It ran through the terrain relentlessly, being pursued by two warriors. The blue-haired, seven-foot beast growled and howled as it did its best to get away. Orange beams impacted the ground around it, nearly hitting it. A golden barrier appeared but the beast merely jumped over it and continued on.

“Can you aim right?” cried Zeta, his voice echoed as his current state suggested some kind of powered up form. His body was imbued with a red aura and his eyes matched. His staff was held out in front of him, trying to get a lock on the creature.

“Shaddup and let me do this!” Stro resembled the same state but instead his glow was blue. Both of his swords were drawn as he too was aiming for the beast.

Both of the warriors glided through the air silently as they pursued the maniacal, otherworldly beast.

Zeta flew ahead of his partner. Muttering a weird incantation, his staff shifted its appearance and now the jewel in the center of it changed colors. It was now blue and as he twirled his staff, water appeared out of nowhere and torrents of it were shot at the beast.

The wolf creature used its superior agility to evade and avoid the onslaught of the watery attacks. The creature immediately dug its claws into the ground, reversed direction and leaped towards Zeta. Its snout was wide open, bearing all of the razor-sharp teeth that it had.

BAM!

The creature was struck and was sent plummeting back to the desert grounds. Stro had emerged from behind Zeta just in time and gave it a powerful punch to the face. The creature got to its hind legs, roared to the sky as it showed off every detail of its muscular, but furred physique. Zeta and Stro descended to the ground, their bodies still lit up.

“Hey, don’t give us that shit! You started this!” said Stro.

It was almost as though the beast was beginning to laugh. This made Stro want to react, but he was stopped by Zeta.

“No, that’s what it wants!”

“Well let’s finish this thing off. This should be the last one. Then we can figure out how to get home.”

Zeta waited.

The red eyes of the beast gave Zeta a very uneasy tell. Something was wrong and with as perceptive as Zeta was, he couldn’t quite figure it out.

They had been on Earth for a little less than ten years now. In that time, they had been hunting the Coalts that had escaped the ship they had been stowaways on. With each one they ran into they ended its life with the intention of being able to go home after getting the last one. However, with the intervention of the U.S. Military, it was impossible to say for sure when they would be done.

But Zeta had one very important question in mind.

Why were the five of them sent here?

Zeta knew the Coalts. He knew how they played and acted. They wouldn’t hesitate to completely invade and, with their large numbers, quickly overwhelm the planet.

Nearly ten years it had been and there were no signs of any more Coalts appearing on the planet.

Why?

“Stro, something isn’t right…” Zeta said ominously.

With his glowing eyes, Stro looked at Zeta confused. “What are you talking about?”

Zeta powered down his state. With his eyes no longer glowing he looked at Stro and it was there he knew Zeta was being more serious than usual. Stro did the same and powered down his form. The lone Coalt stood there growling, eyeing them profusely, waiting to attack.

“Is it strange that the Coalt army hasn’t attacked yet? Think about it.”

Stro looked at the beast and considered Zeta’s words. “In all of our travels tracking them trying to be one step ahead they did not hesitate to invade and completely overrun a planet.”

“Sure, what are you getting at?”

Zeta paused again. This time, he made eye contact with the blue furred beast and thought hard.

“Stro, do you know where Asaun is?”

“Asaun?” At the mention of the name Stro started to realize something.

“Master sent Asaun the weapon for safekeeping after they attacked our world.”

“You’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, are you?”

“Stro, I think Asaun is here on Earth. If so, then that means the weapon is here too.”

“Okay, slow down, that's a huge assumption. Of all the many planets out there in the universe you think Asaun came here?”

“Regardless of that, this isn’t normal Coalt behavior. They attack in packs. Rarely do they go solo. They’re looking for something.”

“It’s always the bad guys looking for something,” Stro exasperated.

“And I think this one knows that it’s close.”

The Coalt turned around and took off again. Stro was about to take off after it when Zeta stopped him.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“What is it?” he snapped.

“Let’s assume the weapon is here and that King Cerberus is after it. This is the last free roaming Coalt, let it lead us to it!”

“And what if you’re wrong? People can get hurt!”

“I’m aware, but we have no choice. If the weapon is here and Cerberus gets his hands on it then we’re finished.”

Stro looked at the beast getting away. “Fine, but if you’re wrong I’m going to kill it!”

“Fair!”

The two warriors lit up their bodies again and took off after the creature. As they pursued, a city was rising up from over the horizon.

Dye was on his way home. Heartbroken, he couldn’t really find the energy to turn upbeat and happy. It was though all the positive energy was sucked out of him.

How could he be so stupid?

Of course Bluestone had already asked her to the dance. What small inkling told him that he didn’t?

Not only was he heartbroken, but he felt foolish and embarrassed. He sat on a bench near the pier and just stared out into the water.

Crushed.

What was he going to do?

He had lost the girl of his dreams. Lost his best friend. What else could go wrong?

Then, a powerful thought occurred to him. A thought so strong that it brought with it a mixture of emotions that immediately countered his current state.

Who needs them anyway?

Just from that alone his mood changed.

That little voice inside his head was right. Who needed friends? Dye was a superhero.

A Xenton.

One who could go anywhere at any time.

Do anything he wanted and no one could stop him.

Before he could indulge more, he heard the oddest sound from afar.

A loud roar.

“The hell is that?” he asked. He grabbed his bag and while all of the bystanders were standing around looking in the direction of sound, he went to warp.

When he arrived, he was given a sight of a wolf-like creature with blue fur, sharp claws, and red eyes that was thrashing through the city. He was shocked to see what his eyes were showing him.

“Is that a werewolf?” He asked.

Dye couldn’t process what was happening, which was odd considering what had happened in the city last year. The beast thrashed about as bystanders ran to vacate the area as quickly as possible.

His heartbroken mood, all of his sadness and embarrassment seemed to vanish as the idea of an opportunity to vent his frustration came to him.

“Finally,” he said, running into an alley and throwing his back pack to the ground. “Something to do.”

Golden armor covered his body, with a golden helmet covering his face with the Quailocian symbol for fire.

The beast rampaged all over the block, causing a huge level of destruction. It spotted a woman on the ground. Before she could get up, the lady screamed with anguish as the creature raised its claws. Before it could strike, Dye tumbled out of the sky and kicked the monster in the head, throwing it into a nearby car.

“Are you okay?” The hero asked.

The lady got up, thanked the Xenton, and ran away. The creature pulled itself from the car and stomped its feet into the asphalt.

“Oh!” Dye said, “I’m going to enjoy this.” he cracked his golden knuckles. “You showed up right when I needed something to beat on. I hope you can take it!”

The creature roared and attacked, but the golden hero punched the creature’s face and drove it back into the car, this time causing it to explode. Dye jumped high into the air and over the cloud of smoke just as the beast leaped upwards towards him. The monster lunged at him, snapping a bite. Dye punched it in the jaw and the creature slammed into the ground. From the smoke, Dye heard the distinct sound of snickering.

“Are you laughing at me?” asked an irritated Dye. “I’ll show you to laugh at me!”

Dye jumped on top of the creature and began to pummel it as hard as he could.

Zeta and Stro watched the fight from above, standing on the ledge of a building. Stro was crouched as though he was trying to get a better look at who was fighting the Coalt. Zeta stood silently and observed but both of them looked surprised.

This was something they were not expecting.

“Zeta, is that?” asked Stro.

“I think it is…” Zeta replied.

“I’m seeing it, but I don't believe it. I thought Cymber was the last one.”

“Apparently we’ve been misled.”

The beast was finally able to throw him off and Dye landed on his feet. The creature arose from the ground and the two fighters stood at a standstill, ready to continue. The creature initiated the battle once more, but Dye didn’t move. He stood there, waiting for the creature to get close enough so he could make his move. As the creature proceeded, Dye tightened his fist.

“That’s right. Bring it.”

Before the creature made contact with Dye’s armor, an orange beam shot from the sky, striking the beast and forcing it into a wall. The creature emerged from the debris and fell to its knees. It looked up to find the two boys standing on top of a nearby building. Stro held his smoking sword, aimed straight for the Coalt. Dye turned around and found the two boys. They jumped from the building and landed right in front of Dye.

Keeping to their plan, the boys waited for the Coalt to flee, which is what it did. The Coalt roared and then crawled up the side of a building and fled, disappearing from sight

“Great!” Said Dye. “Are you happy now?”

“Wow, another one,” said Stro, staring aimlessly at Dye. “This one’s armor is way different from Cymber’s.”

“What are you talking about? And can you stop looking at me like that? It’s weird.” said Dye

“Oh! Sorry,” said Stro, backing off.

“Look, I’m sorta having a bad day. So if you don’t mind. I have to go and hunt down whatever that was and kill it.”

Just as Dye was about to take off, Zeta stopped him by putting his hand on his shoulder. With all of the day’s frustration building up inside of him, for no reason at all, Dye exploded. Flames erupted all over his body pushing both Zeta and Stro away.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” shouted Dye.

Dye’s fire grew out of control as Zeta and Stro noticed the enraged Xenton. “I SAID I’M HAVING A BAD DAY!”

Within Dye’s fire, there were flickers of black flames. Stro couldn’t explain the specific phenomenon. Dye turned his back and shot off as hard as he could with speed, leaving the scene.

“Wait!” Yelled Zeta. Knowing it was futile, he turned to Stro.

Stro looked at Zeta.

“Why weren’t we told that Xenton were on this planet?” asked Stro.

“I am not sure,” Zeta replied, pondering. “Perhaps Avion knew and didn’t inform us.”

“We’d been so wrapped up in our mission that maybe we missed something. Perhaps now's a good time to rendezvous with him.”

“You’re right,” said Zeta. “The pieces are falling into place and once we confirm if the weapon is here, it would be time for our counterstrike.”

“I’ll contact our allies. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

Zeta looked in the direction that Dye went. “Perhaps we can enlist the help of the Xenton as well.”

“Good idea, couldn’t hurt.”