Chapter 23 – Liquid chaos Part 2

Just when Alex was hoping to enjoy a simple coffee date with Violet at the cozy little café she picked out for them, he was thrown back into action. The notifications on his chaos phone kept on coming, asking for his help against what some have claimed to be a new species of monster never seen before. Alex didn’t think much about it. All monsters were the same to him. They cause death and destruction for no reason. The sooner he can put a stop to it, the sooner he can get back to his date with Violet.

Michael was still training with Omnius at the monastery, making no progress in mastering Frost Fang. Omnius assured Michael that if he kept up with this current pace, he would be 20% closer to unlocking the aura blade’s full power, which only made Michael groan in frustration. Nothing is ever simple with that man. This was starting to feel more like a test of his patience rather than a test of skill.

Fortunately, his phone ringing provided him the perfect excuse to stop. Omnius permitted him to take the call. Michael was still surprised that these advanced phones his dad handed him enabled him to receive calls from anywhere, even places where there’s normally no signal. Part of him wondered why more people didn’t own phones like this, only to remember that Magna Tech made them.

He saw his father’s photo on the screen, the one he showed Michael when he first arrived at Aegis, of him and his mother when they were younger and Michael when he was a baby. He didn’t have a whole lot of photos of Chase to use for his screensaver, but this one was more than fine. At least this way, he’d get to see his mother every day. He answers the call and puts the phone to his ear.

Michael: Hey, Dad, what’s up?

Chase: Michael, is Chaos Man with you right now?

Michael: Um, no? Why would he be? He’s always out there saving people and stuff. It’s not like we actually hang out and chat sometimes… What’s going on? Why do you need Chaos Man?

Chase: We just received intel that another monster had just appeared in the centre of New London and is wreaking havoc. Magna Tech’s data suggests that it might be too strong for Aegis alone to deal with, that’s why I’m asking for Chaos Man.

Michael: That strong, eh? What class is it? Kaiju? Alpha?

Chase: We don’t know. We think it might be something we haven’t dealt with before. You heard about the crashed cargo ship on the news?

Michael: Yeah?

Chase: We think whatever attacked that ship is here in the city now! Michael, you’re the only one who can contact Chaos Man. Please inform him of the situation and get him down there to stop it. I’ll text you the coordinates.

Michael: Okay, Dad, I’ll be there as soon as I can. And don’t worry about Chaos Man. Knowing him, he’s probably already on his way now. Talk soon, love you!

Michael then hangs up the phone and slips it into his trouser pocket.

Michael: Sorry, Omnius, but training may have to wait until I get back. Apparently, a new type of monster has appeared in the city. I gotta do what I can to help.

Omnius: It’s alright, Michael. Facing a new threat with Frost Fang should help you reach your true potential faster, as long as you remember to treat her as your partner and not just your weapon.

Michael: I’ll remember. Knowing Frost Fang, she’ll make sure I do.

Frost Fang: To ensure the message sinks in.

Michael sheaths his aura blade onto his back. The icy-blue blade sticks to his back by forming small chunks of ice to his coat. Though strangely, the ice didn’t feel cold. The material of the coat Chase gave him was evidently waterproof and capable of adapting to any climate or temperature.

Omnius: Just be careful out there, Michael.

Michael: I will.

He reassures him as he starts heading for the cave that led out of the mountain, giving Omnius a small wave as he left. On the other side of the cave that exposed him to the outside world, Michael takes in the view of the city in the distance. No matter how many times he came up here, he still couldn’t get enough of this view. It made New London look so peaceful when it really wasn’t.

To his right was his motorcycle gifted to him by his father, leaning against the rocky wall next to the cave entrence. His helmet sat atop the seat, ready for him to grab and put on his head before climbing onto the bike and starting the engine. To the left of the cave entrance a smooth sloping path leads down the mountain side. It was hand-built by Omnius so that Michael could get up and down the mountain much faster than climbing. It looked so natural, like it had been a part of the mountain for years even though it had only been there for a few months. Strange how Michael never took the time to question it until now.

Still, there was no time to ask Omnius about it now. He needed to use the path to get down and join the motorway to New London as quickly as possible. By the time he returns he’ll most likely forget to ask again like he always does.

Aegis immediately dispatches the Lion Squad to New London to confront the new monster threat and terminate it on sight, as well as get any civilians clear of the area before somebody got seriously hurt. Their best hope is that they’re able to kill it without Chaos Man’s aid, not because they didn’t trust him (no less than usual) but because they knew that if they needed his help, it’s because it is a creature of immeasurable powers like Wilfre was.

They’re still adjusting to having him as an ally. In time they must come to accept the fact that there will be threats far greater than the limitations humans can handle. Some threats can only be dealt with by Chaos Man.

Speaking of the man himself, Chaos Man is scanning all of New London from high up in the sky, keeping his eyes open for danger. Eventually the sounds of sirens and people panicking drew him towards where the monster was spotted. It was time to get to work and hopefully get this done quickly so he can get back to Violet and continue their date.

Chaos Man was so focused on the street Aegis soldiers have formed a perimeter around that he didn’t realise that he was being watched by a mysterious figure standing atop the Shard building. This wasn’t another soldier or a robot. It is a man wearing dark blue robes and a set of ice-like armour. Strapped to his left hip is a white, shiny sheath that held an old, worn-out katana. The bottom of his face was covered by a long icy-blue silk scarf that is long enough to blow behind him in the wind. On the ends of the scarf are two symbols. One is a symbol of Yin and Yang only they had an imprint of a phoenix inhabiting the black and a demonic serpentine dragon in the white. The other is the head of a wyvern with a snowflake behind it.

The only part of his face that could be seen are his bright blue eyes and a few strands of blonde hair since he wore an icy helmet with draconic wings sculpted on the sides. He just stood there with his arms crossed as he watched Chaos Man descend towards the scene of the attack. There was not a shred of fear in his eyes from being stood up so high. He didn’t even react to the high-altitude winds blowing directly in his face.

Armoured Figure: I finally found him… I must get to him first, no matter what stands in my way.

He uttered to himself, his voice slightly muffled from the scarf.

Down on the ground Lion Squad soldiers surround the water monster and aim their weapons at it. The monster looks around, seeing that it was indeed surrounded by humans, intent on killing it. They were very welcome to try.

Lion Squad Captain: Lock on target, men! Ready?! Fire!

The soldiers all open fire on the creature from all sides. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the message that bullets were ineffective against it. Some of the bullets simply pass through its liquid body and wound the soldiers on the other side while others disintegrated on impact.

Lion Guard Captain: Hold your fire! Our weapons are useless! Fall back! FALL BACK!

The monster roars and makes a dive at the soldiers in front of it. Whilst in midair its body morphs into a huge wave that comes crashing down hard on them. Many soldiers are injured from the impact alone, being hit by debris caught up in the fast-moving water, while many more were being swept away by the powerful current until they were thrown over the railing and plummet into the River Thames. The wave comes rushing towards a random civilian who has his back up against a wall with nowhere else to go. He has no idea what was going on, but for a brief moment, he could’ve sworn he saw the wave had eyes that were angrily staring at him as it headed his way.

Civilian: No! I can’t swim!

Chaos Man: Not to worry. Your friendly neighbourhood lifeguard is here!

Says Chaos Man enthusiastically as he sweeps the man off his feet and flies him to a safer distance just before the wave crashed against the building so hard it cracked the concrete.

Chaos Man: You okay, sir?

Civilian: Holy crap, Chaos Man! Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. I’m such a big fan! I downloaded your app and-

Chaos Man: Yeah, that’s nice, thanks for that. But I gotta go deal with whatever this is now. Get to safety.

Civilian: Sure thing. Oh, before you go, can I get a…

Chaos Man was gone from his sight before he had a chance to finish his sentence.

Civilian: Selfie? …Ugh, fame. It always goes to their heads.

On his way back to where the monster attacked, Chaos Man gathers up the waterlogged soldiers and gently sets them down back on the pavement where the less injured men could tend to them. Chaos Man suggested that they stand down now that he’s here and let him take over. The captain reluctantly nods as he orders his men to stand down and clear the area.

In a matter of seconds, the monster reforms its body back to its original shape as Chaos Man confronts it. Compared to him this thing was almost as tall as a bear standing on its hind legs. But Alex had fought way bigger in the past. “This one should be a piece of cake” he thought.

Chaos Man: Hey there. You must be new in town. If you’re looking for the aquarium, you’re in the wrong place.

The monster doesn’t react to him. Its eyes were instead focused on the cyan chaos emerald resting in his belt. When it arrived, it was on the hunt for something in particular, though it had no idea what it was exactly. All it knew was that it was being drawn into the city by an energy signature that only it can detect. That same signal is also emanating from Chaos Man. It now knows what it has to do: It must kill this human and take his power.

The monster lunges forward, aiming its right claw at Chaos Man, attempting to slash at him. But it underestimated the speed of this human as he easily dodges to the side. Its claws sink a foot or two into the road upon contact. It clenches its hand and rips out chunks of the road, sending them hurtling towards Chaos Man who responds by blasting them with a chaos spear. That display of power caused the monster to react even more eagerly, giving it the motivation to step up its offensive capabilities.

It quickly closes the distance between them and swings its shark tail at him. Chaos Man jumps over it like a skipping rope and throws a punch towards the monster’s mid-section. His fist ended up going right through the creature’s torso.

Chaos Man: What the-?

Chaos Man tries to pull his arm free, but the creature maintains a firm hold on him despite there being nothing solid about it. He slowly looks up at the monster, staring into the piercing green eyes of this impossible beast.

Chaos Man: Uh oh.

The monster then enveloped Chaos Man’s whole head in its large claw. Alex felt like his head was being encased in high-pressure water. He was actually drowning in its grip. A sudden jet of water shoots out of its palm, blasting the hero far back. Chaos Man stumbles down the empty road until he catches himself, halting his skid. He shakes his now soaked head, trying to get rid of the water that drenched his hair. What surprises him more was how those small drops were being magnetically drawn back to the creature, adding to its mass.

Chaos Man: Am I losing my mind or is that thing made entirely of water? Can’t say I’ve ever seen or heard of a monster like this before.

Before he could react, the monster leapt for him again. He barely had enough time to dodge and counterattack with a chaos spear aimed at its head. But instead of dodging it, the monster just stood there and took it head on with its mouth wide open. To Chaos Man’s shock, the monster swallowed and absorbs his attack. He could see the cyan energy travelling throughout its see-through body, as though its veins were super charged.

That energy allowed the monster to start moving much faster than it did before, easily able to keep up with Chaos Man, even managing to get a few good swipes in.

Chaos Man: My chaos spears are useless?! It just… ate it and somehow got even stronger! This ain’t no ordinary monster, that’s for sure.

Hovering over the street high up in the sky, another wasp drone was monitoring the battle between Chaos Man and this mysterious creature. Richard Magna and Adrian Vespa were watching the fight live through the drone’s camera feed. Matthew takes note on how Chaos Man is struggling to hold his own against the beast, hesitating to use his powers in case it absorbed them too. All he could do was keep its attention on him until he figured out a strategy to properly deal with it.

Adrian was more focused on the monster. It was an interesting specimen. There was no record of this species anywhere in the monster database Aegis and Magna Tech shared. Since the war, they’ve made sure to make a note of every type of monster they encountered for years. Yet there was no record of this one anywhere. This was something new. Never seen before.

What really piques his interest was this creature's tremendous ability to disassemble and reassemble itself at will. The timing of this discovery around the time he was hitting a dead end for Project Leda was all to convenient. Perhaps this new monster held the key to its success.

Dr Wasp: Fascinating! Whatever this creature is, it seems to have Chaos Man on the ropes.

Richard: Let’s not get our hopes up. Look. Michael Mercer has arrived on the scene. I’m curious to see if Chase’s son lives up to the praise.

As he pointed out, Michael had indeed arrived at the scene of the attack, coming in hot on his motorcycle. He rode in so fast that he didn’t react to the monster standing in his way with its back turned to him. Michael panics and pulls on the brakes and Akira slides through the monster, causing its body to explode into a massive splash, soaking him and his bike as he came screeching to a stop.

Michael: Chaos Man, are you okay?

He asks as he got off his bike and rushed to his side, helping him back up onto his feet.

Chaos Man: Yeah, I think so.

Michael: Listen, my dad told me that what we’re up against isn’t-

Chaos Man: Any ordinary monster? Yeah, I kinda figured that out on my own. Whatever this thing is, it can absorb chaos energy. I saw it swallow my chaos spear attack like it was a damn snack.

Michael: What?!

The monster instantly reforms itself after all its droplets were drawn together. It roars angrily at Michael for bursting through its body and fires a concentrated blast of high-pressure water at him. Chaos Man grabs his shoulders and pulls him to the side. The blast of water ended up hitting an abandoned lorry, blasting a hole through its trailer.

Michael recovers and turns to face their foe, getting a good look at the beast. Chase hadn’t given him a description of it over the phone. He never would have guessed its body mass was made up of water, or what he assumed was water. Perhaps this could provide him the perfect opportunity to put his training with Frost Fang to use.

Chaos Man: I’ve had enough! I’m ending this!

Chaos Man, however, decided to summon the cyan emerald to his hand and transform it into his chaos blade. The monster’s eyes widen as it focuses on the sword. Like a shark that was excited by the scent of blood in the ocean, it was eager to get a taste of the sword’s power. It was about to thrust its arm at him again, but Michael intervened and froze the creature’s arm with an icy mist emanating from Frost Fang’s blade.

Chaos Man then takes a swing at the frozen arm, shattering it like glass. The monster roars in agony as it clutched its still frozen nub. Though it didn’t stay frozen for long. The creature’s piercing reptilian eyes focus in on a fire-hydrant a few feet away. All the water within bursts out of the nozzles and is magnetically drawn to the creature’s nub.

The swirling blast of water forms three long tentacles, taking the place of its arm. One of the tentacles swat Frost Fang out of Michael’s hand while the second smacks him into the side of a building. The third tentacle lunges for Chaos Man who instinctively raises his sword in defence. Unfortunately, the sword was what it was after. Wrapping itself around the blade, the tentacle snatched the chaos blade out of his hands and reverts it back into the cyan chaos emerald.

Chaos Man: Oi! Give that back!

The monster ignores him and stares at the emerald in its palm. It closes its fingers around it, allowing the emerald to sink into its hand as it absorbs it and all its power. The monster raises its head high and lets loose a thunderous roar in response to the emerald’s unlimited power surging through its body.

Chaos Man: It just… absorbed my Chaos Emerald!

Michael: You weren’t kidding before. I think… oh shit-! It’s getting bigger!

The chaos emerald alone provided so much power to the monster than a single chaos spear did. It hunches as its liquid body starts to grow and morph into a new form. Its arms grow larger, its tail and the tendrils on its head get longer and its body was becoming more muscular. Before it stood at somewhere between 7 to 8 feet tall, now its standing between 10 and 11. It unleashes another gurgling roar as it raises its head high. Until it directed its attention back down towards the two tiny humans.

Chaos Man: Uh… I think we’re in trouble, Michael.

Michael: Agreed.

Things have gone from bad to worse in a matter of moments for the heroes. This monster was proving itself to be a very problematic foe. It not only was bigger and stronger, but it also gained some new abilities similar to Chaos Man’s. It can charge up chaos energy in its body and disperse it at will, firing concentrated bolts of it at them like lightning.

Richard and Adrian continue to watch the battle from afar, gathering data on the creature. Before Richard wasn’t sure the monster would put up much of a fight against Chaos Man and Michael, but now he wasn’t so sure. The only ace in their hole was that strange ice sword Michael carried, and even that wasn’t enough to bring them victory.

A crowd of people gather round at the edge of the perimeter Aegis had set up a couple blocks away from the battle. They wanted a good look at their hero and – who they assumed was his sidekick – fight the big, scary monster. Aegis soldiers forbid them from getting any closer, warning them with arrest to keep them in line. A news reporter was also present, informing the public nowhere near the area of the events transpiring in their beloved city.

Hidden in the crowd was Violet who was using her phone’s camera to zoom in on Chaos Man, Michael and the monster. She wanted to get a good look at the beast, wondering why they’re unable to defeat it yet. Just what is that thing? Where did it come from? Why is it proving itself a big problem for the same heroes who defeated Wilfre? Was it stronger than Wilfre? So many questions were going through her head. But right now, she is more focused on rooting for her boyfriend and his best friend. She can ask him all these questions after they defeat it, which she knows they will.

The monster extends its reformed arm at Michael, determined to crush him like the insect he was to it. Michael positions Frost Fang above himself and blocks the incoming strike. Chaos Man then swoops in from above and attempts an air strike at its head, only to get swatted away by the creature’s tail. The monster then shoots another blast of high-pressure water at Michael, knocking him into his own motorcycle he parked far from the battle. Both of them lie on the ground incapacitated, bruised and blooded. They watch the monster go on a rampage, firing jets of water and chaos energy in all directions, causing more damage to the city streets.

Michael slowly reaches for Frost Fang resting a few feet to his left inch by inch until he could grip its handle again.

Michael: Frost Fang, I could really use a little help right about now.

Frost Fang: What do you expect from me? I’m just along for the ride.

Michael: All you’ve been doing is freezing that thing. But its body can now regenerate and defrost faster than you can freeze it. I need to use Crescent Symphony on it.

Frost Fang: Michael, I already told you, no more freebies. You want to use it? You gotta remember everything Omnius taught you.

Michael: You can’t expect me to stand still and focus at a time like this?! That thing will incapacitate me if I do nothing!

Frost Fang: Who says you need to be still to focus? The problem with you, Michael is that your mind wanders down one path while your body wanders down another.

Michael: What are you talking about?

Frost Fang: You forget that I’m inside your head. I can see all the complicated thoughts running through your mind. Your insecurities, your fear, and of course, your impatience. Your head is too noisy for both of us to focus. Quiet your mind and the answer will become clear.

Michael paused and glances back at Chaos Man who came flying at the monster at full speed, determined to burst through it like how Michael did before on his bike and hopefully get his chaos emerald back. But the monster counters him by forming a bubble shield around itself. As his fist made contact with the shield, it electrocutes Alex, shocking him midair. The shield then disappears so that the monster can strike his back, slamming him into the road so hard it made a crater. Then to finish him off, it grabs him by the head again and throws him in the direction Michael lay. Chaos Man crashes into the same lorry trailer the creature blasted through earlier. The impact strong enough to knock the entire lorry and its trailer off balance and onto its side, with Alex landing in a groaning heap.

Michael gets up, adrenaline giving him the strength, and he races to his friend’s side.

Micheal: Alex, are you alright?

Chaos Man: Not really. That thing has become even more powerful now it absorbed my emerald. Without it I have no weapon. I can’t land a punch or kick on it, and I’m worried any chaos spear I fire will make it even stronger… I feel like I’m letting everybody down.

Michael: Don’t let thoughts like that bring you down, it’ll only make you weaker… Listen, we’re a team now, right?

Chaos Man: Y-yeah…

Michael: Then its time we started acting like one. We’ve been fighting this thing one-on-one, and we’ve been getting our asses handed to us. But if we attack it together, we could have a chance of finishing this.

As they talked, the monster is rapidly closing the distance between them, ready to finish them off.

Michael: I’ll keep its attention, find a way to break through its shield. Once it’s done, attack it with everything you’ve got.

Chaos Man: How?

Michael: Use your speed. Blast through its body like a bullet! Once its in pieces, I’ll freeze it. It won’t get back up again after that.

Chaos Man: Sounds like a plan. Be careful, buddy.

He says before flying up, directing the monster’s attention. This provided Michael the opportunity to get closer and slam his sword into the ground, kicking up an icy mist that slightly clung to the monster, forcing it to cover its face and look away as it started to freeze.

Chaos Man then flies around the creature several times, building up speed with every circle. A small tornado forms around the monster, blowing droplets off of its body, causing it to shrink a little. It brings its shield up again to block any attack they send its way to make up for being blinded.

Michael, remembering what Frost Fang told him, calms his mind and positions the big, icy blue blade to the side. The sword glows brightly as a swirl of aura constricts around Frost Fang. Instead of unleashing the crescent symphony in a destructive energy wave, he instead coats the blade in it, increasing the power of its strike as he swings it right at the shield. The chaos energy in the shield prevents him from shattering it with one strike. But Michael continued to slam his aura blade into it multiple times, each one harder than the last, until at last he shatters the shield.

The tornado fades as Chaos Man ceased spinning around the monster. But instead of stopping, he maintains his speed by flying up and around in the air before circling down and around, facing forward. His speed was so great that it blasted everything in his vicinity to the sides from the shockwave. He was heading straight for the monster with both fists aimed forward. Both Michael and the monster struggle to follow him with their eyes. Michael’s instincts screamed at him to move out the way, with the aid of Frost Fang. They barely managed to move out of Chaos Man’s way.

He flies right through the monster so fast that there was no time at all for it to form another shield. The monster’s body froze in place, not even reacting to the huge hole in its chest for a few seconds before it exploded in a huge splash of water once again, soaking everything.

The crowd of people in the distance erupted in a roaring cheer as Chaos Man slows down and circles back to Michael. Violet clapped alongside the people, sighing with relief to see that victory was theirs. Unfortunately, Chaos Man was unable to retrieve his stolen emerald. He couldn’t find it as he burst through the creature. The cyan emerald had somehow vanished.

Michael: We did it! Hell yeah!

Chaos Man joins his friend on the ground and the two of them bump fists, revelling in their victory. Omnius was right, together they could overcome any threat as long as they have faith in each other and their abilities. However, their premature celebration was cut short when they catch the monster slowly reforming itself again. They need to freeze it before it’s given the chance.

As they turned to the monster, ready to incapacitate it, Michael is shocked to see that a huge burst of ice and snow swarms around the creature, freezing it to the core in a matter of seconds.

Chaos Man: That was quick. Good job, Micheal.

Michael: Um, that wasn’t me.

Suddenly, that mysterious armoured being lands hard on one knee a few feet in front of the heroes, blocking their view of the frozen half-formed monster with his back turned to them.

Chaos Man: Who are you?

The figure glances back at them over his right shoulder and speaks softly with a hint of menace in his voice. His blue eyes are intense, especially when they are focused more on Chaos Man.

Icesassin: Call me Icesassin… You both fought surprisingly well, but I’ll be taking care of things from here.

He slowly approaches the frozen monster. Michael sheaths Frost Fang so that he could draw his handguns, Duty and Sacrifice, and take aim at Icesassin.

Michael: Hold it right there!

Icesassin: You have an interesting way of saying “thank you”.

Michael: Funny coincidence you showing up just now as we just defeated this monster. Too much of a coincidence if you ask me… I think you have something to do with this. Why else would you show up right after we beat this thing, instead of helping during the fight?

Icesassin, unamused by Michael’s deductive skills, turns around and stares down at him and Chaos Man.

Icesassin: You don’t want this fight. Put your guns down and walk away. This is my responsibility.

He turned his back on them once more as he prepares to excavate the frozen creature. But Michael doesn’t back down and cocks the hammers on both handguns.

Michael: Freeze! You’re not going anywhere!

At this point, Icesassin chuckles in amusement. Does he seriously think that he can stop him? Chaos Man might, but he was just a weak, pathetic Aegis grunt.

Icesassin: You want me to freeze, eh?

In a swift motion, Icesassin raises his hand at the duo and unleashes a cold blast of ice from the palm of his hand. A thick layer of frost freezes over Michael’s guns and hands, causing him to drop to his knees and grunt in pain. Chaos Man was then targeted by another ice beam, fusing his feet to the ground, preventing him from moving.

The crowd of people and the Aegis soldiers in the distance all suddenly gasp, followed shortly by panic and indecipherable murmurs amongst themselves. They all know who – or more importantly what – that man is. He was an Elemental. They’ve all heard the stories but not a lot of people living in the UK have actually seen one. Aegis made sure to keep them out of their country, just as they do now with monsters. They weren’t welcome here, not after all the pain, fear and suffering they’ve wrought in the past.

A thin sheet of ice spreads out from beneath Icesassin’s feet which quickly stretched outwards in all directions, stopping only inches away from where the crowd were gathered. Icesassin then strikes the ground hard with a punch, creating a massive cold fog to mask his escape. Chaos Man pulls his legs free and attempts to chase after him, only to get himself lost in the fog.

He quickly flies up into the air and goes around in a circle like he did before, conjuring up another tornado to clear the air. It worked like a charm, though Icesassin and the monster were already gone. Chaos Man flies all over the street, trying to pick up on their trail, but they were nowhere to be seen. Groaning with annoyance, he returns to Michael’s side and helps free his hands by crushing the ice around it. Once his hands were freed, Michael puts his guns away and faces Alex whilst rubbing his hands together to help warm them up.

Michael: H-h-he was a f-f-fucking E-E-Elemental?! C-christ!

Chaos Man: Just like Lukas. But I thought Elementals weren’t allowed into the UK.

Michael: Th-they’re not supposed to be. Any who dare come here are sent back to where they came from. Sometimes in a bodybag… Looks like one managed to slip through Aegis’ fingers.

Michael explains as he shivers, quickly becoming warm enough to stop.

Chaos Man: You really think that Icesassin guy is the one who brought this monster here?

Michael: Maybe not bring it here, but he certainly knows a lot about it… We should report what happened back to Omnius. Maybe he might have some insight on what we’re up against. Maybe he’ll know what happened to your emerald too.

Chaos Man: What about your dad?

Michael: I’ll fill him in on the details myself. You can go on ahead and I’ll meet you back at the monastery later.

Chaos Man: Okay.

The two of them go their separate ways for now to rest and recuperate. So much has happened today and both of them know that this was far from over. Whatever that creature was, it proved itself to be a force to be reckoned with. They won that fight through quick thinking and and teamwork. They may not be so lucky next time. And now they’ve got a rogue Elemental to deal with as as well. They’re not sure who he is, or what his motives are, but they can’t ignore the fact that he attacked them, proving himself another potential enemy.

Chaos Man: What was that thing? How is it able to absorb my chaos energy? And that Icesassin guy, how does he factor into this?

As he flies away from the crowd and in the direction of the monastery, Chaos Man catches a glimpse of another wasp drone out the corner of his eye. They’ve been spying on him again, most likely throughout that whole fight. Now he wonders if Magna Tech was somehow involved as well. But what would they have to benefit from this, other than his potential elimination? Only Omnius is wise enough to provide him the answers he needs and what they should do to prepare for the next time they encounter Icesassin and that monster, because he knew they will.

Back at Magna Tech, Richard and Adrian have been patiently watching the entire confrontation between Chaos Man, Michael Mercer and the new species of monster in Richard’s office. Their eyes hadn’t left the TV screen once since the beginning. They didn’t even acknowledge the intern who brought them their coffee.

They discovered much more than they bargained for. Adrian especially, who’s shown a deep fascination for the water monster and its unique properties, such as the ability to absorb chaos energy. The strategy Chaos Man and Mercer used to defeat the monster impressed Richard, though he’d never admit it aloud. The fact that this beast was able to give the famed superhero a hard time intrigued him. They could’ve utilised it as a weapon against him if that Elemental hadn’t intervened and captured it before they could.

Dr Wasp: Matthew, were you able to analyse that creature?

Matthew: I’m afraid not, sir. The drone would’ve been damaged in the battle if I moved it any closer.

Dr Wasp: Darn, I really hoped to collect some DNA samples.

Richard: Why would you want to collect DNA from that thing?

Dr Wasp: Because I believe this creature might hold the key to saving Alice.

Before explaining himself, Adrian asks Matthew to rollback the camera footage of the monster to the part where it attacked the soldiers by morphing into a wave. When it got to the part where it was about to reform itself, he instructed him to slow it down, giving them a detailed look at how wilfully it’s able to reshape itself.

Richard: Where are you going with this?

Dr Wasp: Whatever this creature is, it is capable of disassembling and reassembling its own mass at will. When you asked me to restart Project Leda, I’ve been consistently hitting nothing but dead ends. My early experiments were unsuccessful. The cloned tissue just wasn’t stable enough for me to create an entire body for her. I suspect the monster blood that covered her body was contaminating her. It kept mutating, necrotising. I just couldn’t keep it alive… But if we were to take a sample of this monster’s DNA and gene-splice it with Alice’s, I may be able to create a fully functioning clone body.

As he explains himself to Richard, Matthew brings up a 3D holographic layout of the cloning machine Adrian is using to bring Alice back dubbed “The Cellular Regenerator”. It shows a circular pod big enough for a full-sized human to lie in. The pod was hooked up to a generator. This was Project Leda. The hologram plays a simulation on how it works as the head scientist speaks.

Dr Wasp: Human beings are roughly between 50 and 60% water depending on the gender. But monsters only have 20% water in their bodies. In order to generate a perfect clone body, I need the right amount of water, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc… The state we found Alice in; there’s not much of her DNA to siphon off.

Richard: I still fail to understand why we need that monster to clone her.

Matthew: While I have failed to analyse the creature, I can estimate that it’s liquified body consists of hydrogen and oxygen, which are two of the key components we require to clone Alice.

Dr Wasp: Correct. On top of that, the controlled chaos energy it absorbed from Chaos Man’s stable emerald could also help stabilise the cloned atoms. Better than risk using the unstable chaos energy from our emerald… Now do you understand why we need to capture this creature alive, Richard? It may be the only way to successfully bring your daughter back.

As expected, Richard’s response wasn’t one of approval. In fact, he was disgusted with the idea of using a monster to bring his daughter. He wanted her to be restored just as she was, fully human. But Doctor Wasp wasn’t finished explaining.

Dr Wasp: I know that sounds bad, Richard, but you specifically instructed me to bring your daughter back by any means necessary. Without Professor Valerian’s secrets behind perfect human cloning, this may be the only way to save Alice… But it’s your call. It’s always been your call.

Doctor Wasp always knew what to say to get Richard to forget about his current train of thought. But then again, what else did he expect from someone whose been officially named “The Smartest Man Alive”? He had no reason to think that he was lying about there being no other way, and even Adrian has a few gaps in his knowledge. His predecessor made it certain that nobody would ever be able to replicate his work.

Many men of science have had to think outside the box to achieve their goals, even if it went against the laws of nature. If using the DNA of a monster and the energy of a man he hated meant he could have at least one more day with his daughter, then so be it.

Richard: Very well, Adrian, do what you have to do to save her. But how do I know that this’ll all work out?

Dr Wasp: You don’t, sir. Not until we capture that creature. Which reminds me, we also appear to have an Elemental in our midst. I’m impressed one managed to slip through our borders.

Matthew: I have attempted to do a facial scan of the Elemental, but his face was covered. I have also searched for the name Icesassin in our database and found no matches.

Dr Wasp: Whoever he is, he’s a slippery one. If we find him, we may find the monster. But that may prove difficult after the big entrance he made. The public will be on edge now and Aegis will be on high alert.

Richard: I don’t care about the Elemental. If either Aegis, or God forbid Chaos Man, can deal with him, it’ll provide us an opportunity to capture the monster… Though it may be a task too difficult for our robots to handle.

Matthew: May I suggest that we deploy the new prototype Doctor Vespa has been working on? It is designed to go toe-to-toe with Chaos Man. It may be able to capture the creature.

Richard: You’ve already built one?

Richard asked Adrian, sounding surprised since it hasn’t been that long ago since he showed him the blueprints.

Dr Wasp: Not exactly. It’s still being manufactured in the robotics lab. But with a little more time, I should get a working prototype ready for the field.

Richard: How much time?

Dr Wasp: Five days at least, maybe a week.

Richard: That’s not good enough, Adrian. That monster could appear again tomorrow for all we know. We can’t risk letting Chaos Man or Aegis destroy it before we’ve harvested its DNA. Is there any way you can speed things up?

Adrian paused. There was indeed a way, but it required him to do something he personally didn’t want to do in a building where everyone could see him.

Dr Wasp: …There is, sir. But… I-I’m not sure if I can do it.

Richard shakes his head and fiddles with his moustache. He could tell from the saddened tone of his voice what was going through his mind right now. He remembered it well. It was the same mood he was in the day they first met.

Richard: I see… You’re ashamed of revealing your “scars”, aren’t you? You insist that you wear all those layers to cover them up, yet they’re restricting your ability to make science… I already know what’s under all that, there’s no reason to keep it hidden anymore.

Dr Wasp: No reason?!

He suddenly turned around and raised his voice at his boss, only to immediately regret it and apologise, hanging his head in shame.

Dr Wasp: …My desire for science is what made me this way. You told me to cover it up so that Aegis doesn’t discover my… abnormalities.”

Richard: Well now I’m ordering you not to hide anymore.

Dr Wasp: But Aegis-

Richard: Have more pressing issues to deal with more important than you… No more hiding, Adrian. You’ve grown up enough to know not to let scars of the past define who you are. Remove the coverings. Show me your face.

Adrian looks down at his gloved hands. They were shaking. It had been years since he removed them and saw his real hands hidden underneath. He glanced back up at Richard who had his arms crossed, impatiently waiting for him to follow through. Adrian takes a couple deep, calming breaths before he started stripping off his heavy disguise, starting with his leather gloves. Underneath it was revealed that his skin was yellow and his fingers were claws, black, chitinous and sharp.

Next, he takes off his trench coat slowly, letting it slide off his arms and drop to the floor. Underneath that he wore a one-piece black leather suit with a few yellow stripes on it. But it wasn’t the outfit that he was ashamed of, it was the giant pair of insect wings he had tucked against his back. The wings twitch in response to the relief of no longer having a constricting coat holding them down.

The last few articles of clothing he had on were his fedora, sunglasses and scarf. He started with the hat, revealing messy black hair and a pair of antennae sticking out of his head. They were curled up underneath the hat until it was removed, allowing them to stretch outwards, twitching in response to Adrian’s emotions. Under the scarf more of Adrian’s face could be seen with yellow skin like his hands. Finally, it was time for the sunglasses. They hid probably the most disturbing part of his abnormal appearance. He slowly opens his eyes, but they weren’t human. They looked just like the big round red eyes of an insect, compound eyes, which consist of thousands of individual light-sensing units called ommatidia. There were no pupils.

Richard didn’t respond to Adrian’s true appearance. He had seen it before years ago when they first met and there wasn’t much difference now. Still, it had been a while since he’d seen him like this. He could see that Adrian was subconsciously relieved to be free of the heavy layers of extra clothing he had on, though he was still ashamed to be standing in front of Richard, fully exposed. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at his reflection in Richard’s mirror on the wall to his right.

Richard: See? Doesn’t it feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders?

Dr Wasp: I… guess so, sir.

Richard moves closer to Adrian and places his cybernetic hand on his shoulder, gently giving him a few comforting pats.

Richard: Who you were before doesn’t matter anymore. The man standing in front of me, the man who will bring my daughter back, that’s all that matters to me now. If anyone in this company gives you a hard time because of this, I’ll see to it they never get a stable career again. Understood?

Adrian slowly nods in response instead of uttering a “yes” or “no”.

Richard: Now, are you going to give the tasks I’ve given you 110%?

Dr Wasp: Yes… yes sir!

Richard: Good. Get back to work then… and don’t forget your coat.

A small smile forms in the cracks of Adrian’s mouth as he picks up his trench coat, hat, scarf and glasses. He then departs the office with his true face on display for the entire company to see. As the doors closed, Richard could hear a faint female scream from the hallway, obviously in response to Adrian’s appearance. Richard chuckled with amusement as he sits back down in his office chair and pours himself a glass of his favourite scotch.

His eyes were drawn back to his TV screen and the paused image of the monster. If Adrian’s hunch about the creature’s properties is correct, he may indeed succeed in bringing Alice back. Then all the tormenting thoughts he’s had about being a terrible father can finally disappear. But it did not change his belief that Chaos Man must be removed from the world as soon as possible. The future of mankind depends on it.

Richard: Rest easy for now, Chaos Man. Once I’ve saved my daughter, I’ll let that thing get another chance to tear you apart. I will not allow you to disrupt our progress. The next generation needs to be stronger than the last to lead us through tough times. As long as you live, we will always be too dependent on you.

Nobody guessed that Icesassin had managed to elude Aegis and Chaos Man by going down into the sewers. When the misty fog provided him cover, he opened a manhole a few feet to his left, grabbed the frozen creature and tossed it down there before jumping in himself. The manhole wasn’t big enough for the monster’s entire body, he had to break its arms, legs and tail off in order for its head and torso to fit.

But they didn’t stop there. He figured it was a matter of time until someone was smart enough to work out where he went. Carrying the broken creature’s frozen body on his back, Icesassin navigated through the many pathways through the sewer, keeping his mouth and nose covered to block out the foul stench of human waste filling his nostrils.

He kept going until he found a safe and secure place outside New London to settle until the heat died down on the surface. He originally stumbled across the city’s water pumping station, where dirty water was being filtered out and clean water flowed through the pipes that would connect to people's homes, taps, showers, etc. But in order to keep this thing weak, he needed to be far away from any sources of water.

Eventually, Icesassin decided to make an old, run-down frozen storage warehouse, where butcher shops and supermarkets get their supplies of meat and fish, his campsite. It went out of business after the supermarket chain that profited off of them were wiped out during the Monster War. It hadn’t been touched in years. The perfect place for a on-the-run Elemental and his pet monster to lay low for a while until he accomplished whatever mission he had here.

Icesassin placed the monster inside one of the cold storage boxes. He’d managed to keep it frozen with his body alone as he carried it through the sewers, but now that they were seperated, the ice started to crack as the creature fought to break itself free.

Icesassin: I’m sorry, but I can’t let you escape again.

Taking a very deep breath, Icesassin exhales a huge blast of icy cold air inside the box. The walls, floor and ceiling inside are instantly frozen over, covered with glittering ice and frost. Chunk of ice formed on the ceiling and walls, turning the dull, empty storage box into a winter-themed prison cell.

The monster could feel its body freezing up again just as it was regenerating its broken limbs. All it accomplished were slightly longer nubs before being frozen over. The monster roared at Icesassin, glaring angrily at him through the small window.

Icesassin: It’s for your own good. I can’t allow anyone else to get hurt, nor will I let anyone kill you… Now that I’ve found you, I gotta find a way to fix whatever’s been done to you… Maybe Aegis or Magna Tech might have the answers.

Icesassin slowly turns away from the door and looks at the big empty room of the warehouse. He seemed to be looking up at something, but the darkness of the room obscured what it was. The dim lights of the warehouse couldn’t touch it. There was no shadow cast on the floor aside from Icesassin’s. But there was definitely something there. It was breathing cold breaths through its nose like Icesassin was and the floor was frozen where it stood. Whatever it was, Icesassin looked upon it without fear. He gazed at it like it was the most familiar face he’d known for years.

Icesassin: Remain here and keep that thing frozen until I return. Do not let it escape.

The only response heard was a low growl of acknowledgement. Whatever he was talking to wasn’t human, but it seemed intelligent enough to understand his instructions. Pleased with its response, the Elemental lowers his scarf, revealing his face to the other presence in the room, giving it a smile. Icesassin was indeed the Eagle Squad captain of Aegis sent to investigate the crashed cargo ship the monster attacked. Nobody knows how long he’s been hiding under Aegis’ nose or how he was able to fool everyone. But his position as a captain should give him access to any information that might be helpful in his endeavours, he thought.

Icesassin suddenly hears a static sound emanating from his Aegis radio he kept attached to his hip hidden underneath his cloak. The static was followed by a voice calling him by the name he was known by everyone at Aegis.

Eagle Squad Lieutenant: Captain Jefferson! This is Lieutenant Branigan. Come in, Captain Jefferson!

Icesassin picks up the radio and answers calmly.

Icesassin: This is Captain Jefferson. What is it, Lieutenant?

Eagle Squad Lieutenant: Sorry for interrupting your day off, sir. But General Mercer has asked all squad captains to report back to Aegis immediately.

Icesassin: Did he say what reason?

Eagle Squad Lieutenant: No, sir.

Icesassin: Very well, I’ll report back to Aegis as soon as I can. Over and out… I wonder what Mercer has in store for me.

Icesassin muttered to himself as he switched the radio off and puts it back in its place. Before heading out, he glanced back at the monster, expressing concern and assurance that everything will be fine, he just had to be patient.

Icesassin: …If there’s anything left of you to save.

To Be Continued