“Really…. Just Who were you kidding?” Jeff said, barely maintaining his breath.

“ Did you really think I was going to go down in one punch?”

Stretching out his arms he began to surround himself with licorice again this time it surrounded his skin coating him.

“This time I'm not holding-”

“That's enough!” said another voice from inside the boulder.

As the voice spoke a cold silence filled the air. A moment later the boys heard a giant crash and vision of Jeff was temporarily was lost in a cloud of dust.

When the dust had finally settled, standing in the midst was none other than PB.

He was fully wrapped in lead now panting. His inhuman breathing pattern caused the dust in front of him to sway back and forth with each breath.

“Let me handle this I can make sure-” Jeff began

Before he could even finish his sentence, PB delivered a devastating smack to Jeffs face instantly knocking him out. As he slid across the floor his eyes rolled back to the back of his head.

He definitely wouldn't be getting back up from that one.

“ I was just messing around. I was just having some fun with you outsiders” PB said filling the air with a sinister vibe.

Axel and Tristan's stomach began to churn as the triumphant scene quickly diminished. The dark reflection PB’s lead had turned the scene into a dark shade and was emanating an tangible dark Aura from itself, cloaking the environment with a demonic tone.

“But now I'm done messing around, Both of you will die here…” He said squatting down.

“Painfully!”

As Pb flexed muscles another layer of lead begin to cover his body. He was at least 2 inches taller now and at least two inches thicker.

He began slowly making his way to them walking to the edge of the other peak he was on.

Axels hearing began to dampen as the sound of his heartbeat was drowned out his surroundings. His instincts were telling him to run but for some reason, he couldn't move.

“Axel let's get out of here! What are you doing?” 6 said, shaking Axels arm.

6 looked at Axel and finding his face was , showing no signs of life or cognitive thought.

“ Ax! Let's get out of here!” He said grabbing him by the shoulder.

He tried to move Axel, but it was like he was tethered to an anchor. No matter how hard he pulled he couldn't get him to budge.

“ Ax... If we don't get out of here now we're actually going to die! Do you hear me we're actually going to die”

As 6 continued to get no response, PB jumped over the gap between the peaks landing only a few yards away from their position.

“So this is what it means to be on the verge of death, and this time it's for real. The adrenaline rush is gone…. All I feel is hopelessness” Axel thought

“AXEEEL!”

“An opponent making his approach with every intent... not to hurt not to belittle not to injure but to kill! To destroy! To completely eradicate every trace of your existence…. This is …..

“AXEL!!!”

“If I run he will catch me… he's faster... If I fight back I'll be destroyed.. He's stronger... In either case neither is going to help me here….. I have to look deeper than that.”

“Axel!”

“This…. This truly is a hopeless situation….. I've never felt this way….. I’ve felt depression…. I’ve felt sadness. I've felt scared, but this is a different feeling…. Something is telling me these are my last moments….. It looks like it's finally time to meet you mother Soon we’ll be…”

AXEEELLLL!

Axel came back to reality, and looked at 6 and then PB.

That's right…. I can't be afraid now…. after how far I've come…. Have forgotten what I was fighting In the first place!

“Axel… your scaring me man… what are you doing?” 6 asked

“I'm glad that I've got to experience all of this…. All I can do now is…”

Axel turned to 6, his best friend, the one who is sharing his fate. Watching him die would be more painful than anything that PB could ever do to him. And there was little he could do to stop it from happening.

He looked back at his arm remembering the promise he made to Lance

“ So... this is despair…. this is what you were talking about. There's no place to run there's no place to hide in this moment I know you wanted to teach me that I have to be strong…. I wished I could have showed you myself…” He mumbled

“Axel who are you talking to?”

Suddenly he grabbed 6 by the shoulder

“ What's going on man let's get out of here?” 6 said tearing up

Axel turned around looking him in his eyes.

6 could see Axel's white pale face had gone away and he was smiling now.

“6... Thank you for showing me what it means to live…. For that you have my thanks”

“Axel… don't!” 6 pleaded…. “IF you continue to fight.. You're going to die.”

“Hahaa…. HAhahaha” Axel laughed.

“How is any of this funny?” 6 asked

“I didn't realize it until I saw you strapped to that tree 6… but… dying…” Axel said trembling “Dying isn't the worst thing”

‘WAI-”

Axel collected the last bit of water that he could, using the same shockwave he had used to blast Jeff, but created a lighter version that blasted 6 away.

“AXXXXXXXREEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL” 6 screamed as the current took him away.

“Watching the person you care about most die… That.. That is much worse than dying” Axel said

“Well PB… it's just you an-”

Axel was immediatly lifted off the ground leaning over his stomach in pain. Pb delivered a devastating blow to his stomach that had knocked him into the air. Axel coughed spewing out blood as he fell to the floor writhing in pain.

“The only sound I wanna hear from your mouth now ARE SCREAMS FOR MERCY!”

Boom!

Axel was hit again with a fully lead blow to his stomach this time with PB's foot.

“Eckk!” He said coughing up another portion of blood.

“ You know I really get tired of you running,” PB said pacing around Axel. I've got to make sure you don't run away from this one!”

He stood over Axel raising his foot over Axel’s knee cap.

“ no…. please “ Axle begged

A grin spread across PB’s face As he raised up his right leg.

“Crack”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

Axel’s leg began to bend upwards in a V as the sound of his shattered knee cap erupted through the valley.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” “GOOOOD PLLEASEE Have mercy!” Axel shouted as he began to cry.

“Hehehehhe, HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!” Pb laughed

“AHHHHH GODAMNIT! HELPPP SOMEONEE HELPPP!!!” He screamed

“Somebody HELP ME! SOMEBODY FUCKING HELP ME He’s gonna he's gonna kill me!”

“ You know your voice is really annoying too…" Pb grimaced.

“PLEASEE SOME ONE ANYONEEE YOUV GOTTA HELP ME HES CRAZYY!!! HES CRAZY!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Lifting Axel up on his shoulders he turned back into his normal self

“You know by altering between my lead body and my normal body I can use the momentum I gain to propel me further.”

“Please Pb… Im sorry.. Im sorry Im an outsider...” Axel begged.

“Why am I telling you this? Hahaha because we're going High! High into the sky And when I land I won't be able to hear your annoying voice ask me!”

PB turned into his metal body form and started to squat, building up elasticity in his legs. When he took off reaching the tips of his toes he turned back into his normal form, losing the heavy weight he had originally left the ground with. After a brief shift in momentum he catapulted into the sky carrying Axel on his shoulders. After reaching the Apex of his jump he turned back into his metal form falling towards the ground

As he fell through the air he yelled to Axel.

“Well... these will be your last words! do you have anything to say? Not that it matters anyway hahahahaha!”

Axel eyes flooded with tears as he began to catapult towards the ground.

“Mother….” He cried

“Boooom!”

Axel landed splintered across PB’s back. His spine was completely shattered

[https://i.imgur.com/fvh4h9e.jpg]

He was laying on the ground now, completely motionless. His legs didn't hurt anymore, nor did his arms… Everything was numb.

“ What's wrong aren't you in pain?” PB laughed

As Axel struggled to use his voice only thing that came out was "heeerrrr”. THe same sound Pb had always mad him say forcefully.

“Hahahaha” “See you really are a retard I knew it!” “ This is so satisfying HAha literally you can't do anything back.” PB said taking a seat beside Axel.

“ I wish I could leave you like this forever...” “but I can't turn back now you've caused too much trouble... Letting you live would be a huge mistake.”

“ With my next attack I'll crush your skull… ” Lifting up his leg he raised it over Axel’s head.

“ No one will care anyway… Just another outsider who disappeared.”

Axel laid motionless unable to respond.

“Those who are too weak to fight are trash! Now begone!”

PB dropped his heel causing a giant Shockwave to pulse through the area. When the dust cleared he saw his foot had made a whole in the ground.

“Huh?” he said confused.

There was no trace of Axel.

“ Hate to burst your bubble but there are some folks who would be really pissed if he died!”

Turning around he saw Reggi and B holding Axel in her arms

“:YOU BASTARD!!!!!” B screamed “What the Hell did you do to him!” She screamed holding Axels limp body.

“Regi looked over B’s shoulder seeing Axel in his mangled state.

“Reerm” Axel chanted before passing out.

“I'll kill you!” Regi said charging PB. Before he could reach him he was stopped by a wall of rocks.

“ Reggie, you take Ax and get on out of here! I'll handle this son of a bitch!!” B said holding Axle out towards him.

“No way! You told me on the way here if all three of us combined our strength we might have a chance and now you tell me you're going to do it on your own?

B softly placed Axels body to the ground walking to Regi’s side.

“We do this together!” She said readying her fists.

“ …. It won't be a one-v-one battle either way!” A voice said from behind a tree.

  Jeff was still standing.

  “Reggie… Take Ax and get out of here!” B yelled

  “No way! I have already abandoned one friend today” he said looking down at Axel I won't make that mistake again!

“Geoffrey Get ready for Battle!” Regi yelled

“Sir! I thought you never would have asked!” A voice replied from inside his arm.

PB and Jeff began to run towards B and Regi squaring up for the showdown.

  “6! Now! grab Ax!” Regi yelled

  6 jumped out from behind the trees making a go for Axels body. He reached for Axel but couldn't make it to him. It was as if some kind of invisible force had stopped him.. Almost like some kind of wind.

“ What do we have here? Such evil occupying such a sacred place. It was here that people fought and died to obtain what we have today! And here you are COMMITING UNSPEAKABLE ACTS OF EVIL!"

Landing in the center of the fight was Lance Nozuka.

“Wait who's side are you on man? Get Axel and get out of here!” Regi yelled

“Shut up! And listen very carefully, I'm only going to say this once!” Lance said eyeing the four Shifters down.

“The next person who moves, will become my opponent”

Everyone froze, confused by the intervention. B and Reggie’s eyes filled with animosity at this grandstanding, as PB and Jeff were dumbfounded at the number of people who had showed up to defend Axel.

“ What do you any of you care! He's an outsider, a complete loser, someone who has no future in the SPA, I'm only doing what someone else would do to him in the future I'm doing him a favor!” PB explained

Lance spun around eyeing down PB in indignation.

“ Even a loser.... deserves to live... It‘s those who take lives willingly, those who don’t understand a life'svalue, it is those people who deserve to die!”

Reggie and B let out a sigh, it looked like Lance was on their side after all.

“ Why you little…-” Pb grunted

“PB let's withdraw for now” Jeff said

“What! We can take these guys!” Pb said

“ That's not what I'm worried about…. how long would it take to fight them, more and more people could keep showing up! If we keep this up the next person you see could be a teacher.”

PB relaxed letting go of his iron form. He seemed more wary now, like the tantrum he had been having was over. He realized Jeff was right.

“Heh you're right, I'm sorry I knocked you out back there, I couldn't control myself….” PB said scratching his head

“It's cool man” Jeff said, shaking off the fact that he had just been knocked unconcious by his best friend.

“You guys get off easy this time…. But the damage has already been done, that loser will never fight again , in his shape he'll be lucky if he ever wakes up!”

“You BASTARD I swear I'm going to kill you for this!” Regi yelled.

“Yeh yeh get in line!” Pb said looking at Lance and B before he left with Jeff.

As soon as PB had disappeared Reggie B, 6 and Lance all crowded around Axel.

“ Lance can you”

“ Already on it!” He said, taking out a basic medical kit and some kind of module tablet out of his backpack.

“ This will allow me to do a basic UV Scan and a look at his deep tissues! Let's see how bad the damage is…” Lance said gliding the tablet over Axels ligaments.

Lance hadn’t looked at him for more than the second before he turned off the console.

For the first time in their childhood, Reggie and B saw a look on Lance's face They had never seen before, it was sympathy… and sorrow.

The look was so unbecoming of Lance, that they looked from one to the other as to who should ask the state of Axel.

Finally 6 came forward.

“What's going on, what's going on with him?” 6 asked

“His… his spinal cord…” Lance whispered.

“Yes”

“It hasn't just been broken.” "Many of the vertebrae have been torn apart… his column is nearly completely shattered.”

“What are you saying?” 6 asked

Lance spun around snapping at 6 “ What I'm saying! Is that that in a normal case of a spine injury, We would have a disconnect between two parts of it! I'm telling you that the two parts that connected don't exist anymore! and I believe…” Lance stopped clearing his throat.

“I believe he can never get them back! they're gone!”

Shock pulsed through each of the teenager's eyes… like Lance has just presumed Axel dead.

“Well…. We can do comprehensive surgery right! They can replace parts with bio synthetic ones…” Regi said touching his robotic arm

“Whatever the case let's get him to the emergency room right away!” B said.

“That's not going to happen.” Lance said “Look at him… he's an outsider from the badlands…. do you guys really think he has healthcare? You think he'll be able to get anybody to see him? Well Just waste time and…. his condition could worsen.

“ Well we'll just take him somewhere he can afford we'll go to the badlands if we have…”

“There's no point! He has an expensive injury, expensive you know like probably thousands of Ether dollars! Do any of you have that kind of money?”

“His Parents?” B said.

“As of now we're his parents” Lance said remorsefully.

“So what do we do?” 6 asked

“For now all we can do is take him somewhere safe and give him the conditions a normal person with an IV would have. I have read enough to set up the necessary systems. I even have some medical equipment at my house. It is imperative we take him somewhere he can always be supervised!

“ Okay let's get him to my house. My grandmother used to be in the medical field,” Reggie said.

“ Are you sure that's okay you haven't even consulted them yet?” Lance said

“ This is the least I can do for him, most of this is actually my fault.” Reggie said tearing up “Im such a big idiot.... And a coward” Reggei said crying “I should have never left you on your own!”

THUD!

“ If it was anyone's fault is mine…” B said punching the ground “I turned my back on him I thought it was what's best.” B said.

“ Oh for the love of god shut up!" Lance Screamed

"Stop whining and complaining over yourself! Are you two the ones with the shattered vertebrae!?” Lance interjected.

B and Reggie were taken aback by Lances words. Who was this person? And why he did he have so much concern for Axel.

“ Stop complaining about the past…. figure out what you can do now! He’s going to wake up at some point, are you guys going to be there!?” Lance asked

“ Yeah” B

“ Of course!” Reggie

"Mhmmm" 6 said sobbing

“ Then save your sympathy for then…. that's when he'll need it. For now be strong and let's figure out a way to get this guy to his house.”

“ Lance I don't know what to say man, thank you.” 6 said

Lance’s face went dark as he turned away from them.

“Mother!!!!”

“Lance get me 10 ccs of ****”"

“No need to thank me... I've just been in this situation much more than once.” He siad coldly

“ Leaving the cave for once? Where do you think you're going” A man said

“ Isn’t it obvious? I'm going to get the boy” Taliyah answered

“ What boy?”

“ A boy born with the light of the father has just awakened, I saw him in a vision”

“ I see, you're going to have to put out that light out aren't you?”

“ Of coarse that's the only way I'll be able to reach that place again, I have to repent for my sins.I trust you have no issues with this after all it has nothing to do with the organization”

“ Yeah that's your own private thing so where are you off to this time? The land of Darkness Zaveid? Or is it a place outside of the major continent?”

“ No, it's neither, it's a hidden place for what I sense, it's an island.”

“An... an island?? Tell me what does this boy look like.”

“He has blue hair and I believe his name is…”

“Axel.” They said in unison.

“ You know the boy?” Taliyah asked

“I cannot tell you how, but I can tell you that you going after him will interfere with our plans.”

“You know I actually was just starting to like you it's too bad I'm going to have to kill you.”

“You have no idea what you're walking into, do you?”

“That isn't just any Island after all why do you think we targeted it?”

“I'll use the shadows to cloak me like I always do.”

“What good are shadows when your enemy is darkness itself.”

Taliyah stopped talking and turned to meet him. He had finally got her attention.

“ Hear me out and if after hearing everything you say you still want to go by all means it will not stop us...However if you change your mind and realize the danger going on this journey alone, you're free to reconsider.”

“How long” Taliyah answered impatiently

“ In three months we will carry out our plan. It is the timeframe in which I will gather the necessary resources to execute the mission. I have been at this for years, it'd be great if you just forgot about this boy altogether…”

“Not going to happen” Taliyah answered defiantly turning her head

“ Well.. if you want to move before then you're likely only to get yourself killed, or worse captured”

“What makes you so sure?”

“ There's a man from the main branch of the SPA on that island who is rather problematic. Making it past him would be like scuba diving into the ocean without any water getting on you.

“That's impossible, the ocean is... all water.”

“Exactly! The water is just like this man…. He’d be all over you the second he saw you submerge. Accept worse.. Imagine the water was dense.. So the second you submerged.. There was no hope of escape.

“ And what makes you so sure you can get past this man”

“Ha because I have no intentions of scuba diving. I know exactly how to figure out the location of what I'm looking for. Well hover innocently above the water surface and strike hard and so fast even his clutches won't reach us!?

“Oh”

“ There are things that even he doesn't even know about this island that I do!”

“ you’ll have to enlighten me on the situation on the island and what it is”

“Hahaha I can't Give you all the details now. if I did you really think you'd be able to wait three months?”