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The Return

Years Ago...

Jaun Melisandré is just about to return to the mall security office so he can clock out for lunch when he sees them, a small lone boy staring blankly at the grand water fountain that sits underneath the colorful glass dome. He walks over slowly, making sure that his face has a friendly look on it. “Hey there, little man. Are you lost?” He asks, gently. The little boy continues to stare at the water fountain in silence. I should call for a nurse, this little guy could have some kind of medical condition… Jaun reaches to use his ear piece.

Jaun feels himself being rammed to the ground by something definitely not made of organic flesh. He yells out as he struggles with the attacker who is dressed from head to toe in dark clothing. He wriggles free and starts running, yelling for people to run for the exits. “Jaun!” A familiar voice calls out. Aarón! Just as Jaun looks over towards his brother’s frantic voice, pain explodes through his body. Everything ceases to exist before his body even hits the floor.

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Now...

Aarón Melisandré, a man in his early adult years whose dark skin is laced with both scars and neon blue stripes, crouches down with his clawed hand outstretched. “How are you doing, Instinct?” He asks softly. Instinct, a great tiger, creeps towards Aarón. Their long striped tail twitches. Instinct reaches Aarón and bonks their head against his hand with a loud huff. Aarón runs a hand through the tiger’s orange fur. “Even after all these years, I still don’t know what you are or how you came to live in my brain. But you’ve always been there for me so it doesn’t matter.” Instinct makes a low rumble. “Maybe it’s for the best that I will never know…”

A loud sniff pulls Aarón out of his mind and back into the crowded pizzeria. His nephew, Mico, has his head in his arms. The young Indigenous teen’s back rises and falls rapidly. “Mico, what’s wrong?” Aarón gently puts a hand on Mico’s back, his thin, bearded face growing concerned. “I still want to go, but I’m scared-” Aarón gets up, his nephew clings to him as he guides him from the booth and over to a vacant party room. “Oh, I’m sorry.” He says quickly, noticing one of the workers is setting up balloons. The worker notices Mico and looks at Aarón , understanding. The eye contact makes Aarón uncomfortable and he quickly looks away.

“It’s fine, take all the time you need.” The employee says and slips out of the room. They both sit down at the long table. Aarón pats his nephew’s back as he shakes. “This is about our exploration at the mall tonight, isn’t it?” Aarón‘s voice has a distinct sound to it, it is soft and his words sometimes come out jumbled or it sounds like he can’t quite remember how to pronounce things. Mico nods, still not looking up at his uncle. “I barely even knew my father, I still remember it clearly!” Aarón’s face goes blank, every muscle in his body tenses up as he is thrown back in time. The innocent family outing at the mall with him, his brother, and a very young Mico, violently ripped apart by gunfire and pain. Aarón tears himself out of the horrific imagery, a hand clutching his stomach. The room around Aarón feels fake, he is in his body, but at the same time it’s like he is miles away.

“I know… I’m scared too.” Aarón takes a deep breath and attempts to ground himself. We’re safe. I’m safe. “I didn’t decide on us going back to the mall on a whim, it’s not purely for my Urban Exploration blog, and I know how much that place hurts. We aren’t doing it for recognition or for fun, we’re doing it as a sign of respect and as closure for you and me.” Aarón says “You’re not alone in this.” Aarón embraces Mico. “Other people may never understand, but I do. We aren’t so different, remember?” Mico wipes his eyes and looks up at his uncle. “I know… I mean excluding our looks and stuff. We both thought we were girls for about the first ten years of our lives and stuff.” Aarón chuckles as the mood lightens. “Mico, You still want to stay here for a while longer or…?” Mico shakes his head. “I didn’t sleep well last night, so I want to rest before we go.” The two leave the party room, walking through the vast arcade area and past the stage which houses the pizzeria’s singular colorful robotic mascot, Circus Bear, which Aarón had created the cosmetics for.

After a short ten minute walk back to their apartment, Aarón turns on the TV as he quietly sits with Mico on the couch, the young teen drifting off to sleep. Aarón flips to a national news station where the current story being talked about catches his attention. “Over the last few months, more and more people have come forward with reports of seeing strange rings of light in secluded areas all around the world, from Japan to Africa, and most recently in Zion National Park located in Southern Utah.” The news reporter says. “They claim that these rings of light simply do not show up in the numerous pictures they took, but say that seeing this strange phenomenon in person has left a lasting impact on them.”

The news story ends, and Aarón flips off the TV. I need to head to Leon’s, he said he wanted to have dinner with me tonight before our mall visit. I should probably wear a hoodie or something, it’s getting colder at night… Aarón gets up and stretches before he heads into the hall bathroom. He shifts his feet on the cold tiles. Aarón pauses before taking off his shirt. To any outside person, Aarón appears to have some pretty striking tattoos and body modifications, but they aren’t fake, he had simply been born with these strange otherworldly features. Aarón knows nothing about his biological parents, except that one of them was definitely not human. “I gotta tell you the truth one day, Mico…” Aarón looks down at an alarmingly big scar on his stomach, a painful memory filling his vision.

He had been just barely six years old when the attack had occurred, the exact details of what his assaulter had done were fuzzy, but he remembered the almost unbearable pain and being rushed to the hospital by his parents where he had then made what doctors considered a miraculous recovery. Aarón grits his teeth, his sharp top and bottom fangs glistening dangerously. Aarón backs away and opens the closet in the bathroom that holds all of his clothes. Aarón‘s bedroom closet has long since been turned into a storage space for his costume and fursuit making business called “Tiger Wings.” Half finished parts for various commissions along with countless piles of materials are slowly starting to creep into other parts of their living area. Aarón had never been good at organization. One day we’ll get a good house. One with a nice pool, maybe. Aarón muses. He picks out a fresh blue and gold tank top with a stylized tiger’s head emblazoned on it. After that, he pulls on a plain black hoodie and leaves a note for Mico before heading out into the setting sun.

He walks about three blocks before entering a vast apartment complex. Aarón knocks on the door at the end of one of the long hallways, knowing he looks tired from working on costumes all day along with his failed trip to the very overstimulating pizzeria. But despite that, he is eager to see Leon. Aarón’s heart flutters as he hears heavy footsteps. The door opens. “Aarón! Come on in.” An extremely fat man with long braided hair and the same dark skin complexion as Aarón moves to the side for him to enter. “Hey handsome, how about we sit down?” Aarón suggests. Leon leads his husband into the kitchen where Aarón finds a heaping pile of freshly cooked barbecue ribs and rolls. “Wow! You made this all yourself?” Aarón asks, impressed. Leon smiles and nods, lowering his rotund body onto the chair across from Aarón. “Yep! I found a recipe last week and wanted to try it.” Aarón feels very impressed with his boyfriend’s cooking skills. Leon had always been able to whip up good yet simple meals, but nothing comes close to how this particular one looks.

The two men had first met when Aarón had been working as a part time housekeeper for the apartments. Aarón remembers meeting Leon who was then very much housebound due to being at an extreme weight, but he had quickly learned that Leon was completely content with his size and had, in fact, purposely gained all of the weight. Aarón had quickly opened up and admitted that he finds very fat bodies attractive, and also that he is part of the feedism community as a feeder. Aarón remembers the relief and love he had felt when Leon revealed that he is a feedee and has always wanted a feeder, and possibly a boyfriend. The two instantly clicked, and a very loving relationship bloomed. They stuck with each other through good times and hard times, and after a very traumatic event in Aarón’s life involving the death of his brother, Juan Melisandré, Leon had decided to lose a great amount of weight so that he could take better care of Aarón while he was still grieving. The two plan on getting married in the next two years, and they had even started saving up to buy a proper house close to one of Aarón‘s favorite hiking spots.

“Mico and I are going to the mall tonight.” Aarón says flatly. “Oh, how is Mico handling it?” Leon asks. “He’s very scared and anxious, but he’s still set on going.” Aarón explains “I see. I hope everything goes okay.” Leon says. “We should probably eat now so you guys can get going.” He adds. The two happily dig into the delicious homemade food. Leon looks at his partner lovingly. “I’m surprised that the amount of food you eat hasn’t given you belly.” Leon chuckles. Aarón smiles. “Well, you know I’ve just always been skinny, and It seems like no amount of food will ever change that.” After finishing, Aarón gets up to stand behind Leon. “I can’t help but notice that you, on the other hand, have been plumping up quite nicely these past few months…” Aarón says in a flirtatious tone. He feels Leon’s breathing quicken as gently rubs his boyfriend’s giant belly from behind. “You really think I have?” Leon’s face heats up as Aarón moves his hands to Leon’s giant love handles, squeezing them softly. “Yes, and I’m so proud of you, big boy.”

Aarón all but sprints back to his own apartment. He had packed his cameras and extra equipment the night before, and had double-checked everything that morning. Despite that, Aarón wants to check one more time. Aarón enters the apartment to find that Mico is still asleep. Aarón decides to take a quick nap himself. Aarón flops down on the other couch with a big sigh, the high of being with Leon fully fading away to be replaced by great anxiety. Please let everything go smoothly. I have to see it again at least once… Aarón sets his alarm for thirty minutes before dozing off. Aarón finds himself in a boxing ring, dressed in his blue and gold costume. People in cages with stripes and claws just like his chant in a language he can’t understand. From the shadows steps a terrifying monster made of metal.

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After their longer than planned naps, Aarón and Mico pack a few snacks to take along with them. “Who knows how long we’ll be there.” Aarón says. “Oh, we also need to do your T shot, Mico.” Aarón remembers. Mico sits down on a stool and holds out his arm while closing his eyes as Aarón prepares a testosterone shot. “All right, little man…” Mico quickly turns his head away. “I remember how much these shots can sting.” The needle pokes into Mico’s arm, the thick liquid in the syringe causes an uncomfortable stinging sensation. “And done! Sorry that I made you bleed a little.” Aarón steps away, grabbing a tissue which he hands Mico. “I hate having to do this every week, Uncle Aarón. I wish my body would just make enough testosterone on its own…”

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Mico flinches while he presses the tissue to his arm. It isn’t an awful lot of blood, but Aarón knows from his own experience that pressure helps with the sting. “I mean, I know I don’t have to do T shots and stuff to be a boy, but I want to do it because I want to look more like how I feel on the inside. It’s just annoying to me at times, and scary because it could be completely ripped away…” Aarón gently puts a hand on Mico’s shoulder. “Hey, I know you wouldn’t have been doing this for two whole years if you didn’t want to.” Mico looks up at him, and in turn, Aarón looks down at him with a warm smile. “I’m so proud of you, Mico. And I know your father would have been too. You’re living as your true self and that takes a ton of courage to do in a scary world like this one.” Aarón’s eyes go distant as he reminisces.

It had been the year after Mico came out to him as being a transgender boy. Aarón had woken up one day to find out that the state of Utah had passed multiple reckless and deadly bills, both against transgender children and adults, that would put every trans person on a registry along with forced detransitioning and mandated conversion therapy. Aarón and Mico, both being openly out, had immediately packed up a few changes of clothes and got Leon to drive them all the way to Salt Lake City. However their goal wasn’t to flee, it was to join the thousands of people both in and out of state gathering to protest.

Things quickly turned violent when evening approached the next day as multiple fascist groups started attacking innocent protesters. Aarón remembers getting Mico out of danger and back to the hotel with Leon before actively joining the fight. He had felt Instinct’s presence as he had eliminated fascists, and it had almost been like they were merged as one, fighting together rather than separately. In the end, the side of love and resilience had won and the laws were quickly abolished in the following weeks.

Aarón pulls himself out of his thoughts. “Okay little man, let’s go.” Uncle and nephew each pick up a backpack by the door and step out into the chilly night. The mall is only a few blocks away, but Aarón loves the cool air of the desert at night, and so the two take their sweet time. He takes a deep breath and relaxes, his stripes, claws, and eyes glow. Inside his mind Instinct stirs, making a happy noise. Mico has never openly questioned why his uncle looks the way he does, but Aarón knows he is always fascinated when his stripes glow. As the road grows wider, Aarón reaches into his pocket and fiddles with something in it while humming, he does the vocalization whenever he feels nervous, and the place they are heading to certainly makes it more intense. “Mico?” Aarón asks. “Yeah?” Aarón looks down at his nephew. “You know how I’ve taught you to defend yourself over the years?” “yeah.” Aarón sighs. “I’m not saying anything will happen. If something bad goes down at the mall, I want you to use what I’ve taught you, okay?” Mico looks up at his uncle. “Okay, Uncle Aarón-”

There is a sudden blur of movement, a person in dark clothing leaps out in front of them. “You must have lots of fancy things in those backpacks considering those expensive body mods of yours!” Aarón motions for Mico to hide, and he does so immediately. The person weaves back and forth, clearly drunk. However Aarón knows that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. Aarón stands his ground. “You must be new in town, and you’re certainly picking on the wrong guy.” “Wait a sec, you’re that one boxer I saw fighting on TV last night, Flying Tiger or whatever! Wait till I tell the others I beat you!” Aarón sighs. He is more annoyed than scared. Aarón looks at the ground as he feels Instinct surge forward to protect him. “No, he’s not one to cause serious physical harm-” However, Instinct ignores Aarón’s reassurance and emerges with a loud roar. The man yelps and drunkenly runs off.

Aarón growls softly as he resumes control. “The Flying Tiger” is the name of his unique boxing/fighting persona, and Aarón is quite famous in the western boxing community for it. In fact, his fame in Utah was what had saved him from being imprisoned after the deadly anti-trans riot. Aarón sighs. Instinct, you’ve really gotta listen to me. He could get the police to come for me by claiming I tried to attack him! Aarón hears Instinct whine sadly and feels the tiger retreat deeper into his mind. Aarón huffs, turning around. “Mico!” Aarón calls. Mico scurries out from behind a fence, eyes wide. “Did he hurt you?” His nephew asks. Aarón shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. But let’s stick together from now on…” The two continue, this time checking their surroundings carefully while they walk closer together.

Soon, a giant building pierces the sky. barbed fencing surrounds it and a big battered sign with a rainbow on it reads Rainbow Desert Mall, CLOSED. Aarón feels a chill go down his spine. “This is it…” Aarón feels Mico slip their hand into his. Aarón squeezes it gently. They walk towards the grand entrance, the scale of the mall intimidating. Aarón can’t help but remember the good times at the mall, he would go to the mall often to babysit and look after Mico while Jaun did his job. During rest days, the three would go to the small amusement space and fully experience everything the place had to offer, including their favorite licorice shop. Aarón lets out a small noise of distress. “Uncle Aarón?” Mico asks in concern.

“It’s nothing…” Aarón’s eyes start un-focusing, and he stumbles. Stuff’s starting not to feel real. I need to sit down… Aarón and Mico sit on the ground, not caring about their clothes getting dirty. Mico knows his Uncle suffers from frequent dissociative episodes and flashbacks, and the best he can do to help is to stay close and ground his uncle. “Did you bring it?” Mico asks. Aarón makes a weak noise, his eyes distant. “Can I see it?” Aarón reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small stone tiger made of tiger’s eye. It is a gift he had received from Jaun on his eighteenth birthday. “Focus on how it feels, nothing else.” Aarón rubs his fingers across the smooth orange and black stone, focusing on all of the details. His adoptive mom and dad had always called him their “brave tiger,” but he wasn’t embarrassed by the loving title and found great comfort in it.

Aarón’s eyes start to refocus. He looks around. It’s in the past, we aren’t in danger. He pulls himself back to the present. “I think I’m good now.” He gives his head a small shake. “Let’s get out the cameras while we’re sitting.” They take off their backpacks carefully and take out the cameras. The cameras in question are of a very professional quality, and even after a few years of doing urban exploration and filming, Aarón still has much to learn in terms of camera tricks and lighting. Despite his first videos being less than stellar quality, his earliest adventures had gotten him a massive following and had eventually become one of his jobs. Documenting places and things that would otherwise be forgotten had always fascinated him. He does a few cinematic shots, first of the main water fountain, then of the play place and old movie theater. A BANG echoes throughout the building.

“Oh no.” Mico groans. “Quick, let’s get upstairs.” Aarón says. They cautiously climb a broken escalator to the top floor. a giant dome with colored glass panels arches above them, the bright moon casting colorful squares all over. “In that shop.” They duck into a dark comic book shop where everything is exactly as it had been years ago. Aarón turns the camera’s light on to get a better look, dimming it slightly. “I know we don’t usually take things, but those ones over there look original.” Mico says in a hushed whisper and points over to a glass cabinet, the door conveniently hanging open. Aarón starts filming. “Okay, so my nephew and I just got in here, but we heard a guard or something.” Aarón says quietly to the camera. “But look at that, an original copy of-” The bang comes again, upstairs and even closer. Aarón kills the light but keeps filming. Both hold their breath as the bang comes again along with the sound of small rolling wheels. What the hell? There aren’t supposed to be guards here anymore, plus we got permission to be here. And what is that noise?

Aarón and Mico slide behind a rusty bookshelf. They both huddle together just as a bright green light and ear splitting screech fill the room. Mico trembles in fear while Aarón’s arm hair stands on end, he hears Instinct growl defensively within his mind. The clanging and banging intensifies as a shadowy figure glides halfway into the room. Aarón gently grabs Mico and holds him close. The shadow leaves the room, the clanging and banging fading away until the eerie silence returns. Aarón lets out a long exhale. “We aren’t staying. I’m sorry that I even thought this was a good idea. I don’t know what the hell that was. It was real, and it isn’t a guard. Who knows what kind of crazy people have taken over this mall.” Aarón’s voice is full of regret.

Mico shakes his head, rubbing tears from his eyes. “It’s not your fault, but yeah I wanna go home now.” Aarón helps the frightened young teen up. “We need to move quickly and quietly, whoever that is could come back.” Aarón says as they both put their cameras away. They definitely wouldn’t be filming anything else. Aarón grabs the rare comics before peeking out of the store, his eyes laser focused. “We need to stick to the shadows, we can’t be out in the open. There’s a back stairway that leads to a lower shop around here, if I remember correctly…” They move like scared mice, freezing at the slightest creak and moan of the old building. Aarón forces himself to not vocally stim which only increases his anxiety. The two round a corner. “It should be through that door over there.” Aarón says. “We’re going to have to run and hope it’s not locked. On three. One…” Aarón whispers, leaning forward. “Two-”

Before he even gets to three, the door is blown off its hinges. The sound of turning wheels and clanking fills the air once again, and the shadow emerges. The natural light from the glass dome above gives them a better look at the mechanical being. Its head is robotic and dog-like, and its feather-like pink and green ears glow. It wears gray armor with a black and purple collared cape. Its feet have wheels that it glides along on, and it appears to be scanning the area with a visor that acts as its eyes. Aarón and Mico start backing up. Then the blinding green light washes over them. “RUN MICO!” Aarón yells. Mico sprints away. Aarón tears his eyes away and runs a bit further behind. The thing isn’t chasing them, in fact it is still slowly gliding along at an almost casual speed, focusing on Aarón. “What…Who are you?!” Aarón shouts. The thing cocks its head almost innocently. Aarón slows down, and then stops. “Do you want to hurt us?” He asks cautiously. Aarón hears Instinct growl, preparing for a fight. The thing finally speaks in a low mechanical voice.

“I have no desire to hurt you.” The wheels on its boots fold away, allowing them to walk. Their movements are smooth and fluid, almost human. Aarón stands his ground, the thing now standing not more than five feet away from him. “I am known by many names, but I am best known throughout the multiverse as Circuit-Breaker.” Aarón stares, both impressed and shocked. This guy is delusional, probably on something. but damn, that costume is impressive. Aarón ‘s guard slightly lowers. “Are there others here? Are you part of some kind of gang?” “Remember how I said I didn’t want to hurt you?” Circuit-Breaker says calmly. In the blink of an eye a sleek, futuristic gun is pointed at Aarón ‘s face. Mico suddenly appears behind Circuit-Breaker, yanking the gun from his hands and running away before flinging it off of the balcony. Circuit-Breaker leaps forward and grabs Aarón by the throat, choking him. “NO!” Mico frantically looks around, his eyes land on a brick. Mico grabs it and rushes at Circuit-Breaker, bravely striking him with it.

BANG! A swirl of bright colors slams into Circuit-Breaker, sending him flying across the room. Aarón quickly gets back up. There is a strange pulsing ring in front of them, and a startlingly colorful person with a head made of blue squares appears in front of them. “You must go through, now!” Aarón is already starting to dissociate again, and on the verge of a meltdown from fear and the pure absurdity of everything. But something about Tribez touches a hidden memory deep within him. “Mico, we have to go.” Aarón says calmly. “But-” Aarón looks into his nephew’s eyes. “Please, you have to trust me.” The two hold each other’s hands as they run through. Abstract shapes and glimpses of strange worlds whiz past them as they are tugged and pulled around. Everything starts spinning faster and faster until nothing but white light fills their vision.

Aarón and Mico are now standing under an arch of beautiful red rock, the entire landscape made of it. The red is contrasted by the occasional green bush along with a flowing blue river. The sun shining down on the otherworldly desert warms them, but it is not burning hot. Aarón takes off his hoodie, His dark skin absorbing the warmth as a sense of calm washes over him. This place feels familiar… The landscape looks just like his usual hiking spots in Southern Utah, but even more vibrant and alive. A green bird flits past his head, singing joyfully. “We will be safe, for now.” Aarón and Mico turn to see the colorful person appear through the closing gateway. “My name is Tribez, and I have sent Circuit-Breaker to another dimension that is far away, but we only have so much time before he makes his way back to us. Aarón stares off at what looks like a far away city carved into the desert rock. “This place feels familiar.” Aarón says out loud. “That is because you are finally home, Aarón.”

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