Chapter XXVI

Marco Tarias, The Shapeshifter

02:45 am. Chill wind caressed the branches of trees as the hurried steps crushed a thin layer of snow on the ground. The small hand of a brown-skinned boy left a bloody handprint on a tree. Soon a shadow sniffed the sweet scent of the blood and rushed after the boy. The young one stumbled on a root peeking out of the ground. He reached a clearing. The glade in the forest let the moonlight shine down on the child. Revealing this young one to be Sun Miegin. And with the creeping steps of a carnivore behind him, he was facing certain death.

Hours earlier...

"Do you have my knife?" Luna paced the room up and down as she was trying to think of any detail she might have forgotten, before letting her brother go.

"Yeah, you asked five times already!" Sun sat on the side of his bed exhausted from the interrogation.

"And the pepper spray I bought you?" She turned him with a 'gotcha' but her brother shook the canister in his hand, letting out a defeated sigh.

"You mean stole?" He corrected his sister.

"I'll pay for it when I have the money!" She defended herself but was taken aback by her brother standing up and walking to the window.

"I know how you feel sis... But worrying won’t do you any good. I studied the layout, I have a chalk to backtrack our rout, and if all goes to shit, I can still throw Niel to the wolves." The two of them chuckled, as this momentary levity died down, they stood at the window silently.

"I just wish it was anyone else..." She whispered to her brother.

"I know, but that's not how this works. To be honest I would do this alone if I could. Getting the least of us in harm's way is the best solution. And as the leader, this is the role I must play. This will give us a better chance at fighting these guys." Sun unlocked the window of their room and jumped out. "I'll be home by sunrise for sure, you just keep mom busy if she were to look for me."

Luna nodded silently and watched as his brother disappeared into the night.

Meanwhile Niel was sneaking out of his room. Carefully putting on his shoes and putting a pair of knuckle dusters in his pocket. he slowly reached for the door handle when the deep, raspy whisper from his father made him freeze.

"Where to?" Niel turned around to see his father sitting next to a window, his eyes lit by the cold white glow of the Moon.

"To help a friend." Niel straightened his posture and turned his body towards his father.

"Are they an insomniac?" Hercule chuckled at the answer his son gave. Niel's face contorted, anger filled his eyes and he turned to grab the doorknob. "Can a father ask for some honesty from his beloved son?" This question stopped Niel once more. His eyes softened with guilt and angst.

"I cannot tell you. We made a promise." He whispered to his father.

"Come Niel... just for a second." His father invited Niel. The confused boy turned a to face Hercule. He saw his father turn away from the window. Niel walked up to him, moonlight washing over his body.

"Show me your hands, son." Hercule held out his palms asking for his son to do the same.

Niel looked awkwardly at his father after the weird request. He released the strained clenching fist he was keeping in his pocket. Hercule took careful looked at his son's hands. His chipped nails, the calluses on his palms, the grooves of dirt sunken into his dry fingertips.

"My son inherited my hands. I couldn't be more proud." Hercule's voice weakened as he swallowed some proud tears. He cleared his throat and let go of Niel's hands. "Go, help your friend. And come back by dawn, your mother will be worried. And we'll both be in big trouble." Niel held his hands like that for a second, his mind was processing what he heard, and his body halted with it. After a drawn out moment he stepped back, disregarding his father's comments and left the house focusing on what he deemed most important.

As he was on his way to the gathering place Marco was ready to leave his room. He walked circles in his room trying to grab the doorknob then taking his hand back as he thought of the dangers that lie ahead of him. He grabbed an action figure off a shelf and looked at it. Seeing the confidence in the hero's eyes he tried to imitate the brave smile and get into the persona of a fictional superhuman.

He took that second of confidence and left his room. As he passed his sister's room, he saw the eight-year-old girl kicked her blanket to the ground and in a twisted position she was halfway off the bed with her head touching the ground.

"She's helpless!" He walked into her room and pushed her back onto the bed. He picked up the blanket and when he looked up his sister was sitting up rubbing her eyes. "Marco?"

"Yeah! It's me, but it's just a dream, so go back to sleep!" He whispered nervously, trying to deceive his sister.

"No it’s not a dream! Every time I wake up, I bite my lip to make sure I am awake! That way I know when I'm having a nightmare and can fight the monsters in my dream!" She casually explained with a wide smile.

"Wow, you are deeply troubled!" He put the blanket in her lap and made her lie down. "Truthfully your big brother is going on a secret mission, and I need you to keep quiet about it, okay?"

"Secret mission? Can I come?" She jumped up again, but her brother pushed her back immediately.

"Absolutely no way! It is very dangerous!" He refused in a way that could only be described as quiet shouting.

"You might die?" She tilted her head anxious.

"Yes! It is very likely!" Marco nodded, hoping it would scare the little girl from any further prying.

"Can I have your room then?" The question from his sister made Marco jump back, tripping on a doll left on the floor.

"MY ROOM? WHAT? NO!" His voice went high pitched from the suggestion.

"But yours is bigger!" She climbed out of her bed to stand over her chagrinned brother.

"Because I'm five times your size!"

"But you won't need it when you are dead!"

"I need some more sympathy out of you! I would be worried dead if you were in the same shoes as me!"

"But I wouldn't be! Because I'm not like you!"

"What does that supposed to mean?"

"Let's see... you are a cowardly, selfish, and all-around annoying person." She counted on her fingers for every insult. "All things I'm not!" She smiled with heinous honesty."

"What a nice sister you are! Well let me tell you! You are rude, loud and your breath stinks!"

"All things apllicable to you!"

After that last insult Marco stormed out of her room. She sat back in her bed guilt slowly creeping on her face as she propped her head up with her hands. But Marco returned and sat on the ground next to her bed. "Paya... do you think, your big brother can be a hero?" Her eyes widened at the abrupt question.

"After all I said about you... Not really" Marco's face darkened. He did not want to stand up, he did not want to go. Seeing his brother's expression she continued. "But you don't have to be a hero as long as you do the right thing. It's enough to be a decent person." Marco raised his head with an epiphany.

"I can do that. Even a failure like me can be that..." He stood up and walked out of the room. But in the doorframe, he turned back. "You won't get my room you little devil." He said as he stuck his tongue out.

Soon they met up at the border of their village. Marco was the last to arrive with an unease in his eyes.

"I thought you'd never come." Niel tightened his shoelace.

"Without me? You guys would not survive a day!" Marco tried to fake confidence as he greeted his friends.

"According to the coordinates, if we run at full speed, we, get there in an hour." Sun explained as he looked at his phone.

"Not with my speed." Marco disagreed. Niel was visibly frustrated by his answer, but Sun was quick to answer.

"Let's say ninety minutes. As soon as we get near the tents, we check if the map is correct, then Marco will turn into the clown guy and infiltrate the Carnival. " Sun corrected himself.

"What should I search for then?"

"You look for anyone that's not the clown. Try to ask them about Karma's powers. And avoid the tent of the clown. We don't want you running into him."

"Alright! I think..." Marco gave a hesitant answer.

"How long can you keep your shape?"

"Half an hour. Forty minutes if I push it."

"That should be plenty. Write a 'rescue me' text in chat for me, but don't send it. As soon as you feel like your cover is blown send it and we'll come for you."

"Okay! Just let's get this over with! I feel like I'm gonna throw up any minute."

"Good luck Marco! You got this."

Marco nodded and as he walked past some trees he morphed into Jacy the clown. He carefully made his way to the heart of the circus, avoiding eye contact. The sweet aroma of baked goods diverted his way. He found himself looking at the food truck for something to eat. I cannot thing on an empty stomach!

"Jacy! How are ya doing?" The old man with a bushy grey mustache and dressed in all white appeared in the food truck.

"Oh! Hi there!" Marco tried to compose himself. "I am starving! Give me a bag of srpinkled doughnuts!" He asked not so politely.

The old man filled a paper bag with doughnuts and handed it to Marco. "That'll be twenty solames."

"What? I have to pay? But I work here!" Marco yelled in disbelief.

"Ah! Just screwing with you! But you should see your face!" The old man chuckled, while Marco walked off.

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"Not cool man! Dibdin will hear about this!"

But his lanky frame soon bumped into the strongman Jacques.

"Oh, hey Jacy! I swear to God I see you everywhere!"

"Well! You know me, I'm full of tricks. Clown... tricks." Marco awkwardly sifted his eyes away from the burly man's gaze.

"How are you doing with the preparations?"

"Prep?- Oh yeah! The preparations. I am preparing like there's no tomorrow!" He scratched the back of his head, then slowly moved his arm down his neck, protecting it. He recalled Niel mentioning everyone's name, but he wasn't sure about the strongman. "Say my friend!" Jacques' face froze as Marco called him a friend. Marco, noticing this held his breath terrified of what would happen next. Jacques leaned back holding his belly and burst out laughing.

"Ihhahha! You, calling anyone a friend! This is hilarious! Did you lose a bet? Or do you need something?"

"Heh! Heheh!" Marco tied to play it cool and laugh along with his enemy. "Actually, I do!"

"I knew it! Such a heartless bastard like yourself only butters up someone when they need something in return."

"You got me!" Come one Marco! Now is your time to be smart like Ren, or cunning like Faul! But I don't know how to word it. Marco's plea was answered by a familiar voice in his head. "Do not worry Marco! You got this!" Ren's voice echoed in his head, filling his heart with warmth What? How are you in my head Ren? "I am not! I'm a manifestation of your power. You can imitate people, not just in body but in mind. Of course there are possible drawbacks, but right now you need me! So let's keep this brief. Otherwise, your shape will change back, and you are busted. So when you are ready, say this":

"I got new orders from Dibdin! He wants me to talk to Karma about tonight's show." Marco answered confidently.

"Talk to? What are you-" Jacques' expression changed to confusion. As if what Marco just said made no sense. But before Jacques could finish his answer, the real Jacy shouted at the two of them.

"Hey! Jacques! Who are you talking to?" Jacques turned and saw his comrade behind him. His eyes widened as he realized he was deceived. He turned to look at Marco and apprehend him, but the man looked back to see the boy disappear among the tents still in Jacy's shape.

"Get Dibdin! I'll catch the little intruder!" Jacques ordered Jacy, who agreed with a nod and left to find their boss.

Jacques quickly turned his attention back to Marco but the boy capitalized on the distraction and ran. Jacques noticed him and chased after him at full speed.

Marco turned a corner and pulled out his phone, ready to call for help. But as he looked down at his phone, he did not see the ribbon dancer Odori standing jn front of her and he tackled her, knocking the phone out of his hand.

Marco, still in the shape of Jacy stared at her in awkward silence. Odori blushed and looked away. Marco, realizing he has no time for this jumped up, but a new voice spoke to him in his head. "What are you doing, bro?" Vhiz’s voice addressed him. "She's clearly into Jacy!" Marco bothered by the person in his mind, tried to disregard the voice. And what if she is? I don't have time for this right now! "That's not what I'm saying! Use her to your advantage." Vhiz’s voice advised.

"Odori! It's so great to see you! Jaques has gone mad! He's chasing after me!"

"Jacques?" Odori repeated with disbelief, but her doubts were swept away as she saw Jacques charging at them. "I got you!" Odori walked past Marco and wrapped ribbons around Jacques.

Marco grabbed his phone from the mud and ran off, not looking back at the altercation. Jacques was frantically ripping the ribbons off his body while Odori applied new ones.

"Stop it already! That's not Jacy!" Jacques screamed frustrated. This reached Marco's ears who tried to send the distress message immediately, but the mud on his phone made the screen malfunction.

"Damn it!" He looked back to now see two people running after him. Marco looked around for a place to hide and the best option he found was the group of people lining up for the main tent. He jumped into the crowd. With Jacques and Odori's ribbons right behind him he had a split second to make the best of the situation. As Jaques arrived there and pushed the people away in a hurry, his eyes met with the provoking gaze of Marco disguised as Mr. Fury. They had a second of staring contest before Marco broke the silence with a confident growl. "What are you looking at?" The question was enough to dispel any suspicion Jacques had towards the stranger and he passed him with a displeased grunt.

Marco let out a sigh of relief and walked away from the crowd. As he passed a barrier of people, he finally wiped the mud from his phone. He did not even notice that he was slowly returning to his real face. Now I don't even need to use the distress message, I just need to go back to the guys and tell them I could not find anything out. Not like I have much time left with shapeshifting. As he was contemplating his escape a blue ribbon coiled around his ankles, wrapping them tight. He fell to the ground hitting the send button on the message.

"My ribbon got to you before you changed shape. Now you'll suffer the consequences of dressing up as my future husband!" Her voice deepened as ribbons rose from behind her. One of these Ribbons led Jacques back to them, so he could stand over Marco as well. "So you've got the infiltrator. He's one of the Younen kids, right?"

Shit! Shit! I need to escape! His frantic thoughts made his body instinctively change into the fastest person he knew, Blitz. His widened legs tore the fabric, and he wasted no time escaping at full speed.

"That speed!" Jacques gasped. But they had no time to be impressed, both of them had to focus on catching him.

Meanwhile Jacy finally found Dibdin in his cart. He barged in wasting no time. "Sir! We have a shapeshifter in our camp! They disguised themselves as me and tried to get some information out of Jacques!"

"And why haven't you returned with them already?" Dibdin's slight nasasly voice pierced Jacy's ears, and ego.

"I was tasked with informing you. Jacques is working on apprehending them right now." Jacy explained, trying to save face.

"Tasking that meathead with something that requires even a morsel of logic was a grave mistake. This person could be spying on us for our secrets, or perhaps it's a rival carnival." Dibdin twirled his mustache. "It doesn't matter. The more we wait the worse our chances are." His eyes narrowed as he stood up from his well decorated chair. "Let out the beast. He'll catch the rat in no time."

"But Dibdin sir! That's way too dangerous."

"Tell him that the spy can be his dinner once we interrogate them. And don't forget, the hold we have on him."

"Alright sir." Jacy accepted the order and left.

Marco was making his way to the tree line where he entered from, but his body slowly returned to his original from as his power ran out.

"Oh, god! I am dying today!" He panted as his pace slowed to something you could barely call a stroll. That's when he saw his friends running towards him. "Or maybe not!" For a second he noticed Niel and Sun waving at him he looked back to see Jacques towering over him, ready to strike him down. "So, the answer was yes..." He sighed quietly as an enormous fist was descending on him, but at the last second Niel dashed forward sacking Jacques in the jaw making him fly back. "An angel!" Marco grabbed at Niel's pants as he felt his classmate's presence a blessing."

"Stand up, you dumbass! You are not in heaven yet!" Niel grabbed Marco and threw him into the trees. "You guys go ahead! I'll keep them busy!" Niel cracked his knuckles and turned to look at Jacques slowly standing up while Odori descended with her ribbons behind her.

Jacques checked whether his jaw was broken or not, then took a second of rest until the ringing in his ear stopped. "What a mighty punch!" He stood up challenging the young fighter.

"Can you do the same?" Niel invited the man with the wave of his hand.

Ribbons surrounded the arm of Niel and wrapped his hand close to his body. Odori did not wait for the two fighters to have a one-on-one brawl. Niel flexed his muscles ripping the ribbons, but new ones appeared in an instant reapplying the pressure.

"My ribbons can squeeze you like an anaconda, suffocating you while breaking your bones! Beg me and I might make this quick!" Odori chuckled as she closed the distance between them. Jacques used this opportunity to punch Niel square in the face making the leaves around them shake. As Jacques retracted his fist Niel stood there, with his nose bleeding steadying his expression looking the two of them in the eye.

"What the fuck is an anaconda!?" He screamed as he used all the power in his body to overpower the ribbons. His scream echoed among the tents putting everything into destroying them.

"Wrap him up more 'Dori!" Jacques ghasped.

"I cannot! Those are all the ribbons I have!" As she declared the terrified woman, Niel continued his surging scream and finally all the ribbons tore and exploded bstructing the pair's vision.

Among two falling ribbons the last thing Jacques saw was a fist rapidly approaching him disintegrating ribbons in its path. He was knocked back by another punch from Niel.

A sneaky hand from nowhere touched Odori's shoulder in the confusion. "Ease" as she heard that her body relaxed as her consciousness faded. Sun grabbed Niel's shoulder and dragged him away. "Let's go while they're both out!"

"Where's Marco?" Niel looked around for his classmate.

"Judging by the speed he ran away, he is in Younen already!" Sun said jokingly. The two of them caught up to Marco who was wheezing, leaning on the rough bark of a tree.

"We've no time for rest. We need to leave now!" Niel ordered his classmate impatiently.

"Jeez!" Marco nearly jumped out of his own skin by the sudden appearance of his friends. "Warn me next! My heart left my body for a sec!"

"Use that to run as fast as you can! And tell us what you learned." Sun helped him start running again. The three of them used all their energy to run.

Back where Jacques and Odori were knocked out. The two of them sluggishly tried to get up. One of them from the monstrous punch, and the other form the nauseating effects of Sun's touch.

A shadow gathered over them, the shadow of something bloodthirsty. "What is your use?" The growling voice descended on the two of them.

"H-he let you out?"

"To pick to your slack." Dibdin entered next to the shadow. "Smell them. Whatever isn't familiar is the smell of our intruders."

"The intruders were the kids from Younen."

"Thanks Odori! That explains their motivation." Dibdin nodded. "Me and my tiger will go and retrieve kids. One more hostage won't hurt, right?" Dibdin cackled as he jumped on the beast's back and they disappeared into the woods.

"What do you mean you didn't learn anything?" Niel screamed, almost tearing his vocal cords.

"I did not get the chance. They found me out immediately!" The three kids were dashing through trees as fast as they could.

"You were in there for a while. You could talk to one of them, right?"

"The burly one, but nothing important."

"Let me decide that. Tell me everything, whit the most detail you remember."

"I asked him about tonight’s show. And that I need to talk to Karma about it. He was confused by it, but before he could answer, Jacy showed up, busting me."

"That confirms it! Karma cannot talk, otherwise Ginna will get her voice back." Sun came to the conclusion resulting in a satisfied smile.

"So now we can plan." Niel's eyes focused.

"Me and Ren already worked out plans for all scenarios. We just needed confirmation on wich one to use." Sun tried to relieve the frustratin he felt from his friend.

"Thank God! I was so done with this whole overhuman stuff!" Marco moaned almost slipping on a patch of snow.

"Once we're done with this, we should take a break from all of it." Sun looked up into the trees, letting out a well-earned sigh.

"It was all way too close to going south! And to think I almost agreed to give my sister my room! We should--" Marcos next words were cut off, as his stomach was torn open by claws that left as fast as they came. His body toppled and rolled with the inertia left in it. He rolled no more as a tree stopped his movement, blood pooling under him. Niel and Sun ran up to him color leaving their face.

"What the hell?" Niel looked around getting Sun and Marco behind him.

"He's losing way too much blood. We need to get him to a hospital!" Sun looked at the wounds and wrapped his jacket over Marco's stomach.

"Take him! I'll cover you! Whatever attacked us is still around, I feel it!" Niel looked for any sign of movement, but the predator was not in a hurry; now that they were slowed down.

Sun took his classmate in his arms as they continued running. They dashed trough trees after trees tracking the chalk marks left by Sun. Some scarce branches let moonlight shine through, making the perfect spotlight for Dibdin to appear in.

"Nice night. Isn't it?" Dibdin taunted the kids.

"Shit!" Sun grunted.

"Go, Sun. I'll keep him busy." Niel dashed to attack him, but his punch went through the visage of Dibdin like fog. Sun took a deep breath and continued running with his ever-paler classmate. Bumping into trees along the way, leaving bloody handprints.

Niel standing in the moon's light searching for his enemy was suddenly surrounded by clones of Dibdin from all sides. "You may concentrate on me, but you must've realized by now. I do not possess claws."

Niel suddenly raised his head knowing there's one more enemy after them. The one that wounded his friend. "Then get out of my way!" He screamed randomly attacking one of the clones.

"You're not one of the brightest ones, are you?" Dibdin scoffed.

Sun continued struggling through the forest when his foot got stuck on a root peeking out of the ground. He let go of his friend’s body which left the thick forest to a clearing. Sun got up hastily feeling the hairs on his neck stand up as something approached him. He heard, the branches snapping and the growling of something huge closing in on him. He followed his friend to the clearing turning him over. His shirt soaked with blood, small blades of grass, and sticks staining him further.

The boy had no more time to observe his classmate’s body. A shadow of a ten-foot-tall beast-man towered over him. No more moves for him on the board. Just death.

The beast showed his pure white teeth, opening his mouth as big as Sun's head, saliva dripping and connecting in ribbons between it's upper and lower jaws. One more step and there is no more distance between them, one more step...

"Be careful. It might be your last step." A man’s voice was broken up by the puff of smoke escaping his lungs. The beast-man stopped and looked to a faraway rock where a man with a bird on his shoulder was looking down on him. “My name is Benu of the Cleaner Organization. I'd advise you to stay where you are, you might just trigger my trap.” The man confidently took a hit from his cigarette taking control of the situation!