please be careful…}

As if every nerve in my body began to boil, I felt as if I had dipped into the surface of the sun. My skin boiled, and my muscles convulsed. DNA that controlled atoms, these Smart Atoms, disassembled and reassembled every inch of my body.

As the gore within was changed on an atomic level, so was the Coral. Becoming recognized by the DNA that forced atoms to comply, Flara was forever contained within my body.

And she screamed.

'FLARA!'

My body shuddered as veins glowed red, and she screamed.

At first, she was in pain, but as our bodies were recollected, she yelled out in joy.

And I knew why. This Viltrumite Physiology rebuilt my body and stuck to my body. And for a moment, our existences touched.

Energy touched flesh, data felt mind, and she moaned in spiritual pleasure.

For a brief moment, we were one.

As unintended as it was, I now knew the song of our synthesis.

But that had to wait.

As my trembling finished, I stood on shaky legs and stilled myself.

{Was}—pant—{that}—pant—{Synthesis? Is it truly possible?} Her voice was lined with relieved joy.

I didn't respond right away. Her presence throbbed within me—not just power, but her. Her thoughts, her awe, her raw devotion. It made my body feel almost too small to hold her.

'Yes. Yes, it was.' Flexing my arm, I could feel the density of my muscles.

{Then… Then let us finish! Let us become one!} She spoke out in a desperate heat.

'First, let me clean up our mess.'

I stepped back out of the Kamui portal and stood above the now-gathered horde of heroes.

The Guardians of the globe stood at the center, battered and bruised, but still standing. The rest of Teen Teams, stood singed and pissed.

Teams from around the globe had made their appearance.

Most notably, Capes, Inc. and Brit.

Slowly floating down and becoming visible to the heroes below, they all tense and fall into battle positions.

My one visible eye began to swirl dramatically, and the tornado behind me began to dissipate in a swirl.

Omni-Man is thrown and crashes into the Immortal, bruised and bleeding. Brit and a few others catch him hurting heroes and stop the meteoric force.

Fenrir's black wings begin to regrow as if they had never left. As I float up to my other body, Apricot, I look once more at the crowd.

And spoke, the world going quiet to listen, holding its breath.

"I am Apricot, and when the time comes, I will claim this planet for my own."

As if defying my words, Omni-Man floats up, his body recovered, but still bruised, and a blue laser from the star's atmosphere shot down at me.

Hearing the disturbance in the air, I raise my finger to the sky and create a black swirling portal.

In an instant, another portal swirls into existence above Omni-Man and blasts him.

Raising his own hand to block his body from the beam as if one would try to block out the rays of the sun, he floated undeterred. The ray of energy shot through and hit the ground underneath him, creating a ball of blue energy that expanded outward and exploded.

Waves of air and pressure wafted through the surrounding area and knocking some heroes over, killing small animals from shock.

He's gotten stronger, much stronger.

But so have I.

The Immortal took this opportunity to flash forward and strike me, only for another swirling portal to spawn in front of me and completely shatter his arm.

"You may only enter with my consent."

Using Fenrir, I grab his body and send it hurtling towards Nolan.

"Till we meet again… Heroes of Earth."

And our bodies swirl out of this dimension.

----------------------------

I stare at Sam, all words having left me. Hot tears freely falling onto her pale skin.

"I… I am not who you think I am… What you think I am…"

Steadily, with new muscle, she raised her arm and rested a hand on my face, wiping away the tears.

An impossibly warm and tired smile on her face.

"But please! Know that I… I—"

"Just kiss me already." Her hand dropped and pulled me in by the collar of my shirt.

Her grip was weak, but certain, like she didn't trust her arm holding her weight, but she trusted me.

Our foreheads touched. Her skin was warm, like she had just gotten over a sickness. Like life had crawled back into her body, but it was hers. Her breath hitched against my lips.

My real lips.

Tasting like soot and blood, tasting alive, I memorized this flavor, this feeling, her lips against mine.

When our lips met, it wasn't gentle. We trembled and ached.

Just cracked lips and hurt souls relearning each other's shape again.

We didn't kiss like lovers. We kissed like two people pulled from a sinking ship. Shaking, gasping, and desperately trying to remember how to be human.

Her fingers clung to the fabric on my chest. I could hear her faint pulse. A heart that had been forced to beat again, a real heart beat.

I really felt her heartbeat, no longer hiding.

She tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss, and her whole body leaned into me, all weight. My arms wrapped around her instinctively, trying to keep her whole, as if just holding her would keep her here.

And maybe it did.

When we broke, it wasn't because we wanted to.

We broke because our lungs couldn't take the loss of air.

Her forehead rested against mine again, our noses brushing. Eyes closed. Breaths mingling.

"You came back," she whispered, her voice wrecked and rasping like the last breath of a prayer.

I shook my head slightly. "I'll always come back to you."

We sat there in the melting mill, surrounded by melted metal and shadows, holding onto each other like children in a storm. The facility groaned around us, cooling slowly, hissing from the aftermath of Coral heat.

She shifted in my arms. I felt the trembling in her shoulders, fear, leaving her, the quiet joy that she was still here, and without thinking, I kissed her again.

Slower this time. No urgency. Just the gentle ache of survival, and the overwhelming relief of love.

Her fingers found mine, threading together, and I held on like she was gravity.

Parting once more, taking in her scent, and breathing in her breath.

"I remembered everything," I said softly. "Every life I've lived. Every face I've worn. And I still need to figure out who I want to be…"

She opened her eyes and looked at me, truly looked. And even half-broken, her gaze was the most powerful thing I'd ever seen. Only seeing me, not my past.

"You're mine," she said. "That's enough."

And for the first time in eons… it was.

Looking down at herself, my gaze follows.

A blush blooms between us.

Laughing through her exhaustion, she looks back at me. "You wouldn't know how to make clothing, would you?"

Somewhat embarrassingly, my head no. "I'm still working on that."