Years ago…
Aarón lays on the couch in his brother’s old house, younger looking. He scrolls through his phone until a cry comes from upstairs in young Mico’s room. He sighs as he gets up. Aarón was tired from babysitting his nephew and had been feeling off all day. He just wanted some rest. Aarón notices as he heads up the stairs, that every smell and sound seems to be amplified. Every hair on his body stands on end. Something didn’t feel right with him. He enters the room. Baby Mico lays in a crib with his hands curled into fists, His face red from crying. Aarón goes over to the crib as a strange feeling washes over him. He abruptly grasps the sides of the crib and stares down at his nephew with glowing orange eyes. Instead of soft loving words, a low growl rumbles out from deep within his chest as his lips curl back into a horrific snarl. Aarón stands over his nephew like a wild beast who had just cornered prey. Mico stops crying, looking back into the wild eyes of his uncle, or Instinct rather.
Instinct senses something dark, a strange force that emanates from Mico. He leans further down, his head cocked to the side. Then a dark shadow abruptly bursts from Mico’s chest, sending Instinct flying back on to the floor. The shadow with its glowing red eyes quickly moves out of the bedroom and downstairs. Instinct picks himself up, hearing the sound of the front door opening. Instinct stalks his way downstairs where he finds Aarón ‘s brother, Juan. “Hey, little bro! How did it go?” He asks, turning away, not yet noticing there was something definitely not right with his brother. Instinct sees the shadow curling around Juan. He crouches down. “I bet you two had fun with the new stuffed toys a-”
With a heart stopping roar, Instinct tackles the shadow along with his brother to the ground. “What the hell are you doing?!” Juan yells, wrestling his unnaturally strong brother away from him. Instinct bears his fangs at the shadow only he can see, deadly saliva steaming out from his mouth. The shadow screeches and rushes out through the door. In a flash, Instinct is outside, running into the desert night after it. Juan stands, shocked and scared. He knows better than to call the police. As Juan runs upstairs to check on Mico, a sound like a tiger roaring echoes throughout the quiet little town of Hurricane.
Instinct, now in their true tiger form, has caught the shadow, his powerful jaws clamp down on their neck, suffocating them. The shadow tries to scream, But their red eyes dim and roll back as they go still. Instinct growls before ripping a large chunk out of it with his powerful teeth. Instinct hesitates, Something about this situation feels familiar to him, like it had happened before. The shadow creature grows blurred before disappearing into the dark.
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Aarón wakes up with a small cry, his heart pounding. Aarón shakes his head. He finds himself alone on the couch, a heated blanket draped over him. Circuit must have gone to his own bed. Aarón gets up and heads to the bathroom. He turns on the water and splashes cold water on his face. Aarón looks at himself in the mirror and with a start, notices that his fangs are bigger and sharper than they had been just a few days ago. Perhaps this has to do with me being in the multiverse where I belong? And Tribez did say something about me finally having a mostly meat diet would affect my Katian features. The image of Instinct leaning over his nephew and the shadowy monster’s red eyes flashes through his mind again. Aarón shudders.
Aarón decides to go outside and get some fresh air. He exits the big house and begins walking down the street. The cold air nips at him, fully waking him up. He looks down at his forearms, noticing that tufts of fur there and on his lower legs are already starting to grow in the cold climate. Maybe I’ll let my mane and fur fully grow out, who cares what people think anymore at this point. Aarón stops and stretches with a yawn. Aarón’s thoughts abruptly jump back to what Tribez had said to him when they had first arrived in Kaleido. You, Just like me, have ancient power inside of you. Aarón sighs and sits down by a bush, taking out his stone tiger and rubbing it between his fingers. Aarón had acted like he didn’t know what Tribez meant by that when he really did. Aarón closes his eyes.
Aarón had been walking home from boxing practice one night and heard a crash from the local pawn shop. Without thinking, Aarón had run over to it, finding a man dressed in dark clothing inside. Aarón felt Instinct come out partially, and his influence made Aarón jump through the smashed window where he tackled the man who was in the middle of robbing it. Something strange happened. Through his pumping adrenaline, Aarón had felt a different kind of energy, an energy that was so vast and ancient that it was beyond his comprehension. He remembered touching the man who screamed as his mind was breached, his memories flowing into Aarón. The man had then looked at him, confused. “Who am I?” From that day on, Aarón could consciously feel that powerful energy nagging at him to be used, but he tamped it down. He is afraid of what he could do if he fully unleashes it, especially out of anger.
A small meow shakes Aarón from his thoughts. A little black cat with four glowing green eyes and antennae emerges from a bush, rubbing against Aarón’s long legs. “Hey little kitty, how are you?” He reaches down, petting them. He looks down at the gold star on their purple collar which reads “Stuggle”. He turns the tag over to see Circuit’s name and address. “So you’re Circuit’s? He must take good care of you.” Aarón murmurs. He decides to cut his walk short, Stuggle trailing along behind him. “Good morning.” Circuit greets him sleepily, back on the couch. Aarón sees that the giant robot takes up even more of the couch than he did last night. “I see you’ve met Stuggle.” Circuit pats the top of his belly, Stuggle hopping up on top of it and making it wobble around merrily. Aarón notices the air around Circuit is quite warm, as he sits on the far side of the couch.
“I have a built-in heater near my stomach. And considering my size i could heat up an entire room if i wanted to.” Circuit explains, as if reading his mind. “Cool, you must save a lot of money on heating bills!” Circuit chuckles out loud, surprising Aarón with how much it vibrates the air. “What do you want for breakfast? I can make almost anything.” Aarón pushes down the memory of Instinct gorging himself on the shadow thing, thinking for a moment. “I’ll just have a pancake and sausage if that’s okay?” Circuit gently prods Stuggle off of him, rocking forward before slowly heaving himself up with much difficulty. Circuit notices Aarón ‘s concern, his face falling. “I had a pretty bad surge last night, Luckily I can lift well over one thousand pounds, I got my strength enhanced and my claws installed when I joined the safety force.”
Circuit lumbers into the kitchen and soon enough, the smell of sausage and pancakes fills the air. “So, what’s the plan today?” Aarón asks, quickly eating his meal. “Well, Tribez and Stacy said that we may have two or more days before Circuit-Breaker starts to activate the engine and have his followers fully attack Newon. They say that we should use this time to train you a bit more, and I’m the one they have chosen to do so. You will come with me and Whiplash when we are out on patrol and take care of smaller crimes, However today is a free day.” “What about Mico?” “Mico will be staying at the Newon Safety Force Headquarters, he will be completely safe there.” Aarón nods, satisfied with the answer. “I’m going to the mall, you can come with me or stay here.” Circuit says “I’ll go with you, I want to see more of Newon. Plus my last trip to a marketplace was cut short back in Kaleido.” Circuit quickly changes into more casual day clothing, and then the two head off to where Jake usually picks up Circuit. “I would have loved to walk, but this extra weight is admittedly a bit hard to move around with, hopefully the majority of it will be gone by tomorrow when patrol starts.”
“It’s okay, there’s no need to apologize!” Aarón reassures him. Jake arrives, and less than twenty minutes later they are standing in front of the entrance to a giant mall. “I’m going to go to the clothing store first, this shirt is getting a bit tight and worn out. Maybe you would like to find an outfit here too?” Aarón nods. “I’m not one who usually likes shopping, but a mall from the multiverse is sure to be interesting.” Aarón lets Circuit lead the way at a surprisingly brisk pace for his increased size. Aarón notices people staring at the two of them, especially at Circuit. “There’s a food court here along with an arcade, movie theater, and many other shops. There are also…” Circuit’s voice grows distant as Aarón takes in the mall, his heartbeat growing louder. The layout is very similar, almost too similar, to the Rainbow Desert Mall. A scream rings out. “Omg!!! You’re Henry Circuit!!!” A girl with bright red hair squeals, running up to the giant robot.
“I’ve always wanted to meet you! You’re way bigger than you look in pictures and on TV! Can I hug you?!” Without waiting for permission, she runs into Circuit, wrapping her arms around the front of his big belly and squeezing. She lets go, jumping up and down. “I have multiple personalities too, see?” The girl crosses her eyes and then hugs him again. “Hi! I’m her other personality!!!” Circuit looks at her with disgust. He prods the erratic girl off of him, stepping away. Aarón notices that Circuit’s claws are fully out.
“You do NOT have ‘multiple personalities,’ nor is your behavior appropriate in the least.” Circuit’s voice rumbles out loud, vibrating the air. The girl’s friends, along with a few other people, all stare at the confrontation. “Claiming to have such a stigmatized disorder and parading it around like a badge does nothing to help those who actually have it. crossing your eyes and claiming you’re a different person after is a gross and mocking misrepresentation of switching and dissociation. Where are your parents? They would most likely be ashamed of your behavior.” The girl makes a squeaking noise, darting off and leaving her friends behind. Circuit sighs deeply. “This isn’t the first time someone has claimed that or has touched me without consent.” He turns to Aarón, speaking telepathically again as they continue walking. “You don’t look so good.” Aarón shakes his head. “It’s just, I don’t really feel safe in shopping centers.” “Oh, I completely forgot that… I’m sorry. I promise that if anything bad happens, which I doubt will happen, that I’ll be here to protect you and everyone else. It is my job after all, even off duty.”
They turn into one of the many stores where the sharp smell of new clothing and perfume is surprisingly pleasant. Circuit leads Aarón over to the back of the big and tall section where tent-like clothing hangs from giant racks. Circuit begins shifting through the hangers, his face falls. “I’m not seeing anything that’ll fit me, could you possibly help me look for anything that’s close to the biggest size here?” Circuit sounds shy. “Of course!” Aarón begins to help him look and successfully finds two purple button up shirts. “Thank you! I used to have to get my clothing custom made back in the day, but now that I’ve joined the safety force and am actively advocating for people like me, Newon and the multiverse in general are starting to become more accessible and easier for us very fat people to live in.”
“That’s cool, I wish Earth and us humans would start seeing that people like you should be able to enjoy life, and that your size shouldn’t be punishable.” Circuit nods. “I’m also working with, well funded, scientists to develop a medicine that can stop a variety of problems related to weight from developing. I feel sad that I’m free from those problems due to being a robot while organic people have to suffer. I’ll be right back out.” Circuit enters a giant changing stall and closes the door. Aarón finds a bench and sits down, reaching into his pocket to find that his stone tiger is still there. He rubs its smooth surface between his fingers and studies its many warm colors. He realizes that he forgot to give the stone bird he bought to Mico. “How does this look?” Circuit steps out, wearing a blue button up shirt. “Very handsome! the color suits you.” Aarón realizes what he has just said, looking down sheepishly as Circuit blushes. “Oh, thanks!”
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Circuit pays for the shirt back up at the front of the store, still looking flustered. Walking through the mall, a stand that sells masks catches Aarón ‘s eye. “Hey, those masks kind of look like you.” He observes. “Ancient masks with markings like mine have been found all throughout the multiverse, and can be traced back to Kaleido. They are a symbol of good luck and protection.” Aarón walks up to the stall, his eyes landing on an orange one with black markings placed exactly like his own. Almost like a tiger… He compulsively purchases the mask with the leftover coins that he had gotten back in Redrock City, placing the mask in the bag with Circuit’s shirt. “I need to sit down.” Circuit announces. They find two benches facing each other near a fountain and sit.
“This is very random, but do you happen to know my sibling named Bluebell?” Aarón asks. Circuit’s eyes light up. “Yes! In fact we have an almost father and child relationship of sorts. They love coming over and hanging out with me, and they especially love hanging out with Purrcuit.” He explains. “Aw, that sounds cute.” There is a pause. “I told you a lot of things about me last night.” Circuit says after a long pause. “I think it’s only fair if you tell me about yourself, that is if you’re comfortable?” Aarón thinks for a moment, unsure where to begin. “Uh, well I was adopted when I was around two years old, I now know that was because Circuit-Breaker killed my biological parents, but you already knew that.” Circuit nods. “I do know that, but we were never told the details of what your adopted family was like or any details about your personal life on earth.” “I see. Well, my adoptive family is originally from Mexico, and then they moved to a place in Utah called Hurricane. My mom and dad and brother all loved me despite me looking… very different. I was bullied due to my looks, but that all died down as I got older. I’m also trans too, but you probably also knew that. I came out in my early teens, and then I underwent top surgery when I was an adult. I also found out that I’m romantically attracted to all genders but not really sexually attracted unless certain factors are present.”
“The same thing applies to me regarding my romantic and sexual orientation.” Circuit says. “When I was still in my twenties, I got shot.” He puts a hand on his left shoulder where a round scar is. “I was at a pro-transgender rally that got disrupted by fascists and cops. They singled me out and shot me. Aarón cringes at the painful memory. “I’m so sorry that happened. Dirty things like that used to happen in Newon and other dimensions where the majority of citizens are human. Racism is deadly, and sadly it still exists in the multiverse, but mostly with Circuit-Breaker’s followers who are human. It’s very troubling.” Aarón sighs. “I’m not surprised, those young men who claim they work for him called me a ‘dirty half freak’ and said that Katians wanted to infect humans with their savage blood. Does Circuit-Breaker think like that too?” Circuit thinks for a moment. “Circuit-Breaker claims that he does not see any race as superior or less superior to another. In fact he said that Katians are a people that he deeply respects, despite nearly wiping them out. I’ll admit that Circuit-Breaker is a confusing enemy at times.”
“Yeah. First he killed Katians, and then my brother and also wanted me killed, now he wants me captured alive for whatever reason.” A silence fills the air, the two unsure what to say next. “I’m curious, how are safety forces different from the police? And are there any mainstream religions in the multiverse?” Aarón asks. “Well, anyone ages eighteen to thirty who possess the ability to use magic, especially those who are unusually powerful, can apply to become a safety force trainee. The big difference is that trainees must complete five years of training, have backgrounds free from any major criminal records, and make it through several public voting processes. The remaining people go through one more giant vote that spans across multiple dimensions, and in the end only one person passes and becomes an official member.” Circuit explains.
“I see, and now I’m very impressed.” Aarón says. Circuit flushes. “Thank you. And as for a mainstream multiversal religion? No, there are none that are extremely widespread or to the scale of what humans practice on Earth. However there are many multiversal people who believe that there is a conscious being of sorts that watches over everything. There are also ones who are reviving ancient multiversal practices and religions specific to their dimension. An example would be the current Moon Priest of Lunarise, Spktr, who is reviving what is called ‘Lunarise,’ in which they worship The Nameless Moon God who took Spktr on as his own son.”
“Do you believe in anything?” Aarón asks. “No, not really.” Silence washes over them again. Circuit abruptly gets up. “Stacy is trying to call me, is it okay if I go take it?” “Of course, I’ll just be…” Aarón looks around at the shops, spotting one that sells miniature arcade machines. “…Over there in that shop.” He points. Circuit nods, lumbering off with his shopping bag. Aarón enters the store which is space themed, much like the cosmic casino. He browses through the arcade machines it offers, finding that they have ones of games from Earth. He moves over to the main counter where they have machines the size of a small laptop. Mico would love one of these. He thinks to himself. Aarón spots one of the same rhythm games he had played just the night before. He reaches into his pockets, sadly realizing that he is out of money. I don’t wanna beg Circuit for money, but I’ll be back… He walks back to the bench, finding Circuit who looks uncharacteristically grim. “I need to buy a few more things, but then we need to go immediately.” His voice sounds noticeably different, flat and cold. “What happened?” He asks carefully. “It’s Circuit-Breaker, and he wishes to speak to you in private.”
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A few shops later, Aarón and Circuit teleport directly into the safety force headquarters to find the rest of the team huddling together. “Good you’re here.” Stacy greets them, her face serious. “Aarón , Circuit-Breaker has suddenly reached out to us and is requesting to speak to you, alone. Obviously we will have the room bugged in case he reveals anything big. In here.” She guides him to a large meeting room with several chairs, one of them obviously made specially for Circuit. “You’ll be completely safe, it’s just a hologram. See you in a few minutes…” the door closes. Aarón is now alone in the dark room. After a minute or so, the air in front of Aarón warps into a glowing holograph of Circuit-Breaker. Aarón growls slightly. “You are a handsome creature, Aarón .” Aarón blinks. The hologram of Circuit-Breaker takes a few steps forward, his eye studying Aarón intensely. Aarón stands his ground, his face angry and filled with disgust. Circuit-Breaker cocks his head to the side. We are here because I want to tell you exactly what I am going to do. I’ve waited years to fully reveal our plan.” “OUR plan? Are you working with someone?” Aarón raises an eyebrow. “Yes, Many decades ago, my creator located the Mortal Engine hidden deep underground in the heart of Newon. This machine was legendary, rumored to grant someone unimaginable power using souls as an energy source. All my creator ever wanted was to be in control, and so he created me, a being in which all that power could be stored and controlled.” “Yeah, I know that already, you’re planning on using the souls of the Katian’s. But why only my kind?”
“My creator chose the Katian’s because your kind still gets magical energy directly from a god, and thus your souls have some amount of godly energy attached. The engine will reach its full power with your kind, perhaps even beyond that. I am a robot, a highly advanced one. Mikey did not create me, and I am not Mikey. Mikey was placed inside of me when he was a kit, he powers me with his soul and enables me to use magic. In turn, he is kept alive by my mechanical parts.” Aarón bares his fangs. “Mikey was Courtler’s best friend, and the son of Walter Lantern who we all suspect that you have killed. You have ripped apart so many families over the decades that aren’t even part of your plan! Does your creator just tell you to kill random people? or do you just do that yourself?” “Both. He has slowly given me more control over my actions, I no longer fully rely on him for instructions. Circuit-Breaker looks to his upper left, looking at something Aarón can’t see. “I plan on having my forces attack Newon in three days.
Aarón glares at him. “You’re way too confident. Does your creator know you’re telling me a-””I must go now, there is much work to be done…” The hologram fades away, leaving Aarón alone. The door opens and the entire safety force including Oscar and Tribez, walk in. They take their respective seats around the table. “We have much to discuss.” Oscar states grimly. Aarón sits, feeling shaky. “These new revelations are vital, and we must act quickly to prepare Newon for the worst if we fail.”
“What he said about Mikey not being the one who made him but instead is unwillingly powering him, I know Walter Lantern did some shady things when he and I were working together at my entertainment center. Do you think Walter is still alive and was the one who made Circuit-Breaker then?” Aarón looks up. “Wait, you know Walter Lantern too?” Circuit sighs. “Yes, he was both the one who made the Royal Theater Extravaganza, and the one who helped me create Circuit’s Circus Dreamland.” Aarón’s brow furrows. “I see.” Oscar also looks troubled. Stacy speaks up “I never said it when I first met him, but he always had an off feeling to him, like he was hiding something big…” There is a moment of silence, and everyone can almost hear Stacy’s brain connecting the dots. “Wait, now that I think of it, Circuit-Breaker has always seemed like an ongoing experiment. At first, I heard he couldn’t talk and was nowhere as advanced as he is now. perhaps Mikey wasn’t even inside him until a few years ago. Also now he can speak, and it seems like he can feel emotions to a degree. Mikey is Katian, Circuit-breaker is a machine, maybe if Walter is indeed his creator, he was testing to see if a machine could really hold such a powerful soul in it!” Tribez raises a hand. “I think that you are onto something, but we must not spend our time theorizing.” They warn. “Right, sorry…” Stacy bows her head sheepishly. Oscar stands, “Would anyone like to share their thoughts or suggestions?”
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Circuit-Breaker breathes heavily as Aarón’s form dissipates. He had not been completely in control of his words during his conversation with Aarón, all he knew was that one of his unnamed ‘others’, one who is very much completely loyal to Walter, was influencing him. But besides that, Circuit-Breaker had managed to tell Aarón everything he could. “You don’t have to do this.” The voice that had spoken to him in Kaleido says firmly. Circuit-Breaker makes a harsh grating sound. “I have to.” “That’s what your creator always says as he threatens you and your other alters with violence. Have any of you ever wanted to fight back or kill him?” Circuit-Breaker snaps at the air with an almost animalistic growl. “Go away.” “No, I need you to listen-” Circuit-Breaker bursts out of the dark room and tears down the hallway in a violent rage. Two of his followers attempt to get out of his path, but it is too late. Circuit-Breaker grabs the two of them by the necks and smashes their heads together, rendering their faces unrecognizable.
Circuit-Breaker continues his rampage, leaving claw marks on the walls and bloody carnage in his wake. “Calm down.” Circuit-Breaker doesn’t listen as he hits his head against the cold metal wall repeatedly, letting out ear splitting screeches until he drops to the floor, shuddering as his lights begin to flicker. “There is nothing left for me, whether I do this or not. I was a machine built solely to kill. If I don’t do it, the entire multiverse will hunt me down. And if I do it, he will only keep me alive until he can extract the power from me and place it inside of himself.” Circuit-Breaker says. “I know the real reason why you agreed with your creator to go back to Earth and capture my brother.” Circuit-Breaker stops shaking. “Yes, I am Jaun Melisandré. Your creator wanted to use me to lure Aarón here years earlier. I have been trapped down here ever since, and unable to reunite with my ancestors in the spirit dimensions.” Jaun explains. “I know that you have watched my brother for the last ten years in which your complex emotions started developing. There is no need to feel ashamed, because I know that you are in love with my brother.”
There is silence after those words. Circuit-Breaker’s digital mind reeling as if he had just been slapped. “Is romantic love really what these new feelings I have about Aarón are?” Circuit-Breaker asks. “Romantic love is when you want to intimately be with and take care of someone for a long amount of time, maybe even forever. I will admit that I have looked into your memories, and you have harmless fantasies relating to interacting with Aarón in a consensual and intimate way.” Jaun explains. Something seems to finally click in Circuit-Breaker’s head. “I do want to capture him like my creator says I have too, but something always makes me stop or end up failing. It was my love for him. I am now fully aware that it is my creator who is controlling my body and actions whenever I end up hurting him.”
“That means your creator knows you are in love with Aarón and that your feelings are interfering with HIS plans. That is why you are never allowed true control.” Jaun says. “How should I proceed? How do I get Aarón and the multiverse to see that what I have been made to do was not my decision?” Circuit-Breaker stands. “Continue doing everything as normal. Get Aarón to the Mortal Engine and then I’ll help you show him, and everyone else, that you are not what your creator originally made you to be.” Jaun instructs. “But what if my creator takes control of me and kills Aarón?” Circuit-Breaker asks. “I won’t let that happen. Now go and make yourself seen, try to get Aarón to follow you back down here alone.” Circuit-Breaker enters the elevator.