Part 1

As his eyes darted all over the place, he confirmed the status of everyone within view. Just as he thought, they had all been turned into children. He watched as the the team responsible for their transformation pushed out other kids who were all in the middle of holding their clothes together. It was all too easy for them. Axel acted quickly and grabbed Casey’s hand to run away. He jumped from one pipe to another and made sure he got some distance away.

“What do we do now!?” Yelled Casey who was jumping right behind him.

“Everyone is either too busy running away or trying to keep their baggy clothes from falling. While we can, I think it’s best we try and hide and catch them by surprise whenever we can!”

It wasn’t a real solid plan but at the moment it was all he could do to cope with the situation. He had hoped that he would get enough time to think things over but things didn’t go his way. Before he could jump over to another pipe a giant stream of water rushed in front of him, cutting off his escape. He quickly turned around and found one of the guys that had not been turned into a child. He was tall and had spiked up blonde hair. He was thin and had a mean and cocky looking smile.

“It’s over kiddos! Time for bed!” He said as he grabbed him and Casey with the current of water. Casey screamed and flailed around as Axel kicked in an attempt to get rid of the water but it was no use. Try as he might the water holding him was just too strong. He was suddenly thrown against Casey and the two of them struggled to break free together.

“It looks like we’re off to a shocking start! It would seem that Team Harry has used their trump card right off the bat! Harry, although in the 2nd category, has the ability to turn people into children so long as they are in between the ages of 10 and 50! According to his skill summary, he can only turn people into 7 year olds! Then his partner in crime,Terry, has the ability to control the moisture in the air and convert it to water! He is using this as an opportunity to knock off other kids with a flow of water! Such a devious tactic is proving to be quite effective! What will the little tikes do now!!?”

As Axel and Casey were forcefully taken to the edge of the battlefield, Axel tried his best to think of something quick but no matter how he looked at it there was just no way he could get out of this one. It looked like it was the end of the line for him...or so it did until a patch of brilliant flames suddenly made the water holding him and Casey evaporate into thin air. Axel grimaced as his skin burned but Casey seemed unphased by the heat. Axel looked over at Casey thinking that she had done it but she simply raised her shoulders saying that it was not her.

“What?” Cried out the guy named Terry as he looked around for the cause of the flames. He didn’t look long since the cause of it soon planted his fist into his face and sent him crashing into a pipe.

“What the hell do you think you idiots are doing? I mean, do your brains even function? Why are you running around like children and not using your skills? Well, shithead?” Said the surprise 7 year old. He was short and blonde and had a pair of brilliant blue eyes. His fists were on fire and so was his soul. These two knew him all too well, It was Kyle who had once again come to their rescue. However, this time around he was in the body belonging to that of a child.

“You’re calling us children but have you taken a good look at yourself..” Casey whispered to herself.

“Wait a moment….We can!? I just assumed that we couldn’t since I never had any powers as a kid…” Axel replied to Kyle.

“Don’t be an idiot. Your bodies shrunk but your powers should still be up and running like normal.”

As he said that, Kyle engulfed his body in flames and flew in circles around them. He targeted nearby kids who were not paying attention and knocked them out one by one. Soon,however, kids starting noticing that they too could still use their powers and started to retaliate. Casey lifted her hands and ignited them to make sure that she too could use her abilities. Axel sighed and looked up at Kyle who was still in the middle of beating up other players.

“He was right, I can still conjure up some flames! But why is he helping us? We’re on different teams.” Casey asked Axel. Axel wondered the same thing but knowing Kyle it was probably for one reason.

“Because he wants to fight me without anyone getting in the way. Can’t say I’m fond of the idea but I’m glad he’s helping…”

In the end, Axel did not want to fight Kyle, but if it won him a chance at surviving this round then he’d have to do it. Axel thought so and felt his back tingle due to incoming danger. He quickly hit the deck and rolled sideways. He looked behind him and found the same guy who had captured him before holding his face and standing up. He had one of his hands outstretched which he had used to fire an attack at him.

“Damn that asshole…...that freaking hurt!.....I’ll get him back for this….right after I take care of you first!”

Axel would’ve been really afraid right now were it not for Kyle. So this time, Axel rose up to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow. Since he could still use his powers he now knew that he had a fighting chance. Casey, who was still near him, saw that he was about to be engaged in a fight and decided to go try and help him. However, she got stopped halfway by a serpent made entirely of water. Casey jumped back and flipped once for extra distance. At first she thought it was Terry, the guy confronting Axel, but it turned out to be someone else entirely. When she looked to her side, she found the one’s that were looking to fight her.

“We meet again, gorgeous.” one of the two said to her.

“I thought that serpent just now looked familiar.”

The two who challenged her were none other than Trent and Cesar, guys who she had run into during the event before. The last time she saw them, they were supposed to ambush these two along with their buddies but their plans were thwarted when Axel accidentally discharged and broke his own fingers. She didn’t get to see them very long because she ran off and took on the other two people with them but she knew that one of them had the ability to control water. That would be the black spiky haired boy that was clearly trying to hit on her. Then there was the other guy with black straight hair who was still frowning. She had no idea what his power was but she could still clearly remember when he put out her flames with little to no issue. He had to be powerful,even as a kid.

“Axel! Can you take him on by yourself?” she yelled over to him. Axel laughed and rose his thumb in the air.

“I think I’ll manage just fine thanks.”

Casey smiled and looked back at the two who were still standing before her.

“Alright, first I’ll defeat you then go help him.”

“Wow, you’re really confident! I like that in a woman! and I couldn’t see it before but now it’s clear as day, you’re so cute! A beautiful woman destined to be my wife!” Trent said to her while holding his own cheeks. Casey changed her facial expression showing clear disgust and shook her head. She hoped he'd take the hint and turn around but things wouldn’t be so easy.

“Hate to break it to ya pal but I’m only 7. That and I don’t like pipsqueaks like you.”

“You realize that we've all shortened, right? I'm actually much taller” Trent said as a couple drops of sweat surfaced on his forehead. Casey and even the frowning Cesar raised their eyebrows knowing that in all actuality Trent was at best a couple inches taller in his regular form.

“keep dreaming short stuff, but right now you better focus on beating me!”

Casey whipped her arms around and fired off waves of flames meant to strike him down but they wore torn right through by that same stream of water he had at his disposal. Next, Trent jumped up from where he was and made that same serpent give him a ride. It dashed rapidly in the air and aimed for her. Before it hit her, Casey fell backwards and flipped over to another pipe just down below. Trent focused in on her again and instead used the serpent as a catapult to launch himself. Though reckless, he was still able to close the gap between them at a much faster rate, so Casey had no choice but to raise her guard and block whatever it was he was planning to do. It could be a blast of water, or a barrage of water droplets? Bullets? Who knew. Whatever it would be she was at a disadvantage. Water trumped fire in the elemental charts, depending on the amounts of course. In this case, they were both fairly weak and not high up on the savant ranks so their skills had to be fairly even. She knew that for a fact since she hadn’t ever heard his name once up until now. Everyone in categories 5 and above were well known, so it would be impossible to miss them or not recognize their powers.  

However, Trent caught her off guard by throwing a regular punch at her with his bare fist. She had been ready to counter with a volley of flames and had her arms slightly spread out so his fist slipped into the spot in between and hit her square in her cheek. The force of the punch had most of his weight behind it so it threw her back a good feet and dazed her heavily. Her head started to ache and she held it tightly.

“Ouch….you got me good, damn it. I wasn’t expecting that at all….” Tiny Casey said as she picked herself up. She reached for her back to see if her hair had gotten tangled up but to her surprise she didn’t feel any of it. it took her a solid minute before she realized that it had also shortened and now reached a little below her shoulders. Though she was not upset, at least this way she could fight more freely.

“All’s fair in love and war they say, and we’re in the middle of both right now.” He said as he smirked triumphantly, the serpent of water wrapping around his body.

“What are you even talking about?” Casey said as she felt herself start to get annoyed.

“You heard me! Let’s make a deal. If you lose to me right here and now, you’ll go out on a date with me.”

Casey suddenly felt herself get a bit flustered. It wasn’t that she was interested but rather because back home no regular person was so straightforward. This was something entirely new to her. So, how was she supposed to handle something like this?

“And if I win?” She responded not really thinking about it.

“You can decide that later. It won’t matter, because I know I’m going to win!”

Trent charged at her again which made Casey raise her arms. She started to sweat as she watched his moves closely the more he neared her. She needed to figure out how his power worked. In the world of skills and abilities, there were no two of the same snowflake. In other words, although there were multiple skills which appeared similar,every single one was diverse and unique in its own way. Take Kyle and Casey for instance. Kyle’s flames were said to be second only to the flames of hell, while Casey’s flames were probably no more hotter than your average fire. Kyle was just on his own level.

Trent raised one arm in front of him and the snake around him lunged at her aiming for her small torso. Up until now, he had only controlled this one puddle of water no more bigger than her full grown self, she didn’t understand why. Did he think that would be all that he needed to defeat her? Insulted, Casey took in a deep breath and bent slightly backwards.

(I’ll teach you not to underestimate me….Take this Dragon Roar!)

Thinking so, Casey let out a mighty breath of fire huge enough to light up the entire arena. Trent saw this and made a quick and rash decision while skidding to a stop and raising his own arms to shield him from the coming wave of fire. It was spreading out too far for him to be able to dodge in time,he had no choice. 

When her breath attack hit, there was a huge explosion and smoke started to rise from where it had made contact with Trent. From the other side of the blow, Casey could not see what exactly had transpired. She stood straight once again and wiped her now dry mouth. Dragon Roar was a new ability she had made up while in the shower one night. Since she could breathe fire now, it seemed fitting to give it a proper name. Also, she had discovered that the fire that came straight from her belly was a lot hotter than her regular fire that she made, so it was a lot stronger. Though as she was now it was probably a little weaker, what with being a kid and all.

When the smoke finally cleared she was able to see Trent still standing with most of his clothes charred black. His hair was now even more of a mess and his face was hidden behind his crossed arms. Though he was annoying he was indeed strong. He managed to tank her Roar and still remain standing for this long. But his strength would soon run dry, of this she was certain. Dragon Roar was not just hotter, it was also very dangerous to inhale the very air around it as it would start to burn away anything it came in contact with. Also, the fire itself would consume almost all of the available oxygen making it much more powerful, leaving him with temporary thin air and smoke to inhale. Casey blew out smoke from her mouth and placed her hands on her hips.

“Wow, can’t believe you made it out of that one! Not like it’d kill you or anything but I was expecting you to be passed out or something!”

Trent seemed unresponsive until he lifted his ash covered face revealing a stunned expression. From the looks of it, he was hanging by a thread. He fell back on his behind and held himself up with his arms. While shaking, he struggled to focus on her and began to cough immensely.

“Idiot, just admit defeat and let me help you.” Cesar said who was still just watching from afar. Casey looked over at Cesar and began to wonder why he hadn’t stepped in. Up until now, no one had even messed with him. It was then that she finally began to notice, he seemed awfully familiar. Though, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it right now.

“You kidding me?” Trent said wiping the drool from his mouth. “I’ve got her right where I want her”

Right as he said that, Casey suddenly felt herself get grabbed by a fresh pool of water from under her.

“What!?” She said as she once again struggled to break free. She kicked and kicked but the water wasn't moving. Cesar watched and raised an eyebrow. It seemed that not even he saw this one coming.

“You dumb girl, you’re done now! And I’m not wasting another moment to get you and your buddy out of this tournament!” He said as he aimed his arm for the outside world.

“No! Wait! Let…...Go!!!” she said as she punched and kicked the nothing that was water.

“That’s right! I want you ready tomorrow night by 8 for our date, alright? We’ll be in touch, but for now this is goodbye.” He said as he laughed and coughed. Casey continued to listen to his laugh that mocked her weakness as she struggled to break free, but the more she squirmed the more it seemed to make him laugh.

“Casey!” Axel yelled seeing her in trouble. He tried to run after her but was stopped by Terry who jumped in front of him and punched his stomach. Axel fell back a considerable amount mostly due to how small he was now compared to Terry who was still in his normal size. Axel cursed and clenched his fist and watched as Casey’s entire body was submerged by that one sphere of water. Inside, she had her eyes closed and held her breath, unmoving.

“Casey….” Natsumi said as she watched her from the stands. Her heart was racing as she thought that she had finally been bested. Even though up until now she was doing great. Around her, everyone shared in her worry as they continued to watch in silence.

Trent let out some air and said, “Oh?” as he watched Casey presumably admit defeat. “Finally, now get out of my sight for now, gorgeous.” He said as he gave the final wave to throw her out of bounds. Axel could only watch from afar with his hands trembling….he honestly thought he was going to lose.

Until,

“Ah, I knew it” Trent heard a gurgle come from her. He widened his eyes as he saw Casey do the unthinkable. With what little breath she had left, she let out the loudest screech with everything she had enough to be heard even from under water. Immediately as she did so, the small sphere of water holding her was completely evaporated by a patch of brilliant red flames escaping from her mouth. She felt the weight around her lift and spun to land on stable ground. She laughed as she twisted her damp clothes to get rid of the water.

“Hahaha, wow! I almost messed that one up, huh?” She said with a breath of fresh air. Trent let his arms drop as he kept himself from falling.

“You’re nothing special at all. I thought that you being able to control water meant that you could create your own, but you can literally only control water around you. Before that Terry guy ran off to fight Axel, you stole some of his water didn’t you? With what little you had you thought you’d make do?” She said as she walked over to him with flames spurting out from her arms. Trent watched and continued to cough frantically.

“I was wondering why you weren’t making more but it all makes sense now! The reason you took that breath attack instead of dodging was because you wanted to save that little bit of water you had! So you moved it away and sacrificed yourself instead. Only reason I know this is because both dirt and your sweat were still in that water I was trapped in, a lot of it. Your sweat probably got on it after you wrapped it around yourself. So I used everything I had and burned it away, and now that it’s gone, you’re helpless.”

Casey made it to where she was standing prior to being lifted by the pool of water and extended her hands engulfed in flames.

“W-wait” Trent said as he awkwardly smiled. But there was no helping it, Casey shook her head to let him know this and mercilessly readied her next blow which would decide the match.

“Special Move!Blazing Dance of the Fire Snake!” While spinning herself elegantly and waving her arms, both ends of her hands shot out two straight streams of fire that rose above her and met in the center to form one, doing one twist around her, and then shooting straight for Trent with a head that resembled that of a snake with its mouth opened and fangs bared. Trent exclaimed and turned on his belly to scramble away but was unable to dodge. He was hit by a powerful wave of fire that slammed him back down on his stomach. The pipe itself was damaged and soon broke apart. The pipes below were also unable to hold together and also completely tore apart eventually hitting rock bottom which was the thunderdome field. As soon as the flames died out, Trent alone was left completely unconscious and unmoving. The grass around him was burned to a crisp.

“Un.Be.Lievable!!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, In an amazing show of power, Casey managed to defeat Team Cesar by defeating Trent and throwing him outside the fighting ground!” The announcer said to the crowd with clear enthusiasm. The crowd erupted into cheers as Natsumi and Jeniffer stood and hugged each other joyfully celebrating Casey’s victory.

“Close one….” Axel said as he watched Casey happily jump around in triumph. Everyone who was fighting had no choice but to stop after that tremendous explosion was heard. It was amazing and it once again reminded Axel never to anger her.

Casey herself was overjoyed at her first real win and raised her arms in the air.

“I’ve always wanted to say that!!!! All those hours in front of the mirror finally paid off!!” She said as she spun in joy and delight. Some pipes above her, Cesar looked down at Trent with his same old expression, a frown.

“Idiot, I told him this would happen.” He jumped down from where he was and landed somewhat in front of Casey. Casey slightly exclaimed since she was startled and jumped.

“Uhhhh, what’s wrong? Here to claim revenge?.....” she said slightly shaking and nervous. She said this but she knew that he could no longer fight since his partner was out. Still, he gave her this cold and bone chilling look. Almost as if he was…..angry? But not because he lost, no….she couldn’t put her finger on it….

“Quit looking so happy. Fight ain’t over. That kid down there was no more powerful than a category 2. You’re a category 5 at best. That was nothing but a small fry. You’ve got much tougher opponents to deal with. Hurry up and quit celebrating so early.” He said before giving her one final look and jumping down to his friend who was already getting help by the paramedics. Sure, her spirit had been smashed but that’s not what she was focusing on. She had finally recognized it. His voice, his face, his appearance, she knew who he was and only then did she notice what kind of bullet she had just dodged. That man Cesar was none other than the number 1 ranked among those in the 5th category, also placed in the top 5 on the Miami charts. His skill from what she had heard was the power to break down anything he came into contact with. Anything. Even living beings. Which meant the reason he swiped away her flames so easily that day was because he broke them down to nothing in the blink of an eye. But that wasn’t all, she heard that his skill in hand to hand combat was top notch. A skilled fighter with a powerful ability and sharp intellect. If she or Axel had foughten him, they would’ve lost hands down. There was no arguing. It was to the point that there was no reason to even try.

Just knowing this made her skin crawl in fear. She felt a chill go down her spine and she started to feel a little embarrassed. Why? Because she felt that the only reason she won was because he allowed her to do so. Nonetheless, a win was a win…..And Cesar was right, she could not celebrate just yet. Not until it was all over! Wiping away her sweat, she located Axel and rushed to his side. All while wondering, What would’ve happened if she had faced Cesar instead?.....

Part 2

The skies were bright and the sun was shining. It seemed like just a regular day for an ordinary person, but all that could change in the blink of an eye. Ella knew this but hoped that tragedy would not strike them all. Currently she stood atop one of the tallest buildings she could find and tried her best to condition the air around her. Standing right under the sun like this would make anyone sweat.

After the fight that broke out a few days ago with Axel, she decided that it would be best to remain in the area until further notice. It was highly possible that the Shadow Hunters would target the Miami area in hopes of acquiring the white stoned ramoji, Elizabeth, who was last located here. Knowing them, she was sure that they’d destroy everything here in order to lure her out. Last time they only barely managed to win but even then that was because of dumb luck. They were unprepared, could not contact anyone, and had no way of being able to protect the entire city. She blamed her carelessness for that, but it wouldn’t happen again.

“We’ve searched the area numerous times today Cap’, it seems like nothing's happening yet again.”

From behind her came a man that had seemingly dropped out of the sky. Saying this to her, he approached and stood next to her. He was tall, bulky,blonde, and had a scar spreading from his left bicep up to his left eye. He wore a simple black tank top tucked into some camouflage cargo pants. As he tapped the heels of his boots together, he yawned and leaned over the rail on the edge of the roof.

“I say we head back, I doubt anything’s gonna happen.” He said.

“Don’t be in such a rush, Hex. Axel had a really bad feeling for today and I second it. Everything seems too regular, a perfect time to strike and I know they will.” she said with an air of confidence. Hex raised his eyebrows and rested his chin on his palm.

“Yeah? Well, whoever it is that makes a move today is in for a real scare. They really think they’ll get far? Well, not when the entire E-Force is here.” He replied while looking over the large city. Ella agreed with him and smiled. The E-Force was short for the “Ella Force”. It was a small group of 10 soldiers that she commanded, each with SOS at their disposal. As of right now, they all should’ve been somewhere around the city looking for any suspicious signs. She trusted her little force more than anyone could understand because their relationship was more than just Captain and Soldier, they were like family.

“Yeah well, let’s not get too cocky Hex. Go ahead and get the others gathered and meet back up here. Pretty soon, Axel’s event will be over and he’ll hopefully have more information on the girl, Elizabeth. When that happens, I’d like for us to all meet up in Thor so you guys can properly meet him too.”

“Axel Ison, huh? What’s your impression of him so far?” Hex asked Ella as he turned around and rested his back on the rail. Ella looked up at him and responded with a soft tone.

“Well, at first I thought that he was a good for nothing, not fit for the role of this generation’s Power Magnet holder. But then, as some time went on, I realized that he’s actually quite talented. He’s smart and a quick thinker, able to make quick judgments on the spot. He was once enrolled in a Mixed martial arts class and has some experience with combat so he’s fairly strong. However, he’s a crybaby who gets intimidated fairly easy and seems to want nothing to do with the world of the supernatural. And yet, he sticks around and made some sort of promise to himself to help those in need. He’s very strange to say the least. Overall, with some training, I’m sure he’ll be a fine and powerful man. He just needs…..a push to get him to work harder, but I don’t know what or how I should go about doing that. So, I’ll let him find that drive on his own.”

Saying so, Ella thought about all of the trials Axel would likely face in the time to come. How would he handle the reality of the world? The government was corrupt and lying to its people and he knew this but it was almost like he hadn’t fully come to terms with that. When finally he sees the world for what it really was, how would he truly react?..... Then the shadowhunters, how would he feel knowing that one day he would have to face more of them?....The time was nearing, the time when he’d feel fed up and frustrated and once again want to abandon his place….but would it be right to stop him?...... She didn’t know.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Really? Well, sounds like a human being to me. Best not to rush anything with the kid. The pressure is already high, it wouldn’t be smart to add on to that.” Hex said while getting off the rail and walking away. Ella watched him as he went and thought that she agreed with him. In truth, she was also scared. She was scared everyday but she had to put on a brave face…..for…..

BZZT

When she felt her phone vibrate, she reached into her pocket and took it out to see who it was. It was a message from Lucy letting her know that Axel had so far been turned into a child but was still successfully holding his own. Teams were winding down quick so the finalists would be decided soon. Ella replied thanking her and that so far she had seen nothing out of the ordinary.

With that, she put her phone away and looked up at the beautiful bright blue sky. If nothing really went down today, she hoped she’d be able to have a good time introducing Axel to her comrades. Family to Family.

Part 3

At the moment, he was down to nine. Nine fingers that had not been damaged. During his fight with Terry, he had been driven to a corner and surrounded with water so in a final attempt to get away he discharged super strength with a flick his pointing finger and blasted a path through the water. Thanks to his fingers discharging last time, he had gotten the idea to use his fingers in this way in order to keep the damage to himself to a minimum. To his surprise, his finger was more resistant to the blast this time around than last time. They were broken but he could still slightly feel and move around his finger. Other than that, he was okay. A child, but okay.

As for his opponent, he had also taken some damage to his left shoulder which Axel had accidentally dislocated. When he discharged his finger flick, the wind pressure moved back Terry’s arm in a wrong way which caused the joint to be placed out of its socket. Other than that, he was just fatigued and starting to slow down. While grinding his teeth together, he began to yell at Axel through exhausted breaths.

“Just…..Give it up already kid!.......You’ve…..given me...enough trouble already….”

“I think the one that needs to give up here is you, man. It looks like you’re starting to reach your limit. And I could be wrong here but, I daresay I’ve found your weakness.” Axel said with a smile filled with confidence, a smile hiding the pain he felt on his throbbing finger. However, what Axel had said was true. This entire time, he had been looking closely for whatever weakness that Terry might’ve shown and after careful deduction Axel was sure he had figured it out. After every amount of water that he conjured up the more fatigued he looked. At the very beginning of the battle, Terry was more calm and collected and was able to make Axel feel like he had a real problem on his hands. However, the longer they fought the more his fighting style changed, he began to get rash and flustered, almost as if he was in a hurry.

“You’re delusional…..Just like your hopes of beating me!” Terry said as he again conjured up water out of thin air and shot them at Axel. Axel bent down low and jumped up as high as he could using the wind below his feet to give him a boost. Soon after, the stream of water rapidly flew under him. But instead of letting it pass, Axel let himself fall directly on top of the waves of water. As soon as he made contact with the water, he concentrated everything he had into the power within him and thought of a very particular power belonging to a very particular person. It was not easy but it almost felt like just feeling what he wanted to do was enough for his ability to take over. After feeling his hands release a cool breath of air, he smiled and added the finishing touches. Almost instantly, the entire patch of water under him froze into a giant iceberg that shattered once it touched down on the ground. Axel jumped off and looked at Terry who had his mouth wide open in shock.

“What!? Man, just use one ability already!! This isn’t fair!!!” He yelled as his eyelids threatened to shut on him.

Up on the stands of the arena, Jeniffer smiled as she recognized the brilliant blue ice. If she was thinking correctly, it belonged to Saphire and Axel had successfully “borrowed” it. She slightly chuckled and sat back and watched as Lucy and Maria both shook with suspense.

“You’ve been using those attacks seemingly without any drawbacks but it looks like the more you use it the more you waste either your stamina or hydration. A double edged sword in other words.” He said to him. When he did, Terry’s eye twitched and his face slightly reddened. That could only mean that Axel was right on the money. Axel sneered confidently and continued.

“In your case, a drawn out battle wouldn’t be in your favor. That last attack clearly took a toll on you so I know you’re just about through. I mean, you can throw another one but you’ll likely fall asleep. Or you can just walk off the stage, admit defeat, or something. It’s your choice really.”

Axel’s words grinded through Terry's ears as he started to see the real gravity of the situation. Axel was completely right, another attack and he’d be done for regardless. But even so, he had to keep on fighting….He couldn’t give up just yet!!!

“Damn you…..damn it…..Damn you!!!!!!” Terry said as he raised his one arm and made water spin around his fist. In one final charge, he ran up as close as he could and launched that small bullet of water at Axel. Seeing him charge in bravely like that, it made him realize just how cool he was being. And with that, he admired him that much more. So, he couldn’t just disrespect him and hold back. He had to give it his all and show him that Axel acknowledged him! Axel raised a finger to his lips and ignited a small flame. Leaving it floating there, Axel took in a deep breath and bent slightly backwards.

(I’m glad I was able to see her use it first hand. That makes it all the more easier for me to recreate it!)

“Dragon Roooooooaaaaaaaaaar!!!!!!”

Suddenly, thanks to his breath, the small flame blew out and extended into a large wall of flames that completely incinerated the small bullet of water that Terry had sent at him. Watching his final stand literally go up in flames, Terry accepted his fate and finally let his eyes close as he fell backwards and let the flames eat him up. With a huge blast, Terry was flung out of the ring and back down to the regular thunderdome.

“And finally! Terry was at last knocked out of bounds by Ison himself unleashing a similar technique to the one his partner showed us earlier!” the announcer yelled over the loud rumbling cheers of the crowd.

“Damn it, guess I’m out…” Axel heard Harry say from somewhere behind him. Axel turned to see him climbing out of a hole in one of the pipes. With a strange smile, he began to curse his luck and jump down from the stage. As Axel watched him go wondering why he was there in the first place, he felt his confidence boost. He wanted to keep on going, he wanted his adrenaline to run farther!

“Alright!!!1 I’m pumped up now!!! Who’s neeeeeeextt!!!???” He said as he turned around. However, his excitement was short lived as he turned to see something that he was not expecting to see at all. There was no one around the arena. Well, to clarify, there was no one left standing. All he could see dangling around the pipes were small bodies of the contestants he was supposed to be fighting. All of them were knocked unconscious. And when he looked up, the one person he saw, standing directly in front of the sun from where Axel stood, was none other than Kyle himself with his eyes gleaming in the shadows and his hands emitting smoke. In this one scene, the one thing Axel had trouble comprehending was why Kyle was the only one he could see standing. But then that cold realization hit him, Kyle had defeated everyone there. No one was left standing. No one...At this point, his rush of adrenaline quickly disappeared and he felt so shocked that he didn’t even notice Casey nervously taking her place behind him.

“Axel….” She said pulling on his sleeve. But he could not pay attention. Kyle looked down on him from his rightful position way up above him and gave him a daring look. With one jump, he landed directly in front of him and started to release a thick and powerful pressure. A pressure so intimidating that Axel couldn’t even hear anything outside anymore. It was all muffled, and at this point the only thing he could see was Kyle himself slowly approaching him. Axel, as much as he tried, could not move. He was frozen in place. Cold sweat flowed down from his forehead as his breathing grew ragged. His arms shook and his heart began to jump seemingly in an effort to try and make a run for it. These people here were worthy and strong enough to survive the last trial, so the fact that Kyle took them all down could only mean that he was far stronger than all of them…...wasn’t that right? So what on earth could possibly make him think that he even stood a remote chance against Kyle?. And with that face, that same face he feared to see when he was young. It was happening all over again. Was the world shaking or was he being shaken!? What would he do? Kyle was now mere feet! What could he-

*Tap*

“If you make your fear visible for all to see like that, you’ll make it known just how much of a pushover you really are.” Kyle softly said to him with a mocking tone just moments after placing a hand on Axel’s shoulder. Then, he lifted it and took a few steps back. When he did so, sound and time finally began to run normally. When he snapped out of it, Axel finally noticed Casey shaking him around trying to wake him up.

“Axel!!! Snap out of it!! We made it!!!!” She delightfully yelled.

“W-What?” he said dazed. When he looked around, he noticed that confetti was dropping from the skies and trumpets were playing music celebrating their victory. Then, taking a complete 360, he noticed other people emerging from different spots. All contestants who had made it to the next round. Axel hadn’t comprehended it, but he and Casey were one of the winning teams! Since he was so scared by Kyle, he didn’t hear the announcer end the game. When that realization came to him, he felt tears fill his eyes and fell backwards onto the ground. He let out a wail and wished to just lay there and sleep. However Casey did not let him do so since the stage lit up and began to fade away. All of the winning teams were suddenly dropped and brought back down onto the regular field. Casey carried Axel as they fell down and landed softly on the ground. Then, when all was clear, she too began to cry in relief. They hugged each other and wished to just get some time to relax.

“Quit crying you babies” Kyle said next to them with an annoyed face. Following that, the announcer soon started to speak once again.

“Congratulations to the teams who successfully made it to the final round! You all fought hard and put on quite the show! And thanks to their valiant efforts ladies and gentlemen, the following five teams will move on to the finals! Team Sherry and Candy! Team Jose and Kenneth! Team Axel and Casey! Team Rose and Violet! And finally, Team Kyle and Elizabeth!!-”

“And there she is.” Lucy said to herself while her friends around her celebrated Axel and Casey’s victory.

“Hold up, did she say Elizabeth?!” Axel said suddenly stopping his tears. He pushed himself off Casey and looked around to look for someone whose appearance would fit the picture he was shown of Elizabeth. He looked hard but he just couldn't find her. Finally, from behind, a single person took a step toward them. When both Axel and Casey turned, they immediately recognized her. A small girl with short pigtails and bright blue eyes, smooth pale skin and black hair, there was no doubt about it.

“Ah, Elizabeth. You somehow managed to survive just like you said. Great work.” Kyle said speaking to her indifferently.

The small girl, who had also been turned into a child just like them, nodded and approached Kyle with a straight face. She looked over at Axel who she noticed had been gawking at her and quickly turned away with slight anger. Suddenly feeling a faraway gaze press up on him, he staggered and realized it must’ve been Lucy. So, he quickly walked up to her and tried to introduce himself.

“Um, Excuse me! I’m-”

“I know who you are Ison. And just to let you know, tell your “friends” to get lost before I start fighting back.” Elizabeth said to him in a cold tone. To everyone else, she was probably just being stubborn, but to Axel her words had an entirely different meaning. She knew why he was approaching her. She knew what she was holding and she knew about the peacekeepers, there was no doubt about it, his instincts told him so.

“Tch, wow. And here I was thinking you were too much of a scaredy cat, doll face. Well, your jobs done too so get lost.” Kyle said as he smirked and walked off. Elizabeth nodded to him and watched him off. Then, she gave Axel one last stare before also turning heel and walking way.

There was nothing he could do, nothing he could do but look back at Lucy who had already read the situation perfectly, Axel had failed before he even had a chance to start.

Part 4

“Okay, I get that you weren’t able to say anything to her, but honestly the real thing bothering me here is why you two are still kids!” Lucy said.

“I….can…..probably tell you…...if you stop…..squeezing us!!!!” Axel said as he struggled to breathe. Ever since he had returned from the last match, all of his friends,the girls, had taken turns hugging the life out of both Casey and Axel.

“I can’t take it!! You’re just so adorable!!” Lucy yelled squeezing him harder which evidently caused Axel to accidentally discharge a bolt of electricity, electrifying even himself. After finally releasing them, Lucy fixed her now frizzy hair and sat in the living room of Casey’s house where they had gone right after the event. In the house were himself, Casey, Lucy,Jennifer,Olivia,Michael,Tony,Jessica, and Natsumi. Katie had returned home after congratulating them.

“Well,we spoke to Harry and asked him to turn us back into our regular size but he said that he couldn’t. The effect would last for another 3 hours…..” Casey said also trying to calm her frizzy hair.

“And it’s been 1 since we left. Just another 2 hours to go…” Axel said while Maria wrapped his tiny broken finger in bandages. He wished that was the extent of his damages but it wasn’t. His entire right arm suffered a powerful backlash from using both super strength and ice so it was also entirely wrapped in bandages. Andrew and Saphire were away so healing was all up to him.

“You did great out there though. Even though you only fought one guy. Casey here was the real star of the game. After finishing off that Trent guy she went and took out about 2 or 3 other teams!” Tony said to Axel while laughing. Axel sighed and looked over at Casey who was blushing. It didn’t surprise Axel, he always knew she was strong, a lot stronger than him.

When Maria finished covering up his finger, he stood up and walked over to her. He was really happy with the way things turned out, it was because she was at his side this far into the game that he even made it to the finals. Extending his hand out to her, he unleashed a smile causing a bandage on his left cheek to move out of place.

“Real great work out there, partner. I really owe you a lot.” He said as she stared back up at him.

“Haha, you saved my neck just as many times, I think we’re even.” she said in her child squeaky voice. She took his hand and shook it. Feeling happy, he let go of her hand and walked over to sit back next Maria who had been watching him intently.

“Hm?” Casey said when she noticed something hanging out of his pocket. It was small, circular and was the color red. It caught her attention because it was something that resembled a certain dessert that she had been saving in her fridge……. It...couldn’t be..could it?

“Axel, what’s that in your pocket?” she said to him causing everyone to also look. Suddenly stiffening and freezing in place, Axel kept his back to her and chose his next words wisely.

“I, uh,....it’s just something I picked up on our way back-”

“You’re lying.” Casey said cutting him off with a straight tone. Axel winced and began to sweat. The jig was up. Then, seeing that he was cornered, he gave the door one look and made a beeline for it. But before he could get anywhere, he was tackled against the wall by a small but brute force.

“You dirty thief! You dare try and lie to me to my face!? I know you took that gelatin from my fridge!! I’ve been saving that for a special occasion, it was my favorite so give it back!!!” she said as she forcefully twisted his arm behind his back. Axel struggled to break free with his face against the wall and cried uncle several times.

“I can’t even reach for it!!! Just let me go!!!” He yelled. He walked up the wall with his feet and pushed out causing Casey to fall back. They both fell and rolled some time before coming to a stop. When Casey looked up, she noticed the now empty cup of gelatin on the ground. It was too late, Axel had eaten it and he was clearly trying to hide it from her. So,since he was hiding it, he knew exactly how much it meant to her and he chose to eat it anyway.

“Uh, I swear I can explain!” he said as he watched her slowly stand with her back to him. Axel began to shake and quickly looked around for cover, but for some reason everyone was gone. The one person that had not left was Maria who watched them with curious eyes. He contemplated taking cover behind her but, knowing Casey, she’d get hurt….So, he had no choice but to sit and patiently wait for death.

“On your feet” He heard Casey growl from behind. He squealed like a scorned puppy as Casey stood over him.

“Die with dignity.”

“Nooooooo!!!!!!” was the last thing he was able to yell before getting a face full of fire.

____________

At the time, I had forgotten all about the bad feeling I had gotten a couple days earlier. I was too busy feeling really happy for absolutely no reason. What I mean is, I should’ve had no reason to be so at ease and yet I was. Before it happened, I was busy trying to heal the burns that I had received from Casey. I had just gotten out of the shower and the next one in was Casey. Maria as usual was at my side asleep on the living room couch. No one was home, everyone had left just one hour earlier to go sightseeing. The sun was starting to set and the room was starting to dim. I remember feeling bad for Casey, bad because I had eaten her favorite dessert so I thought “Man, I should go buy her another one.” So, I did. I grabbed a blanket from her closet,wrapped Maria in it, and then walked out the front door. Never did I think that that would be a huge mistake. If I had just been there when it happened…...Maybe she wouldn’t of had to go through any of that….. Damn it, if I were just there…..she wouldn’t of had to relive the trauma…….It was hell for all of us!...

If I recall, everyone was split up and that was what kept us from knowing. That’s why we were completely off guard and so many lives were lost while we tried to make sense of it all. Tony and Michael both were out away from the girls getting something to eat, the girls were out visiting the mall that savant island had, Casey was in the shower, Maria was in the living room, I was out at a liquor store approximately 10 minutes from where Casey lived. Lucy, however, was MIA from what I understand when that first call came to me, she had apparently gone to use the restroom while the girls continued to look around the mall and they hadn’t seen her until much much later. I will never forget how it all went down. Never forget what I saw, never forget what I learned. We were isolated in that island, completely cut off from the rest of the world. Were it not for my little sister’s quick thinking, I wouldn’t of have known……..Miami was under attack, and savant island was next.

_______________

Part 5

In only about 40 minutes, Axel would finally return to his regular size. That fact felt like a huge relief to him and in turn he was feeling really relaxed. At the moment he was looking through a freezer inside a liquor store that he had found. He was looking for a very particular dessert. It was the red gelatin that he had eaten that belonged to Casey. It was a special limited strawberry flavor that she enjoyed but he had been selfish and ate it anyway when she wasn’t looking. Rookie mistake for him though as she made him pay with burning his skin as a sacrifice. He rather not talk about it much…. Luckily for him, there was one gelatin left in stock.  It was practically begging for him to take it to Casey. He picked it up and took it to the cash register where he would pay for it. When he did, he walked outside and admired the setting sun in the distance. It made him think, how nice would it be if everyday were this peaceful? Man, no worries over anything? That would be nice…

Next to the liquor store, there was a bench with a tall tree slowly rustling its leaves in the slight breeze. He walked over to it and sat down. The vibes he was getting right now were enough to put him to sleep right then…..and…….there…

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

“Axel, my boy. Listen to me, I want you to have this keychain, and I want you to have it on you at all times, okay?”

“But grandpa, I don’t understand, Is it like a good luck charm or something?” The small boy said to his elderly grandpa who was sitting on a recliner. The old man laughed and held his belly while extending his hand holding the small test tube shaped keychain out to him.

“It’s much more than just that my boy. Trust me, right now you won’t understand but there will be a time where everything will change and the world will be completely different. The fate of the universe will rest in the hands of one and I daresay that it will turn to you to handle it. However, I wish for nothing more than for you to be far away from the supernatural, and this invention of mine here will make my wish come true.” he said with a tone filled with wisdom. The boy didn’t know why, but he understood. The “Supernatural” scared his grandfather? Then it scared him too. If that was the case, he wanted nothing to do with it, he’d respect his grandfather's wishes. So, he took that keychain in his tiny little palm and swore to never mess with anything involving the supernatural. But there was one thing he didn’t understand.

“But grandpa, why would the universe choose me? What did I do?” He asked his grandfather.

“Call it a hunch, but I just feel it. You are kind and very noble. You have great courage and want nothing more than to help others, and with our family background I feel you are a suitable vessel. That is why. But, that is simply too much for a young boy like you. I want you to live your life safe and sound and out of harm's way, promise me you’ll do that, lad?” the old man sincerely asked of his grandson. And, to his great pleasure, the boy accepted without question.

“Of course!”

And so it did, when he needed it most to help protect a young girl, that keychain protected them both. Just like his grandfather said it would. It was raining and she had been surrounded by strange men. She was crying and helpless but he stepped in. The rest was a blur but he knew that his keychain protected them both. And so, he had made a new friend because of that.

“What’s your name?” he asked the young girl when they woke up the next morning.

“C-casey…..” she responded.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Axel!” and just like that they were friends. And so she also got to meet his grandfather who he also treated like one of her own. They spent many good times together and grew as a family, but those times were short lived. When the time came and that old man departed from this world, the boy and girl stood at his grave with rain pouring on them. Crying and wishing that he was still there, he held onto that keychain harder than ever. There was no one else that had made him laugh like he did, no one that made him feel special…. He loved and missed his grandpa….While sobbing and wiping his tears, he made a vow, a vow that would make his grandfather proud.

“I….I swear! I’ll live a normal life! For you! We’ll be safe and sound! Like you wanted!”

And so he did, until fate once again proved who was the one in charge. One moment left without the protection of that key chain, and he was thrown into the world his grandfather feared he’d go. The supernatural…. Eventually, these times were all but forgotten to the young boy, but the time was coming when he’d once again recall everything.

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

As his body began to go limp, Axel felt his grip on the bag he was carrying slip and the bag fell to the ground. When he heard the thud, he jolted awake and looked around. He wiped the drool off his mouth and looked at the sun, it was a lot lower than the last time he looked at it. He looked at his phone and realized that he had fallen asleep for a good 20 minutes. He yawned and stood up trying to stretch his sore arms. When he did, he felt his phone vibrate and looked at it. But, it wasn’t a regular phone call, it was something he hadn’t seen on his phone before but he knew it was a call of some sorts, which was weird since he got no service here. In any case, he answered. Immediately, he heard the sounds of screaming and fire burning, then a familiar voice spoke to him.

“Axel!!! Finally you answered!!” she said.

“Stacey?” he responded.

“Yes, yes! It’s me! Quickly, you have to do something!” she said sounding scared. Following her, he too began to feel on edge.

“Why? What’s the matter!?”

“The city! Those guys you were telling me about? They’re back and they’re destroying everything!!!” she said through distressed sobs.

He didn’t know what to think. His blood ran cold and he got a chill down his spine. Immediately as he felt that, he heard a loud explosion come from somewhere behind him. It was bright and caused him to turn around. It was a bolt of lightning that had struck down a good ways away from him and soon disappeared. Then it got quiet but he knew that things were about to get crazy. Quickly, he responded to Stacey.

“Where are you!?” he asked

“I don’t even know!somewhere in Miami! I was out with grandma at the laundy mat when they attacked!! Please! You have to come quick, I’m so scared!!!” Even through the phone, he could feel her shaking. He grit his teeth and felt tears leak out of his eyes.

“Please, Stacey! Hide! Hide, I’m coming to get you guys!!”

“O-okay! But hurry! We need y-” Was all he heard before the call suddenly cut off. When he looked, he saw that his phone had died. He cursed and slammed it to the ground. Quickly, he looked up and saw many lights flashing in the distance where that bolt of lightning had struck. Feeling hasty, he felt his veins burn and surge with power. When his body lit up with bolts of electricity, he jumped up and began to make his way over there, He was still a kid of all things but he was otherwise in top shape.

(Casey should be safe back home, I hope she takes care of Maria..) he thought along the way.

When he finally got close to the lights, he saw multiple giant metal objects he hoped to never lay eyes on again. There was no doubt about it, it was the same mechs from the day that Sonic City was attacked. But this time, there were more than just one kind. He saw metal serpents, birds, dinosaurs, etc.! they were all rampaging around but that wasn’t it, there were multiple men dressed in black that were running around blowing up anything that they saw. It was chaos. No one around knew what to do but run away. It was just him that was at a complete loss for words just standing there. It was happening again. Again he was thrown into a life and death situation! what could he do? How would he fight? Who should he go to and who should he try and protect? Go back for Maria? Search for Lucy and the others? He didn't know! his eyes widened as far as they could and his tiny fists began to shake as he once again started to wonder if he was going to die. He was completely frozen with fear. It wasn’t until someone came and picked him up that he snapped out of it.

“No time to keep daydreaming! We gotta move!”

When he looked up, he saw Lucy who had water marks on the side of her cheeks. It appeared that she had been crying. When he realized that it was her, he felt relief wash over him. Was it because she was safe? Or because she took him away from the hell that was unleashing? He couldn't tell... Originally, he had hoped to find one of them so that they could take him to Miami anyway so this worked out perfectly. But,

“Where’s everyone else!?” he yelled to her noticing that she was by herself.

“I’m not sure! But they can all take care of themselves. Right now, we have to get back to the ship!” she said with an uncertain voice. He clenched his teeth and knew that she was right, but the farther they got away the more he could see the entire streets start lighting up with flames and chaos. Was it truthfully humane to just run like this? He shut his eyes and endured it, this had to be the right thing for now…

When Lucy reached a certain spot, she lifted her wrist high into the air and was soon teleported away with him in her arms. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was back on Thor where Saphire was working away on one of the computers. She turned around and, while still holding a straight face, welcomed them.

“I am glad you’re finally here, I’m trying to get everyone else but I can’t locate them.”

“They’ll be here soon enough. But right now, what’s the situation? Where’s Ella?” Lucy asked while still holding onto the small Axel. Up against her chest like this, being held like some stuffed animal, he could feel her breathing get erratic and her arms shaking. This was fear and yet she was trying her best to calm down.

“Ella is on board currently getting ready for battle. With two attacks side by side like this, even she is unsure what to do.” Saphire said while showing them something on her screen. It was the map of both savant island and Miami. There were multiple red dots and waves on every part of it, which only proved his fears were correct, both Miami and Savant Island were under attack.

Despite not wanting to, Lucy fell to her knees and shook. “Just…...what do we do?....” she asked in desperation.

“We fight.” they heard Ella say when she came out from one of the hallways. She was wearing nothing special in particular, just the same outfit she wore when she introduced him to the general of the peacekeepers, only this time she was wearing pants and steel toe boots instead of a skirt and some slippers.

“Fight?” Axel said.

“Yes. I will go to Savant Island and bring my expertise to the battlefield. Something tells me that a formidable foe awaits me there. As for Miami, Axel I want you to go there and assist Andrew in defending it at all costs.” she said while typing something on a strange device shaped like a phone.

“Just me and him?! What are we supposed to do?!” he said starting to feel scared.

“Relax, remember the small force I told you that I commanded? They are also there and will provide you with back up. Just please, lend them a hand.” she said finally looking at him and tossing the device over.

“What’s this?”

“It’ll help us keep in touch in an emergency, now quickly! Make haste! People are dying!!! Innocent people!” She said as she started to glow and fade away, presumably teleporting onto savant island.“I will pray for your safe return Axel. Please, be strong and fight for the right cause….”

When she finally disappeared, Axel was left with an odd sense of duty springing up from the depths of his being. She was completely right. People were dying, defensless people were in need of help and this damned ability of his would help him do just that  Axel broke out of Lucy’s hold and ran for the hallway as soon as his nerves were finally worked up. He bursted through the door and noticed a large hole in the wall. He ignored it and jumped straight through it. Commanding the winds, he glided toward a familiar patch of land that was now engulfed in smoke and explosions in the distance. He had no time to waste, he had to go help and fast!

“Axel wait!!!!” Lucy yelled after him but he was far from her already. Seeing that it was useless, she turned heel and quickly ran to her desk where her computer was. She knew she had to be with him at all times. She knew that if she wasn’t…..something bad could happen!

When Axel neared land, he felt his whole body heat up and expand as his clothes suddenly fit perfectly. When the steam cleared, he was at last brought back to his normal size, but joy was the last thing he felt. While clenching his fist so hard that his nail dug into his palm, he prayed. He prayed that everyone would be safe.

(hang on everyone….I’m coming!)