The scorching heat beat down relentlessly at a bus stand in the Middle East. The Queen stood quietly, her face obscured by layers of dark fabric shielding her from the sun. Beside her, Cheese fidgeted restlessly, pulling at the scarf covering his own head.
“My Queen, how much longer are we going to be standing here?” Cheese asked, his tone impatient.
The Queen remained silent, her gaze fixed on the empty road ahead. Butter, standing nearby, glanced at Cheese and responded in the Queen’s stead.
“We’re not just standing here,” Butter said, her voice steady. “Our mission is to ensure that any innocent people who come here are evacuated. As for the rest… those who knew the secrets of the Middle-Eastern Hex must be dealt with.” Her eyes narrowed. “His plan is flawless.”
Cheese frowned and leaned toward the Queen. “What about Elio? Do you think he can handle things in Newzland by himself?”
The Queen finally spoke, her voice cool and unwavering. “As long as he resists The Dark Dragon’s will, he’ll be fine. But if he succumbs…” Her voice trailed off ominously. “Newzland will face a grave threat.”
----------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in Newzland, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Carly, Lila, and Alex stood together, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings, their expressions uneasy.
“So, what’s the plan?” Carly asked, breaking the silence.
Alex clicked his tongue in frustration. “Dan and Jennifer turned their backs on us. They’ll get what they deserve soon enough. But for now, we focus on Arata.” His hands clenched into fists. “When he shows up in Newzland, we’ll deal with him.”
Before anyone could respond, a voice interrupted them. “Bad news, Alex. You’re waiting for the wrong person.”
The three turned around, only to find Elio standing behind them. Lila’s breath hitched in surprise as she took in the sight of him.
“Elio…” Lila murmured, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Alex’s face twisted into a sneer. “What are you doing here, traitor?”
Elio smirked, unfazed by the insult. “Traitor? That's rich coming from you, Alex. The entire Hex organization is rotten—filled with murderers and rapists. Betraying them? That’s the least of my worries.”
Carly, her expression tightening, stepped forward. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Elio.”
Elio’s smirk faded, replaced with a more serious expression. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m talking about, Carly. Why don’t you ask your mom, Paulie, about what really happened? She’s close enough to Jeremy to know the truth.”
Carly blinked, confused. “What does my mom have to do with any of this?”
Lila, trying to calm things down, stepped in, but Elio cut her off. “This isn’t about you, Lila. It’s about me. You’ve lived your life in ignorance, while you think your mom is the same as mine, that’s not the case. My mom tried to kill me, almost succeeded…I had to see her die…Right in front of me…”
The bitterness in his voice was palpable.
Alex scoffed, unimpressed. “So what? You want us to pity you? Are you going to cry and run away like you always do, Elio?”
Elio’s gaze hardened. “I didn’t come here to run. I came here ready to fight, if it comes to that.” His voice softened slightly as he glanced at Lila. “But I still see you all as my friends. And you, Lila, as my sister.” He sighed. “I'd rather not fight.”
But Alex’s rage had already boiled over. His lip curled as he raised his hand, revealing the ring on his finger. “Traitors… deserve to be eliminated.”
Without hesitation, Alex transformed, his body morphing into the powerful form of the Lion Ringmaster. His red golden mane shimmered as his aura flared, a force of raw aggression.
“Alex, wait—” Lila began, but Alex was already in motion, launching himself at Elio with lightning speed.
Elio sighed, resigned to the fight. “Dark Dragon… transform.”
With those words, his body shifted, dark scales rippling across his skin as he transformed into the fearsome form of the Dark Dragon Ringmaster. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous, ethereal glow, and dark energy crackled around him as he prepared to meet Alex’s assault.
The clash was inevitable. Friends turned foes, each wielding immense power, prepared to fight for their own sense of justice. The storm had arrived.
The tension in the air was palpable as Alex charged forward in his Lion Ringmaster form. His golden fur bristled with power, and his eyes were locked on Elio, who had already transformed into his Dark Dragon Ringmaster form. The clash of energy between them was immediate, a shockwave rippling through the area as Alex's fiery strength met Elio's dark, chaotic power.
Elio gritted his teeth as Alex’s fists slammed into him, the force behind each blow pushing him back. His scales absorbed some of the damage, but Alex's sheer ferocity was overwhelming. Elio lashed out, his claws swiping through the air with dark energy, but Alex deflected it effortlessly, barely breaking his stride.
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“You’re not ready for this, Elio!” Alex sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “You never were!”
Elio stumbled back, struggling to keep up with Alex’s relentless assault. His heart pounded as he fought to focus, dark energy swirling around him, but he couldn't find the rhythm. Each time he tried to gather his strength, Alex was there, pushing harder, faster.
Carly, standing at a distance, watched the fight unfold with cold determination. She clenched her fists, her revolver gleaming in her hand. “I can’t just stand here,” she muttered under her breath. Without hesitation, she aimed her weapon, the barrel pointed directly at Elio.
Bang!
The shot rang out, the bullet slicing through the air with deadly precision. It struck Elio in the side, lodging into his scaled armor with a sickening thud. Elio let out a gasp of pain, staggering as the force of the shot disrupted his focus.
“Elio!” Lila’s voice broke through the chaos, filled with worry and disbelief. She watched in horror as Carly, without a hint of remorse, reloaded her revolver, preparing for another shot.
Lila’s heart raced. She had to stop this. She couldn’t just let them tear each other apart. With a determined look in her eyes, she slammed her fist against her chest, her own ring glowing brightly. In an instant, her body shifted, transforming into her Electric Eel Ringmaster form. Her sleek, serpentine body shimmered with vibrant yellow energy, electricity sparking from her fingertips as she darted forward.
As Alex and Elio continued their brutal exchange of blows, Lila inserted herself between them, her electric body crackling with power. “Stop this, both of you! We don’t have to do this!” she shouted, her voice desperate.
Alex’s eyes flashed with anger. “Get out of the way, Lila!” he roared, swinging his fist toward her. The blow landed on her shoulder, sending her sprawling to the ground, but she quickly scrambled to her feet, determined to intervene.
“Alex, stop!” Lila yelled again, her voice trembling as she sent arcs of electricity toward Alex’s legs, trying to paralyze him without causing serious harm. But Alex barely flinched, his eyes blazing with fury.
Carly, still hovering in the air with her wings outstretched, had switched to her sniper rifle, her sharp eyes trained on Elio. She knew she needed to keep her distance, using her long-range advantage to pick her shots. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her aim and pulled the trigger.
Crack!
The high-powered shot streaked toward Elio, striking him in the shoulder. The impact forced Elio to stumble once again, his dark energy flickering erratically as pain surged through his body. His breath came in ragged gasps, and the power of the Dark Dragon inside him began to feel more uncontrollable, more volatile.
“You’ve always been weak, Elio,” Alex continued, his tone filled with cruel satisfaction. He launched another attack, this time a devastating punch that caught Elio square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing to the ground. “Always running. Always hiding behind others.”
Elio struggled to rise, blood dripping from the wound Carly’s sniper had inflicted. His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to spin. The dark energy inside him swirled chaotically, feeding off his frustration, his pain. He wanted to fight back, to prove Alex wrong, but the power was too much, too wild.
Carly, still hovering in the air, chambered another round in her sniper, her gaze cold and calculating. She lined up another shot, aiming for Elio’s back as he tried to gather himself. “This is for the best, Elio,” she whispered, though there was a hint of hesitation in her voice. Despite everything, she didn’t want to see him dead, but she couldn’t let him win either.
Lila, desperate to end the violence, surged between them once more, sending a burst of electricity to intercept Carly’s shot. The bolt crackled through the air, knocking the bullet off course, but Carly was quick to reload, her focus unshaken.
“Why are you defending him, Lila?” Alex growled, his voice low and dangerous. “He’s nothing but a coward. A traitor.”
“He’s your friend and his my brother!” Lila shouted, sparks flying from her fingertips as she struggled to keep Alex at bay. “We don’t have to fight like this!”
But Alex was relentless, his lion-like form towering over her as he pressed forward. “Friends? He’s never been one of us. He’s always been weak, and now he’s turning on us like the traitor he is.” His eyes gleamed with a cruel light as he advanced on Elio, who was still trying to get back on his feet.
“You should’ve stayed out of this, Elio,” Alex sneered, his voice filled with contempt. “You’ve always been a coward, and you always will be.”
Elio’s body trembled as he struggled to hold onto the dark energy coursing through him. His vision blurred as he heard Alex’s words, each one cutting deeper than any physical blow. “Coward…traitor…” Alex’s voice echoed in his mind, his fists clenching as the Dark Dragon inside him roared for release.
Carly, now with her revolver back in hand, took aim at Elio’s legs, hoping to incapacitate him. The shot rang out, grazing his calf and causing him to stumble forward.
“I never wanted this!” Elio screamed, dark energy swirling more violently around him as his emotions spiraled out of control. He felt something shifting inside him, a darkness beyond his own, something he couldn’t fully control.
Alex’s mocking laughter cut through the chaos. “You’re nothing, Elio. You always have been, and you always will be. You’re weak, just like your mother.”
“You knew my mother…?” Elio looked quite shocked at Alex’s statement. “Of course I knew…Everyone who has worked at Hex knew about Sheena Ryan.” Alex says to Elio. “She was weak, that’s the reason she died!” Alex mocks Elio.
Elio froze, his breath hitching in his throat. The mention of his mother sent a wave of fury crashing over him. His body began to shake, not just from the pain, but from the anger boiling inside him.
Lila noticed the change immediately, her eyes widening. “Alex, stop! You’re going too far!”
But Alex wasn’t listening. He smirked, relishing the power he held over Elio. “What’s wrong, Elio? Are you going to cry? You’ve always run away from your problems, hiding behind others. Well, there’s no one left to hide behind now.”
Elio’s body convulsed as the dark energy inside him surged, becoming more intense, more uncontrollable. His hands clawed at the ground as he tried to suppress it, but it was too late. The Dark Dragon was taking over, feeding off his rage, his pain, his desperation.
Carly, still floating above, could feel the shift in the air. “Lila… something’s wrong,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she watched the dark energy begin to engulf Elio.
Lila’s heart pounded in her chest. “Alex, we need to stop! This isn’t right!”
But Alex only laughed again, his voice cold and cruel. “He deserves this, Lila. Let him suffer.”
As Alex’s words cut deeper, Elio’s eyes snapped open, glowing with an unnatural, dark light. His breath was ragged, his body trembling violently as the dark energy swirled around him like a storm. His mind was slipping, the Dark Dragon’s influence taking over completely.
A low, guttural growl escaped Elio’s throat as dark energy burst from his body, rippling outwards in a wave. The ground trembled beneath him, and the sky seemed to darken, as if responding to the raw power that was being unleashed.
For a moment, the world stood still. Then, with a deafening roar, the dark energy surged outward, swallowing everything in its path.